- 6 weeks ago
Brains, not brawn, are what make these Disney villains so dangerous. From master manipulators and ruthless schemers to tech-savvy masterminds and cold-hearted tacticians, these animated baddies know exactly how to exploit weakness and stay several steps ahead. Which evil genius do you think was the most cunning of them all? Let us know in the comments!
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00He has no weaknesses. He's gonna...
00:04I think he does, Meg.
00:07Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:09And today, we're counting down our picks for the Disney villains who use their brains to scheme, manipulate, and stay
00:15one step ahead.
00:16Turns out there are a lot of people, whole countries, who want respect.
00:19And they will pay through the nose to get it.
00:22How do you think I got rich?
00:25Number 20. Evelyn Dever, aka Screenslaver.
00:28Incredibles 2.
00:30A villain for the modern age, Evelyn Dever weaponizes the digital era itself.
00:35What if the pizza guy is really a pizza guy, but it was controlled by the screens built into his...
00:43You are good.
00:44Gone are the days of flashy powers or brute force.
00:48All she needs is to exploit just how easily we surrender our lives to screens.
00:52Who needs magic when she can hijack our attention and our minds and turn our own habits against us?
00:58Go ahead. Send your supers to stop me.
01:02Grab your snacks. Watch your screens and see what happens.
01:06You are no longer in control.
01:09I am.
01:11That's what makes her so chilling.
01:13Her entire scheme is built on the way we already live, exposing a weakness we all share, making her plot
01:18feel uncomfortably close to home.
01:20It's a sharp, unsettling reminder that in the digital era, the real danger might be the screens we trust most.
01:26Can you imagine what Mr. Free Enterprise would do with my hypnosis technology?
01:31Worse than what you're doing?
01:32Hey, I'm using the technology to destroy people's trust in it.
01:37Number 19. Lotso Hug and Bear, Toy Story 3.
01:41Lotso isn't just a strawberry-scented teddy with a southern drawl.
01:44He's the mastermind of Sunnyside's toy hierarchy, running the daycare like his own plushy prison.
01:50But my friends don't belong now.
01:51Oh, none of us do. I agree, which is why, for the good of our community, we ask the newer
01:58toys, the stronger ones, to take on the hardships the rest of us can't bear anymore.
02:03He's got the charm to win over newcomers, and the ruthlessness to keep everyone else in line, dividing the toys
02:09with a calculated mix of rewards and punishments.
02:12Like Stinky Pete before him, Lotso's villainy is rooted in the sting of abandonment, twisting his need for love into
02:19a need for control.
02:20She replaced all of us, didn't she?
02:26She don't love you no more.
02:29Now come on!
02:30It's that blend of wounded vulnerability and cold strategy that turned him into the kind of toy who'd rather send
02:37others toward the incinerator than feel an ounce of vulnerability himself.
02:41Just push it! Push it! Push it!
02:45Where's your kid now, Sheriff?
02:48No! No!
02:51Number 18. Maleficent, Sleeping Beauty.
02:54You can't talk about Disney villains without mentioning the ultimate fairytale grudge holder.
02:59And to show I bear no ill will, I too shall bestow a gift on the child.
03:06Maleficent gets extra points because she does so much damage with relatively little screen time.
03:11She doesn't act rashly and exact her revenge in a fiery outburst.
03:15No, the Mistress of Evil earns her moniker by letting her magic simmer, confident that her single, devastating move will
03:21haunt the kingdom for years.
03:22Before the sun sets on her 16th birthday, she shall prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel
03:30and die!
03:32That's the genius of her approach.
03:35Psychological warfare at its finest, keeping everyone on edge with just the threat of her curse.
03:40She turns one slate into a legend, proving that sometimes the smartest villains are the ones who barely have to
03:46lift a finger.
03:47A most gratifying day.
03:55For the first time in 16 years, I shall sleep well.
04:01Number 17. The Coachman, Pinocchio.
04:04The Coachman is one of Disney's creepiest villains because he's a predator who understands temptation.
04:20He doesn't need to force his victims into his scheme when he can lure them in with fun, freedom, and
04:25the chance to do whatever they want.
04:27That's why his business model works so well.
04:30He preys on impulse and irresponsibility, then turns boys into laborers under the cover of entertainment.
04:35It's shady, cruel, and unbelievably disturbing.
04:39Now get below and get them crates ready.
04:43Give a bad boy enough rope and he'll soon make a jack-off.
04:47And the fact that, like Honest John, we never really see him get what's coming to him only makes it
04:52all even more unnerving.
04:54No wonder the Coachman still haunts Disney fans all these decades later.
04:58Please, please, I don't want to be a donkey.
05:01Let me out of here.
05:03Quiet!
05:04You boys have had your phone.
05:07Now pay for it.
05:08Number 16. Shere Khan, The Jungle Book.
05:11Shere Khan is the gold standard for cool, calculating villainy in the Disney Animal Kingdom.
05:16He hates man with a vengeance, you know that.
05:20Because he fears man's gun and man's fire.
05:23But little Mowgli don't have those things.
05:26Shere Khan won't wait until he does.
05:28He's a strategist who's seen what humans can do and will do whatever it takes to keep the upper paw.
05:34His motivations are rooted in rational self-preservation with a splash of pure malice.
05:39He recognizes that Mowgli represents the inevitable encroachment of mankind.
05:43A force he had previously witnessed destroying the balance of the jungle.
05:47So what's the obvious move?
05:48Get rid of the threat to his world and his own life, right?
05:51But Shere Khan, the tiger.
05:54He's sure to pick up the man-cum's trail.
05:58Shere Khan, nonsense, old boy.
06:01Shere Khan is with it.
06:06It's survival instincts to the extreme, but you can totally see where he's coming from.
06:11And that's kind of terrifying.
06:12Now, I'm going to close my eyes and count to 10.
06:16It makes the chase more interesting for me.
06:20Number 15. Mother Gothel, Tangled.
06:23If emotional manipulation were an Olympic sport, Mother Gothel would be carrying home gold.
06:27You are not leaving this tower, ever!
06:37Oh, great.
06:40Now I'm the bad guy.
06:42She doesn't need a magic staff or an army of henchmen to keep Rapunzel under her thumb.
06:47Instead, she wields guilt, gaslighting, and emotional manipulation,
06:51turning every motherly word into a carefully sharpened dagger,
06:54making Rapunzel question her own reality and blinding her to the real danger,
06:59right there in her tower.
07:01Bravians, thugs, poison ivy, quicksand, cannibals and snakes.
07:05The plague.
07:06No!
07:06Yes!
07:06Also large bugs.
07:08Men with pointy teeth and stop no more, you'll just upset me.
07:13She's selfish and a strategist, always two steps ahead,
07:17wrapping her cruelty in faux affection.
07:19She's the kind of antagonist who lingers in your mind long after the credits roll,
07:23a reminder that sometimes the scariest monsters are the ones who claim to love us most.
07:29I love you more.
07:30I love you most.
07:34Don't forget it.
07:36You'll regret it.
07:40Mother knows best.
07:44Number 14.
07:46Jafar.
07:46Aladdin.
07:47Jafar is the blueprint for the scheming, power-hungry villain.
07:50He's always plotting, always watching, and never satisfied with just a taste of power.
07:56Calm yourself here, you.
07:57You're not great, we're on the head.
07:59Swap, wap.
08:00I will be sultan.
08:02Not that adult-blated twitch.
08:03And then I stomp the crackers down his throat.
08:08He wants it all, and he's willing to wait for the perfect opening.
08:11Jafar's brilliance is in how he reads the room, picking apart the sultan's naivety and
08:17Aladdin's ambition, then twisting those weaknesses to his advantage.
08:20So Ali turns out to be merely a ladle.
08:25Just come, need I go on, take it from me.
08:29He plays the loyal advisor until the mask slips, revealing the true villain underneath.
08:34That combination of patience, ambition, and manipulation makes him one of Disney's most
08:39classic masterminds.
08:40We wonder if there's enough room for him, his over-inflated ambition, and all that greed
08:46in that itty-bitty living space.
08:48No!
08:49I'm getting out of here!
08:50Phenomenal cosmic powers!
08:52Come on, your energy!
08:53I love Angel!
08:55Itty-bitty living space.
08:56Number 13.
08:57Professor Radigan, The Great Mouse Detective.
09:00Professor Radigan believes he's the smartest villain in the room, and he has the resume to
09:05back it up.
09:05My friends, we are about to embark on the most odious, the most evil, the most diabolical
09:14scheme of my illustrious career.
09:16He's classy, dramatic, and ruthless, which makes everything he does feel theatrical.
09:22He treats crime like a performance, using kidnappings, disguises, and elaborate schemes
09:27to grab power over Mausdom.
09:29What really makes him dangerous is how polished he seems on the surface while being absolutely
09:33brutal underneath.
09:41He knows how to control a room, intimidate people, and keep complicated plans running
09:46smoothly.
09:47Eventually, though, his debonair facade shatters, revealing him as a feral, snarling monster.
09:52This shift highlights the contrast between his projected image of civilized genius, and his
09:57underlying uncontrolled savagery.
10:00I have the power!
10:01Of course you do!
10:03I am supreme!
10:05Only you!
10:06This is my kingdom!
10:09Number 12.
10:10King Candy, aka Turbo.
10:12Wreck-It Ralph.
10:13Now this is a villain who understands systems, and that's what makes him so clever.
10:18I'm trying to protect her, if Vanellope wins that race.
10:22She'll be added to the race roster.
10:25Then gamers can choose her as their avatar.
10:29And when they see her glitching, and twitching, and just being herself, they'll think our game
10:35is broken.
10:37We'll be put out of order for good.
10:39King Candy doesn't just intimidate his way through the world of Sugar Rush, he rewrites
10:44the rules from the inside, uses every code in the book, and still manages to hide the truth
10:48in plain sight.
10:49What makes him so dangerous is his mastery of deception.
10:52He turns everyone's expectations against them, using his bubbly persona to cover up
10:57a turbocharged agenda.
10:59I'm Turbo, the greatest racer ever!
11:03And I did not reprogram this world to let you, and that holocaust, this riddled warthog,
11:09take it away from me!
11:11When a villain can manipulate both the story and the software, you know you're in trouble.
11:16By the time the heroes catch on, King Candy is already laps ahead.
11:20I'm not letting you undo all my hard work!
11:25Is that?
11:29No way!
11:32Judge Claude Frollo is the definition of chilling control, wielding his authority with a cold,
11:40calculated logic that makes every move feel disturbingly plausible.
11:55For the most part, he doesn't lash out in fits of rage.
11:59Instead, he cloaks his cruelty in righteousness, using religion and social standing as weapons
12:04to bend the world to his will.
12:06Frollo's intelligence is his most terrifying trait, allowing him to justify any act, no matter
12:11how monstrous, as long as it fits his twisted sense of order.
12:15The gypsies live outside the normal order.
12:18Their heathen ways inflame the people's lowest instincts, and they must be stopped.
12:25He never sees himself as the villain, and that unwavering conviction is what makes him one
12:29of Disney's most hauntingly realistic antagonists.
12:32It's not my fault!
12:34If in God's plan, he made the devil so much stronger than a man!
12:41Number 10.
12:42Clayton.
12:43Tarzan.
12:44You hired me to protect you, Miss Porter, and protect you I shall.
12:48At first, Clayton seems to be a charming man, albeit quick to anger.
12:53Serving as the bodyguard for Jane and her father, this manipulative maniac plays the long con.
12:59He preys on Tarzan's feelings, telling him that Jane will only stay with him if the ape
13:04man leads them to the gorillas.
13:06There are no trails through a woman's heart.
13:09Clayton then waits until the team arrives on the ship to reveal he has deceived them and
13:14plans to sell the gorillas to a zoo.
13:16Clayton's intelligence lies in his patience, waiting for the pieces of his ruse to come
13:21together, all while manipulating Tarzan's emotions.
13:24I'm so sorry about the rude welcome, old boy, but I couldn't have you making a scene
13:29when we put your furry friends in their cages.
13:33Number 9.
13:34Yo-kai.
13:35Also known as Robert Callahan, Big Hero 6.
13:38You're going to watch everything you've built disappear.
13:43Then it's your turn.
13:45Hiding behind a kabuki mask, this mysterious specter uses high-tech gadgets to accomplish
13:50his goals.
13:50A genius wracked with grief over the loss of his daughter, Professor Callahan becomes
13:55Yo-kai to get revenge against the man responsible for his daughter's disappearance.
13:59Was my daughter a setback?
14:02Yo-kai harnesses the power of the microbots he stole from Hiro to transform into a shape-shifting
14:08and telekinetic master.
14:11Heartless!
14:12Oh!
14:13He's an undeniable creative genius with advanced technologies, innovating with the microbot
14:19tech to do things Hiro couldn't conceive of, like using it as a shield, or to move quickly
14:24across difficult terrain.
14:26I want my daughter back.
14:29Number 8.
14:29Sean Yu, Mulan.
14:32Perfect.
14:33Not only is this Hun warlord intimidating and seemingly unstoppable, he proves to be quite
14:39crafty as well.
14:40After he's buried by an avalanche, he attempts to use the belief that he is defeated to surprise
14:45his enemies.
14:46Sean Yu accomplishes this by planting soldiers within Dancing Dragons during a celebration,
14:51and having his trained falcon retrieve his sword to ambush the Chinese imperials at their
14:56castle.
15:00He manages to infiltrate the castle and hold the emperor hostage, but is undone by his wish
15:05to destroy Mulan, the soldier that buried him and his troops.
15:10You took away my victory!
15:12No!
15:13I did.
15:15Number 7.
15:16Hopper, A Bug's Life.
15:18Where's my food?
15:21This six-legged dictator is ruthless, and rules over the bug kingdom with an iron fist.
15:26He has no qualms killing other grasshoppers to prove a point either.
15:30He uses the ants to supply the grasshoppers with food in order to survive the winter.
15:35And even when they have more than enough food without the help of the ants, he asserts that
15:39they must continue the practice to keep the ants in line.
15:43It's not about food.
15:45It's about keeping those ants in line.
15:48While you could question his methods, you can't deny that having someone do your heavy lifting
15:53is an intelligent plan.
15:55You let one ant stand up to us, then they all might stand up.
16:00Number 6.
16:02Ursula, The Little Mermaid.
16:03The only way to get what you want is to become a human yourself.
16:08This cruel and nasty sea witch preys on the innocent and desperate, taking advantage of
16:14any poor, unfortunate souls who ask her for help.
16:17Ursula promises to fulfill their dreams if they can complete a simple task.
16:22But if they fail, they're imprisoned forever.
16:25Yes, hurry home, princess.
16:29We wouldn't want to miss old daddy's celebration, how would we?
16:34When Ariel comes to her, she promises her love if she can kiss Prince Eric within three days.
16:40But when Ariel gets close to achieving her goal, Ursula appears in disguise and sabotages
16:45her by charming the prince with Ariel's own singing voice.
16:48Ursula then strikes a bargain with King Triton, trading Ariel's freedom for his own.
16:53This briefly makes Ursula the ruler of the sea.
16:56These elaborate and conniving tactics are proof that Ursula is one smart cookie.
17:16This spooky voodoo witch doctor wants nothing more than to be rich and powerful, which he
17:22tries to achieve with some help from his friends on the other side, and his trusty shadow.
17:27He begins by tricking Prince Naveen and his assistant Lawrence.
17:30Facilier transforms the prince into a frog, and the assistant into the prince's doppelganger,
17:36so that he can take his place in an upcoming wedding.
17:39But it seems our little froggy prince lost his way, and I need your generous assistants
17:45getting them back.
17:46Facilier's endgame is to split inheritance money with Lawrence after killing the bride-to-be's
17:51rich father.
17:52This villain is a true puppet master, orchestrating a complex ruse with impressive detail.
17:58He outdoes other villains by manipulating many characters, and is only brought down by his
18:03greed and an unpaid debt.
18:10Number 4.
18:11Hades, Hercules
18:13What are those?
18:17This fiery and short-tempered king of the underworld wants nothing more than to rule Olympus.
18:25However, he can only do so by ridding himself of Hercules.
18:29Hades begins with making Hercules mortal by having his henchmen slip him a potion.
18:34Then he tricks Hercules when the boy hero falls in love with Hades' assistant, Megara.
18:39Aren't we forgetting one teensy-weensy but ever so crucial little tiny detail?
18:44I owe you!
18:45Hades gets the demigod to give up his powers for a day, and then unleashes the titans to
18:51conquer Olympus.
18:52Had he not broken his promise to keep Megara out of harm's way, his conniving ploy definitely
18:57would have succeeded.
18:58His ability to convince Hercules to give up his power shows us that Hades is a wily and
19:03adept trickster.
19:05Yes, the Hades-wee!
19:07Number 3, Scar, The Lion King
19:10Life's not fair, is it?
19:13As far as brains go, this villain has the lion's share.
19:17This devious and jealous baddie goes as far as murdering his own brother to ascend to the
19:22throne.
19:22He also convinces the hyenas to help him by promising that they will never go hungry again.
19:28In a multi-step plan, he uses the hyenas to scare a herd of wildebeest to trample Mufasa.
19:33Scar rises above the pack by being one of the few Disney villains whose plan actually
19:39succeeds.
19:40No one ever means for these things to happen.
19:44Of course, he later meets his end because he fails to honor his promise to the hyenas.
19:49But he had a good run as king nonetheless.
19:52No!
19:52No!
19:53I can't stand there!
19:54No!
19:57Number 2, Don Bellwether, Zootopia
20:00Congratulations, Officer Hopps.
20:03This metaphorical wolf in sheep's clothing attempts to stir up a revolution.
20:07Bellwether plays ally to the prey class of Zootopia and tries to take power away from
20:12the predators by revealing their aggressive nature using a special serum.
20:17However, she hides her deceitful nature by working as the mayor's assistant.
20:21Thanks to Bellwether's plot, Zootopia's general population loses confidence in the predators,
20:26which allows her to make a power grab of her own.
20:31Over there!
20:33Bellwether's conspiracy affects the entire political structure of Zootopia, and the scope
20:38and intricacy of Bellwether's manipulations prove that she is more than a glorified secretary.
20:43I framed Lionheart.
20:44I can frame you too.
20:46Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
20:50King Magnifico.
20:51Wish.
20:51He maintains a charming facade that keeps the entire population of Rosas under his control.
20:57I founded this kingdom so there would be a place where everyone is safe.
21:03I should, no one should ever have to see their dreams destroyed before their eyes.
21:08Ernesto de la Cruz.
21:09Coco.
21:10He expertly orchestrated his own legend, going to extreme lengths to steal glory.
21:14All this time, I thought it was just bad luck.
21:19I never thought that you might have.
21:23That you...
21:26How could you?
21:28Lady Tremaine.
21:29Cinderella.
21:30A master manipulator whose main goal is to climb the social ladder.
21:34These beads, they give it just the right touch.
21:39Don't you think so, Drizella?
21:42No, I don't.
21:43I think she's...
21:45Why, you little thief!
21:47Yzma.
21:47The Emperor's new groove.
21:49Absurdly inventive, constantly plotting, and one of Disney's most overtly scheming masterminds.
21:55I'll turn him into a flea.
21:57A harmless little flea.
21:59And then, I'll put that flea in a box.
22:01And then I'll put that box inside of another box.
22:03And then I'll nail that box to myself.
22:05And when it arrives...
22:07I'll smash that weapon!
22:09It's brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!
22:11Hans, Frozen.
22:13He played the perfect, charming prince long enough to con everyone completely.
22:17I've been searching my whole life to find my own place.
22:22And maybe it's the party talking or the chocolate fondue.
22:26But with you...
22:28But with you, I found my place.
22:41This dejected wannabe sidekick uses his skills to create a superhero-destroying research and development-proving ground.
22:48Syndrome lures heroes to his island in the guise of giving them work.
22:52And then has them eliminated by his ever-evolving killer Omnidroid.
22:56After all...
22:57I am your biggest fan.
23:00The villain's intelligence is evident in his ability to build an entire organization, just so he can prove himself capable
23:06and take down his former idol.
23:08Not to mention his skill working with advanced technology, which includes rings that shoot paralyzing beams and rocket boots.
23:15Oh, man! I'm still geeking out about it!
23:18While he was clearly intelligent as a child, years of dedication and seething hatred helped mold Syndrome into a true
23:25evil genius.
23:26If only his smarts extended to his fashion sense.
23:30Knock it!
23:30Did your favorite evil genius make the list?
23:33Let us know who we diabolically left out in the comments.
23:37Let us know who we did.
Comments