Disney’s Creepiest Characters - Ranked
Disney characters come in all shapes and sizes. More often than not, they are some combination of cute, cuddly, and/or lovable. Of course, Disney villains usually fall out of that category, yet we still feel a fondness for most of them.
Somewhere outside the spectrum of cute and corrupt lies a collection of Disney’s creepy characters. These characters are not necessarily bad. In fact, they can be quite good! But there is something about them that isn’t quite right. It could be a physical characteristic, a personality trait, or just the way they carry themselves. Whatever the reasons may be, these characters tend to hit us right in the “ick” spot.
Let’s give this motley group some love and rank the creepiest characters in Disney films and television (and even in the theme parks).
10) Kaa - The Jungle Book
“Trusssst in me!”
How many snakes do you know who aren’t creepy? As Walt Disney himself knew - for snakes, it just comes with the territory. I could have chosen numerous snakes to make this list, but Kaa the python takes the cake (just as he almost took Mowgli). This secondary villain from the 1967 film The Jungle Book only slithered for a small portion of the film, but when he showed up, he entranced us with his soothing voice and hypnotic eyes. Don’t let this bad dude give you a squeeze!
Fun fact: Kaa will forever be known as the only villain character - out of many, many characters - voiced by Disney Legend Sterling Holloway (with his most famous other Disney voices being Winnie-the-Pooh and Cheshire Cat).
9 )Flotsam and Jetsam - The Little Mermaid
From snakes on land to snakes of the sea - Flotsam and Jetsam are the most miserable looking characters in 1989’s The Little Mermaid. This pair of optically-amplified eels are Ursula’s eyes throughout the sea. Residing somewhere between henchmen and goons, they manage to entice Ariel into a visit with the sea witch - a meeting she leaves speechless. Slippery snakes in cold water - eww!
While they didn’t make this list - all those Poor Unfortunate Souls turned into sad, pathetic seaweed polyps are truly unsettling. And speaking of unsettling - Ariel’s friends Sebastian and Flounder were totally creepified in the 2023 live-action remake. Adorable in animation, these two deserved better from their live-action transformation.
8 ) Not All Muppets Are Cute!
Ok I admit, such a statement is sacrilegious to Muppets fans. The fact is, 99% of all muppets are adorable. But there are a few outliers. Remember Muppet creator and Disney Legend Jim Henson’s 1982 fantasy film The Dark Crystal? In that film, the bad guys are called Skeksis, and they were kinda terrifying. Tall, reptilian-bird-dragon-like creatures with four arms, a tail, and a beak-like jaw. Skeksis possess all of the negative attributes of society, and none of the positive ones. In fact, Henson himself once commented that the Skeksis were based on the Bible’s Seven Deadly Sins. Not a good group to hang with.
As for the Muppets proper, there is one character who clearly deserves the title of World’s Creepiest Muppet Name - Uncle Deadly. Blue and reptilian, with dark black beady eyes - Uncle Deadly presents himself as worse than he actually is. In reality, he’s somewhat of a ham, much like the rest of the Muppets.
Last on my list of creepy Muppets is the Ghost of Christmas Past, from The Muppet Christmas Carol. This ethereal, childlike figure floats eerily ahead of Scrooge, sporting a face aged with wisdom beyond its years. Ok, anytime ghosts take the form of children, I’m out!
7 ) The Mad Hatter - Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland
In Walt Disney’s 1951 animated film Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter - voiced by Disney Legend Ed Wynn - is zany, wild, and a lot of fun (maybe too much fun?). But Tim Burton’s version from the 2010 live-action remake of the Disney classic is a bit unnerving. With bright orange hair, sickly yellow eyes, and a misguided sense of whimsy, Mad Hatter creates confusion and unease in Alice throughout the film. In his defense, he may have been poisoned by mercury. Not-so-fun-fact: The term "mad as a hatter" originated from the mercury poisoning that hat makers traditionally suffered from - a condition known as erethism.
Aside from Mad Hatter, the 2010 version of Alice in Wonderland boasts several other creepy characters. Tweedledee and Tweedledum possess none of the cuteness of the 1951 animated versions - looking more like twisted, undead versions of Humpty Dumpty. And the Queen of Hearts awkwardly parades around Wonderland with a giant head atop her tiny body. But we’re not really surprised at any of this - it’s a Tim Burton film, after all.
6 ) Mr. Burns - The Simpsons
“Excellent!”
Old, bald, brooding, and evil. This is Mr. Charles Montgomery Burns. The oldest and wealthiest resident of Springfield owns the massive nuclear plant looming over the city. He persistently plots his way into a larger, more evil life. Plus, he famously forgets Homer’s name every time he meets him! None of this makes Mr. Burns creepy per se. What puts him over the top is his perennial frailty in the face of his ruthless tactics. He is consistently weak and “circling the drain,” yet he always has the energy to snooker his way to financial success and power. If he weren’t so comically flimsy, he would clearly be the most hated citizen of Springfield (in fact, he still may be the most hated.)
Runner up - Sideshow Bob. Once upon a time, Krusty the Clown’s mistreated sidekick decided he hated Bart Simpson (it may have something to do with Bart foiling his scheme to frame Krusty for armed robbery). This hate has led Sideshow Bob down some dark and hilarious paths. Actor Kelsey Grammar’s dark, calculating voice is so foreboding, it more than makes up for Bob’s thick, red palm-tree-shaped afro.
5) Toy Story - Sid’s Toys
In 1995’s Toy Story, Andy’s next door neighbor Sid is the stereotypical “mean kid” of the neighborhood, and his biggest victims are his own toys! Using an impressive amount of ingenuity, Sid mutates most of his toys (and some of his sister’s toys) into a motley group of sad, beaten misfits. An Erector Set spider with the head of a one-eyed doll, a fishing pole with legs, and a hand-in-a-box are just a few of Sid’s off-putting creations. But beneath their mutated exteriors, these toys proved to have hearts of gold, helping Wood and Buzz escape Sid’s house before Buzz is blown to smithereens.
Runners up - Gabby Gabby and the Bensons. This old-school doll and her goons are on Woody’s tail in Toy Story 4, looking to improve their lot in life inside the Second Chance antique store. The Bensons’ ventriloquist dummy bodies are soft and floppy, with their arms dangling and their legs bent backwards. Their expressionless faces, wide open eyes, and hinged jaws make the Bensons nightmare material!
4 ) Dr. Facilier - The Princess and the Frog
“I’ve got friends on the other side…”
Dr. Facilier - more dubiously known in 2009’s The Princess and the Frog as the Shadow Man - just oozes uneasy creepiness. The velvety smooth voodoo witch doctor is all promises for the aimless royal socialite Prince Naveen. But as is the case with many of Disney’s villains, Facilier’s promises come at a nearly insurmountable cost. His bargains are made in blood (which he carries around in a spooky little talisman), and his victims rarely live to tell their tale. Luckily for Naveen, he fell in love with Tiana - the strongest woman in the bayou. It took every ounce of their love to unravel Facilier and send him to his “friends on the other side” where he belongs.
3) Oogie Boogie - The Nightmare Before Christmas
To many kids around the world, the Boogie Man is defined as the mayor of nightmares. In another creation from the imagination of Tim Burton, Oogie Boogie looms large over the Town of Halloween in 1993’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. If the idea of an evil animated burlap sack isn’t scary enough, try opening that sack and finding thousands of little bugs crawling around inside. Centipedes, caterpillars, maggots, and ants - this is exactly what Oogie Boogie is made of. Yuck! On a positive note, I love his taste in music.
Aside from Oogie Boogie - and much like Burton’s Alice in Wonderland remake - The Nightmare Before Christmas is filled with plenty of other creepy characters, including the oddly bell-shaped Sandy Claws, the mischievous trick-or-treaters Lock, Shock, and Barrel, the mad scientist Dr. Finkelstein, and many other creatures who go bump in the night. Jack Skellington - the hero of the film - may be one of the least creepy characters in the film. But the live version of Jack who used to meet guests at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party turned the creep meter up to ten. Thankfully, a newer, more appealing version of Jack made his debut this year!
2 ) Judge Doom - Who Framed Roger Rabbit
The sour, creepy, hate-filled Judge Doom is a complex villain. For most of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, he appears to just be an evil man bent on erasing Toontown (and all of its residents) from existence. As we later come to learn, the judge is a Toon himself, thereby increasing the horror of his planned scheme, now being directed against his own community.
The legendary Christopher Lloyd plays the judge with a subliminal, unsettling menace. Aside from his ominous midnight black clothing and threatening cane, there is another, subconscious, reason for the judge's creepiness - he never blinks. This component of Doom’s appearance was included in the character’s description by film director Robert Zemeckis. It’s a subtle feature, but one that adds that extra uneasiness to someone who is already quite creepy looking.
1 ) Jafar - Aladdin
“Tonight the part of Al will be played by a tall, dark, and sinister ugly man.”
Seriously Jafar, would it kill you to smile? Sometimes, all it takes to put people at complete unease is the refusal to show those pearly whites. In Disney’s 1992 film Aladdin, Jafar rarely breaks his frown. When he does, the Royal Vizier / sorcerer is either being completely fake (as you can see in his eyes) or he is cackling maniacally. His ability to control the Sultan with his magical scepter earns additional creepy points. And did I mention he also turns into a snake?
When Jafar lurks his way into Disney Parks, his stoic face displays a permanent scowl, and his royal movements drip with disingenuous intentions (that being said - he’s a pretty cool character in parades).
Honorable Mentions
This next list of creepy characters didn’t quite make the list, but they get some style points here:
“Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh. Do you hear that? It's the winds of change.”
Randall - Monsters, Inc.
We’re back with another reptilian-type character. Randall’s slippery, fluid motions and chameleon-like ability to blend in with his surroundings make him both scary and chilling. And of course, he is voiced by one of the most celebrated creepy actors of modern times - Steve Buscemi.
NaVi - Avatar
The Navi are probably the most peaceful characters on the list. But I have to be honest, they just look weird. The eyes and tails - I just can’t get by my hangup.
Scar - The Lion King
Scar’s Nazi-like dictatorial style gives me the heebie jeebies. I’m not fond of his choice of friends either. But wow did Jeremy Irons give him a voice to remember!
Judge Frollo - The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Frollo’s lust for power (and perhaps Esmeralda) combine with his very human sinful emotions to make him one of the most hateable characters in Disney animation. I need a shower after listening to him sing “Hellfire.”
Lady Tremaine - Cinderella
She hangs out in the dark in her bed with her cat (who is literally named after the devil). Then, she locks her stepdaughter away. Need I say more?
Little Leota - Haunted Mansion
Inspired by Disney Legend Leota Toombs, Little Leota is the tiny bride ghost standing peacefully in the crypt near the end of the attraction, beckoning guests to “Hurry baaack.” Tiny, yet terrifying.
Davy Jones - Pirates of the Caribbean
He’s got squid tentacles for a beard. That’s creepy enough for me.
Captain Nemo - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Nemo is a mysterious loner and an inventor/visionary. That combination can lead to some quite unexpected results. Plus, he plays a dirgy organ at the depths of the ocean. Have you ever seen him smile? Me neither.
Ernesto de la Cruz - Coco
The undead always unnerve me, and Coco is full of them. Most are quite fun and pleasant, except this evil guy.
Arnold Ernst Toht - Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Nazi officer who crept his way into Marion’s bar, set it ablaze, and severely burned his hand, leaving a medallion-shaped scar. His sinister smile makes Toht one of the most fearsome looking people in the Indiana Jones franchise. I’d rather be face-to-face with Mola Ram!
Are you wigged out yet? Do you have any creepy characters that didn’t make this list? Let us know with a message on social at: X Instagram