Top 10 Disney Villains Who Did NOT Die

Serving as Madame Bonfamille’s butler, Edgar goes bad when he realizes that Bonfamille is leaving her fortune to her cats. Wanting the money for himself, Edgar concocts various ways to dispose of Duchess and her kitties. The final scheme sees Edgar throwing the cats into a trunk and attempting to ship them to Timbuktu. However, that’s exactly what happens to him. During a fight with alley cat Thomas O’Malley, Edgar is gagged and thrown into the trunk. The gang then prevents him from calling out for help as he’s being loaded into the van for delivery. Realistically, Edgar probably would have died due to a lack of oxygen. In the movie, however, he’s simply sent to Timbuktu, the victim of a smart gang of cats.

Amos Slade is a hunter who gains a particular interest in pursuing Tod the fox. He also takes part in one of the scariest finales in Disney history. Amos nearly dies by a massive grizzly bear while hunting the foxes, falling down a cliff and catching his leg in a trap. He’s saved just in the nick of time by Tod, who fights the bear and lures it away from Amos and Copper. Despite trying to shoot Tod while he lays injured and exhausted, Amos is persuaded to spare the fox by Copper, who wishes to thank him for his sacrifice. Amos and Copper leave for home, and Amos’s leg wound is treated by Widow Tweed.

Like the Prince John in the “Robin Hood” legend, Disney’s version usurps the throne from his older brother, King Richard, and becomes a tyrannical ruler who subjects his citizenry to extreme poverty and exorbitant taxes in order to boost his own personal wealth. Unlike the historic Prince John, this Prince John is a lion. At the end of the film, King Richard returns from exile and boots Prince John off the throne, rightfully reclaiming it for himself. He does away with John’s debilitating tax system, and John is sent to prison alongside Sir Hiss and the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Disney’s Governor Ratcliffe is very loosely based on the historic John Ratcliffe, an English colonist who arrived in Virginia in 1607. The real John Ratcliffe fell into a trap and was taken captive by the Powhatan Indians, and he suffered an extremely grisly fate that will not be repeated here and would certainly not appear in a family-friendly Disney film. In the movie, Ratcliffe’s monstrous greed and cruelty is exposed after he tries to shoot Chief Powhatan, and he faces a rebellion from the colonists. They chain him up and send him back to England to account for his numerous crimes.

Meant to subvert the Prince Charming trope, Hans is initially depicted as Anna’s love interest before his true character and motivations are revealed. Hans realizes that he will never hold a position of power owing to his numerous older brothers, so he manipulates his way onto the throne of Arendelle. Following his defeat at the hands of Anna and Elsa, Hans is arrested and imprisoned on a French ship, which returns him to the Southern Isles to face punishment for his crimes. Hans’s nasty punishment is later shown in the short film “Frozen Fever” - shoveling manure in the Southern Isles’ royal stables.

Easily one of Disney’s most iconic villains, Jafar was the Royal Vizier of Agrabah who held ambitions of taking over the world. To that end, he sought the magic lamp and its famous inhabitant. Jafar is actually successful in his pursuit, and he harbors the Genie’s magic to his own powerful ends, even using his final wish to turn into an all-powerful genie himself. Unfortunately, Jafar’s greed and thirst for power get the better of him, and like the blue Genie, he is subsequently imprisoned inside his own lamp with Iago. Genie then sends the lamp to the Cave of Wonders where they would presumably remain for millennia. Well, unless you count “The Return of Jafar,” which gives the titular villain a more explosive demise.

While the main antagonist of “The Emperor’s New Groove,” Yzma and her sidekick Kronk are largely used for comedy, with Kronk’s stupidity and Yzma’s increasing frustration being a major source of laughs. Yzma resents Emperor Kuzco for firing her, and she concocts various schemes and potions to dispose of Kuzco and claim the throne for herself. In the climax of the film, Yzma’s plans are once again foiled by an oblivious Kronk when he inadvertently squishes her with a trap door. She remains in her cat form and is taught the squirrel language by Kronk, who has become a scout leader.

While “Hercules” is a deeply underappreciated Disney effort, Hades is an incredibly popular villain owing in large part to James Woods’ iconic vocal performance. Like Yzma, Hades is largely played for comedy, despite being god of the Underworld. Like many Disney villains, Hades harbors ambitions of taking over the world and tries turning Hercules mortal to prevent his intervention. However, Hercules’s heroic sacrifice turns him into a god, and he punches Hades into the River Styx where he is surrounded by malevolent souls. Hades doesn’t die (being an immortal god and all), but Pain and Panic state that he will forever remain trapped in the river. Even if Hades could die, where would he go? The Under-Underworld?

In a way, Lady Tremaine is one of the most malicious Disney villains. Instead of taking over the world or vying for a throne, Tremaine is largely concerned with psychologically tormenting her stepdaughter. And for no other reason than Cinderella is prettier than her biological daughters. Not wanting Cinderella’s foot to fit the glass slipper, Tremaine trips the page and shatters the slipper. Unfortunately for her, Cinderella has procured the matching slipper, and Tremaine watches in both disappointment and horror as it’s put on Cinderella’s foot. That’s the last viewers see of Tremaine in the original “Cinderella,” as Cinderella and Prince Charming soon marry and embark on their honeymoon.

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

Stromboli, “Pinocchio” (1940)
Not Seen Again After Pinocchio Escapes the Caravan

Shere Khan, “The Jungle Book” (1967)
Flees After Mowgli Attaches a Flaming Branch to His Tail

Yokai / Robert Callaghan, “Big Hero 6” (2014)
Taken Into Police Custody

Bellwether, “Zootopia” (2016)
Nick& Judy Trick Her with the Carrot Pen & She Is Arrested

Chalk this up as another case of “Yeah, that character definitely would have died in real life.” One of the most iconic Disney villains, Cruella de Vil is a psychotic madwoman with a feverish desire to turn the dalmatians into a luxurious coat. Her literal pursuit is brought to an end when she gets into a car accident with Jasper and Horace, sending them all over a cliff and utterly destroying her precious vehicle. Cruella somehow manages to survive and is finally told to shut up by an exasperated Jasper. The story leaves Cruella and her henchmen on the snowy embankment, a few spots short of a fur coat.