Top 10 Most Unexpected Plot Twists in Animated Movies

A puppet’s journey to become a real boy sounds like a heartwarming tale. And when Pleasure Island is introduced, it seems like the perfect getaway for kids. I mean, who wouldn’t want to have fun without any rules? Unfortunately, there’s a horrific catch to this so-called paradise. Once the boys are lured to the place and make a fool of themselves, they’re turned into donkeys. Yikes. But it gets worse. The former boys are put into slave labor. Yep, every donkey we saw up until this point in the film is actually a young child. Talk about a dark cautionary tale.

A movie about strange creatures scaring children in order to get power for their city is bound to have some plot twists. While some of the twists are more predictable than others, the revelation of Roz’s true occupation is not one of them. Who would’ve guessed she is the head of the Child Detection Agency? All we see of her is her grouchy disposition, particularly when Mike always fails to submit his paperwork on time. No one was expecting her to be such a powerful figure. She definitely knows a thing or two about being undercover! She really didn’t lie when she told Mike she’s always watching.

Leaving your sea kingdom to follow your dreams of being human can be costly. Ariel is willing to do whatever it takes, including temporarily sacrificing her voice. Despite the difficulty of communicating without her voice, Ariel and the human Prince Eric begin to fall in love. That is, until the mysterious Vanessa waltzes into Eric’s life and enchants him with her beautiful voice. Except it’s not even her voice, it’s Ariel’s. Vanessa also isn’t even a real person, she’s actually Ursula in disguise. The rest of the movie we’re wondering how in the world our OTP will get together. Vanessa’s appearance begins a crazy chain reaction of events we could never have predicted.

The concept of predators and prey coexisting peacefully in one place seems like a dream. Well, that is until predators start to disappear. Swindler Nick Wilde and police officer Judy Hopps are sent on an adventure as they investigate how this is happening. A crime investigation like this one is bound to shock us, but wow! We never could've imagined who the true mastermind behind it all is. Looks can be deceiving because the culprit is none other than the super sweet assistant mayor. Yep, the nerdy sheep had us all fooled.

Ending a trilogy is hard enough as it is. When wrapping up several characters’ storylines, there’s bound to be some unexpected twists in an epic finale. This movie follows Andy’s journey as he prepares for college and figures out what to do with his beloved childhood toys. Of course, we all expected Woody, as Andy’s number one companion, to go with him. In a turn of events, the cowboy decides not to go with Andy but to stay with his toy friends. Across these three films, it feels like we’ve grown up alongside the boy and his toys. The emotional departure between him and his beloved items left fans completely shocked.

Being more compassionate to animals is a concept that some people don’t understand, including this film’s protagonist. The movie follows Kenai as he’s turned into a bear after unjustly ending one’s life. Through his befriending of a cub, he becomes much more understanding. Now, a person learning to see others beyond stereotypes isn’t an unusual trope. The craziest part is when we discover the bear that Kenai exterminated was in fact his new friend’s mother. What! The viewer experiences the secondhand shock, disbelief, and anxiety the characters grapple with at this revelation. Just when their friendship was thriving, the movie takes a drastic turn.

Who wouldn’t want long luscious hair? Especially when it’s accompanied by mystical powers that can create magic. But because of her locks, baby Rapunzel is stolen by Gothel and locked away for 18 years - until dashing thief Flynn Rider enters the picture. In a showdown with Gothel, a mortally wounded Flynn cuts off Rapunzel’s hair in order to free her from Gothel’s control. First, it’s shocking because her hair could’ve saved his life. Second, one of her most defining characteristics is her hair, even in the original fairy tale. To be stripped of that is wild to us! But it just goes to show that looks aren’t everything.

There’s a reason people say you shouldn’t meet your idols. Despite his family’s ban on music, Miguel can’t stay away from it. In an accidental twist of fate, the preteen is cursed and transported to the Land of the Dead. During his journey back to the living, he meets his favorite musician, Ernesto. We’re all happy that he gets to hang out with the legend who inspired his love for music. Well, that’s until we discover Ernesto poisoned Miguel’s great-grandfather and stole his work. We can’t believe the celebrity is a straight up fraud AND he’s the reason Miguel’s family has such a bad relationship with music. That’s too much to unpack!

In Disney films, it’s usually clear who the villain is. This movie takes a new approach as it follows a video game antagonist who wants to shed his evil image. We’re all rooting for the fella as he journeys to Sugar Rush, a game that’s ruled by King Candy. But in a twist, the king is actually Turbo, a whole other character from a game that was discontinued because of his ill intentions. He doesn’t even have the authority to rule over this game. It’s shocking the lengths Turbo takes to ensure he maintains his power. And it’s insane how many characters were impacted by his shenanigans.

Talk about a romantic duo! They even finish each other’s sandwiches. Who doesn’t love a good love story subplot? It’s the perfect balance as the characters rush to find Queen Elsa to restore the state of their kingdom. Well, lo and behold, Hans was just love bombing Anna because he’s the real villain of the movie. Seeing Anna and Elsa’s grandfather turn out to be the bad guy in “Frozen 2” was shocking enough, but the Hans reveal still takes the number one spot. Anna is so sweet and loving. Having her fooled by the man we thought was her soulmate was heart wrenching!

Which plot twist was the most surprising for you? Let us know in the comments down below!