19 most dramatic and over-the-top Disney villains

Maleficent — Sleeping Beauty

Maleficent is perhaps our favorite of all the dramatic villains in Disney history, despite being one of the earliest, appearing in Sleeping Beauty in 1959. She’s absolutely furious from the very moment we meet her and why, we might wonder?

Because she wasn’t invited to a christening.

It’s an absolutely terrible origin story, but that’s what makes Maleficent so great. Her reaction to her invite getting lost in the 16th century post is hardly proportional. She very much throws the baby out with the bathwater, concocting a frankly convoluted plan that for some reason involves those most frightening of objects: spinning wheels.

She gatecrashes poor Aurora’s christening in a terrifying manner that Miranda Priestly can only dream of, not content with a simple puff of green smoke, but adding a lightning storm and ominous music that we can’t be sure she hasn’t arranged herself (her minions have stolen the aux cord!).

Ignore the intense retconning done by Disney and aided by Angelina Jolie in the 2014 Maleficent-apologist movie. This sorceress doesn’t need anyone to make excuses for her. Having her be anything other than driven by bitterness and FOMO (fear of missing out) takes all the fun out of watching her in 1959.

She can also transform into a dragon, which honestly makes us wonder just why she was so concerned at not being invited to a mortal princess’s christening so much.

Babe, you’ve got so many better things to do. Leave this realm. Travel. There are other parties out there where your talents will be appreciated. Find yourself.