It's that time of year when all things evil take center stage: Halloween! Thanks to Disney, some of the most dastardly menaces to be created have been forever ingrained in our nightmares due to their intimidating prowess and cunning ways. The Disney Villains, in most cases, are just as memorable as their counterpart protagonists, which is why for this week's edition, I thought it would be appropriate to countdown my top five Disney Villains.
Unlike the previous posts, I will not be giving out honorable mentions. These top five demand all of the attention.
5. Scar from The Lion King
Scar comes off as so evil mainly because at the same time, he's so relatable. Everyone has, at one point or another, felt jealously driving them mad and would stop at nothing to right the wrong seemingly committed. What makes Scar such a great Disney Villain, though, is how he carries out his master plan with humor and innocence. The sarcasm level whenever Scar is on the screen is off the charts and gets funnier every time I watch it. Then of course, you have the clear Nazi symbolism going on in the "Be Prepared" scene, and if that's not evil, I don't know what is. Scar is an excellent antagonizing force to Mufasa and eventually Simba. His evil drives the entire plot of the movie, and that's why he belongs in the pantheon of villainy.
4. Ursula from The Little Mermaid
Like Scar, Ursula uses her quick sense of humor to accomplish her villainous goals, and jealousy is once again the driving force behind the madness. With a dominating presence from start to finish, Ursula looms large on everything unfolding on screen. One of the finest moments in any Disney movie is undoubtedly the "Poor Unfortunate Soul" scene where Ursula lays it all out on the line to Ariel for her to make a choice. By the film's end, Ursula is a villain everyone loves to hate. Just like Scar, without Ursula, the entire plot of the movie couldn't advance. That's evilness at its most vile.
3. Evil Queen/Witch from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
How could someone be so evil for such petty reasons? That has always been the question I have whenever I think about Disney's first villain. The Evil Queen is evil simply because Snow White is prettier than her according to a magic mirror. Her methods are also despicable with the poisoned apple being the standard setter for all following villains. Her transformation from Evil Queen to the Witch is one of the best scenes in Disney movie history, and of Hollywood's villains owe a certain amount of gratitude to the Evil Queen.
2. Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmatians
Like the Evil Queen, Cruella's evilness is quite simple: she's a villain because she wants a new fur coat. That's it. That's wonderful villainy! Plus, her song is just downright despicable and easily the highlight of this classic film. Her demeanor is commanding every minute she graces the screen with her presence, and just like the characters, the audience quickly learns to fear her and her villainous ways. She's everything you could possibly want in a Disney villain.
1. Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty
You don't get the nickname "The Mistress of Evil" by being ordinary. Maleficent is the pinnacle of Disney villainy. Her reasons for being evil, like Cruella's and the Evil Queen's, on really quite petty really. Maleficent is a villain because she didn't get invited to a party. Now, I'm sure no one likes to be left out of a party invitation list, but has anyone except for Maleficent ever turned into a fire-breathing dragon because of it? As is the theme with this list, without Maleficent, I'm not sure you have Sleeping Beauty. She is why I keep going back to this film. I cannot get enough of her evil antics.
In the words of The Nightmare Before Christmas: "Life's no fun without a good scare!" Enjoy the villainy, folks!
-Cody Fleenor
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