Top 10 Pixar Villains with the Saddest Backstories

Top 10 Pixar Villains with the Saddest Backstories

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Pixar Villains With the Saddest Backstories.

For this list, we’ll be looking at baddies from Pixar movies with origin stories that made us feel for them. Since we will be discussing plot points, a spoiler alert is in effect.

Did your favorite Pixar villain make the list? Let us know in the comments!

#10: Chick Hicks
“Cars” (2006)

There's no doubt that Chick Hicks was a pretty terrible racecar. He resorted to cheating and violence to win the Piston Cup, and was consistently selfish and arrogant. But his bad attitude and obsession with winning stemmed from insecurity. Chick was constantly in second place throughout his career. Yet even as The King was preparing to retire, Lightning McQueen - a rookie - was standing in his way. A perpetual runner-up, he just wanted to step out of the shadows and get his time in the spotlight. While none of this excuses his behavior, it makes it a bit easier to understand his motivations, however misguided they may have been.

#9: Sid Phillips
“Toy Story” (1995)

To Woody and his friends, Sid was an evil mastermind. Considering the way he decapitated and destroyed his toys, it’s easy to understand why they feared him so much. However, Sid was just trying to cope with the pressures of being a kid by playing - aggressively no doubt - with objects he had no reason to believe were sentient! Plus, given the way the film implied his father was neglectful, his attention-seeking behavior made even more sense. There was no reason to think that Sid had malice in his heart, as evidenced by the terror on his face when he discovered that toys actually were alive!

#8: Mor’du
“Brave” (2012)

Mor’du the bear was once one of four human princes. Per his father’s wishes, the land was to be split between him and his brothers. But he wanted it all for himself, so he went to a witch for help. His beastly transformation ensued, and the kingdom was destroyed. Mor’du put his desire for power above everything, including his family. Thus, his fate as a bear - on the inside and out - became permanent. It’s a sad tale of a man who failed to realize what was important in life, and lost everything as a result. His expression when Merida and Elinor killed the bear and set his spirit free truly said it all.

#7: Randall Boggs
“Monsters, Inc.” (2001) & “Monsters University” (2013)

In "Monsters, Inc", Henry J. Waternoose and Randall Boggs made up a despicable team. The CEO, motivated by the need to keep the company going, wasn’t given an in-depth backstory. However, "Monsters University" reveals that the evil lizard-esque monster and Waternoose’s partner-in-crime wasn't always a villain. Randall was initially a reserved student, who was roommates and friends with Mike Wazowski! But when he joined the cool Roar Omega Roar monsters, he started acting like them. He lacked confidence, and began to tear others down in a bid to be accepted. But when his camouflage backfires because of James P. Sullivan in the Scare Games, he is quickly tossed aside by his so-called friends. In that moment, Randall swore he’d never be seen as less than Sulley again. It’s actually quite tragic!

#6: Gabby Gabby
“Toy Story 4” (2019)

Gabby Gabby was an antique shop doll who wanted Woody's voice box because hers didn't work properly. While her plan to get a working one was creepy and cruel, it's easy to sympathize with her. She was manufactured without a functional voice box, and longed to experience love and play like Woody had. She felt that her "defect" was standing in the way of that, so she was desperate to fix it. Yet even after she did, Harmony rejected her. By this point, Gabby Gabby didn’t feel like much of a villain anymore. In fact, everybody was thrilled when she found a little girl to comfort and create memories with in the end.

#5: Charles F. Muntz
“Up” (2009)

Charles Muntz started off as an adored explorer who had the world at his fingertips. But when people doubted his discovery of a rare bird skeleton, he was dubbed a fraud. So he vowed to find the species alive to prove himself, and fell off the map for years. Though he initially fooled Carl and Russell, they quickly realized he was consumed by this quest. Thus, he had grown rather evil. He would do anything - including hurt them - in order to capture Kevin and get the recognition he felt he’d always deserved. That’s just how desperate he was. Ultimately, Muntz missed out on building a life because he was stuck in the past, and it’s unfortunate, to say the least.

#4: Stinky Pete the Prospector
“Toy Story 2” (1999)

The Prospector desperately wanted to be displayed in the Konishi toy museum, but that was only possible if Woody went too. So when the star sheriff decided to go home to Andy, Stinky Pete left his box for the first time in an attempt to stop him. It was assuredly evil, but he had been stuck inside his packaging his whole life! He had never known the love of a child, so it's no wonder he was angry and distrustful of them! He genuinely believed they would destroy any toy, just to ultimately toss it aside. Given Pete’s story, it’s not hard to understand why he felt the museum was his best - and safest - option!

#3: Evelyn Deavor / Screenslaver
“Incredibles 2” (2018)

Evelyn Deavor tricked everybody by pretending to be an ally. In reality, she was pulling the Screenslaver’s strings and plotting to ensure superheroes remained banned forever. But her reason for hypnotizing them was a heartbreaking one. Her father, a huge fan of Supers, called them for help one night. But when they couldn’t save him, he was murdered. Evelyn hated that he relied on them instead of hiding in the safe room. Thus, she used her technological prowess to take matters into her own hands. In ridding the world of Supers, she hoped to make ordinary people more self-sufficient. It’s clear the trauma she suffered left some damage, so it’s impossible not to feel for her!

#2: Buddy Pine / IncrediBoy / Syndrome
“The Incredibles” (2004)

Syndrome was initially just an eager little kid named Buddy who loved and admired Mr. Incredible. In fact, he was his biggest fan, and even went by “IncrediBoy”. But after repeatedly being told to leave his idol alone, Buddy went down a dark path. Though the Supers were set aside by society, he didn’t forget how he was rejected. Thus, Syndrome was born. He took his knack for building weapons to the next level, and plotted his revenge against the hero that made him feel small. At his core, Syndrome was nothing more than a child who felt ignored, and went to twisted lengths to be feared and respected. In this case, stan culture had some super devastating consequences!

#1: Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear
“Toy Story 3” (2010)

When we first met Lotso, he seemed like a bear as cuddly and sweet as any we had ever seen. Yet he was one of Pixar's cruellest villains. He was ruthless, but only because he suffered great pain and loss. He once had a wonderful relationship with a kid named Daisy. But things took a turn when he and some other toys were accidentally left at a rest stop. They travelled a great distance to get home to her, only to find she'd moved on with another Lotso bear. He stopped believing in the bond between children and toys after that, and thus began his villainous journey to Sunnyside. If that doesn’t make you hug your toys a little tighter, we don’t know what will.