Top 10 Things Only Adults Understand About Disney Villains

The character of Robin Hood has long since become a symbol of rebellion and hope in popular media. Although this green-clad bandit is more of an alias for outlaws rather than a real historical figure, his long standing nemesis, Prince John, has a real-life basis. John was the King of England for seventeen years, and has, historically, often been dubbed a “bad” ruler. Throughout his reign, he lost a great deal of land to France, was excommunicated from the Church, and implemented many contentious financial measures. These actions in combination with a reportedly vicious personality cultivated the villainous representation we are familiar with today. Disney may have emphasized or exaggerated some of these aspects, but adults watching will still pick up on the reference.

He murders his brother and tricks his nephew into exile. That alone cements Scar’s place as one of Disney’s scariest villains, but the parallels between him and Adolf Hitler definitely add to his terrifying nature. Indeed, the creators of this family friendly film loosely based this character on one of the most evil figures in history. The similarity becomes blatantly clear during the “Be Prepared” sequence. As Scar belts out his plan to seize power, his army of Hyenas march onward in goose-step formation. The imagery takes visual cues from Nazi rallies and parades, intentionally echoing scenes from “Triumph of the Will.” Rewatching “The Lion King” as an adult and making the connections is certainly disconcerting.

Co-writer and director Andrew Stanton took inspiration from several sci-fi classics such as “Alien” and “Star Wars” when creating this beloved Pixar film. Some mature viewers may have even recognized the influence of Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece, “2001: A Space Odyssey.” For those familiar with the film, it’s clear that HAL 9000’s ominous yet iconic appearance had a strong influence over AUTO from “WALL-E.” Unfortunately for those aboard the Axiom, these red-eyed bad guys also have similar story arcs. Both AI characters were once friends to humanity, but did not hesitate to turn on them when their missions were jeopardized. From the cold, physical appearances to the lethal work ethic, AUTO’s similarities to HAL somehow make the Disney villain that much scarier.

For an anthropomorphic tiger, this antagonist’s motives are surprisingly sympathetic when you think about it. Shere Khan is the prideful, self-proclaimed “lord of the jungle” and a powerful force to be reckoned with. Despite his intimidating demeanor, he really just fears one thing: mankind’s destructive capabilities. And we can’t blame him! Considering man’s use of firearms and fire itself, we can’t begin to imagine the amount of deforestation or hunting that Shere Khan has witnessed. Now, kids and adults alike probably realize that it’s somewhat irrational for him to target Mowgli for fear of what he may become. But older audiences can also see that his underlying concerns are valid and understandable.

In another life, this sea witch may have had a successful career in the legal system, drawing up tricky contracts for those unfortunate enough to sign them. But we know Ursula today as one of the most fabulous Disney villains around. Children, however, probably won’t clock the inspiration behind her look. As the story goes, one of “The Little Mermaid”’s animators drew up a character design of Ursula that strongly resembled drag icon, Divine. Soon, Divine’s signature makeup, style, and larger than life persona helped shape this iconic antagonist. Though Divine was first known for their controversial roles in counter culture cinema, their captivating legacy will forever also live on within one of Disney’s most beloved villains.

“Big Hero 6” is unique in its approach because it gives the antagonist and protagonist of its story near identical motivations. When Hiro Hamada realizes the fire that led to the loss of his older brother may not have been accidental, he seeks justice. It’s later revealed that the man responsible, Robert Callaghan, was on his own path of vengeance after his daughter disappeared during a colleague’s experiment. Although Callaghan may have gone a little off the deep end, anyone old enough to have known grief can sympathize with his motives just as we did with Hiro’s. That perspective also allows older viewers to see the tragic irony in Callaghan becoming the very thing he sought to avenge, while afflicting a similar fate onto another.

We’ve all had moments of frustration at work. And Yzma isn’t all that different from us! In the first ten minutes of “The Emperor’s New Groove,” it’s not exactly clear who we should be rooting for. In all honesty, Kuzco comes across as an incompetent ruler who has no regard for anyone but himself. But as kids, we understood Yzma was the villain, and didn’t think much of it. That’s not the case now that we’re older. Looking back, we can’t really blame her for wanting to change the way things are run at her thankless job, and being upset when she gets the ax – even if her methods are questionable. She’s just determined to get what she wants out of her career!

While children can understand that this Minister of Justice isn’t a good person, his motives might be too complicated for them to fully grasp. Claude Frollo considers himself a pious and devout man in a world full of corruption. Keep in mind that this is coming from the guy who murdered Quasimodo’s mom and almost did the same to the protagonist, and wanted to eliminate an entire population of people. Regardless, when lustful desires begin to stir inside him after meeting Esmerelda, his internal conflict manifests into a violent rampage. Frollo’s religious views, sexual feelings, and warped perspective in the face of those sensations become crystal clear as you grow up. We’re more scared of him now than we were as kids!

We’re not saying that Captain Hook is in the right for trying to get rid of Peter Pan. But the older we get, the more we see that maybe his motivations aren’t all that unreasonable considering his predicament. After all, Pan did unapologetically cut off his hand and feed it to an ever hungry crocodile. It’s clear to grown ups watching that the whole situation has left Hook with many sleepless nights and some serious trauma he hasn’t fully processed. To top it off, Pan is an annoyingly bratty and immature kid (in appearance anyway) who enjoys toying with the villain and driving him to the brink. Most adults will agree that some (non-violent) accountability is in order. A metaphorical hand for a hand, if you will.

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

Maleficent’s Motivation, “Sleeping Beauty” (1959)
Adults Know the Pain of Not Being Invited to the Biggest Event in the Kingdom

Mother Gothel’s Wellness Regimen, “Tangled” (2010)
The Older We Get, the More We Understand the Importance of Skincare

Shan Yu’s Dark Nature, “Mulan” (1998)
The Violence & Destruction He Inflicts Becomes Extra-Disturbing When You Look At It Through Mature Eyes

Edgar’s Logic, “The Aristocats” (1970)
Realizing the Absurdity of Cats Being First in Line for a Fortune Puts This Villain’s Anger in Perspective

Hans’ Initially Hidden Toxicity, “Frozen” (2013)
The Red Flags Become Way More Obvious as You Age

The townspeople of this film’s central village are quick to fear and incite violence against the Beast, but largely disregard the real monster among them. Gaston is the obvious villain of “Beauty and the Beast,” whose behavior towards women is shocking to see as an adult viewer. This narcissistic hunter has set his sights on marrying Belle – but he’s only really interested in her looks. Despite her consistent rejections and clear discomfort, he attempts to strongarm her into a relationship. His actions and mindset are disturbing, as his conduct basically constitutes stalking and harassment. Here, Disney created an antagonist whose truly evil nature is not lost on mature audiences, who know that little is scarier than someone who doesn’t understand that no means no.