Top 10 Female Disney Villains (Live-Action)

“The Princess Diaries” (2001) Turns out that Mandy Moore can play a really convincing mean girl. Lana Thomas is basically the stereotypical evil character of all high school movies. She’s a pretty cheerleader, she’s very popular, and she bullies the protagonist seemingly just for the sake of being cruel. While she may be a little unoriginal as a character, she is still a ton of fun to watch, and we love to hate her. Her incessant bullying allows her to be truly despicable, and we can’t help but feel a smug sense of satisfaction when she gets ice cream smeared on her uniform. Only such a truly detestable character allows us to feel satisfaction when they are humiliated.

“Return to Oz” (1985) “Return to Oz” is probably one of the most wicked Disney movies ever released. The entire movie is just relentlessly weird and uncomfortable, and the characters don’t really do a whole lot to make the story more palatable. (xref) While Mila Kunis’ Theodora from “Oz the Great and Powerful” was an arguably relatable villain, Mombi is just straight-up un-Oz-like. She wears a horrifying costume and literally changes her appearance by swapping out her collection of human heads. The world of “The Wizard of Oz” is supposed to be magical and wondrous - and here it’s anything but. Regardless, Mombi makes for a memorable villain precisely for this reason.

“Holes” (2003) Sigourney Weaver may typically play a badass sci-fi heroine, but she also makes for a mean and sadistic warden. Weaver imbues Walker with a charming façade before revealing her true, horrifying nature in this adventure comedy-drama. This involves working the children to exhaustion and poisoning her employees with rattlesnake venom. Her duality makes her interesting to watch, while her backstory, which involves relentlessly digging for a treasure chest as a child, makes her somewhat sympathetic. Weaver and the strong writing ensure that Walker is better than most villains written for children’s stories. She’s relatively complex, interesting for adults, and realistically dark.

#7: Lady Tremaine

Also in:

Every Lady Gaga Acting Performance: RANKED!

“Cinderella” (2015) Cate Blanchett played the evil stepmother AKA Lady Tremaine, one of the most famously despicable and heartless Disney characters, in the live action adaptation of “Cinderella”. And while she is still very much the same old passive aggressive character in this iteration, she is also given a somewhat sympathetic backstory and the necessary depth needed to understand her. She tried welcoming her new stepdaughter into her life and attempted to liven the spirits of the estate following the death of Ella’s mother, but her jealousy towards Ella and her feelings of inadequacy lead her down a path of wickedness. This adds a welcome dimension to her character while still allowing us to hate her.

#6: Maleficent

Also in:

Maleficent (2014) VS Cruella (2021)

“Maleficent” (2014) Maleficent is arguably the quintessential Disney villain. Her black outfit, horns, yellow eyes, and green skin make her one of the most recognizable characters in film history, and her actions are some of the darkest undertaken by a Disney antagonist. But, like Lady Tremaine, in this version she is given a backstory and some added depth. In the live action flick, Maleficent has her heart broken by a boy named Stefan who ends up abandoning her and stealing her wings for his own personal gain. So not only do we feel sympathy for Maleficent, but we’re also able to enjoy her incredibly evil and wicked ways guilt-free.

“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” (2005) Jadis the White Witch embodies pure evil. Responsible for freezing Narnia in a winter that’s lasted a hundred years, she believes that she is above morality and can do anything, as well as be served by anyone, simply because she is so powerful. She is also a formidable force capable of incredible magic and violence, and has proven that she is not afraid of physical confrontation even if it means satisfying her own beliefs and worldviews. Despite her rather angelic appearance, Jadis is sadistic, manipulative, and sociopathic. Her manipulation of Edmund is a perfect example of just how chilling her character can be.

#4: Cruella de Vil

Also in:

The Evolution of Cruella de Vil

“101 Dalmatians” (1996) You may not have thought that a real actress could convincingly portray the massively fur-coated, skunk-haired Cruella De Vil, but Glenn Close did about as good a job as anyone could have possibly imagined. Her appearance is picture perfect, including the thin, pointy face, glamorous fashion sense, and, yes, the signature black and white hair. Seeing her animal-inspired costume in live action only makes Cruella seem that much more revolting. The movie itself may not have been critically acclaimed, but Glenn Close was incredibly entertaining as one of Disney’s most heartless and hateable characters.

“Hocus Pocus” (1993) As the villains in one of the most beloved Halloween movies of all time, the Sanderson Sisters have been firmly burned into the memory of every child alive in the 1990s. They were just too entertaining not to be. The fantastic cast of Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker is simply delightful, especially considering that they are decked out in hilarious prosthetics and wigs. The movie also contains some entertaining songs, including Bette Midler’s rendition of “I Put A Spell on You”. No Halloween season is complete without at least one spin of this classic.

#2: Queen Narissa

Also in:

Top 10 Movie Moments Where the Queen Bee Gets What She Deserves

“Enchanted” (2007) “Enchanted” is a much-loved Disney movie that effectively parodies their own tropes and conventions. It follows Giselle, a young princess-to-be who lives in a very typical Disney land called Andalasia, ruled by Susan Sarandon’s Queen Narissa. Narissa is a composite of The Evil Queen and Maleficent, as she represents both their evil traits and wicked appearances. She also manifests literally every evil thing about classic Disney villains – she has a dark hair and outfit, is a wicked stepmother, tyrannical ruler, evil sorceress, and secret shape-shifter. It’s always enjoyable to see a company make fun of themselves, and Queen Narissa is the enjoyable embodiment of everything that is over-the-top and silly about traditional Disney villains. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Milady de Winter “The Three Musketeers” (1993) Carla Santini “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen” (2004)

#1: Red Queen

Also in:

Top 10 Disney Villains That Should Get Their Own Live-Action Movie

“Alice in Wonderland” (2010) “Alice in Wonderland” may not have been the greatest live-action adaptation, but we think everyone can agree that Helena Bonham Carter was perfectly cast as the Red Queen. Bonham Carter is usually enjoyable as the antagonist, and her distinct personality and appearance shine through in “Alice in Wonderland,” despite the oversized head and over the top makeup. The Red Queen is tyrannical, easily irritated, and treats animals poorly, which makes her incredibly easy to despise. Meanwhile, her distinct physical appearance still manages to stand out in a movie full of bizarre visuals. That’s saying something. In short, the Red Queen is an entertaining, dreadful, and unforgettable character that was as perfectly cast as it was acted. You can’t ask for much more than that.