Morrowseer. The false prophet.

31 Days of Disney Villainy - Number 2

The 31 Days of Disney Villainy Continues! I’ve been counting down my Top 31 Favorite Villains from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film output. We’re very nearly at the end of the race! Our second place villain is one shadowy character. Number 2 is…Dr. Facilier, from The Princess and the Frog.

There has recently been a bit of backlash about this character over the past couple of years. You see, when this Shadow Man first appeared, he was accepted with enormous applause. Disney immediately recognized the character’s popularity and began marketing him like wildfire; perhaps more than any other character in this movie, he made the biggest impact. His villain song was widely considered the best part of the film, and everything about this bad guy seemed to click with audiences back in 2009 and the early 2010s in a HUGE way. Pretty soon, he was taking over stage shows from other villains, popping up in costume around the parks, getting all kinds of merchandise out of his image…this guy was, for a while, everyone’s New Favorite Disney Villain. However, starting somewhere in the mid-to-late 2010s, that opinion seemed to change. Lots of people have seemingly fallen out of love with Facilier over time, pointing out that, even though he’s a really fun character, he’s something of a peripheral antagonist. The chief weakness people point out is that he almost never interacts with the main protagonists. I suppose that’s fair, but other great villains have had limited interaction with the protagonists too, and we still love them. Others have stated his motivations are weak, and I honestly disagree with that: Facilier is motivated primarily by greed, envy, and ambition. He resents the rich and famous of New Orleans, seemingly feeling shunned by society, and uses his voodoo powers to try and gain wealth and power. In the process, he also plans to repay his debt with the “Friends on the Other Side” who allow him to do his dastardly, dark work. It’s a relatively standard setup, I suppose, but it’s an understandable motivation and set of goals, and I think it ultimately works out. It also serves as a great parallel to Tiana: even though the two only have one brief interaction, it’s indicated that she somehow knows about him, and he seems to know a lot about her (whether this is because they have some history or simply due to Facilier’s powers in the case of the latter, at least, is hard to determine). Tiana, like Facilier, has huge dreams of fortune and prestige, and at times seems frustrated by those who lord their own prominence over her. However, Tiana never loses sight of her humanity (ironically, since she gets turned into a frog), and comes to realize that there are more important things in life. Facilier, however, never learns that lesson. I also want to give credit to this character for having probably the best “Disney Villain Kill Scene” since Scar’s murder of Mufasa: in this case, Facilier ends up killing a major supporting character (I won’t say who or how; if you’ve seen the film, or know anything about this guy, you probably already know), which is kind of a big accomplishment, as I said before. The animation and sense of style this character has is wonderful; with his Baron Samedi-inspired design and slick, smooth, snappy way of moving, he’s a joy every time he pops up. There’s just so much raw personality and charisma to him. Plus, he’s a legitimately awesome con man…more awesome than you might think! He not only manages to con people, but the way he talks to his “Friends” indicates he knows how to play their cards, too; he can find ANYBODY’S weakness and exploit it, and he knows how to use the power of wordplay to his cunning advantage. Top it off with the sultry, strong voice of Keith David (this is easily my favorite performance of his; sorry, Goliath and Spawn), and it’s pretty clear why he made such a big splash when he first came out…and it’s equally clear why I still name him as my second favorite Disney Villain. But, of course, there is still one more I like even better. Tomorrow, the countdown concludes with My All Time Favorite Disney Villain. HINT: If You Haven’t Guessed Who It Is By Now…That IS An Awkward Situation.