By this point, it’s pretty much accepted as fact that the villains are what make Disney movies great. Whether it’s Maleficent or Scar, these are the people that keep the narrative running, that keep the viewer interested in what’s going on-screen and, of course, give the hero something to do. After all, there’s no story if there’s no villain to fight against.
However, while some villains have become icons, others have sort of labored along in the shadows, largely ignored by the ever-growing fandom - especially since so many of them couldn't be made today. Thus, it’s time to give these under-appreciated Disney villains the love that they so richly deserve.
Prince John
Robin Hood is one of those Disney movies that have, slowly but surely, began getting the recognition that it deserves. The same isn’t entirely true of its villain, the lion Prince John. That’s really a shame, too, because he’s delightfully funny (in large part because he’s played by the inimitable Peter Ustinov).
Underneath the outlandish persona, however, there’s a feral sort of cunning, and it has to be said that John has it in him to be quite cruel and ruthless when it suits his purposes.
Madam Medusa
The Rescuers is another of those Disney movies that tend to fly under the radar, an oft-overlooked gem. A lot of people have probably heard of it or seen clips, but they might not have seen the whole thing. It’s actually a great little movie, and a lot of that stems from the villain, Madame Medusa.
With her bright red hair and her outlandish makeup, she might look a little silly, but make no mistake: she knows how to use a gun, and she’s also quite capable of being absolutely cruel to the little girl, Penny.
Madame Mim
The Sword and The Stones' Madam Mim is a great Disney villain for so many reasons. She has a great song- always a must when it comes to a Disney bad guy- and she is also able to turn herself into all manner of beasts as she attempts to do away with her nemesis, Merlin.
Of course, that doesn’t keep her from being outwitted by him in the end, but she gives as good as she gets right. One can’t help but admire the ruthless way that she approaches the people who oppose her.
Ratigan
Disney has always had a knack for finding just the right person to voice their villains, and Ratigan of The Great Mouse Detective is a good example of that. He’s voiced by none other than Vincent Price, who is one of the most famous actors in horror movies of his generation.
Ratigan is also a great villain in other ways, too, most notably in his scheme to take over all of the mice of England as their king. It’s just his misfortune to be opposed by the even more clever Basil of Baker Street.
Frollo
The Hunchback of Notre Dame deserves a lot of credit for the risks that it was willing to take, giving viewers a Disney movie that addressed some pretty deep, social issues.
In large part, the success of the movie stems from its villain, the corrupt judge Claude Frollo, whose desire for Esmerelda leads him to do all sorts of horrible and wicked things, including setting almost the entire city of Paris on fire as he searches for her. He’s definitely a villain one wouldn’t want to cross, and his death is one of the scariest.
Governor Ratcliffe
At first glance, it might not seem like Governor Ratcliffe has what it takes to be one of the great Disney villains. However, a closer look reveals that he’s actually pretty intimidating.
Beneath all of his grand-standing and his fancy clothes, he’s proven to be quite conniving and skillful in manipulating people to do what he wants them to do - all so that he can get as much out of the natural resources as humanly possible. He also shows that he’s more than a little ruthless when it really comes down to it.
The Headless Horseman
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is one of the package movies that Disney released during the 1940s, combining the story of The Wind in the Willows with The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
The Headless Horseman appears in the latter, and it has to be said that he is a truly terrifying Disney villain. This is mostly because there is the slightest bit of ambiguity as to whether he’s really a ghost or a local townsman trying to scare the gangly schoolteacher Ichabod out of town.
Captain Hook
Captain Hook is another of those villains that just seems to slip through the cracks when it comes to people thinking about them. Like so many of the others, however, he’s shown to be very intimidating and menacing. In fact, he was probably more sadistic than the other villains considering he was more than willing to drown a young Native American woman to get Peter to do what he wanted.
And, let’s face it, anyone who survived an encounter with a crocodile is worthy of at least a little bit of respect. Oh, and he's a pirate, which is pretty cool in and of itself.
Shere Khan
The Jungle Book has become a more famous movie since the release of the best live-action version but even before that, it was notable for having one of the best feline villains to appear in an animated movie.
Shere Khan is, like so many other Disney villains, absolutely ruthless, and he will stop at almost nothing to bring about the death of the human child, Mowgli, that he fears so much. He’s also able to take on and almost kill the bear Baloo. Not too bad for a tiger.
Percival C. McLeach
The Rescuers Down Under is one of those rare things: a Disney sequel released to theaters. It also has a pretty intimidating and, at times, a downright evil villain in Percival C. McLeach.
This is a man, after all, who sets out to capture and kill all sorts of animals, up to and including the beautiful golden eagle. He’s ruthless and cunning but, as with so often in Disney, he gets his just desserts when he’s sent crashing down over a waterfall to his doom.