The Scariest Disney Villians...

(You DO see who is right in the MIDDLE of the pic, don't you???... Haaaaaaaaaa!!!... My GLORIOUS self!!!) >>>

While Disney is well known for their heroic do-gooders, their villains have become just as iconic and beloved. Each of Disney's villains has unique traits that make them terrifying to viewers of all ages, but only a few can be seen as the scariest. These villains will stop at nothing to get what they want, even if it means crossing lines no other villain would. >>> Disney's scariest villains often have magical powers that they use to take on their heroes, while others are so manipulative it is easy to see how the heroes fall for their tricks. No matter how scary, there is something about Disney villains that people love.>>> ***(Updated by Robert Vaux on July 12, 2024: Disney is known for its iconic villains, many of whom are truly terrifying characters despite appearing in children's films. These are some of the scariest and most fear-inducing animated villains of all time. This article has been expanded to include five new members of Disney's extremely large rogues gallery and the formatting has been updated to meet current CBR guidelines.) >>> ***The Headless Horseman*** is a Terrifying Mirage 1949 Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is essentially the story of a prank, as Brom Bones runs his bookish rival Ichabod Crane out of town by impersonating the local ghost. Disney's classic adaptation of the story doesn't alter those details, but it expertly embellishes the terror of its nonexistent specter. The build-up is key, as the film adopts Ichabod's subjective viewpoint on his ride home after an evening of listening to Bones' spooky stories. That plays out in numerous details, from frogs and crickets that seem to call out Ichabod's name to clouds that take the form of massive hands blocking out the moon. The whole of nature seems hell-bent on claiming the impressionable schoolteacher. The Horseman himself is sufficiently frightening — credit Bones with going all-in on his scare tactics — but after the way the movie prepares his entrance, it could have been Bambi, and it would still be terrifying. >>> Zootopia 2016 Zootopia is ultimately a story about prejudice and how it can be exploited for political power. Accordingly, it involves something of a surprise villain, with several possible red herrings disguising the sweet little sheep plotting a power grab in the background. ***Assistant Mayor Bellwether*** spends most of the movie carrying water for her attention-getting boss Mayor Lionheart. She harbors a secret hatred of the city's predators and manipulates public perception against them as a way of taking control. Like Gaston, her demagoguery is the real terror, far more than her meek and snuggly exterior. Her political cynicism is unsettling enough — demonizing a minority for expediency's sake — but it hides a fanatic's fervor underneath that proves even more frightening. Somewhere in there, she actually believes the hate she preaches, and comes within one unlikely fox/bunny partnership of putting it into practice on a citywide scale. >>> The Little Mermaid 1989 ***Ursula*** is one of the most infamous of Disney's classic villains and one with whom many viewers sympathize. Over the years, some have pointed to Ursula's honesty as a virtue above certain other villains. Even so, one shouldn't forget the true horrors that the sea witch brings to the fore. As many fans as Ursula may have noticed, she is far from someone worth admiring. The sea witch keeps tortured souls in her underwater den, where they are left without sunlight, food, or any chance of escape. Moreover, when in her colossal monster form, Ursula is one of the most physically terrifying Disney villains of all time. >>> Aladdin 1992 ***Jafar*** may not be the most physically imposing villain of the Disney Renaissance era, but he certainly gives audiences plenty of reasons to fear him. Not only is Jafar politically powerful as the Sultan's grand vizier, but he is also a mighty sorcerer capable of destroying his enemies in a variety of horrific ways. Jafar truly enters his most terrifying phase after obtaining the Genie in the Lamp, who makes him the most powerful sorcerer in the world. Jafar's displays of power then include turning himself into a giant serpent, trapping Jasmine in a colossal hourglass, and making the Sultan bow down before him. As terrifying as this is, most of these events occur at the end of Aladdin, whereas other Disney villains are more consistently terrifying. >>> The Lion King 1994 The Lion King's ***Scar*** is one of the best villains from Disney's Renaissance Era. In a truly Shakespearean move, Scar orchestrates the tragic death of his brother Mufasa, the king of the Pridelands, and seizes power for himself after intimidating Simba, the heir to the throne, into abandoning the Pridelands. Scar may not be the physically strongest lion in the Pridelands, but his strategic mind and army of hyenas make him a threat to all of his enemies. Moreover, his dark and sinister design is certainly enough to keep viewers uneasy throughout the film. >>> ***Shere Khan*** Is A Living Terror >>> The Jungle Book 1967 The Jungle Book boasts one of Disney's most underrated villains in Shere Khan, a Bengal tiger who spends much of the film hunting down a young child named Mowgli. Shere Kahn is the undisputed leader in the jungle, where all the other animals fear him greatly. Not only is Shere Khan physically terrifying, but he is also a truly dastardly and wicked individual. He is more than willing to hunt down and kill a child simply because he hates humans. >>> Hercules 1997 ***Hades*** may be one of Disney's funniest villains, but he is certainly not to be underestimated. The Greek god of the underworld is ruthless, unmerciful, and willing to destroy anything and anyone that gets in the way of his plans. In trying to kill Hercules, Hades proves exactly why humans are right to fear him. Hades' most horrific trait isn't his fiery visage, his demonic henchmen, or even his immense power, but rather his collection of dead souls in the Underworld. Hades savors the pained cries of the deceased, making him one of the most despicable villains in the Disney canon. >>> Beauty and the Beast 1991 Beauty and the Beast's ***Gaston*** hides his evil behind a handsome face, which the film further compounds by playing him for laughs. His subsequent appearances in projects like the House of Mouse TV series similarly uses him for comic relief. Beneath all that, however, lies a truly rotten soul: cruel, narcissistic, and never thinking of anyone but himself. Gaston veers from the simply unsettling to the truly terrifying in the third act, when he raises an angry mob to storm the Beast's castle. The villagers have idolized him as a hero all his life, enabling his abuses and allowing him to control them with disturbing ease. It demonstrates how charismatic demagogues can infect others with their hate, which transforms him from a self-important buffoon to a homicidal monster in one fell swoop. >>> The Nightmare Before Christmas 1993 The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of Disney's darker movies with an even darker villain. Besides the entire population of Halloweentown avoiding ***Oogie Boogie***, the film's main antagonist has devious motives. Oogie Boogie wants to do more than eliminate Sandy Claws because Jack wants him. He wants to eat him. Oogie Boogie explains all this in his song as he tortures Sandy Claws and brags about how evil he is. In addition to this, Oogie Boogie is full of creepy bugs that appear in his mouth. Even though he has one of the darkest deaths of any Disney villain, Oogie Boogie is the stuff of nightmares. >>> Mulan 1998 ***Shan Yu*** doesn't have much screen time in Mulan, but he is still considered one of the scariest Disney villains. As shown in the final battle at the Emperor's Palace, Shan Yu is incredibly strong and skilled with weapons. Shan Yu is a ruthless villain who is not above killing children and taunting the Emperor's army with items from those he has killed. Shan Yu has no motivation beyond taking over as much land as possible and wiping out those who stand in his way. Shan Yu has a large build, so he towers over everyone around him, making him even more intimidating. >>> Moana Moana managed to capture the hearts and minds of many viewers. Yet, Maui's backstory makes this hit movie just that little bit more emotional. Before transforming into the giving and beautiful Te Fiti, ***Te Kā*** is a destructive lava monster that can cross land masses in seconds to destroy her target. One of Te Kā's defining traits is the rage that motivates her and how she will stop at nothing to protect herself. Te Kā seems like an undefeatable villain as she can not communicate that she needs her heart to heal. This makes her even scarier, as her screams of pain are interrupted by ones of terror. Even though she is only seen as evil because she is misunderstood, Te Kā is still frightening. >>> The Hunchback of Notre Dame 1996 Even though he is an underrated Disney villain, ***Claude Frollo*** is one of the scariest to ever appear in a Disney movie. As the villain of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Claude Frollo is especially cruel to those he does not seem worthy of his mercy or fit his standards of what society should be. Frollo shows no regard for human life outside his own and will stop at nothing to keep France the way he wants. Frollo also forces himself on Esmerelda, using threats to try and coerce her into being his own. No other Disney villain has done this, making him especially scary and disturbing. However, perhaps the most terrifying of Frollo's attributes is just how grounded a character he is. His villainy could easily exist in the real world, making the terror behind his actions all the more appalling. >>> Wall-E 2008 AUTO is supposed to be the helpful AI system that controls the spaceship the inhabitants of Earth fly on while Wall-E makes Earth safe again. But ***AUTO*** turns on her humans and uses her intelligence for evil. What makes AUTO so scary is that she resembles the technology that many people use in their homes in real life. While the concept of evil robots taking over and trying to destroy human life isn't new, it doesn't take away from the fact that robots can be scary. AUTO herself is made even more frightening when she is shown using hidden weapons. >>> Tangled 2010 Mothers are supposed to be caring and nurturing characters, but in Disney, even mothers can be villains spurred on by nefarious motivations. ***Mother Gothel*** is supposed to be Rapunzel's caretaker, but she only cares for the girl as long as her hair is magical and benefits her. As her captor, Mother Gothel shows no love to Rapunzel despite her desire to please her mother. Gothel's cold demeanor is frightening as viewers would expect her to have some kind feelings for Rapunzel, but even at the movie's end, she has none. Even though she has one of the best Disney songs sung by a villain, Mother Gothel is so heartless she is scary. >>> The Black Cauldron 1985 The Black Cauldron is one of Disney's most overlooked movies, even though ***The Horned King*** is one of the scariest villains to terrorize a Disney movie. The Horned King wants to raise an army that can not be conquered to rule the world in darkness and evil. Unlike other villains, The Horned King succeeds in raising his army and wreaks havoc on the rest of the world. Even though he is defeated in the end, The Horned King is still terrifying, and his glowing eyes haunt the dreams of the most hardened Disney villains' fans. >>> Pocahontas 1995 ***Governor Ratcliffe*** isn't scary because he possesses magical powers. He is scary because he represents real people in history with the same relentless personality and motivations while having no regard for those living on the land he intended to colonize. Pocahontas is no longer seen as a heartwarming tale about two people forbidden to love one another coming together, but as a rewritten history of North America. That being said, Governor Ratcliffe is no longer seen as the fumbling villain who only wants gold but as a genuinely evil person with no regard for human life. >>> Pinocchio 1940 Pinocchio features a diverse array of villains rather than one single adversary. ***Monstro the Whale*** is the centerpiece of the finale and is usually cited as the movie's big bad, but he shares that role with ***Stromboli*** the puppeteer, Honest John the Fox, and Gideon the Cat, among others. All of them possess a flair for the theatrical that obscures the most terrifying of the lot: the Coachman who rules Pleasure Island and lures boys in to be transformed into donkeys. Though deceitful, he makes only the barest pretense of hiding his true nature. He trusts that the allure of his poisoned amusement park is enough to get his victims onboard, and he's proven right every time. The truth comes after the boys' nightmarish transformation, with one of them crying out for his mother while the Coachman happily sells them all to the salt mines. It makes him an eerily accurate stand-in for any real-world adult who exploits children for money. >>> Fantasia 1940 N/A ***Chernabog*** is one of the highest-ranking villains regarding raw power, but that isn't the only thing that makes him scary. Chernabog is a creature unlike any other in Disney. Besides his size, Chernabog has some of the most terrifying features, from his long nails and giant horns that make him look like the devil. Chernabog is also the only Disney villain who releases demons into the mortal world because he can, which further exemplifies this villain's sheer power. Unlike other villains, Chernabog isn't eliminated; he goes back into the mountains when the Witches' Sabbath is over and rests before the next time he can emerge. >>> One Hundred and One Dalmatians 1961 Like Maleficent, ***Cruella de Vil*** has undergone an improvement in her image lately. Emma Stone's well-received version of the character is portrayed as far more antihero than villain, arrayed against far nastier figures than her and simply doing what she needs to in order to survive. That can obscure her earlier — far more unhinged — versions, which include Glenn Close's live-action take on the character as well as her original animated incarnation. Of the three, the animated version is easily the scariest. Cruella de Vil's terror starts with the simple fact that she wants to turn puppies into a fur coat, which speaks to a deeply psychotic mind barely hidden beneath the veneer of civility. She can't get her hands on the animals fast enough, and as her canine prey proves increasingly elusive, she grows increasingly fixated on her goal. Rarely has a Disney baddie been so terrifyingly single-minded, or elicited such audience relief when their plans finally come undone. >>> Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 1937 ***Lucille La Verne*** The Evil Queen is Disney's first villain in an animated feature film, and even after 86 years, she remains one of Disney's scariest villains. As the first stepmother with bad intentions, The Evil Queen shows viewers that those supposed to love the main character can't always be trusted, which became a trend for other Disney films. The Evil Queen becomes scarier when she makes her magic powers known and shows how easily she can change her appearance. As both The Hag and The Evil Queen, this villain captivates viewers with her commanding voice and beauty. However, as someone who can easily manipulate people, The Evil Queen is just as frightening as many of Disney's later villains.