“The Hero’s Journey” is one of humanity’s most tried and true story structures. Since ancient times, societies have been passing down tales of their most beloved heroes, mythical and real alike. Whether we’re watching a chosen one win or we’re rooting for an underdog, we love seeing heroes go through trials and tribulations to reach ultimate success. Sometimes the obstacles that our heroes overcome are unrelated–over the river, through the woods. And sometimes those obstacles are just physical ones–over the river, through the woods. But as time has gone on, and as societies have become more globalized, heroes’ biggest obstacles have become the people who are trying to foil their best laid plans.
Villains, like heroes, can be real or mythical, their crimes personal or systemic. And even though we know they’re “bad,” sometimes, we can’t help but love them. Especially when it’s fictional and especially when it’s in cartoon form, evil almost seems irresistible, and there are some villains that are so iconic that we end up rooting for their success rather than the hero we’re supposed to hope succeeds. Disney Animation Studios seems to have picked up on this trend, that we love to love what we should hate, and over the past couple of decades, Disney Villains have become an important cornerstone of the Disney brand.
Disney Villains like Ursula and Maleficent have become icons. Board games are dedicated to villainous characters from the Disney catalog. And if you’ve ever been to Disney World during the Halloween season, you can attend the Villains After Hours party, a three hour time block dedicated to the Disney villains we’ve come to know and love. Disney villains are vital to the Disney brand, and we have completely bought into it. And that’s why we’re asking you this week: which Disney villain is the best Disney villain?
Even though we’re both big Disney fans, we had to bring in some experts to help us out. On this week’s episode, spooky siblings and Disney freaks Alison and Jason Kuhn joined us to discuss their personal picks and their own definitions of what it means to be evil. But we can only persuade you so much. It’s ultimately up to you to decide which villain is “best.” Vote here all week to let your voice be heard!
Voting Schedule
Play-in Round: Monday 5/16
Sweet Sixteen: Tuesday 5/17
Elite Eight: Wednesday 5/18
Final Four: Thursday 5/19
Championship: Friday 5/20, Saturday 5/21
Winner revealed on Monday 5/23!!
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