The 20 best Disney villains

Arguably competing for the title of Disney’s best villain is the evil and power-hungry Scar from The Lion King. As the brother of Mufasa, King of the Pridelands, Scar is always lurking in the shadows with jealousy and hate. Thanks to his manipulative and malicious nature, he is one of Disney’s most threatening villains ever. Scar also has a Shakespearean quality to his villainy, making him all the more intimidating, and he will even kill to get what he wants. 

One of Disney’s sneakiest and most cunning villains is Jafar from Aladdin. He is the trusted and loyal advisor to the Sultan but has his own intentions, wishing to gain the power of Genie’s magic lamp and take over the palace and the world at large. Jafar is also a deceitful sorcerer, able to trick people, and always has his devilish sidekick, Iago. Jafar is pompous, slick and sinister to the core, with no redeeming factors, making him a formidable foe for Aladdin and Jasmine. 

At the start of Beauty and the Beast, Gaston doesn't seem truly "evil" but rather pathetic. He is vain, rude, obsessed with looks, misogynistic, conceited, and unintelligent. However, when Belle rejects his hand in marriage, his pride and obsession become very dangerous. Despite wanting to kill the Beast when he finds out Belle chose him over her, Gaston becomes a beast as he succumbs to violence and ruthlessness. 

Maleficent, the malevolent fairy from Sleeping Beauty, is perhaps Disney's most recognizable villain, famous for being an incarnation of pure evil. Self-proclaimed as the "Mistress of Evil," Maleficent brings bad fortune to everyone around her. When she isn't invited to the christening of Princess Aurora, Maleficent takes it very personally, cursing Aurora to die on her sixteenth birthday. Her iconic horns and dark sorcery abilities make her a Disney villain worth fearing.

When Anna first meets the handsome and charming Prince Hans in Frozen, she is smitten. Next thing you know, the two perform a musical duet and are engaged to be married. It comes as quite a shock when Hans is revealed to be the film’s true villain. He was never in love with Anna, only intending to marry her to become King and kill Elsa in the process. Hans was one of the first Disney characters to subvert the "Prince Charming" archetype, adding a fresh spin to the fairytale.

Anybody who encounters sea witch Ursula in The Little Mermaid is most definitely a "poor unfortunate soul." After being banished by King Triton, Ursula seeks revenge and the power of the king’s trident. Ariel falls victim to one of Ursula’s deceitful contracts, which lets her become human but takes her voice away. Ursula is a fabulously flamboyant villain inspired by the drag queen Divine, who capitalizes on the misfortune of others in order to fulfill her dark ambitions. 

With the words "cruel" and "devil" literally in her name, it's no wonder that Cruella de Vil from One Hundred and One Dalmatians is perhaps Disney's most psychotic and maniacal villain. The eccentric and fashion-obsessed heiress kidnaps a litter of Dalmatian puppies, planning to make a spotted fur coat using their skins. She lacks all sympathy and is full of murderous rage, all in the name of fashion. While some Disney villains may have powers, Cruella's insanity makes her such a threat.

"Off with their heads!" has become one of the most famous Disney catchphrases thanks to the tyrannical Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. The Queen has a particular proclivity for beheadings when somebody disagrees with or disrespects her. Her way is the right way, and when things don't go her way, she becomes impatient, irrational, and dangerous. With her egotistical nature and violent streak, she is possibly the worst ruler Wonderland could have.

As the first Disney villain, the Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs paved the way for every villain from the studio that would follow. When the Queen discovers that Snow White is the fairest of them all and not herself, she becomes madly jealous of her beauty. In order to get rid of the princess, she disguises herself as an old witch and tempts Snow White into eating a poisoned apple. Being the original big bad of Disney, the Evil Queen remains iconic.

Lady Tremaine, also known as the Wicked Stepmother in Cinderella, is one of Disney’s most cold and cruel villains. After becoming head of the household after Cinderella’s father’s death, Lady Tremaine turns her into a servant, jealous that she is more beautiful and elegant than her own daughters. She psychologically abuses Cinderella, preventing her from going to the ball so that one of her daughters can marry Prince Charming instead. Bitter to the core, Lady Tremaine is full of disdain. 

As the God of the Underworld, Hades in Hercules is one fiery dude. Known for being fast-talking and hot-headed, Hades hates ruling the Underworld and his brother Zeus and wants to take over Mount Olympus. However, the brave and heroic Hercules stands in his way. Hades is a memorable villain thanks to his irreverent style of humor, and while more comedic than some other Disney villains, he is still just as much of a threat and has every bit of villainy in him.

Shere Khan, the Bengal tiger from The Jungle Book, is the most feared and dangerous predator in the jungle. He has quite the reputation and a hateful vendetta against mankind. Afraid of fire and guns, Shere Khan vows to kill any human who sets foot in the jungle, making "man-cub" Mowgli his next target. The tiger is quite suave and sophisticated, carrying himself in a dignified manner, which makes his bloodthirsty streak all the more menacing and disturbing.

Also known as The Shadow Man, Dr. Facilier from The Princess and the Frog is a voodoo witch doctor who plans to take over New Orleans with the help of evil spirits from the other side. Dr. Facilier comes from a poor background, which leads to his resentment of the rich and his plans to take them down. With his smooth swagger and charming facade, he is able to lure victims into his traps and carry out black magic. While Facilier’s backstory offers insight into his villainy, he is still a sadist driven by greed.

Tangled was the first Disney Princess feature to venture into computer animation and introduce the wicked and superficial Mother Gothel. Thanks to the power of a magic flower, she has retained her youth for years, and when that power is transferred to Rapunzel’s hair, she kidnaps the princess and locks her in a tower. While Gothel poses as a loving mother, she is anything but tearing Rapunzel away from her family and identity and keeping her prisoner. 

One of the most sinister and deranged villains from any Disney movie is Claude Frollo, the tyrannical Perisian justice minister from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He believes all Romani people to be sinners and vows to eradicate them from the city. He also controls Quasimodo, telling him he is a monster who should hide from society. Claude Frollo is inhumane and has no problem killing innocent people, including women. He is truly scarier than any villain with magic abilities. 

One of Disney’s most underrated movies, The Emperor’s New Groove, features one of their funniest villains in the form of Yzma. Yzma, the former advisor to Emperor Kuzco, is determined to kill the Emperor and take his throne until he is fired. With an abundance of potions to help her, as well as her dim-witted sidekick Kronk, Yzma is constantly scheming to come up with a brilliant plan. She is totally unhinged and chaotic, making for a super entertaining antagonist.

One of Disney's earliest villains is the demon Chernabog from the film Fantasia. He features in the famous segment entitled "Night on Bald Mountain," which contains no dialogue, and where he is praised by his minions before throwing them into a fiery pit until the sun rises. While Chernabog never speaks, he is an imposing physical figure and a representation of pure evil and fear. His on-screen presence is frightening enough, making him a prominent Disney figure.

One of the most famous and notorious pirates in cinema is Captain Hook from Peter Pan. He commands the Jolly Roger and terrorizes the seas of Neverland. His main goal is to exact revenge on Peter Pan for cutting off his left hand and feeding it to a crocodile, which is honestly understandable. Despite being a more ‘sympathetic’ villain, Hook is extremely violent and ruthless and often gets into unfortunate situations with the crocodile and his first mate, Mr. Smee.

Stromboli is one of the few antagonists to appear in Pinocchio, and despite being more minor compared to other Disney villains, he is just as cruel and despicable. He is a puppeteer who forces Pinocchio to perform in his shows and only cares about making money. He wants to keep Pinocchio enslaved forever and says that when he is too old to perform, he will turn him into firewood. Stromboli is the embodiment of brutality and is completely rotten to the core. 

Shan Yu is the genocidal leader of the Huns in Mulan. He is determined to take over China and bring down the Emperor, not afraid to kill people in cold blood or massacre villages, which is something that even brings a smile to his face. While he is a man of little words, his looming and prominent appearance is chilling, complete with his falcon, who serves as a messenger and spy. He has fierce physical strength and is a formidable leader with absolutely no moral compass.