My Top 10 Secondary Disney Villains

  When it comes to animated villains, the Disney rouges have certainly taken on a life of their own, and most of which are preserved as some of the all-time great movie baddies, animated or not. However, while the main Disney villains get spotlighted all the time, I wanted to give some attention to the secondary villains, who I feel deserve as much room to shine. Just to be clear, I’m not ranking the most famous side-kicks, so forgive me if some of the really popular henchman in the vein of Iago from “Aladdin” or the Hyenas from “The Lion King” don’t make this particular countdown. This is just my personal ranking of the second place Disney foes, who I feel stole just as much the show, if not more so than the lead rouges. So, with all that said, here are my personal, Top 10 favorite Secondary Villains from animated Disney Movies.

 

#10 Flotsam and Jetsam (from “The Little Mermaid”)

  I know most Disney fans prefer the sneaky henchman to be more silly, comedic, and generally at odds with their wicked masters … and while the goofy lackies have their place … I personally prefer the ones that are just as sinister. Ursula the sea witch for example needs no introduction as one of Disney’s classic animated villains, but frequently less appreciated are her two nasty eels Flotsam & Jetsam. They may not be as quotable as Scar’s goofy pack of Hyena’s, but I still think these are two of the coolest henchmen of any animated Disney picture. The late actress Paddi Edwars, who previously voiced Gozer from “Ghostbusters”, has an appropriately slithery voice, and gives the two a presence equal to Ursula herself.

 

#9 The Sheriff of Nottingham (from “Robin Hood”)

  In general, Disney’s “Robin Hood” features one of my favorite ensembles of animated characters, with the main villain Prince John steeling the show as my favorite funny villain of the whole roster. However, while Prince John is a joy to have on screen, he doesn’t really work as an imposing obstacle for our main swash buckling hero Robin Hood. This is where the nasty Sheriff of Nottingham gets to shine as the secondary foe, as he’s more capable of putting up a fight, and has a generally more threating demeaner as an anthropomorphic wolf … but still not without the same goofy charm that characterizes most of the cast in this film. It’s a special case in which a henchman can be appealing as a pompous goof, but not without his fair share of threating qualities.    

 

#8 Kaa (from “The Jungle Book”)

Disney’s animated take on “The Jungle Book” has always been a mixed bag for me, with changes to the source material that I was either on board with, or put-off by. One difference from the book that I’d absolutely put in the plus column for the movie is the giant snake Kaa, who originally was one of Mowgli's closest friends and mentors in the books, just like Baloo and Bagheera. Of course, in the Disney movie, he's changed into the secondary villain of the film, and his encounters with Mowgli make for some enjoyable highlights. This is another memorable character, who’s both goofy and kind of a looser, yet there’s still something unnerving, and predatorial about him. 

His song “Trust in Me” comes off as average in presentation, but thematically it’s actually one of the darkest of all the Disney villain songs. It’s a song that highlights the creepy concept of “stranger danger”, and why kids shouldn’t be so open to excepting candy from questionable figures. Also, the visual design of Kaa is one area in which the animation of the film really shines. Of course, everyone loves to point out that Kaa is voiced by Sterling Holloway, the same talent most famous for voicing Winnie the Pooh ... which is a hilarious contrast.

 

#7 Roscoe and DeSoto (from “Oliver & Company”)

  Good old “Oliver & Company” was always a childhood favorite of mine, and one that regrettably falls under the radar for most viewers. The lead bad guy, Bill Sykes, is also frequently placed among the lower-class Disney villains. That may be, but in my personal opinion, Sykes has the absolute coolest henchman of any Disney villain. Whereas most evil lackeys are depicted as goofy or comedic, Sykes two pet Dobermans named Roscoe and DeSoto are genuinely intimidating, and are honestly more exiting to have on screen then the main villain himself.

 

#6 Helga (from “Atlantis: The Lost Empire”)

  On the race to find the lost city of Atlantis, our main hero Milo finds himself betrayed by his commanding officer ... and really just another forgettable twist-villain to begin a long line-up of boring twist-villains. The one thing I feel could have made this film stronger is a double twist, in which the traitorous commander is overthrown by his sneaky second in command Helga. From her very first scene, Helga came off as more of a suspicious snake in the grass, and while her betrayal would have been more obvious, I also feel she would have left the more memorable impression as the main villain. She’s the classic architype of the femme fatale you’d see in detective stories or Film Noir, and it’s cool to have her as a Disney rouge. I’d argue she’d be even cooler as the lead villain … but she at least has her place among my favorite secondary villains.  

 

#5 Honest John (from “Pinocchio”)

  On his journey to becoming a real boy, Pinocchio has to face a number of enemies. My favorite of the films villains by far is actually a character named Honest John, a swindler who always steers Pinocchio down the wrong path. Similar to Kaa, this is another character that always comes to mind when I think of “Stranger Danger”. He’s soft spoken and charismatic, but you just know you shouldn’t trust the guy, and I think it delivers a good message to kids. I especially love the design of this guy, in contrast to all the other human characters seen in the film, Honest John and his cat side kick are the only anthropomorphic characters featured in the film. I always took it as a metaphor, like ... maybe the other characters actually see him as a person, but we the audience see Honest John for what he really is ... a tricky and deceptive Fox.

 

#4 Sabor (from “Tarzan”) 

It’s tradition for Disney’s animated jungle themed ventures to feature a villain that comes in the form of a deadly jungle cat, but the one difference with “Tarzan” is that this cat is a secondary villain as opposed to the lead threat. Needless to say, the ravenous female leopard called Sabor is absolutely awesome, and lends to some thrilling action. Every time she comes on screen, she’s intense, exciting, intimidating, and feels like a genuine threat for our heroes to face. I like that she doesn’t have a voice, she’s just an impulsive animal, but still conveys some subtle traits of character. 

Her connection to our heroes is also layered, deep, and it sets her up as a perfect foe for Tarzan to face. Unfortunately, my one and only real issue with this film is that Sabor is taken out of the movie way too soon, and replaced with a human villain, who really isn’t as cool by comparison, nor has as meaningful a set-up as Sabor did. Like I mentioned with Helga before, this is another case in which I feel the movie would have been better off if the secondary villain was made the lead threat.

 

#3 Scroop (from “Treasure Planet”)

Disney’s animated Sci-Fi adventure “Treasure Planet” features one of my all-time favorite villains in the form of the pirate John Siler, who’s character arc is just as layered, and even emotional as the lead hero Jim Hawkins. However, while John Silver shines as a sympathetic villain, who’s capable of redemption … he isn’t always as exciting as a threatening presence. For a fast-moving adventure like this, it also needs a threatening villain to heighten the action. This is where John Silvers sinister first-mate Scroop really works as a menacing secondary villain. While not very popular, I find Scroop an awesome, and equally underappreciated Disney villain. He has this really cool design, almost like an intergalactic crab-spider, and he has an especially imposing, slithery voice to go along with it, making everything he says drip with pure discustt. 

Voice actor Michael Wincott had proven himself a decent villain actor in movies like “The Crow” and “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves”, but he really has a distinct vocal pitch, that really works in animation. Usually, supporting villains are just there to be stupid side characters, but this guy was even more threatening than the main villain. He never waists time talking to the characters or even laughing … instead he’s fast, deadly, and quick to attack. "Treasure Planet" is already a very underrated Disney film, but it’s one of my personal favorites, and has two awesome villains for the price of one.

 

#2 Kronk (from “The Emperor’s New Groove”) 

  While I generally don’t care for the goofy villain side-kicks that mostly play for laughs … there is no beating around the bush when it comes to Kronk … who’s in a whole other league of his own, and has a secure spot among my all-time favorite Disney characters in general. Even as a faithful servant to the wicked Ezma, Kronk is still infectiously lovable, and you cheer for him, knowing he has a big heart, and just needs to break away from his master. Aside from that, he has all the best lines, and Patrick Warburton’s vocal charisma is honestly on par with the best of Disney talents. While “The Emperor’s New Groove” has its share of likable characters, I think most fans of this movie would agree that it’s the absent minded Kronk who completely steals the show with his funny antics and consistently upbeat attitude.

 

Before I reveal my number One Favorite, here are some quick Honorable Mentions …

Fidget (The Great Mouse Detective)

Goanna (The Rescuers Down Under)

Ronno (Bambi)

Percy (Pocahontas)

Iago (Aladdin)

 

#1 The Cheshire Cat (from “Alice in Wonderland”)

When it comes to secondary animated Disney villains, my favorite character of all is the mysterious, and mischievous Cheshire Cat. Unlike the many crazy inhabitants of wonderland, the Cheshire Cat seems fully aware of just how insane he is, and has fun with it. He’s like the wild card of the bunch, always leading Alice down a different path, and usually to his own selfish delight. For me, the best villains are the ones who at first glance don’t convey a sense of evil, but are really malicious trouble makers under a colorful and jubilant appearance. 

While not as threatening as the films evil Queen of Hearts, I feel the Cheshire Cat is far more nefarious, as he set’s things in motion for Alice … only for them to crumble apart for his own twisted delight. Once again, we have another memorable vocal performance from Sterling Holloway, and I think his portrayal of Cheshire Cat is his best by far, giving the character an up-beat personality, but laced with a sinister edge. He’s crazy, he’s unpredictable, he has a zany attitude, and as a result, he’s just a tone of fun to watch … and is personally my favorite of all the secondary villains from Disney animation. 

Thanks for reading my countdown ... and continue to enjoy the characters you Love!  

                                 

                                                                     The End