Mirror Mirror on the wall, who is the wickedest of them all?
Disney has introduced us to a whole host of despicable villains. From swashbuckling pirates and evil queens to wicked witches and powerful gods, these bad guys and girls strike fear into the hearts of children (and adults) around the world! But who is the worst of the worst?
To find out, we’ve taken 10 of Disney’s most infamous villains and calculated how long they’d spend in prison for their crimes.
The living embodiment of the wicked stepmother stereotype, Lady Tremaine takes great pleasure in mistreating her stepdaughter Cinderella. From locking her in the attic and forcing her into a life as a servant to banning her from attending the Royal Ball and smashing her glass slipper, there’s not much Lady Tremaine won’t do to keep Cinderella from living happily ever after.
With a name that combines the words ‘cruel’ and ‘devil’, Cruella De Vil was always going to be bad news. This sociopathic socialite takes her passion for fashion to extreme lengths, with a wicked plan to kidnap, kill and skin adorable puppies, all for the sake of a fur coat. Like the song says, ‘if she doesn’t scare you, no evil thing will.’
Possibly the vainest villain of all, the Evil Queen is obsessed with her looks, consulting her magic mirror every day to check that she is still the fairest in the land. When she finds out that Snow White has surpassed her in the beauty stakes, she becomes wildly jealous, ordering the huntsman to kill Snow White and bring back her heart as proof. And when this fails, she takes matters into her own hands, giving Snow White a poisoned apple in a final attempt to do away with her.
After tricking his brother King Richard into leaving England on a crusade, Prince John assumes the throne and control of the kingdom. But while his big brother was a benevolent ruler, Prince John takes a more tyrannical approach to the role. Greedy through and through, his endless pursuit of wealth leaves his subjects living in poverty and attracts the attention of famed outlaw Robin Hood.
Gaston views himself as the charming, adventurous hero that his village so desperately needs. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In his attempts to win the heart of Belle away from the Beast, he resorts to bribery, blackmail, false imprisonment, breaking and entering, rioting and attempted murder. Talk about not knowing how to handle rejection!
In his role as Grand Vizier, Jafar wields great power from behind the scenes, using his hypnotic snake staff to manipulate the Sultan into doing his bidding. However, it’s his unquenchable thirst for power which leads to his eventual downfall. After finally getting his hands-on Aladdin’s lamp, Jafar is tricked into becoming a Genie, leaving him trapped in the confines of the lamp.
Like many Disney villains, Scar dreams of ruling over his own kingdom. But when the birth of Simba puts another roadblock between him and the throne, he resorts to drastic measures. It takes a certain type of evil to kill your own brother and attempt to kill your nephew, all with a wicked smile on your face. Long live the King.
Not only is Ursula a powerful witch, but she’s also a cunning manipulator, trapping poor, unfortunate souls by offering them too-good-to-be-true deals when they’re at their most vulnerable. She tricks Ariel into giving up her voice in exchange for a pair of legs, all in an attempt to trap her, overthrow King Triton and rule the seas in his place.
Captain Hook’s sole aim in life seems to be getting revenge on Peter Pan for cutting off his hand and feeding it to a crocodile, and he’ll stop at nothing to achieve his goal. However, while the film is awash with instances of kidnapping and attempted murder, we see how cold-hearted Hook really is when he shoots one of his own men in cold blood, for nothing more than distracting the captain with his singing.
As the god of death and lord of the underworld, it’s no surprise to see Hades coming out on top, with his wickedness earning him a prison sentence of 56 years. In his quest to takeover Olympus he terrorises the people of Greece, unleashing the mighty Titans and doing everything he can think of to kill Hercules – the one person who can defeat him.
The prison sentences for each character were calculated using mandatory sentencing guidelines published by The Crown Prosecution Service and The Sentencing Council for England and Wales.
Please note, this information is purely for entertainment purposes and may not be 100% accurate or definitive. If you think we’ve missed anything off, or think your favourite villain should have been included, let us know!
Images: https://www.moviestillsdb.com/