The What's On Your Mind Thread and the Battle of Hogwarts

[Monorail Fan:)]

22. Stromboli
Pinocchio (1940)
Voice: Charles Judels
Animator: Bill Tytla

Five characters from Pinocchio received votes for this countdown, and Stromboli was at the top. Big, loud, overweight, and evil, Stromboli pretty much fits the stereotypical villain, but he makes an undeniable impression in Walt Disney's second animated film.

This thick-accented Italian is a businessman first and foremost, and he sees Pinocchio as an amazing little wooden sideshow. When the star attraction bombs on stage, Stromboli is infuriated, until he realizes the act has the crowd giddy with laughter. The money pours in, but Stromboli lets his newfound actor know his place: locked in a cage. Until he gets too old. Then, he becomes firewood.

Over sixty years later, Pinocchio may seem both surprisingly dark and surprisingly resonant to folks who have gotten the impression that "Disney" means squeaky clean, happy fun. Amidst towering whales, sly animal con men roaming the streets, horrendous coachmen, and this powerful showman, Pinocchio's road to becoming a real boy is fraught with danger.

 

[TheDreamsComeTrue]

oh i am short, fat, and proud of that

Preach it!

 

[Monorail Fan:)]

21. The Horned King
The Black Cauldron (1985)
Voice: John Hurt
Animator: Phil Nibbelink

The Horned King does not feature largely in The Chronicles of Prydain, the basis for this decidely dark '80s fantasy. The Black Cauldron has never widely resounded with audiences. In theaters, its PG-rated intensity frightened children and upset parents expecting wholesome entertainment from the "Disney" name. But those who have not avoided it often sing the film's praises, rather than singling it out as one of the weakest animated features in the studio's canon. The Horned King's increased role in the film renders him an affecting and spooky villain. His efforts to gain possession of the magical titular cauldron are drastic, as he calls forth an army of dead soldiers to find this key to ruling the world.

 

[nerdylightbulb]

 

[Monorail Fan:)]

20. Prince John
Robin Hood (1973)
Voice: Peter Ustinov
Animator: Ollie Johnston

With his brother Richard away on crusade, Prince John is the thumb-sucking crybaby in power in England. Easily outwitted by the charming outlaw Robin Hood, Prince John may be a more comedic villain, but his intentions are clearly not good. His mantra (to make the rich like he even richer) provides direct contrast to Robin Hood's actions which are carried out with the poor in mind.

Several voters paired Prince John with Sir Hiss, his scheming snake sidekick, but ultimately this uniquely vain royal stood on his own as the most formidable villain from Disney's all-animal adaptation.

 

[Monorail Fan:)]

19. Hopper
A Bug's Life (1998)
Voice: Kevin Spacey

Hopper from A Bug's Life is one of the most effective Disney villains. He knows that he is frightening to the ants, and he makes the most of that. He puts his henchmen to good use, but he's not afraid to do some dirty work himself.

 

[poohbearluver]

Preach it!

 

[Monorail Fan:)]

18. Shan-Yu
Mulan (1998)
Voice: Miguel Ferrer
Animator: Pres Romanillos

Jake Lipson on Shan-Yu: "Shan-Yu is one of the most chillingly cold Disney villains in history, with one of the most distinctly frightening villain voices in many a year. His ruthlessness is most effectively conveyed when it is so violent that it goes unseen, cut away from and implied. The response to his question "How many men does it take to deliver a message?" and the action that follows shows just how truly creepy this guy is, and it'll bring a shudder to even the most immune moviegoer. An enormously effective evil."

Ruthless and physically imposing, Shan-Yu's character and motives may not be revealed, but the mystery helps make this leader of the Huns a feared force.

 

[nerdylightbulb]

oh i am short, fat, and proud of that

gpoy~

 

[Monorail Fan:)]

17. Professor Ratigan
The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
Voice: Vincent Price
Animator: Glen Keane

Sometimes you only have to know the littlest thing about a character to know that you will instantly adore them. In the case of Ratigan it only took two words: "Vincent Price. "


Price has long been known for his uniquely smooth, polite theatrical voice. In fact, Price's first major role in motion pictures was playing the Invisible Man in Universal's sequels, a role he was especially cast for due to his velvety voice.
But it turns out there's more to admire about Professor Ratigan than the voice artist. Obviously based on the often-discussed, but little-featured Sherlock Holmes villain - Professor Moriarty, the Napoleon of Crime - Ratigan has just as much (if not more) in common with the traditional James Bond villain (or perhaps it's more appropriate to compare him with Dr. Evil this days).

Ratigan's plan is full of pure Bond-villain-like audacity. He wants to replace the Queen with a robot double and crown himself King? Who needs a shark infested pool (and sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads) when you have Felicia, a cat just as willing to dispose of your disgraced henchmen? Who needs to simply kill their enemies when a complex Heath Robinson-like trap will kill them eventually? (But sadly you don't have the time to wait and watch their demise) Who needs jet-propelled backpacks when you have a pedal-powered blimp to escape in? Pure Bond villain through and through.

But what I like most of all about Professor Ratigan is how his true nature, the one he has been denying throughout the film, is revealed in the film's climax. When Ratigan sheds his clothes and reveals the pure animalistic rat within, it really is quite effective and it makes for a thrilling conclusion to the film.

Did Ratigan die from falling from the clock face? Of course not! Like all true villains he found a way to survive, and even now must be plotting his revenge on Basil, one which will involve Basil's utter humiliation before his defeat. - James Reader

 

[Monorail Fan:)]

16. Madame Medusa
The Rescuers (1977)
Voice: Geraldine Page
Animator: Milt Kahl

When you hear the phrase "Disney villain", there are certain characters who immediately come to mind. Then there's someone like Madame Medusa, the clear antagonist of a little film called The Rescuers.

Despite rumors to the contrary, Madame Medusa was actually not Walt Disney's favorite villain. (He died years before she made it to the screen.) Though on the surface she might seem like just a normal woman, her floppy red hair clues you into a darker, more sadistic side. Medusa has no qualms about kidnapping poor little Penny, and she clearly has greater power than the two resourceful little mice on her trail.

 

[Monorail Fan:)]

15. The Queen of Hearts
Alice in Wonderland (1951)
Voice: Verna Felton
Animator: Frank Thomas

"One word: psycho. The Queen of Hearts is probably the most mad inhabit of Wonderland. Her answer to everything is a beheading!" - Kram Nebuer

"Although not really a fully blooded villainess, she made my list as the oddness of Lewis Carroll made her an interesting character, for sure. She's also rather comic and lead the way for comic villains like Prince John and Cruella de Vil." - Wonderlicious
MickeyMousePal: "'Off with her head!!!' The Queen is a bad-tempered, fat and pompous villain. I don't really see her that dangerous compared to other Disney villains."

 

[Monorail Fan:)]

14. Yzma
The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
Voice: Eartha Kitt
Animator: Dale Baer

"Yzma has got to be one of the funniest villians I have ever seen. Her and her sidekick, Kronk, are the BEST! The Emperor's New Groove would not be the same without her! She turns people into animals! How cool is that! When she turns into a cat, I laughed so hard in the theatre! She was so cute, and had such a high voice, and she still managed to be evil! She is the best!" - Adam Linder

MickeyMousePal on Yzma: "'Hit him on the head' Yzam wanted to be an emperor but every plan has a price. Now she's a purfect kitten."

Lanky, shrill and very, very old, Yzma is not your typical Disney villain. But The Emperor's New Groove is not your typical Disney film, so it works out quite well. Along with her delightfully clunky and morally-perplexed henchman Kronk, Yzma seeks to poison Kuzco after he fires her. Poisons are Yzma's speciality, and they normally work well...when not in inept hands.

Yzma makes a nice nemesis for Kuzco; she mirrors several of his worst traits, most notably, selfishness and vanity. Like everything else in this fast-paced ride, you can't take this imperial advisor too seriously. As such, Eartha Kitt and the animators find just the right tone for the character.

 

[nerdylightbulb]

Dallon Weekes drew the concept art for Vices & Virtues. He's perfect and I love him.

 

[Monorail Fan:)]

13. Chernabog
Fantasia (1940)
Animator: Bill Tytla

"The reason I chose this devilish villian as my #1 pick is that he exudes pure evil and gives the audience chills without speaking a word. The simple visual of him is enough to make us hate him - that's pure cinema at its best." - Jack Seiley

This monstrous demon perches himself to look down at the world in Fantasia's "Night on Bald Mountain" sequence. His powers are near limitless; his only weakness is dawn. Chernabog need not utter a word to make his presence felt in the deep reaches of the earth, in a nighmarish world of fire and bones.

Ukranian animator Bill Tytla made the Chernabog his unique creation; he performed the live action reference footage for himself when he wasn't satisfied with the work of an actor named Bela Lugosi.

MickeyMousePal on Chernabog: "All thought Chernabog doesn't talk in Fantasia he's still a powerful villain in Disney history. When you see Chernabog you could see his evil power in the night but when the day is morning with the sun Chernabog evil is no more. Chernabog frighten the daylights out of young children."

 

[nerdylightbulb]

 

[Monorail Fan:)]

12. Shere Khan
The Jungle Book (1967)
Voice: George Sanders
Animator: Milt Kahl

The jungle may be Mowgli's home, which makes Shere Khan a type of powerful and dreaded relative. For Khan, a menacing tiger, has his place among the animal kingdom and when he shows up, others take note. Without Khan, The Jungle Book might well be straight musical/ comedy. But his presence, as one of the most feared Disney villains, adds depth and suspense to the last animated film Walt Disney had a hand in.
MickeyMousePal on Shere Khan: "Shere Khan is my favorite Disney animal villain besides Scar. Shere Khan is a tiger that hates men and is afraid of fire. I see Shere Khan, as a powerful villain but isn't that popular to the media. Shere Khan scared me when I was about 5 years old."

Thirty-six years after The Jungle Book was released, Shere Khan showed up again in The Jungle Book 2. In this theatrical sequel, Khan was voiced by Tony Jay (who previously did vocals for The Hunchback of Notre Dame's Frollo). Jay has also performed as Shere Khan in the TV cartoon series "Tale Spin" (1990-94) and "The House of Mouse" (2001-02). In Disney's straying 1994 live action production of Kipling's stories, Khan and the other wildlife personas were depicted by real animals.

 

[Monorail Fan:)]

11. Gaston
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Voice: Richard White
Animator: Andreas Deja

“In many ways, Gaston is the most versatile Disney villain. Andreas Deja, who animated the character, put it well when he said, ‘He goes from being a comical character, to being kind of a jerk, to being a complete villain.’ This progression of the character throughout the movie lets him fit in perfectly with the movement of Beauty and the Beast’s story, which also goes from being somewhat lighthearted in the beginning to being darker as the plot moves on.”- Jack Seiley

MickeyMousePal on Gaston: "'You think she'll go for you when she has someone like me'. Gaston my be beautiful in the outside but has an evil soul in the inside. Gaston got to jealous over Belle and ending up dying against a fight with the Beast. Gaston seems to be a one of the most popular male villain since Captain Hook."

 

[Monorail Fan:)]

10. Judge Claude Frollo
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Voice: Tony Jay
Animator: Kathy Zielinski

Judge Claude Frollo is such an effective villain because his character and his motives are so eerily rooted in reality. Disney villains are often cited for their flamboyance and outrageous mustachio- curling “super-villain” qualities; Frollo is a glaring exception - he’s almost the polar opposite. The concept of such a self-righteous man, who is so convinced that he’s doing the right thing that it ultimately corrupts him, has been (and unfortunately continues to be) a reality in our own human history. That “possibility” of Frollo’s character makes him that much more convincing - and that much more menacing - a villain than possibly any other Disney villain yet created. - Lindsay Mayer

Judge Claude Frollo is a classic Victor Hugo villain, in that the key point to his wickedness is that he believes he is doing what is right. His self-righteousness strikes true to many people because, unlike a wicked witch or evil queen, it is something that is frightfully real. In the song "Heaven's Light/Hell's Fire", Frollo gives one of the strongest performances of any Disney villain as he struggles between his own concepts of good and evil. - Renata

 

[Monorail Fan:)]

9. Lady Tremaine
Cinderella (1950)
Voice: Eleanor Audley
Animator: Frank Thomas

Lady Tremaine is a unique “hybrid” of a villainess - on the one hand, she’s your classic faerie tale “wicked stepmother” - an apparently shallow enough persona. But on the other hand, the Lady is a sinisterly realistic creature - shrewd and graceful, she’s nonetheless self-centered and power hungry. She treats Cinderella with a kind of foreboding, frigid elegance; although she never lays a hand on the “little cinder girl,” the Lady is psychologically abusive, ruthlessly toying with the girl’s hopes and dreams. Like the vast majority of Disney villains, she’s eventually foiled, but the Lady does succeed in making a strong lasting impression on her audience when she’s the one in power! - Lindsay Mayer

"Even though she is really Cinderella's stepmother, she seems to be more like the horrible, mean mother-in-law. When I was a kid, I hated her so much in the scene when she locked Cinderella in the tower and the Duke was coming." - Kram Nebuer

MickeyMousePal on Lady Tremaine: Lady Tremain reminds me of The Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs because of all the evil she has but minus the magic. Lady Tremaine cares more for her daughter then for Cinderella. Lady Tremaine also treats he stepdaughter like a slave and not like an equal person. She's a very cunning villain and very evil that makes her all the better to frighten you.