If there’s one thing everyone can agree on in regards to Disney animation,
it’s that the villains more often than not are the true stars of the show. From the classic villains
like the Evil Queen and Captain Hook to the foes of the Disney Renaissance like Jafar and Gaston,
Disney’s long history of animated movies is ripe with some truly amazing villains. One thing we
find interesting, however, is that while no two Disney villains ever act quite the same,
more often than not they go out in about the same way.
Villains tend to die after their final defeat, usually by falling off a cliff,
or it is heavily implied that they have died. Very rarely do they survive the events of the film,
and it’s even rarer that they are sent to prison for what they’ve done. But what if that was not
the case? What if we took several of Disney’s most classic films, looked at the various villains
throughout them, and decided what sentencing they would most likely get? Get seated, because today
we will look at many of the villains from the Disney Renaissance, Disney’s most prestigious era,
and see which ones we’ll be going easy on, and which ones will be wishing they were so lucky.
I’m Caleb with WickedBinge,
and this is Sentencing Disney Villains For Their Crimes: Renaissance Edition
As this is the first-ever video in this series,
let’s make a few things clear. For starters, this video is intended to be in good fun,
and not totally indicative of what sentences these characters would get if they existed in the real
world. We’ll try to judge characters' sentences based on both if they lived today, and if they
were really around during the time period their respective movie took place. Second, we’ll be
looking at four films from the Disney Renaissance for this video. They will be Beauty and the Beast,
Aladdin, Pochahontas, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. We have settled on these four because they
all (mostly) focus on human characters. It’s a lot easier to sentence a human than it is a lion or a
Cecaelia, wouldn’t you agree? With all that out of the way, the court is officially in session!
Oh, and lastly, for the sake of this topic… We’ll pretend
all of these villains survived their stories so that they can stand trial…
Up first is, of course, the first of these films to be released! In this case,
we have 1992’s The Beauty and the Beast!
First on the stand is the titular Beast himself! Otherwise known as Prince Adam, a lot of you
might be wondering why Beast is even on trial. “He’s one of the heroes”, you might be thinking.
To that we have to say, is he? While the Beast does eventually regain his humanity, both in the
spiritual and the literal sense, it’s a long and painful process not just for him, but for Belle,
who we can’t just ignore was quite literally kidnapped and held hostage by him. That’s already
one crime Beast has committed, but we can also get him for extortion as well, since he essentially
forces Belle into a life of servitude. Prince Adam is also likely to be hit with a charge of abuse,
not just for his relationship with Belle, but also for how poorly he treated the people he
ruled over. While we don’t see this much in the movie, it is told to us that the prince wasn’t
exactly known for being a great leader. With all that in mind, Beast could very easily get a pretty
hefty prison sentence, but we aren’t so keen on that, either. The person on whom he inflicted
the majority of these crimes, Belle, saw the good in him and was instrumental in helping him become
a better person. If this was a legitimate trial, Belle would probably agree with that assessment.
As such, we believe it is in the best interest of everyone that the Beast be sentenced to a
long period of community service! While Belle and the Beast have made up, he still hasn’t
repaired his relationship with his people, who he treated so poorly while he reigned as a prince.
We think this sentencing would be a good way for him to give back to the community, and
who knows? Maybe in due time, the rest of France will look at the Beast the same way Belle does!
Going from a main character to one who only appears in stills, our next trial is that
of The Enchantress! Though this character has no speaking lines, she has a big impact on the
events of the film. It is the Enchantress who puts the spell on not just the Beast, but all
of his royal servants as well. We must admit, we aren’t really sure if “magical spells” are
something you can be sent to prison for, so let’s instead go with what you could argue this act was,
which is assault. Her actions cause not just the prince to suffer, but also his servants,
who have always seemed a lot more easygoing than the man they serve. It certainly isn’t a kind act,
but let’s not act like the Enchantress was some sort of wicked witch. Or is she? See,
it is important to remember that this film takes place in France during the late 1700s.
This is right in the middle of the witch hunts, so if she was to stand trial for her actions,
it’s safe to say that she wouldn’t get off easy. With that background in mind,
we’re giving the Enchantress our first death penalty. Her curse might have had an overall
positive effect on the life of Beast and all those around him in the end, but being a woman
who possessed real magical powers would almost surely lead to her being burned at the stake!
Next up is someone who plays the part of a villain, but isn’t quite the villain. The head
of the Asylum, we welcome Monsieur D’Arque! This character plays a bit part in the movie, but it is
nonetheless an instrumental part of Gaston’s plan. In the movie, Gaston tells him to imprison Maurice
in the asylum, so that Gaston’s goal of marrying Belle can come to fruition. Monsieur knows that
Maurice doesn’t fit the type of patients his asylum takes on, but he agrees regardless. This
means he’s guilty of conspiring and corruption. It could also be argued that he is guilty of abuse,
as asylum’s during this time in history were not exactly revered for treating patients well. In the
case of one titled Asylum D’Loons, we can assume it’s even less caring. Not only does he abuse
the patients he has, but he is all for locking up the innocent, so long as he gets paid in the end.
As a result, this is another foe we have to issue the death penalty to. In his case, he will likely
die by hanging, as was standard at the time. However, there is a slight chance he could get
off scot-free. Perhaps the argument could be made that Monsieur’s old age has left him in a place
where he’s no longer fit to lead the asylum. Nevertheless, for his role in Gaston’s plan,
and especially his treatment of his patients, we think this is a pretty well-justified sentence.
Gaston might be the real villain of Beauty and the Beast, but no villain is complete without a
sidekick! In Gaston’s case, he has Lefou! Lefou might not be the most physically imposing Disney
villain, but he’s just as dangerous as many of them, and we have the charges to prove it.
The mob scene at the film’s climax is where we see many of Lefou’s criminal charges in action.
Not only does he break into the Prince’s mansion, not only does he aid pretty much
every step of Gaston’s plan, but he also tries to murder both the Beast and all the servants in the
mansion! With all these acts in mind, we think it only makes sense for Lefou to serve 13 years
in prison. While there’s always the potential he could get out earlier, we don’t think it’s all
too likely for this guy. Thirteen isn’t really known for being a “lucky” number, after all!
We’ve now reached the real star of the show, Gaston! From the very beginning of the movie,
Gaston makes it clear that he is not a trustworthy individual. For one, his infatuation with Belle
puts him right into both harassment and stalker territory. His plan of taking Maurice out of the
picture so that Belle will have no choice but to marry him also makes him guilty of blackmail.
Finally, as the film draws to a close, he incites a violent riot, breaks into the Beast’s home, and
attempts murder, which we touched on when putting Lefou to trial. With the most amount of crimes
for any character in the entire movie, it should come as no surprise that we give Gaston 30 Years
in prison. Some may argue his punishment should be even harsher, but we think Gaston could play the
courts in his favor to get a less harsh sentient. He is a charismatic guy, as proven by how much
the people adore him. At the moment, however, a long time in prison fits with the crimes Gaston
has committed. As the song goes, “no one’s slick as Gaston, no one’s quick as Gaston, no one gets
a jail sentence as bad as Gaston”! We took a few creative liberties with the lyrics, okay?
Moving on, it’s time to discuss the next movie on the docket, Aladdin!
The first of the movie’s three villains we’ll be looking at is Gazeem! A very minor character in
the film who died shortly after first appearing, Gazeem is the criminal who Jafar tasks with
stealing the lamp. This makes him a thief, but if you look deeper into his character, it’s also
mentioned that he has murdered in the past, making him one of the few Disney characters we’ve looked
at to have done such a thing. For this alone, he gets a pretty hefty sentence. We sentence Gazeem
to 25 years in prison, as this is the average for most states in the US. However, things can
always get worse for this thief, as some states would even enforce the death penalty on Gazeem
for murder. The sentence could also go up, but we choose to keep it at the average on account
of the fact that it’s never really discussed how many Gazeem has murdered. Whatever the amount,
it’s going to be a long time before Gazeem will be feeling the touch of the Arabian desert, if ever!
Up next, it’s everyone's favorite Gilbert-Gottfried-voiced parrot, Iago! Yes,
we said we weren’t focusing on animals, but in Iago’s case, we had to make an exception! Iago,
Jafar’s pet, is an accomplice to many of his crimes. These include theft, attempted murder,
and biggest of all, conspiracy and treason. Don’t forget, Jafar’s whole goal in the Aladdin film
was to gain ultimate power. He wanted the Sultan’s throne to control Agrabah, and went after the lamp
to help him in this mission. Iago was complacent in all of that, and for that very reason,
we have to give him a prison sentence of 16 years. However, we think he could definitely get pardoned
at some point after his sentence begins. Although it’s up for debate how much the direct-to-video
Disney sequels are considered legitimate canon, the Aladdin sequels show Iago undergo an arc
where he becomes a hero, even going so far as to defeat Jafar. It’s possible that things
won’t be so bad for Iago after all. Besides, how bad could prison really be for a parrot?
While Iago might get let off easy, the same cannot be said for Jafar! Jafar is guilty of more or less
every single crime Iago has committed. From treason to attempted murder, Jafar has done it
all. The difference is that while Iago was aiding in these crimes, Jafar was the mastermind behind
each and every one of them. It was ultimately Jafar who tried to take the throne and seize power
for himself, just like it was him who desired the power of the magic lamp. Iago is complacent sure,
but he is merely a tool used by Jafar to achieve what he wants. And with a crazy set of crimes
like the ones Jafar has done, how could we not give Jafar the distinction of being the first
villain to get a life sentence in prison? Jafar is a highly dangerous and deceitful individual.
Who’s to say he won’t try an even more dangerous scheme if he’s allowed to roam free?
A life sentence doesn’t just make sense on the account of all the crimes Jafar has committed, but
it also makes sense in regards to what potential horrors he could unleash on the world. In a way,
it could be argued that this is the exact punishment he receives in the actual movie,
as he is trapped in the lamp with no hope of freedom for 10,000 years. Fitting, isn’t it?
Aladdin’s out of the way, it’s now time to discuss Pochahontas!
Let’s mix things up a little here and start with the main villain first, Governor Ratcliffe!
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Ratcliffe has the most crimes of the two villains in this movie, but
he might also outdo everyone on the list so far! When Ratcliffe and the settlers arrive at the New
World, Ratcliffe quickly makes plans to wipe out all of the natives in the area. With this act,
which happens very early in the movie, comes the charge of attempted genocide. He also begins a
war with the natives not to rescue John Smith as he so claims, but so that they’ll be wiped
out and nobody will stand in the way of him and his gold. Ratcliffe even betrays Smith in his
search for this nonexistent gold. This makes him our first war criminal! Not the type of villain
you see in a Disney movie often, right? While his charges aren’t as numerous as some others,
the severity of the crimes easily makes him a more evil villain than almost any of them. For these
reasons, we have to give Governor Ratcliffe our very first death penalty. War crimes are never to
be taken lightly, and even in the time of England in the 1600s, we don’t think the courts would take
too kindly to John Ratcliffe’s actions, especially when they nearly led to the death of many
English settlers. We foresee the governor being executed via firing squad, one likely made up
of many who embarked on the New World journey alongside him. How’s that for poetic justice?
On a slightly lighter slide, Ratcliffe’s assistant, Wiggins, won’t be seeing anywhere
near the punishment he will. Wiggins serves Ratcliffe and as such, follows him through a
lot of his orders. Wiggins also plays a big part in Ratcliffe’s plan to wipe out the natives,
as he is the one who informs him that John Smith has been captured. However, he seems to sit out
the conflict between the two sides, and does not appear again until he actually helps the settlers
load Ratcliffe onto a ship, showing that the assistant has had an apparent change of heart.
This leaves us a bit torn. Wiggins does play a role aiding and abetting Ratcliffe’s war crimes,
but he also does change for the better. You could also argue that Wiggins was merely following
orders, and that it wouldn’t be right for him to serve a hefty prison sentence. Ultimately,
we think Wiggins should serve 5 years in prison, but choose to pardon him. He’s clearly changed for
the better, and the settlers all welcome him with open arms, so should he be punished for
following orders? Truthfully, this feels like the most realistic outcome to us.
We’ve finally come to the last movie for today, The Hunchback of Notre Dame!
There’s only one villain in this movie, but in this case, we may have just saved the worst for
last. Our final trial of the day, Judge Claude Frollo now comes before the court. Really, what
hasn’t this guy done? In just the opening minutes of the movie, he murders a woman, and nearly
commits an act of infanticide. Though he takes on Quasimodo as his own, his relationship with
him is incredibly abusive. Frollo’s relationships with others are all horrible in their unique ways.
He harasses Esmerelda, burns down buildings, and very nearly destroys all of Paris. And
this is just what’s shown in the movie, during a relatively brief portion of his life. Who knows
what other horrors he has unleashed on the people of Paris during his life? He wants practically
everyone who isn’t perfect in his eyes to suffer. For all of these reasons, we cannot imagine Frollo
getting anything less than the death penalty. While many may argue some of our other verdicts,
we think everyone will agree on this one. Frollo has spent an entire life torturing others and
making lives miserable, but in the end, it may just be himself who suffers most of all.
Hunchback of Notre Dame takes place during the middle ages, a time when this penalty was carried
out through various ways of torture. He could be hung from the gallows, beheaded via guillotine,
or boiled alive. Whatever the punishment, Frollo’s last moments will undoubtedly be his most painful.
But let us know in the comment section if you agree with our list.
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.