Top 10 Sassiest Disney Villains

#10: Mother Gothel “Tangled” (2010)

Also in:

Top 10 Mother Daughter Movies

An ancient crone chasing eternal youth, Gothel kidnaps Rapunzel as an infant for the rejuvenating power of the princess’ magic locks. And she’ll stop at nothing to keep Rapunzel in her power. Gothel perpetrates her misdeeds with plenty of flair though. She’s quick to flaunt her unnaturally youthful figure, as well as to put down those around her - usually Rapunzel. As spiteful as she is, Gothel can still be entertaining, in a darkly humorous way. She may not actually “know best,” but Gothel remains a wonderfully feisty villainess.

#9: Maleficent “Sleeping Beauty” (1959)

Also in:

Maleficent (2014) VS Cruella (2021)

The self-described mistress of all evil also has a strong claim to being the mistress of all sass…or at least in the top 10. Maleficent is iconic for a lot of reasons, and while one of those is her excellent design, her attitude is another. It’s on display at Aurora’s christening, when she calls the three good fairies “rabble” and theatrically feigns surprise that she wasn’t invited. Later, her minions receive the brunt of it, as she laughs at how incompetent they are . . . then hurls lightning at them. Plus, while sass isn’t exactly a word one associates with dragons, we’d hate to tell Maleficent that once she’s transformed into one!

Pompous and greedy, Governor Ratcliffe has a serious superiority problem. Heck, even his dog Percy is entitled. Ratcliffe arrives in Virginia obsessed with finding gold and improving his station. Although aware of his own unpopularity at court, he still sees himself as being much better than his men, whom he talks down to throughout the film. He and his manservant Wiggins make for an amusing double act, with both throwing shade at each other. His delusions of grandeur are often entertaining, but also incredibly sinister given his racism and ignorance - ultimately leading to his downfall.

#7: Buddy Pine / Syndrome “The Incredibles” (2004)

Also in:

Top 10 Worst Buddy Cop Films

Once a young boy who hoped to be Mr. Incredible’s sidekick, the inventive Buddy Pine grew up to become a bitter and murderous supervillain. Despite his villainy, Buddy, now going by Syndrome, is an enthusiastic and sarcastic character, who relishes every chance he gets to mock his former mentor or just show off; whether he’s monologuing, playacting, or just geeking out about Mr. Incredible’s skills. Syndrome is among Disney’s (and Pixar’s) funniest villains, and a large part of that is the gleeful and irreverent sass he throws at the heroes.

#6: Lady Tremaine “Cinderella” (1950)

Also in:

Every Lady Gaga Acting Performance: RANKED!

One of the most infamous evil stepmothers of them all, Lady Tremaine is a cold and domineering woman who treats Cinderella like a slave. Meanwhile, she works constantly to improve the prospects of her own daughters. While outwardly prim and severe, Lady Tremaine has a subtler form of sass than most of our entries; maintaining the appearance of being a harsh but “fair” taskmistress, all while delivering pointed barbs at Cinderella. She may not be as flamboyant as other Disney villains, but Lady Tremaine’s more reserved attitude is still memorable, and far more frightening.

#5: Yzma “The Emperor's New Groove” (2000)

Also in:

Top 10 Hilarious Yzma Moments

The elderly advisor of the eponymous emperor, Yzma turns on her egocentric master after Kuzco fires her. Yet, despite her sinister plot to kill him and take his throne, Yzma is an absolute riot. She plays the straight woman to her goofy henchman Kronk; enduring his antics with sarcasm and wit. Still, she’s pretty eccentric herself, with her loud and very purple wardrobe and flair for comical, if brilliant, plans. Given that she practically raised Kuzco, we can see where he got HIS propensity for ostentatious attire and sassiness.

Nearly every character in “Aladdin” is kind of sassy to some degree, and its main villain is no exception! The devious and ambitious vizier of Agrabah, Jafar is considerably more cunning and ruthless than the sultan. For much of the movie, his facetious jabs and deadpan demeanor go over the sultan’s head. But when he finally acquires the Genie’s magic lamp, Jafar is happy to gloat about his success. Whether he’s playing the exasperated functionary or the smug sorcerer, Jafar is a diamond in the rough of sassy baddies.

As much as he wishes it were otherwise, Scar isn’t the title character of “The Lion King.” Rather, this scheming villain plots to kill his brother Mufasa and his nephew Simba to claim the role for himself. Prior to enacting this plan though, Scar throws plenty of sarcastic comments and smug remarks at both his family members, to the point where we have to wonder why they didn’t see his betrayal coming! Even so, Scar’s sass is so deliciously and hilariously evil that we’re glad his downfall is a while in coming.

A saucy sea witch, Ursula is another villain who aims for power. She manipulates Princess Ariel into giving up her voice to become human, then works to sabotage her, all to give her leverage over the king. Ursula wears her villainy on her sleeve, though she feigns compassion for Ariel and the “poor unfortunate souls” she “helps.” The octopus woman is also not shy about flaunting her curves…she certainly knows the importance of body language. With her wicked sense of humor and a design that positively oozes sass, Ursula is one of the sassiest foes Disney has to offer. Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: Captain Hook “Peter Pan” (1953) Ernesto de la Cruz “Coco” (2017) Hopper “A Bug’s Life” (1998) Randall Boggs “Monsters, Inc” (2001) Cruella de Vil “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” (1961)

He may be the fiery god of the underworld, but Hades isn’t just lord of the dead – he’s also the lord of snark! While he’s frequently prone to bouts of explosive rage, Hades typically burns cool and delivers cooler burns. Long tired of the job forced on him by Zeus, Hades sasses his brother when they do interact, in preparation for his hostile takeover. He also dishes out some flaming hot one-liners to nearly everyone else he meets, from his incompetent underlings, to the very Fates themselves. If we lived in Ancient Greece, dying might not be so bad if we got to experience Hades’ eternally cheeky remarks.