Top 30 Disney Movie Plot Twists You Didn't See Coming

In the fictional backstory of Buzz Lightyear, his arch-nemesis is the evil Emperor Zurg. During a battle on top of a descending elevator, one of the Buzz Lightyears from the toy store gets a very familiar-sounding plot twist dropped on him. Science fiction fans — or really anyone who knows anything about pop culture — knows this moment is lifted right out of “The Empire Strikes Back.” Still, we didn’t expect to see it in the “Toy Story” series. Zurg’s defeat right after leaves room for a couple of big comedic payoffs as a result.

Bigshot racing car Lightning McQueen makes his return to racing at the Piston Cup. He’s got his eyes on the prize, but his time in the little town of Radiator Springs has taught him a thing or two about what’s really important. So when his rival drives the King off the track, Lightning gives up his chance at winning the prestigious race to help the busted-up car get across the finish line. Rather than have its hero achieve his superficial dream, in its climax, “Cars” spreads its true message of prioritizing relationships instead of stepping on others to achieve success.

In this sequel, Michael Banks is all grown up with children and problems of his own. His childhood home is facing repossession, but a last-minute callback to the original film saves it when the iconic Dick Van Dyke arrives to save the day. Van Dyke plays the elderly banker, Mr. Dawes Jr., who arrives with news to alleviate Michael’s financial woes. The tuppence Michael invested in the original movie will more than cover his deficit. While this may kinda sorta contradict the original movie’s message about money, it was a pretty unexpected way for the story to be resolved.

This superhero sequel needed a villain to top the original. They found it in the Screenslaver, a hacker who has somehow developed a technology that can hypnotize people through screens. Elastigirl realizes too late that the villain was right next to her the entire time. Evelyn, a tech genius who was thought to be an ally to the heroic Parr family, is revealed to be behind the entire plot. Her aim to sow suspicion around the very technology she’s using to carry out her master plan is shockingly resonant in a world dominated by screens. But it’s her personal hatred for superheroes that really makes the twist pop.

The voice-stealing Sea Witch is evil from the jump, that much is clear. But she’s not much of a direct rival to Ariel’s budding romance with Prince Eric. That is until Ursula pulls off a devious transformation. She casts a spell that turns her into Vanessa, a raven-haired maiden, and worms her way into Eric’s good graces through magic and deceit. Ariel watches as the man she loves sets sail with the disguised witch, who is about to steal her happily ever after. Disney viewers have seen their share of shapeshifting villainesses, but Ursula really gets under our skin.

When Aladdin first finds the mystical servant inside the antique lamp, he promises to use his third and final wish to free him. This gets complicated when Aladdin is down to his last wish, and thinks he must decide between marrying Jasmine and honoring his promise to the Genie. So far, Aladdin’s gotten by on his ability to outwit others. What clever trick will he use to get out of this one? Well, he doesn’t. He finally makes the unselfish decision, and frees his friend from the lamp. In the end, it’s Aladdin’s good deed that earns him what he actually wants.

For an animated movie, “Beauty and the Beast” gets pretty intense. The Beast, having become a better man, graciously spares the rotten and unhinged Gaston’s life. But just as he and Belle are about to be reunited, Gaston sneaks up behind the Beast and savagely stabs him in the back. Sword fights and battles are one thing, but this surprise is one of the more violent acts in the studio’s canon. It’s an act of cowardice and cruelty that cements Gaston as one of Disney’s nastiest villains. Fortunately, he gets some instant karmic payback, losing his footing and plunging over the edge of a cliff.

How would you like a side of body horror with your Disney classic? Yearning to become a real boy, young Pinocchio is manipulated into joining a puppet show. But when he gets into trouble, he is shipped off to Pleasure Island, where boys his age are seemingly allowed to run wild. Then comes the movie’s stroke of demented genius. It turns out that the boys on Pleasure Island are cursed to change into donkeys, a punishment for their jackass behavior. Lampwick’s horror at his own transformation is actually pretty scary and heavy for kids. Even on a rewatch, the events of the scene stick with you.

As the toys near the end of their time together, with Andy going off to college and taking only Woody with him, there’s a sense of the family breaking up. We assume Woody will wind up sticking with Andy, while the others end up in the attic. This would’ve been sad enough, but Woody intervenes, making it so Andy drops his toys off with a young girl named Bonnie. We are as shocked as Andy is to see that Woody, his longtime favorite, has found his way into the box with all the other toys. Woody and Andy, without ever speaking, both come to the realization that their time together is over.

Ostracized by his community for his gifts, the estranged Madrigal son Bruno is only referred to as a topic the family won’t discuss. For most of the movie, we believe — as the family does — that he simply left the village. It’s pretty obvious the story will find a way to bring him back. However, it turns out, he didn’t have far to come back from. Young Mirabel makes a shocking discovery. She gains access to a secret passage system within the family home, and discovers that her uncle never left. He’s simply made a home for himself in the walls.

Yeah, we know that this is kind of common knowledge now. Just about everyone today is aware of Maleficent's immense power, but back in 1959, this was - more or less - the original Disney plot twist. Just as Prince Phillip is about to save Princess Aurora, the Mistress of All Evil stops him outside of King Stefan's castle. A bit of maniacal laughing and a massive column of green fire later, Maleficent reveals herself in the form of a vicious dragon! This sudden display of power would become one of the most iconic battles and memorable moments in Disney history.

Just when we thought “Big Hero 6” was wrapped up in a nice, big bow, Disney went and blew our minds in a post-credits sequence. Fred stands in front of a family portrait and talks to his dad, but as he touches the frame, the picture opens a bit. Behind it is a small room containing superhero costumes, gadgets, and a sizable computer. Yep, Fred’s dad was a superhero! And of course, you can’t have a Marvel movie without Stan Lee making an appearance. Rest in peace, you comic book legend!

They say you should never meet your heroes, and we experienced that lesson first hand in "Up" when Carl and Russell have dinner with Charles F. Muntz. Charles tells the two he’s been looking for a rare bird that just so happens to fit Kevin’s description. Leave it to Russell’s naivete to let the cat out of the bag, and as soon as he does, the whole tone changes. Charles shows the pair the caps of various explorers he’s met and subtly threatens their lives. It’s amazing how far an old man is willing to go just to take credit for discovering a bird.

“The Black Cauldron” has been known to be Disney’s darkest movie, and with a reputation like that, you can expect some death to occur on screen - although, we certainly weren’t expecting any of it to involve the movie’s comic relief character, Gurgi. After Gurgi unties Taran, Eilonwy, and Fflewddur Fflam, Taran attempts to throw himself into the cauldron. However, Gurgi stops him and cites that Taran has friends whereas Gurgi has none. The mischievous but lovable creature proceeds to throw himself into the cauldron instead, causing the Horned King’s army to collapse. This was too heartwrenching to handle, but we’re glad we got him back before the movie was over.

"Meet the Robinsons" threw quite a few things out of left field, and one of the film's most surprising twists was the identity of Bowler Hat Guy. Throughout the film, we see this guy follow Lewis, and he's only ever referred to by his generically descriptive name. When he finally captures Lewis, Bowler Hat Guy reveals himself as Lewis' former roommate from the orphanage - Goob. This was something no one could have guessed given Bowler Hat Guy's lanky stature and twisted moustache. It doesn't exactly say "former little league baseball player", you know? We're just glad there was a happy ending for him.

While following a wisp to an eerie area of ruin, Merida falls into a hole and finds a hidden temple that recounts a story her mother used to tell her. As she observes more of the scene - noticing a cracked mantle and pile of skeletons, Merida soon realizes she has stepped foot inside of Mor’du’s lair and that he was the human prince in her mother’s story. What’s even more shocking is that not only is the notorious warrior still around, but he was also the same bear that attacked earlier in the movie! Who would have thought a mythical villain would still be around years later?

Most movies like to end with everything going back to normal. However, “Ralph Breaks the Internet” is not like most movies as its ending is more bittersweet than we anticipated. After stopping a dangerous virus from destroying the internet, Ralph and Vanellope say their goodbyes and apologize for their misdeeds before giving each other one last hug. Typically, this would be the part where someone changes their mind and chooses to go back to normal, but as Vanellope ascends the staircase to “Slaughter Race”, we realize this truly is farewell. The arcade won’t be the same without you, kid. *sniffles*

Of all the Pixar movies, none had a twist more grim than this. Throughout the first half of "The Incredibles", we're made aware of the sudden disappearance of a Super known as Gazerbeam. However, we don't discover his fate until after Mr. Incredible's first encounter with Syndrome, who reveals himself to have been the hero's biggest fan, Buddy Pine. It appears that Gazerbeam had died in the caves while trying to hide from Syndrome, but at least he managed to burn KRONOS into the cave's walls and stalagmites prior to. We had a feeling Gazerbeam might have died, but we never anticipated to see his remains as they were in his final moments. Dang, "The Incredibles" is a little more disturbing than we remember…

Lotso may have played the "bad guy disguised as a friend" card, but the original was none other than Stinky Pete. Throughout "Toy Story 2", Stinky Pete presents himself as an understanding and compassionate old-timer. He isn't aggressive about his plans to go to Japan until Buzz and the gang arrive to retrieve Woody. Not only does he lock Buzz and friends in the vents, but he reveals that he's been stirring some of the drama between Woody and Jessie. Stinky Pete quickly turned from a generous ally to a manipulative and devious toy.

Decades later, this Pixar moment still chills us to the bone! When Boo is revealed to Waternoose, Mike explains to the crab-legged executive about the child's presence and Randall's plans. The tone quickly shifts from mildly upsetting to unsettling as a large metal door descends and activates. What follows is one of the most chilling and shocking dialogue exchanges in Disney history. Waternoose was working with Randall the entire time, and the reveal happens so fast that we barely had enough time to process it. All we could do was sit in despair and watch Sulley try to reactivate the door. Of course, we couldn't forget about Roz's secret identity; who could have guessed she was the head of the CDA the entire time!?

This was a reveal that perceptive viewers likely predicted, but foresight wouldn’t have made it any less devastating. In “Brother Bear”, a boy named Kenai is transformed into a bear after angering the spirits by killing a bear to avenge his brother’s death. He is given a mission that he must complete before becoming human again and on the way meets another bear cub named Koda. As the story moves on, we learn that Koda’s mother, who has been missing for some time, was in fact the bear that Kenai killed. By that point, the two have formed a deep bond, and the moment where he has to confess to him is absolutely heartbreaking.

Miguel lives for music. There’s only one problem: ever since Miguel’s great-great grandfather abandoned the family for a music career, they forbid it. For much of the film, Miguel believes that the famous musician Ernesto de la Cruz is his relative. After Miguel ends up in the Land of the Dead, matters get even more complicated. On his quest to find Ernesto and get back to the land of the living, Miguel meets Hector, an old friend of Ernesto’s, and whose living family is forgetting him. It soon becomes clear Ernesto isn’t Miguel’s ancestor, or a good guy; he killed Hector – Miguel’s actual great-great grandfather – to steal his music, which is why Hector never made it home. Now THAT’s some family drama.

Set in the fictional future city of San Fransokyo, a young inventor named Hiro Hamada quickly shows the robotics world what he’s made of, and attracts the attention of Professor Robert Callaghan, the Robotics Department head at the Institute of Technology, and entrepreneur Alistair Krei. As the events escalate, it looks like Callahan has been killed, and suddenly a villain in a Kabuki mask has taken Hiro’s invention, and will do anything to keep it. Both the film’s characters and the audience think for quite some time that Krei is the man behind the mask. When Yokai was unmasked and revealed to be none other than Professor Callaghan, well, we had to pick our jaws up off the floor.

When Hercules first meets Meg, she’s in a sticky situation with Nessus, providing our hero with a convenient opportunity to come to the rescue and impress the damsel in distress. It quickly becomes clear that she’s no helpless victim, and can totally hold her own - keeping Hercules on his toes with her sarcasm and quick wit. Much to Hercules’ shock, and the audiences as well, we learn that she’s been manipulating our hero from the very beginning. Her soul belongs to Hades as a result of a bargain she made to save a past boyfriend, who quickly betrayed her and left her in Hades’ debt, heartbroken and understandably jaded.

When a movie involves time travel, it’s inevitable that there will be some unpredictable twists and turns. “Meet the Robinsons” may be one of Disney’s lesser known animated films, but you shouldn’t underestimate it - it delivers BIG surprises. Lewis is a young inventor who meets a boy named Wilbur Robinson at a science fair who claims he’s a time traveller and proves it by taking Lewis to year 2037. In a twist that no one could have seen coming, it turns out that Wilbur’s dad Cornelius is actually Lewis in the future- and Wilbur is his son! Admittedly… you might have to watch the movie to fully grasp the impact of this one.

We all knew the story of Rapunzel long before seeing this 2010 Disney film, but this modern adaptation takes some liberties with the classic fairy tale. “Tangled” adds dimension to the powers of Rapunzel’s hair, giving it healing powers and anti-aging abilities. As a result, many people are attempting to take advantage of Rapunzel in order to reap the benefits of her magical hair. When her closest ally Flynn (aka Eugene), chops off her magnificent mane though… we were totally floored. It takes us a few moments to realize that he’s actually doing it for her own good. Thanks to a little unexpected leftover magic, the move even secures their happily ever after.

In this video game-inspired film, the titular Wreck-It Ralph is a villain who longs to be a hero. Along the way however, he sets some potentially devastating wheels in motion, forcing him to become a REAL hero to fix his mistakes. In the game “Sugar Rush,” Ralph attempts to help Vanellope, a glitch who wants to become a playable character. Nothing is as it seems in “Sugar Rush” however, and we learn that the supposed hero, King Candy, is actually Turbo, an infamous rogue character. Furthermore, it’s revealed that Vanellope is really a princess and former protagonist of the game Turbo corrupted. It’s complicated in summary, but in-film, this reveal was flawlessly executed.

2016’s “Zootopia” may seem like a fun romp through an exciting anthropomorphic animal world, but if you take a closer look there’s a lot going on underneath the surface. The moral takeaway of the film is about prejudice and bigotry and no one better exemplifies this than the character of Dawn Bellwether. This sheep is introduced as the assistant mayor, and seems as sweet as can be, endearing herself to Judy as a fellow small animal. In the end though, it’s revealed that she is actually the villainous mastermind behind the drugging of predators in the city. Because of her diminutive stature and personality, this one came as a total shock.

The primary villain in Disney’s 2016 film, “Moana”, is a fiery demon called Te Kā. What neither viewers or Moana knew however was that Te Kā was actually transformed into her current state by Maui, the demi-god. She used to be Te Fiti, the goddess of life and mother island before her transformation. While we are initially given the lore of Te Fiti’s history and told that Moana is the one who has to revive her, it’s not until later that we realize she and Te Kā are one and the same.

Red herrings about the identity of the true villain in a film are a dime a dozen, but the reveal of who the true the bad guy is in “Frozen” is something we won’t be getting over anytime soon. When Princess Anna meets the dashing Prince Hans, it seems like a match made in heaven. They even have one of the cutest duets together in the history of Disney songs. So imagine our surprise when Hans turns out to have ulterior motives to rule Arendelle himself. As if this wasn’t enough, we also get a twist ending when Anna is saved by Elsa’s love in the film’s conclusion.

Which of these Disney movie plot twists had you on the edge of your seat? Tell us in the comments.