Disney Villains have long been icons as the best baddies in animated films and with good reason. The only higher standard of evil on a large scale would definitely be the contemporary list of the Seven Deadly Sins: Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Lust, Envy, Wrath and Pride. But which of the Disney Villains best embodies the Seven Deadly Sins? And of course these baddies usually showcase more than one of these sins. Scar would fit more than half this list. Gaston’s lust for Belle fuels his own pride. Frollo is indeed wrathful and lustful but which of the villains EMBODY each particular sin? What drives their behavior most strongly and takes the title of each sin?
Well we had a whole podcast episode to answer these questions so have a listen to it before reading ahead if you’re curious! Also check out the list of Disney Villains and come up with your own ideas for this list!
EPISODE 174. Seven Disney Sins
Do all of these hold up from our discussion from years ago? Well let’s move ahead and see who lands on the SEVEN DISNEY SINS!
Greed — Jafar: Enough Is Never Enough
Your argument follows Jafar’s escalating ambitions. His position beside the Sultan isn’t enough; becoming Sultan isn’t enough; becoming the world’s most powerful sorcerer still isn’t enough. His final demand for a genie’s power becomes his undoing.
Jafar isn’t just greedy in the Disney classic Aladdin (1992) has clear escalating ambitions. His power as the vizier isn’t enough for him. His brief time as the Sultan was not enough for him. Even being the most POWERFUL sorcerer in the world was not enough for him and Aladdin used this greed of his to trick him into becoming an enslaved “all-powerful” genie. His ambitions were set far too high and the more he gained the more he wanted. This awards him the SIN OF GREED.
DISHONORABLE MENTION: Governor Ratcliffe
Governor John Ratcliffe from Pocahontas has a very classic definition of greed in the Disney villain line-up. He wanted gold and money more than anything. But his ambitions were not to the degree of Jafar earning him a runner-up spot.
Envy — Scar: Living in His Brother’s Shadow
From the very start Scar’s ambitions are centered around what other people have. His brother Mufasa has the thrown. His nephew Simba is set to inherit it. And Scar? Scar wallows in his lot in life with little interest in acquiring anything new or different for himself. He wants what his brother has and it drives him to killing him to take his thrown. He is one of the major Disney villains to actually succeed. And yet even after he has everything he never develops the qualities to sustain his power. Taking his brother’s thrown does not make him another Mufasa, leading the kingdom to complete ruin. This earns him the SIN OF ENVY.
DISHONORABLE MENTION: The Evil Queen
It says a lot about a character’s pettiness when their catchphrase is based around the jealousy of someone who is more beautiful than her. She is willing to murder Snow White because someone else has become the fairest of all so its a close second for envy.
Pride — Gaston: His Own Biggest Fan
Gaston has a musical number dedicated to his own “greatness” and backed by the town happy to reinforce his own self-inflating opinion. His ego is shattered in his pursuit of a Belle when she rejects him. Believing she is the only woman in town beautiful enough to deserve him, he cannot separate this rejection from his own personal wants. This leads to committing her own father as blackmail for forcing Belle into his arms. A truly self-absorbed BEAST. The true carrier of the SIN OF PRIDE.
DISHONORABLE MENTION: Mother Gothel
Mother Gothel is a Disney villain that takes the sacred act of being a parent to a child and corrupting that for her own vanity. She keeps Rapunzel locked in a tower away from the world so she can use her magical hair to restore her youth for as long as her “daughter” lives. She stole a baby and raised her as her own to use her as a beauty routine. Truly horrible acts of Pride.
Gluttony — Ursula: An Appetite for Poor Unfortunate Souls
This is the one that is different from my conclusion from the podcast episode (listen to the episode to hear my bad argument for Shere Khan) where my collegues correctly challenged my position to Ursula. Not only does she boast a visual interpretation of the sin, she has a true appetite for souls rather than food. Her attitude of the Poor Unfortunate Souls she has around her is they are “hers.” Even if this overlaps with Greed the Gluttonous aspect of her sin is taking pleasure in the accumulation of her grotesque collection. Its also becomes a stark opposite of Arial, the movies heroine. While she has a collection of goods from the surface out of pure curiosity, Ursula’s hunger for possession accompanies her ambition for power. This appetite earns this Disney villain the SIN OF GLUTTONY.
DISHONORABLE MENTION: Kaa
Kaa gets a nice honorable mention for being a pure embodiment of simply wanting to eat Mowgli which is the true meaning of Gluttony. However he is actually just a snake and doing what snakes do. Even if he is an antagonist we can’t really call his behavior sinful. Even if he is a snake!
Sloth — Dr. Facilier: There’s Always a Shortcut
This is one of my favorite candidates as Dr. Facilier’s constant pursuit of an easy route to success: deals, tricks, borrowed supernatural power, and promises that avoid earning what he wants. He is the perfect juxtaposition to the main heroine as well. Tiana is a hardworking person that works to earn her restaurant money. She builds her dream through effort and he does nothing but tempt others with shortcuts. These shortcuts even eventually leave him owing a debt he cannot repay, and ultimately his soul is the price. The good doctor is easily the SIN OF SLOTH.
DISHONORABLE MENTION: Lady Tremaine
Lady Tremaine has aspirations but has no desire to accomplish any of them through her own work. She wants status but only wishes to use her whiles and wit to gain power with none of the responsibility. She used Cinderella’s father to gain power and then she attempts to take more when her Step-Daughter is eyed by the Prince.
Lust — Frollo: Desire Disguised as Righteousness
This is possibly the easiest one to attribute. Frollo believes himself a righteous man. A man of cloth and a follower of the word of God. But his obsession with Esmerelda and his love and lust for her makes him one of the most dangerous Disney villains. He wishes for something he cannot have and his beliefs cannot justify it. He even fixates on Esmeralda’s scarf while singing “Hellfire” while insisting that he is not responsible for his Lustful thoughts. It is her fault and she will burn for it. This ultimatum earns Frollo the SIN OF LUST.
DISHONORABLE MENTION: Cruella de Vil
Though a good candidate for Pride on the podcast (she literally wears her vanity on her sleeve) Cruella is all about advancing her beauty through any means necessary. She drapes herself in furs and lustfully lavishes new types of furs and exotic animal patterns. Her attitude is one of a lustful witch for the most sensual of coats. It’s a stretch but we don’t have many to fill this one!
Wrath — Te Kā: Rage Given Physical Form
A literal Goddess of vengeance and anger. Te Kā is a broken spirit. Her heart is literally torn from her turning her into a vile angry lava monster that destroys anyone that comes near her. Though Te Fiti, her true form, is a kind and gentle Goddess there is nothing that represents the seven sins more than one losing their soul to the sin itself. Te Kā is overtaken by her rage and becomes the physical embodiment of a spewing volcano. Despite her redemption, this makes her the SIN OF WRATH.
DISHONORABLE MENTION: The Queen of Hearts
The Queen that is known almost entirely for her temper. She fancies herself a high society Queen in the crazy chaos of Wonderland but truthfully she is just an angry and petty tea kettle that is ready to steam off at the slightest misconduct in her court. If only a literal God had not been on the list she might have taken the title.
Maleficent Stands Above all Disney Villains
I thought it important to wrap this up with one final mention on this one. An 8th entry of Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty. There is something so perfect about her appearance, her attitude, her powers and ambitions. She is not only one of the top Disney Villains over all she basically can have been attributed to each sin:
- She is spiteful about her being ignored – Pride
- She is jealous of the 3 Fairy’s good reputation with the kingdom – Envy
- She curses a literal baby because she was slighted – Wrath
- She sends her crows and minions to do her dirty work for 17 years – Sloth
- She playfully imprisons Prince Phillip – Lust
- She calls upon on the powers of HELL – Greed
- And she becomes a man-eating Dragon – Gluttony
Some of those are a stretch I admit but I stand by them! Truly her acts of evil know no bounds and that leaves her with the ultimate title of Disney villains… SINFUL.
