Disney Rankings Finals: Best Villain/Antagonist

Disney Rankings Finals: Best Villain/Antagonist

Welcome to the third round of the finals! If you would like to look back at the previous entries in this blog series, click the link here. Last round, I covered the who I thought were the best Disney Male Leads, so go ahead and check out that round if you'd like to find out who I think the best Disney Male Lead is (here).

Everybody loves a good villain. Sometimes, the best part of a Disney movie is its villain! The saddest part for me was that I had to leave so many wonderful villains out of this list, but I hope you enjoy the ones that I did include. Of course, not every character on this list is the evil type, some are just the main antagonist that opposes the protagonist.

So let's get to figuring out who the best villains and antagonists of Disney animation are!

12th Place: Malificent (Sleeping Beauty)

jeffszhang (link)

peetietang (link)

Blumina (link)

Maleficent may not be as loud as other Disney villains, but she's definitely more menacing, and arguably more evil than most. For example, Cruella de Vill wanted to kill puppies, which is definitely evil, but in her eyes, they were just animals, not intelligent beings with feelings. Maleficent wanted to murder and torment people who she knew were intelligent beings, and she relished in the pain she caused people. Cruella is the bully who tells a girl she looks ugly, Maleficent is the bully who tells a girl to kill herself. They might have the same result, but one definitely has more malicious intent than the other.

I loved how powerful Maleficent was. She just dominated every scene that she was in. Whether it was her shooting lightning at people, gloating over captured Prince Phillip, turning into a ferocious dragon, or cursing Aurora, she just had a powerful, sadistic, demonic presence. I loved how she was mostly calm and collected, but also capable of explosive rage and vitriol. 

Other villains might be evil people, but Maleficent is an evil leader. 

11th Place: The Coachman (Pinocchio)

Madame-Kikue (link)

ManicSam (link)

Rinkusu001 (link)

The Coachman is a nameless villain (who really isn't given a name) whose namelessness actually adds to his villainous character (more on that later). For those of you who don't know, the Coachman is the one who lures Pinocchio and hundreds of other boys to Pleasure Island, in order to transform them into donkeys and sell them into slavery.

What the Coachman does is ruthless. We know from the movie that at least some of the boys he kidnaps still have families to go home to; as they're shoved into cages and shipped out, we can hear a couple of the transformed boys cry out for their mothers. This means that not only are hundreds of boys being forced into a life of slavery, but that there are also hundreds of mothers who will never see them again, and forever wonder what happened to them.

Essentially, this guy is a symbolic representation of all those who perpetuate child slavery and abduction. Because he doesn't have a name, you can simply substitute any child slaver/abductor with him. Him transforming children into donkeys is symbolic of how child slavers "transform" children of infinite worth into nothing more than commodities. And just like the Coachman, many of these people get away with it.

10th Place: Madam Medusa

jeorje90 (link)

JASONS21 (link)

Madam Medusa is a maniacal villainess very similar to Cruella de Vil, which is fitting, since we learn from a 101 Dalmatians commentary that her character design was an attempt by an animator to one-up the animator of Cruella. 

I feel like Medusa does a pretty good job opposing the protagonists of her movie. For one thing, She kidnaps and manipulates a sweet little orphan into performing life-threatening labor for her (and steals her teddy bear!) Also, she has two pet alligators who she sics on said orphan, and the mice who come to rescue her. Also, let's not forget that she pulls a gun on a little kid! And all of this because she wants a big diamond. 

So yeah, she's basically Cruella de Vil, but with alligators instead of two henchmen, kidnaps orphans instead of puppies, and does unspeakable acts to obtain a diamond instead of fur coats. And she crashes a swamp rover jet-ski thing instead of a snazzy car. Since Cruella is a pretty good villain, Medusa benefits from emulating her (who knows, maybe she watched 101 Dalmatians as a kid). 

Oh, and plus, she's Disney's first red-headed villainess, so...

9th Place: Buck Cluck (Chicken Little)

Madame-Kikue (link) [This is literally the only fan art of him I could find, so enjoy!]

Buck is such a powerful antagonist. He isn't a typical Disney antagonist. For one thing, he's the father of the protagonist, and we can see that he does care about his son. He's never purposefully vindictive or cruel towards Chicken Little, nor does he bear any sinister agenda. Despite all this, the emotional pain he causes Chicken Little throughout the movie is heartbreaking, and it's hard not to resent him.

Every time his son turns to him, he turns away--abandoning him when he needs him most. When the other animals are mean or cruel to Chicken Little, Buck responds to his son with shame and embarrassment. When Chicken Little expresses the desire to join the baseball team, Buck actively discourages him from trying, and tells him not to get his hopes high. At the end of virtually every conversation with his dad, Chicken Little's face reveals the anguish and pain he feels from his father's lack of support. 

Near the end of the film, however, Buck has a heart to heart talk with his son. He tells Chicken Little how inadequate he feels as a parent, especially after the death of Chicken Little's mother. He tells Chicken Little that he loves him, "and I'm sorry, if I ever made you feel like that was something you had to earn". Despite all his faults, and nigh neglectful parenting, Buck eventually faces his problems head on, and becomes the father Chicken Little needs. By the end of the film, he genuinely supports his son, and no longer hides his love for him. 

Whereas other critics see Buck as the worst part of the entire movie, I see him as a facilitator for some of the movie's greatest emotional moments. I feel like his character arc is one that many single fathers can relate to, and appreciate. He shows that not all antagonists have to be a "villain". Sometimes, they're hurting just as much as the protagonist, and sometimes, they can eventually become the one who helps the protagonist the most.

8th Place: Ursula (The Little Mermaid)

dotsweare (link)

otherworldmedia (link)

StayToonedArt (link)

Ursula is the quintessential Disney villain, all the way down to the creepy, maniacal laugh (seriously, her laugh is the stuff of nightmares). Ursula’s sheer talent for manipulating others is one of the things that makes her a magnificent villain. She understands the strengths and weaknesses of those she opposes, and how to exploit them. She masterfully lures Ariel into her trap, using her greatest dreams and desires as bait. In this way, she’s very much like Satan.

Besides being a master manipulator, Ursula also has the perfect air of dramatic villainy. For one thing, she’s a powerful witch, and does a pretty good job of demonstrating her powers in the movie. She has a top-notch Disney Villain song. She seems to relish being a villain and is very enthusiastic about her villainous schemes. This makes her the perfect foil to Ariel, who is equally passionate and enthusiastic about her own desires.

One of the things that I like about Ursula is that the movie does a very good job of making her look like a threat. We see her succeed a lot—she succeeds in tricking in Ariel, she succeeds in capturing King Triton, she succeeds in gaining his trident and becoming ruler of the ocean (albeit for a short period of time). Seeing so many of her plans succeed adds suspense to the movie, and makes it seem more realistic and fulfilling when the heroes defeat her.

7th Place: Captain Hook (Peter Pan)

NikChapuis (link)

DavidGFerrero (link)

EryckWebbGraphics (link)

As much as I enjoyed the other villains in this round, I have to admit that Captain Hook ended up being my favorite. I just found him to be a very interesting and complex villain. For one thing, I love the range he has in the movie. What I mean by that is we get to see him in a plethora of situations and moods. We see him swashbuckling with Peter Pan in a fight to the death, we see him attempting to trick Tinker Bell with sly diplomacy, we see him shout at the top of his lungs in absolute horror, and we even see him humiliate himself to save his life. All of these things, and more, show him to be a very dynamic character, who we get to see at many different angles.

One of the most interesting ways the movie portrays Captain Hook is as the victim. In the movie, we learn that Captain Hook has suffered a lot at the hands of Peter Pan. We learn that Peter Pan was responsible for the loss of his left hand, which resulted in an alligator's incessant obsession with devouring the rest of him. Peter Pan shows no remorse for this, and even sees it as wonderfully fun story to tell people he meets. Multiple times throughout the movie, Peter Pan torments and humiliates Captain Hook, to the point of him nearly losing his mind. It's in these moments that Captain Hook shows a very human form of desperation, as he tries again and again to, unsuccessfully, relieve himself of Peter Pan's relentless torments. Now, of course, Captain Hook resorts to rather extreme measures to do this, but isn't it possible that Peter Pan was the one who drove him to it?

So, in the end, Captain Hook is a dynamic and possibly even sympathetic villain. He makes every scene that he's in enjoyable, and he serves as an excellent opposition to Peter Pan.

6th Place: Professor Padraic Ratigan (The Great Mouse Detective)

DrMistyTang (link)

emilynguyenart (link)

SilverWolf866 (link)

"You have no idea what a delightful dilemma it was trying to decide on the most appropriate method for your demise. I had so many ingenious ideas, I didn't know which to choose. So, I decided to use them all."

Professor Ratigan. For those of you who have seen this movie, it probably doesn't come as a surprise that Ratigan is so high on this list. First of all, he has a fantastic voice actor--Vincent Price. Price's voice makes Ratigan just drip with evil genius. His laugh, his rage, even his little quirks are captured perfectly by Price's acting.

Everything about Ratigan is so memorable. For one thing, he's of the most intelligent villains ever in a Disney movie--with very detailed and well thought out plans. He isn't like other villains who carry out their plans, but then don't know what to do afterwards. He's also quite three-dimensional. He has a desperate urge to match wits against Basil, but yet also hates to have him interfere with his meticulous plans. He demonstrates tight control over his emotions and has eloquent manners in some circumstances, and then shows off absolute rage in others. The shifts in personality which he demonstrates really make him feel like a borderline-insane, evil genius--which is something that is actually very difficult to pull off.

5th Place: Yzma (The Emperor's New Groove)

glimpen (link)

Super-Cute (link)

theCHAMBA (link)

"I'll turn him into a flea, a harmless little flea. And then I'll put that flea in a box, and I'll put that box inside of another box, and I'll mail that box to myself. And when it arrives, muahaha, I'll SMASH IT WITH A HAMMER!"

I don't even know if I really need to explain this one. Yzma's just an absolutely fun villain. She's just as sarcastic and hilarious as Kuzco, she's a mad scientist, and she turns into an evil cat. What's not to love? 

I'd go into a big long list about why I love her, but let's be honest. You all already know what's great about her, and if you don't, then go watch the movie and you'll understand. :)

4th Place: Queen Elsa (Frozen)

Amaterasu 121 (link)

Kinopia (link)

imDRUNKonTEA (link)

I know what you're probably thinking: "Wait, but isn't Elsa the good guy?" Yes, she is one of the "good guys" of the movie, but, she also happens to be the movie's main antagonist. Is she a villain? No (although in earlier versions of the movie she was intended to be the villain). An antagonist is somebody who opposes the protagonist and their goals. Anna is the main protagonist of the movie, and her main goal is to regain her connection with her sister, Elsa. And who is the one who constantly opposes Anna's goal at every turn? Elsa. Elsa repeatedly shuts down Anna's attempts to repair their relationship, and does everything she can to keep her away--including creating a giant snow monster to attack her.

The genius behind Elsa's character is that she doesn't want to be the antagonist. As the movie beautifully depicts, she is torn between her own desire to repair her relationship with her sister, and her fear of hurting those she loves. Although most of the decisions she makes as the movie's antagonist are motivated by fear, they are also intertwined with love. She loves her sister and her people so much that she is willing to isolate herself from them, putting herself through unimaginable mental/emotional torture in the process. Her opposition to Anna isn't born out of some malicious intent to do harm, but rather, out of a severe misunderstanding of herself and how to cope with her emotional trauma.

In most three-act movie structures, there is an emotional climax that usually follows on the heels of (or is sometimes intertwined with) an "abyss"--the moment when it seems all hope is lost, and the antagonist seems to win. Usually, this involves the protagonist and their allies being dealt a major blow, caused by the antagonist. This is usually the part where the antagonist shows their "true selves" (Ursula, turning into a huge, power hungry tyrant, Jaffar turning into a giant snake, Frollo, trying to murder Quasimodo whilst being surrounded with Hellish imagery, etc.).

Elsa is no exception to this trope--though she fulfills it in a different way. Anna jumps in front of Elsa to save her from Hans, transforming into an icy statue right before Elsa's eyes--a consequence of Elsa's emotional outburst earlier in the movie. At this point, Elsa reveals the true core of what made her Anna's antagonist. Despair. She cries over Anna's frozen body--her greatest fear. At this point Elsa becomes, at least in her own mind, the monster she always feared she would become.

Of course, all of this is reversed once Anna thaws, and the curse is broken. Through Anna, Elsa learns how to truly control her powers, and she finally stops opposing her. She is redeemed from her own fear. 

3rd Place: John Silver (Treasure Planet)

Grincha (link)

Issoman (link)

ajie-g (link)

"Sometimes, you give up a few things, chasing a dream."

This quote makes up the core of John Silver's character. Silver is such an intriguing villain in that he's one of the few Disney villains to actually experience growth and dynamic change. At the very beginning, it seems like Silver is nothing but a ruthless pirate chasing after the "treasure of worlds". He burns down the Hawkins' inn, and joins the crew of the Legacy with the intention causing a mutiny.

The key to changing all of this is Jim. At first Silver doesn't seem to have much interest in Jim, and feels insulted that Captain Amelia places him in his care. He initially just tries to keep Jim busy to avoid him learning about the future mutiny. However, as Jim reveals more and more about himself to Silver, he begins to warm up to him, and maybe even empathize with him. He starts to treat Jim more like a protege than a nuisance. He helps Jim begin to see his worth and potential. He becomes the loving and supporting father figure Jim never had.

As Silver's mutiny comes to light however, his newfound relationship with Jim is put to the test. We see Silver begin to wrestle with himself. What does he truly want? What's worth more to him? Jim, or the treasure he's been seeking for his whole life? During the film's climax, Silver finds the treasure of worlds with Jim's help, and for a moment it seems like he's finally gotten everything he ever wanted. However, as the planet begins to collapse, Silver's forced to make a decision--to hold onto the scraps of treasure he can, or to save Jim's life. At first, he tries to do both, but quickly discovers that he will have to give one up in order to have the other. In the end, Silver willingly gives up the treasure he spent his whole life searching to save Jim's life. Silver brushes it off as if it's nothing, however this choice becomes the most defining decision in his entire life. Silver is truly an awesome, and even inspiring, Disney villain.

2nd Place: Dr. Facilier (Princess & the Frog)

NicChapuis (link)

Riku-X-Gaara (link)

Unforgiventak (link)

First of all, "Dr. Facilier" is just a really cool name. Dr. Facilier is one of the most memorable Disney characters in general, but is also a very memorable, and powerful villain. For one thing, I just love the whole voodoo witch doctor powers he has. He fraternizes with evil spirits and demons, has his own personal shadow minion, can transform people with seeming ease, and who knows what else. His powers are brought to life super well on screen, and they really help make him feel like a menacing villain.

Beyond all that though, Dr. Facilier plays a powerful role in developing the film's themes. One of the major themes that seems to permeate Princess and the Frog is the concept of vulnerability, and how different people react to it. Like Tiana, some people are simply unaware of their vulnerabilities. Like Naveen, some people put on a show to try and hide their vulnerabilities. And then there are people like Dr. Facilier, who seek to overcome their vulnerabilities by seeking power and by harming others.

One of my brothers pointed out just how vulnerable Dr. Facilier really is. He essentially gambles with powers that are far beyond his own control, putting his own life in jeopardy for seemingly superficial reasons. We see his physical vulnerability, in the form of the talisman that he wears around his neck--which can't be broken, otherwise his demonic "friends" will come to collect on his "debts". We also see his vulnerability in more subtle ways in his dialogue with Lawrence, the power hungry assistant to prince Naveen. In order to psych Lawrence up for their plan, Dr. Facilier says the following: "Aren't you tired of living on the margins? While all those fancy cats in their fancy cars don't even give you so much as a sideways glance?"

As he says this, we see a look of anger, and possibly even pain, flash across his usually well composed face. I think this quote highlights his biggest feelings of vulnerability. Just like Tiana, he was a poor, mistreated member of society, who had to scrape by just to make a living. I can imagine him as a young child, alone on the streets, turning to anything--even voodoo and evil spirits--to give him some shred of control, some illusion of power over his life. His whole life, he looked at what he thought he wanted, but never at what he truly needed. In this way, he serves as the perfect opposite to Tiana. They both came from similar backgrounds, but one chose the path of happiness, and the other chose the path of anguish. 

All of this vulnerability pays off in what may be the most satisfying--and probably the most horrifying--villain death scenes in all of Disney. As Tiana shatters his talisman, the giant voodoo spirits pop out of the ground and ask him "are you ready?", to which he gives the terrifyingly stark response, "no, I'm not ready!" I can't think of a more horrifying ending than to see death and realize that you spent your whole life clawing desperately for power and false ambitions, only to realize that they are absolutely meaningless and that you have spent a life defined by nothing but agony and misery. This is in stark contrast to the life full of meaning and acceptance which Tiana and Naveen create for themselves.

Plus, he has one of the best Villain songs ever!

Winner: Judge Claude Frollo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

DavidGFerrero (link)

neysha-sheyla (link)

Blacleria (link)

squonkhunter (link)

Frollo is one of the most intense villains in any Disney movie ever. The very first scene we see him in does a pretty good job of demonstrating this. He murders a young mother, nearly drowns a baby, and then precedes to raise said baby in the cruelest way imaginable (why did the Archdeacon think it was a good idea to have the guy who almost drowned a baby become the adopted father of that baby?) Then, as the movie progresses, we see him sexually harass an innocent woman, allow his adopted son to be humiliated and tortured in town square, try to burn a family alive in their own house, and attempt genocide. And the most infuriating thing is that the whole time, he pretty much believes he’s in the right.

Frollo is just the perfect example of how power can corrupt people. Throughout the movie, we see that Frollo is obsessed with control, and trying to impose his will upon the city and its inhabitants. Whenever anyone opposes him, even in the slightest thing, he lashes out at them in terrifying rage. His tenacity is also horrifying. When Frollo sets his mind to do something, he won’t rest until he sees it accomplished—even if the results prove disastrous. His tenacity and lust for control take admirable traits—Justice and Order—and twist them to the extreme, sacrificing the lives of his own people to satiate his madness.

Perhaps the most intense thing about Frollo though is that he is the perfect representation of the misery and anguish caused by sin. First of all, there's the obvious Hell/damnation imagery that is attached to him. He falls to his death into a lake of molten brass (at least that's what I think it is...), he sets all of Paris on fire, and...oh yeah, he literally spends three minutes singing a song about the fires of Hell. The thing about Frollo is that he doesn't take any delight in this Hellish imagery, like other villains might. Like most Catholics in 14th Century France would be, he's horrified of Hell and Damnation. As he sings about his lust for Esmeralda and plots her demise, he catches a glimpse of what he's becoming, and it seems to horrify him. He pleads, "God have mercy on me", and not in some perfunctory way, but with genuine horror and trepidation in his voice. Unfortunately however, this fear isn't enough to jog some sense to him, and he ends up embracing his wickedness and iniquity, boldly stating at the end of his song, "But she will be mine or she will burn!" Thus sealing his own fate, knowing full well that he is selling his soul to the Devil.

***

Well, that's it for the Best Villains round! Please let me know what you think of this list! Also, I'll be coming out with the top 12 Best Side/Supporting characters soon, so be on the look out for that.