Top 10 Dark Origin Stories of Disney Villains
#10: Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear
“Toy Story 3” (2010)
Just as we wondered what could cause a cuddly pink teddy bear that smells of strawberries to become so evil, we were hit in the feels with an answer. Lotso was a Christmas present for a kid named Daisy, instantly becoming her all-time favorite toy. But on one unfortunate day out, he ended up getting left behind along with Chuckles and Big Baby. After fighting hard to make his way back to her, he was devastated to learn that he’d been replaced. Heartbreak and a newfound fear of abandonment consumed him and brought out his dark side.
#9: Captain Hook
“Peter Pan” (1953)
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If you’ve ever read J. M. Barrie’s original novel or play, you might know that Captain Hook wasn’t always the “codfish” pirate popularized by the Disney movie. While Barrie never divulged how Hook ended up in Neverland, we do know a little about his life before piracy. He attended the prestigious Eton College and Oxford University in England and nothing was more important to him than “proper form”. In fact, it seems that until that fateful incident with Peter Pan, his hand, and the crocodile, he was a completely different guy. Is it really any wonder that he holds a vendetta?
#8: Hans
“Frozen” (2013)
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After years of torment at the hands of his older brothers and father, Hans decided he would finally gain their respect by becoming king. But being thirteenth in line for the throne posed a slight obstacle. So, he set his sights on a neighboring kingdom, where a new queen, with no known suitors, was about to be crowned. However, upon learning that it would be easier to break the ice with her younger sister, a new plan was hatched. Instead, he decided he would marry Anna before killing Elsa and taking the crown, and well, we all know how well that turned out.
#7: Scar
“The Lion King” (1995)
Disney offers a couple of backstories for this ferocious feline and in both, he’s cunning, ruthless, and power-hungry. In “The Lion Guard”, it’s revealed that the power of possessing “The Roar of the Elders” went to his head, and he turned on his fellow Lion Guard members. In “A Tale of Two Brothers” Scar, formerly known as Taka, meaning “waste” or “want”, is envious when his brother becomes king. He schemes with the hyenas to destroy Mufasa’s reputation by goading a buffalo into attacking him. But it’s Taka who ends up in the danger zone, resulting in his infamous scar. From that day on, he insisted that everyone call him “Scar” as a reminder of that life-changing day.
#6: Judge Claude Frollo
“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1996)
Disney condensed Victor Hugo’s lengthy descriptions to give us a very clear-cut villain. In Hugo’s novel though, Judge Frollo is an orphan who cared for his alcoholic brother. Later, he took in Quasimodo out of compassion, rather than duty, since he was responsible for making him an orphan too. He was a respected scholar who lived as a recluse due to his overwhelming fear of temptation and women. However, when Esmerelda enters the story he is overpowered by lust and becomes obsessed with her. We wonder what it was about this story that screamed “child-friendly” to the execs over at Disney.
#5: Cruella De Vil
“101 Dalamations” (1961)
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Whether you watched “Once Upon A Time’s” version of her childhood or read Dodie Smith’s novel, the consensus seems to be that Cruella earned her name early on in life. In the novel, Mrs. Dearly, or Anita, as we know her from the movie, recalls her schooldays with her menacing classmate, Cruella. She sported black and white plaits and had a penchant for eating weird things, ultimately getting expelled from school for drinking ink. She would go on to marry a furrier but something tells us this marriage wasn’t about love, well at least not love for her husband.
#4: Jafar
“Aladdin” (1992)
The character of Jafar was created by combining three characters from the original “Aladdin” folk tales: a sorcerer, his brother, and a who tries to marry off his son to the princess. Interestingly, Jafar and Aladdin have quite a bit more in common than you might think. They both grew up in poverty, felt like a “street rat” and were determined to prove that they’re more than their status. Where their paths differ though, is that while Aladdin embraced who he was, Jafar let the bitterness of his past consume him.
#3: Hades
“Hercules” (1997)
While we do love the dry humor of James Wood’s Hades, according to Greek mythology the god of the underworld wasn’t exactly the villain he’s made out to be. He and his brothers drew lots to decide who would rule each realm and he happened to draw the short straw. Many suggest that he was a fair ruler despite not being particularly thrilled with his lot. That isn’t to say he didn’t have his moments of wrath though. In all fairness to Disney, we’re not sure an altruistic god of the underworld would have been quite as hilarious or memorable.
#2: Maleficent
“Maleficent” (2014)
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Maleficent’s story has been reworked several times, often portraying her in the role of the scorned woman seeking revenge. However, the live-action adaptation took this a step further by blurring the lines of good and evil. Although a young Maleficent is wary of humans, she befriends and later falls in love with a human called Stefan. However, when the opportunity to become king arises, he betrays her and cuts off her wings. Devastated by the physical and emotional pain he caused, she turns the Moors into her dark kingdom and we’re left wondering, who here is really the villain?
#1: Ursula
“The Little Mermaid” (1989)
With a surprisingly minimal amount of screentime, we don’t really delve into Ursula’s backstory or indeed why she holds a grudge against King Triton and his daughter. Fortunately, this plot point is addressed in the Broadway musical as we discover that Ursula and Triton are siblings who were meant to rule the sea together. As we learn in the song, “I Want The Good Times Back”, Triton banished his sister after she used dark magic. It was later replaced by a new song called “Daddy’s Little Angel” which gave us a brand new backstory for Disney’s brassiest undersea diva.
