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The 25 Most Twisted Cartoon Villain Death Scenes

The 25 Most Twisted Cartoon Villain Death Scenes September 9, 2019Leave a comment

Most child-friendly movies attempt to paint a rosy picture of the world with heroic characters and happily-ever-after ensured endings. When it comes to the villains of these stories, even Disney has a very permanent way of dealing with them. Below is a list of the darkest villain deaths that will be sure to trigger your childhood nightmares.

'Sleeping Beauty'- Maleficent

Walt Disney Productions

In classic fairy-tale fashion, a princess must be rescued by the evil clutches of a fearsome creature by a brave knight. In "Sleeping Beauty," Prince Phillip is tasked with defeating Maleficent and saving his lady love from a death-like slumber. After the witch's transformation into a hellish dragon, the prince throws his sword and pierces her heart. Collapsing from the impact, Maleficent tumbles from the cliff and meets her end in a fiery embrace.

'Snow White'- The Evil Queen

RKO Radio Pictures

Toward the end of 'Snow White,' the Seven Dwarves storm the Evil Queen's castle to avenge what they believe is the death of the fair maiden. Trying to escape their wrath, the witch finds herself trapped on a rocky mountain cliff. Attempting to dislodge a boulder to use against the dwarves, the Evil Queen fails to notice a passing lightning bolt that strikes the cliff's edge. This triggers her fall and sends the boulder tumbling after her, crushing her instantly. A nearby group of vultures, spotting a meal, soon descend on what's left of her remains.

'The Little Mermaid'- Ursula

Buena Vista Pictures

Seizing King Triton's powers, the sea witch Ursula tries to rid herself of Ariel in "The Little Mermaid" but is attacked by Prince Eric's harpoon. Furious at their attempts to stop her, she magically transforms herself to tower over them. Taunting Ariel, Ursula's distraction becomes her downfall when Eric plunges his ship's bow into her abdomen. A passing storm causes the bow to be struck by lightening, electrocuting the villainess and ending her reign of terror.

'The Lion King'- Scar

Buena Vista Pictures

Toward the end of "The Lion King," Scar and Simba engage in a fierce battle over who gets to rule Pride Rock and are at each other's throats as the fearsome feline gains the upper hand and knocks Simba out. Before he can deliver the fatal blow, Simba retaliates by hurling Scar over the edge of the rock. Surviving the fall, Scar is surrounded by the hyenas who have decided to rise up against their former master by giving into their hunger and devouring him alive.

'The Hunchback of Notre Dame'- Frollo

Buena Vista Pictures

Determined to "smite the wicked," Frollo's deranged sense of divine justice causes him to attack Quasimodo and Esmerelda in a blind rage during the climax of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." Dangling from the edge of Notre Dame while Paris burns below, Frollo holds onto a gargoyle statue for dear life before the structure starts to collapse. Reflecting the corrupt judge's true nature, the statue briefly takes on a demonic appearance scaring the holy man and plunging him into a sea of hellfire.

'The Princess and the Frog'-Dr. Facilier / Shadow Man

Walt Disney Animation Studios

Toward the end of "The Princess and the Frog," Tiana snatches Dr. Facilier's talisman and breaks it after refusing to make a deal with him. Panicking, the voodoo doctor's "friends from the other side" pay a visit to collect his soul as payment for failing to capture Naveen. Kicking and pleading for mercy, Facilier is dragged to the mouth of Hell by demonic dolls. His horrified expression is then plastered on a tombstone, serving to seal his dark fate.

'Beauty and the Beast'- Gaston

Buena Vista Pictures

Gaston's ego proves to get the better of him in "Beauty and the Beast" when he decides to pursue the creature. After giving into his primal rage fueled by Gaston's taunts, Beast grabs the hunter by the throat and dangles him off the tower's edge. Pleading for mercy, Gaston is spared but stabs Beast despite the life-saving act. Succumbing to the fatal wound, Beast knocks Gaston off balance and sends him to his death in the moat's deep waters below.

'Tangled'- Mother Gothel

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Stabbing Flynn and kidnapping Rapunzel, Mother Gothel gives into her motherly tendencies and allows the young girl to heal her dying lover in a heart-breaking scene of "Tangled." When she gets closer, Flynn cuts Rapunzel's hair, severing Gothel's source of immortality. Becoming a victim of accelerating aging, she pulls her hood over her face to hide her shame and in her momentary blindness, stumbles and falls out the tower window. Plunging to her death, Mother Gothel turns into a pile of dust and is carried off by the wind.

'The Lion King II: Simba's Pride'-Zira

Walt Disney Home Video

In "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride", Zira vows to avenge Scar's legacy by inciting a war between the Pride Landers and the Outsiders over who will rule Pride Rock. Taunting Simba's failure to protect his home, Zira is shocked when her pride switches sides after the lioness reveals her selfish nature. Entanging herself in a battle with Kiara near a crumbling gorge, Zira's deeply-rooted hatred and recognition of her lost fight leads her to commit suicide as she flings herself off the edge and into the river.

'Tarzan'- Clayton

Buena Vista Pictures

During one of the darkest scenes of "Tarzan," Clayton reveals himself to be nothing more than a poacher seeking profit and tries to eliminate the ape-man after he sets the caged gorillas free. Taking their feud into the treetops, Clayton becomes entangled in the vines and furiously tries to escape by hacking them away. Failing to realize nature has drawn a noose around his neck and ignoring Tarzan's warning, the poacher cuts his line causing his neck to snap as he dangles above the jungle floor.

'Mulan'- Shan-Yu

Walt Disney Pictures

Toward the end of "Mulan," after revealing herself as "the soldier from the mountain" that caused the avalanche, the warrior is pursued by Shan Yu through the palace and onto the rooftop. Disarming the formidable Hun with her fan, Mulan pins Shan Yu as Mushu aims a large rocket at him. Propelled through the air, he finds himself heading toward a tower of fireworks where he meets his end in a fiery blaze.

'Atlantis: The Lost Empire'-Commander Rourke

Buena Vista Pictures

Hoping to make off with the city's secrets in "Atlantis: The Lost Empire,' Commander Rourke abandons his sanity for desperate acts of self-preservation. Taking his growing anger out on Milo, he is prepared to use a fire axe to strike a fatal blow before being cut by a shard infused with the Heart of Atlantis. Assuming a now crystalized form, Rourke is shattered to pieces by the hot air balloon's propellers.

'A Bug's Life'- Hopper

Buena Vista Pictures

"A Bug's Life" leaves out the squashing for a more disturbing end to an insect's existence. Threatening to end Flik's life, Hopper doesn't realize they're both dangerously close to a bird's nest. Believing it's another one of the ant's tricks, the grasshopper proceeds to taunt the hungry bird until it dawns on him that she's real. Fearing for his life, Hopper tries to flee but is snatched away to be offered to the bird's fledglings.

'The Incredibles'- Syndrome

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Seeking revenge on "The Incredibles," Syndrome kidnaps Jack-Jack to raise him as his protege. Flying to his hoverjet, the super-villain is surprised when the toddler begins displaying his powers and tosses him aside to escape his fury. When Mr. Incredible knocks the jet with his car, Syndrome is thrown toward the turbine. Ignoring Edna's warning about "no capes," he is sucked into the swirling deathtrap triggering an explosion.

'Up'-Charles Muntz

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Charles Muntz's life expectancy takes the opposite direction of this particular Pixar movie. In "Up," Muntz hunts "Kevin" with the intention of capturing the exotic bird and restoring his former glory as a famed explorer. Pursuing Carl and Russell with a shotgun through the old man's floating house, the latter is able to knock the weapon out of Muntz's grasp while helping "Kevin" make a quick get-away. Attempting to attack them, the hunter leaps from the window and is entangled in the balloon strings. As each balloon starts to pop, Muntz gets closer and closer to the ground below.

'Wreck-It Ralph'- King Candy / Turbo

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Having reinvented himself as King Candy, Turbo asserted his dominance as the undefeated champion of "Sugar Rush" in the film "Wreck-It Ralph." Merging with a Cy-bug, he's transformed into a mindless drone hellbent on destruction. Like a moth to a flame, he and the other Cy-bugs are drawn to the make-shift light beacon Ralph creates and is reluctantly led to his doom.

'Osmosis Jones'-Thrax

Warner Bros. Pictures

Infiltrating the "City of Frank, " a lethal virus known as Thrax tries to use Frank's poor health to his advantage by killing him within 48 hours. During the climax of "Osmosis Jones,' the villain steals the hypothalamus from Frank's brain, causing the host's body temperature to rise dramatically. Escaping from Frank's body, Thrax is cornered by Jones on Sheila's fake eyelash as it's about to fall and is sent tumbling into a bottle of rubbing alcohol to be burned alive.

'The Black Cauldron'-The Horned King

Buena Vista Distribution

After "The Black Cauldron" fails to work as he intended, The Horned King is pulled closer toward the magical artifact. As he is being forcefully dragged toward the cauldron, he unsuccessfully tries to take Taran with him, attempting to fling him into the pot as an unwilling sacrifice. Unrelenting in its grip, the cauldron forces The Horned King closer until he's at the rim where his cloak is ripped away revealing his shriveling skeletal form. He's then electrocuted several times before his remains are dusted in a burst of flame.

'Shrek'- Lord Farquaad

DreamWorks Pictures

"Shrek" contains many "WTF" moments and one of them is the demise of the movie's short-lived royalty. Angered that the ogre has crashed his wedding and Fiona has revealed herself to be a hideous monster, Lord Farquaad orders the two to be killed and declares himself king. During the chaos, Shrek summons Dragon who crashes through the church window and grabs Farquaad with her teeth before swallowing him whole.

'Who Framed Roger Rabbit'-Judge Doom

Buena Vista Pictures

Hellbent on destroying all Toons in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," Judge Doom creates a powerful and lethal chemical known as "Dip." Seeking to erase Toontown and build a freeway, Doom builds a high-powered vehicle fueled by his deadly "Dip" and threatens to use it to eliminate Roger and Jessica. After surviving being crushed by a steamroller, it's revealed that Doom is actually a Toon himself. Activating the "Dip" cannons on Doom's vehicle, Eddie drowns the villainous toon in his own lethal substance, melting him alive.

'The Great Mouse Detective'-Ratigan

Buena Vista Distributions

In "The Great Mouse Detective," after crashing into the face of Big Ben, Ratigan and Basil engage in a fight amongst the clock gears. Giving into his more feral state, Ratigan seizes Basil and they tumble onto the clock's hour hand. Believing he has delivered the fatal blow, Ratigan's triumph is diminished when Basil summons Felicia and flies away to safety. When the clock bell suddenly chimes, Ratigan is thrown off balance and falls from the hour hand, plunging to his death below.

'The Rugrats Movie'-Scar Snout Wolf

Paramount Pictures

Scar Snout first makes his appearance known in "The Rugrats Movie" as he creeps alongside Angelica and Spike in the woods. Unsuccessful with his attempt to make a meal out of them, he lays his sights on the Rugrats as he corners them on the bridge. Spike defends the terrified toddlers and pins the wolf to the ground before the two engage in a fight in which Scar Snout briefly gains the upper hand. Distracted by Angelica at the last moment, the wolf finds Spike dragging him by his tail toward an opening in the bridge. Dangling from the edge, he looses his grip and plummets into the rushing rapids.

'Chicken Run'- Mrs. Tweedy

DreamWorks Pictures

In "Chicken Run," Mrs. Tweedy is introduced as a sadistic farmer whose main source of profit is her chicken eggs. Not making enough income, she hatches a plan to purchase a machine that will turn her flock of fowls into delicious pies. Trying to stop her chickens from escaping, Mrs. Tweedy, fueled by rage, pursues them with an axe. She is tricked into cutting her life line and is thrust back and into the safety valve of her machine which is about to burst. Surviving the explosion, her husband, fed up with her abuse over the years, pushes the barn door on top of her.

'The Nightmare Before Christmas'- Oogie Boogie

Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Toward the end of "The Nightmare Before Christmas," Oogie Boogie prepares the kidnapped Santa Claus to be added into his stew but his plans are thwarted by Jack and Sally. Engaged in a battle centered around a spinning roulette wheel, Jack tugs on one of Boogie's loose strings and begins tearing the sack creature apart at the seams. It's revealed Boogie is comprised of a multitude of bugs and creepy crawlies that begin to shrivel due to exposure from the stew's heat. As the pile dwindles down, Boogie weeps "My bugs, my bugs" over and over until there's nothing left.

'Batman Beyond: Return of The Joker'- The Joker

Warner Home Video

During "Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker," a flashback scene reveals that during a patrol of Gotham, Tim Drake was kidnapped by Joker and Harley Quinn and brutally tortured into becoming Joker's son. Angered by the depth of Joker's depravity, Batman and Batgirl attack the crazed clown and Harley. During the scuffle, Tim picks up Joker's flag gun and, trying to break free of the mind control, briefly aims it at Batman before shooting Joker through the chest.