Disney movies are filled with iconic villains and evil queens. From Snow White’s Evil Queen to Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty, Disney has created some of the most notorious villains in film history. But which Disney villainess is truly the most evil and sinister of them all? Let’s take a look at some of the top contenders for the title of “Most Evil Disney Queen.”
Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty)
One of the first Disney villains that often comes to mind is Maleficent from 1959’s Sleeping Beauty. With her dramatic black and purple robes, horns, and ability to transform into a fearsome dragon, Maleficent cuts an intimidating figure. She curses the innocent Princess Aurora out of pure spite because she wasn’t invited to the christening. This unprovoked act of evil shows Maleficent is cruel just for the sake of being cruel. Some key facts about Maleficent:
- She curses baby Aurora to fall into an eternal sleep on her 16th birthday just because she was not invited to the christening.
- She has demonic-looking horns and can transform into a massive, fire-breathing dragon.
- She imprisons Prince Phillip in her dungeon to prevent him from breaking the sleeping curse.
- She feels no remorse for cursing Aurora and even taunts the Three Good Fairies about the impending curse.
Maleficent is cold, calculating, and downright evil. The cursing of Princess Aurora shows she is willing to harm the innocent to get revenge over petty slights. She embraces her evilness, showing no regret over her misdeeds. This makes Maleficent one of the most purely evil villains in the Disney canon.
The Evil Queen (Snow White)
The villainess who started it all, the Evil Queen from 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is one of Disney’s original baddies. Driven by vanity and jealousy of Snow White’s beauty, the Evil Queen will stop at nothing to remain the fairest of them all. Her malicious actions include:
- Forcing Snow White to work as a scullery maid in her own home
- Sending a huntsman to kill and remove Snow White’s heart
- Disguising herself as an old hag and poisoning Snow White with the iconic poison apple
- Leaving Snow White to die alone in the forest
The Evil Queen is cunning, deceptive, and incredibly selfish. Her narcissism drives her to commit evil, heinous acts. She is willing to let nothing stand in the way of her beauty and power, not even innocent little Snow White. The Evil Queen may lack Maleficent’s magical powers, but her heart is just as wicked and cold.
Mother Gothel (Tangled)
One of Disney’s more recently created villains, Mother Gothel from 2010’s Tangled may not look as scary as Maleficent or the Evil Queen, but her actions are incredibly sinister. Kidnapping the baby Princess Rapunzel and locking her away in a secluded tower for 18 years is extremely cruel. Mother Gothel cares nothing about Rapunzel’s well-being, keeping her only to exploit her magical hair which keeps Gothel young. Here are some of Mother Gothel’s evil deeds:
- Kidnapping Rapunzel as an infant from her royal parents
- Isolating and emotionally manipulating Rapunzel her entire life
- Repeatedly emphasizing Rapunzel’s worthlessness and dependence on Gothel
- Stabbing Flynn Rider and placing the blame on Rapunzel
While Gothel puts on an act of being a caring mother figure, she is selfish to the core and cares only about maintaining her youth. Keeping a child locked away from the world for nearly two decades is diabolical cruelty. Though she presents herself as kind-hearted, her evil actions prove Mother Gothel is one of Disney’s most malicious villains.
Ursula (The Little Mermaid)
The undersea witch Ursula from 1989’s The Little Mermaid is a cunning and deceptive villainess. Manipulating Ariel into trading her voice for human legs, Ursula tricks the naive mermaid as part of her plot to overthrow King Triton and rule the seas. Ursula’s wicked deeds include:
- Tricking Ariel into making a dangerous deal to become human
- Attempting to sabotage Eric and Ariel’s blossoming romance
- Turning into a giant and wreaking havoc on Ariel’s wedding
- Trying to kill Eric when Ariel fails to uphold her deal
A devious trickster and half-octopus hybrid, Ursula is eager to manipulate and backstab anyone to obtain power. Her Contractual Genie antics show she is an exploitative villain who preys on desperate merfolk. Though her magical abilities give her an advantage, Ursula’s scheming personality makes her especially dangerous and wicked.
The Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland)
Though her appearance in 1951’s Alice in Wonderland is brief, the Queen of Hearts leaves a lasting impact as a furious and deranged tyrant. Ruling Wonderland with an iron fist, the Queen is prone to yelling “Off with their heads!” at any perceived slight to her authority. Some of her evil deeds include:
- Instantly sentencing Alice and the White Rabbit to decapitation for very minor offenses
- Demanding the impossible from her subjects, then punishing them harshly when they fail
- Releasing the dangerous Jabberwocky to wreak havoc on Wonderland
- Blaming Alice for a series of treats stolen from her that were actually stolen by the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter
The Queen of Hearts is dangerously unhinged and cares not a whit about justice or reason. Her deranged decrees and penchant for lopping off heads show her tyrannical evil side. The Queen of Hearts may not be the most cunning villain, but her readily violent nature makes her a top evil Disney queen.
Yzma (The Emperor’s New Groove)
As the villainess in 2000’s The Emperor’s New Groove, Yzma is a nefarious sorceress who tries unsuccessfully to assassinate and usurp the throne from Emperor Kuzco. Though her schemes ultimately fail, Yzma’s ploys showcase her shrewd ruthlessness:
- Secretly plotting with her dim-witted minion Kronk to poison Kuzco and become Empress herself
- Attempting to crush Kuzco with a giant boulder when the poison plan fails
- Transforming into a terrifying cat-beast to attack Kuzco and Pacha
- Dropping Kuzco off a cliff and leaving him to die when he becomes a liability
Yzma’s vain desire to rule the empire drives her to steadily escalate her evil plans. She is cunning and power-hungry, willing to kill Kuzco without batting an eye. Yzma shows herself to be an ambitious and cutthroat villain despite her occasionally incompetent schemes.
Conclusion
Disney films feature some of the most iconic and memorable villains in movie history. The evil queens are particularly notorious for their sinister plans, vanity, cruelty, and lack of conscience. But which of these Disney villainesses stands out as the most evil? Here is a quick comparison:
| Villainess | Evil Deeds |
|---|---|
| Maleficent | Curses an innocent baby, imprisons the prince, morphs into a dragon |
| The Evil Queen | Tries to kill Snow White multiple times due to vanity |
| Mother Gothel | Kidnaps and manipulates Rapunzel for years |
| Ursula | Tricks Ariel to steal her voice and overthrow Triton |
| The Queen of Hearts | Tyrannical ruler who constantly orders beheadings |
| Yzma | Plots to assassinate Kuzco and claim the throne |
Based on their crimes against the heroes, lack of morals, embrace of evil for evil’s sake, and seeming lack of conscience, the top two most evil Disney queens are Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty and the Evil Queen from Snow White. Both demonstrate an especially high degree of cruelty, vanity, and evil. They harm and deceive others to further their own selfish aims without regret or remorse. Their presence as the earliest Disney villains also makes their wickedness particularly notable. For embracing evil whole-heartedly and committing some of the most despicably heinous acts, Maleficent and the Evil Queen emerge as the most purely evil Disney villainesses.