The 10 Best Disney Action Scenes, Ranked

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Disney

Disney movies are chock-full of whimsical stories, from princes and princesses, to mermaids, and talking animals. But even the most cheery of Disney movies have the occasional action sequence. Some even push the boundaries of intensity and what should and should not be included in a movie made for children. There's no shortage of spectacle, either. Here are 10 of the best action sequences across Disney films. The following does not include Pixar films.

11 ‘Frozen’ (2013)

Elsa vs Soldiers

In Frozen, Elsa (Idina Menzel) has long since locked herself away from society due to her powers, which she struggles to control. She lives in an ice palace of which she created, and it’s there that she finds herself cornered by soldiers who have learned of her powers. She thwarts their attacks by summoning her powers to create obstacles and weapons that fend them off. Elsa manages to survive the attack, but it’s at the price of her castle, which crumbles to the ground, of which she just barely manages to flee.

This fight is spectacular due to the visuals. It takes place in Elsa’s ice castle and it’s where we get to see her powers flourish even more. The ice she summons is vicious and threatening, yet oddly beautiful. And the scene ending with the chandelier crashing to the ground ends the battle in stunning fashion.

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Frozen

When the newly crowned Queen Elsa accidentally uses her power to turn things into ice to curse her home in infinite winter, her sister Anna teams up with a mountain man, his playful reindeer, and a snowman to change the weather condition.

Release Date November 27, 2013

Director Chris Buck , Jennifer Lee

Cast Edie McClurg , Kristen Bell , Santino Fontana , Idina Menzel , Robert Pine , Maurice LaMarche , Jonathan Groff , Stephen J. Anderson , Alan Tudyk , Josh Gad , Ciarán Hinds , Chris Williams

Runtime 102 minutes

Writers Jennifer Lee

Studio Walt Disney Studios

Budget $150 million

Studio(s) Disney

Distributor(s) Disney

Sequel(s) Frozen II , Frozen Fever , Frozen 3

Franchise(s) Disney

10 ‘Sleeping Beauty’ (1959)

Prince Philip vs. Maleficent

In Sleeping Beauty Princess Aurora (Mary Costa) is put into an internal slumber by the evil Maleficent (Eleanor Audley). With the help of the Fairies, Philip (Bill Shirley) goes up against her in an attempt to save the Princess. They grant him a magic sword and shield that protects him from Maleficent’s attacks and gives him an upper hand. He manages to stab her with his sword and Maleficent, in her dragon form, plummets to her death, allowing Philip to awaken Aurora from her sleep.

This battle is one of the best because it’s intense even before Philip and Maleficent face one another. He still has to escape the castle, and encounters many threats on his way that attempt to thwart his plan. But undeniably it’s Maleficent’s dragon form that takes the cake. She’s terrifying and it seems impossible to defeat her, making it all the more satisfying when Philip succeeds.

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Sleeping Beauty (1959)

Release Date January 29, 1959

Director Clyde Geronimi , Wolfgang Reitherman

Cast Mary Costa , Bill Shirley , Eleanor Audley

Runtime 75

9 ‘The Little Mermaid’ (1989)

Eric vs Ursula

In The Little Mermaid, precocious young mermaid Ariel (Jodi Benson) dreams to walk amongst the humans on land, and makes a deal with an evil sea witch named Ursula (Pat Carroll) in exchange for her voice. Ariel’s father King Triton (Kenneth Mars) makes his own deal with Ursula to save Ariel and grants Ursula his powers. She grows to gigantic stature and brings on a vicious storm, trapping Ariel in the midst of it. The day is saved when Prince Eric (Christopher Daniel Barnes) arrives to save Ariel and steers his ship into Ursula, destroying her and freeing Ariel of her curse.

This battle is an epic one for many reasons. Ursula’s sudden growth is terrifying, and seeing Ariel helplessly trapped in the water at Ursula's mercy is so stressful. But it’s also stunning as the storm animation adds an extra high-stakes element, lighting up the screen in hues of purple as lightning cracks around them. Ursula is one of the most vicious villains and it was so satisfying to see her be taken down after all she did.

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A rebellious young mermaid, Ariel, longs to explore the human world and falls in love with Prince Eric after saving him from a shipwreck. Desperate to be with him, she makes a dangerous deal with the sea witch, Ursula, trading her voice for a chance to live on land, risking her life and her father’s kingdom in the process.

Release Date November 17, 1989

Director Ron Clements , John Musker

Cast Jodi Benson , Samuel E. Wright , Pat Carroll , Christopher Daniel Barnes , Kenneth Mars , Buddy Hackett , Jason Marin , Rene Auberjonois , Paddi Edwards , Ben Wright , Edie McClurg , Will Ryan , Sherry Lynn , Mickie McGowan , Nancy Cartwright , Frank Welker , Hamilton Camp , Debbie Shapiro Gravitte

Runtime 83 Minutes

Character(s) Ariel / Vanessa , Sebastian , Ursula , Prince Eric , King Triton , Scuttle , Flounder , Louis , Flotsam & Jetsam , Grimsby , Carlotta , Seahorse

Writers John Musker , Ron Clements , Hans Christian Andersen

Budget $40 Million

Studio(s) Disney

Distributor(s) Disney

Franchise(s) The Little Mermaid

8 7 ‘Mulan’ (1998)

The Avalanche

Mulan tells the tale of a young woman named Fa Mulan (Ming-Na Wen), the daughter of a warrior, who disguises herself as a man in order to take her father’s place in a war. When she and the rest of the soldiers are abused by the Huns, Mulan thwarts her fellow soldiers’ plans and takes over the cannon as the Huns rapidly approach. She aims the cannon towards the snowy mountain peak, causing an avalanche that takes out the army, and saves her own, albeit injuring herself in the process.

While this may not be the big battle from Mulan, it sticks out purely for its mass destruction. The avalanche is inescapable, and even though Mulan gets injured, and she, along with others, nearly find their demise by it as well, her sacrifice is recognized and successful in the moment. It’s also so grand, and the animation is impressive as the snow barrels toward the screen. There are a lot of scenes in Mulan that could take the prize for best battle scene, since they make up a good portion of the movie, but seeing Mulan’s efforts be praised makes the avalanche sequence one of, if not the best, of the film.

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Mulan

Release Date June 19, 1998

Director Barry Cook , Tony Bancroft

Runtime 87 Minutes

6 ‘Hercules’ (1997)

Hercules vs. Hydra

Hercules tells the tale of the titular Hercules (Tate Donovan), a demigod with super strength, who must fight for his place in Mount Olympus. He ends up in a battle with the Hydra, a long-necked dragon-like creature with razor-sharp teeth. When he is swallowed by the monster all hope seems lost, but the hero uses his sword to decapitate the Hydra from the inside. Only, when the Hydra loses its head, it grows back, along with two extras, meaning Hercules’s fight is far from over. Eventually, there are multiple heads on the monster, but a rockslide manages to take the monster out, and Hercules wins out, saving the day.

Since he’s proving himself as a hero, there are a few scenes that could take the cake for the best battle in Hercules but the Hydra wins out. The design of the monster alone deserves praise, the Hydra is one of the scariest monsters due to its sheer inability to be defeated. The score also adds to the scene, as the music swells when Hercules steps out from the rubble victorious and triumphant.

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Release Date June 13, 1997

Director John Musker , Ron Clements

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

Runtime 93 Minutes

Character(s) Hercules , Young Hercules , Young Hercules (singing) , Philoctetes , Hades , Meg , Pain , Panic , Zeus , Hera , Alcmene , Amphitryon , Hermes , Clotho , Lachesis , Atropos , Narrator , Calliope the Muse of Epics , Melpomene the Muse of Tragedy , Terpsichore the Muse of Dance , Thalia the Muse of Comedy

Writers John Musker , Ron Clements , Irene Mecchi , Don McEnery , Bob Shaw

Producers Alice Dewey

5 ‘Tarzan’ (1999)

Tarzan vs. Sabor

Sabor about to kill Kerchak and Kala's child.

Tarzan follows an orphaned boy named Tarzan (Tony Goldwyn) who, after his parents are killed by a leopard named Sabor, is taken in by a gentle-hearted gorilla named Kala (Glenn Close), whose own son was killed by the very same leopard. Years later, Sabor attacks again, this time targeting Kerchak (Lance Henriksen), Kala’s mate and Tarzan’s adoptive father. Tarzan and Sabor tumble through the jungle, and eventually fall through a pit. At first it seems like Sabor has come out victorious, but it’s quickly revealed that Tarzan is holding the deceased leopard up like a prize.

Tarzan’s showdown with Sabor is one of the most satisfying as we see Tarzan get his long overdue revenge for his parents. Not only that but he proves himself to Kerchak who has been shown to be reluctant in accepting Tarzan since he’s a human. Plus, it’s a truly powerful moment when Tarzan yet again lifts Sabor’s body over his head and gives his signature war cry.

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A man raised by gorillas must decide where he really belongs when he discovers he is a human.

Release Date June 18, 1999

Director Kevin Lima , Chris Buck

Runtime 88 Minutes

Writers Tab Murphy , Bob Tzudiker , Noni White

4 ‘Aladdin’ (1992)

Aladdin vs. Jafar

Jafar puts on an evil smile while looking at the sky in 'Aladdin'.

Disney’s 1992 animated film Aladdin is about a charming street urchin named Aladdin (Scott Weinger) who falls for beautiful Princess Jasmine (Linda Larkin). With the help of a Genie (Robin Williams) he attempts to keep the evil sorcerer Jafar (Jonathan Freeman) from overthrowing Jasmine’s kingdom. This goes awry and Jafar banishes Aladdin to a frozen tundra, before kidnapping Jasmine and Genie. Aladdin manages to escape and embarks on his plan to get back the Genie’s lamp and use his final wish to stop Jafar. Only when he arrives Jafar shows off his new menacing powers, transforming into a humongous cobra for his final showdown.

Aladdin comes out victorious when he traps Jafar inside a lamp after tricking him into wishing to become a genie, but it’s still a stressful showdown up until that point. Jafar is throwing out spells and showcasing his powers, attempting to defeat Aladdin. To make the whole situation even more stressful, Jasmine is trapped inside an hourglass that is rapidly filling with sand. It’s a memorable and high-stakes battle, but the good guy prevails, and he gets the girl!

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Aladdin

Release Date February 6, 1994

Finale Year November 30, 1994

Cast Bebe Neuwirth , Dave Fennoy , Frank Welker , Jason Alexander , Jim Cummings , Julie Brown , Kath Soucie , Linda Larkin , Michael Dorn , Nancy Cartwright , Scott Weinger , Tahj Mowry , Dan Castellaneta , Gilbert Gottfried , Val Bettin , Matt Frewer , Tone Loc , Kate Mulgrew , Tony Jay , Tim Curry , Ron Perlman , Rene Auberjonois , Kellie Martin , Michael Bell , Jonathan Brandis

Seasons 3

Character(s) Uncredited , Man (voice) , Abu (voice) , Abis Mal / Abnor Mal (voice) , Additional Voices (voice) , Jasmine (voice) , Aladdin (voice) , King Mamoud Zashiftin (voice) , Genie (voice) , Iago (voice) , Sultan (voice) , Arbutus (voice) , Nefir Hasenuf (voice) , Sadira (voice) , Mozenrath (voice)

Writers Bill Motz , Bob Roth , Jan Strnad , Steve Roberts , Brian Swenlin , Michael Ryan , Kevin D. Campbell , Tad Stones , Mark Saraceni

Network CBS , Syndication , Disney Channel

Directors Alan Zaslove , Rob LaDuca , Toby Shelton

3 ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ (1996)

Quasimodo vs. Frollo

Frollo's death in The Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is one of the darkest Disney movies, as it follows a deformed and cruelly criticized bell-ringer named Quasimodo (Tom Hulce), who spends his days hiding away in a tower. He is kept hidden by his foster father Claude Frollo (Tony Jay) who wishes to erase Paris of its Roma population. He sets his sights on Esmerelda (Demi Moore) who repeatedly rejects his advances, and out of anger, he attempts to burn her at the stake. Quasimodo sweeps in and saves the day, finding himself in a battle with Frollo in the cathedral.

The burning streets light the screen in hues of red and orange, making the showdown look even more intense and horrific. But unlike other fights, Quasimodo actually doesn’t kill Frollo when he has the chance. Even after Frollo admits that he was the one who killed Quasimodo’s mom, Quasimodo holds onto his cloak and refuses to let him fall to his death. Fate has other plans though and as Frollo plans to kill Quasimodo, the gargoyle he’s standing on crumbles beneath him and he falls to a fiery, and satisfying, death.

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The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Disney's take on the original novel written in 1831, The Huntchback of Notre Dame is an animated musical drama that sees a kind-hearted, deformed young man named Quasimodo who yearns to see the outside world is forced to live alone in the Notre Dame Cathedral as a bell ringer. When a group of traveling performers arrives in town, Quasimodo takes his chance to head out to see them, and his life is changed forever by a chance encounter with the equally kind-hearted Esmerelda. However, his caretaker, the cruel and iron-fisted Frollo, intends to hunt the Romani people down, jeopardizing the travelers' lives.

Release Date June 21, 1996

Director Gary Trousdale

Cast Tony Jay , Tom Hulce , Jason Alexander

Runtime 91minutes

Writers Tab Murphy

Budget $70 million

Studio(s) Disney

Distributor(s) Disney

Franchise(s) Disney

2 ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (1991)

Gaston vs. The Beast

Gaston and Beast's fight scene in Beauty and the Beast

In Beauty and the Beast, the intense and suave Gaston (Richard White) vies for Belle’s (Paige O’Hara) affection, but she won’t give him the time of day. Instead, she begins to fall for the Beast (Robby Benson) of whom’s castle she is trapped in. After learning of Belle’s father’s worsening health, Beast sets her free despite his love for her. Gaston catches wind of Belle’s own love for the Beast and rallies the townsfolk to kill the Beast, which kicks off an intense showdown at the castle. As the castle servants fight off the townsfolk, Beast and Gaston take to the rain-slicked rooftop, where Beast is drastically injured. This gives Gaston an upper hand but the rain causes Gaston to lose his balance and he falls from the roof to his death.

This particular showdown is unique because Beast doesn’t initially seem to fight back. With Belle gone he’s heartbroken, and any hope of becoming a prince again is gone, so he seemingly accepts the attack. He does begin to fight back, and even gets the upper hand, holding Gaston over the side of the roof. But his face softens and he lowers the man down again, telling him to leave and never return. Gaston eventually falls to his death after attempting to kill the Beast despite him showing Gaston mercy. Belle later proclaims her love to Beast, and breaks his curse, allowing him, and the castle servants, to return to their human forms.

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Beauty and the Beast

An arrogant young prince (Robby Benson) and his castle's servants fall under the spell of a wicked enchantress, who turns him into the hideous Beast until he learns to love and be loved in return. The spirited, headstrong village girl Belle (Paige O'Hara) enters the Beast's castle after he imprisons her father Maurice (Rex Everhart). With the help of his enchanted servants, including the matronly Mrs. Potts (Angela Lansbury), Belle begins to draw the cold-hearted Beast out of his isolation.

Release Date November 21, 1991

Director Gary Trousdale , Kirk Wise

Cast Paige O'Hara , Robby Benson , Angela Lansbury , Jerry Orbach , David Ogden Stiers , Bradley Pierce , Jesse Corti , Richard White

Runtime 84 Minutes

1 ‘The Lion King’ (1994)

Simba vs. Scar

There may never be a more ruthless Disney villain than Scar (Jeremy Irons) in The Lion King. He killed his own brother, blamed his nephew Simba (Matthew Broderick) for the death, and subsequently took over the kingdom, destroying it in the process. As an adult Simba realizes what Scar has done, and after some guidance from his father’s spirit he confronts his uncle in a fiery battle at Pride Rock. At first, their fight is nothing but words, as Scar once again accuses Simba of killing Mufasa (James Earl Jones). But it soon escalates when Scar corners Simba to the edge of Pride Rock and taunts him by telling him that he was actually the one who murdered Mufasa. This kicks off a gnarly showdown between the lions and Scar’s hyenas.

This battle is without a doubt the most memorable in all of Disney. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing Scar finally be exposed for his cruel nature and murderous tendencies. Not to mention the flames surrounding the barren Pride Rock make the entire battle all the more menacing and high stakes. By the end of the fight Scar is taken down for good by the hyenas after falling from Pride Rock in the showdown. Simba takes over as the rightful king of Pride Rock and restores the balance, honoring his beloved father.

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The Lion King

Lion prince Simba and his father are targeted by his bitter uncle, who wants to ascend the throne himself.

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The 10 Best Disney Action Scenes, Ranked