Our Favourite Disney Villains At Hello Molly
Happy Halloween babes! For a fright night special, the Hello Molly team rank their favourite Disney villains of all time!
Cruella De Vil, 101 Dalmatians
Credit: Disney
The original Demon Diva personified! While Cruella de Vil gave off hella scary impressions of a hell beast, she managed to do so in unending style! This fashionable diva isn't calculating compared to her Disney villain counterparts. She's a woman driven to madness, fueled by her hell-bent desire to look fashionable 24/7. This Disney villain will stop at nothing to look fab, including skinning 101 puppies!
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Scar, The Lion King
Credit: Disney
Upon meeting Scar in the Lion King, you learn to NEVER trust a lion with an impeccable and deep English accent. You have to raise a glass to actor Jeremy Irons and his portrayal of Scar. Hamlet vibes aside, as a villain, Scar is full-throttle evil personified- or catsonified... Scar holds no secret of his resentment to his older brother Mufasa and nephew Simba. He carefully and coldly calculates the murder of Mufasa via stampede, manipulates Simba into banishment, takes control over Pride Rock and literally destroys the kingdom. Even his Hamlet doppelganger was less ruthless.
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Ursula, The Little Mermaid
Credit: Disney
Hans Christian Andersen's Sea Witch from The Little Mermaid was merely an enabler of the protagonist's tragic end. Disney once again dials up the villain factor to fifty per cent. Disney's Ursula is voluptuous, persuasive and fit with a self-serving attitude to boot. Plus two slimy eel companions gives another level of creepy. As a villain, Ursula will stop at nothing to achieve her own agenda, even if it means manipulating a young mermaid into giving her voice and forcing her to sign sketchy contracts. A lesson to be learned- always read the tiny clauses before clicking yes!
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Chernabog, King of Bald Mountain "Fantasia"
Credit: Disney
If you're a millennial, you would have remembered that the Chernabog from Fantasia's rendition of Night On Bald Mountain, was the literal stuff of nightmares. His appearance was brief but comes at the climax of the film. This villain ticks everything in the fright night book - evil glowing eyes, a sinister glare, an overlord of the dead and can transform any living creature into hideous beasts to do his bidding. The creepy music certainly helped to amp up that frightening atmosphere. A 15/10 spooky rating from us!
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Mother Gothel, "Tangled"
Credit: Disney
Yeah, the older woman terrorizing a beautiful young woman is a popular Disney trope. However, the big twist with the nefarious Mother Gothel is that she lays on the guilt real thick when it comes to her adopted daughter Rapunzel. Her loving motherly phrases are always infused with snide, hurtful and stress-inducing remarks- emotional abuse at its finest!
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Ratigan, "The Great Mouse Detective"
Credit: Disney
This is for the older fans of Disney and the avid die-hard lovers of Sherlock Holmes mysteries. With memorable actor Vincent Price behind the role of this conniving mastermind, you can't go wrong! As a villain, Ratigan has it all. He has power, lots of money and the title of the most feared mobster of the mouse-equivalent of London's crime. For those old enough to remember, Ratigan literally sentenced a poor drunken mouse to death after being called 'a Rat'... and we witnessed this innocent mouse being swallowed by Ratigan's gigantic cat lackey.
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Judge Claude Frollo, "Hunchback of Notre Dame"
Credit: Disney
Oh boy... let's go through the list. He's a hater of minorities, emotionally abusive to his young charge Quasimodo, has an unquenchable lust towards our heroine Esmerelda, murdered an innocent mother and almost drowned a baby. As someone who claims to be a righteous and a 'Godly' individual, he is the definition of a cruel and evil hypocrite. It was ambitious of Disney to release a film with a song like "Hellfire", where the subtext of lust and death via burning is just on the surface. It's eye-opening once you look back on the movie as an adult.
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Man, "Bambi"
Credit: Disney
Here's a hot take- one of the greatest villains in the Disney world, and in reality is... us! When it comes to villains, it's the unseen entity and the unknowable that's the most frightening to us. The death of Bambi's mother is truly a heartbreaking scene as we don't witness it on screen. We hear the sharp crack of gunfire off-screen, and we instantly know the inevitable has occurred. CURSE YOU, FELLOW HUMANS!
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Maleficent, "The Sleeping Beauty"
Credit: Disney
Angelina Jolie's magnificent live rendition aside, Maleficent from the Sleeping Beauty is the prime example of a Disney villain both physically and mentally. Hearing that one-liner "Now you must deal with me- and all the powers of hell!", you know you're in deep doo-doo. Maleficient is intelligent, but unlike her later counterparts, she rarely displays explosive bouts of rage in front of her enemies. To be fair, you can understand her reasoning behind cursing Aurora. Snubbed from a prestigious royal invite because there weren’t enough plates, and weren’t wanted? Prepare to face the wrath of a humiliated witch!
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The Coachman, "Pinocchio"
Credit: Disney
Although he was a supporting character, he's no less terrifying for a straightforward reason. He gets away with his evil deeds in the end! He lures boys who desperately act like they want to be big boys to Pleasure Island, only to transform then into donkeys so he can sell them to farmers. No, just a big no! Plus, he never gets any form of comeuppance, and that in itself is just chilling. We suggest watching the 1996 live-action 'The Adventures of Pinnochio', at least the villain gets a taste of his own medicine!
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Hades, "Hercules"
Credit: Disney
We wouldn't consider this Disney villain as 'scary', but it would be a shame not to mention this guy! Hades has to be the most relatable Disney villain. Plus it's one of James Woods' best vocal performances to date! Hades vacillates between acting like the stressed boss prone to violent bursts of rage, and your neighbour who moans to you when things don't go according to plan. He's fast-talking, drops modern culture references as fast as Robbie Williams and generally full of manic energy. Hades dark and gloomy outlook, supported by his mile-a-minute delivery, serves as a foil for the revered, golden Gods on Mount Olympus, and it's enjoyable to watch.
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Lady Tremaine, "Cinderella"
Photo Credit: Disney
We can't get enough of our top leading lady villains of Disney! If you're after evil stepmother, look no further than this scary lady. Lady Tremaine isn't gifted with magic, but her villainy is rooted in jealousy and bitterness. Eleanor Audley's sharp yet crisp vocal performance truly embodies Lady Tremaine's terrifyingly evil aura. Her snaps are enough to silence and put-down even the most strong-willed person. We eventually see her comeuppance when she discovers Cinderella has the other glass slipper all along.