If the world of Cuphead is known for one thing and one thing alone, it’s the bosses.
These characters are just as beloved as our heroes and come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
From robots to clowns to the devil himself, few animated worlds have anywhere near the diverse
assortment of characters as Cuphead does. Aside from Disney animation, that is! Since they’ve been
making animated projects since the 1920s, it’s no surprise that they have a set of villains that’s
just as impressive as what Cuphead has created! But, what if the villains of our favorite Disney
movies somehow were transported into the Cuphead video game? Which ones would work best as bosses,
what would their abilities be, and how would they evolve over the fight? Come join us,
as these are the exact questions we’ll be getting the answers to today!
I’m Brad with WickedBinge, and this is Which Disney Villains Would Make Great Cuphead Bosses
Coming up first is the most sensible choice in our eyes, Pete! Though he’s never been a villain in
a film that’s part of the Disney canon, Pete has repeatedly antagonized Mickey and friends as far
back as the 1920s. That date lines up wonderfully with the era of cartoons Cuphead is inspired by,
so he would fit in through his aesthetics alone. Besides that, Pete is an imposing and intimidating
figure that could definitely give Cuphead and Mugman a run for their money. His strength
could lend him to being a very different kind of Cuphead boss, too. While most bosses in the
game use a variety of projectiles to defeat the player, we imagine Pete would have a much more
“hands-on” approach. We could easily see him rushing to and from each side of the screen,
making for a boss that’s just as fast as he is powerful. Don’t forget that he is indeed a cat,
so you could undoubtedly expect some nimbleness from him in a battle. While Pete might not be
the most iconic Disney villain, his unique moveset and history as Disney’s oldest bad guy
would make him an obvious pick to enter the world of Cuphead! If he could give
Sora and the Kingdom Hearts cast trouble, who’s to say he couldn’t handle Cuphead too?
Going from an older villain to one of their more recent antagonists, King Candy, otherwise known
as Turbo, races into our list! While he doesn’t have the most interesting arsenal of weapons at
his disposal, Turbo makes up for that in a few key places. For one, his King Candy persona would fit
perfectly in this game! King Candy’s background as ruler of the Sugar Rush game would fit well in a
game that already has the characters of Baroness Von Bon Bon and Beppi the Clown. Regarding his
attacks, we think King Candy would lean heavily on his kart, not unlike Beppi utilizing the bumper
car during his first phase. When the going gets tough though, King Candy could transform into his
true self, Turbo! The boss fight during this stage could prioritize speed above everything else. This
would not only stay true to Turbo’s personality, but also make for one of the most hectic fights
in the game. Besides, Turbo’s whole gimmick in the Wreck-It Ralph movie is that he kept
jumping into other arcade games in an attempt to conquer them. Turbo entering the world of Cuphead
doesn’t just work aesthetically, but it also fits the characters personality flawlessly!
Our next choice takes us under the sea, for it’s the evil witch herself, Ursula! Ursula
fits Cuphead well because there already exists a character very similar to her. Just take a
look at Cala Maria. While she’s a mermaid instead of a cecaelia,
the boss fight with her provides a good template for how a fight with Ursula would go. The fight
could start with Ursula in her normal form. Her sidekicks, the eels Flotsam and Jetsam,
would make this stage of the fight a “shockingly” good time. Ursula could also make use of her
potions and spells during the fight, making for an exceptionally tricky boss to nail down. Afterward,
Ursula could start using King Triton’s trident against the player, eventually culminating in her
growing to a gargantuan size, much like Cala Maria. Overall, we think
a fight with Ursula could prove to be just as intense as the Cala Maria fight, if not more!
How about a more obscure villain for a change? Enter the greatest criminal of them all,
Ratigan! The villain of The Great Mouse Detective, Ratigan is a force to be reckoned with. His small
size, what with being a rat and all, could make for an interesting environment for a
boss fight. A battle where normal everyday items now seem oversized might not be totally unique,
but it could still be a really fun setting for a boss battle. Ratigan could also provide a great
example of a fight being used to tell a story. At the beginning of the fight,
Ratigan could come off as very sophisticated and suave, using only his minions to fight the battle,
and nothing more. However, by the end of the fight, we could see a version of Ratigan
that is a lot more violent and unstable, which itself could make for one of the toughest fights
in all of Cuphead! We feel this approach would very much honor both the character of Ratigan,
and the film he originates from. The character of Ratigan in general also seems tailor-made
for Cuphead. His upper-class attitude would make him fit in with the likes of King Dice,
for instance. While he might not be the biggest villain in either Disney or Cuphead,
and we do mean that literally, his cold-blooded heart more than makes up for his lack of size!
Cuphead is no stranger to fighting captains of the sea. Captain Brineybeard is living proof
of that fact. So what if Cuphead came face to face with Peter Pan’s own Captain Hook?
Captain Hook is easily one of Disney’s most animated and cartoony villains ever.
It’s pretty easy to imagine him fitting into the Cuphead world perfectly. We also think a battle
with him would be quite exciting, perhaps even more than the Brineybeard fight was. Hook has
a pirate ship filled to the brim with canons, and plenty of crewmates ready to fight on his behalf.
When all that fails, however, we could see Hook moving towards a more direct confrontation with
Cuphead and friends. The combination of a sword and his hook hand would create a much more
physical fighter than most villains in the game. Just throw in an appearance from that dastardly
crocodile, and you’d have a recipe for one of the most thrilling battles in the entire game!
While she isn’t much of a fighter, we cannot help but think Yzma from The Emperor’s New
Groove would make for a great Cuphead boss! Think about it for a moment. The Emperor’s New
Groove is without a doubt one of the most cartoony films Disney has ever produced.
Just off of that fact, Yzma would feel right at home within the game’s world. A fight with her
could also get very creative. Imagine a fight that consists of Yzma tossing potions at the player,
with each one having the possibility of turning the player into a random animal! We could also
see Kronk doing a lot of the actual fighting early on in the battle, with Yzma sitting on his back,
not unlike the movie. In regards to additional phases, we think it’d be great to see Yzma turn
into her cat form from the climax of the film. While this was treated as a joke in the movie,
the game could turn it into a grueling battle. Just take a look at the ending of
the Werner Werman battle to see how that could be portrayed. Yzma might not be the type to fight or
do much of anything for herself, but between her cartoony characteristics and interesting arsenal,
we think she has all the potential to be one of the more unique villains in Cuphead.
We mentioned way back at the start of the video that Pete seemed like a natural pick due to
originating from the era Cuphead is based upon. Using that same logic, we believe the Evil Queen
from Snow White makes perfect sense for inclusion. Like a lot of Disney villains, she has her trusty
henchman at her disposal, as well as an alternate form that would lend itself well to the structure
of Cuphead’s bosses. Imagine battling her in her queen form, only for her to turn into the old lady
from the last half of the movie. The Queen also seems to have a deep understanding of spells,
at least if this transformation is anything to go by. Her spells could give her a pretty
interesting moveset if utilized properly. And that’s not even mentioning the poison apple!
We also think the look of Snow White’s world would fit naturally into Cuphead’s. You could
practically look at both side by side and come to the conclusion they are one and the same. With
all this in mind, we have to say the Evil Queen is one of the most obvious choices to enter Cuphead.
From the world of Aladdin comes the nefarious Jafar! Jafar seems like a no-brainer when it
comes to Disney villains that would fit into Cuphead. For starters, the location of Agrabah
would serve as a great compliment to Pyramid Peril and the confrontation with Djimmi the Great.
Jafar also possesses some of the most interesting powers out of any of the Disney villains,
which would make fighting him a great challenge. His staff can influence the minds of those around
him. Perhaps in-game, this could manifest by way of the players' controller becoming inverted.
The lamp could also act as a good way to reinvigorate the fight every phase. After
the first phase, he would wish to become the most powerful sorcerer, much like in the movie.
During this portion of the fight, he could blast flame projectiles, throw objects at the player,
and perhaps most interesting, shapeshift into the player. Imagine having to fight against yourself!
Finally, the fight would end with Jafar transforming into the Genie, and it would
closely resemble a lot of the fights we see in the game against larger-than-life opponents.
Though he might not be a golden-age Disney villain, Jafar has tons of potential to be
one of the most inventive and pulse-pounding fights in the entirety of the Cuphead game.
Our next pick has a lot at his disposal, but most importantly, he’s got friends on the other side!
That’s right, we’re talking about the witch doctor himself, Dr. Facilier! Much like Jafar before him,
Facilier has one of the most interesting arsenals of any Disney villain to date. He’s a
voodoo master and an expert spell-caster, both of which would lend themselves to some very creative
movesets. Not only could he use these powers against the player, but he could also use them
to benefit himself. Facilier could use his magic to teleport just like in the movie, which would
make him an exceptionally difficult opponent to pin down. His friends on the other side could also
make for great assistants to helping him achieve victory. We also have to mention that Princess
and the Frog takes place during the 1920s, which is right around the era of animation Cuphead is
taking all its inspiration from. While he wasn’t created during that time, the film setting itself
here does make him a natural pick for selection. And if his song is anything to go by, Dr. Facilier
could easily be one of the most visually stunning bosses in all of Cuphead! The Shadow Man might
not have defeated Tiana and Naveen, but maybe he’ll stand a chance against Cuphead and Mugman!
Our next foe takes us to ancient Greece, for it is Hercules own Hades! When it comes to Hades,
Cuphead has already faced his fair share of demonic opponents,
so Hades would seem like a natural follow-up to those characters. However,
some things could make Hades stand out from the rest of those faces. In particular,
Hades has one of the more impressive array of lackeys at his disposal. First off, there are Pain
and Panic. While they aren’t the best henchmen, their shapeshifting powers could make for a very
interesting battle in the game. Hades also uses the Cyclops, Cerberus, and the Hyrda
in his efforts to kill Hercules. If you were to go up against all of these foes in a boss rush,
it would be quite the Herculean task, if you may forgive the pun. Then, of course, there’s
the matter of Hades himself. While we don’t really see him battle in the film, we know he can use the
abilities of fire and telekinesis. These powers would definitely give the player some trouble, and
that’s assuming they make their way through the horde of Hades’ henchmen! And you’ve got to admit,
Hades’ domain of the underworld would make for a really cool stage to explore within the game!
Hades might seem like a retread of familiar territory on the surface, but as you explore
more of what he can do, we see the makings of a villain unlike any other!
Up next is the dark fairy herself, Maleficent! Quite possibly the most iconic Disney villain
of them all, she’s an obvious pick for a subject like this. Maleficent, admittedly, does not have
the most diverse set of powers, but there’s still a lot of potential for something great to be made
from them. Maleficent is often seen wielding a staff, and with this staff comes several great
powers. It can shoot lightning, as well as allow her to teleport. We could definitely see her using
both of these abilities in tandem with each other, giving her fighting style an almost “hit and run”
approach. This would make learning her pattern invaluable to defeating her. When the going gets
tough, however, she would of course turn into her all-powerful dragon form. While dragons are
nothing new for the world of Cuphead, we imagine this fight would be a lot more grueling than
the one against Grim Matchstick. We never see Maleficent take flight in her dragon form, so
we imagine the fight against her would have a lot more room for error than the aforementioned boss.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, she could call on her legions of guards to help fight for her! If
there was ever a Disney villain to enter Cuphead, make no mistake, it would have to be Maleficent!
Rounding out the list with our final choice, we have Chernabog from Fantasia! Originating from the
film’s “Night on Bald Mountain” segment, Chernabog is often hailed as one of Disney’s darkest and
most evil villains, and all without ever uttering a single line of dialogue! Cuphead is no stranger
to handling characters that are quite literally the devil, and Chernabog is the closest Disney
has ever come to creating a villain that is evil incarnate. And let’s not forget that he does
indeed come from Disney’s Golden Age, making him an already natural fit for the aesthetics
of the game. While we don’t get to see much of Chernabog’s abilities on film beyond an army of
minions, that’s part of the reason the character is so compelling. We know he’s evil already,
so our minds could just run wild imagining all the things he could do. Imagine that same mentality
now from the minds of Cuphead’s own developers. We think they could really create something fresh
and creative for a potential Chernabog fight. Just the image of Cuphead battling Chernabog
on Bald Mountain is enough for us to think that this fight has a lot of potential! While
he’s not the most defined villain in the Disney canon, Chernabog is easily one of the darkest,
and with such an interesting background, few would be better fit for Cuphead than him!
But let us know in the comment section if you agree with our
ranking. And tell us what we should cover next. Remember to hit that notification
bell and binge more of our videos. But most importantly, stay wicked.