My Top 10 Animated Villains (Part 1)

Hello, I’m The Animated Kid, and this is my first ever, top 10 list: my top 10 animated villains!!! Yes, today, I will be counting down my top 10 cartoon villains. I’ll restrict this list to only baddies from only feature length animated films, so no TV villains here. As the whole list would take too long, this is only 10 down to 6. I’ll try not to dominate the list with Disney antagonists, and I think that’s all I’ve got to say! So sit back, relax and listen to the music provided as you read THE ANIMATED KID’S TOP 10 ANIMATED VILLAINS. Oh, and remember, spoilers ahead!

10. Mrs. Tweedy-Chicken Run

‘They’re chickens you dolt! Apart from you, they’re the most stupid creatures on this planet! They don’t scheme, they don’t plot and they are not organised!!!’-Mrs. Tweedy to her husband.

Mrs. Tweedy, Aardman’s first villain in a feature length film. She runs her concentration camp look-a-like chicken farm along with her bumbling husband with an iron fist. She crushes all chances of the chickens freedom, and delights in doing so. But one day, she decides to make the chickens into pies via a horrid pie machine, so she can make more money. Now, she doesn’t appear an awful lot in the film, she makes a huge impression in the screen time that she does have, berating everybody around her. 

Her plans might not seem that evil at first, but you can see that she knows that the chickens have feelings and emotions, and she loves the thought of chopping them up into pies. Heck, even in the climax when the chickens have escaped in a plane, she will still try to kill them! Whether it’s with an axe in her mouth, or her boot up a bottom, Mrs Tweedy is determined to make life for everyone a living hell.

9. Scar-The Lion King

‘BE PREPARED!!!! For what? For the death of the king! Why, is he sick? No fool, we’re gonna kill him!’-Scar and Banzai.

The Lion King, Disney’s 1994 critical and commercial success, the highest grossing hand drawn animated film, often said as the best Disney film of all time. What do I think of that statement? Well, I prefer Beauty & the Beast, but one thing that the film really does right is its antagonist, Scar. Scar is Mufasa’s twin brother, and the next in line for the throne. That is, until Mufasa’s son Simba comes along, pushing Scar back even more. Scar plans to, along with his crazed hyena minions, kill Mufasa and Simba so he can become king. Pretty basic plan, but the thing is he accidently kills Mufasa and presumably Simba, but of course that last part is not true.

The fact that he would send his brother hurtling down into a stampede of wilderbeest without a single regret is just heartless. His villain song ‘Be Prepared’ is also really cool, probably my favourite villain song! The only reason he’s this far down the list is that when he does take over the Pride Lands, he just doesn’t do much with his power. So be prepared for the next instalment on this list!

8. Rameses II-The Prince of Egypt

‘I will not be the weak link!’-Rameses II

 Now here’s a truly tragic villain. The next-in line for the Egyptian throne, he is scared that he will mess up his father’s great empire built by slaves, so treats the poor people as badly as his father did. When his brother Moses comes back with God backing him, Egypt is given seven horrid plagues, smiting poor Rameses of his son. This is the moment when you really understand the drama of the situation, with the two being brothers and all. He is portrayed by Ralph Fiennes, of Voldemort fame, who layers the already complex character even more.

He is so obsessed with not disappointing his father, he loses sight of the other people around him that he used to care for. Like a lot of the other villains on this list, he is driven into madness at the end, charging his armies into the sea to kill the Jews. I’m not Christian, and I don’t really root for either side in this film (well, apart from when it comes to killing all the babies), which makes me sympathize with him even more.

7. The Other Mother/The Beldam- Coraline

‘Black is traditional,’-The Other Mother

Coraline, the 2009 stop-motion film directed by Henry Selick and based off the book by Neil Gaiman. It was scary, whimsical, dark, awesome, and was loved by people everywhere for its unique creepiness. Perhaps this nowhere more evident when it comes to the antagonist, The Other Mother. She spies on children who move into the Pink Palace, and lures them into her world where everything’s better. She pretends like she loves them, but she really wants to ‘eat up their lives’. But Coraline said no to the buttons being sewn into her eyes, and fights The Other Mother, till she becomes this:

AAAGH!!! Anyway, she is a really cool villain who you just love to hate. Her plan is evil and detestable, using her own creations to help her, and then killing them if they disobey them, which they obviously really want to do. Teri Hatcher is a great voice for the character, able to stretch her range to the situation that is presented. The button eyes are a really great touch, adding the perfect, surreal scariness to the character. It’s true: be careful what you wish for...

6. Cruella De Vill-101 Dalmatians

‘Cruella, isn’t that a new fur coat? My only true love, darling. I live for furs. I worship furs! After all, is there a woman in all this wretched world who doesn't?-Anita & Cruella De Vill

Cruella De Vill. What can I say about her that hasn’t been said already? She is the iconic baddie of Disney’s 1961 101 Dalmatians, pursuing the poor puppies so she can get herself a grand fur coat. So what makes this character so enjoyable? Lets start with the voice actress: Betty Lou Gerson. She voices the character perfectly, with superb flair. As the film progresses, Cruella descends into madness, shown most clearly in the dramatic climax, with Cruella madly pursuing the dogs in her car, ending up crashing in a hill.

I love crazy demented villains, and she bottles it up perfectly to unleash it at the final battle. Her design is also slim and slender, with a huge fur coat to top it all off. She is rarely seen without a cigar in her hand or not abusing her two bumbling minions, Horace & Jasper, to get them to stay in line. She is perhaps the most well-known character of her franchise, and rightly so. Even the song taunting her evilness is still laid-back and cool. 'Cruella, Cruella, De Vill.'

So.. until next time when I'll finish off this list, that's The Animated Kid, over and out.