While not every Disney film has a villain—movies without a clear bad guy were in vogue in the late-'10s, and many Pixar movies don't have an explicit antagonist—many of the greatest Disney movies of all time have a great villain. Several Disney baddies are as iconic as whatever princess or protagonist they've been tormenting (if not more so), and "Disney Villains" has become a sub-franchise all its own within the House of Mouse.
With so many evil, menacing, cruel, haughty, dramatic, or outlandish villains to choose from (some of the best bad guys are all of the above), it's time we decided who the best baddie is. These are the 33 greatest Disney villains. Please note that this list is limited to just animated Disney films, Pixar movies included. Live-action Disney movies like Pirates of the Caribbean are not included (Hector Barbossa would be on this list otherwise). Live-action remakes are also exempt. Finally, you won't find any villains from Star Wars or Marvel, which may be Disney-owned but are their own thing. So, let's dive into all the bad apples in the Magic Kingdom. These Disney villains have truly gone down in cinematic history.
33. The Bear (The Fox and the Hound)
While there are plenty of Disney villains who didn't make this list who are memorable and complex antagonists (Madame Medusa, Madam Mim, Lyle Tiberius Rourke, and Captain Gantu, to name a few), they're on the cutting room floor for the simple reason that the big bear who attacks Tod and Copper in The Fox and the Hound is so scary! A hulking, vicious ursine, the bear is nigh-unstoppable, and the animation that brings him to life is some of the best of this era of Disney's output. Does the bear have an interesting villainous motivation or a great song? Not in the slightest. He's just a big, nasty bear, and that's plenty bad.
32. Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland)
The Queen of Hearts is not what you might call a level-headed monarch, but that's fitting considering that just about everybody in Wonderland is off their rocker in some way or another. Egotistical to the point of psychopathy, the Queen of Hearts enjoys playing croquet and screaming "off with their heads!" at the slightest provocation. Sporting an iconic color scheme (red, lest you forget it and find yourself frantically painting white roses crimson), the Queen of Hearts is one of Disney's more unhinged villains—and fittingly so.
31. Stromboli (Pinocchio)
One of the three villains in Disney's sophomore feature, along with the Coachman and the giant whale Monstro, Stromboli is an odious manifestation of greed and cruelty. A puppeteer who initially puts on a welcoming face when Pinocchio, a living puppet, appears and has the potential to be the main attraction of his show, Stromboli quickly shows his true colors when his money-making star suggests he might want to leave. He locks Pinocchio in a cage, essentially dooming him to a life of slavery were the Blue Fairy not there to intervene.
30. Edgar Balthazar (The Aristocats)
Look, in Edgar Balthazar's defense, it's pretty wild that his longtime employer, Madame Adelaide, wrote in her will that all of her money will be given to her cats rather than her faithful servant when she passes; it's only after all nine of the felines' lives are up that Edgar gets anything. That doesn't excuse Edgar from trying to kidnap and murder Duchess and her three kittens. He deserved getting shoved in a crate and shipped off to Timbuktu.
29. Prince John (Robin Hood)
What's so great about Prince John, the scrawny lion with an oversized crown who abuses his position as Prince Regent of England while his brother the King is off fighting in the Crusades, is what a little twerp he is. As voiced by the great Peter Ustinov, Prince John is a greedy, sniveling coward who lets his emotions get the better of him—a fitting foil for the confident and swashbuckling Robin Hood, who steals from the rich and gives to the poor.
28. Governor Ratcliffe (Pocahontas)
A pompous racist, Governor Ratcliffe is the human embodiment of the greed and xenophobia that cause so much strife in Disney's Pocahontas. Leading a British expedition to the New World in search of gold with no regard for the people who are already there (and an unwillingness to accept the fact that there isn't actually any gold in Virginia), Ratcliffe gives a face to the evils of colonialism. What's perhaps the most insidious thing about Ratcliffe, though, is how he gets men to follow him, harnessing their own desire for wealth and fear of "others" to achieve his own ends. It's a tactic that's all too familiar amongst real-life historical villains.
27. Shan Yu (Mulan)
Shan Yu, the main antagonist of Mulan (other than sexism, of course), isn't one of the better-developed Disney villains. The leader of the Huns, he mostly just serves as a threat to China rather than a character with his own backstory and desires, which is a bit of a missed opportunity. Still, he's certainly imposing, breaching the Great Wall of China with ease and quickly establishing himself as one of the coldest and most ruthless enemies in the Disney canon—and that's saying something.
26. John Silver (Treasure Planet)
As is the case with his namesake in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Planet, the classic 1883 novel that Disney's sci-fi adventure is based on, the most effective part of John Silver's villainy is that it comes after he's been established as a friend and mentor to Jim. A cook aboard a space galleon, Silver is one of the first people to accept and bond with Jim, teaching him everything he knows about spacefaring. That's why the reveal that he's actually a vicious pirate hits so hard—for the audience as well as for Jim and even for Silver. For as much as he's a ruthless bad guy in search of treasure and willing to do pretty much anything to get it, the feelings he had for young Jim were genuine.
25. Randall Boggs (Monsters Inc)
The Steve Buscemi-voiced antagonist of Pixar's Monsters Inc. isn't the film's big bad. That would be Henry J. Waternoose III, the seemingly affable CEO of the scare factory, whose villainous reveal comes near the end. Randall, though, is basically mean and rude throughout the entire movie, and he's presented as the most direct threat to Sully, Mike, and the little human girl they've found themselves trying to protect from Randall's machinations. He's a great sort of villain—snide, egotistical, and extraordinarily arrogant despite being the No. 2 scarer behind Mike. (Or perhaps it's because he's not No. 1 that he has such a chip on his shoulder.)
24. King Candy (Wreck-It Ralph)
To use video game terminology (fittingly, considering the premise of Wreck-It Ralph), Alan Tudyk's King Candy is not just a villain but a boss. Presenting himself as the stubborn ruler of the sweets-themed racing arcade game Sugar Rush, it's revealed that King Candy is actually Turbo, a racer from a game called TurboTime who reprogrammed Sugar Rush and established himself as its ruler when his original arcade console was junked. Maniacal in all the right ways, King Candy/Turbo also has multiple stages and forms in his final fight with Ralph and Vanellope—just like any good video game boss should.
23. Dr. Facilier (The Princess and the Frog)
The great Keith David puts his all into voicing Dr. Facilier, a slick voodoo witch doctor with "friends on the other side" and a willingness to make shady deals and betray whoever he must if it'll get him power. His charisma is undeniable, which makes the darkness of his plans and his magic all the spookier, and Dr. Facilier rightfully was hailed as one of the great Disney villains shortly after The Princess and the Frog came out. (He also has one of the best Disney villain deaths—a topic that could be a list of its own.)
22. Clayton (Tarzan)
The big game hunter Clayton's chivalrousness belies his caustic and violent nature—though perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that somebody who hunts and kills gorillas and other noble beasts might not be that great a guy. Initially hired to protect Jane and her father on their scientific expedition to Africa, Clayton soon reveals that he has nothing but scorn for learning and knowledge. Instead, he's a killer, representing modernity and mankind's weapons as he goes up against Tarzan and the natural world of the jungle.
21. Hopper (A Bug's Life)
A terrific villain who could easily be the baddie of a Western or a Kurosawa movie if he weren't, you know, a bug, Hopper is Pixar's first overt villain and remains one of the studio's best. As voiced by Kevin Spacey, who certainly has no trouble sounding menacing, Hopper is one imposing grasshopper, a bully who uses his strength to take what he wants. But, of course, there's always something bigger and stronger—in Hopper's case, a big, hungry bird.
20. Oogie Boogie (The Nightmare Before Christmas)
Despite their fearsome appearances, most of the residents of Halloween Town aren't bad. (Jack Skellington didn't intend to do a bad thing when he tried to become Santa Claus!) The same can't be said for Oogie Boogie, the "meanest guy around." A flamboyant showman with a penchant for gambling, Oogie Boogie has undeniable swagger even though he's really a writhing pile of bugs inside of a grinning sack. (On that note, Oogie Boogie also has one of the more gruesome Disney villain deaths.)
19. Professor Ratigan (The Great Mouse Detective)
Sherlock Holmes' great archenemy, Professor Moriarty, gets a rodent equivalent in The Great Mouse Detective, facing off against the intrepid Basil of Baker Street in a mystery romp that's one of Disney's undersung films. Brilliant and suave but with a tendency to explode into a violent rage when provoked, Ratigan's villainy is enhanced by the fact that he's voiced by Vincent Price, a legendary actor with a legendarily chilling and unmistakable voice.
18. Yzma (The Emperor's New Groove)
As the sole villain of Disney's best pure comedy (her henchman Kronk is not a villain but a sweetheart, actually), it stands to reason that Yzma would be funny, too. An evil sorceress and advisor to Emperor Kuzco before he unceremoniously fires her, Yzma's efforts to get revenge are outlandish and overly complicated, leading to all sorts of hilarity. It's wild to think that The Emperor's New Groove was originally going to be a more straightforward Disney movie rather than the wacky comedy it became, and that Eartha Kitt was still going to voice a very different version of Yzma. A truly evil Yzma might've been interesting to see, but thank goodness we got this comically evil version.
17. Stinky Pete (Toy Story 2)
Is it too on-the-nose to say Stinky Pete's a real stinker? The villain of Toy Story 2, the Prospector, is a toy from Woody's Roundup, still seemingly in mint condition in his original box. Having never been played with, he wants to end up in a museum, and he'll do whatever it takes to ensure that he'll get there along with the other toys who make up a complete set—regardless of how much Woody might want to get back to Andy. The reveal of Stinky Pete's ruthlessness is well done, seeing as he's initially introduced as almost a grandfatherly mentor to Jessie and the other toys. (While we're on the subject of Toy Story, let's just clarify that Sid is not a villain. He's just an imaginative kid playing with his toys in non-standard ways!)
16. Shere Khan (The Jungle Book)
So confident is The Jungle Book's Shere Khan in the reputation of his fearsome strength that he can afford to act almost gentlemanly when talking with his would-be victims. A suave, poised tiger, Shere Khan states what he wants and expects it to happen—like, say, demanding the man-cub be given over to him. He's one of Disney's most put-together villains (and there's plenty of tough competition), which is why it's thrilling to see him unravel and the facade fall when confronted with the one thing he fears: fire.
15. Gaston (Beauty and the Beast)
No one's slick as Gaston, no one's quick as Gaston, no one's neck's as incredibly thick as Gaston… the list of superlatives could go on and on (and it does, in fact, in one of the best Disney villain songs). A brash, proudly boorish hunter who wants to win Belle as a different sort of trophy, Gaston is a great villain in part because he doesn't have a master plan or grand ambitions like so many other Disney baddies. Instead, he's just the medieval equivalent of toxic masculinity. My, what a guy, that Gaston.
14. Captain Hook
He may have one of the best looks of any Disney villain, but Peter Pan's archnemesis is decidedly not cool. The captain of the Jolly Roger, Captain Hook, is cunning and dangerous but easily flustered or irritated, and his paralyzing fear of clocks and the alligator that ate his hand make him one of Disney's more comical bad guys, even as he does his evil deeds. It's very, very fun to watch Captain Hook get humiliated; luckily, it happens multiple times throughout Peter Pan.
13. Mother Gothel (Tangled)
What Mother Gothel did to Rapunzel is maybe the most messed-up thing that any Disney villain has done. After stealing Rapunzel as a baby because her hair had magical youth-giving powers, Mother Gothel then locked Rapunzel in a tower for years, all while gaslighting her captive into thinking she was a kind mother figure. Imagine the psychological damage! It almost seems like it would've been better if she had just been overtly evil from the start rather than manipulatively so.
12. Chernabog (Fantasia)
Chernabog, the demon from "Night on Bald Mountain"—aka the part of Fantasia that's too scary for most kids—isn't an especially well-developed character. He's barely even a character at all. That's understandable, seeing as he appeared in a dialog-free short where he existed to be a pure embodiment of evil with no motivation or reason. Perhaps that's the thing that really distinguishes him amongst Disney villains, though. While you could call the antagonists of pretty much any other movie a "bad guy," only the word "evil" will suffice for Chernabog.
11. Prince Hans (Frozen)
When Hans first gets introduced in Frozen—a young prince who meets Anna as they learn that "love is an open door"—he seems too good to be true. That's because he is too good to be true, and rather than being a stock prince of the sort we've seen in countless Disney movies, he's actually a deconstruction of the romantic tropes that Disney established itself on. Prince Hans is callous and power-hungry, standing as a rejection of the idea of love at first sight, where princes and princesses instantly find their happily ever after. You've got to get to know somebody first, or else they might turn out to be like Hans.
10. Claude Frollo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
Claude Frollo's main characteristics are zealotry, hypocrisy, prejudice against the Roma people, and sinful lust—all traits that make him one of the most realistic and adult villains in any Disney movie. Endlessly self-righteous and manipulative, Claude Frollo's brand of evil feels all too real and human. It's almost ironic; despite being so high-and-mighty and godly, he's the bad guy who best represents humanity at its most base and disreputable lows.
9. Syndrome (The Incredibles)
A good villain isn't a requirement, but it certainly helps to make a Disney movie great; superhero movies, meanwhile, almost always need a good supervillain in order to soar. Syndrome, the bad guy in Pixar's The Incredibles, happens to be a Disney villain and a superhero villain, and he's exceptional on both fronts. A one-time fanboy of Mr. Incredible, the former wannabe sidekick IncrediBoy renamed himself Syndrome when his idol rejected his adoration, becoming an arch supervillain with deadly inventions. He proclaimed that his creations would level the playing field and eliminate superheroes by making everybody super, but Syndrome really just wanted to take all the glory for himself. He's a prescient take on the sort of toxic fandom that would come to plague the superhero genre.
8. Jafar (Aladdin)
Jafar, the Royal Vizier of Agrabah, desperately wants the Genie's lamp so that he can overthrow the Sultan and rule the world, but his disdain is so strong it might as well be a magic power. Unquestionably in the top tier of Disney villains, Jafar's dry wit and cunning menace make him fun to watch and a dangerous threat to be reckoned with. It's almost kind of a letdown when he gets unfathomable magic powers, thanks to the lamp. Jafar's at his best when he's operating in the margins, subtly shaping outcomes to his desire.
7. Cruella de Vil (One Hundred and One Dalmatians)
Many Disney villains want power. Others want riches, and some want the hand of a princess. Cruella de Vil, though, just wants to look great—and she will dognap, kill, and skin 100 puppies if that's what it takes. That's the price of fashion, darn it! A mean narcissist whose name matches her personality, Cruella de Vil is all about slaying, both in terms of the slang and literal sense of the word, at least as it pertains to dalmatians. It rules that Roger wrote a whole entire song about how much his wife's old schoolmate is a real piece of work.
6. Ursula (The Little Mermaid)
The famed drag queen Divine served as the main inspiration for The Little Mermaid's Ursula, resulting in an iconic Disney villain. A wicked manipulator with a flair for the dramatic, Ursula was as deft with her tongue as she was with her many tentacles, easily talking many poor unfortunate souls into making deals with her that they'd come to regret. (The voiceless Ariel chief among them!) Like so many great bad guys, Ursula's charisma is as undeniable as her evil.
5. Lady Tremaine (Cinderella)
There's a mundanity to Lady Tremaine's villainy that makes her seem exceptionally cruel. Cinderella's stepmother doesn't have diabolical grand plans so much as she has respectable-but-limited wealth and a stepdaughter whom she views as free labor rather than a member of the family. Cold as ice, Lady Tremaine wields household chores as a weapon just as effectively—if not more so, because of the relative relatability—than any sword-wielding antagonist or evil wizard.
4. The Evil Queen (Snow White)
The first-ever Disney villain remains one of the best. It's not just out of respect to the Evil Queen's place in animation history, though. She's a legitimately menacing and frightening antagonist, even though she's nearly a century old at this point. Ruthless and obsessive despite her meticulously manicured and highly coveted fair appearance, the Evil Queen doesn't hesitate to try to have Snow White killed once the young girl becomes a rival to her beauty. Then, upon realizing Snow is still alive, the Evil Queen transforms herself into an old hag in an attempt to kill the girl herself; the irony of abandoning her prized looks in pursuit of her one-sided rivalry only makes the Evil Queen a more intense villain.
3. Scar (The Lion King)
A drama queen who claims to have brains compared to his brother King Mufasa's brawn, Scar's brand of villainy feels downright Shakespearean. (Probably because on some level it is; The Lion King is a riff on Hamlet.) Deliciously and diabolically voiced by Jeremy Irons, Scar is a conniving striver. As evidenced by his song (one of the great Disney villain songs), he's prepared to do whatever it takes to get what he views as his rightful place atop Pride Rock.
2. Hades (Hercules)
Perhaps no other villain on this list has managed to split the difference between being comedic and genuinely threatening as well as Hades, the god of the underworld, who antagonizes the other Greek gods (and the title character) in the 1997 film Hercules. As voiced by James Woods, Hades is a fast-talking, put-upon god with a casual, almost informal approach to villainy—until his top blows or it's time to get serious about being evil. An evil god of death whose main mode is "exasperated" is a fantastic innovation.
1. Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty)
What else but those cheekbones could have the top spot? Maleficent, an evil fairy so dripping with malice that it's literally her name, is the greatest Disney villain because she has the complete package—an iconic look, dramatic flair, and awesome powers. Especially because Sleeping Beauty's protagonist has less agency than most Disney princesses (she spends a lot of the movie either as a baby or asleep), much of the film focuses on Maleficent as she tries to execute her evil plan and the three good fairies as they try to thwart it. Because of this, we really get to see how Maleficent works, and it's exactly as bad as you'd hope.
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