There is a common belief that a Disney animated movie is only as good as its villain. If that is true, then how to explain the fact that the only animated ever to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture contains what is arguably the lamest villain in the Disney canon, Gaston? So lame is Gaston, in fact, that there have actually been attempts to forward the Beast as the villain of the movie; this, despite the fact that the Beast is quite clearly not only the hero, but the romantic hero.
If there is one that that Disney almost always does right-and there is only one, of course-it is creating memorable villains. Yes, they do occasionally stumble such as with Gaston, but their successes more than outweigh the failures. Any argument over which is the best Disney villain of all time is bound to result in debate, of course. But isn’t that what makes it fun? In 2004, Ultimate Disney conducted their own countdown of the top thirty villains. That countdown included live action movie villains as well, but this list will reduce the possibilities not only down to full length animated movies, but non-Pixar movies as well. Which is just as well, since Pixar’s weakness is admittedly in the villain department.
10. Hades. Hercules.
Hades is a memorable Disney villain for two reasons: James Woods. Aside from his characterization, it’s really hard to come up with any reason for Hades to be on the list. But that’s the thing about animation; all the acting is in the voice. And this is probably James Woods’ greatest accomplishment. Rumor has it that the Disney folks originally wanted a slow-talking, Jack Nicholson type for Hades, but James Woods quite obviously took it in another direction. And quite well, too.
9. Frollo. The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Frollo is the most realistic villain in the Disney canon. Guys like him exist. Not only do they exist, but they exert political control right here in America. Frollo’s self-righteous conviction that his morality affords him not only the right but the duty to run over everyone in the path of doing what he believes is the right thing cuts almost too close to bone; it’s literally painful to watch this movie because it’s more of a documentary than a Disney flick.
8. Jafar. Aladdin.
Though he’s the runner-up on the Ultimate Disney list, I must confess to being less than enamored with Jafar. Oh sure, he’s scary enough, especially when turning into that giant cobra. But he’s way down the list on the style quotient. And Jonathan Freeman gives a surprisingly pedestrian voice performance. Still, Jafar make the list because he’s got the animators behind him. His transformations are the highlights of the movies and, let’s face it, few other villains have such an evil-looking face as Jafar.
7. Shere Khan. The Jungle Book.
Notable mainly for George Sanders oh-so-British reading. Shere Khan is a hoot; a king of the jungle so at home in his confidence that he expresses almost no other emotion than a kind of hipster disaffection. Take Shere Khan out of the jungle, place him in America in the 1950s and this guy becomes Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
6. Cruella De Vil. 101 Dalmatians.
Though not nearly the villain of her parodic equal, Mr. Burns, Cruella has got style. Fantastic hair and one heck of a great dresser. She doesn’t possess any kind of superpowers yet still manages to rise to great levels of pure evil. I mean, come on, she wants to kill puppies! Man, that’s cold. Beneath her façade there is a statement here about the dangerous affects of unbridled acquisition of things. Cruella should be a lesson against wanting to own incredibly useless goods. Too bad she isn’t.
5. Yzma. The Emperor’s New Groove.
Probably a surprise, this one. Admittedly, Yzma isn’t scary or even particularly evil, but she’s got more personality in one scene that the villains of Mulan, Beauty and the Beast and Pocahontas put together. Yzma is probably the funniest of all the Disney villains and that surely must count for something.
4. The Queen. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
She’s got it all: beauty, brains and a jealous streak that is truly astounding. Gotta admit that when I was kid and saw this movie for the first time in a theater, she scared the wits out of me when she turned into the witch. I literally had nightmares about her. Her evil doesn’t quite hold up after you’ve reached adulthood, but as far as villains goes she’s probably the scariest for little kids.
3. Scar. The Lion King.
Tough one. Scar could have made it as high as number two, but for one thing. As evil as he is and as brilliant as Jeremy Irons’ acting is, Scar has a fatal flaw that prohibits him from being Disney’s greatest villain. He has to rely on his underlings a little too much. Let’s face it, if Scar had to meet Mufasa or Simba face to face, he’d be toast. He’s evil, but he lacks the physical dimension of a great villain.
2. Ursula. The Little Mermaid.
This is probably a controversial choice; Ursula ranks a mere 5 on the Ultimate Disney list. She is my second choice partly because of Pat Carroll’s brilliant interpretation and partly because her evil is directed to my favorite Disney princess. But mostly it’s because her manner of evil is so unique; she steals souls. I mean, come on, that’s far more evil in theory than merely killing the body. And who can forget her temptation to Ariel: Don’t underestimate the importance of BODY language. One of the all-time great lines in any Disney song.
1. Maleficent. Sleeping Beauty.
Okay, well, probably no surprise here if you’ve been following along. My choice is the same as the folks at Ultimate Disney. I think the reason that Maleficent almost always winds up at the top of any list of Disney villains is in part because she really has nothing to gain from her evil. She won’t become a queen or possess a beautiful singing voice; she’s just ticked off because she was invited to a party. There is pure evil in Maleficent of the kind that earns her that terrific name. Plus she’s also the coolest looking Disney villain, coldly beautiful and a snappy dresser.
