Animation has produced several masterpieces during the last decade. Whether offering magical adventures or gripping coming-of-age stories about grief and loss, the medium keeps thriving while showing no signs of stopping. Animated movies often have memorable protagonists to endear themselves to the audience, but, most importantly, they have stellar villains.
A great villain is the secret to every great movie, and the animated films of the 2010s delivered some of the medium's best antagonists. From animated toys to brat princes, these villains were among the best parts of their respective films and are well on their way to becoming icons of the beloved medium.
10 Robert Callaghan/Yokai — 'Big Hero 6' (2014)
Based on the eponymous Marvel comic book series, Big Hero 6 follows Hiro Hamada, a young robotics prodigy grieving the recent passing of his older brother, Tadashi. Joining forces with the caretaking robot Tadashi created, Hiro forms a superhero team to take down the men responsible for his death.
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The film's main villain is Robert Callaghan (James Cromwell), the head of robotics at the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, who becomes a masked supervillain, Yokai. Vengeful but hiding deep ulterior motives, Callaghan is a compelling and sometimes relatable figure who remains menacing throughout the film. Disney movies are famous for their three-dimensional antagonists, and Callaghan is a worthy entry into the Mouse House's impressive villainous canon.
9 Ernesto de la Cruz — 'Coco' (2017)
Pixar's Coco is a love letter to family and Mexican culture, particularly the country's most famous celebration, the Day of the Dead. The plot follows Miguel, a young boy who gets accidentally transported to the Land of the Dead and must join forces with his deceased ancestors to return home and lift his family's ban on music.
Like most Pixar movies, Coco has a hidden antagonist in the form of Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt), a famous singer who secured his legacy by killing his songwriting partner, Miguel's great-grandfather. A dark reflection of the many stars of the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema, like Pedro Infante and Jorge Negrete, Ernesto is a charming, deceitful, and ultimately effective antagonist who seamlessly fits the film's themes.
8 Drago Bludvist — 'How To Train Your Dragon 2' (2014)
The ever-underrated Djimon Hounsou voices Drago Bludvist, the main antagonist from DreamWork's 2014 animated epic, How to Train Your Dragon 2. The plot sees a now-twenty-year-old Hiccup and his friends as they fight against Bludvist, a savage warlord hellbent on conquering the world.
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Ruthless and violent, Bludvist is a remarkably dark villain for a children's movie. Elevated by Hounsou's committed voice performance, Bludvist is a menacing and striking figure whose shadow looms almost as large as the mighty dragons that star in this series. Bludvist is among the franchise's most memorable characters, a terrifying warlord with a secured place in the pantheon of villainy.
7 Olivia Octavius/Doc Ock — 'Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse' (2018)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is among the 21st century's most visually unique animated movies. The story revolves around Miles Morales, a teenager who must become his universe's Spider-Man and join other Spider-People from the multiverse to fight against the Kingpin.
Although Kingpin is the film's primary antagonist, the film juggles several villains based on other Spidey enemies, including a gender-bent version of Doc Ock. Voiced by the ridiculously talented Kathryn Hahn, Olivia Octavius is the Kingpin's scientific advisor, who uses a series of four highly-advanced mechanical tentacles. Featuring Hahn's trademark wit, Olivia is an instantly iconic character meant to join other Spidey villains at the peak of success.
6 Prince Hans — 'Frozen' (2013)
Frozen was a cultural phenomenon when it debuted in late 2013. Kristen Bell voices Anna, a plucky and eager princess who sets on a dangerous journey to bring her sister, Elsa, back. Meanwhile, Idina Menzel voices Elsa, a soon-to-be-queen with ice powers who isolates herself out of fear for her abilities.
The film's antagonist is Prince Hans, voiced by Broadway icon Santino Fontana. Charming but manipulative and ruthless, Hans exploits Anna's naiveté to get her to marry him. A perfect villain for a film about sisterly bonds and female empowerment, Hans is the epitome of toxic masculinity and greediness, a hateable and dastardly figure who might be the most punchable villain in Disney history. Hans survives the film's events, so there's a considerable chance he might return for the recently-announced Frozen III.
5 Dawn Bellwether — 'Zootopia' (2016)
Disney saw the 2010s as the time to experiment with their villains, opting for twisty narratives where the least expected character turns out to be the bad guy. Few films pulled this trend better than 2016's Zootopia, which follows a spirited bunny cop who joins a savvy fox to uncover a dangerous plot against the city's predators.
Zootopia subverts expectations by featuring Dawn Bellwether (Jenny Slate), a sheep and the mayor's assistant, as the film's villain. Brilliant but hard-hearted, Bellwether is a supremacist with plans to subdue all predators. Zootopia wears its social commentary on its sleeves, and using Bellwether as the villain is a stroke of genius, helping drive its themes of race and social dynamics home.
4 Big Jack Horner — 'Puss In Boots: The Last Wish' (2022)
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has several likable characters and one memorable villain. The film follows Puss as he joins his former lover, Kitty Softpaws, and an enthusiastic therapy dog to locate the wishing star. However, the trio is tracked by Big Jack Horner, an infamous crime lord who wishes to control all magic.
Voiced by the hilarious John Mulaney, Big Jack Horner is a spoiled and exuberant villain that audiences won't soon forget. Cruel, gluttonous, and unstoppable, Big Jack Horner is the ultimate embodiment of wild consumerism, a selfish and volatile villain who fits perfectly with the franchise's mix of fairy tales and satire.
3 The Red Death — 'How To Train Your Dragon' (2010)
DreamWorks scored one of their biggest hits with the 2010 animated adventure How to Train Your Dragon. The story centers on Hiccup, a shy fifteen-year-old Viking who befriends a dragon and uncovers the secret of the ancient animosity between both groups.
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Unlike many movies, How to Train Your Dragon's villain is not a human but a creature. Known as the Red Death, this massive, greedy, and destructive dragon perpetuates the conflict by forcing her dragons to raid the Vikings' villages for food to sustain her voracious appetite. Savage and calamitous, the Red Death stands out among other animated villains because of her motives; she might not be inherently evil, but she is instinctively cruel, and that's much worse.
2 Lots-o'-Huggin Bear — 'Toy Story 3' (2010)
Toy Story 3 is among Pixar's masterpieces. The plot revolves around Woody and his toy friends getting accidentally donated to the Sunnyside Daycare after Andy leaves for college. The daycare is ruled by Lots-o'-Huggin Bear, posing as a kind and understanding leader before revealing himself as a controlling and brutal warden.
Voiced by the late Ned Beatty, Lotso is arguably the series' most memorable and effective villain. Traumatized by abandonment, Lotso is the perfect example of how serious the acclaimed Toy Story franchise often gets. A stellar combination of bitterness, hatred, and anger, Lotso is among the most chilling villains in Pixar's canon and an absolute icon of villainy.
1 Mother Gothel — 'Tangled' (2010)
Loosely based on the fairy tale of Rapunzel, Tangled marked a new dawn for Disney. The film follows Rapunzel, a young girl manipulated by her mother to remain inside a secluded tower. The film's antagonist, Mother Gothel, is voiced by Broadway icon Donna Murphy, delivering one of the all-time great voice performances in any Disney movie.
Tangled might as well be "Gaslighting: The Movie," and it's all thanks to Mother Gothel. The sinister and manipulative mother from hell could give Mommie Dearest a run for her money. Twisted, narcissistic, manipulative, and overly dramatic, Mother Gothel is the ultimate drama queen, a quickly-deteriorating Broadway diva trapped in a Disney feature.
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