As October begins, pumpkins and crisp air officially ring in the holiday season, which, of course, starts with Halloween. There's so much to enjoy about Halloween from the costume parties to the array of sweet treats. Truly, it's a holiday for all ages.
From a writer's point of view though, Halloween is a time to reflect on those figures that make being bad fun. Afterall, every story needs an antagonist to hate, and Halloween is the perfect time to enjoy their villainy.
From horror icons like Michael Myers to comic book stalwarts like the Joker, I can pretty much guarantee you'll be seeing a fair share of villains over the next four weeks. Yet, there's no pantheon of villains who are quite as beloved as the Disney villains.
Performing evil deeds for all ages, Disney villains have scared children and entertained adults for nearly a century. Some people identify with their outcast nature, while others just enjoy their knack for doing the wrong thing. From Scar's Shakespearean schemes to Maleficent's robust cruelty, there's a Disney villain for everyone.
But with so many Disney movies and subsequent villains, it's hard to quantify which is the most evil. As such, I've decided to sit down and rank every Disney villain solely by their villainy.
As with any list, I had a few qualifications. First, only main villains count. While Kronk and the Hyenas are great in their own right, there's just too many side villains to rank. Plus, the majority of villain sidekicks are funnier than outright evil.
Next, I'm only looking at villains from films made by Walt Disney Animation Studios. I'm not counting any Pixar, live action, or other animated villains from Disney. I know this can get confusing, but there's an official list of Walt Disney Animated films that you can look at here.
Lastly, my ranking is determined off of three important components: motive, what every villain accomplished, and what they planned to accomplish. Motivation matters, as a villain for money isn't nearly as bad a villain who wants to rule the world. Also, accomplishments and plans both matter, as they each attest to the cruelty a villain is capable of.
Many of these villains have similar motives and crimes, so some of these rankings are determined by minute details. Other villains absolutely differentiate themselves in vile ways.
As of this ranking (which predates Zootopia 2), there are sixty-three official Walt Disney animated films, but only forty-seven have main villains worthy of discussion.
Lastly, I must point out that this is not based on personal preference, iconic status, or the quality of their films. Instead, my rankings are determined by objectively looking at which villains have done the worst things for the worst reasons. As such, here's every Disney villain ranked by their evilness.
47. The Carnotaurus Pair- Dinosaur (2000)
Despite their terrifying appearance, the Carnatarus pair are the least evil bipeds on this list. Their only motive is to survive, which entails eating a number of other dinosaurs. It's sad for Aladar and his friends, but the Carnotaurus pair are no worse than a family at McDonald's.
46. Amos Slade- The Fox and the Hound (1981)
The first of a few hunters on this list, Amos Slade is hardly a bad man. He hunts mainly to survive, as it's his occupation. His worst moments come as he tries to hunt Tod, an adorable fox trespassing on his property. But he ultimately doesn't go through with it, a fantastic decision as Tod saves him from a bear moments later. He's stubborn, but barely a villain.
45. Denahi- Brother Bear (2003)
Although he's the main antagonist, it's hard not to sympathize with Denahi. After watching his brother die, he tries to avenge him by killing the bear responsible, who actually happens to be his younger brother. His thirst for vengeance is understandable, but still wrong, especially given how much his culture prioritizes harmony with nature. Fortunately, he never hurts anyone, and realizes who his brother is by the film's end.
44. Captain Gantu- Lilo and Stitch (2002)
Although Captain Gantu is a bit of a jerk, he's just doing his job for most of the film, which is to capture the fugitive Stitch. Sure, he has a bit to gain from bringing in the furball, but Stitch is a genetically modified weapon of mass destruction. His only real crime is kidnapping Lilo, but that might've been unintentional. He could definitely be nicer though.
43. Man- Bambi (1942)
Given that he never appears on screen, we know very little about Man. His motivation is unclear, as are his future goals, though they likely entail killing more animals. He most likely hunts to survive like Amos Slade, but that's never confirmed. With ambiguous motives and a clear death to his name, Man just edges out the more noble villains.
42. Namaari- Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
One of the newer villains on this list, Namaari's goals are pretty reasonable. She serves the Fang chiefdom and only steals the Sacred Gem to honor her people. Of course, betraying Raya's trust is bad, as are the consequences of stealing the Gem. However, she had noble intentions and eventually helps Raya undo the pain that she brought on the world.
41. Shere Khan- The Jungle Book (1967)
Despite his ruthless reputation, Shere Khan's villainy is completely reasonable. He wants Mowgli out of the jungle, as men have proven to be destructive creatures. Just as a hunter hunts to survive, Shere Khan wants to ensure his own survival. Perhaps assaulting Baloo and killing Mowgli is going too far, but wanting the man cub out of the jungle is a fair opinion.
40. Te Ka- Moana (2016)
The island antagonist of Moana, Te Ka seems like a vengeful and volcanically threatening villain. However, the film's third act reveals that Te Ka is just the benevolent Te Fiti after her heart was stolen by Maui. As such, it's hard to hold any of her actions against her, especially since she undoes most of her physical damage by the film's end.
39. The Headless Horseman- The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
In the second story of this package film, it's hard to discern if the Headless Horseman is a real ghost or just the work of the jealous Brom Bones. This is Disney we're talking about though so we'll go with the more magical option.
As the story goes, the Horseman searches each night for a head to replace his own with Ichabod as his next victim. Since this seems like a ghostly curse, the Horseman's turn to villainy seems excusable. Also, it appears he only gives Ichabod a good scare, as it's rumored that the schoolmaster has married in some other town. But then again...
38. Edgar the Butler- The Aristocats (1970)
As it turns out, there's a long tradition of Disney villains who are motivated by greed. The first on this list is Edgar, a conniving butler trying to steal a large inheritance from some cats. It's understandable that he feels slighted, but catnapping is still wrong. That being said, Edgar only attempts to send the cats away and is ultimately foiled by an array of animals. There are much greedier Disney villains who'll do much worse.
37. Alameda Slim- Home on the Range (2004)
A voluptuous and greedy villain, Alameda Slim is a force of the frontier. With his hypnotic yodeling, Alameda steals hundreds of cows and subsequently gulps up the bankrupted farms. His scheme is far more complex and encompassing than Edgar's, just nudging him ahead. Plus, he's physically abusive to his workers, which isn't commendable either.
36. The Bowler Hat Guy- Meet the Robinsons (2007)
Although his goal is riches, that's not really what motivates the Bowler Hat Guy. Instead, he wants revenge on Lewis for making him miss his little league game, so he tries to steal his memory machine and profit off it. While his time travel schemes are unremarkable, the Bowler Hat Guy's motivation is petty enough to warrant a decent ranking.
35. Professor Callaghan- Big Hero 6 (2014)
While revenge is usually frowned upon, Professor Callaghan makes a compelling case. After losing his daughter, Callaghan tries to destroy the man and company responsible with nanotechnology.
However, his reckless ire gets the best of him, as he attacks Hiro's team and accidentally kills his student Tadashi. Still, I can't fault the sympathetic Callaghan too much, especially when he willingly surrenders after his daughter is saved.
34. Lady Tremaine- Cinderella (1950)
Back to the greedy villains, Lady Tremaine goes to despicable lengths to secure her wealth. After marrying Cinderella's father, Tremaine inherits his wealth after his death and relegates Cinderella to servanthood. Tremaine not only manipulates Cinderella, but psychologically torments her. She even locks her away so that she has no chance of a happy ending. Cruel and manipulative, Tremaine is a harsh face of greed.
33. Madame Medusa- The Rescuers (1977)
Another money seeker, Madame Medusa is truly awful. With two crocodiles at her disposal, Medusa seeks the world's largest diamond and will do anything to get it. She kidnaps a child, Penny, to aid her, constantly endangers her, turns on her partner as soon as she gets the diamond, and shoots at Penny as she gets away. Greed is one thing, but child endangerment and kidnapping are pretty heinous.
32. John Silver- Treasure Planet (2002)
Although John Silver is greedy, that's standard for a space pirate. Silver isn't really the worst, as he acts as a sorta mentor to the young Jim Hawkins. Still, he leads a mutiny aboard the Legacy and has Mr. Arrow sent into a black hole all in the name of treasure. Worst of all, he might be the only villain on this list who gets away unpunished. In spite of his charisma, Silver's deeds are clearly vile.
31. Prince John- Robin Hood (1973)
Perhaps the greediest villain on this list, Prince John loves his gold dearly. As such, he taxes his citizens mercilessly, which irks the vigilante Robin Hood. John goes to extensive lengths to bring the vigilante in, such as imprisoning his friends and ordering the execution of the local friar as bait. John's schemes not only reflect his immense greed, but his indifference to his people, which is perhaps his greatest offense.
30. Stromboli- Pinocchio (1940)
Despite his short screen time, Stromboli exerts his fair share of cruelty. A sleazy showman, Stromboli exhibits must see attractions in hope of becoming rich, which in this case includes Pinocchio. I'm not sure which is worse, enslaving a child or exploiting him for cheap profit. Either way, Stromboli is a nightmarish man, but there are still worse villains in search of riches.
29. Mother Gothel- Tangled (2010)
One of Disney's recent foes, Mother Gothel is driven by the very human fear of death. She wants to live forever and, though unnatural, her motives are relatable.
However, Gothel takes this too far by kidnapping the princess of Corona and keeping her locked away as her own source of healing. She'll ultimately do anything to keep Rapunzel imprisoned, including stabbing Flynn Rider. However, she does display some genuine care for Rapunzel at times, something many other kidnappers on this list lack.
28. Sykes- Oliver & Company (1988)
Although he's only a loan shark, Sykes is every bit as malicious as his literary counterpart. Preying on Fagin and others in need, Sykes goes to brutal lengths to retrieve his cash. He not only threatens Fagin and his dogs, but he eventually tries to kill them with his car. He also kidnaps Jenny in hopes of collecting on a ransom. Sure, Fagin technically owes him, but Sykes' methods and indifferent attitude towards others cements him as a villain.
27. Madam Mim- The Sword in the Stone (1963)
It's hard to exactly discern why the Mad Madam Mim is evil. She obviously hates the altruistic Merlin, but we're never shown why.
Whatever it is, Mim's disdain for the wizard is enough for her to constantly harass him and his protege, Arthur. She attempts to kill Arthur multiple times before challenging Merlin to a wizard duel, which she cheats at. While Mim never accomplishes much, her commitment to causing Merlin as much pain as possible is both petty and dangerous.
26. Percival McLeach- The Rescuers Down Under (1990)
From Disney's often forgotten first sequel, Percival McLeach is a poacher out for cash. In search of a rare eagle, McLeach traverses the Outback, eventually kidnapping a young boy, Cody, who knows of the eagle's whereabouts. After finding the bird, McLeach plans to feed Cody to a float of crocodiles to eliminate his only witness.
Of course, the rescuers foil his plan, but McLeach's willingness to brutally murder a child is cold blooded. Thank God he ends up crocodile food himself.
25. Clayton- Tarzan (1999)
It's actually Clayton who inspired this list, as I wondered how quantifiably evil this hunter was while rewatching Tarzan. As it turns out, a lot.
Another poacher, Clayton sets out to Africa with hopes of finding gorillas. Unlike his academic peers though, Clayton plans to sell these apes for profit. In addition, Clayton imprisons the ship's crew, tries to kill Tarzan, and fatally wounds Kerchak. While other greedy villains have done bad things, few have had as devastating an impact as Clayton has, at least so far.
24. Gaston- Beauty and the Beast (1991)
An icon himself, it's no surprise that Gaston is the highest hunter on this list. While others hunt for money, Gaston hunts for Belle's affection, a prize he can never win. Once he realizes this, Gaston sets out for vengeance, convincing the entire town to attack the Beast. He even locks Belle and her father away so he can try and kill the Beast himself. With his murderous rage, creepy goal, and talent for manipulation, Gaston truly does villainy like no one else.
23. Commander Rourke- Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
The last of the villains motivated solely by greed, Commander Rourke does not mess around. Though he initially seems like an ally, Rourke betrays his team once they reach Atlantis so he can steal the nation's source of power, the Heart of Atlantis.
After shooting the Atlantean King, Rourke kidnaps Kida, who has been infused with the Heart. Rourke not only murders for profit, but steals the Heart knowing that the entire nation will perish without it. Soulless beyond compare, Rourke is easily the worst of the greedy villains.
22. King Candy/Turbo- Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
As we move away from the greedy villains, we start to encounter the villains motivated by power. They populate much of the upper half of this list, but our first power seeker is the aptly named King Candy.
A digital dictator, King Candy rules the game Sugar Rush by rewriting it's code to manipulate others. He ensures that Vanellope will never win a race and even tricks Ralph into destroying her car. Even worse, Candy doesn't belong there, as he's actually Turbo, a jealous racer who left his own game. Candy doesn't have a laundry list of crimes, but he always puts his own interests first, even if it means an entire world gets unplugged.
21. Yzma- The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
It's undeniable that Yzma is an intelligent, scheming villain who will do anything to obtain the throne. However, her boss, Emperor Kuzco, is also a terrible person, so it's easy to see where her frustration comes from. While Yzma does turn Kuzco into a llama and tries to kill him, Kuzco honestly had it coming.
Of course, Kuzco reforms his ways and Yzma doesn't, resulting in her eventual comeuppance. She definitely doesn't belong on the throne, but she's not the worst either though disrespecting Kronk's spinach puffs is diabolical.
20. King Magnifico- Wish (2023)
If this list was based on popularity or singing ability, King Magnifico might rank last. But based off his crimes, he's a despicable ruler and strong villain.
While he's certainly power hungry, what Magnifico wants most is adoration, which is why he's always granting wishes. Once Asha finds a star of her own though, Magnifico turns to dark magic to stop her, manipulating his own servants and locking her away. By the time that Magnifico blocks out the sun, it's clear that his villainy has reached a ridiculous level of danger.
19. Cruella de Vil- One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
There's so much that could honestly be said about the aptly named Cruella de Vil, a character so iconic, she now has three different adaptations. However, I only have to mention that her main goal is to skin puppies for their fur, and her inclusion in the top twenty becomes justified.
Cruella's goal would be stomach churning in any film, much less a Disney one. But Disney never lets up, allowing her to pursue her goals with psychopathic rage. Her actual accomplishments limit her ranking, as she's only able to kidnap the dogs, but her cruel aspirations rival nearly every villain on this list.
18. The Evil Queen- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Disney's first ever villain, the Evil Queen, set the standard for cruelty quite high. A vain ruler, the Evil Queen becomes jealous of her own stepdaughter, Snow White, and decides to have her killed. When the hunter she hired fails, the Queen poisons Snow White herself, which is only undone by a Prince's kiss.
With two murder attempts and a ridiculously petty reason for being evil, the Evil Queen personifies wickedness. Her real name may be Grimhilde, but the Evil Queen is a moniker that tells you everything you need to know.
17. Maleficent- Sleeping Beauty (1959)
One of Disney's greatest villains, Maleficent might seem low given her iconic reputation. Indeed, she's pure evil, as her motive is to punish the King for not inviting her to Aurora's christening. From there, Maleficent curses Aurora, who's still a baby, enslaves Prince Phillip, and tries to kill him by turning into a dragon.
While her actions are drastic given her misperceived slight, Maleficent doesn't accomplish as much as some of her other rogues. Still, her pettiness and penchant for causing misery are as impressive as she is maniacal. Plus, she calls on the "Powers of Hell" at one point, which is pretty metal for Disney.
16. Captain Hook- Peter Pan (1953)
Like other villains on this list, the dreaded Captain Hook is hellbent on revenge. Unlike them though, Hook's vengeance is completely unwarranted, as he's beefing with a child.
Still, that doesn't stop Hook from doing some awful things, such as kidnapping princess Tiger Lilly, leaving a bomb at Peter's residence, and forcing the Darling children to walk the plank. He even shoots one of his own crew just for singing too loudly. While his feud might be juvenile, the murderous Captain escalates it at every corner, harming whoever it takes to get to Peter.
15. Prince Hans- Frozen (2013)
I didn't see Frozen until well after it came out, but I can only imagine that Prince Hans shocked millions of people when he revealed his true intentions.
Seemingly a love interest for Anna, Hans surprisingly reveals that he intends to become the ruler of Arendelle by assassinating Elsa. He nearly kills them both, but is ultimately defeated by the power of sisterhood. Power hungry and ruthless, Hans' scheme is nothing short of diabolical, even if he doesn't accomplish as much as his peers.
14. Professor Ratigan- The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
While some may scoff at the idea of a rodent ranking so high, Professor Ratigan has earned his spot and then some. Like other esteemed villains, he's power hungry and seeks to rule all of Mousedom via a robot replica of the Mouse Queen.
Along the way, Ratigan kidnaps Mr. Flaversham and the real Mouse Queen before attacking Basil Rathbone. His defining moment undoubtedly comes when he has a henchmouse killed just for calling him a rat, so disrespect him at your own risk.
13. Dr. Facilier- The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Disney's last hand drawn villain, Dr. Facilier raises terror in quite a unique way. In a quest to conquer New Orleans, Facilier calls on voodoo magic to help him. His plan is quite convoluted, but it ultimately involves using a Naveen lookalike to earn the immense La Buff fortune.
Overall, Facilier doesn't have any extremely evil feats besides turning Naveen into a frog and dealing with the dark arts. However, he ultimately aims to sell the souls of everyone in the city to the voodoo underworld, so his evilness is infallible.
12. Dawn Bellwether- Zootopia (2016)
It might surprise some to see an ewe among the ranks of sorcerers and dictators, but Dawn Bellwether's crimes validate her ranking. This mayoral aide is actually a prey supremacist who wants to oppress all predators in Zootopia.
As such, Bellwether orchestrates a plot that causes predators to become savage, leading to mass hysteria and her own turn as mayor. She's even willing to let Judy die to cover her plan, showing that her prey supremacist beliefs know no limits.
11. Hades- Hercules (1997)
Just missing out on the top ten is the ruler of the underworld himself, Hades. This hotheaded deity wants to dethrone the gods for being forced to rule the underworld. He ultimately plans to unleash the titans, but Hercules gets in his way, so Hades unsuccessfully tries to kill him. He also unleashes several monsters on civilian cities, causing an untold amount of damage and death.
Despite his evil feats, Hades' rage is nearly justified, as the gods kind of screwed him over. Still, he takes it out on nearly everyone else, cementing his status as one of the worst big bads.
10. Queen of Hearts- Alice in Wonderland (1951)
There's no better way to kick off the top ten than with Disney's most unhinged despot, the Queen of Hearts. It's hard to really discern why the Queen of Hearts does what she does. Sometimes, it seems like she's maintaining order in her kingdom, while other times it seems like she just enjoys her immense power.
Either way, the Queen is never happier than when she's ordering someone's execution. We only see her order a few executions in the film for some incompetent playing cards and Alice herself. However, it's heavily implied that she'll ready the axe for any person no matter how small the grievance. She's a perfect ruler for a logicless land, and her absolute control renders her cruelty limitless.
9. Governor Ratcliffe- Pocahontas (1995)
Some villains have a jarring reason that they take up villainy. Governor Ratcliffe actually has three. First, he despises the Natives that live outside of Jamestown. Second, he's greedy and seeks the gold that he erroneously thinks the Natives have. Lastly, he craves power and hopes that gold will buy him some.
As such, Ratcliffe plans to steal the Natives' gold and buy an army that will overthrow King James. To do so, he convinces the settlers that the Natives are savages, and they must go to war with them. If it wasn't for Pocahontas, Ratcliffe would've been responsible for countless deaths. He's still a wicked man with vile aspirations, but Ratcliffe's lack of an impact hurts his ranking, albeit slightly.
8. Ursula- The Little Mermaid (1989)
In a way, Ursula personifies the power hungry Disney villain. In her quest to rule the sea, Ursula will do just about anything to supplant King Triton. She makes crooked deals with merfolk, including Ariel, before manipulating the outcome so she always wins. Sure, they all sign the deals, but Ursula's cheating hardly makes them fair. Plus, she usually imprisons their souls, which is an unnervingly harsh penalty.
Most of all though, Ursula's thirst for power makes her an awful ruler, as once she gains Triton's crown, she sends the seas into a violent storm. While there's not one thing Ursula does extremely well as a villain, her tenacious appetite for power and capacity for cruelty makes her a despicable adversary.
7. Chernabog- Fantasia (1940)
I debated extensively whether Chernabog belongs on this list or not, as he only appears in the final segment of Fantasia, and we don't get a ton of details about his plans. However, Chernabog is always included in the Disney villain pantheon, so omitting him just seemed wrong.
From what we gather, Chernabog is basically satan himself. In his segment, he seemingly summons the souls of the damned and various demons up to Bald Mountain, where they dance and celebrate Chernabog's evilness. With his immense powers, Chernabog seems to be evil for evil's sake.
But while he probably has the worst motives on this list, it's hard to discern if Chernabog ever does any real damage. As such, Chernabog lands at number seven, an embodiment of evil ever present and ever lurking.
6. Jafar- Aladdin (1992)
Honestly, it's a wonder that nobody in Agrabah could tell that Jafar was actually evil just by looking at him. The Grand Vizier to the Sultan, Jafar dresses in black, has an ominous snake staff, and is always scheming.
Shocking absolutely no one, Jafar wants power and plans to marry Jasmine, become Sultan, and then kill her and her father. He also seeks the magical lamp in the Cave of Wonders and even kills to get it.
Jafar is not only a despicable killer, but also a power hungry creep. By the time that he becomes all powerful, it's clear that Jafar is as tyrannical as anyone on this list. Even then, all powerful sorcerers still get outsmarted sometimes.
5. Shan Yu- Mulan (1998)
Despite being a Disney Renaissance villain, Shan Yu has never really been as beloved as his peers. However, Shan Yu's cruelty and lust for carnage rivals that of nearly every other villain here.
Although he's power hungry to some degree, Shan Yu is ultimately driven by pride. After the Emperor builds the Great Wall of China, Shan Yu sees it as a challenge and wages war. He never treats this like a game though, as he launches serious attacks and decimates armies and innocent villages alike.
Shan Yu's cruelty knows no bounds, as he'll kill a general, soldier, or child to achieve his goal. Mulan eventually outwits him, but not before he takes the Emperor hostage and nearly kills him. With one of the highest body counts on this list, Shan Yu is not to be trifled with, challenged, or even encountered.
4. The Horned King- The Black Cauldron (1985)
If Chernabog isn't the most demonic looking of the Disney villains, then it has to be the Horned King. In Disney's often forgotten The Black Cauldron, the Horned King searches far and wide for the titular magical item.
Why you might ask? Well, the Horned King wants to raise an army of the damned and take over the world. Yes, while other villains have sought to rule countries and raise the dead, only the Horned King does so with the ambition of plummeting the entire world into darkness.
But while the Horned King's plans are probably the most evil of any Disney villain, he never gets to accomplish them. He does raise the dead briefly, but outside of that, his only crimes are kidnapping some people and a pig. As such, he must settle for number four.
3. Nalo- Moana 2 (2024)
There are only three villains on this list who scored high in all three categories: motivation, feats, and ultimate plans. The first to appear on this list is also the most recent, Nalo.
Moana's second foe, Nalo is a malicious storm god who seeks dominion over the mortals. As such, Nalo sinks the legendary island of Motufetu, killing countless people and separating the other islands from each other. Even worse, Nalo's main goal is for the Motunui people to go extinct, which is why he does everything he can to stop Moana from raising the island.
Everything that Nalo does is despicable from abusing his power as a deity to inflicting genocide upon Moana's people. However, since he's a higher being, it's more understandable that he'd act like a monster since he's disconnected from humanity. The same cannot be said for our next two villains.
2. Scar- The Lion King (1994)
One of the most popular Disney villains, Scar is a fan favorite for a reason. in addition to his Shakespearean rhetoric and deep voice, Scar is one of the coldest animals on either side of the savannah.
He's certainly power hungry, but he's mostly driven by jealousy of his brother Mufasa. As such, Scar brutally kills his own brother and then convinces Simba that it's his fault, before ordering him to be killed too. Once he finally obtains the throne, Scar proves to be a poor leader, feeding himself first and neglecting his own kind.
On every level, Scar's crimes are heinous. It's one thing to kill for money or attack an army, but to kill one's own family and starve one's own subjects is a level of villainy rarely seen on film. To many, Scar will always be the greatest Disney villain and he's undoubtedly one of the most evil; just not the most.
1. Judge Claude Frollo- The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
At long last, we arrive at the absolute worst villain that Disney has ever given us. Among lions and tigers, sorcerers and thieves, and demons and deities, the most vile Disney villain is just a man, Judge Claude Frollo.
From the first moment we see him, Judge Frollo proves he's a despicable person. Ambushing Romani immigrants, Frollo chases down Quasimodo's mom, eventually killing her. He almost does the same with baby Quasimodo, but is guilted into keeping him.
After that, we get a sense of who Frollo really is. He's absolute in his power, yielding it mercilessly. He also struggles with lust after seeing Esmerelda, which he sings about in the haunting "Hellfire." Mostly though, he seeks religious piety, twisting scripture to carry out his own prejudiced beliefs.
Ultimately, Frollo wants to eliminate the Romani people from France despite being attracted to Esmerelda. In addition to killing Quasimodo's mom, he arrests many Romani people and burns a number of their houses, killing countless people. He even plans to burn Esmerelda at the stake but is ultimately foiled, succumbing to the very flames that he started.
For a man who's supposed to instill Paris with order and justice, Frollo brings chaos and pain to innocent people. He's hypocritical, prejudiced, creepy, merciless, and dangerous in a way that feels realistic. However, that's exactly why Judge Frollo is the most evil villain that Disney has ever put to screen.
