Disney Female Villains

The Evil Queen kicked the whole thing off. She is the very first Disney villain, from 1937, and she set the mold for every wicked queen who came after.

• The villain of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney’s first feature film
• Obsessed with being the fairest one of all
• Jealous enough of Snow White to want her gone for good
• Disguises herself as a grotesque old hag to hand over the poisoned apple

Lady Tremaine is Cinderella’s stepmother, and she is cruelty without the cackle. No magic, no monster form, just cold, quiet meanness.

• The main villain of Cinderella, from 1950
• Treats Cinderella like a servant in her own home
• Spoils her own daughters, Anastasia and Drizella
• Schemes to marry one of them off to the prince

Cruella de Vil wants a coat made out of Dalmatian puppies. That is the whole plot, and she is somehow one of the most fun villains Disney ever made.

• The villain of 101 Dalmatians, from 1961
• Obsessed with fur, especially spotted puppy fur
• Loud, rude, and a reckless driver
• Pure style with zero conscience

Mother Gothel is the villain of Tangled, and she is scary in a quieter way. She does not throw fireballs. She gaslights.

• Keeps Rapunzel locked in a tower for years
• Uses the magic in Rapunzel’s hair to stay young
• Pretends to love her while using her
• Charming on the outside, cold underneath

Ursula the sea witch is one of the best villains Disney has ever drawn. She trades Ariel a pair of legs for her voice, and the deal is rigged from the start.

• The villain of The Little Mermaid, from 1989
• A half-octopus sea witch with a flair for the dramatic
• Tricks Ariel into a deal she is meant to lose
• Owns one of the all-time great villain songs, “Poor Unfortunate Souls”

Maleficent calls herself the Mistress of All Evil, and she earns the title. She is probably the most iconic Disney villain of them all.

• The dark fairy from Sleeping Beauty, made in 1959
• Curses baby Aurora to fall into a deep sleep
• Only true love’s kiss can break the spell
• Turns into a giant black dragon for the finale

Te Kā is the towering lava demon from Moana, all fire and fury. But she is the most interesting villain on this list, because she is not really a villain at all.

• The fiery lava monster who blocks Moana’s path
• Made entirely of molten rock and rage
• Guards the way to the island goddess Te Fiti
• Hurls fireballs at anyone who comes close

The Queen of Hearts rules Wonderland through pure tantrum. Her answer to almost everything is the same: “Off with their heads!”

• The hot-tempered ruler in Alice in Wonderland, from 1951
• Flies into a rage over the smallest thing
• Plays a very unfair game of croquet
• More chaos than evil, but you do not want to cross her

Madam Mim is the cackling witch from The Sword in the Stone. She is loud, vain, and proud of how nasty she is.

• A sorceress from the 1963 film
• Can shape-shift into almost anything she likes
• Loves mischief and hates sunshine
• Calls herself the magnificent, marvelous, mad Madam Mim

Madame Medusa is the greedy villain of The Rescuers. She is after a giant diamond, and she will put a little girl in danger to get it.

• The main villain of The Rescuers, from 1977
• Hunts for a huge diamond down in Devil’s Bayou
• Uses an orphan named Penny to crawl into the cave for her
• Keeps two pet crocodiles, Brutus and Nero, as her guards

Queen Narissa is the evil queen from Enchanted. She wants to keep her throne, and she is not above a little dark magic to do it.

• The villain of Enchanted, from 2007
• Rules the animated kingdom of Andalasia
• Sends her stepson’s true love away to protect her crown
• Played by Susan Sarandon, who turns into a dragon for the showdown

Yzma is the bony, scheming advisor from The Emperor’s New Groove. She wants the throne, and she is gloriously bad at getting it.

• The villain of The Emperor’s New Groove, from 2000
• Plots to overthrow the spoiled Emperor Kuzco
• Turns him into a llama by mistake instead of poisoning him
• Backed up by her not-so-loyal henchman, Kronk