Top 10 Most Satisfying Disney Movie Endings
All’s well that ends well. Welcome to MsMojo and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 10 most satisfying Disney movie endings.
For this list, we’ll be going over the endings to Disney animated films that provide the most satisfactory conclusions. We’ll be excluding partially animated flicks, like “Mary Poppins,” as well as Pixar movies, since those have a list of their own.
#10: “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937)
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The ending of Disney’s beginning is the beginning of our list! Did everybody follow that? Good. The first animated Disney feature sees the Evil Queen succeeding in putting Snow White to sleep with her apple, though the seven dwarfs manage to defeat her. In mourning, the dwarfs place her in a glass coffin. Thankfully, the nameless prince happens along a year later and awakens her with a kiss; leading to much rejoicing. And then the pair of them rides off into the sunset to the prince’s castle, as the chorus swells and the book closes on their story. It’s one of Disney’s most traditional fairy tale endings and it just works.
#9: “Mulan” (1998)
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With help from her friends, Mulan is able to defeat the villainous Shan Yu and save the emperor’s life… albeit at the cost of his palace. While he at first seems angry at her - listing all her mistakes - he surprises her and everyone else by then praising her heroism and bowing to her, rewarding her with a medal, Shan Yu’s sword, and an offer to be his advisor. However, it’s not all of China bowing to her that means everything to Mulan, but rather a hug from her father when she returns home. The film finishes with everything looking up for Mulan (and Shang), as well as for Mushu, who gets his old job back. With heart and humor aplenty, this a great ending.
#8: “Pocahontas” (1995)
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The conflict between the Native Americans and the English settlers in this movie concludes when both the titular heroine and her love interest John Smith make sacrifices. Pocahontas is prepared to die to save Smith, while he in turn takes a bullet for her father. Sadly, while he doesn’t die, this means he has to return to England to better mend his wound. The pair’s goodbye really tugs at the heartstrings, and watching Pocahontas bid him farewell is beautifully sad. It may not be as happy as some of Disney’s other endings, but its bittersweet nature makes it all the more memorable.
#7: “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1996)
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The final sequence of this Disney movie sees the eponymous hunchback Quasimodo rescue the Romani woman Esmeralda from the villainous Frollo, battling him high atop Notre Dame until Frollo falls to his death. Although Esmeralda is grateful to Quasimdo, she ends up with Captain Phoebus. While Quasimodo may not get the girl, he does get what he truly wanted all along – the acceptance of the people of Paris. Given that it’s one of the grimmer animated Disney outings, it’s nice that “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” gets an ending that’s both satisfying and happy.
#6: “Aladdin” (1992)
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With Agrabah under the yoke of Jafar, who has made himself a powerful sorcerer, street rat Aladdin returns and battles the villain. After proving no match for him in combat, Aladdin tricks Jafar into wishing to be a genie; imprisoning him in a lamp. Aladdin then uses his own final wish to free the Genie, and Jasmine and Aladdin are also free to be married once the Sultan comes to his senses. It’s immensely gratifying to see all of their dreams come true, particularly the Genie, whose joy at his newfound freedom is infectious.
#5: “Hercules” (1997)
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With his love interest Meg dying, Hercules is able to reclaim his super strength and save Olympus from the attacking Titans. However, he is unable to reach Meg in time. Not one to let a little thing like death stop him, Hercules breaks into the underworld and rescues Meg’s soul from Hades, reclaims his godhood, and gives the fiery god a punch that sends him down among the tormented souls of the River Styx. Although he is free to be a god once more, Herc gives up the chance to live on Olympus with his parents and decides to remain mortal with Meg. Hercules’ journey from zero to hero reaches a fitting conclusion.
#4: “Beauty and the Beast” (1991)
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After Gaston turns all the villagers against the Beast, a battle at the castle leads to a confrontation between the two high atop the building. Although Beast wins and spares Gaston, the charismatic jerk stabs him in the back and falls to his death in a quick karmic death. Distraught at the Beast’s own demise, Belle confesses that she loves him; which revives him, as well as breaks the curse on him and his servants. Seeing a villain get their just deserts is always nice, but even more satisfying is that Beast and Belle get their happy ending and everyone who was turned into objects gets to be human again.
#3: “Cinderella” (1950)
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After the title character’s famous, magically aided ball adventure, Prince Charming is so charmed by her that his father - the King - searches the land for the girl who will fit the glass slipper she leaves behind. Naturally, Cinderella’s spiteful stepmother tries to increase her own daughters’ chances and locks Cinderella away during the visit. However, Cinderella escapes with help from her mice friends and, despite more meddling from her stepmother, is able to prove who she is with the other slipper. And she and the prince marry and live happily ever after. Heck, even the villains get off pretty lightly! “Cinderella” may be one of the prototypical Disney endings, but it’s satisfying in its simplicity.
#2: “Tangled” (2010)
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Following Eugene/Flynn’s daring and comedic prison escape, the loveable rogue sets off to rescue Rapunzel from her kidnapper/mother Gothel. When he arrives however, he gets a knife in the gut from the manipulative crone. Although Rapunzel is prepared to remain Gothel’s prisoner if she can heal him, Eugene makes his own sacrifice by cutting her hair and removing its healing properties to save her. With Gothel turned to dust, Rapunzel’s tears manage to save Eugene. Rapunzel then reunites with her real parents, she and Eugene get married, and most of the side characters’ dreams come true too. One of “Tangled”’s central themes is dreams and to see its protagonists realize their dreams, with the possibility to find new ones, is very rewarding indeed.
Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
“The Little Mermaid” (1989)
“The Princess and the Frog” (2009)
“Lilo & Stitch” (2002)
“The Fox and the Hound” (1981)
“Tarzan” (1999)
#1: “The Lion King” (1994)
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Simba, the lion who would be king, returns home to Pride Rock to free the kingdom from the paws of his uncle Scar, whose tyrannical rule has everyone living in fear. A confrontation atop Pride Rock leads to Scar revealing his true colors and eventually meeting his end at the teeth and claws of his hyena minions. As gratifying as it is to see Simba roar to proclaim his kingship and rain returning to the Pride Lands, what really makes this ending fulfilling is the fact that everything comes back around; with Simba and Nala having a cub of their own, echoing the movie’s beginning and bringing the circle of life… full circle.
