While Disney villains scare and hurt the heroes and heroines of Disney movies, they do provide even more excitement; there is always a struggle between good and evil, and since these stories are known for their happily ever afters, the bad guys and gals always get defeated!
It is not always an easy battle, though, as there have been some devious, cunning, and wise villains over the years. Who is the smartest, though? Who possesses the most knowledge? And who seems to be the brightest of them all? Find out below, as 10 villains from the magical world of Disney are ranked by their intelligence.
Gaston
At first, Gaston is shown as a gross guy who is always trying to impress Belle and who thinks he is the greatest thing to ever walk the earth. Later on, he is shown being very rude, insensitive, and violent, as he mistreats Maurice and tries to take down The Beast.
Overall, though, he is not the brightest bulb… or the nicest, or the cutest, or even the strongest.
Cruella de Vil
Cruella de Vil is a powerful and popular Disney villain, with her fast car and fashionable wardrobe. However, in her story, all she wanted was to get puppies, in order to have new clothes.
No strengths of hers were really put on display, and she hired Jasper and Horace, of all people, to help her reach her goal. Thankfully, a large group of dogs outsmarted her!
Captain Hook
In Neverland, Peter Pan is always going up against Captain Hook, and this villain never seems to have much luck. He lost his hand to Tick-Tock the Crocodile, he has a crew that seems to be immature, distracted and fearful, and Pan’s quick, charming and spirited ways seem to always overpower and overshadow Hook’s.
Hades
The name alone suggests that this character may have some power and some smarts. However, his orneriness, laziness, and selfishness can be seen far more than any intelligence.
Yes, this lord of the underworld could have had some more moments of wit and wisdom, but Hades was too greedy, wanting more power the whole time.
Lady Tremaine
The most evil stepmother of all is Lady Tremaine; she locked Cinderella up in a dusty old room, as she and her daughters bossed this poor girl around, day after day. She knew Cinderella wanted to go to the ball, but she wouldn’t allow it, and then, she figured out that Cinderella was in love, so she hid her away from the world and the prince.
Her cunning, egotistical, and flat-out wicked behavior proves that she is rather smart.
Doctor Facilier
Doctor Facilier, a.k.a. the Shadow Man, is a witch doctor, and in his story, he set out to take over New Orleans, with a little help from his friends on the other side. There were scenes that put his trickery and brain on display, but in the end, he was defeated. That is how a Disney movie should be and how they always seem to go, thank goodness!
Ursula
Ursula is another Disney villain who knows what she wants, who knows what she is doing and who will do whatever it takes to succeed. Her tale focused on her taking advantage of Ariel and lying to a prince.
This took intelligence and skill, and it proved that she is one viscous and vain villain.
Jafar
Okay, it is time for the top three characters on this list, beginning with Jafar. He was The Sultan's advisor, a position he would have had to have wisdom to receive. Of course, he then turned on everyone, since, like many others listed out here, he wanted power.
In the end, he lost, but there were some bumps in the road; from lying to kidnapping, he put some smart and scary moves on display.
Maleficent
Someone else who used cunning tricks to get their way would be Maleficent. Plus, she is an evil fairy, so not only is she bright, but she also has magical powers.
Yes, this elegant, dramatic and powerful villain is one of the most popular and infamous ones from Disney, and she certainly deserves a high ranking.
Scar
Finally, there is Scar, and this character was too good at swaying and persuading people. He was part of the family, even though he had always been a black sheep, so there was a level of respect and trust… a very thin and small level.
He had this influence, which he used to scheme against his own relatives and to build up an army. He was strategic and methodical, making vile move after move. It really is great that these movies give viewers happy endings.