20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (2024)

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20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (1)

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20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (3)

By Nicole Mello , Scoot Allan & David Giatras

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20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (4)

While Walt Disney Animation Studios has tried to teach children lessons in as palatable a format as possible, there are still a few harsh realities to life. Even Disney animated movies know they have to address some of the darker aspects of living. This has led to some darker Disney movies than one would expect.

Several dark movies have been released in the Disney animated canon over the years. While countless movies have had grim moments, these movies have incredibly dark themes. They are real and teach lessons in their own way, even if it feels a bit grim in the making. Some moments have stuck with viewers through various stages of their lives.

Updated on June 4th, 2024 by David Giatras: While Disney animated movies are geared toward children, quite a few can be surprisingly dark, even for adults. This list has been updated to CBR's current standards and to include more information about Disney's darkest animation films.

20 The Dancing Skeletons Still Creep Fans Out Today

The Skeleton Dance

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (5)
  • IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes: 83% (Audience Score)
  • Metacritic: N/A

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Disney first released "The Skeleton Dance" in 1929 as one of 75 animated shorts called Silly Symphony, which was released over the span of a decade. Walt Disney directed the short, which was animated by Ub Iwerks, who was also the designer behind Mickey Mouse.

"The Skeleton Dance" featured four living skeletons dancing around a graveyard and making music, which doesn't sound too dark to modern movie fans. However, at the time, it was an incredibly spooky tale that frequently popped up again around Halloween due to its macabre imagery. The short was actually banned in Denmark in 1931 as a result.

19 Belle Is Forced Into A Toxic Relationship With The Beast

Beauty And The Beast

  • IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
  • Metacritic: 95

An animated Disney film that received a live-action adaptation, Beauty and the Beast is a beloved classic with a dark premise. Like most Disney movies, the film has a love story. However, it's problematic as Belle has been taken prisoner by the titular Beast and is basically forced into a toxic relationship with the monstrous character.

Beauty and the Beast also features some seriously dark curses that affect more than just the Beast. His entire mansion of servants was also trapped as household items in what almost became an eternal fate worse than death. While it works out for everyone in the end, that does not make it any less problematic in the first place.

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (7)
Beauty and the Beast (1991)

G

Animation

Family

Fantasy

Musical

A prince cursed to spend his days as a hideous monster sets out to regain his humanity by earning a young woman's love.

Director
Gary Trousdale , Kirk Wise

Release Date
November 21, 1991

Cast
Paige O'Hara , Robby Benson , Angela Lansbury , Jerry Orbach , David Ogden Stiers , Bradley Pierce , Jesse Corti , Richard White

Runtime
1 hour 24 minutes

18 A Dying Animal Kingdom Is Reigned Over By A Greedy King

Robin Hood

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (8)
  • IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes: 58%
  • Metacritic: 57

Disney's take on Robin Hood from 1973 is usually fondly remembered by fans for its music and the charming lead fox who robs the rich to give to the poor. However, the animated movie also didn't shy away from the harsh realities of Prince John's brutal taxation of Nottingham.

When Prince John triples the town's taxes in retaliation against the rising legend of Robin Hood, the animal townsfolk are shown in their suffering. They are even arrested and held for execution along with Friar Tuck, which further highlights some of the dark themes and imagery that really made Robin Hood's heroism shine brighter.

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (9)
Robin Hood

G

Adventure

Comedy

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The story of the legendary British outlaw portrayed with the characters as anthropomorphic animals.

Director
Wolfgang Reitherman

Release Date
November 8, 1973

Cast
Brian Bedford , Monica Evans , Phil Harris , Andy Devine , Peter Ustinov

Runtime
1 hour 23 minutes
Main Genre
Animation

17 Soldiers Witness The Aftermath Of A Shocking Massacre

Mulan

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (15)
  • IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes: 94% (Audience Score)
  • Metacritic: 72

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The original animated Mulan from 1998 was a celebrated hit for Disney that received a live-action remake in 2020. The movie followed the titular Mulan, who was forced to disguise herself as a man to take her father's demanded place in the Chinese army. Mulan rises through the ranks to become a great warrior while shielding her true identity.

Mulan has been hailed as Disney's first feminist film by some fans. However, it still features a couple of shocking scenes that highlight the senseless massacres of the invading Hun army. A musical number is abruptly cut short as the Chinese army marches into a devastated town, stopping the movie in its tracks with the dark realization of war.

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (17)
Mulan

G

Action

Adventure

Musical

Comedy

Where to Watch

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To save her father from death in the army, a young maiden secretly goes in his place and becomes one of China's greatest heroines in the process.

Director
Tony Bancroft , Barry Cook

Release Date
June 19, 1998

Studio
Disney

Cast
Ming-Na Wen , Lea Salonga , Eddie Murphy , BD Wong , Donny Osmond

Runtime
1 hour 27 minutes

16 A Sweet Friendship Quickly Turns Dark & Deadly

The Fox And The Hound

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (20)
  • IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes: 75%
  • Metacritic: 65

Disney introduced a sweet new friendship between the titular characters of Disney's 1981 animated movie The Fox and the Hound. An orphaned fox named Tod is taken in by a kind, widowed farmer while her hunter neighbor brings home a new puppy named Copper. The two quickly become fast friends, although as they get older, their dynamic is influenced by their roles as hunter and prey.

A final showdown between the two old friends culminates with a violent and frightening attack by a bear that definitely caused more than a few young viewers to cry out in fear. The film's ending is one of the toughest in all animation, and despite their friendship, they are destined to be on opposite sides of the board.

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (21)
The Fox and the Hound

G

Animation

Adventure

Drama

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After his mother is killed, Tod the fox is taken in by the kindly Widow Tweed. He soon befriends the neighbor's new hound dog, Copper. The two are inseparable, but their friendship is hampered by their masters and by the fact that they are, by nature, enemies. They grow apart as they grow older; Copper has become a strong hunting dog and Tod a wild fox. The pair must overcome their inherent differences in order to salvage their friendship.

Director
Ted Berman , Richard Rich , Art Stevens

Release Date
July 10, 1981

Cast
Mickey Rooney , Kurt Russell , Pearl Bailey , Jack Albertson

Writers
Daniel P. Mannix , Larry Clemmons , Ted Berman

Runtime
83 minutes

15 Dark Demons & Mischievous Magical Brooms Set To Classical Music

Fantasia

  • IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
  • Metacritic: 96

When Fantasia was first released in 1940, it was toured nationwide. Fans saw several animated shorts set to classical music that took the premise of Silly Symphony and turned it into a feature-length movie. The most memorable shorts from Fantasia were two of the darkest — the first being "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" featuring a newly redesigned Mickey Mouse.

Mickey attempted to speed up his cleaning duties using magic, but things quickly got out of control. However, the debut of Disney's darkest demon, Chernabog, in the "Night on Bald Mountain" segment really stood out. It made an impression with its beautiful animation and the terrifying introduction of Disney's devil as he called for the sacrifice of the undead souls under his command.

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (27)
Fantasia

Musical

Anthology

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A series of eight famous pieces of classical music, conducted by Leopold Stokowski and interpreted in animation by Walt Disney's team of artists.

Director
Joe Grant , Dick Huemer

Release Date
November 13, 1940

Studio
Disney

Cast
Leopold Stokowski , Deems Taylor

Runtime
126 minutes

14 A Terrified Ichabod Crane Battles The Horrific Headless Horseman

The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (31)
  • IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
  • Metacritic: 74

One of the earlier films in the Disney animated canon, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, was released in 1949. This film is unlike others in the canon in that it technically is two smaller films paired together as segments of the longer title The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.

While the first segment deals with Mr. Toad and The Wind in the Willows, the second segment adapts the short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” The segment has the same title as its famous source material and nearly the same ending. Ichabod believes he is a victim of the Headless Horseman and is never seen again.

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (32)
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

Approved

Comedy

Family

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An animated adaptation of "The Wind in the Willows" followed by an adaptation of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow".

Director
James Algar , Clyde Geronimi , Jack Kinney

Release Date
January 6, 1950

Cast
Bing Crosby , Basil Rathbone

Writers
Washington Irving , Kenneth Grahame , Erdman Penner

Runtime
1 Hour 8 Minutes
Main Genre
Animation

Production Company
Walt Disney Animation Studios

13 Most Of Andy's Toys Are Almost Incinerated

Toy Story 3

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (37)
  • IMDb Rating: 8.3/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
  • Metacritic: 92

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While Disney and Pixar's Toy Story franchise excelled at using mature themes to appeal to young fans and adults alike, there were still quite a few dark moments across the series. 2010's Toy Story 3 was especially fraught with dark Disney scenes, even for older viewers who had watched the franchise since the beginning.

The toys were forced to deal with their possible next step in their lives as their owner, Andy, headed off to college — which dealt with the darker side of growing up. The toys also faced an almost certain grisly end in a garbage incinerator. With no hope in sight, the beloved characters embraced each other and awaited their demise in one of the Disney film's tensest moments.

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (39)
Toy Story 3

G

Adventure

Comedy

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The toys are mistakenly delivered to a day-care center instead of the attic right before Andy leaves for college, and it's up to Woody to convince the other toys that they weren't abandoned and to return home.

Director
Lee Unkrich

Release Date
June 12, 2010
Cast
Tom Hanks , Tim Allen , Joan Cusack , Ned Beatty , John Morris , John Ratzenberger , Michael Keaton , Kristen Schaal

Runtime
1 hour 43 minutes
Main Genre
Animation

12 The Horned King Wants To Raise An Undead Army

The Black Cauldron

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (45)
  • IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes: 54%
  • Metacritic: 59

1985's The Black Cauldron may have been considered a flop when released. Still, a new generation of fans have revisited the animated movie and appreciate its darker themes and sword-and-sorcery storytelling. The movie's young heroes quest to stop one of the Disney universe's most terrifying villains, Horned King.

His goals to raise an army of the undead using the mystical Black Cauldron are just one of the reasons the movie was a hit and earned Disney's first-ever PG-rating. This occurred even after a few scenes were removed or recut to further tone down its violence and darkness. It was also the first animated Disney film that was not a musical.

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (46)
The Black Cauldron

PG

Action

Adventure

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A young boy and a group of misfit friends embark on a quest to find a dark magic item of ultimate power before a diabolical tyrant can.

Director
Ted Berman , Richard Rich

Release Date
July 24, 1985

Cast
Grant Bardsley , Susan Sheridan , Freddie Jones

Runtime
1 hour 20 minutes
Main Genre
Animation

11 Children Are Kidnapped, Transformed Into Donkeys, & Enslaved

Pinocchio

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (52)
  • IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
  • Metacritic: 99

Less than a decade before The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad became the second movie in the Disney animated canon, Pinocchio, released in 1940, seemed light-hearted on the surface, but viewers who watched it as children—and even those who have seen it as adultsrecognize there is a much darker side to Pinocchio.

Pinocchio is kidnapped and sold, locked in a cage and threatened that he'll be hacked into pieces, and commits a fair number of sins. The worst part, however, is probably the children who are turned into donkeys and sold, apparently never to be turned back. These elements were toned down for the live-action adaptation that was released 82 years later.

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (53)
Pinocchio

G

Adventure

Comedy

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A living puppet, with the help of a cricket as his conscience, must prove himself worthy to become a real boy.

Director
Norman Ferguson , T. Hee , Wilfred Jackson

Release Date
February 23, 1940

Writers
Ted Sears , Otto Englander

Runtime
1 Hour 28 Minutes
Main Genre
Animation

Production Company
Walt Disney Animation Studios

10 A Dark Tale Of Colonialism Is Romanticized & Doesn't Tell The True Story

Pocahontas

  • IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes: 53%
  • Metacritic: 59

While Pocahontas is a beloved animated movie, it also holds a dark place in Disney's history. 1995's Pocahontas was the first animated film based on an actual historical event. However, it failed to represent the story properly. The animated film explored Britain's colonial history and the dark relationship between American settlers and the Indigenous population.

However, it does so in a way that glorified the tale as a love story when it was anything but. The real Pocahontas was far younger and likely forced into her marriage and journey to Europe. Pocahontas touches on this dark chapter of history even if it fails to present the reality of the colonial era.

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (59)
Pocahontas

G

Animation

Adventure

Drama

Musical

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An English soldier and the daughter of an Algonquin chief share a romance when English colonists invade seventeenth century Virginia.

Director
Mike Gabriel , Eric Goldberg

Release Date
June 23, 1995

Cast
Irene Bedard , Mel Gibson , Linda Hunt , Judy Kuhn , Russell Means , David Ogden Stiers

Runtime
1 hour 21 minutes

9 Snow White Is Nearly Killed For Her Beauty

Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (65)
  • IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
  • Metacritic: 96

Related

As the franchise expanded and its popularity continued to soar, more details emerged about the world and the Arendelle royal family.

The first movie in Disney's animated canon was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Released in 1937, it's arguably one of the darkest movies in the canon. The film manages this even though the story was made significantly less dark than its original fairy tale source material.

However, Snow White and the White Dwarfs still features the titular Snow White at the wrong end of an assassination attempt. The Evil Queen sends the Huntsman to kill Snow White and returns with her heart in a box. When he can’t do it, the Evil Queen takes it upon herself to deceive Snow White and convince her to eat poison and die.

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (67)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Approved

Musical

Fantasy

Adventure

Animation

Exiled into the dangerous forest by her wicked stepmother, a princess is rescued by seven dwarf miners who make her part of their household.

Director
David Hand , William Cottrell , Wilfred Jackson

Release Date
December 21, 1937

Cast
Adriana Caselotti

Writers
Jacob Grimm , Wilhelm Grimm , Ted Sears

Runtime
1 hour 23 minutes
Main Genre
Animation

Production Company
Walt Disney Animation Studios

8 Two Orphans Struggle With Painful Real-Life Problems & An Alien

Lilo & Stitch

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (68)
  • IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes: 79% (Audience Score)
  • Metacritic: 74

While the is a newer entry to the Disney canon, it’s one of the best films in the entire franchise, as well as one of the darkest. Lilo and her older sister Nani have been orphaned, and Nani (only nineteen years old) has become the sole guardian of seven-year-old Lilo.

While Nani is trying her best to raise Lilo, both are struggling, and this movie depicts real life in almost painful detail. This is part of what makes this movie so good. Nani does everything she can to help Lilo, and people still don’t think it’s enough. However, in the end, they can overcome all this with extra help.

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (69)
Lilo & Stitch

PG

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

Where to Watch

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A young and parentless girl adopts a 'dog' from the local pound, completely unaware that it's supposedly a dangerous scientific experiment that's taken refuge on Earth and is now hiding from its creator and those who see it as a menace.

Director
Dean DeBlois , Chris Sanders

Release Date
June 21, 2002

Studio
Disney

Cast
Chris Sanders , Daveigh Chase , Tia Carrere

Runtime
85 minutes
Main Genre
Animation

7 Animals Are Killed & The Villainous Clayton Is Hanged

Tarzan

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (75)
  • IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
  • Metacritic: 80

Like Pinocchio, the 1999 film Tarzan has a few stand-out dark moments that kids still remember years after they watched the movie for the first time. When Sabor, the leopard who killed Tarzan’s parents, returns to attack Tarzan’s family after he’s grown, he fights and kills her brutally.

This intense fight sequence ends with Tarzan lifting Sabor’s body and throwing her corpse at Kerchak’s feet. Clayton even gets his neck caught in a vine and his shadow is hanged on screen. This movie has a lot of darkness underneath all its colors, which should be expected given the subject matter. But regardless, it was still very dark for a Disney film.

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (76)
Tarzan (1999)

G

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

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A man raised by gorillas must decide where he really belongs when he discovers he is a human.

Director
Kevin Lima , Chris Buck

Release Date
June 18, 1999

Cast
Tony Goldwyn , Minnie Driver , Glenn Close , Alex D. Linz , Rosie O'Donnell , Brian Blessed , Nigel Hawthorne , Lance Henriksen , Wayne Knight

Writers
Tab Murphy , Bob Tzudiker , Noni White

Runtime
88 Minutes
Main Genre
Animation

6 Alice Is Threatened With Violent Decapitation

Alice In Wonderland

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (80)
  • IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
  • Metacritic: 68

Disney adapted Lewis Carroll's popular surrealist 1865 novel in 1951 with Alice in Wonderland. The animated adaptation tells a fan-favorite story about a young girl who falls down a rabbit hole into a dream world filled with talking animals and magical characters. Alice in Wonderland explores an absurdist world that created a feeling of unease in viewers.

It also featured a few dark and murderous moments. After Alice meets the dreaded Queen of Hearts, she's threatened numerous times with violent decapitation and forced to run for her life from the Queen's army of equally murderous playing cards. It's a fever dream of a children's story that gets darker with each new retelling.

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (81)
Alice In Wonderland (1951)

G

Family

Fantasy

Adventure

Comedy

Alice stumbles into the world of Wonderland. Will she get home? Not if the Queen of Hearts has her way.

Director
Ben Sharpsteen , Clyde Geronimi , Wilfred Jackson , Hamilton Luske

Release Date
July 28, 1951

Cast
Kathryn Beaumont , Ed Wynn , Richard Haydn , Sterling Holloway , Verna Felton , Jerry Colonna , Bill Thompson

Runtime
75 minutes
Main Genre
Animation

Characters By
Lewis Carroll

Production Company
Walt Disney Animation Studios

Distributor(s)
RKO Radio Pictures

5 Frightening Imagery Depicts The Harsh Reality Of The Circus

Dumbo

  • IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes: 100% (Audience Score)
  • Metacritic: 96

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While, in the end, everything works out for the eponymous Dumbo and his pals, it is a dark, hard road to get there. This 1941 movie sees Dumbo’s mother, Mrs. Jumbo, doing anything she can to help her son — including scolding and spanking those who ridicule him. While she is helping her son, it does lead to trouble.

This action results in the circus troupe imprisoning Mrs. Jumbo, isolating Dumbo, and forcing him to try and navigate life on his own. Even when he visits his mother, they can’t see each other and can only tangle their trunks together. A heartbreaking reunion that kids likely still remember to this day.

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (83)
Dumbo

G

Animation

Adventure

Drama

Where to Watch

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Director
Samuel Armstrong , Norman Ferguson , Wilfred Jackson

Release Date
October 31, 1941

Studio
Disney

Cast
Edward Brophy , Verna Felton

Writers
Joe Grant , Dick Huemer , Otto Englander

Runtime
64 minutes
Main Genre
Animation

4 An Iconic Death Has Been Devastating Children For Decades

Bambi

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (89)
  • IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
  • Metacritic: 91

The 1942 Disney animated film Bambi is among the most notably dark films in the Walt Disney canon. The movie is well done and has some truly shocking, devastating moments. When Bambi was younger, he was nearly shot and killed by Man. However, the Great Prince of the Forest (and Bambi’s father, unbeknownst to Bambi at the time) saved him and brought him back to his mother.

Unfortunately, that winter, Man comes back. He shoots and kills Bambi’s mother. This moment is devastating in a million ways and has stuck with people for nearly a century. Bambi and other similar tear-jerkers have gone down in history. Bambi will get even darker soon, as a hard R-rated horror film surrounding the character is due for release in 2024.

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (90)
Bambi

G

Animation

Adventure

Drama

Where to Watch

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Director
James Algar , Samuel Armstrong , David Hand

Release Date
August 21, 1942

Cast
Hardie Albright , Stan Alexander , Bobette Audrey , Peter Behn

Writers
Felix Salten , Perce Pearce , Larry Morey

Runtime
69 minutes
Main Genre
Animation

3 Cruella De Vil Tries To Turn Cute Puppies Into Fur Coats

101 Dalmatians

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (96)
  • IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
  • Metacritic: 83

Many viewers have been revisiting 101 Dalmatians following the release of the live-action prequel spin-off Cruella. Released in 1961, 101 Dalmatians has a couple of stinging moments, such as when it seems that one of the puppies is stillborn—a scene burned into countless children’s minds.

The worst of it all is how terrible Cruella is throughout the film. No less could be expected from somebody named Cruella de Vil, but she is truly vile. She spends the entire film doing anything and everything she can to steal puppies, kill them, skin them, and wear them. It’s definitely one of Disney’s darkest plots.

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (97)
101 Dalmatians (1961)

Animation

Adventure

Where to Watch

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When a litter of Dalmatian puppies are abducted by the minions of Cruella De Vil, the owners must find them before she uses them for a diabolical fashion statement.

Director
Wolfgang Reitherman , Hamilton Luske , Clyde Geronimi

Release Date
January 25, 1961

Cast
Rod Taylor , J. Pat O'Malley , Betty Lou Gerson , Martha Wentworth

Runtime
79 minutes

Production Company
Walt Disney Productions

2 Scar Kills His Brother & Devastates The Pride Lands

The Lion King

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (101)
  • IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
  • Metacritic: 88

Related

10 Darkest Disney Villain Deaths In The Films

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There are many reasons The Lion King is one of the darkest movies in the entire Disney animated canon. The Lion King is also one of the best Disney movies and depicts Scar (the brother of Mufasa, King of the Pride Lands) plotting to kill his royal brother. Worse than this, he forces Mufasa’s son Simba to be his bait.

This makes Simba think he’s responsible for his father’s death and forces himself into self-exile — although Scar does try to kill him first. Scar and his hyenas have overt Third Reich overtones. When Simba returns to the Pride Lands and finds everyone dying, kids were horrified, and still are to this day.

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (103)
The Lion King

G

Drama

Animation

Adventure

Lion prince Simba and his father are targeted by his bitter uncle, who wants to ascend the throne himself.

Director
Roger Allers , Rob Minkoff

Release Date
June 15, 1994

Studio
Disney

Cast
Matthew Broderick , Jeremy Irons , James Earl Jones

Writers
Irene Mecchi , Jonathan Roberts , Linda Woolverton

Runtime
88 minutes
Main Genre
Animation

1 The Villainous Frollo Is Disney's Darkest Villain Of All Time

The Hunchback Of Notre Dame

  • IMDb Rating: 7.0/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes: 82% (Audience Score)
  • Metacritic: 74

Arguably the darkest film in the entire Disney animated canon is the 1996 film The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The movie opens with Frollo killing Quasimodo’s mother and attempting to kill an infant Quasimodo before he's forced to stop. He attempts to atone for the sin of murdering Quasimodo’s mother by taking the boy in.

Instead, however, he spends his whole life keeping Quasimodo locked up and abusing him. In addition, Frollo attacks Esmeralda and begs the Virgin Mary to kill Esmeralda if he can’t have her. He even brutally attempts to burn her at the stake, proving The Hunchback of Notre Dame is Disney's darkest animated movie.

20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (104)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Musical

Drama

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A bell-ringer must assert his independence from a vicious government minister in order to help his friend, a dancer.

Director
Gary Trousdale , Kirk Wise

Release Date
June 21, 1996

Cast
Tom Hulce , Demi Moore

Writers
Tab Murphy , Irene Mecchi , Jonathan Roberts , Noni White , Bob Tzudiker

Runtime
91 minutes
  • Movies
  • Disney
  • Snow White

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20 Darkest Movies In The Disney Animated Canon, Ranked (2024)
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