Top 10 Disney Heroes Who Made Things Worse
We love these Disney heroes but unfortunately they made things worse…For this list, we're paying tribute to some of our favorite Disney heroes whose certain actions and decisions led to the main conflict of the story, gave the villain a leg up, or were just plain dumb. To be fair though, they don't usually MEAN any harm, and they almost always make the effort to right their mistakes. If you haven't seen any of these unfortunate plights, there WILL be spoilers.
#10: Milo James Thatch “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” (2001)
In 1914, linguist and cartographer Milo Thatch eagerly hoped to discover the lost city of Atlantis. His wish was granted when an expedition team recruited him to assist in finding the sunken kingdom. We can forgive Milo’s little bumps along the journey – like setting their camp on fire. However, it turns out that he unintentionally led a cold-blooded mercenary straight to an ancient jackpot. What began as the adventure of a lifetime transpired into murder, kidnapping, and threatening the end of Atlantean society as we know it. Fortunately, when you’re in a hole, the only way to go is up – as Milo discovered when he helped lead a charge against the ruthless treasure hunter.
#9: Aladdin “Aladdin” (1992)
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One lone street rat pines for the fair Princess Jasmine… but the law says she can only marry a prince. After befriending a genie and promising to free him, Aladdin wishes to masquerade as a prince to win the Princess’ heart. Unfortunately, he gets in too deep… and refuses to keep his promise to Genie. Even MORE unfortunate, this allows the evil Jafar to get his clutches on Genie’s lamp and set himself up as the most powerful sorcerer in the world. The bittersweet part – while Aladdin makes up for his dishonesty in the finale, HOW he set things right would return to bite him in the butt in the sequel.
#8: Flik “A Bug’s Life” (1998)
From the very start, one of Flik’s inventions lands the Ant Colony in BIG trouble with the grasshoppers – with only a limited amount of time to fill their unreasonable demands. He tries to make amends by finding warrior bugs to fight the grasshoppers… and accidentally brings back a troupe of circus bugs. He attempts to cover his blunder, and nearly succeeds… until he is found out and banished for lying. Poor Flik only wants to help his colony and prove he’s not a failure… but his best intentions usually only make things worse for everyone. While his actions leave a lot to be desired, his passion and words could inspire millions to fight for freedom.
#7: Flora, Fauna & Merryweather “Sleeping Beauty” (1959)
The fairies – Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather – are entrusted with keeping Princess Aurora safe from the evil Maleficent until her 16th birthday. They’ve avoided using magic for years, but decide to use a small amount to prepare for Aurora’s party – taking extra precautions just to be safe. Their plan seems foolproof… until Merryweather and Flora get into a magical scuffle over a dress’ color and catch the attention of Maleficent’s spy. Even though they help fix everything later, this is particularly embarrassing considering how they’ve been extra careful all these years, and yet one petty fashion debate ruined 16 years of hiding, and practically gift-wrapped the Princess to the Evil Mistress’ grasp. Happy birthday, indeed.
#6: Officer Judy Hopps “Zootopia” (2016)
During a press conference about Zootopia’s missing animals case, Judy pointed out how the victims are all predators who’ve mysteriously turned savage… and made an unintentionally racist statement about their biology – offending her new partner, Nick. Both Nick and Judy have faced traumatic experiences with prejudice during their childhoods. Unfortunately, Judy’s left a literal mark, and an internal fear of predators. Those deep feelings inadvertently influenced her speech, and not only confirmed Nick’s insecurities about being a predator, but also began a rise of hatred and panic throughout Zootopia. The city spoke highly of its diversity and acceptance of differences… and yet one misguidedly dumb bunny’s poor wordplay shattered that harmony – thankfully not forever.
#5: Emperor Kuzco “The Emperor’s New Groove” (2000)
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The world seems to revolve around Kuzco – he can fire his vengeful advisor, Yzma, or take advantage of the nicest peasant around, and still feel like he’s invincible. He didn’t expect to be turned into a llama by Yzma – during a failed poisoning – or to end up in the wilderness where Pacha – the peasant – is the only one willing to help him. Later, Kuzco ditches Pacha, thinking that Yzma will help him, only to end up all alone in the wild – all hope for returning human seemingly gone. Sad to say, but Kuzco dug his own grave by constantly abusing both friends and enemies, and this was a much-needed wakeup call.
#4: Ariel “The Little Mermaid” (1989)
As a teenager, Princess Ariel fell head-over-tail in love with a human against her father’s wishes. Young, love-struck, and confused, there was only one rational thing to do… make a deal with Ursula to trade her voice in exchange for being human for three days. Without her voice, communicating with her beloved prince became... difficult. Not only that, but her deal with Ursula gave the Sea Witch the leverage she needed to nearly take over the sea. Ariel’s story ends happily, but years later, the cycle of poor decision-making continued when she forbade her curious daughter from going near the ocean… without properly explaining the dangers out there, and hiding her mermaid heritage .
#3: Bob Parr / Mr. Incredible “The Incredibles” (2004)
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Years ago, Bob Parr, aka Mr. Incredible, was having a routine night of heroism before his wedding. Unfortunately, two lawsuits by a few unintended and ungrateful victims of his heroic feats tarnished the public image of Supers everywhere – forcing them into retirement. Add to that, his overenthusiastic number one fan grew up to become Syndrome – a deadly supervillain who tricked Bob into secretly coming out of retirement as revenge for being harshly rejected as a sidekick. Sad to say, but the glory days are long gone, and Bob doing hero work under his family’s nose won’t bring them back. Actions have consequences – whether they’re good intentions gone wrong, or how you treat overeager fanboys.
#2: The Beast “Beauty and the Beast” (1991)
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Once upon a time, a rude, spoiled prince crossed the wrong enchantress – turning him into a monstrous beast, and his loyal servants into anthropomorphic objects. The only way to break the spell is for Beast to fall in love with one who would love him back. Unfortunately, when the right girl DOES show up… he keeps pushing her away with his frightening temper. Even more unfortunate, when he finally learns to love her… he lets her go before the spell could be broken. Beast allowed himself to be consumed by both hatred and heartbreak, and it nearly doomed not only HIS life, but also the lives of his faithful servants… had love not prevailed afterwards. Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few dishonorable mentions. Fix-It Felix Jr. & The Nicelanders “Wreck-It Ralph” (2012) Alice “Alice in Wonderland” (1951) Princess Merida “Brave” (2012)
#1: Joy “Inside Out” (2015)
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Joy was Riley’s first emotion, thus making her the self-appointed leader of the team. Her efforts to keep Riley happy sound innocent at first… except that she keeps pushing Sadness aside –acting like she’ll make things worse. This not only damages Sadness’ self-confidence, but also Joy’s pride and meddling set off a chain of events that nearly costs Riley her mental wellbeing –AND her loved ones. Joy didn’t MEAN any harm… but she had to learn the hard way that you need to embrace ALL emotions for a healthy mindset, not cast aside the ones you don’t want and demean them for being a downer. Would we REALLY know true happiness without sadness?