The 25 best Disney villains of all time

While some of the villains on this list have appeared in both live-action and animation, Enchanted’s Queen Narcissa (played by Susan Sarandon) has the distinction of being the only one to have both versions in the same film. Just as Giselle is an amalgam of past Disney princesses, Narcissa references several classic villains. She’s a power-mad queen, an evil sorceress, and a wicked stepmother, all rolled into one. Narcissa transforms into an old hag and a dragon. She’s even got minions to do her bidding for her, and keeps tabs on the heroine using her magic. Think of her as one massive, rotten Easter egg.

In Mulan, Shan Yu and his Hun army rampage and burn their way across China. His destructive actions eventually lead to Mulan’s father being called upon to fight, along with every other man of fighting age in the country. We all know what happens next. Shan Yu is depicted as a huge, imposing figure, with black and yellow eyes that sometimes glow like burning embers. Unlike other Disney villains, he has no sense of fun, playfulness, or camp. He’s just brutal and merciless. His only redeeming quality might be that he’s the only one who still recognizes that Mulan is a capable fighter even after discovering she’s a woman.

Few villains revel in their hideousness and villainy the way Madam Mim does in The Sword And The Stone. Unlike so many others who are vain and value beauty over all else, she is perfectly happy being an “ugly old creep.” She’s Merlin’s opposite, and his magical nemesis, using black magic and trickery to get what she wants. And what she wants is to be recognized as the marvelous magician she is, the greatest there ever was. That’s not easy with Merlin and his protege Arthur in the picture, though. She sets out to prove her superiority by challenging Arthur to a wizard’s duel. She cheats, of course, but loses anyway. You’ve got to give her credit for knowing who she is and what she’s about. She loves to cheat so much, she even does it when playing solitaire.

With apologies to those who haven’t seen Frozen (and if you haven’t by now, chances are you probably don’t care), Prince Hans is a successfully stealthy villain because his transformation from earnest love interest to murderous plotter is so instantaneous and complete you don’t see it coming any more than Anna does. Hoping the act of true love that can save her from being frozen solid is a kiss from the prince she thinks she loves, Olaf (with the help of Kristoff) risks turning into a puddle to get her back to the castle and Hans. Just as he’s within kissing distance, though, Hans (played note-perfectly by Santino Fontana) drops the mask and coldly deadpans, “Oh, Anna. If only there was someone out there who loved you.” Ouch. His betrayal did clear the way for Elsa to perform that act of love herself, so at least it didn’t turn out too badly for them.

As with Prince Hans, the true villainous nature of King Candy isn’t revealed until the end of Wreck-It Ralph (sorry, but you’ve had a decade to see it), when we find out that he’s actually a much older character called Turbo. The former star of an 8-bit racing game, he became jealous when another game became more popular and escaped into it, causing both games to be unplugged. His story is a cautionary tale among the other game characters in the arcade. Little do they know that Turbo is still among them, in the guise of King Candy from Super Rush. Alan Tudyk based his voice on the Mad Hatter from Alice In Wonderland (originally performed by Ed Wynn). He has a similar look too, and that touch of malicious madness makes him an even more unsettling villain.

Mother Gothel bears the classic villain traits of supreme selfishness and vanity in Tangled. Rapunzel’s hair keeps her forever young, so she plans to keep Rapunzel locked in a tower forever. That’s villain logic for you. A master manipulator, she uses guilt and fear to keep Rapunzel under her control. At least she seems to have been a relatively decent caretaker (compared to other Disney matriarchs at least), not counting the whole imprisonment thing. She allows Rapunzel to pursue her interests, providing her with all the paints and craft supplies she desires. When it comes down to it, though, Mother Gothel is only in it for herself. She uses Rapunzel and calls it love. And when Rapunzel finally realizes what a monster her “mother” is, she blames Rapunzel for forcing her to become “the bad guy.” The physical damage she inflicted may be magically healed, but her surrogate daughter will have to deal with the psychological scars for the rest of her life.

The Disney animators who designed Chernabog for Fantasia really outdid themselves. The star of the “Night On Bald Mountain” segment is an awesome (in the old-fashioned sense) demon of the night. His visage has become inseparable from Mussorgsky’s dark, symphonic composition. Critics and parents often complain about Disney villains being too scary for young children—and their concerns are sometimes overblown—but in this case, it might be true. Chernabog presides over a swirling cacophony of ghouls and ghosts, engulfing them in fire and transforming them into demons. He’s a terrifying force of nature who leaves a lasting impression, all without uttering a single line of dialogue.

He may have friends on the other side, but The Princess And The Frog’s Dr. Facilier made some enemies of those who didn’t appreciate his depiction as a practitioner of New Orleans voodoo in the film (the criticisms ranged from historical inaccuracy to satanic panic). Also known as The Shadow Man, he’s a bokor (or witch doctor) who can make your dreams come true with the help of his mystical abilities, but they always come at a price. A manipulative and opportunistic schemer, he uses his keen observation skill to narrow in on what a person desires and use that against them. Keith David digs into his jazzy signature musical number, which is dazzlingly animated and effectively spooky. He’s so self-serving that his cheeky sidekick—every villain has to have one, you know—is his own shadow. Whether you get what he’s all about or not, you can’t deny that among Disney villains, his vibe is truly unique.

In the original Monsters, Inc., Randall Boggs (voiced by Steve Buscemi) falls somewhere in between evil henchman and straight-up villain. At first, he just seems to be Sulley’s rival for the title of Top Scarer and his main competition for the all-time scare record, but he’s really in cahoots with Monsters, Inc. CEO Henry J. Waternoose III to change the way the screams powering Monstropolis are collected. Their plan to solve the city’s energy crisis is to kidnap children from the human world and extract screams via a process that eventually kills them. That’s pretty dark for a kids’ movie when you think about it. Randall’s ability to completely camouflage himself makes him an effective trickster, but his vendetta against Sully for constantly showing him up (even back in their college days) makes him a particularly vindictive one too.

Even if you’ve never seen The Emperor’s New Groove, you’re probably familiar with all the memes inspired by it. “Pull the lever, Kronk. Wrong leverrrrrrr!” is a classic Yzma line that’s taken on a life of its own. That’s due in no small measure to an outstanding vocal performance by the always excellent Eartha Kitt (who continued to play Yzma in the subsequent television series The Emperor’s New School, winning two Emmy awards for outstanding performer in an animated program). Yzma takes a page from Jafar’s book on how to usurp the ineffective ruler you’ve been serving by giving them terrible advice. Her schemes are much simpler, though. After Emperor Kuzco fires her, she plots her revenge by concocting a poison to kill him, but her dimwitted sidekick Kronk gives him the wrong one, turning him into a llama instead. Her penchant for falling into such comic mishaps makes her a somewhat less formidable villain, but she sure is delightful to watch.

The current wave of live-action Disney remakes kicked off in earnest back in 2014 with Maleficent, and there’s been at least one released every year since. And it’s all thanks to Angelina Jolie. The movie gave Sleeping Beauty’s epic villainess a tragic backstory and turned her into a more sympathetic character, not that anyone asked for that. Despite mixed reviews, few could find fault in Jolie’s wry, off-kilter portrayal, with an assist from some impressive facial prosthetics and those signature horns. It was enough to lure audiences into theaters, making the film a box-office success and inspiring a sequel film, Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil, in 2019.

Captain James Hook was already a well-known villain from Peter Pan story books and stage productions by the time Disney got a hold of him. Taking cues from J. M. Barrie’s original creation, Peter Pan’s nemesis is a foppish pirate whose outward bluster and cutthroat disposition belie a cowardly nature. It’s hard to say who he hates more, Peter Pan or the Tick-Tock crocodile who swallowed his hand (and hungers for another taste). He’s a more overtly comical character in the animated feature, and that sense of fun has propelled him to more appearances in other Disney realms, including TV shows, theme parks, comics, video games, and more.

Why come up with new reasons why narcissistic, shallow, proto-MRA poster boy Gaston is a great villain in Beauty And The Beast when there’s already a flawless song that lays it all out? Because no one’s slick as Gaston. No one’s quick as Gaston. No one’s neck is as incredibly thick as Gaston. For there’s no man in town half as manly. Perfect, a pure paragon. You can ask any Tom, Dick, or Stanley and they’ll tell you whose team they prefer to be on. No one’s been like Gaston. A kingpin like Gaston. No one’s got a swell cleft in his chin like Gaston. As a specimen, yes, he’s intimidating. My what a guy, that Gaston.

The song says it all: “If she doesn’t scare you, no evil thing will.” This distinctive villainess from One Hundred And One Dalmatians even has the words “cruel” and “devil” right there in her name. What else would you call a vain, greedy fashion designer who kidnaps a litter of puppies so she can make a coat out of their hides? (We’re going to pretend the live-action retcon of the character never happened.) Legendary animator Marc Davis was inspired by a combination of Betty Lou Gerson’s dramatic vocal performance, stage actress Tallulah Bankhead’s mannerisms, and model Mary Wickes’ physicality in designing the character, who can go from glamorously aloof to positively crazed in an instant. It turned out to be a winning recipe for creating one of the best villains of all time.

Jafar’s fatal flaw is his desire for power. Even being the grand vizier of Agrabah, with the trust and ear of the Sultan, isn’t enough for him. Aladdin’s Jafar (voiced by Jonathan Freeman, who also physically portrayed him in the Broadway musical adaptation) sets the entire story in motion by sending Aladdin after Genie’s lamp, planning to use it to wish himself into the Sultan’s seat. It proves to be his ultimate undoing, but those nefarious plans and schemes are what make him a compelling villain. His dark, angular look just screams “evil.” Jafar’s one redeeming feature may be his relationship with his mouthy parrot sidekick Iago (voiced by the late, great Gilbert Gottfried). Don’t underestimate the power of comic relief.

Can we all agree that Syndrome was just the worst? In The Incredibles, he reminds us all too much of a certain segment of fandom who will turn on the object of their idolization in an instant if they don’t get their way. You know the type. Granted, Mr. Incredible was not very kind to Buddy when he was a young, aspiring sidekick, but that’s no reason to kill a bunch of supers, including Bob and his entire family. He was just bitter and envious that he didn’t have any superpowers of his own (unless you count being super annoying). Buddy may be a genius, but instead of using his intelligence to actually make the world a better place, he comes up with this convoluted plan to fool the world into thinking he’s a hero. Seems like a lot more work, but it’s worth it to him to ensure the adulation from the public he so desperately craves. That’s pure megalomaniac behavior.

It’s an impressive achievement to have voiced one famous Disney villain, let alone two, so let’s hear it for the one and only Eleanor Audley. With both Lady Tremaine—or as you may know her better, Cinderella’s wicked stepmother—and Maleficent on her resume (not to mention The Haunted Mansion’s Madame Leota), she was a force to be reckoned with. Her poisoned honey voice was perfectly suited to these kinds of characters, who hide their black hearts beneath a mannered facade. As far as villains go, she’s not the scariest, but you wouldn’t want to cross her, and you definitely wouldn’t want to be her stepdaughter. In case there was any doubt about her wickedness, she named her conniving pet cat Lucifer. That should’ve been the first clue that something was amiss.

As Captain Hector Barbossa, the cursed nemesis of Captain Jack Sparrow first introduced in Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl, Geoffrey Rush proved to be such a terrific foil they brought him back for the next four movies. Over the course of the franchise, he has a significant arc, going from antagonist to antihero, from cutthroat pirate to commander of his own fleet. But his most memorable moment is in the first film, when the curse of the Black Pearl is revealed. After Barbossa survives a fatal knife wound courtesy of a captive Elizabeth Turner (Keira Knightley), he delivers a fantastic bit of exposition about how he is doomed to live forever, unable to satisfy any of his physical desires. Then he steps into the moonlight, revealing his true, undead form. “You’d best start believin’ in ghost stories, Miss Turner,” he tells her. “You’re in one.”

If you saw The Jungle Book at an early age, chances are you have a memory of being scared of Shere Khan, the fearsome, man-eating Bengal tiger who’s after Mowgli for most of the film. Sharply voiced by British actor George Sanders (his singing voice was provided by Bill Lee and Thurl Ravenscroft), Shere Khan is a disarmingly pleasant enough fellow, until you cross him—that’s when the claws come out. He prowls through the jungle like a king, feared by all the other animals, except one. With the only two things that frighten him—fire and guns—on their side, humans are his greatest enemy, and that includes Mowgli the man-cub. It’s that blinding hatred, the fatal flaw of so many villains, which leads to his own downfall.

Perhaps the most egregious instances of Disney altering source material to make it palatable for a family audience, Hercules bears little resemblance to its mythological inspirations. This version of Hades, with his blue-flame hair and sharp teeth, is a fictional amalgam of the Greek god, the Christian devil, and a used-car salesman. It pains us a little to admit it, but James Woods’ take on the god of the underworld as a wheeling-dealing Hollywood agent was inspired, babe. It’s hard to separate his performance from the character’s popularity, and from the actor’s recent behavior, though we’re going to try our best. Because Hades is too much fun to be ruined by his voice actor’s silly off-screen drama.

It’s kind of bizarre that the Evil Queen in Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs was never given an official name (unless you count Regina on the TV series Once Upon A Time). She was such an important character and has only grown in popularity with time, yet she’s solely defined by her title. It does sum her up pretty accurately, though. As the very first Disney villain, dating all the way back to 1937, she set a high bar for all the villains to come. She’s defined by her jealousy, ruthlessness, and especially vanity, as embodied by her magic mirror. It’s ironic, then, that in order to trick Snow White into eating that poisoned apple, she transforms herself into an old witch. It just goes to show how dedicated she is to achieving her evil goals.

Glenn Close’s live-action performance as Cruella de Vil (in 101 Dalmatians and its sequel, 102 Dalmatians) is so significant—and so significantly different from the animated version—we thought she deserved her own entry. The 1996 remake predates the recent live-action adaptation, and stands out all the more for it. Close doesn’t attempt to recreate the animated Cruella’s distinct voice or physicality. Instead, she puts her own spin on the character, who’s even more outrageous, villainous, and glamorous than the original. The hair, make-up, and costume departments went wild with her too, giving her several memorable looks throughout the two films. Perhaps they did too good a job. Not only does Close’s Cruella steal all those puppies, she steals the films as well.

Scar, exquisitely voiced by Jeremy Irons (channeling his Oscar-winning role as Claus von Bülow in Reversal Of Fortune) in The Lion King, is a classic example of a memorable character design meeting inspired casting. Irons relishes the hell out of every scene, bringing Shakespearean theatrics to moments like King Mufasa’s tragic death. Who can forget him menacingly quipping, “Long live the king,” as he digs in his claws and then tosses Mufasa to his death? He even gets a big musical number in which he gets to sing the line, “Yes, my teeth and ambitions are bared. Be prepared!” Simply iconic. No notes.

Say what you will about Ursula the Sea Witch in The Little Mermaid, you’ve got to admit she had style. All she really wanted was to complete her fabulous ensemble with a necklace (containing the voice of a certain mermaid princess), a crown, and a trident. The fact that these baubles happen to come with the incidental perk of ruling the entire ocean is just a bonus. She positively lives for helping poor, unfortunate merfolk who have nowhere else to turn. Her magic may come at a steep price, but she always gives her clients a choice. And with the help of her hench-eels Flotsam and Jetsam she has eyes everywhere, so it would be wise not to get on her bad side. Not that she has one, darling.

Not only is Maleficent from the original Sleeping Beauty one of the best-designed animated villains ever in her original form—all severe lines and sharp angles, with the color scheme of a badly healing bruise—but when she transforms into a freaking dragon she’s even more intimidating. That’s two awesome villains for the price of one. She’s got the coolest accomplice too, a raven familiar named Diablo. As the powerful evil fairy who puts the “sleep” in Sleeping Beauty (though it would be far worse if she had her way), Maleficent’s impact on the story is indelible. All because she wasn’t invited to one little christening party for a princess she didn’t even know. That’s spiteful on an epic level. Her plan for Prince Phillip is even more twisted. She locks him up in a dungeon and intends to keep him there until he’s too old for Aurora, who will remain 16 for as long as she’s under the sleeping curse. The main lesson of the film should be not to piss off sorceresses with vindictive streaks.