Today, the only real way to truly experience that beloved macabre theatricality anew is to dive into an era mostly forgotten and latch onto the weirdest, strangest Disney villain of all: Maestro Forte, the sentient pipe organ tormenting Belle in Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas.
Everyone thinks Maleficent is the worst of all villains. Imagine cursing a baby to eternal slumber just because she was not invited to the party. But, everyone needs to know that there's a deeper resentment dwelling in her heart. She was betrayed by the love of her life.
Cruella de Vil is naturally one of Disney's most fashionable villains. After all, what makes her a bad guy in 101 Dalmations is her wish to steal puppies in order to make a new fur coat. Her entire character's motivation is based on her goal of looking rich and dressing well.
Gaston from Beauty and the Beast and Hans from Frozen are currently the youngest Disney Villains to date, with Hans being 23 and Gaston being around his mid-20s.
Perhaps one of the most iconic villains in Disney history, the Evil Queen was the first true Disney villain. She made her appearance in the 1937 animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Ursula. There is no sassier villain than Ursula from The Little Mermaid. She stole the show with "Poor Unfortunate Souls," wore one of the classiest villain outfits (from the red lipstick to the black dress), and successfully masqueraded as a young suitor for Prince Eric.
Once a staple of Disney's animated features, particularly musicals, villains have slowly been phased out in favor of stories like Frozen II or Encanto that focus more on our hero's inner conflict with themselves.
Which Disney Princess was supposed to be a villain?
Frozen's Elsa was originally intended to be the villain of that film, before the narrative shifted to make her the sympathetic antihero instead. Angelina Jolie headlined two live-action films exploring the backstory of Sleeping Beauty's evil dragon Maleficent in 2014 and 2019.
Pete is traditionally depicted as the villainous arch-nemesis of Mickey Mouse, and was made notorious for his repeated attempts to kidnap Minnie Mouse. Pete is the oldest continuing Disney character, having debuted in the cartoon Alice Solves the Puzzle in 1925.
Chernabog is the demon that appears in the Night on Bald Mountain segment. He is considered by many to be the best representation of evil in any Disney movie. He is very powerful and ruthless and is feared by everyone. He is the darkest villain to ever appear in Disney.
Landing in the top spot of the American Film Institute's best movie villain of all time is the brilliant-yet-ghastly cannibalistic serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter from the 1991 Oscar-winning picture The Silence of the Lambs, superbly portrayed by the great Anthony Hopkins.
there is more to it than that. Disney villains have such a rich texture to their personalities. Often, they are eccentric, with big elaborate costumes and rhetoric. They are in many cases extremely intelligent (Gaston being an exception to this rule!) and are gifted with some of the most powerful songs.
