Animation is a genre with the unique opportunity to create fantastically terrifying villains because there are so few limitations on what the medium can visually achieve. The 1980s were a pivotal time for animated movies, as new technologies were broadening the horizons of what studios and creative teams were capable of. Some of the best animated fantasy films of the 20th century were made in the ’80s, and a work of fiction is only as good as its villain. Balancing out the hero and often providing comic relief, the antagonists of these films often stole the show.
The mark of a good villain is one that’s nuanced and complex.
Every evil Disney villain is fondly remembered by audiences who grew up watching animation movies from the iconic studio. However, it’s not just Disney villains that stand apart within animation. The mark of a good villain is one that’s nuanced and complex. They can be evil and easy to hate, but they’re even more compelling when they have deeper motivations and an intelligence that draws the viewer in. While the hero is who the audience is rooting for, a villain with no charisma and an unattractive personality won’t connect with anyone.
10 Ratigan – The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
Voiced by Vincent Price
The Great Mouse Detective is one of Disney’s more underrated animated films from the Disney Dark Ages, which included the projects the studio produced between 1981 and 1988 (via BFI). Though the quality of The Great Mouse Detective was just as high as the company’s later work, The Great Mouse Detective had darker elements and didn’t follow a fairy tale. Based on the children’s book series Basil of Baker Street, the film saw its protagonist match wits with the fearsome Ratigan.
Though heinous and power-hungry, Ratigan is also clever and charming in his own, slightly sleazy way.
Drawing inspiration from the works of Sherlock Holmes, the detective, Basil, works to stop Ratigan from creating an artificial Queen out of clockwork so that he can rule the mouse world. Though heinous and power-hungry, Ratigan is also clever and charming in his own, slightly sleazy way. Ratigan’s convoluted plots and dastardly tricks keep the audience guessing until the end. Additionally, Vincent Price’s voicework makes it easy to start rooting for Ratigan to get even more screen time.
9 Ursula – The Little Mermaid (1989)
Voiced by Pat Carroll
Though Melissa McCarthy’s portrayal of Ursula in the live-action The Little Mermaid brought the villain to life brilliantly for modern audiences, nothing will beat the original work of Par Carroll. Carroll’s iconic performance as Ursula is one of the most memorable and dynamic parts of The Little Mermaid, providing an excellent foil to Ariel’s youth and innocence. Ursula is interesting because she’s smart and knows how to use Ariel’s ignorance to her advantage. Additionally, she has a fantastic villain song in “Poor Unfortunate Souls.”
The Little Mermaid was a turning point for Disney, as the project marked the beginning of the Disney Renaissance and the long string of smash hits for the studio. Though the central thrust of the story is about the love blossoming between Ariel and Eric, there would be little conflict or stakes without Ursula, who embodies the funny and charismatic villains that Disney would become known for. From her character design to her motivations, Ursula is a multi-dimensional and hilarious antagonist.
8 Megatron – The Transformers: The Movie (1986)
Voiced by Frank Welker
Before Michael Bay started the live-action Transformers film series in 2007, the beloved toys were adapted into the animated The Transformers: The Movie. When the movie was first released in the mid-’80s, the project made some risky choices in changing and expanding upon the existing lore from the TV series. However, the animation style and performances from the voice actors have helped the film gain recognition in the years since it premiered. Frank Weller plays Megatron, the leader of the Decepticons, who gets involved with the terrifying Unicron.
Many great stars lent their voices to
The Transformers: The Movie
in 1986, including Orson Welles as Unicron, Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime, and Leonard Nimoy as Galvatron.
Many great stars lent their voices to The Transformers: The Movie in 1986, including Orson Welles as Unicron, Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime, and Leonard Nimoy as Galvatron. Though Megatron is a recurring villain in the Transformers universe, he’s particularly compelling in this movie, because he’s betrayed by his fellow Decepticons and forced into an alliance with Unicron. His tragic arc in the story and inability to defeat the Autobots fuels his development and his later transformation into the overpowered Galvatron.
7 Jenner – The Secret of Nihm (1982)
Voiced by Paul Shenar
Animals are given incredible powers and intelligence in The Secret of Nimh, a fantasy adventure movie that sees the mouse Mrs. Brisby embark on an epic quest to save her family. Searching for a way to protect her son and transport him somewhere safe, Mrs. Brisby seeks the help of a group of rats who were part of an experiment, giving them human-like abilities and judgment. Their leader, Nicodemus, has access to magic and power, while the scheming Jenner attempts to undermine his plan to help the Brisbys.
Jenner is so power-hungry that he’s willing to undermine everything Nicodemus has worked for and resorts to intense violence in the final act of the film. He’s desperate for the amulet given to Mrs. Brisby that gives its wearer strength in times of crisis. Paul Shenar makes a great Jenner, as his performance is reminiscent of classic old Hollywood villains. Additionally, the visuals of The Secret of Nimh set the movie apart from other works of fantasy from the time, as the set design is gorgeous and immersive.
6 King Haggard – The Last Unicorn (1982)
Voiced by Christopher Lee
The Last Unicorn is a great animated fantasy movie that most audiences haven’t seen, which is a shame considering how beautiful the animation style is. Additionally, the Unicorn might be a mythical creature, but her story is one that most viewers can relate to as she seeks out others of her kind after feeling alone. In her journey, she comes to realize that unicorns have been captured and forced into a singular corner of the realm because King Haggard wants their beauty all to himself.
The audience learns a lot about humanity and the importance of feeling both joy and pain through the Unicorn’s experience in
The Last Unicorn
.
The audience learns a lot about humanity and the importance of feeling both joy and pain through the Unicorn’s experience in The Last Unicorn. Encountering many people who would use her magic and majesty to their advantage, it’s incredibly special when the Unicorn finds someone she can trust. King Haggard is the reason the Unicorn begins the plot lost and alone in the world, as he thinks only of himself. He’s a classic example of a wizened and cruel king who hurts their own kingdom with their shortsightedness.
5 The Horned King – The Black Cauldron (1985)
Voiced by John Hurt
Though The Black Cauldron was a notorious flop for Disney, it’s become something of a cult classic in the years since its release. One of the best-remembered parts of the movie is how unabashedly dark the story and visuals are and how the set pieces and character designs were so unique. The Horned King, the antagonist who Taran must defeat, is a horrifying monster who lives in a haunted castle. Every scene featuring the Horned King marks an immediate tone shift in the story and demonstrates how high the stakes are for Taran.
If Disney remakes The Black Cauldron, it would have the opportunity to take all the elements from the 1985 film that work and blend them into a story that’s more understandable for audiences. Though the Horned King is intimidating and stylistically terrifying, he doesn’t have enough to do during the story. This is the problem with many of the characters in the film. However, The Black Cauldron has the bones of a great movie, and an amazing villain is an important building block for this.
4 Amos – The Fox And The Hound (1981)
Voiced by Jack Albertson
Amos is one of the most nuanced villains in any animated movie, as though he’s characterized as the force that’s keeping Tod and Cooper apart; he’s just as much a victim of his nature as anyone else.The Fox and the Hound grapples with whether a fox and a hunting dog can be friends and maintain their affection for each other, even though the world puts them at odds. As Cooper’s owner, Amos sees foxes as a threat to his livelihood and trains Cooper to be a proper hound who hunts foxes.
Amos isn’t a bad man, just someone who is set in their ways and sees the world through a particular lens.
Amos isn’t a bad man, just someone who is set in their ways and sees the world through a particular lens. By the end of the film, though the estrangement between Tod and Cooper is heartbreaking, the audience can’t solely blame Amos. Many other circumstances lead to Tod and Amos becoming different individuals as they age, and external factors can’t be kept out of their relationship forever. At the end of the movie, Amos can recognize that his prejudice about foxes isn’t enough of a reason to hunt Tod down.
3 Carface – All Dogs Go To Heaven (1989)
Voiced by Vic Tayback
All Dogs Go to Heaven is well known for being an emotionally poignant and surprisingly intense animated children’s film. Following the story of the German Shepherd Charlie, voiced by Burt Reynolds, All Dogs Go to Heaven begins with Charlie’s death. He’s betrayed by his double-dealing business partner, Carface, and is sent to heaven. However, Charlie finds a way to get back to Earth to take his revenge on Carface but ends up healing his soul in the process.
All Dogs Go to Heaven is defined by its darker elements, like references and imagery of hell, as well as plenty of violence and death. It’s difficult to finish the film with a dry eye, as Carface’s actions consistently threaten the bond between Charlie and his newfound human companion, Anne-Marie. Carface is genuinely scary and wants to see the protagonists hurt. He crosses lines that animated films usually don’t. His determination to be bad is juxtaposed nicely with Charlie’s journey to become a better dog.
2 Bill Sykes – Oliver & Company (1988)
Voiced by Robert Loggia
It’s not surprising that a villain originally written by Charles Dickens would be a thrilling part of the animal adventure Oliver & Company. Loosely based on Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist, Oliver & Company transforms many of its characters into animals, including Oliver, the young cat who falls in with a band of con-artist animals with hearts of gold. However, Bill Sykes is still a human, and a cruel one at that, within the story. His eventual downfall is one of the most satisfying parts of the film.
While
Oliver & Company
isn’t as dark as the source material, the story pushes the boundaries of children’s animation with Sykes’ character.
When an imposing human man has it out for a sweet and innocent cat like Oliver, it’s not difficult to immediately be on Oliver’s side and see through Sykes’ plots. While Sykes is a threatening and vicious force throughout the movie, he becomes truly terrible when he kidnaps Jenny, a young girl who adopts Oliver, for the sake of his greed. While Oliver & Company isn’t as dark as the source material, the story pushes the boundaries of children’s animation with Sykes’ character.
1 Nekron & Juliana – Fire And Ice (1983)
Voiced by Stephen Mendel & Susan Tyrell
The lesser-known fantasy film Fire and Ice is part of the adult animation genre, which hadn’t taken off with much popularity in the early 1980s. Directed by Ralph Bakshi, Fire and Ice used rotoscoping, which is a process that transforms live-action footage into animation. It’s an interesting technique that isn’t used as much today but was considered highly innovative at the time. The story follows a conflict between the titular elements of ice and fire as the ice villains, Nekron, and his mother, Juliana, send glaciers to trap the fire forces.
There are many aspects of Fire and Ice that are dated, and the plot isn’t the most innovative within the fantasy genre. However, it’s visually compelling, and the antagonists are forces to be reckoned with. While Teegra and Larn, the heroes, fall into predictable tropes and are standard protagonists, Nekron and Juliana are more interesting than standard animated villains. Though their motivations are to rule the world, their ice magic is captivating, and their characterization is similar to some of the great comic book antagonists.
