The Walt Disney Corporation has created some of the best animated villains in movie history. Through a combination of incredible animation, voice acting, and character work, their villains blast their way into the hearts and minds of audiences of all ages. Many of them do this by illustrating a negative trait or sin, which helps them serve as cautionary tales for the audience.
RELATED: The Best Comedies On Disney+ Right Now
Another way Disney villains succeed is in their comedy. Even Disney’s scariest thieves have their silly sides, and thanks to the timelessness of their animation, the jokes are still as strong today as when they first came out.
10/10 Madame Mim – “The Sword in the Stone” (1963)
While learning to see the world from a bird’s perspective, Arthur is attacked by a hawk and forced to flee into the woods. He arrives at the cottage of another witch, Madame Mim, who claims she is superior to Merlin in every way. When Arther berates her, Mim tries to kill him, which causes a duel between her and Merlin.
Although Madame Mim’s involvement in the film is minimal, she leaves a strong impact thanks to her funny and memorable side. Mim revels in her pain and even sings a song to Arthur about the joy she derives from it. This delight is contagious, with its leaps and cackling around the room.
9/10 Edgar Balthazar – “The Aristocrats” (1970)
For most of his life, Edgar Balthazar dutifully worked as Madame Bonfamille’s butler. He overhears a conversation concerning his will: Bonfamille intends to bequeath his fortune to his cats, then Edgar once deceased. Thinking that cats literally have nine lives, Edgar decides to drug them and leave them in the desert.
Although Edgar’s villainy is very small in Disney’s grand scheme, he makes up for it with some of their best physical comedy. Contrary to his polite and sophisticated personality, Edgar is repeatedly humiliated by everything, including old men, cats, and dogs. Bringing four of the Nine Old Men to life, Edgar offered a chance to combine their strengths to create a uniquely expressive character.
8/10 Prince John – “Robin Hood” (1973)
While his brother, King Richard I, took part in the third crusade, Prince John reigned in his place over the kingdom of England. Unfortunately, John is more greedy than his brother and presses his people for all they are worth. This gives rise to Robin Hood and his merry men, who rob John to give back to the people.
RELATED: 10 Underrated Animated Cult Classics You Can Watch Right Now On Disney+
Prince John is a very different take on villains for Disney. He is rarely to blame for the situation, and his squabbles with his adviser, Hiss, are treated like an old married couple. What makes his childish tantrums work is the voice of the famous Peter Ustinov, that hits the right level of pathos to sound funny.
7/10 Professor Ratigan – “The Great Mouse Detective” (1986)
Posing as the world’s greatest criminal mind, Professor Rattigan has plagued the City of Mice of London for years. Not even the great Basil of Baker Street (the rodent analogue of Sherlock Holmes) caught it. Now he plans to carry out his greatest plan by kidnapping the Mouse Queen and setting up his own regime.
Rattigan is one of Disney’s most energetic villains, thanks to his selfishness and showmanship. His genius absorbs him so much that he is in an almost constant state of laughter and always thinking of new ways to prove his superiority. His crowning achievement comes near the end, when he captures Basil in an elaborate death trap triggered by the song “Goodbye So Soon”, written and sung by the Professor.
6/10 Gaston – “Beauty and the Beast” (1991)
In a provincial town in France lives Gaston. In any other story, he would be the hero: he is handsome, a skilled hunter, and loved by everyone in town. However, when his pride is hurt due to the rejection of Belle, the most beautiful woman in town, Gaston is willing to have his father committed if it means marrying him.
Gaston’s humor comes from his pig’s face. Although he possesses some cunning, more often than not he is content to flex his muscles and brag about his many hunting accomplishments. This is best seen in his song “Gaston,” where the whole town cheers him on by singing about how manly he is.
5/10 ‘Scar’ – ‘The Lion King (1994)
The younger brother of King Mufasa, Scar falls further down the line of succession with the birth of his son, Simba. His solution is simple: team up with the hyenas to kill them and ascend the throne. However, Scar is only interested in the prestige of being king and lets his kingdom fall into ruin.
Despite Scar’s seriousness when working towards his goal, his mannerisms and dry humor translate into a number of funny moments. Supervising animator andreas dejan adds plenty of little touches of sass to Scar’s moves, while Jeremy Irons matches one of Disney’s finest vocal performances. His intro demonstrates this best as he playfully monologues his woes to a mouse before attempting to eat it.
4/10 Bowler Hat Guy – “Meet the Robinsons” (2007)
After stealing a time machine, a man in a robotic bowler hat travels back in time to sabotage the invention of a boy named Lewis. He then tries to pass off Lewis’s invention as his own but doesn’t know how to make it work. So he and his hat, Doris, decide to kidnap Lewis, so he can show them how it works.
RELATED: Why ‘Meet the Robinsons’ Marked a Brighter Future for Disney Animation 15 Years Ago
The Bowler Hat Guy is a hilariously tragic caricature of someone who can’t let go of the past. His desire to blame the one he accuses of his misfortunes prevents him from moving forward and locks him into a childish state of mind. This is perfectly captured in a lanky design that moves like a child trying to put on a character and director. by Stephen John Anderson performance, which draws on the comedic style of Jim Carey.
3/10 Captain Hook – ‘Peter Pan’ (1953)
As Peter Pan flies out of Neverland to retrieve his shadow, Captain Hook waits on his ship, plotting revenge. Years ago, Pan cut off Hook’s left hand and gave it to a crocodile that won’t stop until it gets the rest of it. Although Pan can circle around the Captain, he still has to be careful not to fall for the Captain’s revenge.
Captain Hook balances the suave and cunning demeanor of a pirate with incredible slapstick comedy. His expressions are the right amount of exaggeration, and the screams provided by Hans Conried are the perfect dose of terror and outrage. The scenes with him and the crocodile have some of Disney’s best comedic moments.
2/10 Yzma and Kronk – “The Emperor’s New Groove” (2000)
When the arrogant Emperor Kuzko fires his royal adviser, Yzma, for trying to rule the empire, she decides to poison him. Unfortunately, his assistant, Kronk, replaces the poison with a potion that turns Kuzko into a llama. This allows Yzma to take over, but when she learns that Kronk failed to kill him, they set off into the jungle to find him.
The Emperor’s New Routine is already hilarious thanks to its unique humor, which feels right at home in a looney toons short, but Yzma and Kronk make this one of Disney’s best comedies. Eartha Kitt and Patrick Warburton are perfect, respectively playing Yzma as the evil witch and Kronk as the good-natured jester. Their camaraderie was so strong that it led to Kronk getting his direct-to-DVD sequel, Kronk’s New Groove.
1/10 Hades – ‘Hercules’ (1997)
As Lord of the Underworld, Hades is considered an outcast by the other gods of Olympus and aspires to be at the top. He learns that, in eighteen years, he will have his chance if he frees the Titans. The only thing that can stop him is Zeus’ son, Hades, so he charges his minions, Pain and Panic, to render him mortal and kill him.
The success of Hades comes from James Woods‘ unique performances. Rather than acting like your typical overlord of the dead, Hades cracks joke after joke like a sleazy used-car salesman. Even his explosive outbursts are charming as they usually happen due to Pain and Panic’s incompetence.
KEEP READING: 10 Holiday Movie Villains Who Rival The Grinch
We would love to say thanks to the writer of this article for this remarkable material
