Disney villains are often one of the best parts--if not the best parts--of their films. While great Disney films always have a great protagonist, it’s really the villains that steal the show whenever they’re on screen. Their songs are the catchiest, their designs are the most distinctive, and their behaviors are instantly iconic. They are also, for the most part, queer-coded.
The Hays Code & Queer Coding
For those who may not know, a "queer coded" character is basically one who embodies queer traits or stereotypes without being explicitly part of the LGBTQ community. Queer coding became especially prominent due to the Hays Code (1934-1968), which were a set of guidelines for the censorship of any potentially offensive content in entertainment. This, along with the harsh stigmatization toward the LGBTQ community at the time, led to Disney’s trend of imbuing its antagonists with a number of harmful queer tropes in an effort to communicate to audiences that these characters were “different,” and therefore, “villainous."
While this certainly wasn’t an encouraging portrayal of a community already struggling to be accepted, it’s also important to note why the most recognizable Disney villains today became so beloved in the first place– namely, their freedom to unapologetically express who they are.
While this certainly wasn’t an encouraging portrayal of a community already struggling to be accepted, it’s also important to note why the most recognizable Disney villains today became so beloved in the first place– namely, their freedom to unapologetically express who they are.
The Inspiration Behind The Queerness
One example of this is Ursula, the main antagonist of The Little Mermaid. Her character was inspired by Divine, an American drag legend/actor who paved the way for future generations of drag performers and later earned the name "Drag Queen of the Century" by People Magazine. Ursula is depicted as devious and vain with a husky voice, short-length hair, and exaggerated makeup. She is more heavy-set than the rest of the mermaids, subverting the expectation that beautiful women have to be thin with long, flowing hair. Ursula was powerful, and she knew it. She is comfortable with herself and entirely self-sufficient in her lavish grotto.
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Cruella De Vil was based on openly queer actress Tallulah Bankhead. In One Hundred and One Dalmatians, she aims to capture dogs in order to create her fur coat. She physically resembles most drag queens, as seen by the heavy makeup, strong jawline, masculine facial features, and a raspy voice. At her core, her wickedness is a single woman hoping to break up a happy and stable family. She is the model caricature of women who rejects the typical female role of motherhood and childbirth in favor of attaining their own perceived luxury. Like all villains, she’s obviously still the bad guy since the intention is to make the audience root against them; however, much of what makes her villainous is her way of rejecting heteronormative standards.
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Standing out From the Crowd
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Villains like Ursula and Maleficent showcase their strength and confidence in their ability to alter their appearance in order to gain the upper hand in their battles. Ursula does this by enlarging her size while Maleficent transforms into a fire breathing dragon. They actively seek to control their lives and their circumstances during the final battle of their respective films. Regardless of their motives, they are powerful and independent. This self-sufficiency is reminiscent of a number of Disney heroines, such as Elsa. During her musical number “Let it Go,” she realizes her current form just doesn’t suit her, so she uses her ice magic to transform her outfit from one tying her to her life in the kingdom to one she is able to create for herself.
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Male Disney characters also possess an air of flamboyance in regards to their appearance and mannerisms. Jafar wears black eyeliner with exaggeratedly arched brows (his line work is amazing) and talks with languid sensuality. Scar’s facial features are also both exaggerated and longer compared to his brother Mufasa. Granted, this creates more opportunities to accentuate the antagonist’s “scheming villain face,” but it also creates the illusion that they are more dramatic and feminine. Scar’s attitude, his limp paw and sardonic British drawl gives Scar a very draggy feel to him. The physical presence of both Scar and Mufasa adds to this distinction. Mufasa was designed to be more masculine and “king-like,” with a broad nose and build, a thick flowing mane, and a regal, upright bearing. Meanwhile, Scar’s physicality is based around narrowness and length. He’s the black sheep of the family, yet remains unaffected by the disapproval of others, showcasing his striking personality and charisma.
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The God of Sass
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As for Hades, there are many components of his character that can be read as queer. For instance, like Scar, he has a more slender and less muscular build when compared to the heroes of the film, Zeus and Hercules. Their masculine appearance signifies heterosexuality while Hades's androgynous look signifies queerness. This is further implied by his blue tinted hair and lips, as well as colored eyelids, a a feature that is only found on him and Megara.
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Hades also plays the role of the “gay best friend” through his interactions with Meg, like giving her love advice: “Hades: I can’t believe you’re getting so worked up about some guy.” “Meg: This one is different. He’s honest and he’s sweet.” “Hades: HE’S A GUY.” If this doesn’t sound like something straight out of a romantic comedy, I don’t know what does. Hades often participates in conversation that is usually associated with women, such as fashion and appearances. This is shown as he (superficially) compliments the women's
fashion sense on Mount Olympus and one of The Fate’s “fabulous new haircuts.” He also takes pride in his own appearance: “Hades: Not the hair! Woah, is my hair out?” Not to mention, at one point he’s even shown drinking a Cosmopolitan Cocktail--a stereotypical queer drink. He certainly has class! |
Evil but Fabulous
Ratcliffe from Pocohontas also has a flamboyant style of clothing, as made evident by the bright pink and purple hues of his garments and the red bows that adorn his hair. In his musical number, he sings, “My rivals back home, it’s not that I'm bitter. But think how they’ll squirm when they see how I glitter! The ladies at the court will be all a-twitter.” In these lines, Ratcliffe expresses how he’ll make the women jealous of all the jewels that make him glitter in comparison. He sings and dances, flaunting his extravagance in his golden outfit complete with a glimmering cape, all while the rest of the men work by laboriously digging dirt with a shovel. You can’t help but admire that he’s the literal embodiment of “The world is my runway!” It’s also worth noting that Ratcliffe was voiced by gay actor David Ogden Steirs. Of course, this alone doesn’t confirm anything, but it certainly adds to suggest the villain’s queerness.
Why They Deserve Celebration!
Disney villains have given audiences a means of expression by breaking the hesitation to explore and showcase their most authentic selves. They know what they want and thrive in their maliciousness--and they’ll always be remembered for it. Some audiences might’ve even realized their own sexuality or gender identity by watching these characters when they were younger.
And the fact that these characters are problematic by reflecting the idea that “queer is bad” does not make that realization any less valid. But it’s still a harmful trope that needs to be retired. It’s 2023, and we’ve already begun to see the rise of more honest, authentic portrayals of queer individuals and their stories in the media. Fingers crossed, studios can continue to strive for better LGBTQ representation in the years to come.
And the fact that these characters are problematic by reflecting the idea that “queer is bad” does not make that realization any less valid. But it’s still a harmful trope that needs to be retired. It’s 2023, and we’ve already begun to see the rise of more honest, authentic portrayals of queer individuals and their stories in the media. Fingers crossed, studios can continue to strive for better LGBTQ representation in the years to come.
Stephanie Murillo
