Villains in animated DreamWorks movies very often hold their own against their famous counterparts from Disney and Pixar animated movies, though a number of them remain underrated, as do the films that they appear in. The best DreamWorks villains are the ones that perform their functions as villains while also adding a distinct flair to the job, often through their overall designs and the performances of their voice actors. DreamWorks has worked with some of the biggest Hollywood actors of all time when casting their animated movies, so there are many great villains to choose from when selecting the very best.

From the Shrek franchise to The Bad Guys, DreamWorks' animated movies have often been driven by villains, antiheroes, and otherwise unconventional protagonists, so for their antagonists to really stand out, they need to go that extra mile in terms of villainy. The best DreamWorks villains range from a determined Animal Control officer to an outcast peacock hellbent on conquering all of China and they each showcase what makes DreamWorks' animated movies so enduringly popular, even when they're being despicable.

10 General Mandible

Antz (1998)

Much like the villain Hopper (James Woods) in the very similar Pixar movie A Bugs Life, General Mandible (Gene Hackman) from DreamWorks' Antz is an imposing villain who strikes fear into everyone around him with his menacing voice and dictatorial attitude. He was DreamWorks' first animated villain, so he's a bit of a prototype and as a result, somewhat of a stereotypical proto-fascist with his plans to seize power over his colony through a bloody coup, and he doesn't develop much beyond that. Nevertheless, Gene Hackman is perfectly cast in the role, and he makes Mandible more than just a dumb brute.

9 Big Jack Horner

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

Movies in the Shrek franchise are famous for adapting characters from famous fairytales and nursery rhymes, often making them much darker than their origins would suggest, and "Big" Jack Horner (John Mulaney) from Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is one of the latest and greatest examples of this. Originally "Little" Jack Horner from the nursery rhyme, "Big" Jack looks back at his diminutive past with resentment which motivates him to become bigger and more powerful than anyone in the world, though his greedy ambitions aren't so much what makes him a great DreamWorks villain compared to how much fun he has being villainous.

8 Captain Chantel DuBois

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012)

Captain DuBois (Frances McDormand) is the head of Animal Control in Monte Carlo in Madagascar 3 and stops at nothing to track down her animal targets, often using her incredible sense of smell, which is animatedly dog-like. When she finds out about the escaped zoo animals, DuBois does everything in her power to hunt them down, paying particular attention to Alex (Ben Stiller) due to the fact she has never caught a lion and wants his head for her collection. While DuBois isn't a particularly fleshed-out character in terms of her backstory, her unrelenting pursuit of the main characters results in some of DreamWorks' most impressive action sequences.

7 Toad

Flushed Away (2006)

Toad (Ian McKellen) goes from being a beloved pet in Buckingham Palace to being replaced by a rat and sent down the drain, giving him a deep-seated motivation to be antagonistic to the main characters, and his plot to wash away all rodents has a little more personal depth to it than General Mandible's genocidal plans in Antz. Despite the film's outstanding animation, it's really Ian McKellen's voice performance as Toad that makes the character so watchable, with the iconic actor relishing every nefarious aspect of the villain's theatrical personality.

6 Humpty Alexander Dumpty

Puss in Boots (2011)

Humpty Alexander Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) is one of the more complex DreamWorks villains and appears in one of DreamWorks' more underrated movies, the original Puss in Boots. Humpty is always presented as untrustworthy in the movie but, like with many animated movie villains, his true plans aren't revealed until a long time into the film. However, all of that time spent doubting Humpty isn't a waste as it's used by the film to develop Humpty's connection to the title character and his past. Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) has very conflicted feelings about his treacherous brother, and so does the audience.

5 Mrs. Melisha Tweedy

Chicken Run (2000)

Chicken Run is a movie that's all about its comedy, and the film's main villain, Mrs. Tweedy (Miranda Richardson), is always an entertaining character even though she's periodically terrifying. With allusions to fascistic imagery in the prison camp atmosphere that she fosters on her chicken farm, the film doesn't hold back when it comes to the perils that the main characters face. A lot like Captain DuBois in Madagascar 3, Mrs. Tweedy's sheer determination to kill the lead character of the story is momentarily wild and even frightening, but she's fleshed out a lot more as a character thanks to her relationship with her dopey and subordinate husband.

4 Lord Farquaad

Shrek (2001)

It's true that Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) is one of the most well-known DreamWorks villains by virtue of Shrek being one of the most popular animated movies of all time. However, a big reason behind Shrek's initial success was how well Farquaad worked as its villain. The name itself is one of the riskiest jokes in mainstream animated history, it's possible even that the movie managed to coast on many parents simply not getting the joke of what the character's last name sounds like, though the word certainly does sum him up well. John Lithgow always makes sure that the audience understands just how large Farquaad's ego is and hams up the character's vanity to perfection.

3 Fairy Godmother

Shrek 2 (2004)

Movie villains in general are rarely as iconic as Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) from Shrek 2, a scheming manipulator with all the magical power required to back up any of her threats. Fairy Godmother rules over the kingdom of Far, Far Away from the shadows when the movie starts, and is all fake smiles in front of the public. Behind closed doors, however, she's a fearsome tyrant with a temper. Nevertheless, her sharp mind, coupled with a pitch-perfect voice performance from Jennifer Saunders which culminates in an unforgettable rendition of Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out for a Hero", makes it impossible not to love her on some level.

2 Lord Shen

Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

The Kung Fu Panda movies have some fantastic villains throughout, but Lord Shen (Gary Oldman) from Kung Fu Panda 2 is the pick of the bunch. As a majestic peacock from a royal family, Lord Shen is incredibly still a lot of the time and appears to be calm on the surface, but this is always a prelude to a swift and devastating attack that shows his inner turmoil. The sequel sets up yet another prophecy for the main hero to be the center of, but it gives Shen a seemingly predetermined role as its antagonist too, almost making him a sympathetic villain despite his shockingly violent actions and intentions.

1 Ramses II

The Prince Of Egypt (1998)

Ramses II (Ralph Fiennes) from The Prince of Egypt was only DreamWorks' second animated villain, but he remains their most complex. When Ramses is named Pharaoh, the pressures of living up to his father and leading the people become too much for him, and he is forced to choose between loyalty to his family and the love that he has deep down for his brother Moses (Val Kilmer), creating a tumultuous inner conflict. The story of the Book of Exodus is a big topic for an animated kids' movie to tackle, and the film admirably doesn't shy away from nuances that can be applied to the famous tale.