Maleficent- Sleeping Beauty

Maleficent, the self proclaimed mistress of all evil, is by far Disney’s most wicked villain. After not being invited to the celebration of the princess Aurora’s birth, she decides to bestow a “present”, in the form of a spell, on the baby princess. She vowed that on Aurora’s sixteenth birthday she would prick her finger on a spindle and die. The Three Good Fairies countered Maleficent’s curse by stating that the Princess would not die, but would be sleeping, awaiting loves first kiss. The fairies then go into hiding with the Princess, attempting to escape Maleficent’s evil wrath. They change their names and can not reveal the Princess’s true identity to her until she is sixteen.

By the time of Aurora’s sixteenth birthday, Maleficent’s home, the forbidden mountains, thundered with her frustration because she could not find the Princess. After discovering her idiotic henchmen have been searching for a baby girl for the past sixteen years, not a grown woman, a burst of psychotic laughter emits from her mouth, echoing through her eerie domain, she then uses her magical staff to the useless miscreants. She sends a raven, her loyal companion, out to find Aurora, begging him not to let her down. The raven stumbles upon the Three Good Fairies in a cottage in the forest and overhears them discussing the Princess and quickly flies back to his ally.

The Good Fairies reveal to the Princess that she is royalty and they take her to the castle. They make the mistake of leaving Aurora alone in a room where Maleficent appears before the Princess, her glowing eyes creating the only source of light, and lures her into a secret passageway where the Princess fulfills her ignoble prophecy. She then kidnaps the Prince, imprisoning him in her dungeon so he will never be able to save his precious Princess. The Three Good Fairies manage to sneak into the castle and free the Prince, arming him with a sword and a shield. Maleficent sees this and goes to her beloved raven, to tell him to stop them. Unfortunately he was cast in stone by one of the Good Fairies; her only loyal friend is gone. She is so furious about this that she fills the sky with a thunderous storm and casts a spell around the castle. Mounds of thorned bushes surround the castle. Prince Philippe uses his new sword and breaks through these prickly plants enraging Maleficent even more. So, she decides she’s going out in true villainous style: she becomes a dragon. Prince Philippe uses his trusty sword once again, leaving only her robe with the sword piercing through it.

Why she’s number one: Even the name Maleficent has an evil ring to it. She is the epitome of what every villain should be. Being pure evil from beginning to end, she set out on the murderous plot of a baby princess even though she had absolutely nothing to gain from it. She was evil because she enjoyed it, nothing more nothing less.

To see her battle with Phillipe and meet her untimely end click here

Scar- The Lion King

Scar, the evil brother of Mufasa, is a cunning lion seduced by the power his brother possesses. His eerie green eyes, dark mane, and bony physique give him a villainous demeanor with regicide in his future. His brother rules the Pride Lands and Simba is the next in line for the throne. Scar will to resort to anything to gain control of the jungle, including murder his brother and nephew. Scar has his companions, three hyenas, Shanzi, Banzai, and Ed help him carry out his plan of assassination. Eventually the three hyenas turn into thousands when he convinces them that he will be a superior leader compared to Mufasa.

They generate a stampede of wildebeest to kill Mufasa and Simba. Mufasa rescues Simba and attempts to climb up a cliff to save himself from the wildebeest’s trampling feet. As he reaches the top, Scar is waiting for him. He begs for Scar to help him up and Scar puts his paws over his brothers, and flings him off the edge sending him to his death. He convinces Simba that it was Simba who caused the stampede and that he was the reason for his father’s death. So full of guilt, he runs away from the Pride Lands hoping he will never have to face the rest of his family again. Scar then sends Shanzi, Banzai and Ed on a mission to kill Simba to further ensure that he would be the lion king. The three hyenas never complete that mission but decide to keep it a secret from Scar, thinking it will never be of any importance. As ruler, Scar withers the Pride Lands down to nothing. There is no water, no food; the once beautiful jungle has become a desert.

After years of hiding, Simba is reunited with his childhood friend, Nala. She tells him all the horrible events that have happened in their hometown and after a lot of arguing he decides to return and gain control of his throne. He arrives in the Pride Lands and challenges Scar for the throne. They begin their battle and during the fight, Scar has Simba in the exact same position he had had Mufasa in before he killed him. Just before he is about to murder Simba, he informs him that he was actually the one responsible for Mufasa’s death, not Simba. Full of vengeance for his father, Simba manages to leap up on Scar and force Scar to reveal the real truth to the colony. Scar begs for Simba not to hurt him and blames everything on the hyenas, unaware that the hyenas are within earshot and can hear everything he is saying. Simba bans Scar from the Pride Lands. As he leaves, Scar throws burning embers in Simba’s eyes and they begin to fight once again ending with Simba kicking his uncle off of Pride Rock, where the hyenas are waiting for their revenge.

Why he’s number nine: There is nothing quite as horrific as betraying a family member and Scar did this all quite calmly to both a brother and a nephew. He thought nothing of murdering his own brother and ruining Simba’s life by convincing him it was his fault. He placed the blame on others so no one would suspect him as the villain, calculating and scheming his way to the throne. He is a vicious killer who will destroy anything or anyone that stands between him and the power that he felt was rightfully his.

To see Scar convince the hyenas to help him kill the king clickhere

The Queen- Snow White

Obsessed with her beauty, The Queen’s self-love morphs her into a villain that few can compare to. She possessed many dark, mythical powers and had a mirror that held knowledge and could show her whatever she wished to see. A frequent question The Queen would ask the mirror was, “Magic mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” Although she knew the mirror would always respond that she was, she continued to ask the question. One day when she went through her usual routine of asking the mirror that same question, his response was a little different than usual. Snow White, The Queen’s step-daughter, had now surpassed The Queen’s beauty and had stolen the title of the fairest of them all.

The Queen became so full of fury that she decided she must rid herself of Snow White, so she can once again be the most beautiful one of all. She sends Humbert, her huntsman, on a mission to take Snow White into the forest and murder her. Humbert is given a box to place Snow White’s heart in to prove he had actually done the deed. He tries, but can’t bring himself to harm Snow White. Instead he tells her to leave and never return. When he returns to The Queen, he gives her the box which holds a pig’s heart in the place of Snow White’s.

Excited at the thought of being the most beautiful once again, she does not hesitate to ask her favorite question to the mirror once again. Only to her surprise, the mirror is still responding that Snow White is the fairest of them all and that she has found herself a cottage in the forest, living with seven dwarfs. In pure rage, The Queen makes her way to the dungeon of her castle and creates a potion that transforms her into and old, withered witch, the complete opposite of her original appearance. After the transformation is complete, she conjures a poison apple that encloses a death-like sleep for whoever is to bite into it.

The Queen makes her way to the cottage, with two vultures at her side, and tricks Snow White into consuming the poisoned apple by telling her it is a magical wishing apple. As Snow White lies on the floor, the Queen is overjoyed at her triumph. The Seven Dwarfs return to the cottage in time to see Snow White “dead” on the floor and The Queen still at the scene. The Seven Dwarfs chase her into the forest, when The Queen decides it would be a smart idea to start climbing the mountains to escape the Seven Dwarfs. She stands on the ledge of a mountain attempting to push a large boulder on the Seven Dwarfs with a stick. Unfortunately, a storm begins and a flash of lightening strikes the ledge of the mountain and destroys the platform she was standing on. She falls into a black obis with the boulder falling along over top of her.

Why she’s number three: The Queen is another villain seduced by vanity, turning her into a maniacal witch. So desperately wanting to be the most beautiful of them all, she is willing to become an old disfigured hag and murder her step daughter, Snow White. When she morphs into the old woman, her true villainous appearance is unveiled; showing the audience what had been under her beautiful exterior.

To watch a small recap of The Queen's actions in this classic, click here

Ursula- The Little Mermaid

Ursula, the slithering sea witch, slides into number four with her devious plots and lies. She’s a manipulative half octopus woman, with a larger than life character, who steals souls in exchange for her spells. Her garden of disfigured mer-people is her trophy for all her forged promises. The one thing she desires more than stealing these poor sea folk’s souls is to take Triton’s place as ruler of the sea. When she sees that Triton’s daughter, Ariel, has fallen in love with a human named Eric, Ursula is ready to use this to her advantage. Using her cunning tactics she convinces Ariel to forgo her voice and Ursula will do her the favor of letting her go to the surface to be with her beloved Eric. There’s one small catch though: If by the third sunset Ariel and Eric haven’t had loves first kiss, Ariel will be another withered soul in Ursula’s garden.

When Ursula sees Ariel is making Eric fall for her, she knows it’s time to take action, she disguises herself as a beautiful woman and uses Ariel’s voice to enchant Eric. Overnight they’ve set up an entire wedding. Ariel finds out it is Ursula under the mask of that beautiful girl, she and all her sea friends do everything in their power to stop that wedding. The necklace which contains Ariel’s voice breaks, the spell on Eric is broken, and Ariel’s voice returns to herself. Ariel and Eric reveal how much they care about each other and just as the two are about to about to share a kiss the sun sets, marking the third sunset and Ariel is now Ursula’s property. Triton begs for Ariel’s freedom and the sea witch agrees to let her go, if he takes her place. Of course Triton agrees, and now Ursula holds the sea in her hands. With her newfound power she literally grows and morphs into a giant. She tries to kill Ariel, but Eric puts an end to Ursula’s existence with a pointy piece of wood off his ship.

Why she’s number four: Ursula was a calculating diva, with her two henchmen/eels at her side. I think a part of the reason I dislike her so much is because her evil was threatening my favorite princess! She was evil from the start to the finish, stealing souls from innocent victims to add to her garden. Although comedic sometimes, she always has tone of evil to her voice, ready to make any bargain to benefit herself. She dreams of power and when it is finally handed over to her, she becomes a complete psychopath.

To watch Ursula trick Ariel into giving up her voice click here

Cruella De Vil-101 Dalmatians

Anyone with the last name Devil has to be bad! With her crazy black and white hair, pale skin, bright red lips and over the top fur coats, it’s very clear that she’s a force to be reckoned with. She’s introduced as Anita’s friend, but her husband Roger sees right through her false disguise of friendship and never trusts a word she says. When she discovers Pongo and Perdita are having puppies, visions of herself in a glorious spotted fur coat engorge her mind. Only making appearances at the Radcliffe residence when it involves the puppies, Roger is instantly suspicious. She offers them money for the baby Dalmatians but Anita and Roger want to keep the puppies for themselves. Cruella is livid, storms out of the house, and vows to herself she will get those puppies with or without their permission. She uses her henchmen, Jasper and Horace, to obtain possession of the fifteen puppies adding to her collection of eighty four. Apparently 101 Dalmatians is the magic number when making a puppy fur coat. When the puppies go missing Pongo and Perdita take matters into their own...paws and find the puppies themselves. With the help of some animals they meet in their journey, they find their babies plus lots more and snatch them from the grasp of Jasper and Horace. The henchmen inform Cruella that the puppies have disappeared and she literally goes insane. She dives into her car and goes on a rampage around town in search of the dogs. She stumbles on a group of black Labradors crossing the road, as the snow hits their fur the black is washed off and it becomes obvious that these black Labradors are actually the Dalmatians that she is so intent on finding. They manage to jump into a truck and Cruella is right on their tales. She takes a bad turn and winds up in a ditch with no chances of having the spotted fur coat she was dreaming of.

Why she’s number five: Do I really need to explain that anyone who would ever consider slaughtering puppies to make a fur coat is evil? She has an over the top character with a voice that could shatter your ear drums. She pretends to be friends with Anita to get her claws on the puppies, and is vicious to everyone else that surrounds her. She is one villain that could give you nightmares for weeks and have you holding onto your dogs leash extra tight. As Roger puts it, “If she doesn’t scare you, no evil thing will.”

To watch Roger sing his famous song about Cruella click here

Jafar- Aladdin

Jafar is a psychotic, manipulative devil who creates the façade of being loyal to the Sultan, when he strives for the Sultan’s power and wealth in reality. He tries to gain entrance into the Cave of Wonders by sending random thieves in to retrieve the Genie’s lamp. Unfortunately for these less than worthy candidates, the cave collapses around them before they have a chance to walk down the stairs. Until, he uses his enormous hourglass to seek out the “diamond in the rough”, who happens to be the town thief, Aladdin. After Aladdin is arrested and forced into the dungeon, Jafar disguises himself as an old beggar and tricks Aladdin into going into the cave to get the lamp. On entering the cave Aladdin and his monkey, Abu, are warned by an unknown voice not to touch any of the treasures in the cave, except for the lamp. Abu can’t seem to control himself and goes against the rules, causing the cave to implode around them. As it topples around them, Jafar convinces Aladdin he will help him out of the cave if Aladdin hands over the lamp. Aladdin throws Jafar he magical lamp, but as is expected of every villain, Jafar doesn’t hold up his end of the deal. Unfortunately for our villain, Abu managed to steal the lamp back form Jafar before the cave enclosed, leaving Jafar lamp-less and with no hope of gaining entry to the cave again.

Aladdin returns to Agra bah masked as Prince Ali or Prince “Abooboo” as Jafar calls him. When Jafar discovers that Prince Ali is really Aladdin he manages to steal the lamp from Aladdin and gain control of the Genie. Using his first wish to possess the Sultan’s power, Jafar enslaves the entire palace. Aladdin tries to rescue his beloved Princess Jasmine, but is trapped in a fight with Jafar where he has morphed into a giant cobra and is squeezing the life out of Aladdin. But just when all hope is lost and it looks like our hero won’t make it, he lures Jafar into using his final wish to become an all powerful sorcerer. After his wish is made he becomes aware that although Genies are all powerful creatures, they are also sentenced to spend their existence trapped in a lamp waiting for someone to release them.

Why he is number six: Jafar is a scheming villain who disguises his dreams of power and gains the trust of those surrounding him. He uses his snake-headed staff to hypnotize people, especially the Sultan, in order to get what he desires. He remains a level headed demeanor when in the presence of other people, but when he is in the company of his companion Eago his deranged mind unfolds. He doesn’t show how truly maniacal he can be until he steals the lamp and possesses all the power he could ever imagine. His selfish drive for power is what ultimately brings him to failure.

To watch Jafar's fight with Aladdin click here

Captain Hook- Peter Pan

What list of Disney villains could be complete without Captain Hook? He was one of Disney’s attempts at making an all around comical villain and definitely made Peter Pan an amazing movie. His idiotic tendencies were constant in this film, but still managed to obtain an evil demeanor. He’s interesting because although he is a cowardly fool he looks for loopholes in his deals and ends up being quite a sneaky pirate. He and his crew reside in Never Land being the only adults in the entire area. Captain Hook hates Peter Pan and wants revenge for his missing left hand which Peter fed to a crocodile. The crocodile loved the taste of Captain Hook so much that he follows him everywhere he goes in hopes of a fillet-o-Captain Hook. Luckily for our dear old Captain, the crocodile also swallowed a clock, so that whenever the crocodile is near, the Captain hears tick-tock-tick-tock and runs for cover.

The Captain tries to lure Peter into numerous different traps during this movie. Kidnapping Tiger Lily, the chief’s daughter, he expects to uncover Peter’s whereabouts by threatening to drown her but his plan fails him when comes to the rescue. The Captain also makes a deal with Tinker Bell, stating he won’t lay a finger, or a hook, on Peter if she tells Hook Peter’s hideout. She tells him and Captain Hook delivers a bomb to that location, because he never said he wouldn’t bomb it in their original deal. He has his final battle with Peter after kidnapping Wendy and making her walk the plank. After she is forced off the ship, they hear no splash. None of the crew quite knows what to make of this. Peter then emerges upwards resulting in a duel between Peter and his nemesis Captain Hook. After the fight is over Hook is left on a small boat, with his loyal assistant Smee, with the tick-tocking crocodile chasing after them.

Why he’s number seven: Captain Hook is a bumbling fool who loses his temper all too often. He dreams of getting vengeance on Peter for his missing hand and desires nothing more than seeing all the Lost Boys walk the plank alongside Peter. Captain Hook is not as much of a threat as the other villains because his humorous antics give the children watching the movie a sense of authority, knowing that Peter and the Lost Boys are able to defeat him.

Lady Tremaine- Cinderella

Lady Tremaine, Cinderella’s evil step mother, delights in toying with her step daughter’s emotions. She has an evil elegance to her and a constant sneer across her face. After Cinderella’s father died, Lady Tremaine became the master of the house, and didn’t hesitate to treat Cinderella like a slave. She was forced to cook and clean up after Lady Tremaine’s two selfish daughters, Drizella and Anastasia. Wanting nothing more than the best for her daughters, she would destroy anything or anyone that tried to stop her. When it is announced that the Prince is holding a ball in search of a wife, Lady Tremaine is convinced he will chose one of her daughters and they will all gain from his wealth. Cinderella overhears about the ball and begs to go. The wicked stepmother agrees but only if she can finish all her chores on time and find an appropriate gown for the ball. Giving her a mountain of chores she barely has time to finish them in time for the ball, never mind the time to make a dress! But, Cinderella’s wonderful mice friends make her a dress out of odds and ends they find around the house as a surprise. When she is ready to leave for the ball, Drizella and Anastasia rip the dress to shreds claiming Cinderella had stolen pieces that were used on the dress from them. They leave for the ball without poor Cinderella, but she manages to find her way there with the help of a fairy godmother. The instant Prince Charming lays eyes on her he is in love, knowing this is the woman he’s meant to be with. Unfortunately the spell her godmother cast on her would only last until midnight, so she rushed out without giving the prince her name, only leaving behind one glass slipper.

The prince determined to find his love searched every house, hoping the shoe would find its match. When he ventured to Lady Tremaine’s home she warned her daughters to prepare for his arrival. Hearing Cinderella hum a song from the ball to her self, Lady Tremaine realizes that Cinderella was the beautiful girl from the ball and locks her in the attic so the Prince will never find her. She begs and pleads for Lady Tremaine to let her go, but she simply places the key to the attic in her pocket and ignores Cinderella's existence. Prince Charming places the shoe on both Anastasia and Drizella’s feet, finding their feet to be far too large for the shoe. Cinderella's mice friends come to the rescue again, and she manages to unlock herself from the attic just in time to find her Prince still in the house. Lady Tremaine tries to convince the Prince that Cinderella was a mere servant and did not attend the ball, the Prince doesn't buy it and insists that Cinderella try it on. When the footman carrying the slipper tries to make his way over to Cinderella, Lady Tremaine trips him and the glass slipper shatters. But Lady Tremaine’s little plan failed her: Cinderella pulls out the other glass slipper from her robes and leaves Lady Tremaine and her step sisters to be cold, cruel monsters alone.

Why she’s number eight: Coining the term "The wicked step mother", Lady Tremaine’s malicious behavior towards Cinderella is seen countless times throughout this classic. She doesn’t hesitate to annihilate Cinderella’s dreams, if it will benefit her in any way. She was one of the earlier villains and had no comical side whatsoever. She had no magical powers, but if looks could kill you would never make it past her chilling stare. This twisted woman would do anything to see herself at the top, definitely not someone you want on your bad side.

To watch Lady Tremaine try to destroy Cinderella's dreams of being with the prince click here

Gaston- Beauty and the Beast

My ninth choice for Disney’s ultimate villains has to be Gaston. He changes throughout the film from a comical arrogant individual to a man overcome with evil. Convinced he only deserves perfection he places his affections on the most beautiful girl in town, Belle. He sets up the entire wedding before consulting Belle, and when she refuses he finds his ego shattered before him.

Belle disappears from town looking for her missing father, Maurice, only to stumble upon an enchanted castle in which her father was being held prisoner in. She begs the owner of the castle, known as the Beast, to free her father. He agrees upon the conditions that she takes his place as prisoner forever. Maurice returns to town, pleading with the people of the town to come save his daughter from the dreadful Beast. Coining the nickname “crazy old Maurice” it’s clear Gaston and the rest of the town aren’t taking him seriously. But after hearing these bizarre rants, Gaston comes up with a plan to make Belle his wife.

When Belle returns home after being freed by the unexpectedly lovable beast, she is greeted by more than just her father. Gaston’s henchman waiting outside her home disguised as a snowman and cued Gaston to unveil his plan. With the whole town in attendance he informed Belle of Maurice’s absurd stories of beasts and charmed castles. Then he continues to explain how Maurice must be committed to an insane asylum, unless of course she agrees to marry him. Refusing this bizarre request, she proves to Gaston and the rest of the town that there really is a Beast and her father is not crazy. As Gaston listens to Belle talk about the Beast he notices the tone affection in her voice. Filled with jealousy he turns to the townsfolk and convinces them that the Beast is a danger to their community and he must be disposed of. They all charge up to the castle, pitchforks in hand, belting out “kill the beast!” They break down the doors ready for a fight. Suddenly they’re being attacked from every angle by candlesticks, clocks, stoves, and any other kind of appliance imaginable. They flee the palace leaving Gaston alone to hunt the Beast.

He searches the castle, opening every door with caution when he finally stumbles upon the room containing the Beast. Without hesitation he shoots an arrow for the Beast in hopes of murder. After an epic fight the Beast is holding Gaston’s throat over the edge of his colossal castle. But the Beast finds he is unable to kill Gaston and lets him go. Gaston begins to leave the manor when he notices Belle and the Beast reuniting. He finds himself unable to deal with his enviousness and lunges toward the Beast. But after he attempts to kill the Beast again he falls from the castle to his demise.

Why he is number nine: Gaston was a very interesting character to me. His reactions to the different circumstances he was put in showed the type of maniacal behavior he was capable of. Beginning as just a regular conceited man, his character morphs into pure evil and will stop at nothing to get what he thinks is rightfully his. He was a handsome character with a vicious personality and his pride twisted him into a corrupt monster. He was the true beast of this story.

To see Gaston in action click here

Edgar the Butler-The Aristocats

Beginning as a loyal butler, Edgar maintained the house and took care of Madame Adelaide Bonfamille’s precious cats: Duchess, Marie, Toulouse, and Berlioz. Until one night Edgar overheard Madame discussing her will with her lawyer. Once it was decided that all her inheritance would be dispersed between her felines, Edgar was filled with rage. At that very moment he designed a plan that would leave him with his hands on the wealth. Clumsily he took the cats from their home and left them in an unknown location in hopes they could never discover their way home. But as well all know the villains in these fairytales can never win. After Duchess met Thomas O’Malley their excited meows filled the streets of their home town Paris and Edgar was not too pleased to hear this. Realizing his plan had failed him, Edgar tried to trap the cats in a box and mail them to Timbuktu. Unfortunately, it was he who ended up inside the box without a claim to Madame’s money.

Why he is number 10: Edgar’s greed was his weakness, forcing him to try to dispose of Madame’s felines. Although Edgar’s eagerness for wealth made him do some very horrific things, he isn’t close to being the fiend that some other Disney villains portray. His attempts for money were almost comical in the blundering ways he went about them.

To see Edgar attempt to act his plan out click here