It's been another great century thus far for Disney villains. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the vilest of the vile animated and live-action Disney/Pixar baddies from every year this century so far, from 2000-2023.
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00:00 "I'd be-"
00:01 "Glad I caught you."
00:05 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the vilest of the vile,
00:10 animated and live-action Disney Pixar baddies from every year this century so far, from
00:16 2000 to 2023.
00:18 We're discussing exactly what makes them so despicable, so expect major spoilers ahead.
00:24 "Oh Sid, do I insist?
00:27 I'm intrigued."
00:28 2000, Yzma, the Emperor's New Groove.
00:33 "Pull the lever, Gronk."
00:36 "Wrong lever!"
00:38 The beginning of the century was a promising start for Disney villainy, with the magnificence
00:42 of the Firebird and the chaos of Morgana and evil Emperor Zurg.
00:46 However, the one who ultimately takes the crown in 2000 is the dastardly Yzma.
00:51 "Take it, Gronk.
00:53 Feel the power."
00:54 "Oh, I can feel it."
00:57 "Our moment of triumph approaches!"
00:59 Once Emperor Kuzco's advisor, she vowed revenge against him and would undercut him in any
01:04 way possible.
01:05 Of course, her hilarious dynamic with her henchman Kronk is part of her iconic charm.
01:10 But what makes Yzma an undeniably great nemesis is her chaotic, overly dramatic personality,
01:17 made even more memorable by the late Eartha Kitt's stellar performance.
01:20 Even after the original The Emperor's New Groove film, Yzma continued to dominate every
01:25 appearance she had, with Kronk not too far behind.
01:29 "How did you get back here before us?"
01:32 "Uh, how did we, Kronk?"
01:33 "Why, you got me.
01:34 By all accounts, it doesn't make sense."
01:35 "Oh well, back to business."
01:39 2001, Randall Boggs, Monsters, Inc.
01:42 "May the best monster win."
01:44 "I plan to."
01:46 2001 gave us the opportunistic, conniving energy of Commander Rourke and the stereotypical
01:52 meanness of Lana Thomas.
01:54 Better yet, it struck the perfect balance between those traits with Monsters, Inc.'s
01:58 Randall.
01:59 Randall perfectly captures that weaselly co-worker who will do anything to rise to the top, but
02:03 with a frightening twist.
02:05 "You still think this is about that stupid scare record?"
02:09 "Well, I did.
02:10 Right up until you chuckled like that.
02:13 And now I'm thinking I should just get out of here."
02:16 Sure, the true mastermind is the company's corrupt CEO, Waternoose.
02:20 But Randall is the bigger threat with his camouflaging abilities and ruthless underhanded
02:24 tactics.
02:25 Tragically, Monsters University revealed that he was once a friendly monster hoping to be
02:29 popular.
02:30 Unfortunately, a broken ego and obsession for glory brought out the worst in him, and
02:35 led to his ultimate downfall and banishment.
02:38 "Mama, Mother Gator got in the house."
02:41 "Mother Gator?
02:42 Give me that sugar.
02:43 Come here."
02:44 "Get him, Mama.
02:45 Get that Gator."
02:47 2002, John Silver, Treasure Planet.
02:49 "Here we coming soon.
02:51 I can't let them find this."
02:55 "Who's coming?"
02:56 It was the year that gave us the disgraced Captain Guntoo and the meme-worthy Reed Vimple.
03:01 But we'd like to give a little love to the criminally underrated Treasure Planet with
03:05 John Silver.
03:06 "Playing in such fine looking distinguished gents took grace, my humble galley.
03:10 Had I known, I'd have talked to me sir."
03:12 This seemingly innocuous cyborg masquerades as the cook for the RLS legacy.
03:17 In reality, he's a conniving pirate captain obsessed with finding the riches of Treasure
03:22 Planet.
03:23 "That treasure is owed me by Thunder."
03:26 "I'll try to find it without my map, by Thunder."
03:30 "Oh, you still don't know how to pick your fights, do you boy?"
03:36 However, Silver is more than just your average swashbuckling cutthroat.
03:39 He doesn't resort to violence unless necessary, and arguably his best quality is the father-son
03:45 bond he forms with Jim Hawkins.
03:47 He gives Jim the confidence to turn his life around for the better.
03:50 Plus, it's really refreshing to see the hero and villain part on good terms.
03:54 "Stay out of trouble, you old scalawag."
03:57 "Why, Jim-o lad, when have I ever done otherwise?"
04:03 2003 - Captain Hector Barbossa - Pirates of the Caribbean The Curse of the Black Pearl
04:08 "You best start believing in ghost stories, Miss Turner.
04:13 You're in one."
04:14 In 2003's melting pot of villainy, we had the more scary-than-evil Bruce and Darla from
04:19 Finding Nemo, and the both scary and evil Warden Walker from Holes.
04:24 But the crook we raise our glasses to this year is the conniving scoundrel Hector Barbossa.
04:30 Once Jack Sparrow's first mate, Barbossa staged a successful mutiny and became the cruel captain
04:35 of the Black Pearl.
04:36 "Did you not notice?
04:37 That'd be the same little island that we made you governor of on our last little trip."
04:43 "I did notice."
04:44 "Perhaps you'll be able to conjure up another miraculous escape.
04:48 Better doubt it."
04:50 Barbossa is a fearsome pirate because he knows how to play the game, forging the right alliances,
04:56 knowing who to backstab at the right time, and reaping the rewards.
05:00 And not even death can keep him down forever.
05:03 Plus his back and forths with Jack make him too entertaining to hate.
05:07 "So what now, Jack Sparrow?
05:08 We to be two immortals locked in an epic battle until Judgment Day and the trumpet sounds?
05:15 Or you could surrender."
05:16 2004 Syndrome, aka Buddy Pine and Incrediboy, The Incredibles
05:26 "I had to make some major modifications.
05:29 Sure it was difficult, but you are worth it.
05:32 I mean, after all, I am your biggest fan."
05:36 Being a superhero flick, Pixar's The Incredibles gave us a plethora of villains to choose from.
05:42 From the sneaky Mirage to the boisterous Underminer.
05:45 But the one who tops them all is arguably the most relatable villain in the film, Syndrome.
05:50 As a child, he was Mr. Incredible's number one fan, and longed to be just like him.
05:56 However, his so-called hero casting him aside broke him and set him down a vengeful path.
06:01 This turned him into one of the dastardliest supervillains, with a high body count to boot.
06:06 "Turns out there are a lot of people, whole countries who want respect, and they will
06:09 pay through the nose to get it.
06:11 How do you think I got rich?
06:13 I invented weapons, and now I have a weapon that only I can defeat."
06:17 Unfortunately for him, even he is no match for a super's greatest weakness, capes.
06:22 Hopefully his story teaches us to be extra careful when dealing with troubling fans.
06:26 "I seem to recall you prefer to work alone."
06:29 2005 Jadus the White Witch, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
06:40 "You're not going to kill me?"
06:46 "Not yet.
06:51 We have work to do."
06:53 In 2005, Disney struck gold when they began their adaptation of the Chronicles of Narnia
06:57 book series, starting appropriately with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.
07:01 Naturally, we'd say much of that success is thanks to the titular witch herself.
07:06 The self-proclaimed ruler of Narnia has blanketed the world in a never-ending winter, and gleefully
07:11 silences anyone who opposes her.
07:13 "Think about whose side you're on, Edmund.
07:19 Mine, or theirs."
07:23 As if her magic wasn't frightening enough, she's also a master at emotional manipulation,
07:28 preying on anyone she deems useful, and essentially blackmailing anyone who's in her way.
07:33 Thankfully, it only takes the bravery of those willing to fight for the true ruler of Narnia
07:37 to topple her icy regime, but there's no denying she's an impressively despicable foe.
07:43 "In that knowledge, despair."
07:47 2006 - Davy Jones - Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man's Chest
08:03 Everyone meets their fate eventually, and if you perish at sea, you may be unfortunate
08:07 enough to have a run-in with Davy Jones himself.
08:10 Once an ordinary sailor, he fell for a sea goddess and became condemned to transport
08:15 lost souls to the afterlife, or recruit them as part of his fishy crew aboard the Flying
08:19 Dutchman.
08:20 "Cruel blood!"
08:21 "Life is cruel.
08:22 Why should the afterlife be any different?"
08:29 It would be wise not to make a deal with Jones.
08:32 If you can't repay your debt, he has a monstrous kraken to drag you down by force.
08:37 Despite his viciousness, he is a devil of principles who suffers from a broken heart.
08:42 What's really frightening is that even if you can kill Jones, who says the story ends
08:46 there?
08:47 "Let no joyful voice be heard!
08:48 Let no man look up at the sky with hope!
08:49 And let this day be cast!"
09:00 2007 - Chef Skinner - Ratatouille
09:09 Queen Narissa made a devious entrance in both the live-action and animated worlds in 2007's
09:15 Enchanted, but for this year, we'll be focusing on a nasty-doer in Paris, France in Ratatouille.
09:20 Although Anton Ego is a frightening critic, he's only doing his job and isn't inherently
09:26 evil.
09:27 Whereas Chef Skinner, the former sous-chef of Gusteau's, is a deceitful, angry little
09:31 pipsqueak.
09:44 He sullies the restaurant's good name to rake in the profits and will stoop to any
09:48 depraved level to spite those who have wronged him.
09:50 The most twisted part is that, despite the happy ending for our main characters, Skinner
09:55 still kind of gets the last laugh in the end.
09:58 And hopefully he'll never cook in this town again.
10:04 2008 - Otto - Wally
10:20 Over 700 years in the future, Earth has been abandoned following a flux increase of toxicity,
10:25 and the last of humanity was shipped into space on board various spacecraft.
10:29 These ships are all controlled by autopilots, including one named Otto.
10:34 We won't be the first or last ones to point out he's Pixar's very own HAL 9000 from
10:38 2001 A Space Odyssey.
10:40 In a world with complex robots like Wally or Eve, Otto is cold and operates purely on
10:45 reason, however erroneous it may be.
10:48 He isn't even aware of any malice or pain his actions cause.
11:05 All he knows is his programming and the orders he's been given.
11:08 That is arguably more terrifying than a villain who's fully aware of their misdoings.
11:21 2009 - Doctor Facilier aka The Shadow Man - The Princess and the Frog
11:39 Charles Muntz from Up taught us a valuable lesson about being wary of those we idolize,
11:44 but for 2009's villain of the year, we're giving it up to the suave, devious Doctor
11:49 Facilier.
11:50 This smooth witch doctor has voodoo, hoodoo, and all kinds of dark magic up his sleeves,
11:55 compliments of his friends on the other side.
11:57 But arguably his deadliest tool is his charisma.
12:11 The bad doctor is able to trick anyone into seeing things his way, and allying with him
12:15 is on par with making a deal with the devil.
12:18 Sadly, for him, The Shadow Man's convincing ways couldn't save him from the debt he
12:23 owed his otherworldly friends.
12:28 2010 - Mother Gothel - Tangled
12:40 While 2010 gave us plenty of heavy hitters such as Lotso or the Red Queen, our choice
12:45 for this year hits closer to home.
12:47 Obsessed with preserving her fleeting youth, Mother Gothel abducts Rapunzel and keeps her
12:52 isolated in a tower, using her adoptive daughter's magical hair for her own selfish needs.
12:57 She manipulates poor Rapunzel to feel dependent on her and is even willing to kill to get
13:02 what she wants.
13:16 While evil matrons are nothing new to Disney, Gothel's emotional puppetry makes her five
13:21 times as despicable.
13:23 To make it even worse, the Tangled series reveals that she abandoned her biological
13:27 daughter to take Rapunzel.
13:29 Wow, lady!
13:31 2011 - Texley, Tex Richman - The Muppets
13:50 2011 saw the triumphant theatrical return of The Muppets, but there's still one major
13:55 obstacle standing in their way - Mr. Tex Richman.
13:58 This conniving oil baron aims to tear down the Muppet theater to take the oil underneath,
14:03 and has no qualms about sabotaging the troupe to get what he wants.
14:21 His villainy may be cliched, but his inability to laugh is kind of tragic - especially if
14:26 he's too bitter to laugh at the iconic comedy team.
14:29 The fact that he wins in the end only adds to the whole affair.
14:32 Of course, The Muppets' popularity - plus a hilariously convenient accident and Mr.
14:37 Richman seeing the error of his ways - ensures that our favorite puppet family will never
14:42 truly be gone.
14:46 2012 - King Candy, aka Turbo - Wreck-It Ralph
14:53 2012 was a crowning year for corrupt royals.
15:03 Brave gave us Mordu, the arrogant prince turned bear.
15:06 Wreck-It Ralph, for its part, gave us our pick for this list - King Candy.
15:10 On the surface, Candy is the eccentric ruler of Sugar Rush who only wants the best for
15:14 his people - but in reality, he's the disgraced video game character, Racer Turbo.
15:28 His ego drove him to abandon his game and take over a more popular racing game.
15:33 Some time after that failed, he entered Sugar Rush, turning the kingdom's true ruler,
15:37 Vanellope, into an ostracized glitch.
15:40 His selfishness and willingness to hurt everyone around him just to satisfy his thirst for
15:44 power make him more of a villain than Ralph could ever be.
15:50 2013 - Prince Hans of the Southern Isles - Frozen
16:10 At first, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles seemed like your typical Disney love interest
16:14 - chivalrous, brave, and with a semi-adorable chemistry with Anna.
16:19 But near the end of the film, his actual personality becomes evident.
16:23 In reality, he's an opportunistic creep desperate to rule a kingdom.
16:27 And he isn't above manipulation, sabotage, or murder to get what he wants.
16:42 He had been toying with Anna since they met, using her loneliness to get closer to the
16:47 kingdom and scheme to take Elsa out the first chance he got.
16:50 Not only is he a great example of a twist villain, he also proves you shouldn't give
16:54 your trust away too freely.
16:56 Plus, seeing him get his comeuppance is extremely satisfying.
17:05 2014 - Robert Callahan, aka Yo-Kai - Big Hero 6
17:23 2014's Maleficent turns Sleeping Beauty's King Stefan from a humble ruler into a monstrous
17:29 man.
17:30 Meanwhile, that same year, Big Hero 6 introduced the mysterious Yo-Kai - or should we say,
17:35 Professor Callahan.
17:36 For context, Callahan is a respected university professor who supposedly perishes in an explosion.
17:43 In reality, he fakes his death to steal microbots and dons the cloaked supervillain identity
17:48 to enact revenge on the company that took his daughter away from him.
18:00 We want to sympathize with him as a broken-hearted father, but the way he callously disregards
18:05 how one of his students sacrificed themselves to save him in the movie left a sour taste
18:10 in our mouths.
18:11 Of course, that's why he's the villain of 2014.
18:19 2015 - Lady Tremaine - Cinderella
18:35 We all know how debated live-action adaptations of animated Disney classics can be, but we'd
18:40 say the 2015 Cinderella remake is a pretty good one.
18:44 Part of that is thanks to its portrayal of the iconic wicked stepmother, Lady Tremaine.
18:54 The animated version of the spiteful matriarch was absolutely terrifying with how little
18:58 we knew about her.
19:00 Meanwhile, the 2015 flick gave some much-needed characterization, providing somewhat sympathetic
19:05 reasoning for descent into wickedness and adding an extra sociopathic layer to her role.
19:11 It's not easy to add a new side to one of Disney's most spiteful villainesses, but this
19:15 take on the character does exactly that, and makes it work to boot.
19:24 2016 - Dawn Bellwether - Zootopia
19:44 In 2016's catalog of nastiness, we have tikka, essentially the personification or manifestation
19:50 of Maui's hubris, and the fabulously deviant Tamatoa from Moana.
19:55 But how could we focus on anyone other than Zootopia's master of proverbial disguise,
20:00 Bellwether?
20:01 When we first meet Miss Bellwether, she's the kind assistant mayor of Zootopia who ends
20:14 up taking the original mayor's place following a huge scandal involving predators.
20:19 The only issue is she's actually a spiteful, intolerant manipulator who takes advantage
20:24 of the social tension between prey and predators, and uses fear-mongering to remain large and
20:29 in charge.
20:30 Fortunately, one corrupt politician is no match for a dumb bunny and a sly fox, especially
20:35 when they can use her own words against her.
20:40 2017 - Ernesto de la Cruz - Poco
21:00 Remember that thing we said about idolizing people earlier?
21:02 Well, look no further than Ernesto de la Cruz for another example of why it's not the best
21:08 plan.
21:09 In real life and posthumously, Ernesto is admired for being a famous musician and movie
21:13 star, his ultimate claim to fame being his hit song "Remember Me".
21:17 However, Ernesto is a big fraud.
21:20 He murdered his partner and friend Hector and stole his song, building his career on
21:24 lies and betrayal.
21:39 He took his secret to the grave, and even in the afterlife, he's desperate to preserve
21:43 his ill-gotten reputation by any means necessary.
21:47 Thankfully, in the end, his ruse is uncovered, and hopefully he'll eventually suffer a
21:51 fate worse than death - being forgotten.
21:57 2018 - Evelyn Dever - Incredibles 2
22:08 2018 was a solid year for sympathetic villains.
22:15 You feel bad for the Ralph clones in Ralph Breaks the Internet because they stem from
22:19 the characters' own insecurities.
22:21 And then there's a gray area for sympathy with Evelyn Dever from Incredibles 2.
22:25 She pretends she's helping her brother portray supers in a positive light to restore their
22:30 legality.
22:31 Yet the whole time, she's scheming with mind control tech to destroy them, blaming supers
22:35 for her parents' deaths because of her dad's dependence on them.
22:54 We can understand her reasoning, but her actions are far from justified.
22:59 Evelyn makes it out alive in the end thanks to the heroes she loathes, but it's obvious
23:03 that her hatred has forever poisoned her.
23:09 2019 - King Runard - Frozen 2
23:24 Toy Story 4's Gabby Gabby reminded us that not every antagonist has to be evil.
23:29 Meanwhile, Frozen 2 taught us the damage a villain can cause across generations.
23:33 Runard, Elsa and Anna's grandfather, was beloved as a king who wanted peace with his
23:38 kingdom's new neighbors, the indigenous Northuldra of the Enchanted Forest.
23:42 However, Runard held bitter and hateful views about the Northuldra's magical practices
23:47 and betrayed them in the worst possible way.
23:57 Even though he's long dead before the events of the film, the damage he caused has remained
24:01 for decades.
24:02 A curse overtook the forest, trapping folks inside, with only Elsa and Anna able to make
24:08 things right.
24:09 2020 - Super Super Big Doctor - Phineas and Ferb the Movie - Candace Against the Universe
24:22 While 2020 didn't offer much in the name of big-name Disney villains, it gave us the
24:36 triumphant return of Phineas and Ferb with the Disney+ film Candace Against the Universe.
24:41 Candace finds herself on the planet Feebla Oot ruled by the seemingly good Super Super
24:45 Big Doctor.
24:56 At first, it feels like Candace finally has someone to relate to, especially when it comes
25:00 to complex sibling dynamics.
25:02 However, not only is Super Super Big Doctor not an actual doctor, she's also an authoritarian
25:08 figure who enslaved the planet with a monster plant and aims to steal all the carbon dioxide
25:13 from Earth.
25:20 Yikes, talk about hardcore villainy.
25:24 2021 - Alma Madrigal - Encanto - Abuela Alma is the matriarch of the Madrigals and strives
25:37 to use her family's mystical gifts to serve the community.
25:41 Alma isn't a malicious woman, especially compared to someone like Baroness Von Hellman from
25:45 Cruella, but her perfectionism has created a toxic environment.
25:56 Most of the family feels pressured to please her.
25:58 She drives her son Bruno away instead of believing in him, and ostracizes Mirabel because she
26:03 doesn't have a gift, leaving her to doubt her place.
26:06 This was unintentional, and she made amends in the end, to be sure.
26:10 We definitely love her, but you also can't deny the harm she caused herself and her family.
26:16 It's a nuanced place in the Disney Villains Hall of Fame, but it's hers nonetheless.
26:25 2022 - Sweet Pete - Chip 'n' Dale - Rescue Rangers
26:39 Between the well-intentioned but overbearing Ming Lee, the interesting Zurg, and Queen
26:44 Bee-turned-actual Queen Malvina, 2022 had a variety of villainy.
26:49 But our top choice is undeniably one of the most twisted baddies.
26:53 Remember Peter Pan from the 1953 film?
26:55 Hollywood turned its back on his cartoon actor when he got too old, and he went down a dark
27:00 path, taking on the name Sweet Pete and becoming a mob boss for the Valley Gang.
27:05 At least, that's the story Chip 'n' Dale - Rescue Rangers tells.
27:13 His crimes are nothing less than despicable, kidnapping indebted toons, turning them into
27:18 bootleg characters, and profiting off their films.
27:21 We're not sure which is more frightening, his behavior or the commentary on what Hollywood
27:26 can do to a young actor.
27:56 Disney villains were relatively scarce in 2023, the main noteworthy baddies being the
28:00 live-action versions of Ursula and Captain Hook.
28:03 But then, Kig Magnifico dazzled the silver screen in Wish.
28:07 This smooth, magnetic sorcerer rules over the Kingdom of Rosas and can grant wishes
28:11 for his subjects.
28:12 He's the sole decider of which wishes do or don't get granted, but he's not acting out
28:18 of goodwill by the time we get to know him.
28:20 He demands his subjects' respect by dangling the possibility of their wishes coming true.
28:25 While Magnifico isn't the most complex bad guy, he feels very nostalgic, reminding us
28:44 of the studio's classic villains in some ways.
28:47 It's certainly appropriate for celebrating 100 years of Disney animation.
28:58 Who's truly been the foulest of the foul this century so far?
29:02 Debate it in the comments.
29:22 [music]