Top 10 Things Only Adults Understand About Disney Villains
There are some things that only adults understand about Disney villains. For this list, we’ll be looking at the most notable influences, motives, and more surrounding antagonistic characters in the studio’s films that the grown ups in the room are more likely to pick up on.
Transcript
00:00 "Does he... a little to the left... have any idea of who he's dealing with?"
00:06 "How could he do this to me? Why, I practically raised him!"
00:09 [Glass shatters]
00:10 "Yeah, you'd think he would have turned out better."
00:12 Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:14 For this list, we'll be looking at the most notable influences, motives, and more
00:18 surrounding antagonistic characters in the studio's films
00:21 that the grown-ups in the room are more likely to pick up on.
00:24 "Cutting your hand off was only a childish prank, you might say."
00:27 "Aye, but throwing it to that crocodile, that cursed beast liked the taste of me so well,
00:33 he's followed me ever since."
00:35 Number 10. Prince John's real-life influence. Robin Hood.
00:41 The character of Robin Hood has long since become a symbol of rebellion and hope in popular media.
00:46 "I robbin' the rich to feed the poor."
00:49 "Rob? That's a naughty word. We never rob. We just... sort of borrow a bit from those who can afford it."
00:56 Although this green-clad bandit is more of an alias for outlaws rather than a real historical figure,
01:02 his long-standing nemesis, Prince John, has a real-life basis.
01:06 John was the king of England for 17 years, and has historically often been dubbed a "bad ruler."
01:12 "This crown gives me a feeling of power! Power! Forgive me a cruel chuckle. Power."
01:22 Throughout his reign, he lost a great deal of land to France, was excommunicated from the church,
01:27 and implemented many contentious financial measures. These actions, in combination with
01:32 a reportedly vicious personality, cultivated the villainous representation we are familiar with today.
01:38 Disney may have emphasized or exaggerated some of these aspects,
01:42 but adults watching will still pick up on the reference.
01:44 "For that good-for-nothin' John, incredible as he is inept, whenever the history books are kept,
01:51 they'll call him the phony king of England."
01:55 Number 9. Scar's historical counterpart, the Lion King.
01:59 "Long live the king."
02:10 He murders his brother and tricks his nephew into exile. That alone cements Scar's place as one of
02:16 Disney's scariest villains, but the parallels between him and Adolf Hitler definitely add to
02:21 his terrifying nature. "I know it sounds sordid, but you'll be rewarded, when at last I am given my dues.
02:30 And injustice and maliciousness will be declared."
02:37 Indeed, the creators of this family-friendly film loosely base this character on one of the
02:41 most evil figures in history. The similarity becomes blatantly clear during the "Be Prepared"
02:46 sequence, as Scar belts out his plan to seize power. His army of hyenas march onward in
02:51 goose-step formation. "And though I may not believe, the point that I must emphasize is,
03:00 you won't get a sniff without me!"
03:03 The imagery takes visual cues from Nazi rallies and parades, intentionally echoing scenes from
03:09 Triumph of the Will. Rewatching The Lion King as an adult and making the connection is certainly
03:13 disconcerting. "Yes, our feet and ambitions are red. Be prepared!"
03:22 Number 8. WALL-E's sci-fi tribute, WALL-E.
03:25 Co-writer and director Andrew Stanton took inspiration from several sci-fi classics,
03:30 such as Alien and Star Wars, when creating this beloved Pixar film. Some mature viewers may have
03:35 even recognized the influence of Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece 2001 A Space Odyssey.
03:40 "Open the pod bay doors, Hal." "I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that."
03:46 For those familiar with the film, it's clear that Hal 9000's ominous yet iconic appearance
03:51 had a strong influence over Otto from WALL-E. Unfortunately for those aboard the Axiom,
03:56 these red-eyed bad guys also have similar story arcs. "Otto, get out of my way." "We cannot go
04:03 home." "What are you talking about? Why not?" "That is classified. Captain, give me the plane."
04:08 "What do you mean classified? You don't keep a secret from the captain!"
04:11 Both AI characters were once friends to humanity, but did not hesitate to turn on them when their
04:16 missions were jeopardized. From the cold, physical appearances to the lethal work ethic,
04:21 Otto's similarities to Hal somehow make the Disney villain that much scarier.
04:25 "Otto, you are relieved of duty."
04:32 Number 7. Shere Khan's valid fears. The Jungle Book. For an anthropomorphic tiger,
04:44 this antagonist's motives are surprisingly sympathetic when you think about it.
04:48 "Why would he want to do that?" "He hates man. And Shere Khan is not going to allow you to grow
04:54 up to become a man? Just another hunter with a gun?" Shere Khan is the prideful, self-proclaimed
05:01 lord of the jungle, and a powerful force to be reckoned with. Despite his intimidating demeanor,
05:06 he really just fears one thing - mankind's destructive capabilities.
05:10 "He's sure to pick up the man-cub's trail." "Ha ha ha. Shere Khan. Nonsense, old boy.
05:18 Shere Khan is within fire area." And we can't blame him. Considering man's use of firearms and
05:25 fire itself, we can't begin to imagine the amount of deforestation or hunting that Shere Khan has
05:30 witnessed. Now, kids and adults alike probably realize that it's somewhat irrational for him
05:35 to target Mowgli for fear of what he may become. "Let go! Baloo needs help!"
05:40 "Fire! That's the only thing old Straub's is afraid of. You get the fire, we'll do the rest."
05:50 But older audiences can also see that his underlying concerns are valid and understandable.
05:56 Number 6. Ursula's divine inspiration, The Little Mermaid. In another life, this sea witch may have
06:02 had a successful career in the legal system, drawing up tricky contracts for those unfortunate
06:07 enough to sign them. "You see? The contract's legal, binding, and completely unbreakable.
06:16 Even for you." But we know Ursula today as one of the most fabulous Disney villains around.
06:21 "Yes, I've had my own complaints, but on the whole I've been all saved. To those poor unfortunate souls!"
06:32 Children, however, probably won't clock the inspiration behind her look. As the story goes,
06:37 one of The Little Mermaid's animators drew up a character design of Ursula that strongly
06:41 resembled drag icon Divine. Soon, Divine's signature makeup, style, and larger-than-life
06:47 persona helped shape this iconic antagonist. Though Divine was first known for their controversial
06:52 roles in counterculture cinema, their captivating legacy will forever also live on within one of
06:57 Disney's most beloved villains. "These poor unfortunate souls!"
07:10 Number 5. The tragic irony of Robert Callahan, Big Hero 6. Big Hero 6 is unique in its approach
07:16 because it gives the antagonist and protagonist of its story near-identical motivations.
07:21 "Callahan's in there. Someone has to help." When Hiro Hamada realizes the fire that led to
07:33 the loss of his older brother may not have been accidental, he seeks justice. It's later revealed
07:39 that the man responsible, Robert Callahan, was on his own path of vengeance after his daughter
07:44 disappeared during a colleague's experiment. Although Callahan may have gone a little off
07:48 the deep end, anyone old enough to have known grief can sympathize with his motives just as
07:53 we did with Hiro's. "That guy in the mask stole my microbots and then set the fire to cover his tracks.
07:58 He's responsible for Tadashi. We gotta catch that guy." That perspective also allows older viewers
08:06 to see the tragic irony in Callahan becoming the very thing he sought to avenge, while afflicting
08:11 a similar fate onto another. "He went in there to save you." "That was his mistake."
08:16 "Baymax, destroy." Number 4. Yzma's toxic workplace, The Emperor's New Groove. We've all had moments
08:30 of frustration at work, and Yzma isn't all that different from us. In the first 10 minutes of
08:35 The Emperor's New Groove, it's not exactly clear who we should be rooting for. "You're being let
08:40 go. Your department is being downsized. You're part of an out placement. We're going in a different
08:44 direction. We're not picking up your option. Take your pick. I got more." "But I...you...uh..."
08:49 In all honesty, Kuzco comes across as an incompetent ruler who has no regard for
08:56 anyone but himself. But as kids, we understood Yzma was the villain and didn't think much of it.
09:02 That's not the case now that we're older. "That's gonna be tough." "Blood rocket." "Because you're...
09:08 I don't know. Look, Basie, you're no spring chicken. And I mean that in the best possible way."
09:12 Looking back, we can't really blame her for wanting to change the way things are run at her
09:18 thankless job, and being upset when she gets the axe, even if her methods are questionable. She's
09:24 just determined to get what she wants out of her career. "That your body is part of a permanent
09:29 out placement." "Hey, that's kind of like what he said to you when you got fired." "I know. It's
09:35 called a cruel irony, like my dependence on you." Number three, Frollo's motives, the hunchback of
09:42 Notre Dame. While children can understand that this minister of justice isn't a good person,
09:47 his motives might be too complicated for them to fully grasp. "Urge the world of vice and sin,
09:53 and he saw corruption everywhere except within." Claude Frollo considers himself a pious and
10:05 devout man in a world full of corruption. Keep in mind that this is coming from the guy who
10:09 murdered Quasimodo's mom and almost did the same to the protagonist, and wanted to eliminate an
10:14 entire population of people. "You mistreat this poor boy the same way you mistreat my people.
10:20 You speak of justice, yet you are cruel to those most in need of your help." "Silence!" "Justice!"
10:25 Regardless, when lustful desires begin to stir inside him after meeting Esmeralda,
10:30 his internal conflict manifests into a violent rampage. Frollo's religious views, sexual feelings,
10:36 and warped perspective in the face of those sensations become crystal clear as you grow up.
10:41 "Choose me or your pyre. Be mine or you will burn!" We're more scared of him now than we were as kids.
10:55 Number two. Hook's justified revenge. Peter Pan. We're not saying that Captain Hook is in the right
11:01 for trying to get rid of Peter Pan. "Tell us one of your adventures. Something exciting." "What do
11:06 you hear about the time I cut off Hook's hand and threw it to the crocodile?" "Oh, I've always liked
11:11 that one." "Me too." But the older we get, the more we see that maybe his motivations aren't all that
11:17 unreasonable considering his predicament. After all, Pan did unapologetically cut off his hand
11:23 and feed it to an ever-hungry crocodile. "Cutting your hand off was only a childish prank, you might
11:28 say." "Aye, but throwing it to that crocodile, that cursed beast liked the taste of me so well,
11:35 he's followed me ever since." It's clear to grown-ups watching that the whole situation has
11:39 left Hook with many sleepless nights and some serious trauma he hasn't fully processed.
11:44 To top it off, Pan is an annoyingly bratty and immature kid, in appearance anyway, who enjoys
11:50 toying with the villain and driving him to the brink. "All right, if you say you're a codfish."
11:56 "I'm a codfish." "Louder." "I'M A CODFISH!" Most adults will agree that some non-violent
12:06 accountability is in order, a metaphorical hand-for-hand, if you will. Before we unveil
12:12 our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Maleficent's motivation, Sleeping Beauty. Adults
12:18 know the pain of not being invited to the biggest event in the kingdom. "You weren't wanted." "Not
12:24 what? Oh dear, what an awkward situation. I had hoped it was merely due to some oversight."
12:32 Mother Gothel's wellness regimen, Tangled. The older we get, the more we understand the
12:37 importance of skin care. "Gothel had found her new magic flower, but this time she was determined
12:50 to keep it hidden." Shang Yu's dark nature, Mulan. The violence and destruction he inflicts becomes
12:56 extra disturbing when you look at it through mature eyes. "The quickest way to the emperor
13:01 is through that pass. Besides, the little girl will be missing her doll. We should return it to
13:09 her." Edgar's logic, The Aristocats. Realizing the absurdity of cats being first in line for a fortune
13:15 puts this villain's anger in perspective. "At the end of their lifespan, my entire estate will revert
13:22 to Edgar." "Cats inherit first, and I come after the cats. I, me, after them." Hans's initially hidden
13:30 toxicity, Frozen. The red flags become way more obvious as you age. Before we continue, be sure
13:45 to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos. You have the
13:51 option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them. If you're on your phone, make sure you go
13:57 into your settings and switch on notifications. Number 1. Predator Gaston, Beauty and the Beast.
14:03 The townspeople of this film's central village are quick to fear and incite violence against
14:08 the Beast, but largely disregard the real monster among them. "So it's time to take some action, boys.
14:15 It's time to follow me." Gaston is the obvious villain of Beauty and the Beast, whose behavior
14:25 towards women is shocking to see as an adult viewer. This narcissistic hunter has set his
14:30 sights on marrying Belle, but he's only really interested in her looks. "It's not right for a
14:35 woman to read. Soon she starts getting ideas and thinking." "Gaston, you are positively primeval."
14:41 Despite her consistent rejections and clear discomfort, he attempts to strong-arm her into
14:46 a relationship. His actions and mindset are disturbing, as his conduct basically constitutes
14:52 stalking and harassment. Here, Disney created an antagonist whose truly evil nature is not lost on
14:58 mature audiences, who know that little is scarier than someone who doesn't understand that "no"
15:03 means "no." "If you marry me, one little word, Belle, that's all it takes. Never. Have it your way."
15:11 Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
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