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From vanity-driven villainesses to power-hungry male antagonists, Disney has long used gender to shape how wickedness is portrayed. Join us as we explore the motives, traits, and appearances of Disney's most iconic villains — and how the studio's portrayal of evil has evolved across its animation eras. Who's your favorite Disney villain? Let us know in the comments!
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00:00He's mine. What? Oh! This hat better be good. Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're discussing
00:09how male and female Disney villains have been presented on screen throughout Disney's animation
00:14eras. We'll be looking at the differences in motives, traits, and appearances that show us
00:20how society historically viewed evildoers based on their gender and how they have evolved over time.
00:26Quick! Me coat! Me best breast coat! Aye, aye, sir. The sooner we get to go, the better.
00:33Motivations. All Disney villains want something, be it status, wealth, revenge, or world domination.
00:40In the Golden, Silver, and Bronze Ages spanning the 1930s to late 1980s, their motivations were simple.
00:48Power! Forgive me a cruel chuckle.
00:54Classic female Disney villains were motivated by trivial matters, such as beauty, vanity,
00:59and social events. Basically, all the ladies wanted something a man would never care about.
01:05Rags cannot hide her gentle grace. Alas, she is more fair than thee.
01:14Alash for her.
01:16The evil queen wanted to kill her stepdaughter because she was younger and prettier than her.
01:21Similarly, Lady Tremaine turned her stepdaughter into a maid because she was more beautiful than
01:26her own daughters and could get Prince Charming's attention at the royal ball.
01:30You clumsy little fool!
01:32Clean that up. And then help my daughter's dress.
01:35Cruella de Vil wanted to make a luxurious fur coat out of Dalmatian puppies,
01:39and all Madame Medusa desired was a diamond. Perhaps the pettiest of all was Maleficent cursing
01:45Baby Aurora because she wasn't invited to the christening.
01:48I really felt quite distressed at not receiving an invitation.
01:52You weren't wanted.
01:54Not what? Oh dear, what an awkward situation.
01:59Meanwhile, male Disney villain motivations rarely went outside of power and wealth.
02:04They wanted to rule the world, or at least their community, and live like kings.
02:09Or actually be a king.
02:11Be so prepared for the coup of the century.
02:15Be prepared for the murkiest scat.
02:19Scar and Hades both wanted to usurp their brothers and take their place on the throne.
02:23In some cases, their striving for power meant forcing a young woman to marry them.
02:28Looking at you, Gaston.
02:29And Claude Frollo.
02:31And Jafar.
02:32What do you say, my dear? Why, with you is my queen.
02:37Never!
02:39According to this pattern, women only care about social anxieties,
02:42and men's most common aspiration is to have authority.
02:46But we should fear the female villain more,
02:48because if she's willing to kill her own family over something so small,
02:52she must be capable of anything.
02:55Sleeping death.
02:56Oh, one taste of the poisoned apple,
03:02and the victim's eyes will close forever in the sleeping dead.
03:11Character traits.
03:12Disney villains share a lot of the same traits.
03:15They are ambitious, narcissistic, deceptive, calculating, and unapologetic in their behavior.
03:21Plus, they're usually witty, have the funniest movie moments, and sing the best songs.
03:27How those traits are presented in male and female villains differs.
03:30You are too soft.
03:34The Queen of Hearts has an explosive, short temper, and gets angry over the smallest of things.
03:40She's ready to literally take someone's head off at all times.
03:43Sentence first.
03:45Verdict afterwards.
03:47But that just isn't the way.
03:49Always on.
03:50Your ways, Your Majesty.
03:52Madame Medusa and Cruella also have zero chill.
03:56Their aggression and rage are considered traditionally unladylike,
04:00and something to fear, though their quiet coldness can be just as chilling.
04:04Keep the little beasts for all I care.
04:06Do what you like with them.
04:08Drown them.
04:09But I warn you, Anita, we're through.
04:11When it comes to male villains, they're portrayed as emotional and theatrical,
04:16two traits stereotypically associated with women.
04:18The cowardly Prince John isn't respected by anyone, as they preferred his brother as their king.
04:24But his tantrums are less frightening, and more childish.
04:27Oh, mommy.
04:32I've got a dirty thumb.
04:34While the female villains' anger is meant to be scary,
04:37many of the males' outbursts are more comedic and show their weakness.
04:41Guys, get your titanic rears in gear, and kick some Olympian butt!
04:47Whoa, is my hair out?
04:49By making classic female villains masculine, and males effeminate,
04:54Disney signify that these are evil outcasts.
04:57They don't play into the, quote, correct gender roles of the time,
05:00and therefore are not normal.
05:02They also do everything with a dramatic flair,
05:05unlike the modest and humble heroes and heroines.
05:08An even grimmer plot has been simmering in my great criminal brain!
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05:19Scan the QR code on screen to join us live for more non-stop villainous fun.
05:24I'm the one giving orders now, bolt boy, and I think I'm gonna like it here.
05:29Appearances
05:30While heroes and princesses are clearly masculine and feminine,
05:34villains blur the lines and often exhibit both qualities.
05:38We know that they're the antithesis of heroes and heroines in morality,
05:41but how else do we indicate which characters are bad and which are good?
05:45Give them a distinct look that majorly differs from their innocent enemies.
05:50Boo!
05:51Ho-ho-hoo!
05:52You see?
05:53I win, I win!
05:54Aren't I, hideous boy?
05:56Perfectly revolting?
05:58Disney villainesses are always older women,
06:01a contrast to the young, ultra-feminine princesses.
06:04They have angular faces and wear heavy makeup with overly arched eyebrows,
06:09defined cheekbones, and red lipstick.
06:11Like the Evil Queen, Maleficent, and Cruella.
06:15Most are dressed in dark colors, like black with purple and red accents,
06:19while princesses wear soft pinks, yellows, and blues.
06:22They're designed to be unappealing, particularly to men,
06:25and in some cases, they're defeminized.
06:28Their hair is either hidden or cut short,
06:30their voices are a little deeper,
06:32and they have exaggerated body sizes that society deems grotesque.
06:36Look at me, wasted away to practically nothing.
06:40Banished and exiled and practically starving.
06:44When they are confident in their looks, it's played for laughs.
06:48Their age and unattractiveness are often the reason behind their villainy,
06:52like Mother Gothel, who kidnaps Rapunzel to siphon the power of her magical hair for eternal youth.
06:58Now look what you've done, Rapunzel.
07:00Oh, don't worry, dear.
07:02Our secret will die with him.
07:04Disney's male villains don't have the same brawn as the heroes they're up against.
07:08Like females, they're older and always single.
07:11Choose me or you're higher.
07:15Be mine or you will burn.
07:21They're flamboyant, often wearing makeup or what looks like it.
07:25Sometimes their hair is longer,
07:27like Governor Ratcliffe's pigtails and Captain Hook's long curls topped off with a feathered hat.
07:32By case of hoax!
07:33Aye, aye, sir.
07:35Here you are, sir.
07:36Your Sunday set, sir.
07:37If we impress the pixie, convince her we're eager to help her,
07:41the wench may chart our course to a certain hiding place.
07:47From Maleficent's dramatic gown to Dr. Facilier's top hat and coattails,
07:52Disney villains are known for their fantastic wardrobes.
07:55Their costumes are designed with a little edge that's lacking in other character ensembles.
08:00Their fashion is a major factor in how they can be easily identified as baddies.
08:05My rivals back home.
08:07It's not that I'm bitter, but think how they squirm and they see how I glitter.
08:12Disney Renaissance, a shift in characterization.
08:15With the Disney Renaissance, from 1989 to 1999,
08:19female characters, notably princesses, became more independent.
08:23When it came to female villains, they strived for more than just jewelry and party invites.
08:28They wanted power.
08:30You said we were in this together!
08:33You promised me a percentage!
08:35Ursula was set on stealing the crown from King Triton.
08:38She manipulated his daughter to sign her soul away and give up her voice,
08:42giving the banished sea witch the leverage she needed.
08:44The daughter of the great sea king is a very precious commodity.
08:51I might be willing to make an exchange for someone even better.
08:57Because her motivation is something we usually see with males,
09:00the villainess defies traditional gender norms by having masculine traits, such as aggression.
09:06Her otherness also stems from her unconventional appearance,
09:10which was inspired by the iconic drag queen Divine.
09:12Divine was an influence.
09:14Divine was this person that Howard knew from Baltimore,
09:17who's a cross-dressing guy who was in these John Waters movies.
09:20I thought it was great.
09:21It was the ultimate irony.
09:22Like Ursula, Yzma has her eyes on the throne.
09:25After she's fired from her position as Cusco's advisor,
09:28she makes it her mission to take over completely.
09:31Because of her ruthless ambition, she's made to look undesirable.
09:35Rail-thin, angular, and old.
09:38I can't believe this is happening!
09:39Then I bet you weren't expecting this.
09:41No!
09:42No!
09:44Aha!
09:45Oh, okay.
09:46While early Disney movies had female villains, this era featured mostly males,
09:51including Gaston, the first male villain to appear in a Disney princess movie.
09:56If I didn't know better, I'd think you had feelings for this monster.
10:00He's no monster, Gaston.
10:02You are!
10:03Except for Ariel, princesses were no longer in danger of wicked old crones.
10:08They were fighting against the patriarchy.
10:10You said you'd trust Ping.
10:12Why is Mulan any different?
10:14This is also when we started seeing more queer-coded villains,
10:18like Professor Rattigan, who's a sharp dresser,
10:20and like every other villain, presents himself as larger than life.
10:24I have the power!
10:26Of course you do!
10:28I am supreme!
10:30Only you!
10:31This is my kingdom!
10:35Scar's design separates him from his traditionally masculine brother.
10:39He's skinnier, has a darker mane, and captivating green eyes.
10:44Unlike Mufasa, he's nowhere near noble or heroic.
10:47Well, as far as brains go, I got the lion's share.
10:51But when it comes to brute strength,
10:54I'm afraid I'm at the shallow end of the gene pool.
10:58Scar knows that he's not physically strong like his brother,
11:01and later his nephew.
11:03Yet the lanky lion is cunning and cruel enough to plan an initially successful takeover.
11:08Long live the king.
11:12The Renaissance and post-Renaissance eras featured many power-hungry rogues
11:17with more complex reasons behind their actions.
11:19As female villains became more, quote,
11:21mannish in their motivations, appearances, and behaviors,
11:25male villains did the opposite,
11:26developing more feminine traits and looks.
11:29You're so weird.
11:30You have no idea.
11:37Before we continue,
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11:51Modern Disney Villains
11:52Disney villains have always been more interesting than the heroes and heroines.
11:57These days, we love a tragic backstory,
12:00especially when it gives context to a villain's psychology.
12:03Namari, it doesn't have to be like this.
12:06I don't have any other choice.
12:09We're seeing prequels and reimaginings that make the villain more of an anti-hero,
12:13like in Cruella, which explores the titular character's origins,
12:17though it doesn't end with her making a puppy for coat.
12:19Similarly, Maleficent gave the villainess a much better reason behind her acts.
12:24Do all the fair people have wings?
12:29Most do.
12:31Then why don't you?
12:33All the other fairies fly.
12:38I had wings once.
12:39They were stolen from me.
12:40The film portrayed her as justifiably aggrieved rather than evil like her animated counterpart.
12:45She even forms a motherly relationship with her victim, Aurora, and tries to undo the curse.
12:51I swear, no harm will come to you as long as I live.
12:57And not a day shall pass that I don't miss your smile.
13:02In 2013, the studio did something unexpected with their hit Frozen.
13:07Elsa, the perceived villain, is actually the protagonist.
13:19We sympathize with her because we see how her ice powers have affected her life and relationship with her sister,
13:25Anna.
13:26Disney also subverted our expectations by making Prince Hans the real bad guy.
13:31The covert, hidden-in-plain-sight villain became a trend and appeared in most Disney movies that followed,
13:37such as Don Bellwether.
13:38Think of it.
13:3990% of the population united against a common enemy will be unstoppable.
13:46Unlike the classics, today's villains are nuanced and complex.
13:50They're usually sympathetic, more relatable, and still the most intriguing aspect of any Disney movie.
13:57Your kind gesture is deeply appreciated.
14:00Chee-hoo!
14:01Who are your favorite Disney villains?
14:03Let us know in the comments below.
14:09Take a quick second.
14:09Take a quick second.