Pixarmoviesare beloved for their charm; stories that have a subtle edge about them but the enchanting animation and spectacular heroes make for an incredible viewing experience. Much like their protagonists, Pixar movies give their villains an undercurrent that resonates with the audiences long after the credits roll.
For well over two decades now, Pixar has been delivering movies where villains are more than just caricatures of evil. They represent life and its many complexities and prime emotions in a way that’s both enlightening and entertaining. Within their own deceptive worlds, their stories unfold as determined heroes fight back to maintain peace and harmony.
By crafting villains as three-dimensional as their heroes,with relatable desiresand questionable methods to achieve them, Pixar establishes an atmosphere where stakes are high. These movies have narratives that combine darkness and lighthearted adventure, making audiences root for the good guy to win at all costs. This list looks at some memorable masterminds of menace who elevated Pixar movies into classics.
20Ego – Ratatouille
Ratatouillewas as much young Remy and hisextraordinary talent for cookingas it was for any other character, and the city of Paris itself.Anton Ego, the antagonist of the movie, was a ruthless food critic whose reviews can make or break a restaurant. His scathing comments about Chef Gusteau’s restaurant, where he challenges his “anyone can cook” belief, brought the rating down by a star.
When news of the establishment’s rising popularity reaches his ears, Ego returns to taste the food. Remy’s ratatouille takes him back to his childhood and reminds him of his mother’s cooking. Teary-eyed, Ego leaves Gusteau’s restaurant a changed man.
19Stinky Pete – Toy Story 2
Woody has always taken pride in his role as Andy’s favorite toy. But inToy Story 2, when Andy’s family prepares for a move, Woody questions where he truly belongs. Pretending to aid the displaced toys and be a father figure to them isStinky Pete, or the Prospector. For almost half of the movie, he lures the toys into a false sense of security, before revealing where his true intentions lie.
As an antique toy, Stinky Pete has aged with bitterness over being discarded, over kids only choosing new toys. He plots to sabotage Woody’s rescue by re-tearing his arm. Stinky’s evil genius and silver-tongue manipulation nearly costs Woody his identity and friendship with his toy family.
18The Underminer – The Incredibles
A villain that appears towards the end ofThe Incredibles,The Underminerhas the ultimate plot to unleash catastrophe upon Metroville. His greatest strength is that he’s multi-faceted. A mole-like supervillain who is also a bank robber, and terrorist, he thrives on chaos and cackles with glee after casting any sort of mayhem.
Though physically unimposing, the Underminder is so intent on collapsing bridges and toppling skyscrapers that he became the major antagonist in the movie’s sequel, where he uses a drill and vacuum-like device to enact his plans, forcing the Parr family to use all their genius and might to fight back.
Related:Disney: The Most Evil Villains of the Animated Films, Ranked
17Chick Hicks – Cars
TheCarsfranchise has a reputation for being conceptually weak butultimately very dramaticand entertaining. It has seen its own brand of villains, butChick Hicksis a major baddie. Introduced in the first movie,Cars, he is Lightning McQueen’s main rival. He is known to be dislikeable and he desperately wants to win the Piston Cup.
Because for seasoned racer Chick Hicks, only winning matters. He shoves and sabotages McQueen for the top spotlight. His ruthlessness knows no bounds even after the checkered flag. Both Hicks and McQueen have a certain level of ego, but while McQueen is compassionate, Hicks likes to play dirty.
16Chicken Man – Toy Story 2
Toy Story 2has a bunch of evil villains. After all, it sees Woody getting kidnapped, put behind a glass cage, and what not.Chicken Man, or Al McWhiggin, an unscrupulous toy collector, is so devious and greedy that he straight up steals Woody with him despite being told he’s not for sale simply because he wanted Woody to belong in his collection.
Though outwardly appearing a silly middle-aged, glasses-wearing man with a goatee in a chicken outfit, Chicken Man has skills that influence others to his will. He toys his victims psychologically, making sure they’re so full of doubt that they get trapped in his purgatory.
15Sid – Toy Story
The inaugural movie in the franchise does a fantastic job at introducing fans with mainstays like Andy’s favorite toy, Woody, and Buzz, a new Space Ranger action figure.Toy Storyalso familiarizes us with the very first antagonist,Sid Phillips. He was Andy’s troubled next door neighbor who did the most horrible things to toys by treating them as objects of destructive play.
Sid derived a twisted glee from dismantling toys and leaving their remnants around. He blew them off, tried to burn them to a crisp, hung them from a height. All the while watching with a chilling detachment. However,fans believed Sid was more misunderstood than evilbecause he had no way of knowing the toys were alive until the very end of the movie, following which he was ridden with guilt.
14Evelyn Deavor – The Incredibles 2
The long-awaited sequel to Brad Bird’s iconic animation film maintained its predecessor’s reputation by bringing to screen a truly exciting and evil villain.Evelyn Deavorruns her family’s telecommunications company, DevTech, with her brother. She is also a fan of the Supers and was crucial to making sure the government legalized superhero work. But that’s because she had selfish motives.
Beneath her tech-savvy genius persona lies a plan to keep Supers permanently illegal. She first gains everybody’s trust through manipulation, then entraps them and forces them into wicket acts. The Parrs had a hard time defeating this one due to her dual personality and self-befitting schemes. Even when Elastigirl saves her life, her poisonous hatred stays.
13Lotso – Toy Story 3
Who would picture a pink, adorable-looking, strawberry-smelling cuddly bear as a villain? The creators ofToy Story 3, apparently. In the movie, Andy prepares to leave for college, leaving his toys behind. Woody ends up in daycare, and just as he begins to look forward to a carefree time, his expectations turn grim under the strict daycare tyranny,Lotso. Or the Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear.
Once a bear who knew love, Lotso was abandoned by his previous owner and now believes that no toy is worthy of affection. As the leader of the Sunnyside Daycare collection of toys, he rules with an iron fist. His crueltyisolates Woody from his friendsand wipes Buzz’s memory to get him on his side. Unlike other Pixar villains, Lotso has no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
Related:Every Canceled Pixar Movie, Explained
12Hopper – A Bug’s Life
A Bug’s Lifewas Pixar’s second feature-length cinematic outing. It follows Flik, a misfit ant who dreams of inventing wondrous things and has a troop of Circus Bugs working alongside him. But as his ideas are threatened by a fierce army of grasshoppers, he comes face to face withHopper, their leader.
Hopper lords over his own kind and the anthill with violent enforcement of his demands. He makes the ants turn against Flik, labeling his inventive spirit as worthless and promising brutal reprisal should any bug fall short of obeying his rules. No one dared stand up to him, but only summoning their hidden bravery did the ants finally revolt.
11Charles Muntz – Up
Charles Muntzis introduced early on in Pixar’sUp. He is the famous explorer admired by Carl Fredricksen, the man who fueled Carl and Ellie’sdream of embarking on a grand adventure. After returning from Paradise Falls in South America, Muntz had made an incredible discovery. But he was ridiculed by peers as fake.
Charles turned fanatical and would later stop at nothing to validate his discoveries – even if it meant destroying the very dreams that he ignited. Like that of Carl’s. Violent in every way possible, Muntz tried to kill Russell, controlled an army of vicious dogs, tried to set Carl’s house on fire, and even used firearms to threaten them. Undoubtedly one of the most horrible Pixar villains, Muntz eventually met his death by falling off a cliff.
