Villains have made a reputation as being the characters you love to hate. Walt Disney Studios has for years been very effective in creating some of the most memorable fiends to emerge onto the big screen! The animators and voiceover actors have taken villainy to a top level in animation.
10. Yzma (Voice by Eartha Kitt) from The Emperor's New Groove
Evil royalty is taken to the highest form with this wicked, but bumbling, adviser to an emperor. She wants the throne, but the fact she has an idiot for an accomplice adds to the story's comic moments. Villainy has never been portrayed this humorous.
9. Banzi, Shenzi and Ed (Voices by Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin and Jim Cummings) from The Lion King
They are ugly, but these hyenas know how to be funny. The trio of actors appeared to be having a fun time bringing out their characters. Hyenas can be both sarcastic and deadly. For me it is hard to think about hyenas without these three popping up in my head.
8. Kaa (Voice by Sterling Holloway) from The Jungle Book
Now here is a snake who tries to eat a person by hypnotizing them so they are powerless to fight back. I am just glad snakes are unable to do that in real life! But this aspect adds to the creepiness that makes the character memorable.
7. Scar (Voice by Jeremy Irons) from The Lion King
Here is another case of Disney presenting an evil force with intentions of usurping a royal throne. The difference is that they have made the villain a lion. Scar brings about fear in the most ruthless form possible. Jeremy Irons' voice and the facial appearance brought about by the animators help create one of Disney's most effective villains.
6. Cruella Deville (Voice by Betty Lou Gerason) from 101 Dalmatians
Of course she is evil for kidnapping 99 dalmatians in order to make a fur coat out of them. But even if Cruella did not seek out to accomplish this horrid task I would still be afraid of her. With that hairstyle, who wouldn't turn away in fear? As mentioned in the film's song, "If she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will!" Never was a description so aptly put.
5. Madame Medusa (Voice by Gerladine Page) from The Rescuers
Madame Medusa is probably the only jewel thief to have a pair of pet crocodiles. Of course anyone who forces a little, orphaned girl to help steal a diamond is evil. But having a pair of crocodiles around and petting them as if they were cats or dogs is beyond creepy!
4. Hades (Voice by James Woods) from Hercules
The God of the Underworld is a hothead, literally! Maybe anyone would be pissed off if they had to try and eliminate the strongest man in the world. But Hades is the kind of jerk that you love to hate. The character knows how to be both funny and ruthless at the same time. Even evil can possess a sense of humor.
3. Jafar (Voice by Jonathan Freeman) from Aladdin
What makes this sorcerer evil? First, there is that long, pointy beard. Then there is the dark wardrobe. And there are also those reptilian-like eyes. But the trait that defines the creepiness of the character is his ability to transform into a snake. It does not get any scarier than that!
2. Ursula (Voice by Pat Carroll) from The Little Mermaid
Before I saw Jaws, Ursula the Sea Witch made me afraid of stepping into the water. I was only seven years old at the time and would soon know that it was only a movie. But the character's eerie presence brings about a sense of dread that makes her an entertaining antagonist.
1. Dr. Facilier (Voice by Keith David) from The Princess and the Frog
The animators at Disney made the character Dr. Facilier the kind of morbid individual who appears to enjoy the devilish deeds he commits through voodoo. Suspense is built up just by the doctor popping up out of nowhere. Who knows what he will do with the power he possesses? The villain is one of the more energetic and interesting characters to emerge from an animated film.