Top 10 Epic Disney Villain Monologues
#10: The Horned King “The Black Cauldron” (1985)
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“The Black Cauldron” is undoubtedly one of the darkest movies in the Disney canon. It was the first Disney movie to receive a PG rating, and its dark tone seemed to repel general moviegoers, resulting in it flopping at the box office and nearly bankrupting Disney. Taking one look and listen of The Horned King is enough to see why it was considered so unapproachable. His monologue is incredibly scary and upsetting, from the King’s eerie, grating voice to the speech’s content, which includes speaking to skeletons and declaring himself a God among mortal men. This monologue and its accompanying visuals are like something found on an ‘80s metal album, not a Disney film.
#9: Cruella de Vil “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” (1961)
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Cruella de Vil is often considered to be one of the vilest characters in Disney history, and her brief monologue is suitably detestable. After Cruella attempts to buy the dogs, Roger puts his foot down and tells her that they are not for sale. Bad idea. While we know Cruella to be a terrible person, this monologue drives home just how vain, unreasonable, and utterly selfish she really is. She would rather they drown the dogs than keep them, and she calls them idiots for not wanting to sell the dogs. If we didn’t hate her already, we certainly did after this malicious outburst.
#8: Anton Ego “Ratatouille” (2007)
Isn’t it great when a villain turns around and utterly redeems themselves? Throughout much of the movie, the restaurant critic Anton Ego is portrayed as some sort of heartless, detestable, and snobbish man who is not pleased by anything or anyone. This all changes when he takes a bite of Remy’s ratatouille. What follows is a beautiful monologue about the nature of criticism, art, and acceptance. It is not only a brilliant development in the character of Anton, but also a touching speech about preconceived notions and the sometimes unexpected and life-changing feelings we experience after discovering a true piece of art.
#7: Charles F. Muntz “Up” (2009)
Charles Muntz’s monologue is painfully short, but its brevity arguably makes it all the better. Muntz is an extremely paranoid and violent individual who is not afraid to commit murder if he thinks someone is after his precious bird. In this delightfully creepy scene, Muntz shows off his murder victims to Carl and Russell while cryptically warning them of their impending deaths. This little speech is so menacing because it places a microscope over the human capacity for depravity. Disney villains are usually cartoonish and their actions extravagant, but Muntz is nothing but a straight-up murderer. It’s incredibly dark for a children’s film, but that’s what makes Muntz and this speech all the more terrifying.
#6: Evil Queen [aka Queen Grimhilde] “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937)
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The Evil Queen is one of cinema’s greatest and most enduring villains, just as evil and iconic today as she was eighty years ago. And you don’t get to be one of the greatest villains in cinematic history without having a badass and utterly evil monologue. The Evil Queen’s monologue comes when she’s magically transforming herself into an ugly witch. The speech emphasizes the Queen’s ego and vanity and features some truly ominous incantations and sounds, not to mention that creepy witch cackle. Lucille La Verne’s performance is also iconic, imbuing the speech and character with just the right amount of menace and hostility.
#5: Dawn Bellwether “Zootopia” (2016)
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The “villain unveils their true plan and motivation” speech is as old as time itself, but it can still be effective when told with this amount of passion, character, and thematic depth. After shooting Nick with what she believes to be the predatory serum, Bellwether begins an all-too-topical monologue about stereotypes, societal fracturing based on ignorance and prejudice, and fear selling and controlling people’s beliefs. It’s not only painfully relevant in today’s political climate, but it also works perfectly within the narrative context. With this speech, Bellwether shows her true character, and it is loathsome.
#4: Hopper “A Bug’s Life” (1998)
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Kevin Spacey sure could deliver a creepy speech and Hopper was no exception After making his point with the grain, Hopper makes a great little speech about keeping the ants in line in order to prevent them from realizing their tactical advantage. It’s a hate-filled monologue that’s brilliantly and frighteningly delivered, and it proves Hopper’s intelligence and competency, two necessary ingredients in a great villain. The goons’ horrified response is not unwarranted – this is one scary grasshopper.
#3: Judge Claude Frollo “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1996)
“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is among Disney’s darkest movies, and Claude Frollo is one of their darkest villains. Just go listen to Hellfire if you don’t believe us… or this incredibly sinister monologue. In this speech, Frollo expresses true hatred and contempt, calling Quasimodo an idiot, displaying his prejudices towards the gypsies, and promising Quasimodo that he will kill Esmeralda - the one person to show him compassion and kindness. To drive the speech home, Frollo stabs and burns an Esmeralda doll, as if the simple declaration of murder wasn’t enough. What can we say? The man is truly psychotic.
#2: Syndrome [aka Buddy Pine / Incrediboy] “The Incredibles” (2004)
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Here is how to do the “villain reveals their true plans to a captive hero” cliché correctly. Syndrome’s speech about killing off superheroes, becoming a hero himself, and eventually selling superpowers to everyone not only reveals his true plan to the Incredibles and the audience, but it allows us to understand Syndrome’s character. Here was a boy who only wanted to be a hero, yet was shunned by Mr. Incredible and the superhero community. You can’t blame him for being a little power hungry. Jason Lee’s vocal performance is also fantastic, as he nails the perfect combination of ego, jealousy, and frustration. And that evil laugh… what a beaut! Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: Hans “Frozen” (2013) Professor Ratigan “The Great Mouse Detective” (1986) Ursula “The Little Mermaid” (1989)
#1: Maleficent “Sleeping Beauty” (1959)
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People don’t get much worse than Maleficent. And her brief monologue at the party is probably the most ominous speech in the entire Disney canon. After not being invited to Princess Aurora’s christening, Maleficent appears at the palace supremely pissed off. She tells the terrorized audience to listen closely before she curses the child. When the guards try to seize her, she simply laughs and disappears in a giant burst of green fire. You know, it can’t get much worse than cursing a baby to death and laughing about it. Maleficent embodies pure evil, and this speech ensured her status as one of cinema’s most iconic villains.