The success of Dreamworks’ most recent theatrical outing, The Bad Guys, shows that Dreamworks is far from being out of the animation game yet. Following the lead of Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse, the movie had an aesthetic that used many principles of 2D animation.
It also happens to prove that audiences really like watching bad guys at work. The Bad Guys was basically a series of backstabs and schemes, and people loved following these characters to try to outsmart each other. Luckily, smart villains are a staple of many Dreamworks movies.
Tai Lung (Kung Fu Panda)
Tai Lung is a prodigy of a martial artist, so skilled that when he finally snapped, it took Master Oogway to take him down. It’s shown from a young age that he learned martial arts impressively quickly. Shifu had nothing but praise for his strength, and treated him like a son.
His biggest flaw, despite his clear intelligence and martial prowess, is his pride. Still, Tai Lung broke out of prison by unlocking a complex cage with nothing but a feather. That takes an incredible amount of quick thinking and natural talent.
Kai (Kung Fu Panda)
Kai would have been considered one of the most legendary martial artists ever, had it not been for his power-hungry nature. Formerly Oogway’s closest friend, his turn to darkness forced Oogway to banish his body and soul to the Spirit Realm. He returned to the mortal realm five hundred years later to reclaim his place in history.
It takes a special kind of intelligence to stand alongside the likes of Master Oogway. Several teachings in the temple could very well have come from Kai. His corruption of the chi techniques taught to him by the Pandas also shows incredible adaptability.
Drago Bludvist (How To Train Your Dragon 2)
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Drago Bludvist is a ruthless warlord and in many ways, is the dark mirror of Hiccup. Hiccup uses his intelligence to befriend dragons and create inventions that help people. He shares his knowledge with people without expecting anything in return. He remains the same dorky guy he’s always been, just more confident.
In contrast, Drago’s intelligence is combined with brutal violence. He doesn’t befriend dragons, he dominates them. His “inventions” are all geared towards waging war or combat. Hiccup would never skin a dragon for its fireproof hide, but nobody can deny its effectiveness. His intelligence is tainted by cruelty.
Lord Shen (Kung Fu Panda 2)
Lord Shen may not be the prodigy that Tai Lung was. There’s also no question that Kai’s mastery over chi means that in a straight fight, Shen would lose. However, Shen came closer to achieving victory over Po than either Tai Lung or Kai ever did. He was the perfect counter to Po in several ways.
He turned fireworks into the first weapons of war and used them to astonishing effect. He used bladed weapons and mind games to beat the physically superior Dragon Warrior. Neither Tai Lung nor Kai came as close to killing Po as Shen did. Plus, he’s the only real leader seen on-screen among the three villains.
Rumpelstiltskin (Shrek Forever After)
Rumplestiltskin is definitely the smarter of Shrek’s pint-sized archenemies over the years. Unlike Farquaad, Rumplestiltskin wasn’t born into the position of a lord. He had to scam his way to the top and almost got the kingdom with the ultimate deal had Shrek not saved Fiona from the dragon.
Reduced to poverty, Rumpelstiltskin still had his mind. He took the opportunity to manipulate Shrek into a contract and prevented him from being born. It’s telling that without Shrek’s intervention, Rumpelstiltskin essentially conquered all of Far Far Away with ease. Out of all the Shrek villains, he’s the only one to actually win against Shrek.
Fairy Godmother (Shrek 2)
Although Rumpelstiltskin may have made it farther than any Shrek villain, he was never as wise as Fairy Godmother was. While Rumpelstiltskin was in poverty, the Fairy Godmother used her intelligence to stay rich. She was much more subtle in her demands and manipulations. Thanks to this, she still held a high position in Far Far Away society.
She runs a successful potion business, so unlike Rumpel, she had skills outside of scamming people. It’s heavily implied she was the reason for Fiona’s curse as well, politicking her way into making sure her son rescues Fiona. While it’s unknown how she felt during Shrek Forever After, the fact that Queen Lillian mentions that “she can’t be trusted” shows she’s still scheming somewhere.
Professor Marmalade (The Bad Guys)
Professor Marmalade was a seemingly benevolent philanthropist for most of the movie. He even had the seasoned criminals completely fooled regarding his true criminal nature. His plan relied on so many gambits and manipulations, and by all rights, it worked. His mistake was when he tried to work with the crooks instead of scamming them.
Regardless, the fact that he’s become so wealthy showcases that he’s stolen a lot of things before, especially when contrasted with the much less fancy hideout that the main characters hang out in. Marmalade might have let himself get cocky, but cockiness comes from success. And he’s had plenty of it.
Dave (Penguins of Madagascar)
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It takes a special kind of villain to go up against a team of highly trained secret “agents”. This is exactly what the Penguins of Madagascar face with Dr. Octavius Brine, AKA, Dave. Octopi are known for their incredible intelligence, and that shines through in the film.
Dave uses his color-changing abilities and a disturbingly human face to disguise himself as a geneticist. The title isn’t just for show either, his inventions include the Medusa Serum, a monstrous formula that turns people into monsters, and the good old giant evil laser. The penguins are a dangerous force, and it’s impressive that he holds his own so well against them.
Megamind (Megamind)
Although he did become a hero by the end, it should be remembered that Megamind was a villain for most of his life. In fact, he was the sole villain as far as the movie is concerned, being the only one that audiences see Metro Man face. Even with the reveal that Metro Man never took Megamind seriously, there’s no doubting Megamind’s intelligence.
Sure, he may lack a bit of common sense, but it’s clear that without Metro Man to protect them, the city had zero answers to Megamind’s schemes. He’s invented matter dehydrators, giant robots, harnessed Metro Man’s powers and of course, the incredible army of Brainbots. The name Megamind wasn’t earned for nothing.
Eris (Sinbad)
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All villains want to sow chaos at their whims. What makes Eris different is that she is the Chaos. As the Goddess of Discord, Eris treats humanity as nothing more than her plaything. All the malevolence in the world, all the chaos, is thanks to her dark machinations. In fact, she even starts the entire movie’s conflict on a whim.
For most of the movie, she was correct in her assumptions. “Humanity is so predictable” was true as she watched these pirates and cutthroats betray each other. However, her nature meant that she could have never predicted Sinbad to change for the better, and act selflessly. Even then, she took the loss in stride and playfully warned Sinbad to not “push his luck”. Still, as the goddess of chaos, there’s no beating the global schemes she’s enacted.
