30 Disney Villains RANKED from Least to Most Unhinged

“Tarzan” (1999)

Although Clayton tries hard to keep his dark side under wraps, the trigger-happy hunter can’t fully disguise his foul temper and sadistic streak. He joins the Porters’ research trip as a bodyguard, but his grand plan is to poach gorillas for profit. With his total disdain for the natural world and a tendency to shoot first, ask questions later, Clayton is not exactly a calming presence. It’s only in the final act of the movie that he reveals just how unhinged he really is. Tarzan may have been raised by apes, but in his last showdown with Clayton, it’s obvious who has the most humanity.

“Cinderella” (1950)

Turning your stepdaughter into a servant is undoubtedly cruel, but when Lady Tremaine starts losing her grip on Cinderella, her behavior becomes increasingly deranged. When Cinderella finds herself a dress fit for the ball, her stepmother sets her daughters to rip it to shreds. When she discovers that Cinderella managed to attend the ball, she locks her in her room to hide her from the prince. When our heroine breaks free, Lady Tremaine dares to smash the glass slipper. Risking the wrath of the royals just to spite your stepdaughter? These are not the actions of a sane woman.

“The Princess and the Frog” (2009)

Messing around with voodoo is always going to cause trouble, but Doctor Facilier loves a bit of chaos. The charismatic witch doctor - also known as the Shadow Man - lets his ambition to rule New Orleans lead him to some dark places, with the help of his friends from the other side. He’s a smart man and a smooth talker - but also mad as a box of frogs. The sadistic sorcerer revels in the misfortunes of others and enjoys the fear his reputation inspires. Even while presenting a respectable face to the world, his sentient shadow reflects his true and terrifying nature.

“Beauty and the Beast” (1991)

He eats five dozen eggs a day, he’s arrogant to the point of delusion, and when it comes to Belle, no one’s as crazy as Gaston. You should probably propose to your intended before you plan a wedding, and having her father committed is not the fastest way to a girl’s heart. Gaston only becomes truly unhinged when he realizes that he’s not about to get his own way. Using fear and hate to fuel the fire, he whips up an angry mob and moves to destroy his romantic rival. He taunts the Beast at his weakest, and he revels in it, but it’s never really about Belle. It’s all about his ego.

“Frozen” (2013)

However you feel about Disney twist villains, you can’t deny that the Prince Hans reveal was chilling. When the stereotypical handsome prince turned out to be a stone cold sociopath, it felt like the fairytale world had been turned on its head. Cosying up to Anna just so he could get close enough to murder her sister and steal her throne was certainly an ambitious plan. It was less the scale of the plot and more the total lack of remorse that marked Hans out as an unbalanced individual. There were no sympathetic asides for Anna, no flash of empathy or suggestion of regret. He went full evil and you have to admire the commitment to the bit.

“Wish” (2023)

He started as a good guy with a tragic past, just trying to make a difference. Sadly, King Magnifico let his ego get the better of him. What else is a dictator but an egomaniac with too much power? Arrogance, greed, and paranoia all contribute to Magnifico’s change from benevolent leader to tyrant, as does his use of dark magic. As he grows less sympathetic, he starts to embrace the crazy. Despite Magnifico’s protests that he has the people’s best interests at heart, the king begins to revel in acts of cruelty - such as destroying wishes. He can still sell a song, though.

“Meet the Robinsons” (2007)

One of the most deranged Disney twist villains of all time has to be the Bowler Hat guy - AKA Mike Yagoobian, AKA Goob, the protagonist’s tiny and unassuming roommate. As it transpires, Goob has been nursing an all-consuming grudge against Lewis ever since he got adopted. Joining forces with an evil robotic bowler hat named Doris, the adult Goob steals a time machine and plans to use it to exact a terrible revenge. Doris is even more unhinged than her stooge, being bent on world domination. However, it’s Goob who lingers with us, as a reminder to keep moving forward and not let resentment turn us into crazy obsessives in bowler hats.

“Zootopia” (2016)

She may look like a sweet civil servant, but Assistant Mayor Bellwether is more like a wolf in sheep’s clothing (no offence to wolves, of course). While presenting an innocent face to the world, she plots to turn predators savage with medicinal means to turn society against them. As an added perk, she’s hoping to get her boss fired and make herself mayor of all Zootopia. This extreme scheme is driven by Bellwether’s prejudice and hatred. She eagerly anticipates the fear and division it will cause. In summary, she’s one psychopathic sheep.

“Mulan” (1998)

The Hun leader is the kind of villain who enjoys his work, whether he’s climbing trees, burning villages, or shooting the messenger. And he’s committed too: even the Great Wall of China won’t stop him. In fact, Shan Yu probably takes his determination a little too far. When your army of thousands is decimated by an avalanche, you should probably stop and regroup before storming the imperial city. With a gleam in his golden eyes and his falcon familiar at his side, Shan Yu is a terrifying presence. You can never tell what he’ll do next.

“The Black Cauldron” (1985)

Although he’s one of Disney’s scariest villains, the Horned King presents as fairly cool and collected. However, his master plan is completely unhinged. Step one: kidnap a farm boy and his pig. Step two: force said pig to look into the future and tell you where a magic cauldron is. And step three: use said Cauldron to take over the world. Because why not? Naturally, the Horned King is surrounded by wicked henchmen - reminiscent of Maleficent’s goblin stooges - and his evil lair is a den of vice. He’s got the dark lord aesthetic down and he’s crazy enough to enjoy it.

“The Rescuers” (1977)

In early incarnations of “The Rescuers” Disney considered bringing back Cruella de Vil as the antagonist - which may explain why Madame Medusa shares some of her crazy characteristics. Medusa may have an erratic driving style, a terrible temper, and some materialistic tendencies, but she is at least fond of animals. Her pet crocs, Brutus and Nero, are her babies, which marks her out as eccentric, to say the least. The way she treats poor Penny suggests that she’s a total sociopath. This vindictive villainess is greedy, manipulative, and diamond obsessed - if also a little bit fabulous.

“The Rescuers Down Under” (1990)

Like Madame Medusa, McLeach is a villain firmly rooted in reality. The poacher is a human man without magic powers or special gifts, but he’s no less effective for that. Like his predecessor from the first movie, he also has a reptile familiar and a penchant for kidnapping children. While Medusa saw Penny merely as a means to an end, McLeach seems to revel in torturing his captive. His most memorable moment has to be the scene in which he suspends Cody over a ravine full of crocodiles, singing gleefully all the while. Looks like someone’s got a screw loose.

“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1996)

At first glance, Frollo seems like a cruel and calculating kind of villain, as evidenced by his cold-hearted treatment of Quasimodo. However, it quickly becomes apparent that he’s all kinds of crazy. Unmoved by the pain of others, the judge is clearly lacking in any empathy. It’s not until Esmeralda comes into the picture that he begins to lose his cool. Driven by his obsession with the Romani girl, he burns down half of Paris in an attempt to find Esmeralda and eradicate her people. In addition to being a genocidal maniac, he’s also a massive creep.

“Pinocchio” (1940)

Does there exist a more sinister villain in all of the Disney canon than the Coachman from “Pinocchio?” The movie has its share of bad guys - from Honest John to Stromboli the puppet master - but the Coachman has to be the craziest. He’s rounding up boys at Pleasure Island and tricking them into bad behaviour through the seductive vices of cigarettes, pool and fun at the fair. His end goal? Turning them into donkeys and selling them into servitude, to live out the rest of their days as helpless animals. With the evidence before us, we’d say he’s sick, sadistic, and more than a little unhinged.

“Sleeping Beauty” (1959)

Maleficent is definitely one of Disney’s most charismatic villains, and she wields more power than most. Still, it has to be said that she’s not exactly sane. After putting a deadly curse on a newborn baby, she spends the next sixteen years obsessing over her victim and trying to track her down. And all because she wasn’t invited to a christening. Our favorite wicked fairy has an unpredictable temper and has also been known to lure princes to the woods for capture. When it comes to crazy, she saves the best for last. Maleficent in her dragon form is something to behold.

“Wreck-It Ralph” (2012)

Turbo always thought of himself as a good guy, back when he starred in the most popular game in the arcade. Neglected by his previously adoring public, he let himself be ruled by jealousy - and it sent him over the edge. Turbo turned his attention to new hunting grounds, game-jumping into new territory and eventually stealing Vanellope’s throne and proclaiming himself king. As twist villains go, he was an effective antagonist with a lot of charisma. Villains who can maintain a dual personality are always more threatening, and we love to hate an unhinged king.

“Robin Hood” (1973)

He throws an angry tantrum when he cannot have his way, he calls for mum, sucks his thumb, and doesn’t want to play. The people of Nottingham may mock, but Prince John is nastier than at first appears. When driven to the edge, bad King John can be a terrible tyrant, flying off the handle at the slightest provocation. If he’s feeling generous, he might hike up the taxes and imprison half the local population. If he’s in a really bad mood, it’s the axe or the hangman’s noose for whoever gets in his way. If you really want to rile him, just mention his mother.

“Peter Pan” (1953)

I think we can safely say that Captain Hook’s long-running feud with Peter Pan is a severely unhealthy obsession. Years of taunts from the boy who never grew up, combined with crocodile-induced paranoia, has driven Hook to his wit's end. And his crew don’t help much. This petulant pirate is quick to anger but slow to let go of a grudge. For Hook, the kidnapping and torturing of children seems a perfectly reasonable pastime. He’s also a master of manipulation. But shooting a man in the middle of his cadenza? It ain't good form, you know.

“Tangled” (2010)

Mother Gothel’s villainy is more subtle than many on this list, but the way she treats Rapunzel is truly unhinged. Gothel raises the princess as her own for eighteen years, but still she cares nothing for her adopted daughter, aside from what she can get from her. It’s the girl’s power - her magical healing hair - that has Gothel in thrall. She’ll do anything to hang on to that eternal youth, whether it’s manipulation, murder, or locking Rapunzel in a tower for the rest of her days. Cold-hearted and narcissistic, she’s untroubled by her evil deeds and seems to enjoy the hurt she inflicts.

“The Lion King” (1994)

Like many Disney villains, Scar’s lust for power is the driving force behind some despicable decisions. He’s an egomaniac with a deep resentment of his elder brother, and this makes for a deadly combo. Fratricide isn’t even the worst of it. Scar cements his wicked uncle credentials by blaming Simba for his father’s death before sending a pack of hyenas to hunt him down and finish him off. With an army of these crazed scavengers at his back, Scar wants to be king of the pridelands without doing any of the work. He’s prepared to watch the world burn just as long he’s ruling over the wreckage.

“Pocahontas” (1995)

Greed is another common denominator when it comes to Disney villains, and Governor Ratcliffe has it in spades. He’s come to the New World for cold hard cash, and that is it. Not for adventure and certainly not to build relationships with the native people. Ratcliffe is a murderous manipulator, ready to spread his brand of hatred and prejudice to whoever will listen. He doesn’t see Pocahontas and her people as humans of equal worth to himself. To Ratcliffe and his ilk, they are simply a problem to be dealt with - a barrier between him and the wealth he believes he is owed. And putting profit before people is surely a sign of madness?

“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937)

Snow White’s stepmother is a few apples short of a picnic and perhaps the first sign was talking to her mirror every morning. The second sign was ordering her stepdaughter’s murder just because the mirror thought she was pretty. The Queen also asks the huntsman to bring Snow White’s heart in a box, which is pretty weird if you ask us. What was she going to do with it exactly? When her first plan fails, the queen transforms herself into an old woman and tracks down her escaped victim, bent on finishing the job. She’s definitely dedicated, but also certifiably insane.

“The Great Mouse Detective” (1986)

He’s a rat who likes to think he’s a mouse, and he’s based on Sherlock Holmes’s nemesis, Professor Moriarty - so of course, Ratigan is stark raving mad. His wicked henchman, Fidget, is pretty scary too, but Ratigan is even more unhinged. This criminal mastermind spends most of his time concocting devious schemes to outwit Basil of Baker Street when he’s not playing the proud papa of his giant pet cat, Felicia. This frightening feline helps dispose of Rattigan’s enemies, but being himself, as he would put it “a very big mouse” - she’s a crazy choice of pet.

“One Hundred and One Dalmatians” (1961)

With her black and white hair, a name that sounds a lot like devil, and a house called Hell Hall, Cruella was presenting a crazy face to the world long before she actually did anything wrong. The reckless driving was another dead giveaway. However, paying two heavies to break into your old school friend’s house, steal her dogs, skin them, and turn them into coats is insane (and frankly, evil) behavior. Buying, borrowing, and stealing a hundred and one puppies in total is even more ludicrous. Why did she even need those extra fifteen puppies? And does anyone really love fur that much?

“The Emperor’s New Groove” (2000)

Unexpected, semi-realistic villains with complicated motivations and tragic backstories are all very well - but Yzma is none of those things, and we love her for it. She’s already sick of Emperor Kuzco. So when he tries to put her out to pasture, she decides to do away with him. She plans to enjoy it too. Of course, this being a comedy, her hapless assistant Kronk makes an unfortunate error, and Yzma’s scheme goes awry. Everything from her character design to her voice - provided by the one and only Eartha Kitt - makes Yzma iconic. “Unhinged” is the perfect descriptor for this fabulously evil grande dame - even in her kitten form.

“The Sword in the Stone” (1963)

With Mad Madam Mim, the clue’s kind of in the name. The eccentric antagonist of “The Sword in the Stone” just loves being evil. To her, it’s all a game. Life’s horrors bring her joy, and spreading a little fear is her favorite past-time. If Merlin represents wisdom, decency, and the order of things, Mim is chaos and immorality in action. She’s bad to the bone, and she embraces it - the very definition of a wicked witch. Her duel with Merlin is one of the movie’s highlights, and it’s more unhinged by the moment. Morally grey characters may be in vogue, but Mim’s magic is gloriously black, and so is her heart.

“The Little Mermaid” (1989)

The sea witch combines some of the most memorable Disney villain qualities while bringing a little something of her own. She’s a power-hungry wannabe tyrant, a wicked witch, and a master manipulator. She boasts a cold heart, a hot temper, phenomenal magic powers, and all the sass and sarcasm of a drag queen. Unhinged? Without a doubt, although it takes the death of her precious babies, Flotsam and Jetsam, to really set her off. In the final moments before her defeat, Ursula really lets that freak flag fly. And she would have gotten away with it if it wasn’t for those meddling kids.

“Hercules” (1997)

As god of the Underworld, with eternity to spend in the shadow of his big brother, Hades has had a lot of time to build up resentment. That resentment manifests in a number of ways, all of which make a case for his lack of sanity. We love the fast-talking, quippy Hades, but his attitude isn’t always appropriate for the situation. He’s creative with his killing techniques, liking a spectacle. When it all goes wrong, though, his temper is something to behold. Whether he’s releasing the Titans or torturing Hercules with the Hydra, Hades is an expert at making crazy look cool.

“Aladdin” (1992)

Jafar is another villain who presents a respectable face to the world and keeps his crazy hidden beneath the surface - at least at first. It isn’t until the end of the film that we see him at his most unhinged. As Grand Vizier, Jafar plots to become Sultan, but when he gets his wish, it’s just not enough for him. As he gains more power, his methods of torture become more creative, growing more deranged by the minute. In the end, however, Jafar’s greed makes him vulnerable to manipulation. If he’d taken the time to stop and think, he might have realised that wishing to become a genie is a crazy thing to do.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Everything About Them Is Unhinged

Got to Love a Mad Scientist & A Mosquito Enthusiast

Couldn’t He Have Just Waited for the Cats to Die?

He Was a Drab Little Crab Once

He’s Just a Demon Going About His Business

“Alice in Wonderland” (1951)

She’s not the scariest villain or the fairest of them all, but this evil queen is still an icon. Mostly because she’s completely mad. As the ruler of Wonderland, she manages to reach new heights of unhinged even among her own subjects - and that’s saying something. The Mad Hatter and the March Hare are nutty by nature. Even the card soldiers seem to be living in a world of their own. But in this topsy-turvy world, one thing everyone can agree on is that the queen is on another level. Her moods are erratic, and although she may smile to your face, you can never let your guard down. One false move, and it’s off with your head.

Which Disney villain would you least like to meet down a dark alley? Let us know in the comments!