Top 20 Darkest Moments in Disney Movies

“Big Hero 6” (2014) Disney certainly isn’t shy when it comes to killing off family members. But Tadashi’s death is particularly violent. After a fire breaks out at the university, Tadashi tries saving Professor Callaghan by rushing into the burning building. Unfortunately, the building explodes while he’s inside, and the shockwave knocks Hiro to the ground. The death of a close family member is already tragic and traumatic. What makes this even worse is that it happens right before Hiro’s very eyes. At least Tadashi went out a hero (no pun intended).

#19: The Firebird

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“Fantasia 2000” (1999) This sequel came a full 60 years after the iconic original. Like 1940’s “Fantasia”, “Fantasia 2000” combines animated segments and classical music. The final segment of the movie is scored to Igor Stravinsky’s “The Firebird”. And as the name suggests, it is absolutely terrifying. In the short, a forest Sprite proceeds to a volcano and awakens some type of violent volcanic spirit, who proceeds to wreck the nearby forest. The spirit takes the form of a massive, fire-breathing bird with yellow eyes before turning into a lava flow that sets fire to the forest. The visuals are haunting enough, but it’s Stravinsky’s music that really gives the scene its horrific tone.

#18: The Ghost of Christmas Future

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“Mickey’s Christmas Carol” (1983) The Ghost of Christmas Future is always pretty terrifying. Disney continued the tradition with “Mickey’s Christmas Carol,” a short animated featurette that sees beloved Disney characters acting out “A Christmas Carol.” The Ghost of Christmas Future is portrayed by Mickey Mouse’s nemesis, Pete. Pete first appears shrouded in a hood before taking it off and throwing Ebenezer into the grave. A flaming coffin opens and spews fire towards Ebenezer, and Pete laughs as Hellish red smoke swirls around him. It’s a haunting and sinister sight for the kids who were at home watching on TV.

“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1996) The 34th animated Disney movie tends to get less love than the other classics of the Disney Renaissance. But it contains one of the all time great villain songs in “Hellfire.” It’s sung by Judge Claude Frollo, who’s fighting his lustful and obsessive feelings towards Esmeralda. The subject matter itself is dark and mature, and reportedly made Disney executives quite nervous. It also nearly cost the movie its G rating, as the MPAA was considering a PG. It’s not surprising, considering the Hellish imagery, mature subject matter, and lyrics like, “Destroy Esmeralda and let her taste the fires of Hell.”

#16: The Headless Horseman

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“The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad” (1949) Serving as one of Disney’s “package films,” “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad” contains two individual segments - one based on “The Wind in the Willows,” the other on “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” The story is well known for containing one of the most famous villains in literature - The Headless Horseman. Disney didn’t shy away from the character’s scarier aspects, as he appears with a terrifying laugh, a horse with red eyes, a billowing purple cape, and a flaming skull. The resulting chase is the stuff of nightmares, complete with the Horseman’s shrieks, sword attacks, and unsettling music composed by Disney veteran Oliver Wallace.

“The Princess and the Frog” (2009) Facilier is one of the more entertaining Disney villains. He’s perfectly played by the always excellent Keith David, and “Friends on the Other Side” is a great bit of jazz pop. Facilier’s villain song is later reprised when he’s taken to the voodoo spirit realm. The scene is extremely unsettling, as creepy, purple-eyed spirits and shadow figures emerge to surround Facilier, who’s then dragged into the glowing green mouth of a giant voodoo mask. The imagery is like something out of a surreal nightmare, and the pulsing drums add an ominous note to the proceedings. The spirits ask Facilier if he is ready, but no one could possibly be ready for this.

“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1996) This is certainly one of the darkest Disney films, and it opens in a deeply disturbing - manner. Judge Claude Frollo is instantly depicted as one of the nastiest Disney villains of all time, as he murders a Romani woman in cold blood and attempts to kill her baby by throwing it down a well. If it wasn’t for the intervening archdeacon, Frollo would have done it. Disney movies are often perceived as fun, lighthearted entertainment for children. “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” begins with cold blooded murder on the steps of a church, creepy choral music, and trying to send a baby to Hell. Frollo’s words, not ours.

#13: Night on Bald Mountain

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“Fantasia” (1940) As creepy as the Firebird is in “Fantasia 2000,” Chernabog and his minions are on a whole other level. Like the Firebird segment, this one closes out “Fantasia” on an unsettling note. Set to Modest Mussorgsky’s “Night on Bald Mountain,” this segment sees Chernabog and evil spirits running amok on a mountain in the middle of the night. Chernabog’s mountain lair is imposing, as is his physical design - complete with a gargoyle-like appearance and yellow eyes. The floating skeletal figures are even creepier, and the scene eventually escalates into an all out fever dream. It’s artistically brilliant, but also very, very creepy.

#12: The Horned King’s Army

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“The Black Cauldron” (1985) This movie was the first to receive a PG rating owing to “some scary images” (according to the MPAA). The rating undoubtedly comes from the Horned King and his personal army known as the Cauldron Born. Together, they make for some of the most formidable and frightening antagonists in the Disney canon. The scene where the Horned King summons the Cauldron-born still sends chills down our spines. The first thing we see emerge is a wide-eyed, screaming head that melts into a skull. It then turns into a green must that raises the dead. The bump from G to PG really isn’t surprising...

#11: The Maleficent Dragon

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“Sleeping Beauty” (1959) Throughout “Sleeping Beauty,” Maleficent is portrayed as creepy and imposing, what with her black and purple robes, horns, yellow eyes, and green skin. But that sinister exterior is hiding something far more threatening. At the climax of the movie, Prince Phillip storms the castle with the Sword of Truth and Shield of Virtue, and Maleficent turns into a massive dragon to confront him. Even watching it over half a century later, this scene still terrifies! The Prince’s bewildered and frightened face says it all.

#10: The Village Massacre

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“Mulan” (1998) “Mulan” contains one of the most surprising and abrupt tonal shifts in the Disney canon. As the soldiers set out, they sing the cheerful “A Girl Worth Fighting For.” It’s quite a fun song, and it shows the soldiers at their chummiest. And just when the viewer is relaxing and enjoying the cute song, the movie throws a wicked curveball. The characters come across the site of a massacre, complete with burnt out buildings, raging fires, a sea of corpses, and worst of all, a cuddly doll that once belonged to a child. It’s an unexpected depiction of the unimaginale horrors of war.

“Sleeping Beauty” (1959) The Maleficent dragon wasn’t the only scary scene in “Sleeping Beauty.” Aurora is lulled into her famous sleep after being hypnotized by Maleficent and made to prick her finger on the cursed spindle. The entire sequence is eerie, with Maleficent unleashing a green light from the fireplace, which Aurora follows it in a wide-eyed trance. The scene also owes a lot to the foreboding music that plays as Aurora climbs the stairs. It’s a masterpiece of tension-building, and it remains every bit as effective as it was in 1959.

#8: The Bear Attack

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“The Fox and the Hound” (1981) In this movie based on a 1967 novel, a heartwarming friendship takes a dark turn. When Tod, a red fox, becomes best friends with Copper, a hound dog, he thinks their friendship will last forever. Unfortunately though, Copper is a hunting dog, and when the two reach adulthood, Copper turns on him. During the chase, however, hunter Amos Slade becomes the hunted, when a massive bear with glowing red eyes attacks. What follows is a tense and scary sequence in which Copper and Tod team up to defeat the much larger predator. For young kids, this scene proved more than a little frightful.

#7: Giant Ursula

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“The Little Mermaid” (1989) Basically everything about Ursula is blood-curdling. Her octopus bottom half and gangly trapped souls are positively chilling. Her final gigantic form however is particularly nerve-racking - especially the image of her massive head rising from the water. Giant Ursula is the stuff of nightmares, complete with accompanying lighting and thunder, and the hollow, echoey voice that makes her sound demonic. And while villain demises are always quite satisfactory, Ursula’s is more than a little disturbing, as she’s violently impaled on a ship’s bowsprit. Of all the places for “Little Mermaid” to go, Kraken Ursula was a surprising turn of events.

“Dumbo” (1941) Disney knew exactly what they were doing with the pink elephants. “Seeing pink elephants” is a euphemism for alcohol-related hallucinations, used since the early 1900s. When Dumbo and Timothy get drunk on champagne, the euphemism becomes literal. And it’s...actually really creepy. Known as Pink Elephants on Parade, the scene sees Dumbo and Timothy experiencing disturbing visions, including multiplying pink elephants that play instruments, step on each other, and smash each other in giant cymbals. And that’s just in the first minute! And to think, this predated the “Psychedelic era” by 20 years...

#5: The Shoe Dip

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“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (1988) Blending live action and hand drawn animation, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” was a monumental success, grossing $329 million and winning a Special Achievement Academy Award for its groundbreaking visuals. It also contains what is undoubtedly the scariest scene in a live action Disney film. To frighten the Toons into compliance, Judge Doom decides to make an example of a poor defenseless shoe with a concoction known as The Dip. He slowly dips the shoe into the liquid, forcing audiences to watch it panic and squirm around in pain as it slowly melts to death. Needless to say, this scene is firmly ingrained in the memories of ‘80s kids the world over.

“Tarzan” (1999) As seen throughout this list, Disney isn’t afraid of depicting some rather grim and violent ends. But Clayton’s death in “Tarzan” may prove a little much owing to its eerie realism. After chopping his way through vines, Clayton falls from the treetops and accidentally hangs himself when a vine wraps itself around his neck. While viewers don’t actually see the hanging itself, they see the shadow of Clayton’s dangling torso and legs - an upsetting image punctuated by thunder and lightning. It makes for gorgeous animation, but is definitely a dark and disturbing moment that lingers in your memory.

“Pinocchio” (1941) The Pleasure Island segment of “Pinocchio” is incredibly twisted. It depicts children enjoying adult vices - including gambling, drinking, and smoking. They’re then punished by being turned into donkeys. Oh yeah, and the donkeys then become slaves and are sent into salt mines and the circus. Lampwick’s transformation is particularly frightful. Things begin funnily enough, with Lampwick growing ridiculous ears and a tail. But then things get downright horrifying, with a terrified Lampwick begging for help he transitions into a braying donkey. The creepy music and sound effects certainly don’t help.

#2: Bambi’s Mother Dies

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“Bambi” (1942) The death of Bambi’s mother is still considered one of the saddest scenes in movie history - and for good reason. For many kids, the movie was their introduction to the very idea that one day they would lose their parents - or even that death was a part of life. Bambi and his mother are simply foraging for food and minding their own business when the unnamed Man shows up and shoots Bambi’s mother, leaving Bambi grieving and alone. It’s extremely dark material for a children’s movie! Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. The Mob Song, “Beauty and the Beast” (1991) Gaston Rounds Up a Mob to Storm the Castle The Queen’s Transformation, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937) A Terrifying If Iconic Disguise Olivia’s Kidnapping, “The Great Mouse Detective” (1986) The Mouse Is Kidnapped by Fidget Shan Yu Invades China, “Mulan” (1998) The Huns Breach the Great Wall Rourke’s Death, “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” (2001) The Commander Is Completely Consumed by the Crystal

“The Lion King” (1994) Simba’s father’s demise takes everything that was tragic about Bambi’s mother’s death and multiplies it by about a million with a terrifying stampede and some cold blooded fratricide. After the nail-biting stampede sequence, things look up when both Mufasa and Simba escape. That is, until Scar digs his claws in and pushes Mufasa to his death. The murder itself is tough to watch, but it’s Simba’s reaction to Mufasa’s body that has everyone shedding tears. It’s enough to traumatize younger audience members, and to have adults hitting fast forward to skip the scene.