6 Disney Antagonists Whose Motivations For Villainy And Moral Ambiguity Were Completely Justifiable

What can I say, I'm a big fan of antagonists with heartbreaking motives.

1. Yzma from The Emperor's New Groove (2000)

Disney

Sure, imperial advisor Yzma might be a little conniving, but can you really blame her for wanting to remove the Emperor Kuzco from power? Kuzco, at the beginning of the film, holds little to no regard for the wellbeing of the citizens living under his rule. His narcissistic tendencies and disregard for others contributes to an immense abuse of power. If anything, Yzma's reaction to losing her position upon Kuzco's whim could be seen as a "last straw" moment for anybody. Was an assassination attempt (and accidental llama transformation) on the emperor a little too far? Probably. Was it unjustified? Not at all.

2. John Silver from Treasure Planet (2002)

Disney

John Silver may be a mutinous, cyborg pirate, but he's also the father that our protagonist, Jim Hawkins, never had. Silver was simply doing what all pirates do, pursuing a grand treasure. His endangerment of the RLS Legacy's crew was an unfortunate side-effect of his grand scheme. More importantly, Jim became a better person, more adept at star-sailing, and more confident in himself, all because of Silver's involvement in the journey.

3. Denahi from Brother Bear (2003)

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Denahi isn't even villainous in the slightest, he's just trying to avenge what he believes to be the death of his brother, Kenai. It just so happens that his vengeance puts him at odds with just the person he's trying to avenge, albeit, that person is now a bear, so the confusion is understandable.

4. Syndrome from The Incredibles (2004)

Disney/Pixar

Syndrome only ever admired and wanted to be like Mr. Incredible, and yet he was continuously shut down every time he wanted to help Mr. Incredible save the city. Syndrome's handling of rejection might be a bit extreme, but it wasn't unjustifiable.

5. The Bowler Hat Guy or "Goob" from Meet the Robinsons (2007)

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The Bowler Hat Guy (aka, "Goob") became a villain based on circumstance. He failed to make a winning catch at an important baseball game, was beaten up by his teammates as a result, and that ultimately caused a decline into bitterness and a permanent stay at the orphanage in which he lived. All of this simply because the protagonist, Lewis, kept him awake all night with his tinkering. Goob's life was ruined in one fell swoop, so his malicious actions towards Lewis, despite being an attempt at ruining another's life, are at least understandable.

6. And finally, Skinner from Ratatouille (2007)

Disney/Pixar

Did Skinner attempt to conceal the true ownership of Gusteau's restaurant for his own gain? Yes. Was he a generally unscrupulous fellow? Of course. However, in the end, his biggest two sins were trying to prevent an untrained chef from inheriting a renowned restaurant and attempting to evict a rat from a kitchen.

Do you agree with my picks?? If not, let me know your choice for justified Disney villains in the comments below!!