Yesterday, I counted down my Top 6 Male Villains and Pete came in at number one. Well today, I give the ladies of evil their due as I countdown my Top 6 favorite female villains. I promise no cheap shots at anyone today. Just a straight up list. With that out of the way, let's begin.
6. Mother Gothel - Tangled
Yeah, I know big shocker but you all know how much I liked Tangled. Mother Gothel is a character that confused me when I first saw Tangled as I left the theater thinking there were moments that felt as though that she genuinely cared for Rapunzel. Though the more I thought about it, I came to the conclusion that just as Mother Gothel had tricked Rapunzel for all these years, the same was happening to me with her. I will admit that she is a cookie cutter villain and she feels as though she has been done before but I liked her. Her over the top moments were great and I actually like how she followed Flynn and Rapunzel to find out what was really happening. Admittedly, I do think she is the weakest character in Tangled but a good character none the less. Though this is just my personal opinion the reprise of Mother Knows Best is the better villain song. Really the only reason I'm placing her at # 6 is because compared to some of the other villains on this list, she is kind of weak.
5. Maleficent - Sleeping Beauty
Admittedly, Sleeping Beauty has never been one of my favorites and I do kind of think that Maleficent is overrated but I can't deny her place amongst the greats of the Disney rouges gallery. As has been pointed out, a lot of the Disney villains have some sort of humor that makes them less frightening but you don't see that with Maleficent. She is quite a powerful witch and she put Aurora into a deep sleep just because she wasn't invited to her birthday. Apparently she is one to hold a grudge. I think what sold me on her besides her look which is great would be when she turns into a dragon.
Now that is frightening. She may be a simple minded villain in concept but in execution she can appear rather complex. She is a hard worker trying to get what she wants and will stop anyone that crosses her path. She's also had quite an endearing legacy as many people not only consider her the best Disney villain (I'm not one of them) but she is still relevant as she has been used in many other mediums and it turned out well. For example she appears in the Kingdom Hears games and in the Kingdom Keepers book series. there must be something that people like about her for being used this long. What I don't know?
4. Cruella de Vil - 101 Dalmatians
Let me make things clear, I'm only talking about the animated film here. Don't get me wrong the remake is okay at best and while Glenn Close delivers a great performance, the animated Cruella is so much more fun. One word to describe her, zany. Going back to Mother Gothel for a second, I felt as though in Tangled, Mother Gothel was supposed to have a semi comedic vibe to her but it was so underplayed that it was non existent. Whereas with Cruella, she is just all over the place. She is so funny and over the top yet at the same time she does pose a real threat when kidnaps the puppies. She is a fun yet threatening villain.
3. Lady Tremaine (Wicked Stepmother) - Cinderella
Lady Tremaine unlike the other villains doesn't pose a physical threat but the way she breaks down Cinderella and messes with the poor girl's emotions are just cruel. She doesn't need to physically harm Cinderella because she has been messing with Cinderella all her life telling her that she'll never amount to anything. In many regards she is like Frollo in that sense because they both try and break down the people under their care. It's clear that she hates Cinderella and she actually genuinely feels that she is better than Cinderella. She doesn't need any magical powers to make her a great villain. Something the third movie didn't realize. Anyways, I truly think that she is a great villain. Though I know some will disagree with me but she does pose a real threat. It may not be as obvious as some the other villains that I have covered but she is a threatening villain.
2. Ursula - The Little Mermaid
Ursula is perhaps one of my favorite female villains. In may regards she reminds me of Facilier especially with the whole transfer deal but she is so much fun. I think that is what puts her over the top, she is a true threat but again going back to someone like Cruella, she has a nice balance of comedy and evil. Though even in her comedic moments, you can still see the evil in her. She'll do anything to get her way and she came mighty close. She may not be the most beautiful looking creature but I think that help sends home how evil she truly is. Fun fact for ya: The design of Ursula was based off of famous actor and drag queen, Divine.
And now my # 1 Pick for Female Villain is...
1. The Wicked Queen - Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs
She did it first and she did it best. The Wicked Queen in my opinion is just hands down one of if not the scariest Disney villain ever. She is filled with spite and hate towards her step daughter because she's no longer the most beautiful. She may be a simple villain and her motives weren't the most unique but in my opinion she set the standard. for all Disney villains that came after her. I think what really set her apart in my book though was that in order to get what she wants, she was willing to give up her looks. The thing she cared about the most and turn herself into the Old Hag. Her transformation also has to be one of the most frightening things that I have ever seen in a Disney film.
I recall reading somewhere Walt said that he thought they made her too scary and promised never to make another villain as scary as her. To me that is a telltale sign of how good a villain she is. She may not be the most complex villain to come from Disney but I consider her one of the best.
There you have it, my Top 6 Female Villains. Who would you have put on this list? Tell me in the comments. Join me next time when I take a look at an attraction based film as I review...
Tower of Terror
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