Top 10 F*%KED UP Origins Behind Disney Movies

Pocahontas is the classic love story between two people who are supposed to be enemies. You likely know that both Pocahontas and John Smith are real historical people, but did you know that she was only about 10-years-old when she first met Smith? She was taken captive by the English as a teenager and held for ransom. She eventually married John Rolfe and was shipped to England, where she was propagandized as a “civilized savage” before eventually dying around the age of 21. While sources indicate that she likely did have a friendship with Smith, historians all but unanimously believe that she did not save him from a near execution as depicted in the Disney film.

First appearing in Carlo Collodi’s 19th century Italian novel, Pinocchio is one of children’s literature’s most famous characters. The original story and the Disney adaptation have some things in common, like the fact that lying causes Pinocchio’s nose to grow and that Geppetto is swallowed by a sea creature. However, where they differ is the eponymous hero: while Disney’s Pinocchio is endearing and learns an important lesson, the original character was meant as a stern warning. During the story, Pinocchio kills a talking cricket, burns off his own feet, and gets Geppetto arrested. Oh, Pinocchio is also hanged by the Fox and the Cat! Don’t worry though, he survives… then gets thrown in jail.

Hercules – or rather Heracles – is one of Greek mythology’s greatest heroes, and therefore perfect for Disney. But Greek mythology’s more liberal with the violence and sadism. Though Disney paints Zeus and Hera as picture-perfect parents, the mythos tells it differently: Zeus was his dad, but in true Zeus style he had adulterous sex with Alcmene while disguised as her husband, and that union begat the hero. Disney didn’t completely ignore Alcmene though, making her and her husband Amphitryon Herc’s adopted parents. What’s more, according to myth, Hera wasn’t actually wasn’t a fan of Hercules, opting to fill his life with suffering and pain. In fact, she caused him to go mad and murder his wife, Megara, and their children. Good thing Disney edited that out…

Peter Pan is the boy who wouldn’t grow up, and Disney did a fantastic job capturing his essence. However, they did leave out all the murder and attempted murder from J.M. Barrie’s original story. Sure, they kept the part where Wendy’s nearly killed by the Lost Boys – on Tinker Bell’s orders, no less. But what about Hook and Peter’s iconic fight? Well, Hook’s thrown overboard by Peter and is straight-up eaten by the crocodile. Perhaps the worst part, however, is a line in the book that claims Peter would “thin the Lost Boys out” when they got too old, which kind of sounds like he’d murder kids for growing up. Yikes.

This is your average tale of friendship where characters are bred to hate each other. Disney’s “The Fox and the Hound” is an uplifting story that shows friendship is stronger than anything else, including instincts. Daniel P. Mannix’s original version doesn’t quite promote the same message, however. In the book, Tod lures Chief to his death, which results in the Master and Copper ruthlessly hunting the fox. Tod attempts to start a family on two occasions, but both times his family is slaughtered by the Master, once via gassing. Tod eventually dies of exhaustion after being chased relentlessly by Copper. The Master then becomes an alcoholic and shoots Copper at the end of the story. Bummer.

Originally published by Giambattista Basile and based on folktales, Cinderella’s story was then retold by Charles Perrault, whose version inspired Disney’s masterpiece. However, the Brothers Grimm also took a crack at this one. In their interpretation, Cinderella still loses a slipper, leading the Prince to bring it around the kingdom to find his true love. In the hopes of tricking the prince, one of the stepsisters slices off her big toe to fit into the shoe, while the other removes her heel. They then have their eyes pecked out by birds as punishment for their wickedness. Also, Iran and Arabian countries might know a version where Cinderella murders her stepmother to free her father so he can marry a governess. Fortunately Disney ignored those versions.

Things are about to get graphic. In the Brothers Grimm tale upon which the animated classic is based, the Queen’s quite a bit nastier – if you can believe it. She attempts to murder Snow White three times, once pulling her corset so tight she passes out and another time brushing her hair with a poisoned comb. As in the film, Snow White does eat the poison apple and is rescued by the Prince, but it isn’t love’s first kiss that wakes her; instead, he moves the coffin, which dislodges the apple. Romantic… Then, in a scene straight outta “Game of Thrones,” the new couple invites the Queen to their wedding and makes her dance in red-hot iron shoes until she dies.

The original story was written by Victor Hugo, the same guy who wrote “Les Misérables,” so you know it was more tragic than Disney’s retelling. In Hugo’s take, Frollo actually rescues Quasimodo at the beginning of the story rather than trying to kill him, but it’s all downhill from there. He still lusts after Esmeralda – who’s only like 16 – and has Quasimodo try to kidnap her. Frollo then frames her for the murder of Phoebus, who isn’t even dead. Quasimodo attempts to rescue Esmeralda, but eventually it’s Frollo who offers her freedom…if she sleeps with him. She refuses and gets hanged, which leads Quasimodo to murder Frollo by throwing him off the roof of Notre-Dame. He then lies with Esmeralda’s body until he dies. Greeeeat.

Hans Christian Andersen’s original tale and Disney’s version have some parallels: both feature a mermaid who falls in love with a prince after rescuing him from drowning, and makes a deal with a sea witch to get legs in exchange for her voice. But that’s where the resemblance ends: in Andersen’s take, every step the ex-mermaid takes feels like she’s walking on shards of glass. Also, she’ll die if she can’t make the prince fall for her. But of course, since she can’t speak, she can’t stop the prince from marrying someone else. She does have the chance to become a mermaid again if she kills the prince, but she sacrifices herself instead. Ugh, we… don’t want to be “part of that world.”

No honorable mentions this time around!

All these entries are dark, but this one takes the cake. Rooted in folktales, this was retold by Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm and Giambattista Basile – with some versions more terrifying than others. While Disney adapted Perrault’s story, it’s hard to ignore the dark details in Basile’s adaptation: the character Talia falls in a death-like state after flax gets under her nail. A king discovers Sleeping Beauty, and when he fails to awaken her, rapes her and leaves. She then gives birth to twins, one of whom sucks the flax splinter out, which wakes her up. The king’s married to someone else, who seeks vengeance by attempting to feed the twins to the king. Fortunately, she fails and is burned at the stake instead, freeing the king to marry Talia. Ah, the wonderful world of Disney!

Do you agree with our list? What is your favorite horrifying origin story? For more enchanting Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.