5 Disney Villains That Tricked Everyone (& 5 We All Saw Coming)

Disney’s villains have practically become their own franchise thanks to their popularity. But while the more classic villains like Scar, Captain Hook, and Maleficent wear their wickedness well on their sleeves, recent villains take a more subtle approach to their sinister nature. This might be a breath of fresh air to some, but it can be a double-edged sword for others.

Many of the more recent Disney villains have made excellent use of the motif, some are a bit too on the nose to be anything but the bad guy, and some even give the game up a bit too early. Either way, Disney villains have come a long way from the traditionally obvious antagonist.

Tricked Everyone

Charles Muntz (Up)

Up was easily one of Pixar’s best movies, but its villain was certainly a surprise. On one hand, there’s really no logical explanation for Muntz to still be alive after decades of searching for the “Monster of Paradise Falls.” On the other, he also commands an army of technologically advanced talking dogs, so logic might be out the window on this one. From his exploits presented in the film, there’s really no indicator that he should have been the film’s villain. It was only when he started getting territorial that he took a dark turn.

Charles Muntz returned to Paradise Falls on a scientific expedition, not to poach an exotic bird. All the more reason both audiences and the protagonists were shocked to reveal that he was not only still alive but had axed the other explorers who got in his way.

Lotso Huggin’ Bear (Toy Story 3)

To be fair, no one really expects a stuffed animal that smells like strawberries to be any level of unpleasant. That’s where Lotso decides to deviate from expectations and rule Sunnyside Daycare with an iron paw. While Big Baby was easily the more believably bad character, Lotso pulled the rug out from viewers with ease.

A cute and cuddly character until the guise no longer suited his devices, Lotso was a wounded animal who rose to a position of power where he could make other discarded and hand-me-down toys feel the heartbreak he felt when he was lost and replaced. Hurt people hurt people, as the saying goes.

Ernesto De La Cruz (Coco)

With all the pomp and circumstance Ernesto De La Cruz received at the beginning of the movie, his villain reveal was definitely a shocker. At first, De La Cruz seems all the sensational celebrity he appears to be. But even famous skeletons don’t stay in closets for very long.

When Hector’s identity was revealed in Coco and Ernesto’s deeds were found out, theaters everywhere echoed with the sound of jaws hitting the floor. Sure, he was an obvious showboat, but murder was never something viewers expected during their first screening of the film.

Hans (Frozen)

“If only there were someone out there who loved you.” Hans’s schtick might be overplayed nowadays, but when Frozen first premiered in 2013, it was the biggest shock Disney threw at audiences at the time. Absolutely no one was expecting the handsome Prince of the Southern Isles to be the film’s main villain, as well as one of the most devious and complex.

While the Duke Of Weselton was certainly a somewhat antagonistic force, he was ultimately the red herring to throw viewers off the scent. Looking back, Hans’s actions were definitely a bit too friendly for just a visiting noble.

Professor Callaghan (Big Hero 6)

Callaghan gets the edge over Hans for one reason, there’s no better way to create a surprise villain than by convincing an audience of their death. Callaghan/Yokai’s motives and methods of survival in Big Hero 6 were kept completely in the dark until the mask was torn away, and Disney definitely hid him well.

Dr. Crei was set up perfectly to be the film’s main villain — there was almost no way he couldn’t have been. Even something as minor as trying to sneak away with one of Hiro’s microbots was enough to cast all villainous accusations on him. All the more perfect way to set up Callaghan’s revenge plot behind the scenes.

Saw It Coming

Bellwether (Zootopia)

Bellewether was so close to being the ideal hidden villain. She had the best coverup, the most damaging plot, and the most complex motive. If it wasn’t for one huge tell, the city of Zootopia might not be the place where anyone can be anything the mammals know and love.

When Bellwether takes over as mayor of the city, she makes life very hard for the predator population. But the mistake she (and to an extent the filmmakers) makes is reassigning Clawhauser from the front desk of the ZPD to the records room down by the boiler. Attentive viewers will know instantly if they noticed the location of Bellwether’s office earlier in the film.

Te Kā (Moana)

Te Kā gets a special mention given the fact that while it’s obvious that she is the film’s primary antagonist, what’s not obvious is her relationship to the benevolent Te Fiti. In Disney’s defense, however, the volcano goddess is easily one of the most intimidating and scariest villains Disney has created in recent years.

With her fire-belching and flaming skeletal form, she looks more at home in a Doom game than a Disney movie set in the tropical Polynesian islands. It’s an obvious design, but easily one of the most creative.

Gaston (Beauty And The Beast)

To his credit, Gaston seems like more of a nuisance than an actual threat to anyone, that is until Belle stiffs his proposal and he ends up face-first in a muddy pond. The minute he utters the line, “I’ll have Belle for my wife…” that’s when his cover is blown and he’s set up as the villain for the rest of the film.

In any other movie, Gaston might be the hero who gets the girl, saves the day, and becomes the fan-favorite worthy of all the praise and glory. But that’s not the case for Beauty and the Beast. What makes Gaston work as a character, however, is how he turns the tables on archetypes and character expectations.

Gabby Gabby (Toy Story 4)

In defense of Pixar, it’s hard to follow up a villain like Lotso, but Gabby Gabby definitely disturbed a few viewers when she first rolled out of the shadows. Still, she was more than a little obvious. A creepy, unblinking doll who lives in an antique shop with a host of ventriloquist dummy henchmen isn’t exactly subtle.

While she wasn’t evil per se, she was the film’s immediate antagonist as she sought out Woody’s voice box. Gabby might have only been wanting some love, but if she wasn’t in a Pixar movie, she’d be the scary subject of a Goosebumps book.

Evelyn Deavor (The Incredibles 2)

With a name that’s literally a twisted version of the phrase “evil endeavors,” it doesn’t get much more obvious. With one sibling that’s a superhero fanboy and another who looks more like Marla from Fight Club, fans don’t have to be a genius to figure out who’s really behind Screen Slaver.

It’s not to say that the reveal was predictable, but it just wasn’t that well hidden. While the revelation that Screen Slaver himself was simply a human puppet, it wasn’t too much of a stretch to figure out that the techno-wizard of the group was truly the mastermind.

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