Disney Animation excels at a lot of things – fantastic world building, top-tier artwork, and some of the catchiest songs in the world – but the studio’s crowning achievement may just be the exceptional catalogue of villains built up over the last six decades. It’s commonly said that a story is only as strong as it’s antagonist, so it’s no surprise that the foremost leader in children’s storytelling has a pantheon of iconic villainy.
Before we go forward, a few things to keep in mind about the list below:
- We’re sticking to Disney Animated Classics, so that means no live-action and no Pixar (sorry, Lotso).
- This list is not ranked, but compiled in chronological order.
- Finally, this is in no way a comprehensive, definitive, or ultimate list. Disney animation has churned out more than 50 films in as many years, and a stunning amount of them are downright excellent, so these are just the staff’s personal favorite standouts.
Without further ado, check out our picks for the best Disney villains below.