Disney villains are among the most popular and lovable of the House of Mouse's characters. More often, the villain is scheming, sinister, funny, or a combination of the three, particularly when it comes to the classic Disney villains. But there are times when audiences can actually sympathize with them.
While viewers may not necessarily sympathize with the character overall (although it is possible), there are moments villains deal with in their respective movies that strike a chord with audiences for various reasons. Whether it's mistreatment, exasperation, or even a tragic motive, there have been moments where baddies are just as sympathetic as the heroes.
When Edgar Learnt The Cats Inherit Everything Before Him
Edgar didn't start off as a villain in The Aristocats. In fact, in the movie's opening ten or so minutes, Edgar is a very content and loyal butler who was happy to serve Madam Bonfamille and help look after her beloved cats.
It's when he hears about Bonfamille intends to leave everything to her cats that he starts down the path to villainy. Yet, it is hard not to blame him for finding the situation unfair. Despite years of loyalty and excellent work, Edgar would have to wait for the cats to before he even inherits a single penny. His actions are to be condemned, but it's easy to see why he was upset.
Captain Hook's Bad Cold
Captain Hook may be a ruthless pirate leader but his wit, his slapstick, and his crippling fear of the crocodile make him an intentionally funny Disney villain. But whilst audiences may laugh at him, others may feel pity for him during certain moments.
Peter Pan's interference and his many near-death experiences with the crocodile may be laughable, however, the aftermath does make audiences sympathetic, most notably when Captain Hook suffers an awful cold after one particularly bad encounter with the crocodile. The cold is accidentally made worse by Smee with noise and inadvertently injuring him. Many people have had those awful illnesses and disturbed rest, and can relate to the unfortunate Captain here.
Hades Visiting The Baby Hercules
Hades is also one of Disney's funniest villains due to his quick-witted comebacks and fiery temper. Despite his sinister motives and his status as a god, Hades' visit to Olympus to meet the newborn Hercules can be considered a sympathetic moment.
Family gatherings can be considered tedious for some, especially for an introvert or someone who prefers not to see relatives. Hades is not only in this situation, but is the only god who works non-stop with a "full-time gig", so would much rather not be at the party. Even more so as the other gods "lounging around up here" don't want him there either and laugh at him when Zeus cracks a joke about him.
Maleficent's Frustration At Her Stupid Goons
Maleficent is one of Disney's most powerful classic villains as well as one of the most popular. Yet, even the Mistress of All Evil has a moment where viewers could perhaps wince in sympathy for her.
Aside from her raven Diablo, Maleficent's henchmen proved not to be the brightest sparks when their mistress learned that they had been searching for the same baby princess for sixteen years. Many people have had that infuriating co-worker or two that fail even the most simple tasks, so Maleficent's fury and exasperation at her goons is more than understandable. At least Diablo was efficient and reliable.
Fidget's Punishment Over One Mistake
The Great Mouse Detective is an overlooked Disney gem from the 1980s. The villain of the piece is the flamboyant Ratigan, voiced marvelously by horror legend Vincent Price, and his sidekick and number one lackey is a crippled bat named Fidget.
Fidget is rather scary on first impressions, but he is revealed to not only be a lovable character, but also a loyal and competent henchman. Yet despite a very successful kidnap mission, the sole error of leaving behind his to-do list sends Ratigan into a suppressed rage and he feeds the poor bat to his pet cat. Thankfully, Ratigan lets Fidget live before he can be eaten but viewers definitely feel sorry for Fidget in those moments.
Callaghan's Motives
Under the guise of the sinister Yokai, it is revealed that Professor Callaghan is the villain of Big Hero 6, and ultimately responsible for Tadashi's death. However, as it is seen with some of the modern Disney villains, Callaghan's reckless motives for his actions were tragic.
It turns out that Callaghan was acting to avenge the disappearance and presumed death of his daughter after an accident at the careless hands of Krei. Even though Tadashi unintentionally died in vain and he was a Disney villain that had everyone tricked, it's hard not to feel sorry for Callaghan, especially as Krei was perfectly set up to be the movie's villain.
Ursula Mourns Her Beloved Flotsam And Jetsam
Ursula the Sea Witch from The Little Mermaid is another beloved Disney villain with dastardly plans. Her sidekicks are the sneaky moray eels, Flotsam and Jetsam, who are not only extremely proficient and devoted, but Ursula also dotes on him, calling them her "babies."
As a result, it's rather sad to see Ursula mourn over their unexpected demises when a shot from the trident aimed at Prince Eric ends up hitting the eels due to Ariel's intervention. Many viewers will know what it's like to lose a beloved pet in their time, so Ursula's sadness over them is extremely relatable.
Captain Barbossa Can't Eat Nor Drink
Although he later s the good guys, Captain Barbossa is the villain of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which is the first movie in the franchise. Here, Barbossa and his crew are searching for Bootstrap Bill's kin in order to remove a curse inflicted upon him and his crew.
The curse renders them immortal but they can neither eat nor drink, despite their hunger and thirst. The thought of not being able to enjoy food and drink nor satisfy hunger is a nightmare for many, and Barbossa's anguish at Elizabeth being able to dine on a lavish feast is unbelievably relatable. But he finally gets to enjoy his apple at the end of Dead Man's Chest.
Sir Hiss In General
Sir Hiss is not only one of the most loyal Robin Hood. Yet somehow, he is the one that receives all of the abuse.
The simpering serpent always seems to face the physical wrath of Prince John, whether it's Sir Hiss calling him out or failing a task, even though it wasn't his fault. One notable instance of sympathy is when Hiss dodges a swipe from the spoiled prince, the latter angrily says "You deliberately dodged. Stop sniveling and hold still." Poor Hiss braces himself for a vicious thump on the head and meekly responds "Thank you, Sire."
Yzma Being Fired
Yzma is Emperor Kuzco's "scary beyond all reason" adviser in The Emperor's New Groove. Whilst her taking up the Emperor's duties behind his back could be frowned upon, not to mention her cruelty and her wicked plan of murder, it is fair to say that Yzma can be sympathized with.
As well as being a loyal advisor to the royal family for many years, Yzma is much older than the spoiled selfish teenage Emperor, who is openly rude to her and fires her on the spot. Not to mention that Yzma is an extremely funny character, which makes her difficult to despise in the first place. If anything, viewers are more likely to side with Yzma than Kuzco.
