Aladdin’s Darkest Villain Wasn’t In The Movies

Disney’s colorful rogues’ gallery includes some of the most iconic characters in modern mythology, however, it was Aladdin that introduced one of their darkest villains, although he wasn’t in the movies. In the early ‘90s, upon the success of the film, it was adapted as an animated series for The Disney Afternoon block of cartoons. Although the beguiling street rat’s adventures featured all kinds of memorable villains, many say it was a sadistic sorcerer who broke the mold and pushed the show’s kid-friendly premise.

With Aladdin’s all-powerful adversary defeated at the end of the straight-to-video sequel The Return of Jafar, the series had to get creative and introduce new enemies for him to fight on television. However, among the likes of a malicious mermaid, a seductive sand sorceress, and a Grecian mad scientist, the show created Mozenrath, a necromancer voiced by the late Jonathan Brandis of Stephen King’s IT fame. Often considered the series’ main villain and Agrabah’s biggest threat, he’d appear in nine episodes over the cartoon’s three-season run.

Disney villains are known for their colorful style, strong personalities, and designs with flair, often celebrated as the characters many love to hate. However, while villains on the Aladdin animated series tended to plot Saturday morning schemes such as turning the desert into glass or casting love spells, there was something truly evil and disturbing about Mozenrath. If it wasn’t his gory appearance, then his sadistic love of torture, morbid backstory, and practice of necromancy were enough to give him a rap sheet to surpass better-known Disney villains like Cruella de Vil and Maleficent. When paired with his obsession over Aladdin and resentment of the prince’s magical privilege, it adds another level of creepy to the character’s motives.

In the character’s first appearance, he lived in the ruins of a citadel that once belonged to a sorcerer named Destane that Iago noted even Jafar avoided. When asked what became of the tower’s former owner, Mozenrath proudly exposited that he took both Destane’s powers and humanity before unveiling the wizard as one of his undead servants. However, as if murder and enslavement weren’t enough, the show later revealed what Mozenrath had to sacrifice for his abilities and why he resented Aladdin having a genie grant his wishes. Mozenrath had decomposed from his use of dark magic, and when his gauntlet finally was removed, underneath was a grisly skeletal hand. With Mozenrath, there was always more than a thirst for power that made him dangerous. He had a wicked sense of amusement and fascination with torture that went well beyond a typical Disney princess movie villain, often sadistically mocking his victims in ways considered disturbing by today’s standards.

As far as the movies go, it’s been a popular theory that Mozenrath was to appear in an Aladdin sequel meant to end the series and reveal in an ironic twist that Aladdin was his long-lost brother. This was later confirmed false by director Tad Stones (via Twitter). However, with the live-action movie and the announcement of projects to expand that universe, perhaps Mozenrath will finally get a big-screen debut and return to terrorize the seven deserts.

About The Author