The Walt Disney Animation Studios has been producing feature-length animated films since 1937. The studio has produced some of the most iconic films of all time. Disney has provided some classic villains over its more than 60 feature-length productions. However, not every villain is created equally.
While Disney has hit a lot of home runs in the villains department, it has also created a lot of duds. Some villains just don't hold a candle to others. Some of these villains weaken the quality of the film while some are just there. But they still fall a bit short in the overall pantheon of villains.
10 The Ringmaster - Dumbo
Is someone really a villain if he is just doing his job? The Ringmaster isn't evil just selfish. He only wants to put on the best circus possible and is having issues with Jumbo the elephant due to other elephants and customers being mean to her son, Jumbo Jr. who gets the moniker Dumbo.
The Ringmaster forces Dumbo to become a clown after an incident with the other elephants. The Ringmaster doesn't care about Dumbo one way or another. He won't protect him, but he also isn't trying to hurt him. When compared to other villains, the Ringmaster is just there.
9 Aunt Sarah - Lady And The Tramp
This is another case of a character not being a true villain, but is seen as one by the main character. Lady is accustomed to a certain level of comfort from Darling and Jim Dear. When they go away and Aunt Sarah is looking after the baby, she treats Lady differently. From Sarah's perspective, she was doing nothing wrong.
Sarah's decision to put Lady outside because she believed Lady was acting up sets in motion the crux of the film's plot. Lady goes on her adventure with Tramp because of this. Lady may see Sarah as a villain, but it's truly a case of different perspectives.
8 Edgar - The Aristocats
Edgar may be the lamest villain Disney has ever produced. Unlike the Ringmaster and Aunt Sarah, Edgar is actually evil. He's a butler who upon learning the rich lady who employs him will leave her fortune to her cats instead of him decided to kill the cats. That's evil no matter how it's sliced.
Edgar fails because of the lack of forethought in his plan. He ends up losing the cats and that allows them to come back. If he had applied any critical thinking to the situation, he would've known that the cats couldn't spend the money, so he would be in charge of it. He comes across as a store brand version of Cruella de Ville.
7 Kron - Dinosaur
This is another villain who really isn't evil just arrogant and headstrong. Kron is trying to lead the herd to an oasis after their home has been destroyed. He sees himself as an alpha and is looking to be the hero. That ends up being his downfall as he refuses to listen to the younger Aladar.
Kron doesn't care if the weaker members of the herd fall behind and get captured. He doesn't know the path the herd normally takes is blocked and tries to force the herd to climb over it despite it being impossible. Aladar finds a way to save Kron and the herd from his own arrogance.
6 The Virus - Ralph Breaks The Internet
The virus essentially serves as the villain of Ralph Breaks the Internet, but it's just a creation from Double Dan and the Dark Web that Ralph unleashes because of his fear of losing Vanellope. While fear should be recognized as the true villain, the virus is the closest thing to a physical representation put in the film.
This is a trend during the animation period recognized as the Disney Revival. Several times throughout this era the villain tends not to be a person but an idea. It can enhance the story, but it makes for a weak villain.
5 Governor Ratcliffe - Pocahontas
Yes, he is evil. He is trying to take over a land that belongs to someone else as he is seeking gold to line his pockets. But he is a meager representation of a brutal colonizer. He doesn't do much of anything. Gov. Ratcliffe is perfectly happy to sit on his ship and let his men do the dirty work.
History is littered with men like Gov. Ratcliffe but they don't make for compelling villains. They are evil. They are villainous. But they don't do much to get the blood boiling in a film.
4 Kaa - The Jungle Book
Kaa is a secondary villain in The Jungle Book. He's not seeking out to kill Mowgli because he hates man like Shere Khan. Kaa is a boa constrictor who wants to squeeze the life out of his food and eat. That's not villainous or evil, that's just zoology.
Kaa is another in a long line of villains who is only villainous because of the point of view from which the film is delivered. Some villains are evil and some are misunderstood. Kaa is one of the few that is a villain because his nature puts him at odds with Mowgli and only because of nature.
3 The Queen Of Hearts - Alice In Wonderland
This is another villain that's just kind of there. She serves the purpose of a comedic villain well in Alice in Wonderland, but that doesn't necessarily translate to a great villain. But she did want to decapitate Alice.
Screaming "Off with their heads" may have been funny, but she was a one note villain. There wasn't a lot to her character. She's another example of a villain who is just there.
2 Madam Mim - The Sword In The Stone
Here's a villain who shows up for about five minutes and doesn't do much of anything. She has a magical fight with Merlin and that's it. She just randomly shows up at one point in the middle of the film for this one scene. She doesn't even return later as Arthur is pulling the sword from the stone.
Much like the Queen of Hearts, she's a great comedic villain, but not a great villain. She shines in her hilarity while on screen, but she serves little purpose beyond that one scene. But she is an S-tier villain in Disney's Villainous, so she's got that going for her.
1 Prince John - Robin Hood
Another of Disney's comedic villains that just doesn't feel like a major villain. He is a thumb-sucking crybaby who Robin Hood can outwit very easily. Is he evil? Yes. But is he a great villain? No. That role falls to the Sheriff of Nottingham.
What Prince John has going for him is the same thing the Queen of Hearts has going for her. He's incredibly memorable for how bad he is at being a villain. He's beloved by fans of Robin Hood, because he's not the big bad that can stand up to the hero but because he's too busy sucking his thumb.