Top 10 Hilarious Yzma Moments
#10: Yzma’s Introduction “The Emperor’s New Groove” (2000)
Through Yzma’s first scene in “The Emperor’s New Groove,” we quickly learn everything we need to know about her: she’s ruthless, power-hungry, cunning, and played with gusto by the legendary Eartha Kitt. We get concise characterization not only for her, but for Kuzco and Kronk as well, never allowing that to come at the cost of the comedy. Though we’re supposed to hate her, it’s clear that she’s the highlight in a cast already full of great characters and performances. Not to mention, we’ve never really been able to shake the image of the spinach stuck in Yzma’s teeth… ew.
#9: Yzmaween “The Emperor’s New School” (2006-08)
In one of Disney Channel’s most underrated Halloween specials, “Emperor’s New School” reinvents Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” by shifting the focus to Yzma stealing Kuzcoween. Complete with Kronk’s rhyming narration and fun animation, both paying homage to the Christmas classic, the duo sneaks around the city, breaking and entering like a mischievous Santa. True to form, she unintentionally transforms a happy holiday into a spooky one that’s more akin to what we’re familiar with today. So, does this mean that we have this nasty dame to thank for our favorite fall holiday?
#8: The Truth About Spinach Puffs “The Emperor’s New Groove” (2000)
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We love Kronk. He may be dumb as a brick, but we still love him. Yzma’s relationship with him, however, is a bit more fraught. When he hesitates to dispose of Kuzco and Pacha, Yzma has had it and lets out her frustrations with her moronic assistant, including a shocking and hurtful revelation. This results in the film’s darkest moment when Kronk tries to crush his boss with a chandelier. The frantic joke-after-joke pace of the movie is on full display here, hardly giving the audience a chance to catch their breath before diving into the next gag.
#7: A Crucial Conjunction “The Emperor’s New Groove” (2000)
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We have no doubt that Yzma would burn down a peasant’s house to the ground, but we gotta say, her threat delivery could use some work. After Chicha and the kids lock her and Kronk in the closet, she gets a bit testy, and the wonderful animation on her eyes tells us all we need to know about her state of mind. Once again, her anger doesn’t turn out well for her, as it results in a slapstick sequence, which ends with her as a piñata. It’s zany, and it’s fun, and it’s weird, and we would expect nothing less.
#6: Kitty Voice “The Emperor’s New Groove” (2000)
Yzma’s comeuppance is pretty unique as far as Disney villains go. Rather than falling to her doom, she’s turned into a kitten. After spending the entire film as an imposing villainous force, it’s a hilariously downbeat conclusion to her character. Between the physical humor of a cat being tossed around the palace and the contrast between Yzma’s menace and her high-pitched kitty voice, it’s a moment packed to the brim with laughs. Just as Yzma is a singularly unique villain, so is her fate, and we can’t be mad at it since we have to admit we probably love her more than we should.
#5: The Reunion “The Emperor’s New School” (2006-08)
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As the villain, Yzma doesn’t get the opportunity to come out on top all that much. That all changes when she comes face to face with an even more dastardly kind of villain: her school bullies. After being mocked for years with the nickname “pigeon legs,” they pull a cruel prank on her, setting in motion her plot for revenge. It’s heaps of fun to see Yzma and Kuzco finally working together, and even better is Yzma’s ultimate vengeance: turning her ex-bullies into pigeons in front of their peers. You might even say her revenge is… a cruel irony.
#4: Feel Like a Million “Kronk’s New Groove” (2005)
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While the direct-to-DVD Disney sequels were… uh… some of Disney’s more embarrassing efforts, the Kronk-focused sequel had a couple of shining moments. Naturally, the greatest of these moments focused on our favorite tailed purple lady. She unleashes her inner snake oil saleswoman as she dupes the elderly peasants into buying sewer sludge that she claims is youth potion. It’s never quite so clear as here that Eartha Kitt is having the time of her life with the role, injecting a much-needed dose of jazzy fun into this mostly unremarkable sequel. It just goes to show that Yzma really makes everything better. Well, for the audience, anyway.
#3: Yzmopolis “The Emperor’s New School” (2006-08)
This episode parodies “It’s a Wonderful Life” to show what the empire would be like if Kuzco had never been emperor. It kicks off with another fantastic musical number, revealing the true extent of her maliciousness, inverting parts of the theme song to focus on the empress. The plot also includes several nods to the original film, including a similar plot, this time by Yzma, to uproot Pacha’s family, as well as an attempt on Kuzco’s life in the same vein as her original plan. Thanks to Malina’s meddling, her plot is foiled and the world is returned to its original state, but we will always have the memory of the glorious empire of Yzmopolis.
#2: The Plan “The Emperor’s New Groove” (2000)
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If you grew up with this movie, chances are there was a point in time where you had this monologue memorized. In one of the most enduring moments of the franchise, the animation style changes as Yzma explains her needlessly complicated plot to smash Kuzco with a hammer. Though the plan is indeed brilliant, a plan to simply poison the emperor occurs to her. The ridiculousness of the plan, the wicked cackle, and the gleeful evil of it all made it an iconic Disney moment. In practice, it doesn’t quite work out as planned, and the rest, as they say, is history. Before we reveal our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Yzma Excuses the Cow “The Emperor’s New Groove” (2000) Yzma’s Return “Kronk’s New Groove” (2005) A Cruel Irony “The Emperor’s New Groove” (2000) The Knife “The Emperor’s New Groove” (2000) Yzma vs. Brock “The Emperor’s New School” (2006-08)
#1: Wrong Lever “The Emperor’s New Groove” (2000)
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In Yzma’s defense, it’s never a bad idea to have a trapdoor that drops into an alligator pit. The execution, however, leaves a bit to be desired. As Yzma and Kronk prepare to descend the rollercoaster into the lab, Kronk makes a tusk-based snafu and sends Yzma hurtling below. Fortunately, she’s not quite so easy to take down, slapping the predator away and taking control herself. In addition to being our favorite Yzma moment, it’s a setup for a similar gag later in the film with Kuzco, and it recurred several times in the TV series.
