Disney has brought countless stories to life, captivating audiences with timeless heroes and memorable adventures. However, behind every great story is a compelling villain, whose schemes and misdeeds create the tension that drives the narrative forward. They’re one of the four pillars of a successful Disney film. Every Disney fan will agree that the most important elements of a Disney film are the quality of the songs, the believability of the romance, the cuteness of the obligatory character designed to sell toys, and the effectiveness of their villain. From wicked queens and scheming sorcerers to cunning animals and ruthless conquerors, Disney villains are as varied as they are iconic. Their unforgettable personalities, unique motivations, and sinister actions have cemented their places in our hearts and minds. Here’s a look at some of the greatest Disney villains, whose dark deeds and unforgettable personas have left an indelible mark on the world of animation and live-action.
These are the 100 Greatest Disney Villains of All Time.
80. Man | Bambi (1942)
“Man” in Bambi is the rare Disney villain that is not embodied in some way, but simply an omnipresent threat encroaching on the forest. While there is no singular villain, Man commits quite possibly one of the most gut-punching acts of villainy in the entire Disney canon—killing Bambi’s mom. This single act, which occupies hardly a minute of screen time, has become synonymous with the movie. Such has been the lasting power of the way Man was portrayed in this classic. In an earlier scene, Bambi’s mom tells him about the dangers of man, and when gunshots ring out, he and his mother have to run for cover. When it happens the second time and Bambi calls out for his mother to no response, it packs an emotional wallop because we know exactly what has happened. The film doesn’t stop there to portray the danger of man, as the climax sees the forest animals running from a forest fire started by the negligence of men we never see, moments after simply seeing animals running for their lives amidst gunshots and ravenous dogs cornering Bambi’s mate. Unlike most Disney movies where the villain dies or is otherwise defeated, in Bambi the animals must simply move on with the threat of Man as a part of life.
–Jacob Holmes
79. Dr. Jacques von Hämsterviel (Jeff Bennett) | Stitch! The Movie (2003)
While most of Disney’s direct-to-video sequels and animated series based on its animated classics were needless cash grabs, Lilo & Stitch: The Series is not one. The 2001 animated movie revealed that Stitch was Experiment 626, meaning that there are 625 other experiments left to be explored. Introduced in Stitch! The Movie, the backdoor pilot movie for The Series, Dr. Jacques von Hämsterviel is an evil genius/former lab partner of Dr. Jumba Jookiba who wants to a) rule the galaxy, and b) capture the experiments he helped create. Operating from his prison cell, Hämsterviel hires Captain Gantu to do his dirty work. Now, for someone claiming to be a genius, he sure has no problem continuing to employ Gantu despite the latter failing week after week to capture one of the new experiments introduced. Even when he manages to escape from prison in Leroy & Stitch, his villainous exploits are short-lived. Hämsterviel may not be the best at being a villain, but he sure is fun to watch.
–Marmaduke Karlston
78. MCP and Sark (David Warner) | Tron (1982)
Disney really wanted Tron to be their Wizard of Oz for the computer age but outside of some cool ideas (the light cycles are still awesome and the frisbee weapon is still novel), it’s a broken mess of a movie. The pacing is glacier, the effects aged like milk, and the entire concept just doesn’t work. About the only thing that does work, are the villains. Jeff Bridges is always great but anyone could’ve played that role. Can you honestly picture anyone other than David Warner in the role of Sark? The fact that he can be sinister while staying completely monotone, feels like how a computer would behave. While the underling, he has main villain energy. They wanted the big bad to be a computer program but needed a human to directly interact with the main characters and they found the perfect emissary of evil in Warner. His immediate vibe just makes his boss, the Master Control Program (MCP), that much more of a threat by comparison. Because if David Warner, one of the all-time greatest baddies of the big screen takes orders from you, you have to be bad.
–Sailor Monsoon
77. “Honest” John Worthington Foulfellow (Walter Catlett) and Gideon the Cat | Pinocchio (1940)
Almost everyone Pinocchio encounters on his journey is a scum bag out to exploit him in some way. He has to contend with indentured servitude, the horrors of the entertainment business, donkey transformations akin to A Werewolf in London, and getting swallowed by a whale. That little puppet boy has it rough and it could be argued that no one fucks him over quite as badly as Honest John and Gideon. Honest John, also known as J. Worthington Foulfellow, is a sly and cunning anthropomorphic fox. Despite his name, he is anything but honest. Honest John is a con artist and a trickster who exploits others for his gain. He has a smooth-talking demeanor and uses his charm to deceive and manipulate. Gideon is Honest John’s mute, bumbling sidekick, an anthropomorphic cat. Unlike Honest John, Gideon does not speak and relies on physical comedy and slapstick actions to communicate. His clumsy and foolish behavior often provides comic relief in contrast to Honest John’s more devious nature. They feel like the comedic relief characters that are going to tag along with the protagonist but they turn out to be duplicitous. Unlike every other asshole Pinocchio runs into, they don’t use his naivete against him so much as they take advantage of his need for companionship. They come as friends and are so effective in their role, they end up tricking him TWICE.
–Sailor Monsoon
76. Big Bad Wolf (Billy Bletcher) | Three Little Pigs (1933)
There’s something so authentic about watching the really old Disney cartoons. Even if The Three Little Pigs animated short was released about 50 years before I was born, it still fills me with nostalgia. The Big Bad Wolf is one of the most classic Disney villains, and if you’re a pig then sure, he’s a bad guy. I think that’s a slightly unfair perspective, though. This whole short clocks in at just 8 minutes long, but you only need about 30 seconds of listening to the pigs to find yourself firmly on the side of the Big Bad Wolf. If I found myself having to listen to them incessantly singing near my forest (about not being afraid of me, no less), I’d put just as much effort into eating them, too. They’re annoying, and bacon is awesome. Maybe the pig with the brick house deserved to live, what with his proper planning and lack of singing. The other two definitely deserved to be dinner, though.
–R.J. Mathews
75. Flintheart Glomgold (Hal Smith) | DuckTales (1987–90)
Disney has a habit of giving all their Mickey Mouse characters an arch-rival that can be summed up as “[insert name] but evil/mean.” So yeah, Flintheart Glomgold is very much Scrooge McDuck but worse, lacking the generosity and compassion that Scrooge will fleetingly show. Flintheart is “The Second Richest Duck” who strives to usurp Scrooge of the title of “World’s Richest Duck.” He will stop at nothing to accomplish this task, occasionally employing the Beagle Boys to do his dirty work. With a memorable Scottish accent, Flintheart Glomgold is one of the best villains to appear in DuckTales.
–Marmaduke Karlston
74. Br’er Fox (James Baskett) and Br’er Bear (Nick Stewart) | Song of the South (1946)
Since Disney refuses to release Song of the South, there are whole generations of people who only know these characters from Splash Mountain. And honestly, if that’s all they were from, they’d still probably make the cut on account of how amazing that ride is. Included in the animated segments of the film, Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear are characters Uncle Remus (James Baskett) tells stories about throughout Song of the South. They’re foils for Br’er Rabbit and outside of Baskett’s lovely performance and the iconic song Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, they’re easily the best parts of the film. In fact, they’re probably the only part of the film that isn’t problematic.
–Sailor Monsoon
73. Madame Medusa (Geraldine Page) | The Rescuers (1977)
When I was a kid, I sometimes thought Madame Medusa was related to Cruella Deville. Maybe her less successful (and so insanely jealous) younger sister. She’s cruel, devious, manipulative, and greedy as hell – she’s also a little hard to take seriously, sometimes. If she was on her own she might not be that much of a problem, but her henchman Mr. Snoops is a lot… well, a little more competent. And of course, she has her pet alligators, Brutus and Nero, which go a long way toward upping her threat level.
–Bob Cram
72. Zira (Suzanne Pleshette) | The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride (1998)
If you skipped Simba’s Pride because the vast majority of the Disney direct-to-video sequels are awful, I don’t blame you but I think this Lion King sequel is worth a look. It doesn’t have the same scale, the songs are inferior in every way and most of the characters are forgettable but everything involving Zira, the primary antagonist, and the dynamic she has with her son, works. A fiercely loyal follower of Scar, Zira remains devoted to his memory and ideals. She is the leader of the Outsiders, a group of lions exiled by Simba to the Outlands due to their loyalty to Scar. Zira’s primary goal is to overthrow Simba and place her son, Kovu, on the throne of Pride Rock. She meticulously trains Kovu to assassinate Simba and reclaim the kingdom. However, her plans are complicated when Kovu falls in love with Simba’s daughter, Kiara, leading to a conflict between loyalty to his mother and his love for Kiara. It’s a solid story about the weight of living someone else’s dream. In the case of Zira, that dream is that of revenge. It’s a compelling narrative held together by an underrated Disney villain.
–Sailor Monsoon
71. The Wheelers | Return to Oz (1985)
I only saw Return to Oz for the first time fairly recently, and when the Wheelers first arrive I thought they were menacing as hell. Especially after Dorothy arrives back in Oz to find the Emerald City in ruins, with graffiti saying “Beware the Wheelers” painted on the walls. They show up as a gain, with wheels for arms and legs and in outfits like rejects from The Warriors. Those horrible faces are weird and distorted and you can be forgiven for thinking these guys are going to be significant monsters. Unfortunately, those faces turn out to be weird hats or something, and the Wheelers themselves are just minions of Princess Mombi who, despite her initial normal appearance, is ten times scarier.
–Bob Cram
90-81 | 70-61
What do you think of the selection so far? Who are some of your favorite Disney villains from over the years? Maybe they will show up further on the list!