One of the best parts of many Disney movies are the villains. It’s hard not to love a truly diabolical villain. Disney’s antagonists are so popular that there’s been celebrations of them for Halloween specials and even their own tabletop game with Villainous. However, when it comes to iconic and memorable Disney villains, the likes of Jafar, Hades, Cruella de Ville, Captain Hook, and Maleficent are always the frontrunners. 

There are plenty of baddies in Disney’s lineup that don’t get nearly as much love or attention. Some of these bad guys are delightfully sinister, wildly entertaining, and prove to be true threats to the heroes. They’re just not talked about as much as they should. It’s unfortunate, because these underrated scoundrels are great. Here are just some of the most underrated villains in Disney history.

Hopper (A Bug’s Life)

Hopper is the leader of the cruel grasshoppers who hold power over the ants. Because of Hopper and his goons, the ants live their lives in constant fear. He’s so ruthless he kills two of his own men by burying them alive and attempts to crush the ant queen’s skull. He’s not just a terrifying villain, but his threat to the innocent ants is the driving force of the whole movie. On top of all that, Hopper steals so much food from the ant colony that they’d struggle to survive. He’s so brutal and so harsh that he’s extremely fun to hate. 

Gantu (Lilo and Stitch)

Captain Gantu of the Galactic Federation may seem like he’s just doing his job on the surface, but he’s particularly ruthless in the process. He uses brute force to get the job done regardless of who or what he harms in the process. After the events of the first Lilo and Stitch movie, he becomes disgraced and more evil than ever before. Teaming up with the nefarious Hamsterviel, he comes up with several maniacal plots to capture alien experiments to use for his own gain over the course of several movies and a TV series. 

The MCP and Sark (Tron)

The MCP (Master Control Program is a rogue computer program created to overview the Space Paranoids video game system. He rebels and decides to get rid of humans for their imperfections. As for the more innocent computer programs, the MCP harshly rules over them with the help of Sark, the commander of the MCP’s army and overseer of the deadly Game Grid. The MCP and Sark keep their world under totalitarian rule and feel no sympathy for those they destroy.

Yzma (The Emperor’s New Groove)

Yzma from The Emperor’s New Groove is probably one of the most entertaining Disney villains out there. Her dialogue is hilarious and she’s entertainingly mean-spirited. As the advisor to Emperor Kuzco, she sees how much of a terrible ruler he has been. She wants to take the throne from him, and let’s face it, someone should. That being said, she’s still incredibly evil and wants the throne so she can then rule with an iron fist. Her sorcery and skills with shapeshifting potions make for a unique threat to the film’s heroes and an especially fun third act battle.

Clayton (Tarzan)

What makes Clayton so interesting is that he’s essentially a regular guy who’s just particularly cruel. He’s somewhat similar to Gaston in that respect which is exactly what makes him such a fun bad guy. He’s hateful and thinks a little too highly of himself, which leads to some fantastic dialogue. He constantly thinks he’s in the right, even when he’s killing. Clayton is the perfect opposite of Tarzan, which is what makes him the perfect antagonist for that film. He also has one of the best deaths in a Disney movie.

Tony Perkis (Heavyweights)

If you’re familiar with Ben Stiller’s role in the movie Dodgeball, then imagine that but in a movie for younger audiences. As Tony Perkis, Stiller is just as much as an entertaining and over-the-top jerk. Perkis is an exercise guru who takes over a summer camp for overweight kids and terrorizes them. He takes away meals, verbally abuses them, and causes a lot of trauma to these children just looking to enjoy their summer. His ridiculousness leads to big laughs but he always feels like a threat. Perkis can also do pull ups over a tree branch dangling over a cliff and perform a triple backflip from the rafters of a building. He alone makes Heavyweights a truly wild movie experience.

Ratigan (The Great Mouse Detective)

Professor Ratigan is the archnemesis of Basil of Baker Street, the world class detective. Basil may be able to solve any crime and catch any criminal, but Ratigan always proves to be a challenge to him. Ratigan is a classic, mustache-twirling villain which is just plain fun. That being said, he’s also genuinely scary. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he actually gave young viewers nightmares when The Great Mouse Detective first released in 1986. That’s partly due to him being masterfully voiced by horror icon Vincent Price, and partly due to the fact that he’s so insane he fed one of his henchmen to a cat while he was alive. This guy means business, so make sure not to call him a rat. 

Sa’Luk and the Forty Thieves (Aladdin and the King of Thieves)

The Forty Thieves may just want to hoard gold and diamonds, but they’re fun in that quite a few of them feel like their own characters. The most interesting thing is, though, that their initial leader is none other than Aladdin’s father, Cassim. This makes for a genuinely interesting dynamic and conflict. It’s Cassim’s right hand, Sa’Luk, who’s the true villain though. He’s willing to do anything for gold, including kill. He takes Aladdin hostage and betrays his former friend. His golden claw weapon and brute strength allows for a pretty cool final battle, and his own greed is his ultimate downfall. The third Aladdin movie is very much so about its antagonists, and Sa’Luk is the most evil of them all.

King Candy/Turbo (Wreck-It Ralph)

King Candy is a unique villain because he doesn’t entirely feel like a villain. He comes across as a relatively nice guy, but he craves power over others and to always be the best. He’s willing to ruin the lives of others just to put himself on top. His dialogue is filled with silly puns, and the plot twist of him secretly being Turbo the whole time was brilliant. Hundreds of lives were almost completely deleted because of him. King Candy, a.k.a. Turbo, hides his dastardliness, but his true intentions are brought to light in the final act.

READ NEXT: Top 10 Disney Princesses Ranked