The Baddest Baddies of Children’s Movies

For some strange reason, the scariest, most evil characters in film have been featured in children’s movies. These characters haunt our nightmares and continue to terrify us in adulthood. One of the most formidable, vicious characters in recent history, the White Witch of Narnia, returns to the silver screen again on 9th December in The Chronicles of Narnia:The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Here to celebrate the third installment of The Chronicles of Narnia is the top 11 scariest villains in children’s movies.

The Wizard of Oz – The Wicked Witch of the West

Portrayed by: Margaret Hamilton
Adversary: Dorothy Gale
Characteristics: Broom-flying, Green skin, Black pointed hat
Minions: Flying monkeys
Weapons/Powers: Flying, Appearing/disappearing in a poof of smoke, Spells

Famous Lines: “I’ll get you, my pretty. And your little dog too.”

Although the Wicked Witch is portrayed as an antagonist who terrorizes innocent little Dorothy Gale, wouldn’t you want to seek revenge too if someone killed your sister and stole her favorite pair of ruby slippers? The Wicked Witch is relentlessly cruel, lighting the Scarecrow on fire and launching her maniacal flying monkeys at the main characters. She means business, and will stop at nothing to get back the slippers.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – Child Catcher

Portrayed by: Sir Robert Helpmann
Adversary: Caractacus Potts
Characteristics: Black suit, Top hat, Greasy black hair, Long nose,
Employer: Baron and Baroness of Vulgaria
Weapons/Powers: Big net and hook to catch children, Ability to disguise himself as a candy salesman, Ability to smell children

Famous line: “Come along, kiddie-winkies!”

The most loyal servant of Baron and Baroness Bomburst of Vulgaria, the Child Catcher is hired to capture and imprison all children because they repulse the Baroness. The Child Catcher is the manifestation of a child’s worst nightmare. Disguised as a treat vendor, he is the reason why we teach children, “Don’t talk to strangers.” Plus, you cannot run or hide from this evil man; his nose is able to pick up a child’s scent.

101 Dalmatians – Cruella de Vil

Portrayed by: Betty Lou Gerson
Adversaries: Pongo and Perdita
Characteristics: White mink coat, Black and white hair, Smokes with a cigarette holder, Obsessed with fur
Minions: Horace and Jasper
Weapons/Powers: Money

Famous Line: “Alright, keep the little beasts for all I care! Do what you want with them! Drown them! But I warn you, Anita, we’re through! I’m through with all of you! I’ll get even! Just wait! You’ll be sorry, you fools! You… YOU IDIOTS!”

Fashion maven Cruella de Vil’s memorable introduction, “If she doesn’t scare you, no evil thing will” sets the tone for one of the most wretched, vile women on film. She takes joy in killing puppies; can there be a crime more heinous?

The Lion King – Scar

Portrayed by: Jeremy Irons
Adversary: Simba
Characteristics: Scar above his left eye, Black mane
Minions: The hyenas – Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed
Weapons/Powers: Large claws, Brainwashing over the hyenas
Famous Line: “I will be king. Stick with me, and you’ll never go hungry again.”

Mufasa’s power-hungry brother Scar kills the king of the Pride Lands in order to take the throne before his nephew Simba. He blames the death on Simba, forcing him into exile. Influenced by Shakespeare’s Hamlet, The Lion King features the merciless Scar and his band of sadistic hyenas as they take over the savannah. Nevertheless, he does give good advice for a villain, instructing his followers to, “Be prepared.”

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – Arthur Slugworth

Portrayed by: Gunter Meisner
Adversary: Charlie Bucket
Characteristics: Tall, Creepy, Octagonal glasses
Minions: Golden Ticket Winners – Mike Teevee, Violet Beauregarde, Veruca Salt
Weapons/Powers: Money, Persuasion

Famous Line: “And don’t forget the name…Everlasting Gobstopper.”

As repulsive as his surname suggests, Arthur Slugworth is Willy Wonka’s rival candy confectioner. He convinces each golden ticket winner to steal a piece of Wonka’s latest creation, the Everlasting Gobstopper, promising in return anything his or her heart desires. Of course, our hero, the noble Charlie Bucket, is the only winner who refuses to give in to Slugworth’s sinister demands.

Peter Pan – Captain Hook

Portrayed by: Hans Conried
Adversaries: Peter Pan and the Lost Boys
Characteristics: Pointy moustache, Red jacket, Captain of the Jolly Roger
Minions: Mr. Smee and the Jolly Roger crew
Weapons/Powers: Hook hand

Famous Line: “I’ll get you for this, Peter Pan, if it’s the last thing I do!”

The slightly buffoonish Captain Hook, lord pirate in Neverland, acquired his trademark hook when, during a battle, Peter Pan cut off his hand and fed it to a crocodile named Tick Tock. Not only is Tick Tock obsessed with devouring the rest of Hook, he swallowed a clock, so Hook recognizes impending doom with a clock’s typical ticking sound. He is a bit of a buffoon, but his ultimate ambition is for Peter Pan to walk the plank.

The Goonies – Mama Fratelli

Portrayed by: Anne Ramsay
Adversary: The Goonies
Characteristics: Domineering mother, black beret, pearl necklace
Minions: The Fratelli sons – Jake and Francis
Weapons/Powers: Guns

Famous Line: “The only thing we serve here is tongue. You boys like tongue?”

Matriarch to the Fratelli family of criminals, Mama Fratelli is a spiteful, heartless woman. She rejects her deformed son Sloth, even though she is to blame for his disfigurement (she dropped him on his head as a baby). She captures and terrorizes Chunk; she is scarier than any man could ever be.

Cinderella – Wicked Stepmother (Lady Tremaine)

Portrayed by: Eleanor Audley
Adversary: Cinderella
Characteristics: Widow, Purple dress, Silver hair
Minions: Cinderella’s ugly stepsisters, Anastasia and Drizella
Weapons/Powers: Control over Cinderella, Treating her like a servant

Famous Line: “Young man, are you sure you’re trying it on the right foot?”

Poor stepmothers. Once Disney released Cinderella, their reputations were forever stained thanks to the malice of the antagonist, Cinderella’s wicked stepmother. The cruel woman forced Cinderella to work as a servant in her own home, spoiling Cinderella’s stepsisters. She extinguished all happiness from Cinderella’s life.

Ursula – The Little Mermaid

Portrayed by: Pat Carroll
Adversary: Ariel
Characteristics: Octopus legs, obese, purple-skinned, white hair, mole, red lips
Minions: The eels – Flotsam and Jetsam
Weapons/Powers: Spells, Ability to turn into the beautiful alter ego Vanessa

Famous Lines: “I’m not asking much, just a token really, a trifle!

What I want from you is – your voice… You’ll have your looks, your pretty face. And don’t underestimate the importance of body language, ha!”

Overweight and grotesque, the sea witch Ursula strikes a deal with lovesick Ariel. Ariel wants to be united with Prince Eric on land, so she gives up her voice for a pair of legs. Ursula despicably throws a loophole in the agreement that if Ariel does not kiss Eric by the third day, she will turn back into a mermaid and belong to Ursula. She even sabotages the plan by transforming into a beautiful siren with Ariel’s voice, to distract Eric from his courtship with Ariel. What a witch.

Harry Potter Series – Lord Voldemort

Portrayed by: Ralph Fiennes
Adversary: Harry Potter
Characteristics: Slit for nostrils, Long fingers, White skin, Kills without mercy
Minions: Death Eaters
Weapons/Powers: Spells, flies

Famous Line: “Avada kedavra.”

Never in history has there been a person so evil, people are unable to say his name, until J.K. Rowling debuted her central antagonist to the Harry Potter series, Lord Voldemort. He despises all non-pure-blood wizards and Muggles, devoid of all emotion or mercy. However, he has only been defeated once, by the baby Harry Potter, and throughout Harry’s life has sought to finally finish him off.

The Chronicles of Narnia – Jadis, the White Witch

Portrayed by: Tilda Swinton
Adversaries: Aslan, Prince Caspian, the Pevensie siblings
Characteristics: Tall, Pale, Blonde,
Minion: Ginarrbrik, a black dwarf
Weapons/Powers: Spells, including the ability to turn Narnia into a state of perpetual winter and people into stone

Famous Line: “If it’s a war Aslan wants, it’s a war he shall get.”

The evil sorceress of The Chronicles of Narnia is a formidable force of nature, literally, as she uses natural resources to spread destruction across Narnia. She forces an endless winter upon Narnia and turns any of her opponents to stone without a second thought. Her ultimate goal is to control the land, and nothing can stand in her way.

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER is in cinemas from December 9th, 2010.