Top 10 Darkest Disney Movies

#10: “The Fox and the Hound” (1981)  

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When a young fox’s mother being killed at the beginning of a movie isn’t the worst thing to happen to him, you know you’re in for a depressing story. It may at first seem like an adorable tale of interspecies friendship, but Big Mama’s warning that Tod and Copper are natural enemies lingers over the entirety of “The Fox and the Hound” until it finally comes to fruition. In the end, these two can never be the best of friends, because one has been bred and trained to kill the other. There are a lot of sad and scary moments in this film, making it one you don’t want to show to more sensitive kids.    

#9: “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad” (1949)  

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This movie didn’t exactly make it into the canon of beloved Disney films, and it might just be because it’s simply too scary for most kids. Many are familiar with the tale of the Headless Horseman, and this 1949 version of the tale manages to ramp up the tension leading up to his appearance in a fashion so effective that it still gives us chills. The fact that we never find out for sure what happened to Ichabod Crane leaves viewers with an unsettling feeling that just can’t be shaken.     

#8: “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937)

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  As Disney’s first major feature film, it seems that the House of Mouse was still ironing out the kinks of what kids would like when they made this one. It has of course become a timeless classic, but its themes are decidedly more sinister than some of its successors. The Evil Queen wanting to dispose of Snow White is pretty standard fairy tale fodder, but it’s the part where she wants the hunter to rip her heart out and put it on display that has us raising our eyebrows.    

#7: “Pocahontas” (1995)

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  There has been plenty of debate over the years since this movie was released as to whether it properly serves its purpose. Telling the story of early colonialism in the United States is going to be a touchy subject no matter how you spin it, even though for the most part it’s clear that the white guys are the bad guys in “Pocahontas”. Not to mention, a major character is suddenly killed and John Smith is almost executed. This is undoubtedly one of the heavier stories that Disney has attempted to tell.    

#6: “Toy Story 3” (2010)

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  The “Toy Story” franchise is known for tugging at our heartstrings, but the third installment in the series manages to go even further than its predecessors. There are several times throughout “Toy Story 3” where things seem pretty bleak for our favorite toys, with none being quite as horrifying as when it looks as though Buzz, Woody and the rest of the gang are going to be burned alive in an incinerator. Not to mention, this film’s villain is totally creepy and has some seriously dark intentions.    

#5: “The Lion King” (1994)

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  Parents dying in Disney movies is pretty much par for the course, but it never happens in quite as horrific of a fashion than in this 1994 film. Not only does Scar murder his brother Mufasa in cold blood by throwing him into a gorge of stampeding animals, he then goes on to blame Simba for it, exiling him from his home. When Simba grows up and goes back to Pride Rock to take what is rightfully his, he recreates the circumstances of his father’s death to get revenge.    

#4: “Bambi” (1941)

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  How could a movie about adorable woodland creatures be dark? Well, for starters the action kicks off when Bambi’s mother is killed by hunters. Everyone is familiar with the basic outline of the story, but there’s another lesser known scene you may have forgotten about. When hunters are approaching, a trio of birds are hiding in the underbrush. One of them is panicking and suggests they fly away, which the others quickly dismiss. She can’t help herself though and soars out of their hiding spot, only to be immediately shot and killed.    

#3: “Pinocchio” (1940)

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  Sure, he gets eaten by a giant whale, but that’s not even the worst of it! As one of Disney’s earlier films, “Pinocchio” definitely has a more sinister tone than what we have come to associate with Walt’s creations. While there are a lot of scary things that happen in this 1940 movie, the worst has to be Pleasure Island, where boys can go to drink, smoke, carouse, and oh, get turned into donkeys. Watching one of the boys be transformed was terrifying when we were kids and honestly, didn’t get any less disturbing when we got older.    

#2: “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1996)

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Disney has made a lot of feel good movies over the years, and this definitely isn’t one of them. There are a lot of upsetting moments in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, from Quasimodo’s public humiliation when he is dubbed the King of Fools, to Frollo’s creepy obsession with Esmerelda is in his song “Hellfire”, where he talks about wanting her to burn in hell because he can’t stop thinking about her. Talk about red flags! Even the ending isn’t exactly a happy one, with Quasimodo having to accept that Esmeralda is in love with someone else.   Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.   “Fantasia” (1940) 
   “WALL-E” (2008)          
   “Alice in Wonderland” (1951)   
  

#1: “The Black Cauldron” (1985)  

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The 80’s were a time of transition for Disney. By the end of the decade, they would begin the animation studio’s renaissance with “The Little Mermaid” but there were some bumps on the way to success. Sandwiched between “The Fox and the Hound” and “The Great Mouse Detective”, Disney released this film which everyone has been trying to forget ever since. Featuring an army of undead soldiers and and absolutely terrifying villain,  “The Black Cauldron” stands out as being the most un-Disney-like film that the studio ever made.