Disney villains are iconic in every sense of the word. They shape the worlds they inhabit according to their whims, no matter what anyone else thinks of them. Furthermore, these characters tend to be extremely smart, even if their intelligence is directed towards fulfilling their self-serving ambitions.

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Although most villains are not evil by birth, many of them develop a sense of malice that leads them to commit terrible atrocities. Unfortunately, very few Disney antagonists end up atoning for their crimes, explaining why they have become universal symbols of hatred.

Updated by Alexandra Locke on August 29, 2022: While there are a plethora of lovable Disney characters, they often have a disliked character giving them grief. These characters have many reasons for being disliked, but it is mostly because they get in the way of the protagonists' goals. With so many characters to dislike, this article has been updated to reflect more of the worst.

15 Ercole Visconti Is A Bully

Luca (2021)

Ercole opens his eyes wide

Ercole Visconti is a pretentious teenager in Luca. With his shiny Vespa and mean-spirited friends, Ercole terrorizes the town of Porto Rosso. Despite supposedly being too old, Ercole cannot help but enter himself into the local triathlon just to spite Guilia Marcovaldo.

When Luca Paguro and Alberto Scorfano arrive in the town, Ercole is no less unpleasant to the newcomers. He yells at them for touching his Vespa and threatens to hurt them if they do so again. Ercole also tries to harpoon the two Sea Monster boys simply for being Sea Monsters. Ercole is a terrible character who has little to no redeeming qualities.

14 Chick Hicks Is Full Of Himself

Cars (2006)

Chick Hicks, Cars

Chick Hicks is a boastful race car in the film Cars. He puts other cars down at every chance he gets, and his constant talk about his racing ability wears fans weary. Chick is also an ungracious winner, making him even more insufferable.

Additionally, when he races against Lightning McQueen and the legendary The King, Chick purposefully pushes The King - causing him to spin out and wreck. To make matters worse, he finishes the race and celebrates, with no regard for the fate of The King. Chick Hicks is a loathsome character who deserves fans' disdain.

13 Mother Gothel Kidnaps Baby Rapunzel And Manipulates Her For Years

Tangled (2010)

Mother Gothel in Tangled looking evil

Mother Gothel enjoys the privilege of youth too much to allow something as minor as child abduction to stand in her way. She hides Rapunzel away in a lonely tower, using the princess' magical hair to maintain her immortality.

Gothel manipulates her "daughter" with fear tactics, which work until Flynn Rider arrives on the scene. Gothel is a mother in name alone. In reality, her affection for Rapunzel is nothing more than a flimsy facade in Tangled. Her villain song is one of the most iconic in all of Disney history, making her a villain that fans just love to hate.

12 Prince Hans Secretly Wants To Stab Elsa And Anna In The Back

Frozen (2010)

Frozen Hans

Prince Hans, unable to secure even a semblance of authority in his home kingdom, decides to take advantage of Arendelle in Frozen. He disguises himself as an eager suitor, all the while plotting to stab Elsa and Anna in the back.

Although Hans is a product of a negligent upbringing, it does not give him the excuse to inflict his insecurities on other people. The Prince of the Southern Isles would have succeeded if Elsa had not managed to break the family curse with an act of true love.

11 Sid Phillips Likes To Destroy Toys

Toy Story (1995)

Sid Phillips

Sid Phillips is the delinquent next-door neighbor to Andy Davis and his family in Toy Story. Sid's most unlikable quality is he way he is willing to rip toys to shreds and reassemble them in new and terrifying ways.

Sid often either destroys toys or dismembers them to create Frankenstein-like monsters in his room. He has little regard for the toys or their owners, and even takes his sister's dolls, so he can destroy them as well. Fans were pleased when finally Sid got his comeuppance at the end of the film.

10 Ursula Manipulates The Innocent Sea-Folk Who Seek Her Help

The Little Mermaid (1989)

little mermaid ursula smiling

Ursula's early life is spent in relative comfort, but her interest in dark magic forces King Triton to banish her from Atlantica in events before The Little Mermaid. After her banishment, Ursula torments innocent sea beings with false promises before snatching their souls from them at the last second.

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Ursula does not let go of her hostility towards Triton, though, which is why she tricks Ariel into accepting her "deal." Interestingly, the Sea Witch is not completely evil, given that she adores her pet moray eels, Flotsam and Jetsam.

9 Percival C. McLeach Is A Poacher

The Rescuers Down Under (1990)

Percival C. McLeach from The Rescuers Down Under

Percival C. McLeach is a poacher based in Australia in The Rescuers Down Under. McLeach makes money by capturing exotic animals and selling them (or their hides) to buyers. McLeach even uses a young boy named Cody to help lead him to the great golden eagle, Marahute.

To keep Cody for his personal gain, McLeach feeds Cody's backpack to crocodiles so that Cody's mother will think he is dead. In this way, McLeach thinks he can keep Cody to help him find Marahute. McLeach is an evil character with no regard for life, and fans hate him for it.

8 Shan Yu Is Dangerous Because He Instantly Recognizes Fa Mulan As A Threat

Mulan (1998)

Shan-Yu-Mulan

Shan Yu's hunger for power, combined with a lack of moral compass, makes him one of Disney's most formidable villains. He is powered by an uncontrollable urge to lay waste to everything that is not under his direct control, threatening the Emperor of China in the process in Mulan.

What is worse is that Shan Yu is incapable of loyalty: he cuts his subordinates down as casually as his victims. Shan Yu is particularly dangerous because, unlike everyone else, he instantly acknowledges the threat that Fa Mulan poses.

7 Gaston's Fate Is A Consequence Of His Own Ego

Beauty And The Beast (1991)

Gaston from Disney's Beauty and the Beast

Gaston is classically attractive, with a burly physique, square jawline, and a luxurious head of hair. Instead of treating his beauty as the privilege it is, he relies on it to sway the hearts and minds of young women in his village in Beauty and the Beast.

Gaston's monstrous narcissism is a reflection of the Beast's selfish past. The fact that the Beast redeems himself while Gaston does not highlights the importance of humility when it comes to character growth. Gaston's eventual fate is a consequence of his own unquenchable ego.

6 Shere Khan Takes Pleasure In Preying On Defenseless Opponents

The Jungle Book (1967)

Shere Khan

Mowgli's peaceful life in the jungle is thrown into disarray when Bagheera insists on returning him to the man-village, where he would be among his own kind (and, therefore, safe from carnivores like Shere Khan) in The Jungle Book. This sends Mowgli on a journey where he meets a variety of new friends, many of whom have his best interests at heart.

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The tiger, on the other hand, is delighted to learn of Mowgli's rebellious streak because it makes the upcoming challenge more enjoyable. Shere Khan does not act like an ordinary tiger in that he does not hunt for food. Instead, he hunts for sport, even if his opponents are much weaker than him.

5 Cruella DeVil Is Willing To Kill A Hundred Puppies In The Name Of Fashion

101 Dalmatians (1959)

Cruella de Vil with her arms crossed as she grins maliciously

Cruella de Vil is a fashionista. Her outfits are impeccably designed and their upscale quality suggests an unaffordable price tag. However, her scornful demeanor and ice-cold heart mean that her only redeeming quality is her sense of style in 101 Dalmatians.

Cruella would rather have puppies brutally skinned than miss out on the opportunity to flaunt brand-new furs in public. Disney villains have been responsible for some pretty major onscreen deaths, but planning to murder over one hundred adorable little Dalmatians is going too far.

4 Ernesto De La Cruz Murdered His Best Friend

Coco (2017)

Coco Ernesto de la Cruz singing in Coco.

Ernesto de la Cruz was once known as the greatest singer in Mexican history, until his tragic death when he was crushed by a bell. Yet, even in death, fans of his music leave him offerings. De la Cruz also holds lavish parties in the Land of the Dead. It is not until later in Coco that viewers see De la Cruz's true nature.

Jealous of his best friend Hector's skills and angry that he wanted them to part ways, De la Cruz poisoned him, took his songs, and left him for dead. De la Cruz's sinister need to always be on top makes him one of the worst Disney characters.

3 Claude Frollo Wants God To Punish Esmeralda For Tempting Him

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

Judge-Claude-Frollo

In The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Claude Frollo rationalizes his misanthropic nature as God's will, making sure that the citizens of Paris are fully aware of the power he wields over them. Frollo is a despicable man - a hypocritical tyrant who sends "sinners" to their doom with a gleeful glint in his eye.

Frollo's worst moment in the movie comes when he performs "Hellfire," in which he begs God to "destroy Esmeralda and let her taste the fires of Hell." The idea that God should punish Esmeralda for Frollo's inability to cope with his desire is unspeakably loathsome.

2 Jafar Forces Jasmine And The Sultan Into Slavery

Aladdin (1992)

Jafar in the movie Aladdin with Yago on his shoulder

In Aladdin, Jafar has been eyeing the throne of Agrabah for as long as he can remember, so he is justifiably angry when he loses his one chance at acquiring the Magic Lamp. Jafar continues to spread discord in the royal palace by hypnotizing the Sultan, but Prince Ali's arrival throws a wrench into his plans.

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The Grand Vizier seizes power without hesitation, packing Aladdin off to a snowy wasteland and converting Jasmine and her father into slaves. It is lucky for the heroes that Jafar fails to predict the outcome of his third wish.

1 Scar Just Wants To Be King

The Lion King (1994)

Scar in the elephant graveyard in The Lion King

Jeremy Iron's rich, deep voice helps define Scar's character as much as the lion's insincere grin. The second-born lion of Pride Rock plays second fiddle to his brother Mufasa - a role he grudgingly tolerates until Simba's birth in The Lion King.

Scar realizes that he can never "be king undisputed, respected, saluted, and seen for the wonder" he believes he is. He launches a brutal takeover before proceeding to strip the Pride Lands down to the bone.

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