As one of the most prolific and culturally relevant film companies, Disney has created hundreds of beloved characters. From classic characters such as Mickey Mouse to popular princesses like Belle from Beauty and the Beast and the titular Mulan, there's no doubt these characters are funny, relatable, and lovable.
However, while Disney has some of the best children's movies, not all the characters in their movies are exemplary. Some of these heroes are incredibly flawed, and while most of them learn to be better people throughout their movies, they definitely aren't the best role models.
10 Nick Wilde Is A Greedy Con Artist
Zootopia
The deuteragonist in Zootopia at the beginning of the movie, Nick Wilde, is a fox that works as a con artist. He had a difficult childhood, mainly because this society perceived foxes as untrustworthy and cunning, so he decided to act as was expected of him.
While Nick redeems himself by helping police officer Judy Hopps to solve a series of mysterious murders occurring in Zootopia, there's no doubt that Nick is a terrible role model. Not only did he spend most of his life committing crimes, but Judy actually had to blackmail him for him to help her.
9 Ming Lee Is Too Overprotective Of Her Daughter
Turning Red
Turning Red revolves around Mei, a Korean girl who can turn into a red panda. Before she contained the panda, her mother, Ming Lee, also had this ability. Ming Lee is an overprotective mother who has a hard time allowing Mei to grow up organically and who insists on Mei also containing the panda side of herself.
Although there's no doubt Ming Lee is a loving mother, she's a terrible example of motherhood. Ming doesn't communicate her emotions, which leads her to have anger management issues. In fact, she turns into a huge and scary red panda in the climactic moment of the film.
8 Aladdin Lies To Seduce Jasmine
Aladdin
Aladdin from Aladdin is one of the most beloved Disney characters. Even though he struggles to survive in the hectic city of Agrabah, he keeps a charming and generous attitude. On top of that, he's very funny. He needs to steal to survive, but this isn't why Aladdin is a poor role model.
Throughout the film, Aladdin is insecure about his upbringing. For this reason, when he meets Princess Jasmine, he lies to her and tells her that he's Prince Ali, and he keeps the lie thanks to the magic of the Genie. It's safe to say that this makes Aladdin a poor example of how to flirt with women.
7 Alma Madrigal Almost Destroys Her Own Family
Encanto
The matriarch of the Madrigal family in Encanto, Alma Madrigal, is stern and stubborn. Even though it's obvious that she wants the best for her family, she makes things worse for them a lot of the time. Her impossible expectations for her children and grandchildren create a breach that almost destroys the family.
While Alma believes that she's doing the right thing, it's obvious that she has created an environment of fear and repression in her own home. She resents Mirabel for not having powers, pushes Isabela to marry someone she doesn't love, and ultimately exiles Bruno from the family for being too honest. She's definitely not a role model in how to create a family.
6 Joy Is Too Mean To Sadness
Inside Out
Joy is the main character of one of the most underrated Disney movies, Inside Out. As her name suggests, she's an incredibly cheerful character who is in charge of the emotion of Joy in Riley's mind. While Joy does her best to regulate Riley's emotions, her rejection of Sadness creates a lot of chaos in Riley's mind.
While the movie is a metaphor for the journey of growing up while going through difficult changes, it also transmits the message that trying to push down negative emotions can only lead to more problematic feelings. Joy learns to embrace Sadness in the end, but her stubborn behavior in the beginning was the source of many issues.
5 Eugene Used To Be An Unreliable Thief
Tangled
Eugene is one of the main characters in Tangled, also known by his pseudonym, Flynn. Rapunzel meets him when he accidentally ends up in her tower while escaping from the royal guards. He, then, is forced to help her when she threatens not to return the crown he had just stolen.
Their adventure leads Eugene and Rapunzel to fall in love, but before that, Eugene is an unreliable thief. Not only is he a fugitive, but he also betrays his colleague to be able to escape. This character redeems himself and even puts his life on the line for Rapunzel, but he's not exactly a great example.
4 Simba's Recklessness & Disobedience Led To Mufasa's Murder
The Lion King
While The Lion King is one of Disney's best classic movies, Simba isn't a great role model. The next in line to rule the forest, Simba becomes the target of his uncle Scar's schemes. Scar manipulates the situation to kill Mufasa and occupy the throne himself.
However, if Simba hadn't been reckless and arrogant, Scar wouldn't have gotten the opportunity to murder Mufasa. Simba is impulsive and believes he knows better than others. He decides to ignore his parent's warnings and puts himself in danger, causing the great tragedy of the film.
3 Elsa Doesn't Know How To Process Her Emotions
Frozen
One of the main characters in Frozen, Elsa's life is permeated by her dangerous powers when she accidentally hits her little sister, Anna, with them. This leads to a life of isolation until her parents die, and she becomes the next queen of Arendelle.
However, when Elsa loses control of her emotion, it leads to an eternal winter in Arendelle, and Elsa escapes the town, which prompts Anna to try and find her. Elsa's way of handling her emotions, choosing to isolate herself from the people she loves the most, makes her a terrible role model.
2 Mike Wazoswki Is Impulsive & Stubborn
Monsters, Inc.
Mike Wazowski is one of the funniest characters in children's films, but he can be unreliable, reckless, and stubborn. Although he's a loyal friend to both Boo and Sulley, he also sometimes loses sight of what's important. This tends to lead to problematic situations.
For example, when Mike and Sulley go to Monsters University, Mike becomes obsessed with winning the fraternity games. Mike then becomes irresponsible and impulsive and almost costs his fraternity the games. In Monsters Inc., his careless behavior and stubbornness land him and Sulley with Boo, which is very troublesome at the beginning of the film.
1 Kuzco Was A Terrible Emperor
The Emperor's New Groove
While throughout The Emperor's New Groove, Kuzco learns how to be a good person and leader, there's no doubt that at the beginning of the movie, he was a terrible emperor. Kuzco was selfish, self-centered, shallow, and didn't care about hurting others.
Kuzco used to only prioritize popularity, beauty, and luxury, and he didn't pay attention to how his actions affected other people. Even though the film centers around Kuzco's journey to becoming a better person, if Yzma hadn't accidentally turned him into a llama, maybe he wouldn't have changed.