10 Coolest Disney Villains (original) (raw)
When thinking about Disney, most viewers recall the great love stories of Beauty and The Beast or the wild adventures in Atlantis. However, some of the most important roles that spur character growth and create difficulties to overcome belong to the villains.
Disney offers a range of villains who are incredibly strong, smart, and scheming. One thing viewers can't deny is the cool and mysterious aura that villains give off. Whether they're witches making poisonous apples, gods from the underworld, or gambling boogeymen, Disney's villains give an appeal like no other.
10 Maleficent Is Disney's Darkest Fairy (Sleeping Beauty)
From her pet crow and green aura to her revenge against the king, Sleeping Beauty's Maleficent embodies cool. As if being a malevolent fairy wasn't enough, Maleficent is also able to cast spells and uses this power to curse the firstborn child of King Stephan and Queen Leah.
Rather than killing Princess Aurora on the spot, Maleficent sets a curse in place for her 16th birthday, which feels all the more heinous. It isn't until the live-action remake, Maleficent, that fans see the reasoning behind this villain's animosity. This makes her actions all the more justified and her villainous character even cooler.
9 Hades' Dark Side Is Relatable (Hercules)
It doesn't get much cooler than being the god of the dead and ruler of the underworld. Hades is both manipulative and scheming and uses others to do his dark bidding. However, his most impressive qualities don't lie in his villainous acts, but in his personality.
Hades is hilarious and wears his expressions on his sleeves. He is most relatable when very obviously expresses his emotions or when he is unable to hide his sardonic comments from a love-struck Megara. It's seeing these very human-like qualities in the God of the underworld that make Hades a charismatic and cool villain.
8 Dr. Facilier Is A Smooth Talking Witch Doctor (The Princess And The Frog)
Besides being one of the most underrated villains, Dr. Facilier is also one of the coolest Disney antagonists. He is a voodoo witch doctor who seeks revenge by relying on his enchanted friends from the other side to lend him a hand.
Dr. Facilier is suave with his words and easily able to persuade others. He does this by playing on their internal greed, which leads them astray and right into his arms. Dr. Facilier is not extremely strong or powerful, but he makes up for this with his talents in dark magic. His cunning yet manipulative personality and witchcraft skills make The Shadow Man one of the coolest villains Disney has to offer.
7 Ursula Is Scheming And Magical (The Little Mermaid)
Ursula was Disney's original con artist decades before Dr. Facilier, but she was also the only Disney witch who's based on a drag performer. Ursula's stylish look was based on drag performer Divine, who has appeared in an array of films.
Ursula uses the wishes of others for her self-serving schemes, except she doesn't rely on any friends from the other side. Ursula's magic is all her own, so she doesn't answer to anyone except King Titan. Her deceptive contracts, high-pressure bargaining skills, and self-taught magic are unmatched.
6 Namaari Was A Warrior Fighting For Her Village (Raya And The Last Dragon)
Namaari was a powerful warrior who fought for her kingdom, Fang. She wholeheartedly believed that her tribe was handed the short end of the stick. As such, Namaari devoted her life to bringing prosperity to her tribe and making her mother proud, even if it meant that deception and theft would turn her into a villain.
It is apparent from the beginning of Raya and the Last Dragon that Namaari will be a powerful foe when she easily betrays her friend Raya for the approval of her mother, causing a catastrophe for Kumundra. Nonetheless, Namaari's strength, endless training, and relentless devotion to her cause are what make her a great warrior and cool villain.
5 Te Ka Is a Beautiful, Terrifying Villain (Moana)
Te Ka is what's left of Te Fiti after her heart is ripped out and stolen as a prize by Maui. As expected, Te Fiti turns into a heartless entity, filled with a bitter resentment towards all humankind. The transformation that changes Te Fiti into an island of only darkness and terror makes her an intimidating villain for any protagonist to oppose.
Te Ka is all consumed by her hatred, and it isn't until Moana realizes that Te Ka and Te Fiti are one that she can help Te Ka remember. This spurs her forgiveness and transformation. The two-sided villain hero is unique, cool, and interesting.
4 Cruella De Vil Is The Most Stylish Villain (101 Dalmations)
It's no wonder that viewers continue to see Cruella de Vil costumes every Halloween along with the half-black, half-white hairstyle. Cruella de Vil was a chic trendsetter in her time, even if she didn't have morals.
With Cruella's marvelous fur coat, unique hairstyle, vintage gloves, and signature cigarette, she was so stylishly intimidating that she had a song named after her. Even in the live-action remake, Emma Stone's Cruella repeatedly steals the spotlight from the Baroness. Cruella stays true to her roots to the very end and goes down in villain history as one of the most fashionable, cool, and icy female leads.
3 The Evil Queen Was Cool, Calm, And Collected Before Her Transformation (Snow White)
The Evil Queen in Snow White is Disney's first ever villain. Outwardly, she seems calm and sophisticated as the ruler of the land. Behind closed doors, however, she is consumed by jealousy and hatred for Snow White.
The Evil Queen's cruel plan to poison Snow White requires the queen to transform into an old woman. This contradicts her desire to be the fairest in the land, but her all-consuming envy and desperation lead her to her demise. Still, her calculated attempts and self-sacrifice to ruin the protagonist are the mark of a true villain.
2 Jumba Was An Alien Creating Aliens (Lilo & Stitch)
Jumba Jookiba was a genius alien and evil scientist in Lilo & Stitch. He illegally created destructive experiments in his free time for the sole purpose of wreaking havoc. After 626 experiments, Stitch was created as the most destructive and hot-headed creation of them all.
While Jumba was very sociable and good-humored, he was still dark-natured and nasty. However, it was these differing qualities that saved Jumba from his own experiment, Leroy. He shut Leroy off without killing him by using the song "Aloha Oe." Jumba's multifaceted personality made him a cool antagonist, and Lilo & Stitch were glad to have him on their side.
1 Oogie Boogie Was Too Cool For Halloween Town
Oogie Boogie was a smooth-talking, jazz-singing, gambling villain who was too cool for Halloween Town. After he attempted to take over Halloween Town and overthrow Jack, The Skeleton King, Oogie Boogie was sentenced to the underground lair. This made him an even more sinister villain.
Oogie Boogie was made of a burlap sack filled with bugs, and he used living humans as recipe ingredients to feast on. There was truly no other villain like him, and his cheery but menacing personality was unpredictably intriguing. Viewers could have enjoyed a few more musical numbers and schemes from the burlap bag.
NEXT: Disney Animation: 10 Darkest Villain Deaths In The Films