Walt Disney Animation created a large number of animated movies, many of which have remained relevant despite being decades old. The studio has taken a large number of risks, pushing the boundaries in storytelling and in animated visuals.
Some of their films have been very dark, with the grimmest scenes depicting a villain's death. Many of these deaths have left audiences wondering if the films are appropriate for children. Some deaths have been so dark that audiences and even the characters within the film can't help but feel sorry for the villains.
10 Bill Sykes Ran Into An Oncoming Train
Oliver & Company (1988)
Bill Sykes was one of the smartest Disney villains, but also the worst. He wanted to get his hands on young Jenny Foxworth to hold her ransom for a large amount of cash. He chased her and the rest of the main cast through the streets, and the animals did all they could to save her.
They got her out of the way of an oncoming train while Sykes was distracted by Oliver and Dodger. He threw the two animals off of him, saving their lives. Only then did he realize he was driving straight toward an oncoming train. His death was both swift and brutal.
9 Oogie Boogie Unraveled And Fell Apart
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
During Jack Skellington's battle against Oogie Boogie in one of Disney's darkest animated movies, he grabbed a stray piece of string from the villain's outfit. Unraveling it caused the cloth to tear off of his body, revealing the mass of bugs that had been hidden underneath.
With no cloth to hold them together, the bugs that made up his body started to leak out, falling into molten liquid and dying. It is an extremely grotesque scene, as Oogie slowly started to lose his individuality, his voice splitting amongst all of the bugs. Santa felt no pity, squashing one of the many bugs from his tormentor.
8 Doctor Facilier Couldn't Repay His Debt
The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Doctor Facilier lost Prince Naveen in The Princess and the Frog, so he decided to ask his friends on the other side to track him down. He needed Naveen's blood in order to continue disguising Lawrence. He promised them all the souls in New Orleans.
Without Naveen and his talisman, Doctor Facilier would never be able to make this happen. This is why the spirits turned against Facilier after Tiana destroyed the talisman. They grabbed his shadow and dragged him into their world. The only thing left of Facilier was a tombstone engraved with his name and screaming face.
7 The Hyenas Turned On Scar And Killed Him
The Lion King (1994)
After fighting a losing battle against Simba, Scar attempted to throw the hyenas under the bus in an unforgettable quote from The Lion King. He used the hyenas to rise to power, so they weren't pleased when they overheard him telling Simba that they were the enemy.
The hyenas confronted Scar, and a mixture of horror and realization appeared on his face. Through the shadows, the audience saw that the hyenas jumped on him, and presumably ate him in response to his betrayal. Scar was able to talk himself out of tight situations, but the hyenas were impossible to reason with after he turned on them.
6 Ursula The Sea-Witch Was Impaled By A Ship
The Little Mermaid (1989)
In the climactic final battle of The Little Mermaid, Ursula the Sea-Witch attempted to kill Eric, but Ariel stopped her. The jealous animated Disney villain inadvertently killed Flotsam and Jetsam. This enraged her, and she grew large enough to tower over them. She wanted to finish them off, but not before showing off her powers.
She started a thunderstorm and created a whirlpool that trapped Ariel. The whirlpool also brought some sunken ships above the water, and Eric steered one so that its jagged bowsprit impaled the sea witch. Ursula didn't see it coming and sank below the sea, taking the ship with her.
5 Mother Gothel's Age Caught Up To Her
Tangled (2010)
Eugene cut Rapunzel's hair in Tangled to free her from her promise to her mother in one of the best Disney princess movies ever. In seconds, the magical golden glow left her hair. Mother Gothel shrieked in horror, desperately scooping the strands into her arms. Her hand started to wither, and she stumbled to the mirror to see how horrific her reflection had become.
Mother Gothel immediately covered her face, which benefitted the audience since she continued to age rapidly and horrifically. She tripped and fell from the tower, but aged so much that there was nothing left of her before she even touched the ground.
4 The Evil Stepmother Fell To Her Death
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937)
After feeding Snow White the infamous poisoned apple, the evil stepmother had to flee from the dwarves and the other forest creatures. After scaling a rocky slope, she found herself at the edge of a cliff. With no place to run, she decided to utilize a nearby boulder.
Before she could roll the boulder towards the dwarfs, a bolt of lightning struck the cliff and caused her to fall. The boulder also rolled towards her, as if to ensure the deed was done. What made this scene darker were the two vultures that gazed excitedly at the action with narrowed eyes.
3 The Horned King Was Killed By The Cauldron
The Black Cauldron (1985)
The Black Cauldron terrified some fans in 1985 when it hit theaters. In order to stop the Cauldron-born, Gurgi jumped into the cauldron. After sacrificing himself, the Cauldron-born started to collapse and die. This enraged the Horned King, one of Disney's most powerful magical villains. He blamed Taran who was the only one near the cauldron.
He attempted to sacrifice Taran to the cauldron, but the cauldron was pulling everyone around it indiscriminately. It dragged the Horned King closer, and once he was gripping the cauldron, his flesh started to peel from his bones. Eventually, only his skeleton was left before the cauldron pulled that in too.
2 Zira Fell To Her Death With A Smile
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998)
The Lion King sequel villain Zira found herself hanging on to the edge of a cliff above the water, holding on for dear life. Kiara (one of Disney's best animated characters), extended a paw to her enemy because she believed that they could still live side by side peacefully.
Zira stubbornly refused her help, and after struggling on her own for a bit longer, she fell into the river and was swept away. In the original scene, Zira intentionally threw herself to her death, but this was scrapped because it was considered too dark. However, Zira kept her haunting smile as she fell, showing that she was pleased with the outcome.
1 Clayton Hung Himself On The Vines
Tarzan (1999)
During Clayton's final battle against Tarzan, his shotgun was destroyed in the popular Disney renaissance film. This enraged him, making him pull out a machete before Tarzan moved their fight into a mass of hanging vines. Tarzan tried to resolve the matter peacefully, given that he didn't shoot Clayton and only got him tangled in the vines.
Despite Tarzan's warnings, Clayton started to haphazardly swing his machete, hacking the vines off of him in a fit of rage. He managed to cut all of the vines except the one wrapped around his neck. The last that the audience saw of him was the shadow of his hanging body as lightning flashed in the background.