Disney is known for making dreams come true across many mediums and genres. With its incredible media library, the stories Disney has been able to tell have been amazing. However, the House of Mouse is also known for creating some of the darkest moments in children’s films.

Whether it’s a villain, a hero, a loved one, or just a random character, some of Disney’s darkest moments on screen are brutal deaths. These, along with the masterfully crafted dramatic stories, keep the audience in suspense.

10

Jack Skellington unravels the Boogieman

Oogie Boogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

The Nightmare Before Christmasdirected by Henry Sellick, is a wonderful holiday film filled with creepy characters and terrifying moments, the scariest of them being Oogie Boogie, the central antagonist. In an attempt to overthrow Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, Boogie captures Sally and Santa Claus.

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Jack comes to the rescue, seemingly never in danger or afraid, which terrifies the Boogieman. Jack manages to get his hands on Oogie Boogie’s loose strings, untangling him and revealing to the audience that the villain is made entirely of insects. The creepy creatures fall into a pot of lava, ending the Disney villain in a very dark and characteristic way.

Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas Town, but his attempts to bring Christmas to his home sow confusion.

Director

Henry Selick

Release date

October 29, 1993

Cast

Catherine O’Hara, Glenn Shadix, Ken Page, William Hickey, Chris Sarandon, Paul Reubens, Danny Elfman

Writers

Caroline Thompson

Runtime

76 minutes

Budget

$24 million

Studio(s)

Touchstone Pictures, Skellington Productions

Distributor(s)

Buena Vista Distribution, Walt Disney Pictures

Develop

9

Bambi’s Mom Is Disney’s Most Memorable Death

Bambi’s Mom from Bambi (1942)

Probably the most famous aspect of the Disney children’s classic Bambi This is the fate of the poor deer’s mother. From the beginning, her role as Bambi’s protector creates a deep connection between her and the audience. She teaches him forest survival, including the dangers of open grasslands, where hunters hide unseen.

This warning is tragically becoming a reality. As they forage during a harsh winter, eerie tension mounts as the sound of a gunshot shatters the calm. Bambi’s mother urges him to run, her voice trembling with urgency as she sacrifices herself to ensure his escape. In an act of desperation, Bambi hesitates, but eventually runs away, as the loud crack of a gunshot echoes off-screen. The dark moment is so famous that it has even been parodied by SNL with The Rock playing the title character in a fictional live-action reboot where Bambi seeks revenge for his murdered mother.

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Bambi

Director

James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, David Hand

Release date

August 14, 1942

Cast

Hardie Albright, Stan Alexander, Bobette Audrey, Peter Behn, Thelma Boardman, Janet Chapman

Writers

Felix Salten, Perce Pearce, Larry Morey, Vernon Stallings, Melvin Shaw, Carl Fallberg

Runtime

70 minutes

8

The Evil Queen Is Disney’s Most Terrifying Villain and Most Terrifying Death

The Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

The death of the Evil Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the chilling climax of his dark descent. Consumed by jealousy, the Queen transforms into a grotesque witch wielding forbidden magic, abandoning her regal facade for an embodiment of pure villainy. Her plan to poison Snow White with a cursed apple demonstrates her will to stop at nothing to eliminate her rival, even at the expense of her humanity.

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His demise is a terrifying mix of karma and the raw power of nature. Cornered by the dwarves on top of a stormy mountain, she tries to crush them with a rock but is struck by lightning. The jagged cliff beneath her collapses, sending her plummeting to her doom. To add to the horror, vultures descend ominously, implying his dark fate. The intensity of the scene is amplified by its stark visuals and lack of dialogue, making his death both iconic and haunting.

Exiled to the dangerous forest by her evil stepmother, a princess is saved by seven dwarf miners who take her into their household.

Director

David Hand, Perce Pearce, William Cottrell, Larry Morey, Wilfred Jackson, Ben Sharpsteen

Release date

December 21, 1937

Cast

Adriana Caselotti, Roy Atwell, Pinto Colvig

Writers

Ted Sears, Richard Creedon, Otto Englander, Dick Rickard, Earl Hurd, Merrill de Maris, Dorothy Ann Blank, Webb Smith

Runtime

83 minutes

Production company

Budget

$1.5 million

Studio(s)

Walt Disney Productions

Distributor(s)

RKO Photos

Develop

7

Ratigan falls from Big Ben in epic finale

Ratigan from Detective the Big Mouse (1986)

The Great Mouse Detective is probably one of the most underrated Disney films of all time. In a rodent homage to the greatest detective of all, Sherlock Holmes, Detectives Basil and Dawson search for a kidnapped master toy maker, which brings them face to face with Professor Ratigan.

Vincent Price, master of horror, plays Professor Ratigan in homage to Sherlock Holmes’ greatest adversary, Professor Moriarty. In an epic battle reminiscent of Reichenbach Falls, Ratigan and Basil fight at the hands of Big Ben. The clock strikes 10:00 and the vibrations cause Ratigan to fall to his grisly, dark death. It’s a dark finale for the character, fitting for the story.

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The Great Mouse Detective

The Great Mouse Detective is an animated adventure film directed by Ron Clements and Burny Mattinson. Released in 1986, the film follows the ingenious mouse detective Basil of Baker Street, who is on a mission to thwart the plans of the evil Ratigan. Set in Victorian London, the story includes iconic supporting characters such as Basil’s companion Dr Dawson and Olivia, the daughter of kidnapped toymaker Hiram Flaversham.

Director

Ron Clements, Burny Mattinson, David Michener, John Musker

Release date

July 2, 1986

Cast

Vincent Price, Barrie Ingham, Val Bettin, Susanne Pollatschek, Candy Candido, Diana Chesney

Writers

Peter Young, Vance Gerry, Steve Hulett, Ron Clements, John Musker, Bruce Morris

Runtime

74 minutes

Develop

6

Roger Rabbit cartoon suffers Disney’s most brutal death

The Shoe of One Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

While it’s an odd choice among the many dramatic and tragic deaths in Disney’s illustrious history, one stands out as the most gruesome and brutal in any way whose history it affects. Inside Disney’s Box Office Success Who Framed Roger Rabbitthe late, great Bob Hoskins plays private detective Eddie Valiant investigating a murder in a world where the cartoons are real. Suspected murderer Roger Rabbit teams up with Eddie to clear his name, all while being hunted by the most dangerous man in Toontown.

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Judge Doom, played by the incredible Christopher Lloyd, has a solution to the toon problem, which involves using a special acid-like substance that only works on cartoon characters called Dip. To demonstrate this, Doom captured a cartoon shoe, which he lowers into the Dip. This was an extremely effective way to get fans to hate the judge, becausethe screams and screams of the cute little shoe were horrible to watchand perfectly set up the ironic ending of Judge Doom himself.

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Who Framed Roger Rabbit

A cartoon-hating detective is a cartoon rabbit’s only hope of proving his innocence when he is accused of murder.

Director

Robert Zemeckis

Release date

June 22, 1988

Cast

Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Charles Fleischer, Joanna Cassidy

Runtime

1 hour 44 minutes

5

The sea witch is impaled by an entire ship

Ursula from The Little Mermaid (1989)

Among the best Disney villains is certainly the sea witch herself, King Triton’s sister, Ursula. Loosely based on old stories and the drag queen Divine, Pat Carroll portrays Ursula with a charismatic and villainous character that audiences can’t help but love. And her ultimate goal is to become an all-powerful witch ruling over all the oceans. Luckily, just in time, Prince Eric and Ariel are there to thwart his plans in the film’s epic finale.

Ursula becomes a gargantuan witch, controlling the ocean with Triton’s crown and trident, and stirring up a huge whirlpool that stirs the sunken ships. Prince Eric manages to board one of these ships and, through the violent storms created by Ursula, impales him with the ship’s hull. Ursula’s death, while epic, is also remembered as a extremely brutal and dark moment for a beloved Disney villain.

A mermaid princess makes a Faustian bargain in order to become human and win the love of a prince.

Director

Ron Clements, John Musker

Release date

November 17, 1989

Studio

Franchise(s)

The Little Mermaid

Cast

Jodi Benson, Samuel E. Wright, Pat Carroll, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Kenneth Mars, Buddy Hackett, Jason Marin, René Auberjonois, Paddi Edwards, Ben Wright, Edie McClurg, Will Ryan, Sherry Lynn, Mickie McGowan, Nancy Cartwright, Frank Welker , Camp Hamilton , Debbie Shapiro Gravitte

Writers

John Musker, Ron Clements, Hans Christian Andersen

Character(s)

Ariel/Vanessa, Sebastian, Ursula, Prince Eric, King Triton, Scuttle, Flounder, Louis, Flotsam & Jetsam, Grimsby, Carlotta, Seahorse

Runtime

83 minutes

Budget

40 million dollars

Studio(s)

Disney

Distributor(s)

Disney

Develop

4

Judge Frollo experienced the hell he was so afraid of

Judge Frollo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

Judge Frollo is one of Disney’s most maniacal and evil villains, a man who uses his power and the church to manipulate the world around him into doing what he wants. His terrifying design, accompanied by an intimidating voice performance from the talented Tony Jay, makes Frollo an all-time Disney villain. And his eventual demise is all the sweeter because it comes from a place of karma.

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In a deeply disturbing climax, the woman Frollo desired despite his refusals, Esmerelda, attempts to save the hunchback, Quasimodo, from falling into the molten lead beneath the cathedral. Frollo, seeking revenge, attempts to finish off both of them, before the gargoyle he is standing on bursts beneath him. He manages to latch onto another gargoyle, which turns into the demonic fears he’s been running from the entire movie. The gargoyle breaks and Frollo falls into the molten lead. in one of Disney’s darkest deaths that almost feels earned.

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The Hunchback of Notre Dame

A bell ringer must assert his independence from a vicious government minister in order to help his friend, a dancer.

Director

Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise

Release date

June 21, 1996

Cast

Tom Hulce, Demi Moore

Writers

Tab Murphy, Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, Noni White, Bob Tzudiker

Runtime

91 minutes

3

Tarzan’s hunter should have stopped swinging his machete

Clayton from Tarzan (1999)

Tarzan is the thrilling story of the main character’s struggles and journey through the jungle, stranded on an island since he was a baby. Tarzan is raised by his gorilla family and his environment, becoming a true king of the jungle. However, his life changes when he meets the first humans he has ever seen. They are part of a British expedition, led by Jane Porter and escorted by the villain, a hunter named William Clayton.

As the film unfolds, it becomes clear that Clayton’s goals are nefarious, as he plans to capture and sell gorillas on the black market. Tarzan stops the plot and gets into a massive fight with Clayton. Since the jungle is Tarzan’s territory, Clayton is no match and gets tangled in the vines. Tarzan tries to save him, but Clayton ends up cutting off all the vines holding him except the one wrapped around his throat. Clayton falls, but only his machete hits the ground. In an eerie flash, the audience can see William Clayton, hanging by the vines. This image has stuck with audiences for years and still remains one of the darkest deaths in Disney history.

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Disney’s Tarzan

A man raised by gorillas must decide what his true place is when he discovers he is human.

Director

Kevin Lima, Chris Buck

Release date

June 16, 1999

Studio

Walt Disney

Cast

Tony Goldwyn, Minnie pilot

Runtime

88 minutes

2

Be prepared to see the scar tear into pieces

Scar from the Lion King (1994)

The Lion King is one of the greatest animated films of all time, boasting a perfectly tailored story, beautifully memorable music, and plenty of fan-favorite characters that have stood the test of time. One of them, voiced by the iconic Jeremy Irons, is Scar. Brother of the King of the Lionlands, Scar has harbored extreme resentment for decades, leading him to implement a devious plan. Scar pushes his brother to his death and forces his brother’s son, Simba, to run away forever.

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Years later, Scar, now false leader of the Lionlands, is confronted with the return of an adult and much more experienced Simba. In an ultimate climax, Simba defeats Scar in combat, causing Scar to fall into a ravine. And even if the fall doesn’t end it, the hungry and angry hyenas do. In a plus terrifying display of the vicious nature of carnivorous creatures, hyenas tear Scar apart in fiery shadowforever marking the public.

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The Lion King

The Lion King is an animated film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Released in 1994, it tells the story of Simba, a young lion cub who faces the responsibilities of adulthood and reclaims his birthright as king of the Pride Lands. Featuring an iconic voice cast including Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones and Jeremy Irons, the film explores themes of family, duty and the circle of life.

Director

Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff

Release date

June 24, 1994

Cast

Matthew Broderick, Moira Kelly, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Robert Guillaume

Writers

Linda Woolverton, Jonathan Roberts, Irene Mecchi

Runtime

88 minutes

Budget

45000000.0

Studio(s)

Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animated Feature Films

IMDb ID

tt0110357

TMDB User Rating

8,256

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1

Dr. Facilier got what he wanted and he’ll get what he gets

Dr. Facilier From The Princess and the Frog (2009)

In possibly one of the most fantastic and gruesome deaths in all of Disney animation history, Dr. Facilier gets exactly what he deserves in the climax of the hit Disney Princess animated film. The Princess and the Frog. Hardworking and ambitious, Tiana’s dreams of becoming a chef are interrupted when she turns into a frog. In order to break the curse and achieve her goals, she will go on a daring adventure with fellow frog Naveen, Louis the Alligator and Ray the Lightning Bug to stop the evil Shadow Man, Dr. Facilier.

Dr. Facilier is played by the extremely talented Kieth David in a vocal performance that defined his career as a voice actor. At the end of the film, Tiana is able to get her hands on the talisman that Dr. Facilier used to cast the curse on her and Naveen in the first place and destroy it. Dr. Facilier, after breaking his promises to the “Friends on the Other Side”, is dragged into a green underworld by the mischievous spirits in one of Disney’s most gruesome deaths.

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The Princess and the Frog

A waitress, desperate to fulfill her dreams as a restaurateur, embarks on a journey to turn a frog prince into a human, but she must face the same problem after kissing him.

Director

John Musker, Ron Clements

Release date

December 11, 2009

Studio

Walt Disney Studios

Cast

Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Oprah Winfrey, Bruno Campos, Michael-Leon Wooley, Jennifer Cody, Terrence Howard

Writers

Greg Erb, Jason Oremland, John Musker, Ron Clements

Runtime

97 minutes

Production company

Walt Disney Images, Walt Disney Animation Studios

Develop