Whether it's fairy godmothers, big red pandas, or whimsical nannies, Disney movies are all about the enchanting and spellbinding use of magic. But sometimes, that magic comes in the form of spells and brews thanks to the wicked witches of Disney films.
Between some classic villains to Disney Channel favorites to the witches who always come back, one Disney witch beats them all for the spot of the wickedest thanks to the thoughtful decisions of Reddit users.
Maleficent ('Sleeping Beauty,' 'Maleficent')
Maleficent (Eleanor Audley) is arguably the most popular Disney villain, starring as the antagonist in Sleeping Beauty and later getting her own live-action spin-off Maleficent. This evil witch is most remembered for putting a curse on Aurora (Mary Costa) that left her in an eternal sleep.
But the most memorable thing this witch does in Sleeping Beauty is going from a human woman to a large, terrifying dragon, her horned hood turning into spikes as she prepared to battle the man who attempted to wake Aurora.
The Witch ('Brave')
While an underrated witch in the Disney universe, the witch from Brave is one of the most popular characters in the Pixar universe. Despite first appearing as a woodcarver, this character soon reveals herself to be a witch and offers Merida (Kelly Macdonald) a spell to cast on her mother.
But the coolest thing about this witch is that in the Pixar Theory, she's not just a random witch from Brave, but it also Boo from Monsters, Inc., who discovered magic while on a journey to find that Kitty she met when she was a child.
Alexandra And Camryn ('Twicthes')
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Twitches is arguably one of the most popular Disney Channel movies, making Alexandra (Tia Mowry) and Camryn (Tamera Mowry) two of the most popular witches. Similar to the twin actresses' Sister, Sister characters, Alexandra and Camryn are separated at birth and reunite when they're older.
But unlike Tia Landry and Tamara Campbell, Alexandra and Camryn are reunited on their 21st birthday and bring their magical powers together in order to save their birth home from a dark force.
Ursula ('The Little Mermaid')
When it comes to Disney villains, Ursula (Pat Caroll) is one of the worst. As a sea witch, Ursula looms in the darkness of the deep sea, preying on young, naive mermaids like Ariel (Jodi Benson) and, with the help of her hench-eel, manages to steal Ariel's voice.
During the climax of The Little Mermaid, Ursula has a Maleficent-esque moment when she transforms into a beastly octopus, using her powers to create a storm at sea in order to separate Ariel and Prince Eric (Christopher Daniel Barnes) for good.
Alex Russo ('Wizards Of Waverly Place')
Everything is not what it seems in the Russo household, and that's usually because of Alex (Selena Gomez). On Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place, Alex is the middle child in a family of witches and wizards learning to control their powers.
This beloved Disney Channel starlet tends to get into all kinds of toil and trouble while using her magic, but in the end, won the opportunity to claim her full wizardry against her siblings after battling them in the family wizard competition.
Marnie Piper ('Halloweentown')
Marnie Piper (Kimberly J. Brown) assured every millennial that "Halloween is cool," but that's not all she did. This headstrong Halloweentown witch taught young girls everywhere the importance of standing up for yourself and believing in who you are when she fought her mother for the chance to become a Cromwell witch.
Over the course of four films, Marnie always saves the day and the people she loves by using the magic that her Grandma Aggie (Debbie Reynolds) taught her. Despite only being the Queen of Halloweentown for one day, Marnie will forever remain a queen for her legacy as the Disney Channel witch.
Mary Sanderson ('Hocus Pocus')
Mary Sanderson (Kathy Najimy) may not be the favorite of the Sanderson Sisters in Hocus Pocus, but she's an incredibly close third. Mary's role in the pack consists of reeling Winifred in with calming circles and sniffing out the scent of children.
This loveable witch with the purple hair sets herself apart from her sisters by being funny and wise-cracking, but the thing everyone loves most about Mary has got to be her signature crooked smile.
Sarah Sanderson ('Hocus Pocus')
Sarah Sanderson (Sarah Jessica Parker) comes in second place when it comes to the love for the Sanderson Sisters for her quirky personality and love of the word "amock." While Sarah is loyal to her sisters, she also asserts her claim that Winifred's crush Billy Butcherson (Doug Jones) liked her instead.
This witch even got her own song in Hocus Pocus, performing "Come Little Children" while flying high on her mop over Salem with Winifred and Mary, in search of fresh children to feast off of.
Winifred Sanderson ('Hocus Pocus')
While she may not take the top spot for the best Disney witch, Winifred Sanderson (Bette Midler) does win against both of her sisters. Winifred leads the pack of witches in all that they do, whether that's scavenging Salem for children or putting spells on Halloween parties.
Winifred is not only the leader of the Sanderson Sisters, but is the lead singer in all of their musical numbers. Winifred brought a resurgence to the song "I Put A Spell On You" in Hocus Pocus, and later led them in a rendition of "One Way Or Another" in Hocus Pocus 2.
Scarlet Witch ('Marvel Cinematic Universe')
The most popular of all Disney witches is from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Scarlet Witch, alternately known as Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), starts out as a hero of the MCU, but whenever things go sour, she turns to the dark side.
Scarlet Witch appears as a cross between a witch and a devil, using her powers of telekinesis and mindreading for evil in several works, including Avengers: Endgame, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and her own series WandaVision.