Top 20 Disney Characters That Deserved Better
#20: Vanellope & Wreck-It Ralph “Wreck-It Ralph” (2012)
From the beginning of the film, Ralph makes it clear he’s not very fulfilled with his role as the game’s bad guy – and even less fulfilled with his after-work routine. He lives in the literal dump, meanwhile Felix and the Nicelanders get to cozy up in their warm homes. Ralph comes to learn that he’s not the only one isolated from his own game when he meets Vanellope, who also lives in a dump of sorts. As a glitch, she’s severely mistreated and ostracized. They become the friend the other needs until Ralph is manipulated by King Candy and destroys Vanellope’s kart, believing that he’s protecting her. It’s probably the hardest moment to watch as it puts them each in the roles of victim and villain that they’re already tired of playing.
#19: Ray “The Princess and the Frog” (2009)
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While Tiana definitely goes through it, what with the loss of her father and having to be a frog for most of her movie, our pick has to go to Ray. Although everyone thinks he’s just a little off his rocker, it’s impossible not to be charmed by his heart. He’s obviously a romantic, even if the love of his life is a star in the night sky he’s named Evangeline. During the climax of the movie, Ray does his darndest to help out but, as a small firefly, he’s quickly overtaken. His light flickers in and out, which is quite the striking imagery to symbolize how he’s on the verge of death. When he passes, we learn that Evangeline was never just a star in the sky.
#18: Jim Hawkins & His Mom “Treasure Planet” (2002)
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Right when “Treasure Planet” begins, we fall in love with young Jim and his mom. They obviously have a very sweet mother-son relationship, and we can’t help rooting for them, even if we’ve only just met them. A flashforward twelve years later sees a teenage Jim somewhat pulling away from his mom. It’s mentioned his father left, which is alluded to be the cause for Jim’s new rebellious spirit. The worst of it, however, comes when his mother’s inn is set ablaze. It’s everything she worked so hard to build, and there’s absolutely nothing left. Here, we see exactly the kind of person Jim is when he volunteers to venture off to Treasure Planet and be a hero for his mom.
#17: Bing Bong “Inside Out” (2015)
One of the silliest looking characters in Disney also gets one of the saddest endings. While Joy and Bing Bong are trying to get back to headquarters to save Riley from depression, they fall into the Memory Dump, where memories are forgotten. They find Bing Bong’s magic rocket and try to fly out of the hole to save Riley, but Bing Bong realizes they’ll never make it as both he and Joy are too much for the rocket to carry, - so he jumps off the rocket at the last second, sacrificing himself for Riley’s happiness. While it’s natural to forget your imaginary friends, Bing Bong was a hero and deserved to be remembered by Riley for all that he did.
#16: Ellie Fredricksen “Up” (2009)
Watching Ellie’s life pass by with Carl is sure to bring tears to anyone’s eyes, and while Carl certainly had a sad story, and we wish he had lived a longer life with his wife, Ellie truly deserved better. While ultimately she lives a happy life with Carl, two of her greatest dreams are never achieved. Ellie is told she cannot have children and seems to undergo depression after that. Her other big dream is to move her “clubhouse” to a cliff overlooking Paradise Falls, and though she and Carl save up for it their entire lives, she passes away before she can achieve this dream. The house eventually makes its way to Paradise Falls, but Ellie deserved to be there as well.
#15: Nick Wilde “Zootopia” (2016)
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Nick’s backstory not only says a lot about Zootopia and the prejudice that runs rampant through it, but also makes shrewd commentary about the ways we show up in the world being informed by the ways others perceive us. It’s a lot for a movie about anthropomorphic animals. Either way, immediately upon seeing adorable baby Nick and his bright-eyed excitement, we’re making pledges to protect that child with our lives. Unfortunately, we’re forced to accompany the character at his young age as he faces prejudice first-hand in a horribly visceral way. It leads us to believe that this incident (and probably many others along the way) was the catalyst for the swindling lifestyle Nick would grow to lead.
#14: Jessie “Toy Story 2” (1999)
Meeting Jessie is the first time we really consider the idea of a kid getting too old to play with their toys and what that fate means for the toy. Jessie’s backstory is sad enough, never mind “When She Loved Me” playing over the scene. What is perhaps even sadder than being a forgotten toy, however, is the trauma Jessie has from being in storage for so long. This is fleshed out a bit more in the short “Toy Story of Terror!” when Jessie finally faces her fear. But, for a while there, the prospect of being trapped in a box was enough to bring about a panic attack. Jessie is so full of life and joy; it’s sad to imagine everything she’s been through.
#13: Marlin “Finding Nemo” (2003)
So, yeah, Nemo is the one who gets lost. But Marlin is the worried parent who has to suffer the loss. Not only that – we learn very early on of the devastation Marlin has suffered. Losing your wife and all but one of your newborns – in a horrific barracuda attack, no less – has to make for a certain deal of trauma. While Marlin is certainly overprotective by the time Nemo’s first day of school rolls around, we’d say he’s doing a standup job given all he had to endure. Unfortunately, his greatest fear comes to fruition: the one remaining member of his family is taken from him. Seeing the anxiety and distress that lives in him for the entirety of the movie really tugs at the heartstrings.
#12: Mrs. Jumbo “Dumbo” (1941)
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It’s hard to be a mother. Though it would be fair to put both Mrs. Jumbo and Dumbo on this list, the mother elephant gets the spot for being punished for following her motherly instincts. After watching Dumbo get abused and bullied for his large ears, Mrs. Jumbo goes berserk trying to defend her son. As a consequence, she is put in solitary confinement and kept away from Dumbo. No animal deserves the treatment they get in the circus, but one can’t help but feel particularly bad for Mrs. Jumbo, who just wanted to protect her baby.
#11: Bambi’s Mother “Bambi” (1942)
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This deer was taken from her baby far too soon. It’s hard to watch “Bambi” to this day and not feel tremendous sadness and anger at hearing Bambi’s mother be shot by hunters. As with Mrs. Jumbo, seeing a mother suffer trying to help their child is heartbreaking, but what’s worse in this case is that Bambi’s mother never gets to see her child again. Her death is sudden and unfair, as all we see of her is how caring she is towards her child. She deserved so much better than the undignified end that she got.
#10: Megara “Hercules” (1997)
Megara once had a heart so kind and selfless, she sold her soul to the god of the underworld in exchange for the soul of her dying boyfriend. The moment he was healed, he ran off with another girl, leaving Megara trapped under Hades’ command. That’s tragic enough but, when she begins to fall for Hercules while working for Hades, things get even more complicated. We can’t imagine the conflicting feelings of being forced to obey someone who wants you to hurt the person you love. More than that, Megara actually, sincerely, and truly dies in this movie. Even if it’s not a permanent death, she definitely should have been dealt a better hand.
#9: Maleficent “Maleficent” (2014)
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You heard correctly; the Mistress of All Evil deserved better. The movie starring Angelina Jolie gave us a new look at “Sleeping Beauty’s” villain, and the retelling makes it clear that Maleficent was subjected to one of the cruelest fates imaginable; betrayal. The man she’s loved since she was a young fairy, Stefan, drugs her and chops off her wings to present to the king, so that he may become the new ruler of the kingdom. To be violated and betrayed by someone she thought she could trust and even love is a fate that nobody deserves. She certainly seems less like a “villain” after watching this flick.
#8: Elsa & Anna “Frozen” (2013)
For all the magic and reindeer and talking snowmen, Elsa and Anna’s story is actually really quite tragic. Firstly, Elsa’s powers make her the problem child. The consequences are dire for both sisters. Anna is accidentally injured so badly she’s nearly killed and, as a result, her memories of her sister’s ice powers are erased. When the two end up orphaned, instead of being able to lean on each other for support, they spend years apart, with Elsa forever afraid of hurting Anna and Anna never really knowing why her sister is shutting her out. Neither of them deserved those years spent in isolation and uncertainty, and it’s especially devastating knowing how close they once were.
#7: Rapunzel “Tangled” (2010)
This is essentially the tale of a child kidnapped and forced to live with her captor her whole life, never knowing her true family. Well, luckily, it wasn’t Rapunzel’s whole life, but it was enough to cause some real damage in anyone. Mother Gothel’s passive aggression, manipulation tactics, and negligence definitely constitute abuse and it’s a miracle Rapunzel is even half as bubbly and well-adjusted as she is. The reunion with her parents is enough to make anyone emotional; they’re a couple who absolutely did not deserve to mourn their daughter for eighteen long years.
#6: Héctor “Coco” (2017)
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The theme of betrayal is an important one in this list. For Héctor, it cuts deep. When he tells his partner, Ernesto, that he wants to go home and return to his family, Ernesto murders Héctor, and steals his music, so that audiences the world over will remember the name Ernesto de la Cruz. Héctor is forgotten by all but his daughter, Coco, now an elderly woman, and as her memory fades, so too does his last bit of life in the Land of the Dead. His life and undeath were both almost taken from him due to jealousy, and he really didn’t do anything to deserve that. He just wanted to see his little Coco again.
#5: Tadashi Hamada “Big Hero 6” (2014)
Lives taken young are difficult to digest, even if they’re only animated. Tadashi was a fantastic older brother and seemed to always have his heart in the right place. He created Baymax with the goal of helping people and, even before he jets off into his burning school to save Professor Callaghan, he says: “someone has to help”. It’s a true testament to his character, which makes the loss that much more devastating. He leaves behind Hiro, who has now lost both his parents and his brother. It’s just so incredibly sad for everyone who knew both boys. The worst part is the nauseating twist revealing that Tadashi’s death was completely in vain.
#4: Nani Pelekai “Lilo & Stitch” (2002)
Raising a rambunctious kid is hard enough, but Nani’s got a lot more to deal with. She has to take care of her younger sister with no parents helping out, social workers threatening to take custody of Lilo, and an alien “dog” making a mess of things. Nani has it rough, and while Lilo herself doesn’t lead an easy life by a long shot, it is so easy to sympathize with Nani’s plight. While Lilo often sees an overbearing sister who doesn’t understand her, it is clear that Nani loves Lilo with all her heart and is trying her best to raise her properly, constantly being thrown for a loop and disrespected by others when things don’t go as planned.
#3: Mufasa “The Lion King” (1994)
Long live the king. Well, not if Scar has anything to say about it, anyway. Mufasa rules the Pride Lands with a level head and serves as a great father figure to Simba. Unfortunately for him, he’s got a conniving brother who wants to be king. Scar’s betrayal is an iconic scene because of how heart-wrenching and dramatic it is, but one can’t help but wonder what could have been if Mufasa had lived to pass on more wisdom to Simba. Mufasa is an incredible presence and the reason for the prosperity and stability of the Pride Lands, and all his hard work and dedication to being a good king is thrown away by his jealous brother. Plus, Sarabi would have spent years believing both her husband and son were gone.
#2: Cinderella “Cinderella” (1950)
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We all know how badly Cinderella was mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters but her story is so frequently told that it can sometimes lose its punch. When we first meet her, Cinderella has just lost her mom, and her father decides to remarry. Soon, however, she also loses her father, and that’s when the real characters of her stepfamily begin to show. They take over her fortune, reduce her to rags, have her become their live-in servant, and treat her about the same as they do the mice. We see, on more than one occasion, how caring Cinderella is to those around her and it makes it obvious she was deserving of the life she eventually got in the palace all along.
#1: Quasimodo “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1996)
Suffering abuse at the hands of his mentor, Claude Frollo, for his entire life, the Hunchback of Notre Dame finally decides to spend a day out there, among the people of Paris. Things seem to go well for Quasimodo at first; though initially shocked by his appearance, the townsfolk laugh along with the hunchback, and they even crown him the “King of Fools”. Everything turns sour, though, when some of the guards start to pelt Quasimodo with tomatoes. Quasimodo gets degraded by the entire town square while his supposed protector watches. This is just a part of the abuse Quasimodo must face in his daily life, and he is too gentle and sweet a person to be treated this badly.
