The films Hercules and Tarzan are often regarded as the underdogs of Disney's most recent releases. Despite being less well-known than the modern classics like The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, they are still beloved by numerous viewers from all over the world.
With all their highs and lows, both movies could be compared at least because their main characters are both male while Disney is more known for their princess movies. It's not easy to say which of the two is better, but it's possible to compare them to an extent.
10 Hercules: The Characters
Tarzan's array of characters is quite unusual and impressive at the same time. It's not often that monkeys and elephants are presented as close friends while a human boy is brought up by a monkey. Jane and her father are peculiar people too and are quite entertaining to watch.
That being said, Hercules is better when it comes to characters, perhaps simply because of how many there and how distinct each of them is. The Olympian gods, Hades' minions Pain and Panic, Philoctetes, the Muses, Megara, the Fates, Pegasus - and all of these were in just one movie.
9 Tarzan: The Visuals
Hercules looks good, but it's nowhere near Tarzan in terms of visuals which is probably because it was released two years prior to Tarzan.
Moreover, Tarzan actually used quite a lot of computer-generated imagery, especially for creating beautiful backgrounds. To create the effect of Tarzan surfing on tree brunches, the team developed a completely new software system Deep Canvas.
8 Hercules: The Songs
Both Tarzan and Hercules are not always remembered for their use of songs as these were mostly done in a comedic manner rather than being the classic Disney drama-like singing.
That being said, Hercules is arguably superior to Tarzan when it comes to singing. The Muses singing as they help narrate the film is absolutely iconic while Megara's part is still remembered as one of the few instances when the love interest in a Disney movie actually had a song of her own.
7 Tarzan: Overall Success
Overall, Tarzan was more successful than Hercules even though both are not considered Disney's best creations. Tarzan earned $448 million on a budget of $130 million while Hercules earned $253 million on a budget of $85 million.
Moreover, Tarzan has an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with an average score of 7.56 while Hercules has an 84% rating with an average score of 7.
6 Hercules: The Jokes
All Disney animated feature films have some amount of jokes to be able to appeal to children, but the number and quality of jokes obviously usually varies from movie to movie.
This is also the case for Tarzan and Hercules with the latter having more comedic moments than the former. Hades and his minions alone provide plenty of laughs while such side characters as Pegasus and Philoctetes aid in this as well.
5 Tarzan: The Atmosphere
It's difficult to emulate the true spirit of what Ancient Greek society was like, but Hercules didn't really focus on accuracy and rather provided a fun location for its protagonist to explore.
Tarzan, on the other hand, is both lighthearted and dark on various occasions while also looking like it could be something that actually happened. Indeed, stories of lost children growing up in the wilderness are abundant which is why believing in Tarzan's story is easier.
4 Hercules: The Villain
One of the reasons why Tarzan's atmosphere was so dark at times was because of its villains. The wild animals Tarzan has to fight are terrifying enough with the real monster turning out to be none other than a man called Clayton.
But when remembering the two movies, many fans point out just how iconic Hades is. He wants the Olympian gods to take him seriously while also being jealous of the power his brother holds. And yet, he is the kind of guy that you sympathize with more despite him being the villain in the movie.
3 Tarzan: The Action
Animation is not always an easy medium to create action sequences in. Sometimes, it can look sloppy or not as dynamic as it should be which breaks the whole experience. Hercules's action is purposefully cartoonish which works well for it, but Tarzan still excels more here.
The Deep Canvas technology allowed Tarzan to swing like an actual monkey in impressive sequences. At the same time, the times when Tarzan had to fight where truly scary making viewers feel for the character even more.
2 Hercules: The Protagonist
Because Disney is known for its princesses, it's not always easy to imagine a male protagonist in their movies. Maybe, this is one of the reasons why Tarzan and Hercules didn't do as well as, say, Beauty and the Beast which was also released in the 1990s.
And yet, both Tarzan and Hercules are very interesting characters with somewhat tragic origin stories. By the slightest margin, Hercules seems to be the superior one here as he has to overcome way more dangerous obstacles than Tarzan and grows more as a character accordingly.
1 Tarzan: The Love Interest
Megara is often remembered to be the damsel who is in distress but doesn't need any help. In other words, she is one of the most independent female Disney characters ever created.
On the other hand, Jane seems to be independent too. She isn't afraid to venture on a dangerous voyage with her father, meet wild monkeys, or fight the injustice she sees done by other people towards animals.