10 Strongest Disney Villains Ranked
Disney animated films are almost as well known for their villains as for their colorful heroes. But which Disney villain reigns supreme? These are the strongest Disney villains, ranked.
10. Captain Hook
Captain Hook never succeeds in becoming the villain he hoped to be. Time and time again he is thwarted by somebody who is basically no more than an adolescent. And he has an embarrassing fear of a crocodile, as well as a really terrible side kick. Still, Captain Hook is able to strike terror into the hearts of many, if for nothing else than his blind ambition to thwart his enemies.
9. Gaston
Essentially just a man on a mission, we can’t underestimate what human beings are capable of when there is something that they want badly enough. Gaston wants to claim Bell as his wife. She doesn’t want him. But he’s willing to do just about anything to get her. Unfortunately for her, there are several powers at his disposal that shouldn’t be underestimated – charisma, brute strength, and an overwhelming determination.
Ultimately, if it hadn’t been for the Beast’s curse (ironically) that granted him super strength, Gaston probably would have bested the prince and been the victor in the battle at the castle.
8. Mother Gothel
Mother Gothel’s power lies mostly in her manipulation. But she’s able to leverage that to great effect, as well as her knowledge of magical properties.
7. Ursula
Oddly enough, Ursula’s power is relatively limited. She isn’t able to summon a crowd to her side through charismatic leadership the way Gaston is, nor is she able to leverage powerful magic willy nilly the way Jafar can at his prime. However, Ursula was able to use her cunning to briefly gain the entire power of the sea king Triton, so she gets a spot a bit higher up this list than the mere mortals before her.
6. Evil Queen from Snow White
The Evil Queen from Snow White is one of the original gangster bad guys in the Disney canon. Essentially the first Disney Villain, the evil queen is able to leverage her power in several evil ways, including her ability to see things that aren’t immediately before her, as well as working through others to achieve her aims. She is also able to use her powers to transform herself, make powerful poisonous spells, and ultimately cast her foe into a deep, deep sleep.
Of course, she is ultimately bested by a dwarf named Grumpy. But we won’t hold that against her.
5. Shen Yu
Is the most powerful ordinary human on this list. His power is much like Gaston’s, only amplified by a much greater ambition and fighting prowess. It’s hard to imagine even the fully powered Beast being able to best the cunning and skillful Shen Yu.
4. Jafar
For a moment in time, Jafar was the most powerful sorcerer in the world. However, he is not able to hold onto this power and is ultimately bested. Yet, his cunning and magical abilities make him a powerful adversary even for someone with all the might and magic of a genie.
3. Hades
So Hades is actually a god, so his power is only limited in so far as he can’t really piss off other gods too much. Oh, and he also can only do so much to confront Herculues directly. However, he is able to summon the full power of the titans, which is a feat that puts most of the other villains on this list to shame.
2. Horned King
An often forgot bad guy, the Horned King is incredibly powerful. He can basically summon a power of undead soldiers to fight by his side. It’s hinted at that his magical powers might have even greater applications, but we just don’t quite get to see them in action.
1. Maleficent
Maleficent has to be the most powerful villain of all time. Unlike her other equivalent, Jafar, she doesn’t need some extra, external magical source to draw her power from. She has it in spades, capable of even turning into a massive fire breathing dragon that very few could hope to defeat. She’s also one of the most truly evil Disney villains. That scene where she goads and humiliates Philip is truly, truly menacing and shockingly dark for a children’s film.
