Disney has had a bunch of iconic villains, some more evil and powerful than others, but the most evil of all has been around for eight decades, and curiously, it’s one that has never been directly seen. Disney continues to be a powerhouse in the world of animation, and it began its reign in 1937 with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which introduced the Mouse House’s first big-screen, animated villain with the Evil Queen. Since then, Disney villains have been humans, animals, and mythological creatures, with or without superpowers, all of them being key in the moral message of each movie by showing what shouldn’t be done.
Disney has introduced some truly evil and ruthless villains that deserve no sympathy, while others have been labeled as “misunderstood”. Many of these Disney villains have made it to rankings of the evilest villains in film history and have become part of pop culture, but the most evil villain in the history of Disney’s animated characters is one that has been around for 81 years, and even more interesting is the fact that this character hasn’t really been seen: “Man”, the hunter who killed Bambi’s mother in Disney’s 1942 movie Bambi.
Why Bambi’s “Man” Is The Most Evil Disney Villain
Based on the 1923 novel Bambi, a Life in the Woods, by Felix Salten, Bambi tells the story of Bambi, a white-tailed deer and son of the Great Prince of the forest and an unnamed mother. As the son of the Great Prince, Bambi is expected to take over his father’s position and guard the woodland creatures, but until then, he’s raised by his mother and develops a deep, loving bond with her. Bambi is surrounded by other animals in the forest who become his friends, and due to his curious nature, he’s often warned about the dangers of the forest. One day, while out in a meadow, Bambi’s mom senses the presence of a hunter, and while they run to safety, Bambi’s mother is shot and killed while Bambi gets to their safe place.
The hunter is simply credited as “Man”, and he has been listed among the most evil Disney villains ever, taking the #20 spot on AFI’s List of Heroes and Villains. Bambi’s Man has earned the title of Disney’s most evil villain because of what he did to Bambi’s mother, traumatizing generations of viewers, as well as for the act of hunting animals. Bambi has a strong message against animal cruelty, and Bambi’s heartbreaking reaction to his mother’s death surely adds to the emotional weight of the message. What further makes Man so terrifying is that he’s never clearly seen, so it could really be anyone.
Disney’s Most Evil Villains Are The Ones Without Powers
Bambi was the first Disney movie with animals as the main characters, but it certainly hasn’t been the last. Disney’s most evil villains have been those who have no powers and, surprisingly, most of them are linked to animal cruelty. Dumbo saw the title elephant and his mother, Mrs. Jumbo, being mistreated by many humans; Cruella DeVille wanted to kidnap Dalmatian puppies to make a coat out of their fur; and Tarzan‘s Clayton was a hunter who had no issue with killing gorillas. None of these villains had superpowers or were supernatural, and they definitely didn’t need any of that to show the coldness of their hearts.
Other memorable and evil Disney villains without powers are The Hunchback of Notre Dame’s Frollo, Cinderella’s Lady Tremaine, Frozen’s Hans, and The Lion King’s Scar, all of them showing how far they would go to hurt others and benefit themselves in different ways. Disney has seen a variety of villains, but Man definitely takes the #1 spot as the most evil of all due to his actions, the impact these had on viewers, the mystery of his physical appearance, and how real his horrific actions were.
