Disney movies are known for their family-friendly atmospheres, but some of the most popular Disney characters actually kill their enemies. This isn’t exactly in line with Disney’s image of magical family entertainment, but it just proves that Disney can get surprisingly dark sometimes. While it isn’t too much of a shock to see Disney villains with a murderous streak, some beloved heroes have also killed other characters.
The charming animation style of Disney’s movies can often conceal a lot of darkness and violence that wouldn’t be as appropriate for younger audiences in live-action. The fact that so many Disney characters have stacked up imposing kill counts without being known as killers highlights how the studio puts a magic sheen over most things. However, when some movies are examined more closely, some beloved Disney icons are revealed to be killers.
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Disney’s canonical princessesare supposed to embody the lighthearted goodness that the studio builds its image on. However, not all the princesses are so sweet and innocent. Mulan is a more active and adventurous character than the likes of Aurora or Snow White, and she isn’t afraid to wade into battle to defend her people.Mulanmay start as an enchanting musical, but it gets fairly dark as Mulan faces the realities of war. When she uses fireworks to cause an avalanche,she wipes out hundreds of soldiers in Shan Yu’s Hun army, as well as their horses.
12Mushu
Mulan (1998)
Mulanis one of Disney’s darker movies, so it isn’t a huge surprise that Mulan isn’t the only character who has a few kills. While Shan-Yu is the deadliest character of all, Mushu also gets his hands dirty. Mulan’s pint-sized dragon sidekick is mostly along for the ride as comic relief alongside Cri-Kee, and he gets more than his fair share ofMulan’s best quotes. He’s not quite as fearsome and deadly as most dragons, but he does set off the firework that kills Shan-Yu in the climactic battle.Mushu also shatters the great stone dragonwhich is supposed to help Mulan, although it’s unclear whether this counts as him killing the guardian.
Mushu isn’t the only cute Disney sidekick who shows a surprisingly violent streak when things get heated. Pascal is Rapunzel’s chameleon sidekick inTangled,and he accompanies her everywhere she goes. He provides some ofTangled’s funniest moments, but the key difference between him and Mushu is that he remains silent throughout the movie. In the final confrontation with Mother Gothel,Pascal trips the villain up and sends her tumbling out of the tower’s window. After Rapunzel’s hair is cut short, Mother Gothel seems to age rapidly, so she dies and turns to dust before she ever hits the ground. It may not technically be Pascal’s kill then, but it’s still a cold-blooded move from the reptile.
In keeping with the Greek myth, Disney’sHerculessees the titular hero taking on a series of deadly trials to earn his place on Mount Olympus with the gods. He racks up quite a kill count as he slays the hydra, the cyclops and many other monsters sent by Hades.AHerculesEaster egg also suggests that Hercules killed Scar fromThe Lion Kingat some point, because he wears the lion’s pelt in a brief scene. It’s debatable whether any of these kills should contribute to Hercules' kill count, but punching Hades into the River Styx is at least one kill. It remains to be seen how theupcoming live-actionHerculeswill handle all the violence for a young audience.
Melody Timeis one of Disney’s forgotten animated movies. Disney used to produce many more short films than they do today, andMelody Timeis an anthology that features seven of these segments. The movie’s divisive critical reputation has a lot to do with the uneven quality of the segments, butLittle Tootis replete with Disney charm.The titular tugboat causes chaos in New York harbor, with all the impish excitement of a child. Little Toot’s antics are harmless at first, but he soon steers an ocean liner into a densely populated apartment block, potentially causing hundreds of casualties. The weight of this tragedy is brushed off as the song continues.
Beauty and the Beasthas some of the elements of a horror movie. While Belle’s imprisonment is often seen as creepy by modern audiences, the plight of the Beast’s household staff is even more horrific. Due to the Beast’s curse, they are transformed into furniture and other household items, although they seem to make the most of their situation. When Gaston and his mob storm the castle, the staff spring into action to defend their home. There are plenty of creative ways that Lumiere, Mrs. Potts and co. ward off the invaders.The Wardrobe has a simpler approach, as it crushes one of the men to death.
Tarzan does attempt to prevent Clayton’s death, as the villain accidentally hangs himself on some long vines. However, Tarzan kills earlier in the movie. His first and most consequential kill comes when he takes down Sabor with a broken spear. Sabor is responsible for the death of Tarzan’s parents, as well as several gorillas, soit’s extremely impressive that Tarzan manages to kill the leopardin close-quarters combat. Shortly before Clayton’s death, Tarzan also kills one of his men just as he is sneaking up on Jane. The man suddenly falls out of frame, but it seems safe to assume that he’s dead.
Pixar movies have a few heartbreaking deaths, like Ellie inUpand Coral inFinding Nemo,but it’s extremely rare for any characters to be murdered.The Incrediblesis slightly different, as it features much more action and violence than most other Pixar movies. The number one killer in the movie, as Edna Mode will tell anyone willing to listen, is capes. Syndrome, one ofPixar’s best villains, also kills plenty of heroes as he perfects his Omnidroid. However, what’s more surprising is that Mr. Incredible himself kills several people. He’s not the type of hero who refuses to take a life like Batman, ashe dispatches several of Syndrom’s goons while infiltrating his base.
The Good Dinosaurdoesn’t usually enter into the conversation of the best Pixar movies, and it was a rare box office flop for the studio. There’s still a lot to like though, including the breathtaking landscapes and the plucky main character, Arlo. Arlo is a young Apatosaurus who befriends a human child in an alternative history where the dinosaurs were never wiped out by an asteroid. When Spot is surrounded by pteranodons, Arlo runs into battle to defend his new friend. He knocks each of the pteranodons into the river.They aren’t seen dying, but they certainly don’t seem capable of escaping the rapids.
It’s not entirely unusual for anevil Disney villainto chalk up a few kills. Scar murdering Mufasa is one of the most iconic Disney moments of the 1990s, for example. Yzma isn’t operating at quite the same level of malevolence as Scar, Ursula or Maleficent, however.Her plan is to assassinate Kuzco, but this is just a political move.It therefore comes as something of a surprise that she does kill several people inThe Emperor’s New Groove. Yzma uses her potions to turn some of the guards into animals just like Kuzco, and they fall to their deaths from the high walls of the palace.
