10 Best Animated Disney Villains, According To Ranker
There is a lot of competition when it comes to determining the evilest villain in Disney films, but there is no doubt that the animated antagonists are characters that audiences love to hate. From Snow White's evil Queen to Tangled's Mother Gothel, these iconic villains are at the heart of every successful Disney film.
Thousands of Disney fans came together on Ranker and cast over 175,000 votes on which Disney villain they thought was the greatest of them all. With the results in, these are the dastardly characters at the very top.
10 Queen (Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs)
It's fitting that the first-ever Disney villain is still one of the greatest. The Evil Queen started the grand tradition in Disney films of extravagantly dressed antagonists with a taste for poetic monologues. Motivated by her envy of Snow White, the only person in the land who is considered to be more beautiful than her, the Wicked Queen's plans quickly escalate.
The Queen is also a character with two different forms, disguising herself as an elderly woman to try to tempt Snow White into eating the poisoned apple she has prepared for her. In either guise, the Evil Queen is a frightening figure and it's easy to see the influence of her success on later villains.
9 Dr. Facilier (The Princess And The Frog)
The central antagonist of The Princess and the Frog, Dr. Facilier is determined to rule New Orleans with the aid of his "friends on the other side." Holding a cane and wearing his iconic skull-and-crossbones top hat, the witch doctor uses his cunning to manipulate others like Prince Naveen in order to get what he wants.
Voiced by the charismatic Keith David, Dr. Facilier's stylish manner and smooth singing are as memorable as his lack of morality, as he feeds the helpless souls of the people of New Orleans to his friends. Though Tiana is one of the most likable Disney princesses, it is Dr. Facilier that helps make The Princess and the Frog a memorable movie.
8 Captain Hook (Peter Pan)
There aren't many villains as recognizable as the pirate captain of the Jolly Roger. Adorned in an outfit as fine as any Disney royalty and wearing a long thin mustache, Captain Hook channels all of his passion and flair toward getting revenge on Peter Pan for feeding his hand to a crocodile.
Hook is an accomplished swordsman and can go toe-to-toe with Pan, although his faithful companion, Mr. Smee, is unfortunately not as competent and struggles to meet his captain's hefty demands. While Captain Hook may sometimes get close to getting his revenge on Peter Pan, there is an inevitability to his downfall that is always fun to watch.
7 Mother Gothel (Tangled)
Whilst recent Disney films have struggled to produce villains as infamous as those of the past, Tangled was a rare exception when it came out in 2010 due to the presence of the wicked Mother Gothel. Selfish and cruel, Gothel is so determined to preserve her youth that she kidnaps and brainwashes the young Rapunzel to keep her for herself.
As laid out in one of the best Disney villain songs, "Mother Knows Best," Mother Gothel is not above manipulating Rapunzel to stop her from ever learning the truth about her origins. Tangled sees Mother Gothel sink lower and lower as she attempts to stop Rapunzel from escaping and continue to preserve her youth, making for one of the best parts of the film.
6 Cruella De Vil (101 Dalmatians)
Still popular enough to receive a live-action spinoff starring Emma Stone last year, Cruella de Vil is one of the quintessential Disney villains. A wealthy heiress obsessed with fashion, she is one of the most uniquely evil Disney antagonists, as she seems to act completely on impulse without recognizing the harm of her actions.
Instead of making long and complex schemes, Cruella simply acts on her evil thoughts as soon as they occur, leading her to kidnap and murder as she tries to achieve her dream of a spotted-fur coat made from the skins of innocent Dalmatians. There is no doubt that Cruella's energy left a lasting impression on audiences of 101 Dalmations.
5 Jafar (Aladdin)
There aren't many Disney villains that could almost be said to outshine the film's main stars, but Jafar is a character that comes very close in Aladdin. The Grand Vizier of Agrabah always looks imperious even when he is forced to defer to his master, the Sultan, so he can keep his place close to the throne and manipulate his superiors.
Jafar has his sights on no less than cosmic power, however, using the powers of a genie in a magic lamp, he sees himself commanding not just the kingdom, but the entire world. When Jafar is able to get his hands on the lamp's power, his unashamed glee at the power he can wield is truly sinister in a way that few other villains can match.
4 Hades (Hercules)
Putting a new twist on the Greek god of the underworld, Hades proves a match even for the great hero, Hercules, in the 1997 movie. With a cynical, sarcastic sense of humor, Hades sees himself as a victim of unfairness, resenting the other gods and feeling he deserves to be their king rather than the arrogant Zeus.
Hades also has a short temper and little patience for setbacks in his dark schemes to dethrone the gods of Olympus, which causes him to have outbursts and very sudden changes of mood. Despite that, he is also surprisingly honest, keeping his end of the deal when Megara betrays Hercules to keep her end. These traits helped him win the affection of audiences despite his evil ways.
3 Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty)
It is hard to think of any villain more stylish than Maleficent, an evil fairy who doesn't take kindly to being left out of royal christenings as it turns out. With her dark, curved horns, yellow cat-like eyes, and a crow perched on her shoulder, Maleficent looks striking in the traditional Disney animation style of the '50s.
Maleficent also succeeds in one very important area - she makes it seem fun to be bad. Ruthless and arrogant, Maleficent takes pleasure in causing others misery, cursing the newly born princess to die before the sunset of her 16th birthday to punish those who left her out of the royal event.
2 Ursula (The Little Mermaid)
Ursula makes an excellent contrast to the naive Ariel in The Little Mermaid, as the half-human, half-octopus uses her cunning and cynicism to ensure she always comes out on top. Ursula's talent for manipulating good people into agreeing to their own downfall in devious contracts is unmatched in the Disney canon.
This talent extends to robbing Ariel of her voice in exchange for the chance to live on land and then using it as a bargaining chip against the king of Atlantica. With a shock of white hair and a smile that extends disturbingly wide when enjoying the power she takes from others, Ursula's brand of evil remains truly iconic.
1 Scar (The Lion King)
The antagonist of the best Disney Studios animated film, Scar is the perfect scheming villain that audiences love to hate. Scar's distinctive appearance, including the scar across his permanently scowling face, and his physicality help contrast him with the majestic Mufasa. He fits in just as well with the cowardly hyenas as when pretending to be a loyal servant of the king.
Jeremy Irons' performance also gave the villain one of the most menacing voices in cinema, and it's easy to feel for Simba when he is being intimidated by the older lion. All of these elements combine to make Scar the greatest Disney villain of all time and it is no surprise that his popularity hasn't waned much over the years.