Sometimes a movie needs a moment of change to keep the story going, and Disney movies are no exception. As seen through Disney’s large catalog of animated movies, many different transformation scenes have made a significant impact on the different stories. Over the years, Disney has created moments of metamorphosis that have had both positive and negative results for their iconic characters.
Some Disney transformation scenes can capture viewers’ attention due to their dark animation, dreary music, and horrifying outcomes for the character. Others are appealing for their amazing contrast to what was seen before, how they affect the story and the hidden lessons to be learned. Transformation moments in a Disney movie have outcomes for both heroes and villains alike and viewers are always left in awe at the final result.
10 Jafar Becomes The Ultimate Genie (Aladdin)
One of the best movies to emerge from the Disney Renaissance Era, Aladdin sees a street rat named Aladdin finding a magic lamp in the Cave of Wonders. Aladdin discovers a powerful Genie who helps him impress Princess Jasmine. However, Aladdin’s adventures are thwarted by the evil Jafar, who steals the lamp for himself and uses his wishes to become the most powerful sorcerer in Agrabah.
Thanks to Aladdin’s taunting, Jafar is tricked into using his last wish to become the most powerful genie of all; he transforms from a vicious serpent to a wicked and sadistic genie, who breaks out of the palace, ready to control the world. What Jafar doesn’t realize is that being a genie means being imprisoned in a lamp, which he learns when Aladdin pulls him and Iago into his new genie lamp. Jafar’s transformation into a genie brought a sense of terror and doom for Agrabah; it’s just disappointing that audiences only saw it for a brief time before his defeat.
9 Anna’s Sacrifice (Frozen)
Frozen is one of the most critically acclaimed and highest-grossing movies of all time. Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen, the movie focuses on Anna and her search to find her sister, Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped Arendelle in eternal winter. Frozen was praised for its characters, soundtrack, and focusing on the relationship between two sisters.
Throughout the movie, Elsa struggles with controlling her ice powers and, in one instant, accidentally freezes Anna’s heart; with the help of Kristoff, Anna learns that only “an act of true love” can save her. When she sees Hans about to kill Elsa, Anna sacrifices herself by throwing herself in harm’s way, in the process, transforming into an ice statue. Thankfully, it’s not long before the ice melts and Anna is revived; her sacrifice for her sister proves to be the act of true love that not only saves herself but also Arendelle.
8 Ariel’s Deal With Ursula (The Little Mermaid)
The Little Mermaid sees Ariel, a curious mermaid who desires to learn more about life on land. Her curiosity is piqued when she falls in love with a human prince. When her angry father refuses to accept her desires, Ariel makes a deal with Ursula; in exchange for human legs, Ariel must give up her voice to the sea witch.
Ariel undergoes two transformations into a human throughout the movie, but her first is the most enthralling; it takes place in Ursula’s sea cave, a dark and dreary place in the bright and beautiful ocean. After giving up her voice, Ariel undergoes a painful transformation into a human, all while Ursula laughs cruelly. All Sebastian and Flounder can do is watch as Ariel’s tail is changed into human legs before they rush to help her swim to the surface; this scene is a testimony to the lengths Ariel will go to fulfill her dreams on land – even giving up her beautiful voice.
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7 Friends On The Other Side (The Princess and the Frog)
Set in New Orleans in the 1920s, The Princess and the Frog masterfully blends jazz music and voodoo magic to create a thrilling and exciting story. The movie sees Tiana, a young waitress determined to save enough money to open a restaurant, meeting Prince Naveen of Maldonia, who has been turned into a frog. After turning into a frog as well, Tiana and Naveen must work together to find a way to reverse the curse and turn back into humans.
Twisting the fairy tale, Naveen is turned into a frog by Dr. Facilier, arguably one of Disney’s most underrated villains, who promises the prince and his servant, Lawrence, freedom from responsibility. While a parade of dolls and shrunken hands dance to the tune, Facilier draws Naveen’s blood into his voodoo charm and turns him into a frog. He wanted freedom from responsibility, but Naveen’s transformation from human to frog is a stark reminder for viewers to be careful what you wish for.
6 Mother Gothel’s Demise (Tangled)
Tangled looks into the story of Rapunzel, a young woman with long blonde hair that has healing powers. She longs to escape her isolated tower and explore the world for herself. With the help of an intruder, Flynn Rider, Rapunzel ventures out into the world for the first time, learning the truth about who she truly is; meanwhile, Mother Gothel searches for her, determined to lock her back in the tower and keep Rapunzel’s power to herself.
For years, Mother Gothel has been using Rapunzel’s magical hair to prevent her from aging. When Flynn cuts Rapunzel’s hair, it removes the power and Mother Gothel’s age finally catches up to her. Having spent most of the movie acting vain in her appearance, it’s satisfying to see Mother Gothel fall out of the tower window and wither away from being a beautiful woman to nothing but a pile of dust.
5 Kuzco Turns Into a Llama (The Emperor’s New Groove)
Arguably, one of the most underrated Disney movies, The Emperor’s New Groove is a masterful mix of humor, friendship, and adventure. In a murder plot gone wrong, the devious Yzma and her bundling assistant Kronk mix up a poison potion to get rid of the spoiled Emperor Kuzco. However, in a bizarre twist, they accidentally give Kuzco a potion with the essence of an animal, slowly transforming the Emperor into a llama.
Kuzco’s transformation from human to llama is one of the funniest moments of the movie. The moment is brilliantly helped by the emperor’s complete obliviousness to what is happening and Yzma and Kronk’s over-the-top reactions to the plan falling apart. This scene sets the stage for one of Disney’s most humorous adventures and sends Kuzco on an unusual path of redemption.
4 Bibbitti-Bobbitti-Boo (Cinderella)
Cinderella is known to be Walt Disney’s favorite fairy-tale and, with its beautiful scene where she becomes a princess, it’s easy to see why. A young woman lives as a servant to her cruel stepmother and stepsisters with only talking mice as her friends. With the help of her kind fairy godmother, Cinderella gets a chance to go to the royal ball and experiences a night that changes her life forever.
The scene where the fairy godmother changes Cinderella’s outfit marks the turning point of the entire movie. To the tune of her catchy song, “Bibbiti-Bobbiti-Boo” and a flick of her wand, the fairy godmother changes a pumpkin into a carriage and mice into horses and concludes the spell by changing Cinderella’s torn dress into a beautiful ball gown. It’s a truly captivating moment that lingers with every viewer who watches it, long after the movie ends.
3 The Evil Queen’s Perfect Disguise (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)
The Evil Queen is arguably one of the best Disney villains. Appearing in the company’s first feature-length animated movie, she strives to get rid of her stepdaughter Snow White, and become fairest in the land. To do so, the Evil Queen concocts a potion filled with menacing ingredients to disguise herself and poison Snow White; chillingly, she reveals the different ingredients to the audience, showing how far she is willing to go, to rid herself of her supposed rival.
Once she drinks the potion, the Evil Queen undergoes a disorienting transformation from a beautiful woman to a hideous hag. The sharp contrast between her appearances is both terrifying and intriguing to watch as she sinks to the darkest depths of magic to destroy Snow White. The final result of the Evil Queen’s change in appearance comes as a shock to everyone who views her perfect disguise and serves as one of the most iconic transformations in a Disney movie.
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2 Lampwick Becomes a Donkey (Pinocchio)
This is arguably one of the most frightening transformation scenes in Disney history. In his quest to become a real boy, the puppet, Pinocchio is convinced to travel with other boys, to a place called Pleasure Island. While there, the boys indulge in breaking the rules and having fun; it’s only later in the night that the island’s true nature is revealed when Pinocchio and his new friend Lampwick discover they’re turning into donkeys.
What makes this transformation so frightening is that it’s done in stages, where slowly, parts of Lampwick’s body change, to the silent shock of Pinocchio. By the time Lampwick finally realizes what’s happening to him, it’s too late to do anything about it. All Pinocchio can do is watch Lampwick let out a final cry for his mother before he is fully turned into a donkey, marking this as one of the darkest transformation scenes in movie history.
1 Breaking the Spell (Beauty and the Beast)
The whole concept of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is based on transformation both externally and internally. After being cursed by an enchantress, a spoiled beast must learn to love, to become human again. Slowly, through his friendship and love with Belle, the beast changes, both inside and outside, from an angry monster to a loving human.
Thanks to stunning visuals and the beautiful music of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, viewers are treated to a stunning moment where the Beast is finally turned back into the human he once was. Animator Glen Keane, worked for months on the transformation scene, wanting to ensure that it remained visually faithful to the entire story. His efforts paid off and audiences were treated to a visually captivating conclusion of the story, making this scene one of the most iconic and beautiful transformation moments in Disney’s catalog of acclaimed animated movies.
