The Walt Disney Corporation has created some of the best-animated villains in cinema history. Through a combination of amazing animation, voice acting, and character work, their villains worm their way into the hearts and minds of audiences of all ages. Many of them do this by exemplifying a negative trait or sin, which helps them serve as cautionary tales for audiences.
Another way Disney villains succeed is in their comedy. Even the scariest of Disney's rogues have their silly sides, and thanks to the timelessness of their animation, the jokes still land as strong today as they did on release.
10 Madam Mim — 'The Sword in the Stone' (1963)
While learning to see the world from a bird's perspective, Arthur is attacked by a hawk and forced to flee into the woods. He arrives at the cottage of another sorcerer, Madam Mim, who asserts that she is superior to Merlin in every way. When Arther rebukes her, Mim tries to kill him, which prompts a duel between her and Merlin.
Though Madam Mim's involvement in the film is minimal, it leaves a strong impact thanks to how funny and memorable she is. Mim revels in her evil and even sings a song to Arthur about how much joy she gets from it. This delight is infectious, with her jumping and cackling around the room.
9 Edgar Balthazar — 'The Aristocrats' (1970)
For most of his life, Edgar Balthazar worked dutifully as the butler to Madam Bonfamille. He overhears a conversation regarding her will: Bonfamille intends to leave her fortune to her cats, then Edgar once they pass away. Thinking that cats literally have nine lives, Edgar decides to drug them and leave them in the wilderness.
Though Edgar's villainy is very small in the grand scheme of Disney, he makes up for this with some of their best physical comedy. In contrast to his polite and sophisticated personality, Edgar is repeatedly humiliated by everything, including old men, cats, and dogs. Being brought to life by four of the Nine Old Men, Edgar offered a chance to combine their strengths to create a uniquely expressive character.
8 Prince John — "Robin Hood" (1973)
While his brother, King Richard I, is fighting in the third crusade, Prince John rules the kingdom of England in his stead. Unfortunately, John is more greedy than his brother and squeezes his people for all they're worth. This gives rise to Robin Hood and his merry men, who rob John to give back to the people.
Prince John is a very different take on villains for Disney. He's rarely in charge of the situation, and his bickering with his advisor, Hiss, is treated like an old married couple. What makes his childish temper tantrums work is the voice acting by the renowned Peter Ustinov, who reaches the right level of pathetic to sound funny.
7 Professor Ratigan — 'The Great Mouse Detective' (1986)
Styling himself the world's greatest criminal mind, Professor Rattigan has tormented the mouse city of London for years. Not even the great Basil of Baker Street (Sherlock Holmes' rodent analog) has caught him. Now he plans to pull off his greatest scheme by kidnapping the mouse queen and installing his own regime.
Rattigan is one of Disney's most energetic villains, thanks to his egotism and showmanship. His genius so absorbs him that he's in a near-constant state of giggles and is always thinking of new ways to prove his superiority. His crowning moment comes near the end, when he captures Basil in an elaborate death trap triggered by the song "Goodbye So Soon," written and sung by the professor.
6 Gaston — 'Beauty and the Beast' (1991)
Within a provincial town in France lives Gaston. In any other story, he would be the hero: he's good-looking, a skilled hunter, and loved by everyone in town. However, when his pride is injured due to being rejected by Belle, the most beautiful woman in town, Gaston is willing to have her father committed if it means marrying her.
Gaston's humor comes from how pig-headed he is. While he does possess a certain low cunning, more often than not, he's content to flex his muscles and brag about his many hunting achievements. This is best seen in his song, "Gaston," where the entire town cheers him up by singing about how manly he is.
5 'Scar' — 'The Lion King (1994)
The younger brother of king Mufasa, Scar falls further down the line of succession with the birth of his son, Simba. His solution is simple: team up with the hyenas to kill them and ascend to the throne. However, Scar is only interested in the prestige of being king and lets his kingdom fall into ruin.
Despite how serious Scar is when working towards his goal, his mannerisms and dry humor result in a number of funny moments. Supervising animator Andreas Dejan adds many little touches of sass to Scar's movements, while Jeremy Irons matches it with one of Disney's best vocal performances. His introduction demonstrates this best as he playfully monologues his woes to a mouse before attempting to eat it.
4 Bowler Hat Guy — 'Meet the Robinsons' (2007)
Having stolen a time machine, a man with a robotic bowler hat travels back in time to sabotage the invention of a boy named Lewis. He then tries to pass Lewis' invention off as his own but doesn't know how to make it work. So he and his hat, Doris, decide to kidnap Lewis, so he can show them how it operates.
The Bowler Hat Guy is a hilarious and tragic caricature of someone who cannot let go of the past. His desire to one-up the person he blames for his misfortunes prevents him from moving forward and traps him in a childish mindset. This is perfectly captured in a lanky design that moves like a child trying to put on a persona and director Stephen John Anderson's performance, which taps into the comedic style of Jim Carrey.
3 Captain Hook — 'Peter Pan' (1953)
As Peter Pan flies from Neverland to retrieve his shadow, Captain Hook waits on his ship, plotting revenge. Years ago, Pan cut off Hook's left hand and fed it to a crocodile which won't stop until it's had the rest of him. While Pan can fly circles around the captain, he still needs to be careful not to fall to the captain's vengeance.
Captain Hook balances a pirate's suave and cunning demeanor with amazing slapstick comedy. His expressions are the right amount of over-the-top, and the screams provided by Hans Conried are the perfect amount of terror and indignant. The scenes with him and the crocodile have some of Disney's best comedic timing.
2 Yzma and Kronk — 'The Emperor's New Groove' (2000)
When the arrogant emperor Kuzko fires his royal advisor, Yzma, for trying to run the empire, she decides to poison him. Unfortunately, her assistant, Kronk, switches the poison for a potion that turns Kuzko into a llama. This allows Yzma to take over, but when she learns Kronk failed to kill him, they set off into the jungle to track him down.
The Emperor's New Groove is already hilarious thanks to its unique humor, which feels at home in a Looney Toons short, but Yzma and Kronk cement it as one of Disney's best comedies. Eartha Kitt and Patrick Warburton are perfect, playing Yzma as a wicked witch and Kronk as a good-natured buff buffoon, respectively. Their comradery was so strong that it led to Kronk getting his direct-to-DVD sequel, Kronk's New Groove.
1 Hades — 'Hercules' (1997)
As the Lord of the Underworld, Hades is considered an outcast by the other gods of Olympus and longs to be on top. He learns that, in eighteen years, he will get his chance if he frees the Titans. The only thing that can stop him is Zeus' son, Hades, so he tasks his minions, Pain and Panic, to make him mortal and kill him.
Hades' success comes from James Woods' unique performance. Rather than act like your typical lord of the dead, Hades slings out jokes one after another like a sleazy used car salesman. Even his explosive outbursts are charming since they usually happen due to Pain and Panic's incompetence.