Everybody loves Disney. “The Mouse House” is responsible for most of what’s huge in pop culture nowadays. Of course, a big reason for this success is how Disney is careful about its image. Mickey Mouse and the rest of the bigwigs over at Disney love to control its brand identity, which is why you’ll probably never see any of their popular characters in cartoons or movies aimed at adults. So, it makes sense that when it comes to edgy cosplays, they would probably prefer that their characters are shown with a little respect.
RELATED: 15 Disney Cosplays Better Than The Characters Who Inspired Them
However, this is 2017 and people love to cosplay, and they don’t always play by the rules. Why be a regular Disney Princess when you can be a superhero princess by mashing up two of your favorite fandoms? Or, maybe you’re a fan of horror films and always thought Disney characters could be just as frightening as Freddy Krueger or Jason Vorhees. The cosplays in this list are some that Disney would probably rather not be seen by the general public. They skew beloved icons into something different, and oftentimes, something flat-out weird.
15 MOULIN ROUGE DISNEY PRINCESSES
Disney Princesses are virtuous and innocent. For the most part, they’re great role models for young girls and boys to admire. If you go visit the Disney theme parks, the lovely ladies dressed as the Princesses are kind and sweet. Cosplayer Yaya Han and a few of her friends decided to ask the question, “What if the Disney Princesses were all dancers at a Cabaret?”
The answer to that question is in the picture above. You see all the favorite Disney Princesses, but in a more... mature take. Gone are the long, flowing dresses. In their place are mini-skirts with sheer tights. This is definitely not the image that Disney would want for its beloved characters. That being said, there’s nothing wrong with some of these Princesses growing up and deciding to pursue careers in the arts. In fact, we say Belle, Snow White and the rest should be commended.
14 JEDI PRINCESSES
Disney used to be really well known for its huge cast of characters from its animated classics. The Disney Princesses, in particular, were highlights for many fans. However, in recent years, Disney has decided to add to its arsenal of amazing characters with its purchase of other franchises, including Star Wars. However, never shall the two cross paths.
Don’t tell cosplayer Rachel and her friend that rule. Taking the classic characters of Snow White and Aurora, these cosplayers decided to ditch the dresses for something a bit more sensible, if you’re a Jedi. That’s right, these ladies have decided that the classic characters just need some lightsabers. You have to hand it to them, seeing this image makes the idea of a Disney/Star Wars crossover pretty enticing. Sadly, Disney would never want this to happen, as it refuses to even make Leia an official Princess.
13 1930’S DONALD DUCK
Every Halloween, people on social media share those vintage Halloween pictures of kids in really odd costumes. The aged look of the image and the crude costumes just make everything look somehow way creepier. The same could be said about this vintage image of what appears to be grown people dressed as Donald Duck.
There are a couple of layers to the cosplay seen here that is sure to rub you the wrong way. First, the look of the various Donalds is so crude and odd that it just looks “off.” Like, perhaps these people all gathered to sacrifice a little child to their evil overlord Donald Duck. Second, look at that person dressed as Donald Duck in a top hat. Instead of going cartoony with his costume, this person went realistic and looks like an overgrown duck that’s scarier than anything seen in the ‘80s Howard the Duck film. Frankly, these costumes are the stuff of nightmares.
12 REALISTIC URSULA
One of the greatest things about animation, especially Disney animation, is the idea that you can have colorful villains that are scary but aren’t on the same level as a horror villain. Maleficent, Jafar and Ursula are all evil characters, but the way they are presented in animation, they’re never going to haunt your nightmares. That all changes when you make them live-action and hyper realistic.
Take a look at cosplayer/makeup artist Jo Skellington as a live-action Ursula. This version of Ursula is unmistakable, but also downright terrifying. The colors, the sneer and even the exaggerated body shape just make what was a sorta scary villain into someone that would probably make Michael Myers ruin his pants. So, for all those clamoring for a live-action Little Mermaid remake, think again. It might not be a good idea to have this character scarring children around the world.
11 CREEPY GOOFY
We’re sorry we have to do this, but if you’re making a list of cosplays that Disney doesn’t want you to see, this Goofy cosplay would have to be near the top of any list. Not a whole lot is known about the guy dressing up as Goofy, other than he’s creepy and probably not someone you’d want to hang out with at a Con.
What we do know is that a while ago, a man dressed as a grown Goofy started posting on 4Chan and various sites. There are multiple pictures and videos of this man and other people dressed as Goofy, doing things that are less than savory. Ever curious what a southern Goofy would sound like cursing like a sailor? Here’s your chance. Needless to say, it’s unsettling and will change the way you look at Goofy forever.
10 DEAD BAMBI
One of the saddest moment in a Disney film, and probably any other film, is when Bambi’s mother is shot and killed. It’s a moment that many grown adults will remember from their childhood. Hell, there have probably been hours of therapy sessions stemming from this moment. But for some reason, there is actually someone who would like to celebrate this horrific scene through the art of cosplay.
In the above picture, courtesy of Chuck Cook Photography, you see some really great Disney cosplayers... four of them, actually. Then there’s the fifth person dressed as a hunter with what you would assume is their attempt to show a dead Bambi or his mother. No judgement, but this cosplaying choice is bold to say the least. We imagine that most reactions to the costume were curiosity followed by sheer horror. Thankfully, he didn’t go the extra mile and include gore. Either way, pretty sure Disney doesn’t want you to be reminded of this traumatic event from your childhood.
9 VINTAGE MICKEY AND MINNIE
We’ve all seen the look of terror on many children’s faces as they see huge Disney mascots roaming around the theme parks. For some kids, however, they’re completely mesmerized by their favorite cartoon characters in real life, right before their eyes. This is the case with the children in this vintage picture, as they meet Micky and Minnie. But let’s be real, if there was ever a time for a child to be terrified of mascots, this would be it.
Of course, the person wearing the costume (sorry True Believers, this isn’t the real Mickey and Minnie!) needs to be able to see the children. In this case, the cut-outs used for vision, just make it look like Mickey and Minnie got into a knife fight before taking the picture. That or they had a very unfortunate accident with a blender. Either way, Disney probably would rather its guests see the fancy, new costumes and not these horror shows.
8 SPIDER-MAN AND ELSA
There’s a recent fad on YouTube that must come to an end. Not just because the people over at Disney must be disgusted by its existence, but also because this fad is gross and stupid. What we’re talking about is the recent trend of grown adults dressing as Spider-Man and Elsa, while engaging in very suggestive videos.
There are a couple key characteristics to these videos. First, there is zero dialogue, just grunts and squees. Second, the idea of shared universes is thrown out the window. In any given video, you could have various Spider-Men, Elsa, the Joker and whatever else cheap costume the creators found lying around all interacting. And last, there’s a sexual undertone that’s weird and creepy throughout these “kids” videos. Frankly, they must be stopped, and we’re pleading to Disney to make it happen!
7 SPIDER-ARIEL
In cosplay mashups, you take two characters from very different fandoms and smoosh them together with a fun result, such as Jedi Disney Princesses. Disney, as a massive corporation that owns many different franchises, would probably want its fans to just leave their characters alone and not create new versions of beloved characters. However, this unknown cosplayer from a recent D23 decided to mash up two beloved characters, Spider-Man and Ariel, and the result is… puzzling.
First off, let’s just say that the cosplayer did a fantastic job. However, this mashup is sure to cause a little confusion. Did Ariel, upon being turned into a human, get bitten by a radioactive spider? Is she now a Mer-Spider? Or maybe there’s no Spider, and she was cut by a radioactive seashell, as indicated on her chest? Does she shoot seaweed from her wrists? These are questions that we deserve to hear the answers to!
6 CRUELLA DE...VINE!
Disney villains are supposed to be scary, right? They’re supposed to be the clear characters that audiences boo. One of the greatest Disney villains is Cruella de Vil. How can you top a villain that is obsessed with hunting down dogs to kill them? She’s hideous and horrible. But what if she wasn’t?
Cosplayer Vera Baby is seen in the above image as the opposite of hideous. She’s actually gorgeous. So, maybe she wants to kill dogs. Maybe she isn’t such a nice person. However, if she didn’t look completely hideous, maybe we could look past her two small flaws? This is clearly why Disney makes its villains completely undesirable. Because if they looked like Vera Baby, then maybe you might have some fans that are torn.
5 AMAZING MALEFICENT
Disney’s Maleficent was a massive success for the company, thanks in large part to star Angelina Jolie’s take on the titular character. Taking one of Disney’s baddest villains and giving her a starring role turned out to be a big success, spawning many cosplayers who wanted to replicate the look that Jolie had in the film. But what if a cosplayer actually turns in a Maleficent that is actually better than the film?
That’s what happened when cosplayer Leanna Vamp took on the character. Vamp’s version of Maleficent has the beauty of Jolie’s, but with a more classic design. To think that millions of dollars and award-winning costume design couldn’t really hit the same success as Vamp. Here’s hoping that if Jolie doesn’t want to do a sequel to the film, Disney could call up Leanna Vamp and hire her on to star.
4 BRER FOX AND BRER BEAR
Brer Fox and Brer Bear, along with a few other characters, come from a part of Disney history that is mired in controversy. These characters inhabit the Uncle Remus stories. These old stories from the 19th century were the basis of the Disney film, Song of the South, which was released in 1946. In the film, a young white boy named Johnny befriends Uncle Remus, an older African-American man, and Remus tells him stories about characters such as Brer Fox and Brer Bear.
The film was a huge hit and had a large amount of critical success upon its release, but in later decades, the film is now impossible to find. This is due to the racial controversy surrounding the story and characters. Needless to say, Disney has pretty much written these characters off and they’re not seen anywhere anymore. So, the costumes worn by these people in the picture would not be anything Disney would want to be seen nowadays.
3 ZOMBIE ARIEL
For the last decade or so, zombies have been pretty hip. Thanks to tons of zombie media, like The Walking Dead, it’s just really cool to cosplay as a zombie. With that being said, how much fun would it be to take a beloved Disney Princess, such as Ariel, and turn her into a horrifying Mer-Zombie? If you’re Disney, that’s probably not something you’d ever want your fandom to bear witness to.
Unfortunately for Disney, cosplayer Traci Hines, decided to take that idea and run (or swim) with it! In this cosplay, Ariel has a decidedly different skin tone, venturing off into the gross green hue. Then she has chunks missing from her arms and face, with blood all over her hands. Many people really hope that mermaids actually exist, but after seeing this cosplay, they might change their mind.
2 NAZI ROCKETEER
Remember the controversy surrounding Marvel and the infamous “Hail Hydra” moment? Fans were aghast at the idea of their beloved Captain America being turned into a pseudo-Nazi. How could Marvel, and by proxy, Disney do such a thing to a beloved character that fought Nazis during WWII? The resulting storyline was a huge source of drama for Disney and Marvel.
So, we’re pretty sure that this cosplayer from the 2014 DragonCon that saw fit to make another Disney creation, the Rocketeer, into an actual Nazi would not be one of Disney’s favorite fans. Granted, the Rocketeer doesn’t have the same gravitas that Cap does, but there’s something very jarring and unsettling about seeing a WWII-era hero sporting a swastika. Let’s just say that it’s probably a good thing that the person under the mask is hidden because we couldn’t imagine this cosplay doing very well at a Con nowadays.
1 GUN-TOTING PRINCESSES
The Disney Princesses are iconic characters. They’re admired by children all around the world. However, let’s be real, most of them aren’t big action stars. That is, until now. As you see in the picture of these cosplayers from DragonCon, they have chosen a new gun-toting angle on the traditional Disney Princesses.
Pocahontas, Snow White, Belle and others are seen in the photo all packing some heat. Imagine how Beauty and the Beast would have been different if Belle was rocking a shotgun. What if Cinderella just decided that a bazooka would have come in handy? Let’s just say that Disney would probably hope you wouldn’t think about such things, and just continue to admire the cute dresses and musical numbers. In our opinion, it’s only natural for Pocahontas to take fate into her own hands with a pistol.
Which one of these cosplays do you think would make Disney the most uncomfortable? Let us know in the comments!