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What makes a villain? In my opinon, if that counts for anything, I think it's the intent to do harm just for the sake of doing harm. I mean, some Disney characters do bad things, like the Cheshire Cat, but they don't do it just for the sake of hurting others, so no, I don't classify them as villains, despite what the mugs or sticker packs say ... (I knew I should stop speaking to sticker packs).
Frank and Ollie's book "The Disney Villain" states "The villain acts and the hero reacts. That becomes the story... the viewers vicariously live through each disheartening torment, each moment of terror, each threatening thought. The Disney villains had a lasting impact on the public, spreading horror, visual excite-ment and, in many cases, laughter around the world... the memories of crafty villains, powerful, cruel and spiteful villains, stay with us, haunting our minds and our hearts". I think this is a great quote which gives the villains the credit they truly deserve.
I think Maleficent will always be the best Disney villain, and I know a lot of people agree with me on that count. As well as being manipulative and crafty, she's beautifully drawn, exactly how an evil fairy should look. Maleficent is the epitome of villain and I really challenge Disney, or anyone else, to come up with anyone better than her. She commits her crimes without reason but with malicious intent and she's just so GOOD at it!
The first Disney villain, known only as the Wicked Queen, was so scary that Walt made a vow after the movie's release to never again make a villain so frightening and realistic. Cold and calculating, the inhuman Queen thought nothing of taking the life of a teenaged girl just to preserve her own vanity.
In the next movie, Pinocchio, a whole host of villains wreaked havoc on Pinocchio's life, from J Worthington Foulfellow and Gideon - a pair of con artists without lofty ambitions but with distinctive, sly personalities which made them instant classics - to Stromboli the pupeteer, the evil Coachmaster and the whale, Monstro.
Then there's Shan-Yu from Mulan; not considered a villain by some people, but he's brilliantly portrayed and in my opinon, he definitely IS a villain. He doesn't murder those people because it's a necessity, he does it because he has power, and because he wants to hurt people. Over in the Yahoo Absolutely Disney Villains Club, there was a debate about the villains. People were arguing over whether or not Shan-Yu was a villain, and if so, if he was an effective one. I of course joined, nosed on into their conversation, and replied with the following argument ... "I read the debate about Shan-Yu. I actually think they did a really good job with him - they made him less human because he was like a dark, foreboding figure, not like someone you could go up and talk to. It adds mystery - I think they finally succeeded, with Shan-Yu, in what they tried to do with the Horned King in The Black Cauldron." That I guess best sums up what I like about Shan-Yu.
Hades, the flaming-haired tormentor from Hercules, was the first villain to have the audience in stitches for the entire movie, and still be a convincing threat. With the "help" of his lackies, Pain and Panic, Hades killed Meg (thankfully, he likes making deals), imprisoned every imaginable Greek God and Goddess - including Zeus - and came close to trapping Hercules in a river of death for eternity.
Prince John, a personal favourite of mine, also brought humour to his position, although he didn't pose quite such a threat to Robin Hood, who was a million times more intelligent than the "Phony King of England".
Still, Peter Ustinov's turn as the thumb-sucking, spoiled crybaby is a true classic.
Lady Tremaine, Cinderella's wicked stepmother, is one of the truly classic villains in the Disney collection. At every second, she's thinking three steps ahead, making her one of the craftiest villains around. When she realises the Prince has fallen in love with Cinderella, she doesn't hesitate to lock her stepdaughter up in order to improve her awful daughters' chances in marrying him.
The Little Mermaid ushered in a new age of animation, so an entirely new sort of villain was required. The larger-than-life sea witch Ursula delivered, with one of the scariest and most truly evil performances a Disney villain has ever offered. 
Opening sometime between 2003 and 2005, WDW is getting a Villain-themed land! With a centerpiece originally called "Bald Mountain" but now known as "Villain Mountain" due to the general obscurity of Chernabog's section from Fantasia, the new land promises heaps of rides, merchandise, and more villainous characters walking around than you ever could have hoped for!
Check out the Theories page for something I received on the Villains' Popularity!
