The charming animation style of Disney's movies can often conceal a lot of darkness and violence that wouldn't be as appropriate for younger audiences in live-action. The fact that so many Disney characters have stacked up imposing kill counts without being known as killers highlights how the studio puts a magic sheen over most things. However, when some movies are examined more closely, some beloved Disney icons are revealed to be killers.
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13 Mulan
Mulan (1998)
Director Barry Cook , Tony Bancroft
Release Date June 19, 1998
Disney's canonical princesses are supposed to embody the lighthearted goodness that the studio builds its image on. However, not all the princesses are so sweet and innocent. Mulan is a more active and adventurous character than the likes of Aurora or Snow White, and she isn't afraid to wade into battle to defend her people. Mulan may start as an enchanting musical, but it gets fairly dark as Mulan faces the realities of war. When she uses fireworks to cause an avalanche, she wipes out hundreds of soldiers in Shan Yu's Hun army, as well as their horses.
12 Mushu
Mulan (1998)
Mulan is one of Disney's darker movies, so it isn't a huge surprise that Mulan isn't the only character who has a few kills. While Shan-Yu is the deadliest character of all, Mushu also gets his hands dirty. Mulan's pint-sized dragon sidekick is mostly along for the ride as comic relief alongside Cri-Kee, and he gets more than his fair share of Mulan's best quotes. He's not quite as fearsome and deadly as most dragons, but he does set off the firework that kills Shan-Yu in the climactic battle. Mushu also shatters the great stone dragon which is supposed to help Mulan, although it's unclear whether this counts as him killing the guardian.
11 Pascal
Tangled (2010)
Director Byron Howard , Nathan Greno
Release Date November 24, 2010
Cast Donna Murphy , Ron Perlman , Mandy Moore , Brad Garrett , Jeffrey Tambor , Zachary Levi Mushu isn't the only cute Disney sidekick who shows a surprisingly violent streak when things get heated. Pascal is Rapunzel's chameleon sidekick in Tangled, and he accompanies her everywhere she goes. He provides some of Tangled's funniest moments, but the key difference between him and Mushu is that he remains silent throughout the movie. In the final confrontation with Mother Gothel, Pascal trips the villain up and sends her tumbling out of the tower's window. After Rapunzel's hair is cut short, Mother Gothel seems to age rapidly, so she dies and turns to dust before she ever hits the ground. It may not technically be Pascal's kill then, but it's still a cold-blooded move from the reptile.
10 Hercules
Hercules (1997)
Director John Musker , Ron Clements
Release Date June 13, 1997
Cast Tate Donovan , Josh Keaton , Roger Bart , Danny DeVito , James Woods , Susan Egan , Bobcat Goldthwait , Matt Frewer , Rip Torn , Samantha Eggar , Barbara Barrie , Hal Holbrook , Paul Shaffer , Amanda Plummer , Carole Shelley , Paddi Edwards , Charlton Heston , Lillias White , Cheryl Freeman , LaChanze , Roz Ryan In keeping with the Greek myth, Disney's Hercules sees the titular hero taking on a series of deadly trials to earn his place on Mount Olympus with the gods. He racks up quite a kill count as he slays the hydra, the cyclops and many other monsters sent by Hades. A Hercules Easter egg also suggests that Hercules killed Scar from The Lion King at some point, because he wears the lion's pelt in a brief scene. It's debatable whether any of these kills should contribute to Hercules' kill count, but punching Hades into the River Styx is at least one kill. It remains to be seen how the upcoming live-action Hercules will handle all the violence for a young audience.
9 Little Toot
Melody Time (1948)
Director Clyde Geronimi , Wilfred Jackson , Hamilton Luske , Jack Kinney
Release Date May 27, 1948
Cast Roy Rogers , Dennis Day , Freddy Martin , Ethel Smith , Buddy Clark , Frances Langford
Melody Time is one of Disney's forgotten animated movies. Disney used to produce many more short films than they do today, and Melody Time is an anthology that features seven of these segments. The movie's divisive critical reputation has a lot to do with the uneven quality of the segments, but Little Toot is replete with Disney charm. The titular tugboat causes chaos in New York harbor, with all the impish excitement of a child. Little Toot's antics are harmless at first, but he soon steers an ocean liner into a densely populated apartment block, potentially causing hundreds of casualties. The weight of this tragedy is brushed off as the song continues.
8 Wardrobe
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Director Gary Trousdale , Kirk Wise
Release Date November 21, 1991
Cast Paige O'Hara , Robby Benson , Angela Lansbury , Jerry Orbach , David Ogden Stiers , Bradley Pierce , Jesse Corti , Richard White
Beauty and the Beast has some of the elements of a horror movie. While Belle's imprisonment is often seen as creepy by modern audiences, the plight of the Beast's household staff is even more horrific. Due to the Beast's curse, they are transformed into furniture and other household items, although they seem to make the most of their situation. When Gaston and his mob storm the castle, the staff spring into action to defend their home. There are plenty of creative ways that Lumiere, Mrs. Potts and co. ward off the invaders. The Wardrobe has a simpler approach, as it crushes one of the men to death.
7 Tarzan
Tarzan (1999)
Director Kevin Lima , Chris Buck
Release Date June 18, 1999
Cast Tony Goldwyn , Minnie Driver , Glenn Close , Alex D. Linz , Rosie O'Donnell , Brian Blessed , Nigel Hawthorne , Lance Henriksen , Wayne Knight Tarzan does try to prevent Clayton's death, as the villain accidentally hangs himself on some long vines. However, Tarzan kills earlier in the movie. His first and most consequential kill comes when he takes down Sabor with a broken spear. Sabor is responsible for the death of Tarzan's parents, as well as several gorillas, so it's extremely impressive that Tarzan manages to kill the leopard in close-quarters combat. Shortly before Clayton's death, Tarzan also kills one of his men just as he is sneaking up on Jane. The man suddenly falls out of frame, but it seems safe to assume that he's dead.
6 Mr. Incredible
The Incredibles (2004)
Release Date November 5, 2004
Cast Sarah Vowell , Samuel L. Jackson , Craig T. Nelson , Spencer Fox , Holly Hunter , Jason Lee Pixar movies have a few heartbreaking deaths, like Ellie in Up and Coral in Finding Nemo, but it's extremely rare for any characters to be murdered. The Incredibles is slightly different, as it features much more action and violence than most other Pixar movies. The number one killer in the movie, as Edna Mode will tell anyone willing to listen, is capes. Syndrome, one of Pixar's best villains, also kills plenty of heroes as he perfects his Omnidroid. However, what's more surprising is that Mr. Incredible himself kills several people. He's not the type of hero who refuses to take a life like Batman, as he dispatches several of Syndrom's goons while infiltrating his base.
5 Arlo
The Good Dinosaur (2015)
Director Peter Sohn
Release Date November 25, 2015
The Good Dinosaur doesn't usually enter into the conversation of the best Pixar movies, and it was a rare box office flop for the studio. There's still a lot to like though, including the breathtaking landscapes and the plucky main character, Arlo. Arlo is a young Apatosaurus who befriends a human child in an alternative history where the dinosaurs were never wiped out by an asteroid. When Spot is surrounded by pteranodons, Arlo runs into battle to defend his new friend. He knocks each of the pteranodons into the river. They aren't seen dying, but they certainly don't seem capable of escaping the rapids.
4 Yzma
The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
Director Mark Dindal
Release Date December 15, 2000
Cast David Spade , John Goodman , eartha kitt , Patrick Warburton , Wendie Malick , Kellyann Kelso It's not entirely unusual for an evil Disney villain to chalk up a few kills. Scar murdering Mufasa is one of the most iconic Disney moments of the 1990s, for example. Yzma isn't operating at quite the same level of malevolence as Scar, Ursula or Maleficent, however. Her plan is to assassinate Kuzco, but this is just a political move. It therefore comes as something of a surprise that she does kill several people in The Emperor's New Groove. Yzma uses her potions to turn some of the guards into animals just like Kuzco, and they fall to their deaths from the high walls of the palace.
3 Milo Thatch
Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
Director Gary Trousdale , Kirk Wise
Release Date June 2, 2001
Atlantis: The Lost Empire is among Disney's most underrated movies. It came out just after the high highs of the 1990s Disney renaissance, as the studio was gradually transitioning to a new style of animation and storytelling. The steampunk adventure story follows Milo Thatch, a bookish linguist searching for the lost city of Atlantis. By the end of the movie, he has no choice but to get his hands dirty. Vinny is the character who gets the most kills in the final battle with Rourke, but since he's a mercenary with a penchant for explosives, this isn't as surprising as Milo killing Rourke by turning him into a crystal.
2 Moana
Moana (2016)
Director Ron Clements , John Musker
Release Date November 23, 2016
Moana is one of Disney's more action-ready princesses, as she proves time and time again on her journey across the ocean with Maui. When they are ambushed by the coconut-shaped Kakamora, Maui and Moana have to fight off the pirates, even though they are vastly outnumbered. Moana proves to be just as capable in a scrap as the demigod Maui. She uses an oar to repeatedly smash the Kakamora into the sea. It's hard to confirm any of these kills, since coconuts do float in water after all, but if even a fraction of these Kakamora die, then Moana could rival Mulan for the title of Disney's deadliest princess. The upcoming Moana 2 has teased the return of the Kakamora.
1 Flora, Fauna & Merryweather
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Director Clyde Geronimi , Wolfgang Reitherman
Release Date January 29, 1959
Cast Mary Costa , Bill Shirley , Eleanor Audley , Verna Felton , Barbara Jo Allen , Barbara Luddy , Bill Thompson
Flora, Fauna and Merryweather are the three good fairies who try to rescue Aurora from Maleficent's curse, but being good fairies doesn't stop them from killing when they have to. As Prince Phillip fights to reach Aurora, the fairies accompany him and cast spells to nullify the attacks which Maleficent sends his way. In a more aggressive move, Merryweather chases after the raven Diablo and turns him to stone. Moments later, Flora enchants Prince Phillip's sword before he launches it into Maleficent's heart. This gives the three good fairies a final kill count of two, which is higher than their image suggests.
Custom image by Yailin Chacon
English (US) ·