10 Dark Facts About Classic Disney Villains
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VOICE OVER: Jennifer Silverman
WRITTEN BY: Joe Shetina
From disturbing source material to real-life inspirations, Disney's classic antagonists have some truly unsettling stories behind them. Join us as we explore the darker side of beloved villains like Cruella de Vil, Maleficent, and Frollo, revealing the chilling tales that weren't meant for the silver screen. Discover how Gaston was inspired by real dating experiences, learn about Ursula's cut family ties, and uncover the horrifying true story of Governor Ratcliffe. Which of these disturbing facts surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments!
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for weird, wild, and truly disturbing facts about classic Disney antagonists. For this list, we’re considering classic Disney to be any movie the studio made before the year 2000.
Decades before Glenn Close and Emma Stone gave life to Cruella de Vil in live-action adaptations, the canine-hating fashion icon almost returned in another Disney classic. Cruella was set to make her grand return in 1977’s “The Rescuers.” When animators first started working on the film, they envisioned it as a vehicle for her character, and it would’ve expanded her reign of terror from dogs to mice. If her hatred of dogs wasn’t already enough, this would’ve made her the enemy of all non-human creatures. Rather than trying to capture lightning in a bottle twice, the creators scrapped this idea and introduced a new villainess: Madame Medusa.
James Woods voices Hades in this animated musical based on the Greek myth. Disney portrays the ruler of the Underworld like a greasy used car salesman. He talks fast and he’s the movie’s bad guy—but he’s not necessarily a bad guy overall. If you go back to the myths, though, Hades is no laughing matter. While some modern interpreters argue that his villainy is overstated, there’s still plenty to work with. Kidnapping Persephone, handing out harsh punishments, and ruling over souls are all in a day’s work for the lord of the dead.
Up until Belle found herself the target of a man with a violent temper and a fragile ego, the Disney Princesses had never faced a male antagonist. Cinderella, Snow White, and the like were terrorized by older women who were envious of their youth and beauty. Gaston was a genuine departure from the norm. Screenwriter Linda Woolverton said she didn’t have to look far for inspiration for a male villain. Gaston was based on men she’d dated. He represented a new era of Disney villainy. Gaston is a man who seeks to possess a young woman, whether she wants him or not. There’s something very real and truly sinister about him.
A piece of lore that was dropped from the final film would come back later to supplement the stage version of “The Little Mermaid.” In the 1989 original, Ursula the Sea Witch seems to manage being an iconic villain without any tragic backstory or secret connection to her target, Ariel. But Ursula was actually written as King Triton’s sister, making her Ariel's aunt. Though this detail never appears in the film outright, it’s since been adopted for other media, including the 2023 live-action remake. It adds an extra layer of intrigue to the story and makes her already dastardly plot feel more personal and vicious.
She’s the “Mistress of All Evil,” so Disney knew they had to pull out all the stops for this one. With her horns, hard edges, swooping cape, and sleek refinement, Maleficent was a shift from the previous depictions of witches and evil queens. Even at her most evil, she wasn’t decrepit and aged. Animators Marc Davis and Eyvind Earle took inspiration from another kind of cinematic villain: the femme fatale of film noir. They pulled costume elements from classical depictions of the Devil and predators from the natural world, such as vampire bats. These elements would later be brought to life for the 2014 live-action movie, “Maleficent.”
A lot of elements came together to craft the first Disney villain. For her hag-like alter ego, the Evil Queen’s voice actress, Lucille La Verne, removed her false teeth to achieve a creepy vocal effect. The character’s glamorous and beautiful appearance is believed to have been based, in part, on contemporary Hollywood star Joan Crawford. Given the mythic status Crawford achieved after her death, this adds an unintentional irony to the story. Snow White is the Queen’s stepdaughter, and let’s just say she’s not exactly maternal toward her. The allegations that Crawford’s daughter Christina made in her memoir, “Mommie Dearest,” wouldn’t come out until many years later. Once you know the connection, it casts the story in a new light.
The writers had to tone down elements of Gaston’s character. For example, one of his last lines was changed from “time to die” to the less violent “Belle is mine.” In the finale, Gaston plummets to his death from the top of the Beast’s castle. However, an early pitch had him taking his own life after Belle rejects him. Some fans even claim there was another version where Gaston survives his fall, only to be devoured by wolves. If that sounds familiar, it’s because a similar fate would befall Scar in “The Lion King” three years later. As it stands, the true ending leaves a lot more to the imagination.
Like many classic Disney films, “Cinderella” is based on an old fairy tale. Though it’s been adapted and retold many times, Charles Perrault’s 1697 version is cited as the main inspiration behind the 1950 animated film. However, one of the most well-known versions of the story comes from the Brothers Grimm, in which Cinderella’s wicked stepmother is even worse. She convinces her daughters to hack off parts of their feet to fit the slipper, hoping one of them will win the prince’s hand in marriage. There’s a lot of deeper meaning in that, but it’s probably not fit for a young moviegoing audience.
The thing about this underrated adaptation of the classic French novel is that it preserves a lot of the story’s dark undertones. Even so, Frollo is somehow even worse in Victor Hugo’s writing. While “Hellfire” gives us a glimpse into the self-punishing religious zealotry that fuels the man, the book makes us see him for the repugnant predator that he is. He stabs a man out of lustful jealousy for Esmeralda, and has her hanged for bearing witness to it. Though Disney cleans the story up for its target audience, they’re still surprisingly true to Frollo’s awfulness. It’s made all the more complex by Tony Jay’s towering voice performance.
Any historian will tell you that the conflict between the colonists and the Native Americans is greatly toned down in this 1995 historical fantasy. The real-life relationship, or lack thereof, between Pocahontas and John Smith is complicated enough. But the story’s villain, Jamestown Governor John Ratcliffe, has been heavily massaged. Ratcliffe may have been a tyrant, but he was never sent back to England for punishment like he is at the end of “Pocahontas.” Instead, he stayed in Virginia and was later captured by a group of Powhatan people. The details of his grisly execution sound more like a horror movie than a Disney movie.
Which of these Disney villains scared you as a kid? Let us know in the comments.
#10: Cruella de Vil Was Supposed to Make a Comeback
“One Hundred and One Dalmatians” (1961)Decades before Glenn Close and Emma Stone gave life to Cruella de Vil in live-action adaptations, the canine-hating fashion icon almost returned in another Disney classic. Cruella was set to make her grand return in 1977’s “The Rescuers.” When animators first started working on the film, they envisioned it as a vehicle for her character, and it would’ve expanded her reign of terror from dogs to mice. If her hatred of dogs wasn’t already enough, this would’ve made her the enemy of all non-human creatures. Rather than trying to capture lightning in a bottle twice, the creators scrapped this idea and introduced a new villainess: Madame Medusa.
#9: The Myths of Hades Are Not Disney-Friendly
“Hercules” (1997)James Woods voices Hades in this animated musical based on the Greek myth. Disney portrays the ruler of the Underworld like a greasy used car salesman. He talks fast and he’s the movie’s bad guy—but he’s not necessarily a bad guy overall. If you go back to the myths, though, Hades is no laughing matter. While some modern interpreters argue that his villainy is overstated, there’s still plenty to work with. Kidnapping Persephone, handing out harsh punishments, and ruling over souls are all in a day’s work for the lord of the dead.
#8: Gaston Was Based on the Screenwriter’s Dating Life
“Beauty and the Beast” (1991)Up until Belle found herself the target of a man with a violent temper and a fragile ego, the Disney Princesses had never faced a male antagonist. Cinderella, Snow White, and the like were terrorized by older women who were envious of their youth and beauty. Gaston was a genuine departure from the norm. Screenwriter Linda Woolverton said she didn’t have to look far for inspiration for a male villain. Gaston was based on men she’d dated. He represented a new era of Disney villainy. Gaston is a man who seeks to possess a young woman, whether she wants him or not. There’s something very real and truly sinister about him.
#7: Ursula Is King Triton’s Sister
“The Little Mermaid” (1989)A piece of lore that was dropped from the final film would come back later to supplement the stage version of “The Little Mermaid.” In the 1989 original, Ursula the Sea Witch seems to manage being an iconic villain without any tragic backstory or secret connection to her target, Ariel. But Ursula was actually written as King Triton’s sister, making her Ariel's aunt. Though this detail never appears in the film outright, it’s since been adopted for other media, including the 2023 live-action remake. It adds an extra layer of intrigue to the story and makes her already dastardly plot feel more personal and vicious.
#6: Maleficent’s Design Had Creepy Inspirations
“Sleeping Beauty” (1959)She’s the “Mistress of All Evil,” so Disney knew they had to pull out all the stops for this one. With her horns, hard edges, swooping cape, and sleek refinement, Maleficent was a shift from the previous depictions of witches and evil queens. Even at her most evil, she wasn’t decrepit and aged. Animators Marc Davis and Eyvind Earle took inspiration from another kind of cinematic villain: the femme fatale of film noir. They pulled costume elements from classical depictions of the Devil and predators from the natural world, such as vampire bats. These elements would later be brought to life for the 2014 live-action movie, “Maleficent.”
#5: The Evil Queen May Have Been Based on Joan Crawford
“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937)A lot of elements came together to craft the first Disney villain. For her hag-like alter ego, the Evil Queen’s voice actress, Lucille La Verne, removed her false teeth to achieve a creepy vocal effect. The character’s glamorous and beautiful appearance is believed to have been based, in part, on contemporary Hollywood star Joan Crawford. Given the mythic status Crawford achieved after her death, this adds an unintentional irony to the story. Snow White is the Queen’s stepdaughter, and let’s just say she’s not exactly maternal toward her. The allegations that Crawford’s daughter Christina made in her memoir, “Mommie Dearest,” wouldn’t come out until many years later. Once you know the connection, it casts the story in a new light.
#4: Gaston Almost Had a Different Dark Fate
“Beauty and the Beast” (1991)The writers had to tone down elements of Gaston’s character. For example, one of his last lines was changed from “time to die” to the less violent “Belle is mine.” In the finale, Gaston plummets to his death from the top of the Beast’s castle. However, an early pitch had him taking his own life after Belle rejects him. Some fans even claim there was another version where Gaston survives his fall, only to be devoured by wolves. If that sounds familiar, it’s because a similar fate would befall Scar in “The Lion King” three years later. As it stands, the true ending leaves a lot more to the imagination.
#3: The Wicked Stepmother Is Much Worse in the Brothers Grimm Tale
“Cinderella” (1950)Like many classic Disney films, “Cinderella” is based on an old fairy tale. Though it’s been adapted and retold many times, Charles Perrault’s 1697 version is cited as the main inspiration behind the 1950 animated film. However, one of the most well-known versions of the story comes from the Brothers Grimm, in which Cinderella’s wicked stepmother is even worse. She convinces her daughters to hack off parts of their feet to fit the slipper, hoping one of them will win the prince’s hand in marriage. There’s a lot of deeper meaning in that, but it’s probably not fit for a young moviegoing audience.
#2: Frollo Is Even Creepier in the Book
“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1996)The thing about this underrated adaptation of the classic French novel is that it preserves a lot of the story’s dark undertones. Even so, Frollo is somehow even worse in Victor Hugo’s writing. While “Hellfire” gives us a glimpse into the self-punishing religious zealotry that fuels the man, the book makes us see him for the repugnant predator that he is. He stabs a man out of lustful jealousy for Esmeralda, and has her hanged for bearing witness to it. Though Disney cleans the story up for its target audience, they’re still surprisingly true to Frollo’s awfulness. It’s made all the more complex by Tony Jay’s towering voice performance.
#1: The Real Life (& Death) of John Ratcliffe
“Pocahontas” (1995)Any historian will tell you that the conflict between the colonists and the Native Americans is greatly toned down in this 1995 historical fantasy. The real-life relationship, or lack thereof, between Pocahontas and John Smith is complicated enough. But the story’s villain, Jamestown Governor John Ratcliffe, has been heavily massaged. Ratcliffe may have been a tyrant, but he was never sent back to England for punishment like he is at the end of “Pocahontas.” Instead, he stayed in Virginia and was later captured by a group of Powhatan people. The details of his grisly execution sound more like a horror movie than a Disney movie.
Which of these Disney villains scared you as a kid? Let us know in the comments.
