Top 10 Most Relatable Disney Villains
#10: Captain Hook “Peter Pan” (1953)
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Captain Hook hates Peter Pan because Peter chopped off his hand and fed it to a crocodile- we’ve gotta say his hatred for the kid is pretty justifiable. You’d be pretty pissed if someone cut off your hand and fed it to a crocodile, too! On top of that, said crocodile now has a taste for Hook and is constantly trying to eat him, lending further understanding to Hook’s irritability and hatred of Peter. The Disney film tries to make us side with Peter on this, but we’re actually not sure where our allegiances lie. Losing your hand and constantly being pursued by a bloodthirsty crocodile has got to suck.
#9: Cruella De Vil “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” (1961)
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Of course, we don’t condone skinning puppies for fur coats, but come on, who doesn’t want to exemplify the height of fashion? Cruella De Vil is often considered to be one of the nastiest Disney villains, and for good reason – she wants to kidnap and kill puppies simply to wear their exceptionally rare fur. And while that is certainly deplorable, we can definitely understand wanting to look good. Honestly, though, where we really feel like Cruella’s a kindred spirit is in her driving habits. Come on, you tell us you haven’t looked a bit like her tearing through the snowy hills when you’re late to work!
#8: Jafar “Aladdin” (1992)
Jafar certainly has a lot of relatable characteristics. For one thing, he works for a supremely childish, incompetent, and annoying boss. Who among us hasn’t had at least one terrible boss throughout their lives? He also seeks out the Genie’s lamp so he can become Sultan himself, which shows ambition. We can certainly respect that! But best of all? He asks to become a powerful sorcerer and is granted magical abilities. Admit it, if you were granted a wish, one of the first things to pop into your head would be the wish for magical powers. Sure, he may use these powers for evil, but he’s gotta let off steam somehow.
#7: Scar “The Lion King” (1994)
Like Jafar, Scar is a highly ambitious person (or...well... lion). He desperately wants to be king, but his brother Mufasa ruined his chances by having a son, Simba. He had his life’s goal ripped out from under him and he’s constantly overshadowed by his more respectable older brother. His jealousy is honestly pretty relatable if you’ve ever had a sibling who outshined you. OK, maybe throwing Mufasa to his death and driving Simba from the kingdom wasn’t the best way to go about solving his problems, but we get where he’s coming from.
#6: Mother Gothel “Tangled” (2010)
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We can all agree that aging sucks. The stellar health and dashing good looks of our 20s will eventually wither away and we will become old and wrinkly. Not saying that old people can’t be beautiful or fit, but come on, who doesn’t want to stay young forever? Mother Gothel hoards a magical golden flower so she can stay young and beautiful, and she later keeps Rapunzel imprisoned in the tower so she can take advantage of the powers of her hair. Without these magical effects, Gothel is actually an extremely old woman. We certainly don’t agree with her methods, but there’s no denying that staying young is an intriguing prospect for many.
#5: Edgar Balthazar “The Aristocats” (1970)
Edgar is easily one of the nicest and most harmless of all the Disney villains. He remains loyal to his boss, millionaire Madame Bonfamille, but grows discouraged when he learns that her will gives precedence to her cats. Yeah, we’d be pretty pissed if we were passed over in a will for some freaking cats as well. Not only is his motivation quite sound, but he never really does anything too deplorable. Sure, he drops the cats off in the country and tries to have them shipped to Timbuktu, but he could have easily killed them. Be honest, you’d drive a cat out to the country as well if it meant getting a sweet inheritance!
#4: Yzma “The Emperor’s New Groove” (2000)
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We’d be grumpy if we had to work for Kuzco, too. Yzma raises Kuzco herself (rather than his actual parents) and is shown to be a rather reliable chemist and advisor. Then one day, the inept and childish Kuzco abruptly fires her for running the kingdom behind his back. It’s then that her murderous plot comes into being, but really, wouldn’t you be upset too? Yzma showed devotion and loyalty for many years, only for him to thoughtlessly fire her. We don’t blame Yzma for getting a little mad and wanting him out of the picture. He’s a pretty terrible leader, anyway.
#3: Syndrome “The Incredibles” (2004)
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Sure, Syndrome is an egotistical sociopath, but he had a pretty good idea. Syndrome simply wants to be a respected hero and one day wishes to make everyone super so that the concept becomes redundant. We have to admit, we like the sound of a world where everyone has high tech gadgets that basically give them super powers. And let’s not forget that Syndrome actually wanted to do good until he was heartlessly dismissed by Mr. Incredible as a child. Children are very susceptible to their treatment at the hands of adults, especially the ones they admire. We don’t blame him for holding a grudge against superheroes when one so callously rejected his dreams and ambitions. …
#2: Hades “Hercules” (1997)
It’s hard to make Hades, god of the Underworld, relatable, but Disney managed to do it. We think James Woods’ stellar performance may have had something to do with it. Hades is probably Disney’s goofiest villain. He likes to make pop culture references, even if no one really finds them funny or understands them. He also has a short temper and can be set off over the slightest provocation, but really, who hasn’t gotten irrationally mad over something insignificant? To top it off, he shows an incredible amount of patience with Pain and Panic. We’ve all had friends like that, and you’ve just got to learn to get used to it! Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Sid “Toy Story” (1995) Gaston “Beauty and the Beast” (1991) Ursula “The Little Mermaid” (1989)
#1: Maleficent “Sleeping Beauty” (1959)
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Maleficent represents pure, unfiltered hatred and evil, and she commits a deplorable act in cursing a baby. That said, she wasn’t invited to the party, and damn if that doesn’t smart. We understand WHY she wasn’t invited (she IS the embodiment of pure evil after all), but at the same time, perhaps they could have at least given her a half hearted excuse as to why she couldn’t come. Or kept the party on the downlow. While we obviously don’t condone putting a curse on a child, we can understand Maleficent’s frustration and jealousy. Being purposefully excluded from a get-together is a terrible feeling. We’d be pretty upset, too!
