They’ve come in many guises over the years, from the monarchical to the Machiavellian, monsters to muscle men, sorcerers, schemers and step-parents. And they have shown levels of genius, incompetence and everything in between in their efforts to thwart our heroes. But they are always without fail ambitious, self-serving and strangely compelling.

In a world of promoting good virtues to children, good must always triumph over evil. And so, Disney villains can’t be left to return and cause havoc another day (unless it’s in an inconsequential direct-to-video sequel) and so usually meet their maker in one of a variety of inventive and sometimes gruesome ways.

If the Disney Princess is the most merchandisable element of the Disney canon, then the villains are a close second and inspire even more fervour among adult fans, perhaps because they’re usually more flawed and interesting than the heroes and especially when so many are (intentionally or not) queer-coded, fabulously designed and played with gusto by talented voice actors giving it their all. 

For this edition of Ranked, we at The Film Magazine have taken every significant villain to be found in Disney animation and ordered them in terms of wickedness, memorability and the threat they represent to our heroes and heroines. So practice your diabolical laughter, rehearse your evil monologue, dust off your best purple attire and enjoy Animated Disney Villains Ranked. 

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36. King Candy – Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

The ruler of arcade racing video game Sugar Rush who is actually Turbo, the resentful title character of a long-disconnected game.

Alan Tudyk has been Disney’s good luck charm in recent years and delivers a manic performance here as a mascot-gone-wrong, but the vocals have to do most of the work to enliven a baddie who’s just not interesting enough to match the heroes.

Demise by: Destroyed by the collapse of Diet Cola Mountain with the addition of Mentos.

35. Prince Hans – Frozen (2013)

A seemingly classic Prince Charming who is actually conspiring to eliminate both heirs to the Arendelle throne and claim it for himself.

Hans is a duplicitous, generic British-accented baddie revealed in the film’s final act, who gets some bonus evil points for taking advantage of Princess Anna’s emotions the way he does, purely to advance himself.

Demise by: Survives but is arrested and banished for his treachery.

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34. Alameda Slim – Home on the Range (2004)

An evil cattle rustler and conman who plans to cheat every rancher he can find out of their land.

Randy Quaid’s growling delivery and the character’s hilariously unconvincing Inspector Clouseau-level disguises aside, what makes Alameda Slim stand out is that he’s a rare villain who uses a combination of theft, foreclosure and cow-hypnotising yodelling to get what he wants.

Demise by: Survives, but his schemes and true identity as a rustler are exposed and the reward for his arrest is claimed.

33. Dr Jumba Jookiba – Lilo & Stitch (2002)

An alien mad scientist on the hunt for his dangerous but cute creation on Earth on the orders of the council who imprisoned him for his work.

Dr Jumba is probably the only character who never underestimates the cute blue title character because he was the one who genetically engineered “Experiment 626” and is fully aware of his destructive capabilities. He finds himself lower down this list for being bumbling and for having a late change of heart, eventually helping to protect Stitch when the council’s military arrives to complete his mission with extreme prejudice.

Demise by: Survives to live a fairly happy exile alongside Stitch on Earth.

Although it was directed by a relatively unknown director, George Scribner, Disney animation heavyweights such as Glen Keane, Ruben A. Aquino, Mike Gabriel, Hendel Butoy and Mark Henn each leant a hand in making this film, helping to grow the anticipation for Oliver and Company even before its release.

On top of the animators, Oliver and Company featured musical and acting greats like Billy Joel, Bette Midler and Cheech Marin, each bringing their iconic sounds to this romanticised presentation of New York City.

Released only a year before the revolutionary and some would say studio-saving animation The Little Mermaid however, Oliver and Company (and so many of Disney Animation’s 80s films) faded into the background as the so-called Disney Renaissance roared into view.

In this Top List, we here at The Film Magazine are analysing everything from the animation style to the music on offer in this overlooked 1988 release, to offer to you 5 Reasons Why Oliver and Company (1988) Is an Underrated Animation Classic.

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1. The City Scape

Oliver and Company is jam-packed with iconic New York imagery from the very start to the very end, with the opening song being played over the New York skyline and yellow cab-lined streets, and ending in very much the same fashion.

Of course, cities have been in Disney films before, but they are always set earlier in the 20^th century and beyond, so Oliver and Company really brought the classic Disney animation into the modern world by setting itself in the contemporary United States. This is clearly a stylistic choice too, as New York’s iconic line-up of major brands are showcased throughout – from the well-known Coca-Cola billboards to the McDonald’s restaurants around the city. This was the first time known brands were included in a Disney animation, but it wasn’t done for the purpose of a cash grab and was only used to build a more authentic picture of modern day New York.

Overall, the setting for the film ends up making you feel nostalgic for 80s New York City, even if you’ve never been.

2. The Classic Animation Style

At the time of Oliver and Company’s release (1988), classic animation was the only type of animation that Disney was putting out. But since the turn of the century, this style has slowly been eradicated from our screens. So for most people, this now much older style of animation brings them the nostalgic feeling of watching their childhood favourites.

There is some “computer-assisted imagery”, seen most prominently in a subway chase scene, but generally Oliver and Company is one of the last of a dying breed of Walt Disney Animation releases in that it is a hand drawn feature.

It’s a romantic style for a romanticised portrayal of one the world’s great cities, and the perfect way to make a fairy tale location from a city often maligned for its trash and congestion.

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