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Top 12 Disney Villains Meme/Countdown

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NO. SCAR IS NOT ON THIS LIST. THANK YOU FOR NOTICING.

WHY ISN’T HE ON THIS LIST? BECAUSE I LIKE THE 12 GUYS AND GALS HERE BETTER. NO OTHER REASON. SCAR IS AWESOME. JEREMY IRONS IS MAGNIFICENT. 

ALSO, DISCLAIMER: NONE OF THE IMAGES USED HERE ARE MINE. ALL RIGHTS GO TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS; I AM GETTING NARY A PENNY OFF OF THIS.

So, with that said, and with no further ado, the classic, near-mandatory list that all list-makers seem to list and list to: the list of my favorite Disney Villains. Why top twelve? Because why the Mickey Mouse not? Now, let's all dive in to the Kingdom Where Nightmares Come True...YA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!


12. Ursula (from The Little Mermaid; voiced by Pat Carroll)

Ah, yes, the infamous, flabby Sea Witch with a voice as big as her...chin. Heh. ANYWAY, moving away from that awkwardness: Ursula is the kind of villain (or villainess, if you prefer) who does horrible, cruel things not so much for gain or profit, but more just because she wants to. She DOES have an overall plan, of course, within the course of the film: to take control of Atlantica and revenge herself upon King Triton, who, for unknown reasons, banished her to the depths. (According to some sources, such as the Broadway musical, she is Triton’s sister...though why his sister has tentacles is anyone’s guess.) Ursula’s plans to make Ariel her slave, a new “flower” in her literal garden of lost souls, are done just as much out of the sheer desire to just be a nasty witch as they are to spite Triton, and she almost succeeds...until Ariel’s love, Prince Eric, decides that the bow of his ship fits very nicely inside her innards. Ouch.


11. Cruella de Vil (from 101 Dalmatians; originally voiced by Betty Lou Gerson)

It’s incredible to think that the lady who voiced this iconic villainess was also the calm, soothing, gentle-voiced narrator of Cinderella, isn’t it? Ignoring the female-Tim-Curry-esque portrayal of Glenn Close from the later live-action remake, this animated Devil Woman defines the word “striking.” Cruella steals the show from top to bottom; I don’t think very many people even REMEMBER the dogs themselves, so much as the wicked woman trying to kill them and turn them into a nice, full, fur coat. (SADIST!!!) Other villains can, on some level or another, justify their actions, even if only in jest...but how do you justify MURDERING PUPPIES? You don’t, and you can’t, and we love this wild, zany, Tallulah-Bankhead-ish “daaaarling” for it.


10. Jafar (from Aladdin; voiced by Jonathan Freeman)

I also want to give a shout-out to Naveen Andrews’ live-action portrayal from “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland;” a very different take on the character, and a vastly underrated villain/performance in its own right, and I adore it. I may go into that one another time, on another list or something, but, for now, let’s just focus on the animated villain. Again, like many Disney villains, Jafar does what he does because he enjoys doing it. But while Ursula is driven more by her own love of evil itself than her desire for revenge and power, Jafar is sort of the opposite; oh, he LOVES being a cruel, sadistic, twisted fiend, no denying that, but everything he does he does to further his goal: to take over THE WOOOORRRRRLD!!! After becoming a Genie, he faces the natural fate: being imprisoned in a magic lamp...but even that can’t hold down this dark mage for long, and he returns full force...only to be destroyed, presumably for good...until he comes back AGAIN with a little help from another villain, Hades...and THEN gets finished off. Presumably. Maybe. Seriously, as persistent as Jafar is, I’m sure he’s just thinking up a new battle strategy during his swimming classes in the River Styx.


9. Queen Grimhilde (from Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs; originally voiced by Lucille LaVerne)

The first animated film villain Disney ever created, Queen Grimhilde, a.k.a. the Evil Queen, a.a.k.a. the Wicked Queen, a.a.a.k.a. the Witch Queen (so many names, all the same sorceress) is pretty much vanity incarnate. This tyrannical femme fatale is so desperate to become fairest in the land, that she will actually make herself UGLIER to ensure the total destruction of her rival and stepdaughter, Snow White. Aided by her not-so-faithful-Huntsman and her Magic Mirror, her plots to kill the princess almost succeed, and even her death (via falling from a cliff...during a thunderstorm...and having her body crushed by a boulder...yeesh…) can’t awaken the pretty lass...until the plot device known as the Prince comes in to awaken her with true love’s first kiss. Gotta love those fairytale endings...unless you’re vulture meat. (evil grin)


8. Professor Ratigan (from The Great Mouse Detective; originally voiced by Vincent Price)

HOLY MASSACREED, I loveloveloveloveLOVE Vincent Price! The man is one of my favorite actors of all time, if not my favorite! His voice is a big part of it, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, this vocal genius (as well as just plain old genius) claimed Ratigan to be one of his favorite roles, if not his favorite, up until the end of his life. And you can HEAR it; he is having a ball! And, because Vincent’s having a ball, this Professor Moriarty-esque fiend is, too. Jafar and Ursula may “enjoy” being nasty, but Ratigan BATHES in it. He sings, he prances, he cackles and giggles and gleefully trips his merry way through the movie. Tempermental and melodramatic, he puts on an air of being a gentleman, wearing clothes that are obviously far too tight for his hulking frame, and, perhaps because of the implied low intelligence and “dirty” nature of the species, he will KILL you, one way or another, just for saying he’s a rat. Which he is. (Ratigan glares at J.) Er...I mean...he ISN’T! He’s just a...a...mouse. A big mouse. A...very...big...mouse...with very big claws...and a fat pet cat who will eat you, if you- (pauses) HE’S A RAT!


7. Judge Claude Frollo (from The Hunchback of Notre Dame; originally voiced by Tony Jay)

Some villains enjoy doing evil for the sake of evil itself. Some villains desire money, fame, power, and revenge. And then there’s this sick [bleep]. Frollo is one of the more complex - though not necessarily “sympathetic” - villains out there; he isn’t fueled by the common desires listed above, because, frankly, he has all the money and power he wants or needs, there is, as far as we know, no one to revenge himself upon, and, bizarrely for a Disney villain, he honestly doesn’t see what he is doing as WRONG. Motivated by prejudice, religious zealotry, and lust, this demented judge and holy man seeks the annihilation of the gypsies of France, whom he sees as Satanic; from his Palace of Justice in Paris, he and his soldiers seek out the hiding place of these “vermin,” a mysterious underground city called the Court of Miracles. His encounters and later obsession with the “gypsy witch,” Esmeralda, drive him deeper and deeper into a sexually-repressed state of insanity, including hallucinations and increasingly violent behavior, until he meets doom plummeting from the cathedral of Notre Dame into a pool of molten lead far below, screaming all the way down...you know, for kids!


6. Oogie Boogie (from The Nightmare Before Christmas; voiced by Ken Page)

“Nightmare” is one of my favorite films of all time, if not my favorite. It stands to reason that this gamblin’ Boogieman would be somewhere here. What keeps Oogie out of the top 5 is the simple matter of his screentime; despite being the main antagonist (presumably), Oogie doesn’t appear until the last third of the film. He’s foreshadowed in earlier scenes, but his presence isn’t made known until his minions, the psychotic trio of bullies Lock, Shock, and Barrel, push Santa Claus himself down into his lair. A sentient burlap bag of bugs, this disgusting beastie decides to kill and eat Santa, as well as Sally the Ragdoll, with a nice big helping of Snake-&-Spider-Stew. (Sounds tasty.) Why? Well, that’s the beauty of Oogie: because he’s frickin’ HUNGRY, and it sounds like fun! Yep. Even Ratigan, Jafar, and Ursula all wanted something...in fact, it was the same thing: power. However, Oogie just wants some food, and if he can get some torture and mayhem and the death of his rival, Jack Skellington, in the mix...that’s just fine! Now, granted, in later appearances, mostly in video games like “Oogie’s Revenge” and the Kingdom Hearts series, he DID have more definite goals (and, much like the aformentioned three villains a bit below him, it was generally power or control), but it was interesting to have a Disney villain who’s goals were so simple. Simple, effective, and with the glorious pipes of Ken Page to back it all up, this casino-themed baddie was just delicious.


5. The Queen of Hearts (from Alice in Wonderland; originally voiced by Verna Felton)

If you know me even vaguely, you all should have known this fat, pompous, bad-tempered, old tyrant was coming. Ignoring the Tim Burton and Adventures in Wonderland versions of this character, let’s just focus on the animated film. Verna Felton, the actress who first played the role of Wonderland’s heartless queen, was one of the most versatile performers to become a Disney legend: this lovely lady not only voiced the Queen, but also the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, Flora in Sleeping Beauty, and the leader of the Elephants in Dumbo, just to name a few key roles, all radically different from Her Majesty here. The Queen is a powerhouse; she’s your typical spoiled brat; a rotten little Veruca Salt in a woman’s body who seeks attention, attention, ATTENTION. Much like Frollo (yes, I’m comparing her to him, don’t look at me funny), the Queen pretty much has everything all other villains want. All she wants is for things to stay that way; for people to listen to her, obey her, and make keep her nice and happy. And if they don’t? “The Queen had only one way of solving difficulties, great or small. ‘OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!’ she called.’”


4. Captain Hook (from Peter Pan; originally voiced by Hans Conried)

Again, one of my favorite actors of all time, Hans Conried was especially practiced as a voice and radio star; Hook, obviously, is his most famous role, but you may also recognize his voice from various Dr. Seuss cartoons, such as “Horton Hears a Who!” and “Halloween is Grinch Night!” He also played the Magic Mirror in various live-action t.v. specials, such as “Disney’s Halloween Treat” and “One Hour in Wonderland,” as well as in the old Disneyland television series. In terms of the character: whether it’s Disney’s version or not, I’ve ALWAYS preferred Hook over his nemesis, Peter Pan. Okay, so Peter isn’t ALL bad, but let’s face it, people, the little imp’s just a BRAT. I mean, come now, cutting off a man’s hand, feeding it to a crocodile, and laughing at him as he tries to evade a certain digestive doom when said crocodile makes its life’s goal the consumption of this poor pirate? In the words of the Joker, “Even to a guy like me, that’s cold.” Disney’s Captain Hook is definitely one of the funniest baddies Disney’s made, if not the funniest, as well as one of the kookiest portrayals of the character we all know and love...or, at least, love to hate. Plus, I LOVE HIS MOUSTACHE! Twirl it, Jamie-boy, twirl away!


3. Chernabog (from Fantasia)

He’s the Devil. I mean...yeah, you don’t get much more evil than that. Chernabog, in his sequence, doesn’t really DO much...at least, nothing directly. He pretty much throws a literal party from Hell; summoning ghosts, demons, harpies, and goblins of all shapes and sizes to sing his praises, dance like lunatics (which many of them likely are), and generally just make a big ol’ fashioned ruckus-rumpus...until the morning sun and the sound of churchbells end the decadent revelry, all the ghouls returning to their lairs and graves, and Chernabog folding his wings as he descends into slumber in the very depths of his volcano, Bald Mountain...this is a villain formed out of presence. The animation and design speak volumes upon volumes more than a single line of dialogue even the greatest writer could form or the most talented actor bring to life. He doesn’t NEED to be “direct” in his evil; you look at those enormous, black wings, those massive claws, and those horrible, glowing, golden eyes...you know you’re looking into the eyes of Satan himself. (pause) “When You Wish Upon a Star…”


2. Dr. Facilier (from The Princess & the Frog; voiced by Keith David)

If Chernabog = Satan, then Dr. Facilier, a.k.a. The Shadowman = a Satanist. And, regardless of how against or with the stereotype real Satanists may be (I don’t know any personally, I must confess, nor am I entirely certain I want to), there’s something about the idea of worshipping evil itself that makes me shiver more than the thought of...well...evil itself. Facilier is just about as perfect a Disney villain as you can get: he’s slippery, classy, a smooth talking schemer; his design and animation are just spot on with the voice and the intentions; he can be funny and quirky, or he can be cold and ruthless; he can be loud and booming and commanding, or he can be furtive and oily and sly; his song kicks anes, and his death scene is downright TERRIFYING. In short: he’s just wonderful. But there’s still one more villain in the annals of Disney who can top him...and that is…


1. Maleficent (from Sleeping Beauty; originally voiced by Eleanor Audley)

Yep. The Mistress of All Evil. The Dark Queen Herself. No Disney villain can top Maleficent, in my book. This Dark Fairy is basically Evil Incarnate, every bit as much as Chernabog is. But she ISN’T exactly evil itself; her reactions when her henchmen fail to do their duty is one of despair and shame and genuine pain, as if she fears being an embarrassment to Lucifer himself! Her motivations are...debatable. Her scheme is very simple: curse a princess to certain death BECAUSE SHE DIDN’T GET INVITED TO THEIR FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY. Some people find this to be a pretty weak motivation, but for me, it just shows how spiteful the villain is; even when she first enters, its clear she knows what she’s going to do already, but she can’t resist toying with the King, Queen, and Three Good Fairies, acting like she’s going to leave, then acting like she’ll actually give the kid a nice present...and then...well...you know the rest. She is the embodiment of passive-aggressive, and such a deliciously cruel creature: she could have zapped that baby into smithereens with a bolt of lightning, set it on fire, heck, she could have turned into a dragon and EATEN the little thing...what does she do? Come up with the most bizarre way to die ever, and then hang that random doom over the heads of all involved FOR SIXTEEN YEARS. That is STYLE, my friends. She’s as clever as she is powerful, and LOVES toying with people’s emotions; her monologue to Prince Philip about his “true love” is so succulently sinister, and between her design and her incredible skills in magic, she steals the show visually. The powerful, cold, calculating, commanding voice of Eleanor Audley, who also played Lady Tremaine (the Ugly Stepmother in Cinderella), certainly helps as well; it’s easily Audley’s finest performance on every level. With her pet raven, Diablo, and a legion of goblins on her side, she’s on just about every best villains list that exists, as far as I can tell, and for good reason, and her appearances in the Kingdom Hearts games and Kingdom Keepers novels, as well as various Disney Parks shows, such as Fantasmic and Dream Along With Mickey, have cemented her reputation as Disney’s darkest lady. (And don’t get me STARTED on Angelina Jolie’s portrayal and Once Upon a Time; they can be stuffed with sour cream and devoured by ducks, I say.) ALL HAIL MALEFICENT, BOW YE MORTALS AND WEEP!


Ahem, anyway...I will probably be making some more of these countdowns/memes, and in each one I'll include two honorable mentions. HOWEVER, for THIS one, I'll make it a special three: in order, a Pixar villain (because I noticed none made it into my Top 12), a Marvel villain, and a Star Wars villain…


Syndrome (from The Incredibles; voiced by Jason Lee)

Part superhero geek, part mad scientist, this Heat Miser-haired nut was once the wannabe sidekick of Mr. Incredible; but when the famous superhero spurned his simple desires to help him, even in the smallest ways, one time too often, he went a bit…loopy. He now desires the complete eradication of superheroes, saving his former idol for the last, using his deranged inventions - from zero-point energy glove blasters, to the titanic Omnidroid, to rocket boots, to lollipop-shaped mini-grenades - to assassinate nearly every “super” in existence, so that he and his “powers” will be the only things left...then, he’ll sell those same inventions to the masses, so that everyone can be super. “And when everyone’s super...no one will be.” However, he probably should have listened to E. Mode’s advice on “no capes”...if you’ve seen this film, you’ll know what I mean.


The Green Goblin (from Spider-Man; played by various)

Spider-Man’s arch-nemesis, this infamous supervillain is known for his maniacal personality, his bizarre costume, and his Halloween-themed gadgets, from Gremlin Dust, to Razor-Bats, to a variety of Pumpkin Bombs, to his noteworthy Goblin Glider. He’s perhaps best known for the indirect murder of Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker/Spider-Man’s first love, a crime that truly set the Goblin up as one of the most notorious baddies in all of comic book-dom. Many faces have worn the Goblin’s warped green mask, with many different motivations and special skills of their own, but regardless of who’s behind the mask, the Green Goblin will live on as a constant thorn in Spider-Man’s webbed side.


Darth Vader (from the Star Wars saga; originally voiced by James Earl Jones (many have donned that helmet))

Um...really, what do I SAY? I mean...it’s bloody DARTH VADER. I don’t think I need to SAY why he’s so awesome! (pauses) In fact...I won’t! Darth Vader, give him a round of applause, and pray he never screams “NOOOO!”again! “G’night everybody!”


OTHER Honorable Mentions
Scar from The Lion King.
Shere Khan & Kaa from The Jungle Book.
Horned King from The Black Cauldron.
Gaston from Beauty & the Beast.
Headless Horseman from The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr. Toad.
Hades from Hercules.
Yzma from The Emperor's New Groove.


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chompi12's avatar

Hook is also my 4th favorite and Facilier my 2th second favorite too