50 Darkest Disney Moments

Ursula Dies

The Movie: The Little Mermaid (1989)

The Dark Moment:
Sea Witch Ursula has finally nabbed herself Triton's crown. But despite her power, she's defeated by Prince Eric who drives a boat through her giant abdomen.

If It Had A Song:
"Poor unfortunate soul / I'm a poor unfortunate soul / I took the crown, now I'm going to drown / My poor unfortunate soul."

Mr Dark

The Movie: Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)

The Dark Moment:
Not so much a moment as a character, carnival owner, soul damner and all-round sinister dude Mr Dark is the epitome of the titular 'Something Wicked'.

If It Had A Song:
"Come to my carnival, I'll make your dreams come true / Want to be young? I'll do that for you / But be warned, there's a price for what you pray / And you can be sure, children, I'll make you pay!"

"Here Funboy..."

The Movie: The Crow (1994)

The Dark Moment: Due to Disney's ownership of Miramax between 1993 and 2010, we get to have a bit of fun with this list.

And Darkness surrounds this movie like a... well, a very dark thing. But scene-wise, the moment where Eric pays Funboy a revenge visit, ultimately killing him with his own syringes, is heavy going to say the least.

If It Had A Song:
With tracks by Stone Temple Pilots, Nine Inch Nails, Pantera and The Jesus And Mary chain, the film's amazing early 90s alt-rock soundtrack does all our emo work for us.

"Still every night I burn / Every night I scream your name / Every night I burn / Every night the dream's the same / Every night I burn / Waiting for my only friend / Every night I burn / Waiting for the world to end."

How could we possibly compete with The Cure?

The Mermaids

The Movie: Peter Pan (1953)

The Dark Moment: Peter's scantily-clad mermaid mates don't take too kindly to Wendy and decide to drag her down to the briny depths in jealousy.

If It Had A Song: "We were only trying to drown her / We're sorry Mr Pan / It's not that we don't like her / We just thought you were our man."

The Crew's Fate

The Movie: The Black Hole (1979)

The Dark Moment: Old B.O.B explains the reason behind the human-like behaviour of the Cygnus' android crew - they are humans, who were lobotomized and reprogrammed when they dared to mutiny against commander Dr. Hans Reinhardt.

If It Had A Song:
"Ooh, that Reinhardt, he's a wrong 'un / Can you see what he's done? / Turning people into robots / He killed us, each and every one!"

The Dog Dies

The Movie: Old Yeller (1957)

The Dark Moment: Old Yeller bravely saves the Coates family from a rabid wolf attack, but is bitten in the struggle and must be put down.

If It Had A Song: "Goodbye my lover / Goodbye my friend..."

On second thought, James Blunt probably isn't appropriate at this moment, is he?

The Forest

The Movie: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

The Dark Moment: Having decided to defy the Queen, the huntsman sends Snow White off into the dark and scary woods, telling her never to return. Cue a terrifying scene where the forest manifests into all kinds of beasts in the princess' imagination.

If It Had A Song:
"The trees, they have eyes / The logs, they have legs / Was the huntsman really trying to save me? / Oh, darn it! I've ripped my dress!"

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

The Movie: The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

The Dark Moment:
Not even Muppets can bring cheer to this moment in Dickens' classic tale, as the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows Scrooge just how much he is hated.

If It Had A Song:
"Hear me Spirit, please! / These events can be changed! A life can be made right. / I'll mend my ways / I'll do it tonight!"

Buzz Learns He's A Toy

The Movie: Toy Story (1995)

The Dark Moment: Buzz's world is destroyed when he sees himself being advertised on TV. Cue a poignant idenity crisis for the plastic spaceman, resulting in him almost commiting suicide by trying to fly out of a window.

If It Had A Song:
"This is no time to panic / But what else can I do? / I thought I was a Space Ranger / Turns out it's not true..."

The Mirrors

The Movie: The Watcher In The Woods (1980)

The Dark Moment: Unsettled in a new home, teenager Jan begins to catch glimpses of a blindfolded girl, voicelessly crying out for help, reflected in window panes and mirrors just before they crack into a triangular shape.

If It Had A Song: "There's no way to make this film upbeat / Even though it's got Bette Davis in it / It's flipping terrifying, watch and you'll see / Thanks for ruining our childhood Disney."