19 most dramatic and over-the-top Disney villains

Queen Narissa — Enchanted

With those sharp Bette Davis eyes and husky tones , Susan Sarandon was born to play a Disney villain, and frankly it’s a crime we had to wait until 2006 to see her do it. But my goodness, it was worth it!

Although not technically a Disney villain, presumably due to the same reason that Amy Adams’ Giselle isn’t technically a Disney princess, Narissa proves she is at least equal to the task of bringing excessive drama into the lives of those around her.

She sends poor Giselle away from comfortable, trope-filled, animated Andalasia to end up in grimy, cynical New York, just because she wants to prevent her from marrying her stepson Prince Edward. As it so often does in Disney, it all comes down to the rights of succession, which she will lose if Edward marries.

So, with the help of her henchman Nathaniel, she executes her entirely proportional and not at all ridiculous plot, communicating with him through water to prevent Edward from finding his true love.

The fact she can appear in other universes, let alone open portals to them, shows that she suffers from the same problem as Maleficent, in that her powers far exceed those of who she is so worried about. Really, she should have better things to do.

But if she’s going to be evil, at least she can do it in style. Sporting a beehive Ryan Gosling’s mom would be proud of, and the best cinematic eyeshadow since Frank N. Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, she cackles her way through the film and cements herself in iconic villainy, official status or none.

Take her bored reaction when Prince Edward catches her red-handed, hiding a senseless Giselle behind her voluminous dress, for instance.

“I think she’s fine, leave her, slap her, give her some water,” she says, casually, as if she hasn’t tried to kill six-time Oscar nominee Amy Adams, and hasn’t just been caught trying to hide the body. And then she has the gall to call Edward melodramatic.

We’re honestly obsessed.