Disney is home to some of the most beloved and feared villains and antagonists in all the realms of animation. The magical rogues’ gallery has quite an impressive array of characters, ranging from the fearsome and foul to the cunning and comedic. But as with all animated characters, the final version we received was not always the one the animators had in mind.
It might be hard to believe, but some of our most beloved villains were actually way eviler than their final drafts. Even some of the more silly fiends had a little bite to them. To see how dark they were before they got changed by Disney, we explore the early versions of these classic villains.
The Little Mermaid: Ursula
Aside from her choice of voice actress, not much changed from Ursula’s original character to her solidified appearance in Disney’s The Little Mermaid. But we are going to give her a little wiggle room due to the fact she was originally much more monstrous than the version we saw in the film.
Different creatures were considered when crafting the insidious sea-witch, such as manta rays, eels, and of course the obviously present octopi. There was even a Maleficent-style version in certain drafts. But it’s these freaky and frightening concept sketches that earn her a spot on our list.
Robin Hood: Prince John
When it comes to comedic villains, only one king wears the crown when it comes to Disney, and that’s the pompous and pouty Prince John from Disney’s Robin Hood. We know what you’re thinking, when was this sourpuss ever a dark villain? The answer, in the original ending of the film.
In an early draft of the film, Prince John sneaks away from the burning castle and tracks a wounded Robin Hood to the Sherwood chapel and attempts to murder him in his sleep, and right in front of Maid Marian. Obviously, the ending was cut due to conflicts with his established character.
Mulan: Shan Yu
Shan Yu is already one of Disney’s most intimidating and imposing villains to date. With his yellow eyes, gravely voice, and brute strength, he’s one tough customer. He’s also not afraid to murder frightened soldiers for the sake of dramatic effect, but there was a time his body count was even higher.
The scene at the Hung Shao pass is absolutely chilling when Shang’s troops come across the slaughtered soldiers on the battlefield. However, that’s nothing compared to the carnage in the original scene where Shan Yu is seen destroying the village with his men. Definitely not what we’d call kid-friendly subject matter.
Aladdin: Jafar
The sinister sorcerer of Agrabah has always been one malicious magic-user since the original tale from Arabian Nights, that’s nothing new. But there was a time when Jafar was definitely one sadistic serpent. It wasn’t enough just to strip Aladdin of his princely garments and Genie best friend, he had to “Humiliate the Boy.”
In an unused song sequence, Jafar and Iago gain control of the Genie and use their first wish to humiliate and torture Aladdin in front of the sultan’s court. He turns his hair into a swarm of locusts, his treasures into rats and flies, and even makes him vomit a flock of birds. All with a swinging vaudeville number.
The Lion King: Scar
Oh boy, where do we even begin with the evolution of Scar? At first, he was a rabid baboon with a horde of evil monkey minions. Then, he became a rogue lion with a predatory appetite for power in the vein of Sher Khan, until at last he became the slender scoundrel we know today. But he originally had other dark desires than just the throne.
In a deleted scene, Scar actually attempted to force Nala into being his queen and banished her when she rejected his advances. Needless to say, this was incredibly inappropriate and was cut from the final film. But the idea did get reworked into the Broadway show.
Frozen: Elsa
More of an honorable mention than anything else, but there was a time Elsa was the villain of Frozen. During the developmental days of the film, Elsa was much more like her literary equivalent, the Snow Queen, than the independent royal we know today.
She was also assisted by a group of living snowmen, a coat of living minks, and an evil army of ice monsters to fully sell the motif. And the icing on the frozen treat? “Let It Go” was meant to have been an ironic villain song. We’d actually like to hear a recording of that version.
Hercules: Hades
Before he was portrayed by the delightfully sleazy James Woods, Hades was originally intended to be a much more cruel king of the Underworld in the first drafts of Hercules. This was because Disney wanted Jack Nicholson to be the firey god of the dead, even going as far as to incorporate his face (and sunglasses) into the design.
Originally, Hades was a much more devilish creature with a firey red ensemble and a long pointy mustache. He was also written to be more of a force of evil and darkness than a slick con-man. We can’t say this wasn’t an interesting concept, but we prefer our smooth-talking hothead Hades.
The Black Cauldron: The Cauldron Born
An army of zombie skeletons is pretty dark and creepy on its own, and The Black Cauldron had more than enough scares to go around. Newsflash Disney fans, the version we saw was definitely not the version the filmmaker’s made. Thanks to Jeffery Katzenberg, we lost eleven minutes from the original film.
During those eleven minutes was a scene where the Cauldron Born army attacks a group of the Horned King’s henchmen. In a terrifying display of blood, guts, and bone, one of the barbarians is bitten by a skeleton and becomes a member of the undead army in the most shocking way possible. Definitely too dark for Disney.
Toy Story: Sid
The tyrannical toy torturer next door to Andy’s house, Sid Philips is definitely a monster in the eyes of your average plastic plaything. But in the early days of development, the kid did a lot more than just blow Combat Carl to smithereens. Submitted for your approval, the tale of Shakes the Rattle.
Originally, the viewers would have met Sid through a story told by Molly’s tiger teething ring. Similar to Quint in Jaws, the tiger told the tale of Shakes the Rattle, a baby rattle who was tortured by Sid in excruciating detail. The filmmakers ultimately deemed this bit too scary for young viewers, and it was soon cut from the film.
Alice In Wonderland: The Queen of Hearts
Similar to Prince John, the Queen of Hearts is more comedic than she is cruel, though she does have a reputation for lopping off heads. The thing is, she says but never does. You see her supposed victims carried away by the guards, but to quote the original novel, “They never executes nobody, you know.” That wasn’t always the case.
In the early drafts of the film, Walt Disney wanted a more book accurate adaptation which ended up being incredibly dark. One of the scenes actually featured an ending with a much more wicked queen ordering Alice’s execution before waking up from a nightmare. Talk about a bad trip.
