10 Best Disney Villains of All-Time: From Lion King’s Scar to Aladdin’s Jafar (2024)

Jul 5, 2023 1:00pm PT

• Jafar - Aladdin

  

  The sorcerer wants it all, and with a fire-spitting staff in hand, he’ll do whatever he needs to get it.

  In “Aladdin,” Robin Williams owns the genie front-to-back, but Jonathan Freeman’s portrayal of the droopy-faced Jafar is nothing short of outstanding.”

  His exaggerated intonations on particular lines, such as “You’d be surprised what you can live through,” offers the base for a backstory worth exploring.

  And who can forget all the iconic memes of “hot Daddy Jafar” that littered the internet when viewers feasted their eyes on the Dutch actor Marwan Kenzari in Guy Ritchie’s live-action adaptation? That’s always worth the price of admission.

• Captain Hook - Peter Pan

  

  The enduring Captain Hook from Disney’s “Peter Pan,” voiced by Hans Conried, is the pirate of all pirates in film history (for me, anyway).

  With brilliant comedic timing and a natural blend of sophistication and dim-witted catchphrases (“Smee, my dear Smee”), Hook has been done and re-done countless times in the live-action realm, but the animated impression will always remain paramount.

• Humans - Bambi

  

  It’s the evil that lives within us all.

  The unseen “man” in the 1942 heartbreaking classic “Bambi” likely started the inner complex within us all that at some point, very soon, we were all going to lose our mothers in the most heinous ways.

  When the young Bambi is frantically looking for his mother Faline, following a harrowing gunshot, his Great Prince of the Forest father sure doesn’t evoke any empathy with his coldly delivered “you’re mother can’t be with you anymore.”

  Humans are terrible. Men could be worse.

• Lady Tremaine - Cinderella

  

  What a bad Mommy she is. So bad that not many even remember her name outside of “wicked stepmother.”

  In “Cinderella,” Lady Tremaine, voiced by Eleanor Audley, exudes sophistication. However, the cruelty and hatred for her stepdaughter, who has lost her parents, is vividly pronounced.

  Even how she calls her to her room or drops the memorable one-word “if” regarding her going to the ball is icy and fascinating.

  Where’s her origin story or post-event spin-off as the black widow?

• Yzma - The Emperor's New Groove

  

  Anything Eartha Kitt touched in this life is gold. The eccentric Yzma from the underrated “The Emperor’s New Groove” is among them.

  A voice performance worthy of an Oscar nom, the captivating and unforgettable creation of the scene-stealing ex-employee is too amazing not to adore.

  Her sly deliveries, sultry voice and brilliant potion creations at among the most quotable in the Disney roster. “Pull the lever, Kronk!” is a line that is often repeated randomly around my home.

• Gaston - Beauty and the Beast

  

  He’s conceited. He’s got a reason.

  In “Beauty and the Beast,” the first animated film nominated for best picture, Gaston has good looks and big muscles that have women fawning over him, but he wants more. Much more.

  Brought to life with wicked pizzazz by Richard White, the blend of arrogance and narcissism is perfectly executed when amplifying the same qualities that got the Beast into the pickle he finds himself in.

  Let’s not forget the sinister “Mob Song,” where the core of his villainy is etched into viewers’ minds before succumbing to a very long mountain drop.

• Cruella de Vil - 101 Dalmatians

  

  The lady kills dogs. That should automatically place her No. 1 on this list; however, we must consider a few other factors when ranking these bad people.

  The “101 Dalmatians” antagonist, voiced beautifully by legend Betty Lou Gerson, is unabashed with her cruelty to animals. Still, the excessive ostentation comes with a distinguishing black-and-white fashion that brings her to the right border of “fun.”

  While despicable, the villain’s tale spurred a spin-off live-action version, where Emma Stone stepped into the shoes of the complex woman with a tragic backstory.

  Cruella’s twisted desires are always on display.

• Ursula - The Little Mermaid

  

  The dastardly octopus/sea witch is a remarkable presence in the 1989 classic “The Little Mermaid,” with an iconic performance from Pat Carroll.

  A larger-than-life personality, her flamboyance, desire for power, and thirst for revenge are quite the match for young mermaid Ariel, who seeks the love of a human.

  In the canon of iconic villain songs, “Poor Unfortunate Souls” ranks high with its seductive charm and theatrical display that laid the foundation for Melissa McCarthy to deliver a faithful rendition in the live-action remake of 2023.

• Scar - The Lion King

  

  Scar can’t wait to be king, and he’ll do anything to get it, even kill his brother and nephew.

  The manipulation and cunning tactics of the “third-in-line” to the throne are expertly brought to life thanks to the team of animators and expert musicians that give him a quintessential bad guy number (“Be Prepared”) and, of course, the voice talent of Oscar winner Jeremy Irons.

  And while he may be “surrounded by idiots,” his charisma and power for hunger are best shown through his unflinching murder of Mufasa at the stampede and his relentless disdain for young Simba.

• Maleficent – Sleeping Beauty

  

  A powerful presence, aside from her iconic design of sorcery and fashionable headpieces, the “Sleeping Beauty” villain, voiced by Eleanor Audley, is the essence of cruelty and evil.

  The way she takes delight in imposing curses and pain onto others with a dramatic cackle makes the children’s movie feel like the closest Disney ever came to making an animated horror movie (that floating green light).

  And let’s not forget the simple fact she turns into a badass dragon. I know we’re supposed to root for Princess Aurora and Prince Philip’s love, but is it too wicked to share we wanted her to live on?