The Devils I Know - Number 2

Welcome to “The Devils I Know!” For this spooky time of year, from now till Halloween, I’ll be counting down My Top 31 Depictions of the Devil, from movies, television, video games, and more! We’ve reached my second place choice in the countdown; this is our penultimate ranking! Today’s Devil proves that when you wish upon a star…your nightmares will come true. Number 2 is…Chernabog, from Fantasia.

I talked about this character quite a bit before, a couple years ago, when I did my first ever October countdown, “31 Days of Disney Villainy.” Some of what I say here may end up being reiteration of what I said there and then, just to warn you all. Sometimes a character can become noteworthy almost without trying. Chernabog, the Devil of Bald Mountain from Disney’s masterpiece, “Fantasia,” is arguably an example of this. While his name is essentially a corrupted version of the title given to the Black God of Slavic Mythology, the actual CHARACTER of Chernabog is, without any argument at all, the Devil: he is literally referred to as “Satan himself” within the movie, Walt Disney himself referred to the character as The Devil, and so on. No matter which way you slice it, that is who this dark demon is in the original film, without a shadow of a doubt. And unlike all the other Devils on this list…Chernabog really doesn’t DO that much that is directly dangerous or destructive. “Night on Bald Mountain” is literally just a sequence basically showcasing a party in Hell. That’s really about it: he doesn’t form any evil plans, he doesn’t tempt any innocent beings to his side, he doesn’t try to take over the world…he’s just the Devil doing Devil things, so to speak. In a way, though, that’s exactly what makes Chernabog so great. We get to see not what the Devil does, with him, but more what the Devil IS. Chernabog may not do anything to directly cause trouble for any great hero or heroine, but he paints a portrait of purest, vilest evil, all without uttering a word. He forces his minions to dance for him, before heartlessly casting them into the flames just because he can. He creates things of beauty, just so he can change them into things of repugnance later. He is a being of pure careless cruelty, doing horrible things just for the sheer sake of it, without remorse, hesitation, or even much deep thought. Dominant villainy in its purest form. Ever since his creation, Chernabog has become something of a mascot for the Disney Villains lineup, and is widely regarded as one of the most powerful and monstrous villains Disney has ever created, all without facing a handsome prince or a beautiful maiden. He is simply evil incarnate, plain and simple, and that’s really all he needs to be. The character has popped up and been reimagined in numerous places since his debut in “Fantasia.” He’s a recurring boss battle in the “Kingdom Hearts” video games; he’s the leader of the Overtakers in the “Kingdom Keepers” novels; he’s a demon who devours those with dark hearts in “Once Upon a Time;” he’s even been made into a figure of parodical fun in “House of Mouse.” All of these appearances are interesting, but none have matched the raw power of Fantasia’s haunting imagery and resonant intensity. When I think of the Devil, and of imagery of Hell, “Night on Bald Mountain” is one of the first things I think of. That, alone, earns this monstrosity second place. Tomorrow is Halloween, and the countdown will come to a close. Who will be My Number One Devil? HINT: Sunshine is his destroyer. (Pauses) In hindsight, that applies to Chernabog, too…but I guess that will just make the number one SLIGHTLY more surprising. 😉

Inktober 2017: 31 Days of Villainy

With this being my first Inktober I'm participating in, I decided to center it around a theme that I would personally enjoy doing for 31 days straight.

And that theme is: Disney Villains!

For the entire month of October, I'll be posting a single ink drawing of a Disney Villain every day. I will be posting some well known baddies as well as a few lesser known ones as well. I'll be posting them under the hashtag #31daysofvillainy so they can be easily tracked.

So without any further ado, let the villainy BEGIN!

31 Days of Disney Villainy - Number 4

The 31 Days of Disney Villainy Continues! I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Villains from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film output. You’ll be hooked on our next contender! Number 4 is…Captain Hook, from Peter Pan.

Alongside Jafar, Captain Hook may be the most ubiquitous of all Disney Villains, or at least all the male ones. I guess there’s just something about pirates that appeals to people, and can be used and reused in all sorts of different ways. Much like the Queen of Hearts, Hook is largely a comical villain, but he’s been shown to have his dark and serious side, and is a very crafty character. I think a lot of people, when they think of Disney’s Hook, tend to focus on his humor aspects: his freak-outs and the slapstick that ensues anytime the crocodile is nearby, for instance. I also feel people tend to look down on this Hook as a bit of a bungling clod. While the first part is definitely true – Hook is extremely funny, ESPECIALLY when the Crocodile gets involved – I’ve never really seen much evidence to point to Hook as a dimwit. In fact, typically, Hook is shown to be the smartest of his crew, and the only one who legitimately poses any threat. He’s crafty, manipulative, and knows how to play people and toy with their weaknesses. He knows the power of the Almighty Loophole, and he will exploit it wherever he can. Sure, he can be a fop, but he’s not a clumsy fighter when you put a sword in his hand. Really, I’ve always felt sorry for Captain Hook – in general, not just the Disney version. Hans Conried was the original voice for this character, and I think he put it best himself! In “A Disney Halloween,” during a segment devoted to villains (which Conried hosted as the Magic Mirror), he said of Hook: “Peter got all the applause and all the glory. Now I ask you, is that fair? Pan was an able-bodied boy who could fly in all directions, while Captain Hook was definitely earthbound, and had to fight with one hand!” Not to mention Hook apparently LOST his hand due to a “childish prank” by Peter, and Pan evidently deliberately threw his hand to the hungry Crocodile, thus ensuring Hook would basically never have another moment’s peace of mind. That’s just cruel. Now, granted, the Disney version of Hook is actually one of the more unsympathetic interpretations – if the image above doesn’t make it clear, he’s got more than his share of “Snidely Whiplash Moments” – but you still can’t help but feel bad for this guy doomed to fight a hopeless battle against a kid who can never grow up and has fairies on his side. You don’t blame Hook for being obsessed, and no matter how vile he is, you never want to see him suffer. In fact, that’s something interesting about Hook: just like would later be the case with Jafar, coincidentally, Walt Disney and the other filmmakers felt that the audience would come to love Hook too much, and wouldn’t want to see him die. In the book, Captain Hook is swallowed alive by the Crocodile. In the movie, we simply see Hook being chased away by the Croc at the end, but there’s no indication whether it caught him or not. And considering how often he kept on and still keeps returning, it’s fair to say it hasn’t gobbled him up for good yet. I don’t know about you guys, but personally, I hope it never does. The end is nigh; we’re in the Top 3 Now! Tomorrow, the countdown continues with my 3rd Favorite Disney Villain! HINT: He’s a Being of Few Words…and a LOT of Power.

31 Days of Disney Villainy - Number 8

The 31 Days of Disney Villainy Continues! I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Villains from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film output. This rogue is Quickest Rat in the Race…but never say that to his face. It won’t end as nicely as that rhyme. Number 8 is…Professor Ratigan, from The Great Mouse Detective.

Remember how I said that Ursula’s status was arguable, among Disney Villains? Well, that’s because this guy came first. Ratigan is basically the rodent version of Professor Moriarty, forever embattled with his rival, detective Basil of Baker Street – the Sherlock Holmes of Mousedom. In this particular film, Ratigan kidnaps a toymaker, planning to use him as part of an elaborate scheme to take over the kingdom, and eventually – you guessed it – the world. So, what makes Professor Ratigan awesome? First of all: Vincent Price. Second of all: Vincent Price. Third of all: VINCENT. PRICE. For those who don’t know, Vincent Price is one of my favorite actors, and I’m pretty sure it was his work as Ratigan that introduced me to his powerful, versatile, and mellifluous voice. (I say “pretty sure” because there were at least three or four other possible contenders there in my childhood, and I’m not sure which came first.) Price named this as one of his favorite roles, and you can tell he’s having a BLAST every second the character is onscreen. And, once again, the voice and the character are totally in concert; as recognizable as Price is, you just never feel that “behind the mic” quality I’ve mentioned. He’s just…right there! He IS Ratigan, and Ratigan IS him! I think perhaps that’s why Ratigan doesn’t get featured as often as other Disney Villains (that and the fact that “The Great Mouse Detective” is a somewhat underrated feature, in my opinion): with other villains, even if their voice actors are gone, dandy replacement actors have been found to take on the mantles of the roles for various spin-offs. But with an actor like Vincent Price, it’s almost impossible to find a perfect voice impressionist who can handle that iconic sound and do it perfect justice. (Lord knows Maurice LaMarche has tried though, recently…if they ever put Ratigan in Kingdom Hearts, I vote using either him or archival audio for the voice.) Price is not the only thing that’s great about Ratigan. As I said before, many point to Ursula as the villain who really set the standard for how Great Disney Villains work. I think several earlier villains had established the concept before, though you could argue Ursula cemented it, simply because others would follow her footsteps…BUT, I, personally, would say it was Ratigan who cemented it. There was a one-film-gap between this and “The Little Mermaid,” and considering the villain of “Oliver & Company” was, in my opinion, one of the most BORING villains Disney has ever put out (in fact, in my opinion, if we’re looking at only “The Great 58,” which is the focus of this countdown, he’s the second worst Disney Villain of all time), you can guess which formula they followed, in terms of how their bad guys worked. Ratigan, like Ursula, is equal parts funny and fearsome. Also like Ursula, this Napoleon of Crime does have ambitions of power, but he makes it VERY clear that the real reason he does what he does is because he legitimately just enjoys doing terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad things to people. Power is just a bonus, a means to an end. On that note, I love how this character is arguably one of the nastiest and most bloodthirsty of all Disney Villains – his song literally describes him drowning widows and orphans, presumably just for fun, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg – yet they actually manage to give him an edge of empathy. You see, Ratigan does not like being reminded that he is, in fact, a rat; it’s never directly stated in the film, but the implication is that he’s been prejudiced because of his species. Rats are typically seen as dirty, treacherous, sneaky, stupid creatures. Ratigan puts on the airs of a gentleman; he has an eloquent vocabulary, a sense of charm and elegance to everything he does, and dresses in fancy clothes that are very obviously too tight for his (relatively, to a mouse) massive framework. He tries everything he can to deny what he is and defy the stereotypes…yet, ironically, it’s his evil nature that only proves him the perfect example of how nasty rats can be. This is even evident in the climax of the picture, as Ratigan gives up the “battle of wits” with his hated enemy in favor of brute force, and lets his inner animal rise to the surface with terrifying intensity. (Also, for those of you on Tumblr: Felicia. I think the influence she has on me liking Ratigan, by extension, speaks for itself. That or I like her by extension because of Ratigan; either way, I think you get it.) Bottom line: aside from a couple of characters from “The Secret of NIMH” or “Redwall,” I defy you to show me a rat quite as menacing as Professor Ratigan. Tomorrow, the countdown continues with my 7th Favorite Disney Villain! HINT: “Now, Here is a Riddle To Guess If You Can…What Makes a Monster, and What Makes a Man?”

31 Days of Disney Villainy - Number 3

The 31 Days of Disney Villainy Continues! I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Villains from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film output. My third place goes to a Lord of Darkness who is a being of few words…and a LOT of power. Number 3 is…Chernabog, from Fantasia.

Essentially the Devil himself – long before Hades was ever a thing – Chernabog (named after the Black God of Slavic Mythology) is a rather unique villain in Disney’s ranks. The centerpiece character of Fantasia’s “Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria” segment, he hatches no evil schemes, he never attacks any living person directly, etc. He just…basically throws a party in Hell. That’s about it. It might seem weird to some to place him in the Top Three. And I can understand that, trust me…but here’s my simple argument: IT’S THE DEVIL. THROWING A PARTY IN HELL. Does that sound particularly non-villainous to you?! Actually, it’s very telling that, despite the facts I just mentioned and even the fact that Fantasia was not a huge success in its own time, and gained an audience steadily over the years, Chernabog is still regarded as something of a “mascot” for the Disney Villains franchise. He’s not a character with a ton of reinterpretations, nor a character you can meet in costume (presumably due to his gargantuan size), but nine times out of ten, when there’s a big gathering of Disney Villains, Chernabog is either going to be a big part of that, or at least be referenced somewhere. There is no voice for Chernabog, at least not in his initial appearance, and most appearances since have wisely kept him silent UNLESS it’s for comedic effect. Like so much in Fantasia, what makes Chernabog so powerful is the animation. The character animation was chiefly the work of Bill Tytla; in describing his process working on Chernabog, he was quoted as saying: “I imagined that I was a mountain…but I could think, and move.” Tytla was known as a master for creating powerful, massive figures and giving them the necessary gravity and drama they required, and many have credited Chernabog as his finest creation. Admittedly, some kudos must be given to the live-action reference used for the character. Originally, Bela Lugosi – yes, Dracula fans, THAT Bela Lugosi – was brought in to reference for the character. While Lugosi’s facial expressions were ultimately used as reference for the moments where Chernabog’s face was most clearly visible, most of his physical gestures were rejected, aside from a few key points. (For instance, apparently Chernabog’s iconic wing-unfurling entrance was a Lugosi moment, which is not surprising.) Instead, much of the bodily movement of the character was conceived with the assistance of director Wilfred Jackson.  All three of these artists, along with the concept art of Kay Nielsen, created one of the most infamous depictions of the Devil ever put to the screen. Chernabog may not be much in the way of a plot-based antagonist, but what he IS is a perfect Portrait of Pure Evil. He is the embodiment of sin and decadence; cruelty and darkness incarnate. He turns exotic beauty into base ugliness and unfathomable horror. He forces his minions to worship him and dance to his music, only to swat them like flies, crush them with his bare hands, or carelessly toss them into the fires of his volcanic home for his own amusement. He is the almighty terror, who has no reason to think of the affairs of any lesser being, unless he can take pleasure in their suffering. Ultimately, however, his shadowy majesty has no power over the hope-bringing light of the Sun or the sound of holy Church Bells. Ever since Fantasia, Chernabog has remained a mainstay in Disney; it’s fitting that, in re-releases of Fantasia, typically he and Mickey Mouse were shown together: Disney’s most iconic figure of innocence and goodness contrasted by perhaps their greatest depiction of absolute evil and corruption. He shows up over and over again, often in unexpected places: in “Once Upon a Time,” the character was reimagined as a carnivorous demon who fed on the bodies and souls of those with evil hearts. In the “Kingdom Keepers” book series, he was the monstrous and once again carnivorous leader of the Overtakers. In “Kingdom Hearts,” he popped up as a boss fight in a couple of games; the list goes on and on. It’s always fun to see Chernabog made fun of, too – most notably in “House of Mouse,” where he was sort of a big softie who just happened to look terrifying – but what makes him eternally iconic is the simple thing he represents. He is the King of All Disney Villains…yet he’s also only third place on this countdown of mine. One wonders what travesties I’m cooking up… Tomorrow, the countdown reaches its penultimate point with my2nd Favorite Disney Villain! HINT: He’s One Shadowy Character.

31 Days of Disney Villainy - Number 14

The 31 Days of Disney Villainy Continues! I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Villains from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film output. This time, we’ll be tackling two villains for the price of one! I told you all in the beginning that there would be one exception to the rule of “one villain per movie,” and this is that exception. Number 14 is…Shere Khan & Kaa, from The Jungle Book.

I’ve never been able to figure out which of these two I like more than the other. I like them for both similar reasons and very different reasons. While several creatures and characters prove obstacles on the way for Mowgli, Bagheera, and Baloo during their adventures, easily the most dangerous of the bunch are Kaa the Python and Shere Khan the Tiger. Shere Khan is the main villain of the picture, and even though he doesn’t pop up till the last third of the picture, what’s interesting is the way they build him up. Throughout the first two thirds, his presence is teased, and we’re left wondering what kind of creature he’s going to be. When he first appears, the film takes an interesting stab at his introduction: at first, he’s a silent, dangerous predator, prowling towards an innocent deer with wide, hungry, intense eyes…but just before he can pounce, the elephants trumpeting in the distance scare his prey away. This monster we’ve been dreading all movie long then suddenly pouts like a spoiled child and huffs: “What beastly luck! Confound that ridiculous Colonel Hathi!” What’s great about Khan is that, after that humorous introduction, the character continues to play with your expectations. Khan is a creature who is constantly in control; he’s casual, calm, endlessly polite, and shows no sign of fear or worry. The most negative emotion he ever shows is mild annoyance. Even when literally putting a claw to your throat, he remains a proper, prim gentleman, snooty and supercilious and completely cool. This makes the moments where the animal he truly is shines through all the more shocking: when he abruptly pounces towards Mowgli with a roar, you can understand why the kid would suddenly lose his nerve after showing so much before: you’ve actually forgotten that incident with the deer, and the humanity has become so firmly set, you don’t recall the monster. Similarly, when Mowgli manages to scare off the tiger with flames, it’s equally startling: this guy shows no fear or worry about ANYTHING anywhere else in the picture, but the instant he sees fire, he basically has a panic attack and runs away like a scared pussycat. If Khan is the symbol of control, frequently broken, Kaa works the opposite way. This is a character who WANTS to be the one in control; in his case, he’s generally treated as a more humorous character. His expressions, the way they animate his coils, his “psycho Winnie-the-Pooh” voice with a lisp (God Bless Sterling Holloway), all make him a source of frequent chuckles and smiles. But then you realize just how beastly his intentions are, and you see the way other characters fear him. The only one who doesn’t seem to fear him IS Shere Khan, and the scene where these two dominating presences meet, both wanting the same thing – a chance to sample some Man-Cub meat – is pretty interesting as a result. Kaa, for all his hypnosis, cannot handle Shere Khan, but Khan also knows better than to underestimate Kaa, not giving him a chance to try and hypnotize him. Also, Kaa gets one of the greatest villain songs of all time. Definitely a plus in his favor. In the end, I think Kaa is the more FUN villain, while Shere Khan is the more IMPOSING villain. Both delve into the other’s territory, however, and I really have never been able to figure out which I prefer over the other. So, they both get the credit for this slot on the countdown. Tomorrow, the countdown continues with my 13th Favorite Disney Villain! (Beware the Unlucky Number.) HINT: You’d Better Be Prepared for Tomorrow’s Villain.

31 Days of Disney Villainy - Number 28

The 31 Days of Disney Villainy Continues! I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Villains from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film output. This bad boy is one crabby customer. Number 28 is…Tamatoa, from Moana.

Sometimes the best villains aren’t even the main ones. In “Moana,” the main villain is Te Ka: a giant lava monster who ends up being another twist villain (though I won’t give away what the twist is, since it’s a bit different from most, and actually pretty good). However, for many people, the most memorable antagonist in the film, and the one who feels the closest to a “classic” Disney Villain, is the giant crab monster, Tamatoa. Much like Mad Madam Mim, Tamatoa isn’t in the film for very long – once again, only about ten minutes – and is really more of an obstacle for the heroes to get past than anything else. However, you can tell the filmmakers were having a ball with this character, and he makes a big impact. Everything about Tamatoa is excess: it’s implied that he’s overcompensating for some inferiority in his being from the past, and so everything about him is big. His appetite, his love of treasure, his ego, his strength…he’s enormous on just about every level. Interestingly, despite only being present for a short time, he’s indicated to be something of a nemesis to the character of Maui, as he “gives him credit for his start,” and the two have apparently battled many times in the past. Tamatoa also seems to be distinctly aware of Maui’s origins, and loves to use them against him. Again, much in the same way Madam Mim has some history with Merlin. While the two characters are similar, I think Tamatoa works a little better for a few reasons. One, while he’s also a very funny character, I feel he’s much more menacing than Mad Madam Mim; it’s always great to have a character who can be amusing but also legitimately threatening. His connection to the plot is a little stronger, and I feel like more advantage is taken of his relationship with Maui. Also, there’s just the context of time: Tamatoa was really the closest thing we had to a powerhouse Disney Villain in at least four years at the time, and in the four years since, on top of that. As a result, he was able to strike a larger mark. From his showstopping musical number to his hilarious dialogue, he’s the most entertaining man-eating monster I’ve seen in a while. Tomorrow, the countdown continues with my 27th Favorite Disney Villain! HINT: Willy Wonka He Ain’t.

31 Days of Disney Villainy - Number 6

The 31 Days of Disney Villainy Continues! I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Villains from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film output. The rancid renegade who is our topic for today might BUG you. Hardy Har Har. Number 6 is…Oogie Boogie, from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

At the beginning of this countdown, I did say there would be an exception to my rule that I would only be counting the villains from the (current) 58 “core canon” films of Walt Disney Animation Studios. Oogie Boogie – the Gambling Boogieman of Halloween Town – is that exception; frankly, I would have considered it criminal – especially in the spirit of Halloween – to ignore him entirely. “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is quite possibly my favorite movie of all time; initially, Disney released it under one of their splinter companies, Touchstone Pictures. (In fact, when I was really little, I had a VHS, and it still had the Touchstone logo.) However, when the film became an increasingly major phenomenon, Disney decided to “officially” make it a Disney product, directly, and “adopted” it into their Walt Disney Animation Studios canon. So…yeah…this isn’t TECHNICALLY part of the central run of pictures and villains I’m focusing on, but it…KIND OF counts? What do you want from me? Again, it’s my favorite movie, and, as the song goes, “This is Halloween!” Seriously, give me one good reason NOT to cheat! XD ANYWAY: much like Mad Madam Mim and Tamatoa, Oogie isn’t onscreen long, and is a different kind of Disney Villain. You see, while he really is more of a true antagonist than just an obstacle to overcome, he functions differently in the plot than most bad guys do. Much of the plot is driven by its protagonist, Jack Skellington…and honestly, if you took out Oogie from the picture, HE’D be the real villain. Not that Jack is evil, he’s just misguided and a bit naïve, with a hammy streak about a mile wide. It’s his actions that cause everything to go haywire; Oogie doesn’t cause any of the terrible things that happen in the story, he basically just reacts to them and plays off of them. To be honest…I kind of like that! I like that this character, at least in the movie, is such a purely diabolical creature; other villains very clearly enjoy doing evil things for the sake of doing evil things, but they still have decided goals and ambitions. Oogie, in the movie, doesn’t really; he’s more like a parasite. He literally does things for fun (and because he’s hungry, I suppose; he does, more than once, allude to the fact he’s going to turn his victims into soup and eat them) and basically nothing else. And the absolute joy he has makes him a delight; from his Cab-Calloway-style blacklit musical number (one of the Top 5 Disney Villain songs for me EASILY, by the way) to the way he teases and plays with his prey, he just rolls with the dice (so to speak). Later on, Oogie would be seen in various spin-offs, and he would be given more direct motivations: in fact, he would have the same basic goal as so many other Disney Villains, that humble desire to – you guessed it – take over the world. But that’s not really what Oogie wants in the movie; he literally just wants to torture, kill, and eat Santa – I repeat, TORTURE, KILL, AND EAT SANTA – because…eh, why not? It sounds like a good ride, he’ll get a good meal out of it, what’s he got to lose? Also, unlike Mad Madam Mim, in particular, Oogie is built up throughout the film. We first see him as “The Shadow on the Moon at Night,” and later, when Lock, Shock, & Barrel – his diminutive minions – are introduced, his name is dropped and his presence is teased much more directly. Granted, he’s still something of a more peripheral antagonist on the whole, but he’s a lot of fun and I love his uniquely devil-may-care attitude. Also, Ken Page. Just…just Ken Page. God, I love Ken Page. Bottom Line: I know it’s cheating, but I also know there was no way in the name of Tim Burton I could leave this insipid bag of incensed insects totally out of the game. It’s time for us to move into the Top 5! Tomorrow, the countdown continues with my 5th Favorite Disney Villain! HINT: Heads Will Roll.

31 Days of Disney Villainy - NUMBER 1

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

The 31 Days of Disney Villainy now reach their ultimate conclusion! I’ve been counting down my Top 31 Favorite Villains from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film output, and today, the time has come to unveil my All Time Favorite Disney Villain!

If you haven’t guessed who it is by now...

“…Oh, dear. What an awkward situation.”

NUMBER ONE IS…Maleficent, from Sleeping Beauty.

For those who know me best, this is not a surprise in the least. But for those less familiar with me…ehhh, maybe it’s a surprise, maybe it’s not. Maleficent is arguably the single most popular Disney Villain of the whole bunch; she’s almost assuredly the most popular VILLAINESS (I’d wager that Scar, Jafar, and Hades are her strongest male rivals), and for good reason. In the original story of Sleeping Beauty, this dark fairy’s motivation is pretty straightforward and simple: psychologically torment and randomly murder the daughter of a king BECAUSE SHE DIDN’T GET INVITED TO A BIRTHDAY PARTY.

A lot of people have since made jokes about how weak this motive is, considering the lengths Maleficent goes to, but actually, to me, it doesn’t really matter. First of all, if you want to get deep into lore and theorizing and stuff, not being invited WAS and IS kind of a big deal when it comes to fairies and/or the medieval era. But even putting that aside, I don’t think it’s Maleficent’s true reason for what she does: much like Chernabog, she seems to be essentially an embodiment of pure evil. In fact, one of the Good Fairies points out, “Maleficent doesn’t know anything about love, or kindness, or the joy of helping others,” which causes another to have a revelation: “It’s the one thing she can’t understand, and won’t suspect!” She speaks of her minions as “a disgrace to the forces of evil,” as if she’s somehow worried about being an embarrassment to Lucifer himself!

Bottom line: it’s those very extremes that Maleficent goes to for such a petty reason that kind of make her fun. She enjoys her own cruel and spiteful nature, and she relishes any opportunity to practice her craft and worm her way into people’s minds. The character was originally voiced by Eleanor Audley – the same actress who played Lady Tremaine in Cinderella – and she brings the same sense of refinement, intellect, and conniving craftiness that the Wicked Stepmother has…but mixes it with fiery intensity and a sense of magnificent grandeur. She can attack you mentally, emotionally, AND physically: a triple threat! There is just so much raw POWER to the character that comes through the animation, and the design is breathtaking; I think the book series “Kingdom Keepers” described Maleficent best as being “both beautiful and wretched at the same time.” She is elegant and poised and knows how to keep control, but once she goes on the attack, virtually nothing can stand in her way!

Her powers are among some of the greatest displayed: she can create storms, place death curses, summon lightning and flames, and transform into all kinds of things, including – most famously – a fire-breathing dragon! It’s like if you gave the Evil Queen the powers of a GOD. But she can be just as intense in subtle ways, such as her taunting of Prince Philip, or the way she toys with the Royal Family before placing her curse upon the baby Aurora.

Maleficent has made it into a ton of different media, and – once again – often seems to be a leading member among the Disney Villains. Other characters kow tow to her constantly, and even when she ISN’T the leader of the group? She’s almost always high in the ranks. It’s telling that she’s got her own movie franchise based on her! (pauses) A very, very BAD movie franchise, in my opinion, but it’s still telling! Heck, for those of you here on Tumblr, it CANNOT be a coincidence that the first character we got to meet in promotional stuff for “Twisted Wonderland” was Malleus, the character BASED ON Maleficent. They knew who we’d be most curious about, and they knew who their flagship baddy would be!

Maleficent is not only my favorite Disney Villain of all time, she’s easily one of my favorite villains of all time PERIOD; probably second only to the Joker from Batman in my books. You can be darn sure she was and is going to make the topmost spot on this countdown. After 31 Days of Disney Villainy, she has proven her mettle and come out as the greatest of all time.

So to the other villains on the Countdown, I have only this to say…

“…You poor, simple FOOLS! Thinking you could defeat her! HER! THE MISTRESS OF ALL EVIL!”

Thank you all for joining me on this countdown! This was actually a lot of fun to do, and I already have plans for another in a couple more months. Hope you all had fun, too. Stay safe this Halloween, and don’t let the tombstone hit you on the way out. ;)

31 Days of Disney Villainy - Number 11

The 31 Days of Disney Villainy Continues! I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Villains from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film output. This ghoulish glamor gal is the embodiment of the opinion “fur is murder.” Number 11 is…Cruella De Vil, from 101 Dalmatians.

What’s impressive about Cruella De Vil is honestly what I think is most impressive about Lady Tremaine, who I talked about earlier in the countdown. Both of them are characters who, when you look at them in the grand scheme of things with various Disney Villains, are relatively normal. They don’t have magic powers, they don’t uses swords or have any crazy gadgets, they aren’t animals or literal monsters…if you put them up, in their initial formats, against characters of those sorts, they’d be done for in about twenty-eight seconds. What makes them stand out and makes them such fantastic antagonists is the strength in their personalities and the fact that their crimes legitimately feel like things we’d face in the real world. There are sadly many people out there who treat people they should care for horribly, and there are sadly many people out there who have no regard for the lives of animals. There is, however, one key difference between Cruella De Vil and Lady Tremaine, and that is simply this: Cruella is a lot of fun! In fact, if there’s any crime greater than her actual evil scheme in this film, it’s just how much fun she is! Cruella’s plan is, quite frankly, one of the most appalling of any Disney Villain: she plans to take ninety-nine dalmatian puppies (some of them stolen, others bought and paid for) and have them slaughtered and skinned to create dalmatian-skin fur coats. That’s a scheme that’s somehow both completely insane and yet totally grounded at the same time; it’s equal parts simple and utterly bonkers. It is also so utterly terrible that it might be the most unjustifiable crime any popular Disney Villain has committed. No, seriously, think about it, how in the world do you EVEN JOKINGLY justify the pup-napping and brutal murder of nearly a hundred innocent puppies? You can’t! I can PROVE that you can’t, in fact, thanks to the power of inspired works. First of all, let’s look at the series “Once Upon a Time.” That features a reimagined Cruella De Vil who, in her origins, SUCCEEDS at turning two dalmatians into fur coats. But that was only TWO dalmatians, and they were adults. Even there, however, Cruella isn’t exactly clean in her motivations. Let’s go to versions that are a bit more humorous: there was a series of flip-books published by Disney called “my side of the story,” which would tell the stories of various Disney films. One side would basically be the original story as we know it, told by one of the main characters. The other side would be the villains, and these were EXTREMELY tongue-in-cheek. In Cruella’s case, she outright just tries to deny she ever wanted to kill the pups, and comes up with all kinds of crazy excuses, because there frankly is no justification for the actual events. Two parody videos give us further proof! One was a song called “Happy Ever After,” which was a group of Disney Villains justifying their actions and claiming they weren’t so evil. About all Cruella could say for her motives was she was “a slave to fashion.” That’s one pretty lame excuse, compared to all the things the other villains say; you can tell the lyricist couldn’t figure out any way to manage it. Perhaps the best evidence I can give comes from a parody web-musical called “Twisted.” Inspired by Wicked, “Twisted” tells the story of Aladdin, but paints Jafar as the misunderstood hero of the story; there’s a scene where he encounters other Disney Villains who tell similar tales of how their stories got all messed up. Each of them gives sympathetic reasons for why they did what they did – some were fighting prejudice, some were seeking love, some simply wanted to get what they were owed…suddenly, they’re all crowding around Jafar, chanting “I ONLY WISHED, I ONLY WISHED, I ONLY WISHED…!” And in the midst of that cacophony, Cruella pops up and sings at the top of her lungs: “I only wished to have a coat made out of puppies!” And the other villains…respond with DISGUST. Jafar is horrified, exclaiming “WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!” while Scar – FREAKING SCAR, WHO KILLED HIS OWN BROTHER – sighs, facepalms, and mutters: “You’re not helping.” You see?! There is NO justifying Cruella De Vil! Yet her flamboyant personality, eye catching design, and uber-glamorous sense of style (all inspired by Tallulah Bankhead) make her an absolute delight to watch. Despite being so utterly repugnant, Cruella is widely considered one of the most entertaining baddies in Disney history. She keeps popping up all over the place – TV shows, the parks, video games, books, live-action remakes…it seems like just about anywhere a Disney Villain could go, Cruella’s been there. (Except Kingdom Hearts. Somehow she hasn’t gotten there yet.) And any time she pops up, I’m not the only one who gets excited: people, in general, LOVE Cruella De Vil, and she’s basically become her own archetype. Whenever people think of villains, or even just CHARACTERS, with certain aesthetic choices – fur coats, flamboyant or glamorous personas, cigarette holders, the use of “daaahling” as a catchphrase, etc. – they think of Cruella. Whenever she shows up in a stage show at Disneyland or on a cruise line, the crowds cheer. That catchy song that named after her has been covered so many times, it’s not even funny. Really, what more can I say? The only thing surprising about Cruella’s appearance on the countdown is that she ISN’T in the Top 10. Speaking of, we’re moving into the top ten at last! Tomorrow, the countdown continues with my 10th Favorite Disney Villain! HINT: He’s Anything But Second Rate.

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.

31 Days of Disney Villainy - Number 7

The 31 Days of Disney Villainy Continues! I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Villains from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film output. We’re in the last week of the countdown! “Now, Here is a Riddle To Guess If You Can…What Makes a Monster, and What Makes a Man?” Number 7 is…Judge Claude Frollo, from The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

In Victor Hugo’s original novel “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” Claude Frollo is the archdeacon of Notre Dame, and is a sympathetic villain. He starts off as a good person, taking in Quasimodo out of the goodness of his heart, legitimately caring for him like his own son, and while he does dislike the gypsies of Paris, he isn’t obsessed with how much he despises them. Frollo doesn’t become a bad guy until he faces his fatal flaw: human lust. It’s his obsession with the beautiful Esmeralda that drives him to insanity and inevitable destruction; a classic case of “living long enough to see yourself become the villain.” There is a misconception that Disney was the first to jettison basically all of this, making Frollo a judge who despised the gypsies and partially became a villain because of the fact his detestation of the gypsy people mixed with his lust for Esmeralda, while also generally making him an unsympathetic cad. In point of fact, this was actually nothing new, entirely: in the book, Claude Frollo has a brother who is a judge and hates gypsies immensely, named Jehan. In early film treatments of the story – including the silent picture with Lon Chaney as Quasimodo, and the 1939 remake starring Charles Laughton as the deformed hunchback – it was JEHAN who was made to be the main villain, with Archdeacon Claude as a benevolent and much more minor figure. What Disney really did was bring the concept to critical mass. They eliminated Jehan altogether, making the Archdeacon an unnamed separate character, and Claude the judge. They also managed his motivations and being much better, in my opinion: in those older films, it’s claimed that Jehan took Quasimodo in out of the goodness of his heart. Well, one automatically wonders what “goodness” that was, because he shows absolutely no love for Quasimodo and is generally a terrible person. In this film, Frollo’s relationship to Quasimodo is explained in detail in the opening of the film, and while it’s not at all a sympathetic start, it IS a logical one. So from start to finish, Frollo is a straight up horrible person…but, to be fair, he’s no less fascinating for that. What makes Frollo so intriguing is that, unlike other Disney Villains, he doesn’t do anything for the typical reasons. He’s not after money; he’s rich enough. He’s not after power; he’s basically in charge of the city. There’s nobody he seeks revenge upon, really, and he most fervently does NOT believe anything he does is evil in the truest sense of the word…or rather, if it is wrong, it is a necessary evil: a cruel means to a justifiable end. Very few other Disney Villains (at least in the “core canon”) have this distinction. In fact, his basic reasons for what he does and what he seeks are not too dissimilar from Gaston: fear and loathing of things he doesn’t understand, and a dollop of lust for good measure. However, while Gaston you can at least say has a fun side to him, Frollo is another story. Frollo is a character of fire and ice; he’s cold, ruthless, intelligent, powerful, and will stop at nothing to see his enemies destroyed and his desires fulfilled. In the story of “Disney’s Hunchback,” he is the perfect foil for Quasimodo: a young man who looks like a monster, but whose good deeds and tender heart make him a hero. What makes things even better is our hero does this all while under the belief that he IS a monster; Quasimodo believes he’s the bad guy, because all his life he’s been shunned and tutored to believe so. Frollo, meanwhile, does all he does under the pretense of being the only one who knows what is right; the only person who understands God’s true will, and who is seeking to make the world a cleaner, better place…but the actions he takes and the methods he uses, as well as the beliefs he furthers, all point to him as being the villain. He looks like a man, and speaks like a hero, but he’s the REAL monster. Top it all off with “Hellfire” – arguably the greatest villain song of all time – and the glorious, majestic vocals of the late, great Tony Jay, and it’s pretty clear what makes Frollo a fantastic baddy. To be fair, there do seem to be basically two crowds when it comes to Frollo: one crowd hates him the way I hate Lady Tremaine – they concede that he’s an effective villain, but there is no love in their hearts for him. I can’t say I blame them; in fact, that was sort of what the filmmakers wanted. They wanted Frollo to be a villain the same vein as Lady Tremaine; a character who would fight back the “evil is cool” concept. I find this amusing because, while there definitely is that crowd out there, most people seem to fall into the second crowd: they really, REALLY like Frollo. And I’m one of those sorts; I don’t know why, but something about this character truly fascinates me, and I legitimately love watching him. I do want to give a shout-out to the version of the character from the stage version of “Hunchback”: that show, and its depiction of Frollo, mix elements of the film and the book together with some new material to make an interpretation that honestly rivals the movie. The Frollo in the stage show is a much more sympathetic villain, while still having his dark side and even still getting that glorious song. But I’m not ranking villains from the stage shows, just the movies, so…that’s another story for another time. Tomorrow, the countdown continues with my 6th Favorite Disney Villain! HINT: He Might Bug You.

31 Days of Disney Villainy - Number 13

The 31 Days of Disney Villainy Continues! I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Villains from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film output. You’d better Be Prepared for today’s villain! Number 13 is…Scar, from The Lion King.

I imagine that not putting Scar in the Top 10 is going to ruffle a few feathers. After all, “The Lion King” is arguably the most popular Disney film of all time, and Scar has not only reached the Top 10 but often the number one spot for many other people out there. Again, several of them are people I know personally, so I would guess that seeing this big bad so low is surprising at least. (And, for those of you on Tumblr who know who my favorite character from a certain game is, this will be EVEN MORE surprising, I suspect.) I have nothing against Scar, in particular, I guess I just like the other villains still to come better for personal reasons. There are certainly many merits to Scar. First of all, there’s Jeremy Irons’ deliciously devilish performance. Chances are good that if you mention the name “Jeremy Irons” to ANYBODY (and…you know…they know who that is), Scar will be the first character that comes to mind. Heck, I’ve known people who have credited Jeremy Irons as one of the greatest celebrity voice actors out there…which is ironic because, really, Scar, in this movie, is the only major claim to fame to voicework that Irons has. I’m not begrudging his work, mind you, I’m just pointing out that his work is so impressive it seems to cross boundaries there; it’s hard to separate the actor and the character, and that’s always a good sign. Second of all, there’s Scar’s personality. Like many great Disney Villains – especially those of his time period – he’s a perfect blend of both humor and horror. He’s a highly entertaining character, with a lot of sass and snark, always look gloriously slimy, but he’s also arguably one of the most ruthless and deplorable dastardly-deed-doers that Disney has dished out. It’s hard to point out Scar’s merits WITHOUT bringing up the fact that he kills Mufasa; as much as I gave credit to Shan-Yu earlier in the countdown, when you really think about it, that’s a big achievement, and one that hasn’t really been fully topped. However, it’s not really so much WHAT Scar does there, really, but HOW he does it that makes that such a standout scene. Seriously, think about it: with Shan-Yu, we never saw the murder of Shang’s father happen, nor did we see any bodies from the wholesale slaughter of the Chinese army and the village they were protecting. Even with the infamous death of Bambi’s mom, we never see Man’s true face, and when the shot rings out, the death happens offscreen. (In fact, originally Disney WAS going to do that onscreen, but decided that was going too far.) Most times, if a character IS killed by a Disney Villain, it’s a minor one, and when it is a major one, either the death happens without us seeing it, or it doesn’t even turn out to be permanent: when the Evil Queen gives Snow White the Poisoned Apple, or Maleficent has Aurora prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel, we know that true love’s kiss will save the day. Now, the question is just a matter of when and how. There’s no such saving graces with Scar’s assassination of Mufasa. We don’t see the guy get trampled, but we see him fall from the cliff…and, furthermore, we see the body after the fact. It’s not a super gory sight or anything, but it’s still a heavy moment that really hasn’t been topped. Disney WOULD attempt moments that were somewhat similar in future films, but none have ever perfectly matched up to the way it was executed here. It’s also a big part of why I think Scar impacts us; up to that point, as evil as he is, we kind of like the guy…but once he carries out his evil deed, and in the way he does, we find ourselves more repulsed and horrified than entertained, and his personality really doesn’t change. Scar still has funny moments after this heinous crime, but I usually don’t hear people quoting them as often as his funny moments in the earlier parts of the film. It was a game-changing moment in the annals of Disney Villainy…and when you top that off with the existence of “Be Prepared,” I think it’s pretty clear why so many people love this character. I adore Scar, too…just, again, I guess I like others slightly more. Please keep your torches and pitchforks to yourselves till the countdown ends. :P Tomorrow, the countdown continues with my 12th Favorite Disney Villain! HINT: She’s a Different Kind of Sea Monster.

31 Days of Disney Villainy - Number 16

The 31 Days of Disney Villainy Continues! I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Villains from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film output. We’re roughly halfway through the countdown, and still going strong! Today’s villain is particularly interesting: he comes from what many call “the Black Sheep of Disney Movies.” Number 16 is…The Horned King, from The Black Cauldron.

“The Black Cauldron” is widely considered one of the biggest disgraces in Disney history. To be honest…ehhhhh, I can see why. Much like “Hercules,” I used to watch this movie a lot as a kid, and I do confess I have a soft spot for it. I love its dark, gruesome atmosphere, I even like a couple of the side characters…buuuut the main character is kind of a dunderhead, and the secondary protagonist/comic relief figure…well…I probably enjoyed him as a kid, to be fair, but looking back, I have no idea why, if so. He’s pretty obnoxious. Perhaps fittingly, the Horned King is a villain people seem to either love or hate; there’s rarely ever a middle ground. I’m in the love ground, but I will concede there’s a fundamental problem with the character, from my perspective…but we’ll get to that later. Let’s look at the positives first. What makes the Horned King so great is that he is, frankly, the most freaky Disney Villain out there. His voice is supplied by John Hurt, and to be honest, the way he delivers his lines makes me wonder why never got to hear or see the man play The Scarecrow from Batman. His design is essentially a lich; a near-total-skeleton in a robe, with demonic antlers growing out of his scalp. From time to time, he’s shown to have blood red eyes. Other times, the eye sockets are empty. Either way, he’s a frightening figure to behold, and because of the way the film is styled, frequently his full form is kept in shadow, only heightening his unnerving intensity. I love this villain’s style and dark intensity. I also love the mystery to him; throughout the film, they keep talking about the King having this “power,” presumably some sort of magic, but it’s never made entirely clear WHAT that magic is. For him to even be alive is pretty shocking, given his appearance, and he’s shown to have the power to teleport, and he clearly has a knowledge of sorcery…but just what he can do and why no one dares go against him is left kind of unclear. Some people have felt let down that the character doesn’t show more of his abilities and that they aren’t explained, but for me, personally, it’s the unanswered questions that make him so intriguing… …To an extent. See, there’s one big problem I have with the Horned King, and it’s the ONLY reason he doesn’t reach the Top 15. And I do mean the ONLY reason. That problem is…his motivations. Or, perhaps more appropriately, his goals. You see, in the film, the King’s evil plan is to amass an army of the undead called the Cauldron-Born. This army is meant to do nothing but kill, and with this army, he shall eliminate all of humankind, and presumably could lay waste to all life on Earth. They cannot be destroyed, they feel no fear nor pain…they’re basically the perfect warriors of doom, and they exist only to ruin and slay. That’s a pretty nasty plan, but…why? See, here’s the thing: there’s a big difference between wanting to CONQUER the world, and wanting to DESTROY the world. Many Disney Villains have had desires of conquest, but that isn’t really what this guy seems to desire. The Horned King literally wants to wipe out all life…which…honestly doesn’t seem like a very smart idea, not in the way he’s doing it. Again, keep in mind, the Cauldron-Born ONLY exist to kill. They have no other functions. The king says at one point that the reason he does this is because he has “thirsted to be a God among mortal men.” Well, once you’ve wiped out everyone on Earth…what exactly will you be God OF? What will you DO, and why do you want to do it? With other characters who have sought global or human destruction, they had a reason: whether it was to repopulate Earth with their own kind, or just some sick way of getting back at mankind for all the harm they’ve done, or even something as silly as destroying the planet because it obstructed their view of Venus (yeah, even MARVIN THE MARTIAN has goals that make more sense than this), they had a PURPOSE to their diabolical schemes of genocide or planetary destruction. The Horned King doesn’t really seem to HAVE any purpose, aside from…well…he’s a scary evil dude and this is what a scary evil dude WOULD do, I guess. On that note, however…to be honest, it doesn’t really bother me TOO much, and it’s not a problem I hear a lot of people complain about. I think the reason why is that, frankly, he IS a scary evil dude doing scary evil dude things, and that’s really all he NEEDS to be at the end of the day. It’s entirely possible he’s just doing all of this because he gets sick pleasure out of it, and because, hey, what’s more Godlike than having the power to generate the apocalypse? For someone who longs for that sense of power and dominancy, it does make some sort of sense. So I can’t really hold it TOO hard against him, and the pros far outweigh any cons for me. The rest of the film is rather blasé, but the Horned King is a winner in my books. On a final note regarding his motives…maybe he was just tired of everybody around him having noses. I guess I’d be pretty ticked off in that case, too. :P We’re roughly halfway through the countdown now! Tomorrow, the countdown continues with my 15th Favorite Disney Villain! HINT: He’s a Real Beast…But You’d Never Know It.

31 Days of Disney Villainy - Number 9

The 31 Days of Disney Villainy Continues! I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Villains from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film output. Magic Mirror on the Wall, Who is the Wickedest One of All? Number 9 is…The Evil Queen, from Snow White.

The Evil Queen has gone by many titles; some sources call her “The Wicked Queen,” instead of “Evil.” Others give her the name “Queen Grimhilde.” A few foreign versions have called her “The Ice Queen” and “The Witch Queen.” Still others forego the varying titles and simply refer to her as “The Queen.” (This is all discounting reimagined interpretations, like Queen Regina from “Once Upon a Time” or Queen Ravenna from “Snow White & the Huntsman.”) However, to me, I’ve always preferred “Evil Queen,” and I think that’s the most common of her names. The Evil Queen is not Disney’s first villain, by any means; heck, she’s not even Disney’s first POPULAR villain. Characters like Pete and the Big Bad Wolf from the cartoon short days predate her by quite a number of years. However, as the central antagonist of the first feature-length animated American motion picture, she definitely gets a LOT of “first points.” The chances are good that NONE of the other villains on this countdown – including those above her – would ever have existed if she had not been effective. And while she’s relatively simple, as far as villains go, it’s telling that, to this day, she’s still widely regarded one of the most powerful antagonists in the Disney canon. One of the reasons I think the Queen makes a huge impact is the way she changes within the story. For the first half of the picture, she is cold, refined, and elegant. She almost never smiles, she’s highly composed, and that aforementioned moniker of “Ice Queen” seems quite apt: there’s just something chilling and frosty about the way she’s animated, designed, and even voiced. (She was originally played by Lucille LaVerne.) While there is a grandiose nature to the Queen, she isn’t loud and bombastic, but rather precise and sharp. Even when she silences the Huntsman, instead of belting out the word with commanding power, she HISSES it out like a snake. Everything about her is beautiful and frigid. All that changes when she makes her transformation into The Witch. (Who has also gone under many, many titles, but I’m calling her “The Witch.”) First of all, I love the fact that the Queen is so determined to become “Fairest in the Land” she will actively make herself UGLIER just to see to it she can destroy her rival. There’s something telling about that which I really enjoy. Second of all, if the Queen is all about cold-blooded, calculating refinement, the Witch goes the opposite direction: she is absolutely manic, with almost no sense of calm or composure. She holds nothing back…yet despite that, she proves to be manipulative! Some people have criticized Snow White for the moment where she lets the Queen/Witch into the dwarf’s cottage after the Queen begins complaining about heart pains and begging for some water. However, have you ever realized just how CONVINCING the Queen is when she has that moment? As a kid, especially, I wasn’t entirely sure if she was faking it; apparently, it was the same back in the late 30s, because when LaVerne recorded her lines for that scene, someone ACTUALLY got scared for her health and ran to find some water for actress! For someone as innocent, generous, and kind as Snow White, it’s not really surprising she’d fall for it. Whether you love her for her radiant splendor or her manic intensity, the Evil Queen remains the cornerstone of literally EVERY Disney Movie Villain, and remains one of the most iconic antagonists in the Disney canon. Once again, she’s well-deserving of a spot in the Top 10. Tomorrow, the countdown continues with my 8th Favorite Disney Villain! HINT: He’s the Quickest Rat in the Race…But Don’t Say That To His Face. Ooh. A Rhyme. I like rhymes…

31 Days of Disney Villainy - Number 10

The 31 Days of Disney Villainy Continues! I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Villains from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film output. We’re now in the Top 10! Today’s two-faced son of a jackal is anything but Second Rate. Number 10 is…Jafar, from Aladdin.

Tenacity, thy name is Jafar. Jafar is one of the most perennial Disney Villains, and honestly, I think it’s the simple fact he keeps popping up everywhere that makes me love him so much. Not that the character doesn’t already have PLENTY of great merits just looking at the original Aladdin, mind you: I love how he can go from slippery and sophisticated to laughing like a maniac in a matter of moments. I love his theatrical personality, his snakish tendencies, his crooked design, etc. Like so many villains here, he’s both funny and frightening, as he has an immense sense of humor (albeit a dark and twisted one), and whether he’s on his own or bouncing off of Iago, he’s just a joy to watch. The voice of Jonathan Freeman – who has continued to play Jafar in voiceover roles, AND even got to play him live in the Original Broadway Cast of the stage version of “Aladdin” – helps a lot; much like Scar with Jeremy Irons, it’s practically impossible to separate the actor and the character now. However, I think what appeals to me most about Jafar, at the end of the day, is his sheer determination. Within the film itself, he has multiple chances to take out the hero, and nearly succeeds every single time, taking on various forms and disguises. In fact, Jafar SURVIVES his first encounter with his nemesis; apparently, the creators felt that the audience would come to like Jafar so much, they wouldn’t want to see him killed. Plus, it left him open to return…and return he would, in the sequel spin-off fittingly titled “Return of Jafar.” At the end of THAT movie, Jafar actually DID perish…but that STILL wasn’t the end. In various spin-offs (all of dubious canon), including a crossover with “Hercules” and a couple of video games, Jafar would return and continue causing trouble as he sought revenge on Aladdin, and that most humble of goals to – you guessed it – take over the world. There was just NO getting rid of the guy! And even with that franchise more or less finished, he has still managed to keep showing up everywhere! Not only that, but very often he’s one of the leaders of the villains; alongside Scar and maybe Hades, he’s arguably the most popular male villain in Disney’s catalogue. And, perhaps because he’s more easy to costume than either of those two, he’s probably the one you see most often at the parks out of the three. Reimaginings of the character – like “Once Upon a Time” and its spinoff, “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland” – have proved that even without Freeman’s voice and gestures, the character can continue to thrive. Not even the incredibly boring version from the recent live-action remake could TOTALLY destroy things! (Hey, at least that one is a snazzy dresser.) Whenever you need a bad guy, Jafar is your boy to go to, as he seems to fit in almost anywhere a dastardly adversary is required. He very well deserves his place in the Top 10. Tomorrow, the countdown continues with my 9th Favorite Disney Villain! HINT: Who is the Wickedest One of All?