Top 10 Surprisingly Dark Characters in Kids' Movies

“Scooby-Doo” (2002)
During the Mystery Gang’s 2002 foray into live-action, they accept an invitation from a man named Mondavarious and go to the allegedly cursed Spooky Island. There, island demons attack and possess a few of them. Mondavarious is the obvious suspect. But in a classic “Scooby-Doo” reveal, the real villain turns out to be Scooby’s obnoxious nephew Scrappy-Doo. As seen in Velma’s flashback, the egomaniacal young canine was literally thrown out of the group years before. He soon became consumed by vengeance. He was willing to sacrifice his pure hearted uncle for world domination. Since Scrappy wasn’t particularly liked, we get why he’d lash out. But who thought the little pup was capable of such extreme villainy when it came to his own family?

“Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events” (2004)
After the tragic death of their parents, siblings Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire go to live with a mysterious relative. It turns out their guardian Count Olaf is a serial arsonist, kidnapper, and murderer. He managed to con his way into being appointed as their legal guardian just to obtain their sizable inheritance. Even after they’re removed from his “care,” the failed thespian and master of disguise follows the trio and proceeds to trick and kill their new guardians. When that’s not enough, Count Olaf plots an elaborate scheme to marry Violet. Thankfully, that ceremony fails too. But his constant mistreatment of the Baudelaires, attempts to kill them, and implication that he could threaten them again make him very disturbing.

“The Incredibles” (2004)
As a kid, Buddy Pine, aka Incrediboy, just wanted to be Mr. Incredibles' sidekick. But after the superhero rejected the annoying fanboy, the young fan grew into a bitter villain. It took fifteen years before Buddy revealed that he became Syndrome. Unfortunately, his feelings of resentment extended past his former idol. Syndrome prided himself as the inventor of the superhero-killing Omnidroids. After assassinating several good guys, the villain tried to eliminate most of the Incredibles. Syndrome even attempted to abduct Jack-Jack and turn the baby evil. Ultimately, the big bad’s plans fail and he meets a shockingly gruesome end. But his devolution from a happy kid to a sociopathic evil mastermind cemented him as arguably the darkest Pixar villain.

“Matilda” (1996)
Since Matilda Wormwood had a pretty rough home life, she thought attending Crunchem Hall Elementary School would be a complete reprieve. However, it becomes another toxic environment thanks to Miss Agatha Trunchbull. The absolutely ghoulish principal physically and verbally torments anyone who gets on her bad side. Her outlandish punishment methods include being forced to over-eat, tossed out of windows, and locked inside the horrifying Chokey device. Not only is Trunchbull beyond reprehensible, she’s also the implied murderer of Jennifer Honey’s father. While her character may be ridiculous and played for laughs, her long rap sheet of crimes make her a serious threat. We’re still haunted by the very idea of a school with Trunchbull in charge.

“Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers” (2022)
With their old friend/co-star Monterey “Monty” Jack missing, an estranged Chip and Dale work together to track him down. This leads them to the Valley Gang and its leader Sweet Pete, the middle-aged cartoon “actor” known for playing Peter Pan, the boy who never grows up. After the industry discarded him for aging, he established himself as a crime boss. Pete started a toon-trafficking and bootlegging business. He also kidnapped characters who couldn’t pay their debt while forcibly modifying their appearance. For his final trick, Sweet Pete enslaves them to perform in knock-off versions of shows/movies. His operation is grim enough. But the fact that his victims are altered in excruciating ways is particularly horrifying.

“101 Dalmatians” (1961)
Okay, first off, anyone who thinks it’s okay to hurt animals is just evil. So, the classic Disney villainess who sought to dispatch adorable puppies certainly had to make this list. In the 1961 animated film, the wealthy and fashionable Cruella De Vil makes an impression right away. She’s rude and classist toward her supposed friend Anita and husband Roger. When the Darlings’ Dalmatians have a massive litter of puppies, the fur-obsessed heiress concocts a plan to buy them. Why? So she could design a coat using their fur. Cruella and her henchmen Horace and Jasper went to great lengths to capture the pups. While the dalmatians thankfully escape, we’ll never forget her frightening face during her most unhinged moment.

“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1996)
We know humans are capable of being horrible on their own, no mystical powers or intimidating proportions needed. This is what makes Judge Claude Frollo a rather unique animated villain. Although he’s not a scary monster on the outside, he still manages to be one of Disney’s most evil characters. And his political and religious influence enables him to get away with plenty of abhorrent actions. Kids likely aren’t able to fully grasp all of the dark implications that come with his “mission” to eliminate all Romani people. But Frollo’s history of mistreatment toward Quasimodo and his intense lust for Esmeralda are prime examples of his devious nature.

“Harry Potter” franchise (2001-11)
The “Harry Potter” franchise has plenty of scary characters and creatures, like the happiness-draining dementors. But no being is more terrifying than You-Know-Who. As Tom Marvolo Riddle grew and excelled at Hogwarts he took a particular interest in the Dark Arts. Eventually Riddle adopted the cruel mentality that pure-blooded wizards deserved to rule over all others and gave himself a more sinister title. As Lord Voldemort, his acts of violence and destruction instilled so much fear that people referred to him as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. His most infamous crime was the murder of James and Lily Potter and his failed attempt to kill their son Harry. And although Voldemort faced death multiple times, he found ways to return and continue his reign of terror.

“Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” (1988)
This live-action/animated hybrid serves up a double dose of darkness with Toontown’s aptly named Judge Doom. When we’re introduced to him, he dissolves a whimpering cartoon shoe using his infamous Dip. That scene alone is stomach-churning. But it turned out that his ruthlessness knew no bounds. He lied, cheated, and killed his way into a position of power. Judge Doom also plotted to completely wipe out Toontown and its inhabitants to build a freeway. Near the end of the film, Doom delivers two massive reveals. Underneath his human exterior, he’s actually a toon. He’s also the one who killed Eddie Valiant’s brother. Doom was already frightening in his human form. But after his toon transformation, this cruel and deranged man became pure nightmare fuel.

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

Underneath His Sweet Strawberry Scent, This Tyrannical Teddy Was a Harsh Prison Warden

The Musician Built a Successful Career Using the Stolen Songs of the Man He Murdered

Something About the Cruel King Candy Bugged Us From the Start

A True Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

The Old Explorer Is Actually a Serial Murderer Who Tries to Kill Russell

“Coraline” (2009)
When the lonely and adventurous Coraline Jones goes through a special door, she finds a whimsical world that seems too good to be true…and it is. A lot of that is due to the Other Mother. This villain showers Coraline with love and care. But everything changes when the kid decides not to stay in the new dimension by sewing buttons over her eyes. In an instant, the Other Mother emotionally and physically changes. We soon see that she’s a tyrant who subjects anyone under her employ to brutal punishments. The Other Mother also had no problem stealing souls. Long before The Other Mother’s loving facade falls and she changes into an arachnid-like soul-stealing Beldam, we knew she was a true monster.