AFI 100 Greatest Villains & Heros

[Jay]

I just read that a few years back AFI had a countdown for the 50 greatest movie heros and 50 greatest villains. I looked it up and found several Disney characters were selected for the countdown but only a handful made it.

The Heros nominated

Peter Pan
Belle
Quasimodo
Tarzan

The Villains nominated

The Queen
Stromboli
Chernabog
The Hunter/Man(Bambi)
Lady Tremaine
Captian Hook
Maleficent
Cruella De Vil
Ursula
Judge Claude Frollo

Only Tarzan made for the heros and Cruella, Man and the Queen for the villains. What do you think about the villains and heros nominated and what other Disney characters should have been nominated/beenon the list and what ones do you think shouldn't have made it on.
Personally I would have liked to have seen Lady Tremaine and Frollo get on for the villains.

[Anthony]

It's strange that AFI considers The Hunter/Man from Bambi a villain, let alone one of the greatest 50 of all time.

I definitely think Cruelle De Vil is the greatest Disney villain (with preference given to Glenn Close's live-action performance). Love Ursula, Maleficent, Queen of Hearts and Frollo.

As for heroes, I'd go with Quasimodo, Hercules, Robin Hood and Aladdin.

[Disney's Divinity]

I was very disappointed about the villains who made the list. Man was the only one that I would consider acceptable. The Queen and Cruella are nice villainesses, but they're missing the depth and subtle villainy that Lady Tremaine and Frollo have. And I personally feel Shan-Yu should've at least been nominated (if Mulan was out at the time). Also, no mention of Scar? At all?

As far as the heroes go, Quasimodo would've been the one I would've chosen though Tarzan would be my second choice.

Most of the characters who actually made it on the list are stereotypical of fairy tales. Either way, these kind of official lists usually go right out of my mind. Noone has the authority to decide what's the "best" and what isn't anymore than anyone else.

[Super Aurora]

Are you sure this is Disney's Tarzan and not one of the live action Tarzans?

[Luke]

Are you sure this is Disney's Tarzan and not one of the live action Tarzans?

It was the character in general. If I remember correctly, the special showcased mostly the old black and white films, but also did provide a glimpse of Disney's version. Likewise, I'm sure it is the old <i>Hunchback</i> that chiefly put Quasimodo into consideration rather than Disney's.

[Jay]

I was very disappointed about the villains who made the list. Man was the only one that I would consider acceptable. The Queen and Cruella are nice villainesses, but they're missing the depth and subtle villainy that Lady Tremaine and Frollo have. And I personally feel Shan-Yu should've at least been nominated (if Mulan was out at the time). Also, no mention of Scar? At all?

As far as the heroes go, Quasimodo would've been the one I would've chosen though Tarzan would be my second choice.

Most of the characters who actually made it on the list are stereotypical of fairy tales. Either way, these kind of official lists usually go right out of my mind. Noone has the authority to decide what's the "best" and what isn't anymore than anyone else.

Well I agree with you on Cruella but I disagree about the Queen but everyone has their own opinions. Lady Tremaine and Frollo should have definatley been on there(then agian alot of their picks were weird especially for the villains.) Shan Yu and Scar should have been nominated as well. I actually had to check twice to make sure I didn't miss him but he wasn't nominated.
Also I am surprised Jafar wasn't nominated but I don't mind that he wasn't. Madame Medusa and Ratigan should have both recieved nominations and I wish they did. I am glad Maleficent didn't make and happy that Ursula, Lady Tremaine and Frollo were nominated.

Quasimodo and Hercules would be my pick for the heros and I wish Mulan was nominated.

[lord-of-sith]

I remember watching this original countdown. The opening of the telecast had movie clips that were (supposedly) of the winning characters. And I very clearly remember Maleficent being shown here, and I got excited that she was one of the top 50. But, she wasn't. I would have put her (and Frollo) in over Cruella, but Cruella is definatley the most known Disney Villain.

[Zoltack]

It's strange that AFI considers The Hunter/Man from Bambi a villain, let alone one of the greatest 50 of all time.

Yeah, I don't get that either because in the movie they didn't show an entity of man at all. That and I don't think you can consider hunters to be villains especially in those days where some people actually had to go hunting to feed themselves and their families because the economy really wasn't that great. Yes, it was a hunter who killed Bambi's mother and shoot Bambi but deer actually face many predators and life threatening obstacles in the forest.

A better choice would of been the deer that was fighting Bambi over Faline (Ronno). But he's more or less a rival which really isn't the same as a villain. Ronno isn't evil, he just wanted Faline which is what deer do in reality. That and he had a very brief part.

[Disney's Divinity]

Yeah, I don't get that either because in the movie they didn't show an entity of man at all. That and I don't think you can consider hunters to be villains especially in those days where some people actually had to go hunting to feed themselves and their families because the economy really wasn't that great. Yes, it was a hunter who killed Bambi's mother and shoot Bambi but deer actually face many predators and life threatening obstacles in the forest.

Whether or not the hunter was hunting for survival or entertainment makes no difference. Either way, he's still an antagonist in Bambi's story. In the same way that Beast and Triton are antagonists in their stories (to a lesser extent than the main villains). It doesn't mean they are malevolent characters, but they're still obstacles for the protagonist.

[Jay]

Frollo or Stromboli would have been better picks instead of Man IMO. And Lady Tremaine would have been better than Cruella but I do like Cruella but I think LT is a better and more threating villain.

[Maleficient]

I am a bit pleased that "the hunter" made the cut. I am disappointed that Maleficent did not, but I can accept that. I think the reason AFI selected "the hunter" from Bambi is because he is symbolic. "The hunter" is an unidentified villian, which causes havoc in the beautiful forest and shoots Bambi's mother. The character itself is a representation of man, and his capabilities to destroy nature. To forest animals, the man was the enemy, who broke the peace with his fire and hounds. He was foreign, and not belonging. As we know, we fear those that we don't understand. The man was simply hunting for food, but to the animals, he was a cold-blooded killer that they wanted to avoid. In addition, by not giving "the hunter" a face, anyone could be inserted in his position, perhaps even a female counterpart. The villian isn't so much the hunter, but the presence of mankind itself. Man has a wonderful way of destroying nature, for his own benefit. He should be one of the greatest villians of all time because he encompasses all humans in his identity. We may not all be guilty of hunting, but we use power to heat, eat and entertain, we use wood to burn and build, we cut down forests to expand and reap more lumber. "The hunter" represents the villian in all of us. We may not mean to harm nature or individual creatures, but we do since we are self-interested. I think that is powerful character development and can open our eyes.

But this is my opnion.

[MagicMirror]

The three that made the list are my top three (Man, The Queen and Cruella De Vil), so I more or less agree with their list (though only with respect to Disney; how on earth Count Orlock and Christopher Lee's Dracula didn't make the list I'll never know).

Plenty has already been said in this thread about what warrant's man's place on the list; an unseen villain is always more frightening (why, oh why, did Peter Jackson show Sauron in the Lord of the Rings?). The scene in which Bambi's mother dies offscreen is, of course, brilliant, and perhaps the greatest scene in Disney history, I dare say. The presence of Man in certain scenes in the film surpasses the likes of Jaws, in my opinion.

After Man, Cruella and the Queen, the villain I would have liked on the list is Lady Tremaine. Like Cruella, she is the driving force of her film and manages to be very hate-able. I don't really see why Cruella is unworthy of the list; I hate to sound like a broken record, but her original animated incarnation (the version which the list refers to) was flamboyant and funny without losing any of her menace (something that can't be said for later versions of the character). She's also one of the best animated and designed of all Disney characters.

Though male villains are often overlooked I'd say Stromboli, Chernabog and Captain Hook are among the best - sorry, but I don't think Scar even comes close to this lot. Frollo is also a brilliant villain, with perhaps the most complex personality of all Disney villains (though Hook's personality, in my opinion, has more depth than most give credit for). Shere Khan is underrated - why is so much attention paid to Scar with none to his superior predicessor?

After that I'd probably pick Ursula, but in my opinion Ursula's animation isn't as good as the likes of Stromboli, Cruella and Maleficent - but this is true for most characters animated after the departure of the Nine Old Men from Disney. Ursula's still great, though. She's got a brilliant design and one of the best voices, not to mention a wonderful song. I just don't think she's as great as Cruella De Vil or Lady Tremaine, so perhaps she just misses the list.

Bear in mind that each villain was considered not only for their role in their respective film but their legacy; the Queen's colossal legacy (which not only includes virtually every Disney animated villain but non-Disney villains, such as the Wicked With of the West) alone warrants her place, in my opinion, but she's a great character all the same.

[Simba3]

I would have to say when I think of the great Disney villains, those ones are not necessarily the first ones to come to mind, but in terms of a countdown of greatest villains of all time in movies, I understand why those 3 were the ones selected. Cruella is definately a memorable villain. Scar, Maleficent and Ursula are my other favorites, but I am not really surprised that they missed the countdown, with the exception of Maleficent perhaps.