When we were kids, we adored Disney characters and Disney heroes. But Disney is not known only for its set of heroes. They are also famous for their fantastic villains. And as the saying goes, “As kids we love heroes, as adults we understand villains”. Today, we will take a look at some of the best female Disney villains.
Walt Disney Co. does a great job of making strong and fearsome female characters. They have great male villains as well. But today we are all about feminine characters.
Queen of Hearts – Alice in Wonderland
This scary character is among the best in the Disney world. She has some serious anger issues and a temper. You can watch all her scenes and enjoy them. They are fun to watch. And when you watch the movie, you notice that absolutely everyone in the movie is afraid of her. That is all the proof you need to understand her scary presence.
The only downside is that she is not around enough throughout the movie to be considered a popular Disney villain. She gets hyped up during the movie, but in the end, she shines.
Lady Tremaine – Cinderella
You just cannot help but hate this woman. And admire her at the same time. Lady Tremaine or the evil stepmother of Cinderella is the crème of de la crème of Disney villains.
She is the textbook definition of a female villain. All she does throughout the movie is shady dealings, squinting at things she dislikes, and fussing about her real children.
She is just sinister and cold-blooded. You cannot help but be afraid of her.
Queen Narissa – Enchanted
Queen Narissa was the main antagonist in the 2007 feature hybrid film Enchanted. She is the stepmother of Prince Edward.
The animated/live-action Disney movie Enchanted portrayed her perfectly. Some Disney fans would tell you she is a combination of the Evil Queen from Snow White and Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty.
Narissa disguises herself as an old hag. She poisons Giselle with an apple. But she can also turn into a dragon, and that is as scary as it gets.
Maleficent
When you talk about female Disney villains, Maleficent gets in the top 3 every single time. You can pick your poison. Whether you like Angelina Jolie and her performance in the live-action movie, or her performance in animated movies.
Maleficent is a powerful character who provides a real presence in the movie. She steals the scene she appears in with her cold personality.
Not to mention, Maleficent is very intelligent and plans things very well. The tip of the iceberg is that she can transform into a dragon and appear even scarier. At least that is the movie version.
In the 1959 animated feature film Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent was an evil fairy and an incarnation of pure evil. She was responsible for all misfortune in the kingdom of King Stefan.
The White Witch – The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
We can safely say that the White Witch is an iconic villain. But she is also one of the most manipulative Disney villains we can see on the screen.
She zeroes in on Edmund Pevensie’s doubts and weaknesses within about thirty seconds of meeting the young boy.
And when you consider Tilda Swinton played the character, you got to love the White Witch. Tilda brought her A-game for this movie. She made the Witch look cold and tarrying.
Cruella De Vil – 101 Dalmatians
How can you hate puppies? How can you hate those sweet, little, adorable puppies? Only a cruel villain like Cruella can do it. Even her name has cruelty in it. Cruella de Vil is one of the most iconic Disney characters.
In the live-action Disney film, it is revealed that the reason she chooses to skin puppies is that when they grow older, their fur becomes very coarse. And that doesn’t sell as well in the fur fashion industry as the soft fur of puppies. Talk about being cruel.
One thing we love about this Disney character? She definitely knows how to make a dramatic entrance. Cruella craves attention in the best way possible.
There is a reason Disney made even a live-action movie with a female character. Emma Stone portrayed Cruella de Vil in the 2021 movie.
The Evil Queen – Snow White
Longtime Disney fans will tell you that Evil Queen and Maleficent are two of the scariest female Disney villains. And they might be right.
There is something devious and sinister in the Evil Queen. The way she tricks Snow White and goes about everything, the Evil Queen is definitely scary.
Watching the animated cartoon movie back in the day, you can just feel her scary presence and evil mind in the way she dramatically closes her curtains.
Mother Gothel – Tangled
Mother Gothel is the main antagonist in the 2010 animated feature film, Tangled. This Disney character is a wicked crone who retained youth for hundreds of years through the healing properties of magic and golden flower.
And if you are a Disney fan, you know, that evil mothers are basically common in Disney movies. Gothel kidnapped Princess Rapunzel when she was a baby so she could use the power of her hair. And all of that just to stay young forever.
Gothel tells Rapunzel to never leave the tower even though she wants to see the floating lights up close. There is also a question that she raises. What happens after we die? Was it that she was hiding from?
Mother Gothel is strategic and smart. She managed to keep her act for 16 years. Impressive!
Madam Mim – Sword in the Stone
While this character doesn’t appear in as many scenes, we still have to include her on the list of female Disney villains. For one, she can transform into almost anything she wants.
But what makes her great in the movie is that she picks up the movie’s overall energy and tone the second she appears. It makes her a fantastic character.
Mim can go toe to toe with Merlin. In the animated movie, Merlin is the most powerful wizard of all, but Mim still goes toe to toe with him. What makes her scary is you never know what she is really thinking.
Madame Medusa – The Rescuers
Madame Medusa was named after the Greek mythological creature. The Greek creature had the power to turn anyone or anything into stone.
In the Disney movie, Madame Medusa is portrayed as someone completely fixated on diamonds. But her obsession with diamonds led to her ultimate downfall.
Yzma – The Emperor’s New Groove
She might be a villain, but she is also one of the funniest characters Disney has ever created. She has an over-the-top personality and provides some hilarious moments when she appears.
She works alongside Kronk. The two of them prove to be a great duo. And that is besides the fact she has evil intentions.
While Yzma is not the scariest villain, she is a very memorable character.
The Sanderson Sisters – Hocus Pocus
Ask children from the 1990s. They will tell you they were terrified by the idea of the Sanderson sisters coming back to life on Halloween. The movie was released in 1993. Since then, it has become a holiday classic.
The trio of witches remains at the center. The Sanderson Sisters are after power. And they enjoy their horrible actions.
Ursula – Little Mermaid
It is only fitting that we finish off our female Disney villains list with Disney villainess Ursula. She is in the top 3 of every ranking list. It is Ursula, Maleficent, and the Evil Queen in no particular order.
There are few characters in the Disney world and Disney universe more hated than Ursula. She is a stone-cold female villain who stole the voice of Little Mermaid.
