10. Moana
I know this may come across as pre-mature, but I don't care. I did take that into consideration when placing her this low on the list. That being said, she is a perfect character. Of all the Disney characters, she comes across as the most real. We can relate to her, empathize with her and more than anything else, we want her to succeed. She is a strong character worthy of being amongst the greats.
9. Maui
Maui is so much fun, and from a creative standpoint, he is flawlessly designed. The idea of making his tattoos a part of his character is a stroke of genius. The only reason he is ranked higher than Moana is because he is voiced by Dwayne Johnson. It's my list, I can be as biased as I want to be.
8. Grumpy
Screw Dopey, Grumpy is where it is at. If you can't relate to Grumpy is some way, you are way to happy and terrible things need to happen to you and your perfect existence. Of all the Dwarfs, he is the only one with the arch. When we all thought Snow White was dead, the person who made us truly feel the tragedy was when Grumpy cried over her corpse. If that surly man could feel the pain of the situation then we could, too.
7. Kala
Probably the best mother Disney has to offer really. Which makes sense, considering most mothers don't make it out alive in these flicks. Kinda like how Tarzan's biological mother gets killed early on. Kala, on the other hand, beats some jungle cat ass and survives. She also raises and teaches Tarzan the meaning of being a good person. Glen Close being the voice of Kala helps. There is so much warmth within that voice.
6. Hades
As we get to the portion of the list that will cause much debate, let's bring out the villains. Hades would be higher up on this list had the movie he was in been even remotely good. He is on the list because he single-handily saves Hercules and makes it worth watching. Hades is a blast and wonderfully performed by James Woods. Sometimes the performer makes the character.
5. Ursula
The great thing about Ursula is that she knows how to play and win the system. She is a master manipulator in a sea of morons. As much as I like Scar, this is Scar in an actual land of idiots. Every single character under the sea and stupid and need proper leadership. Why not this evil sea witch? It's better than Ariel, who is spoiled and learns nothing. Ursula is smart and powerful. She knows what she wants, and dammit, she will do all she can to get it. That deserves some respect.
4. Jasmine
If it is too soon to call Moana the best Disney Princess, then I have to give that honor to Princess Jasmine. She is like Ursula, except not evil. She recognizes how screwed up the system is and chooses to not play along with that. She takes matters into her own hands and does all she can to live the life she wants. She also comes across as natural and very realistic. You buy into her and Aladdin's romance mostly because of her and what they represent to each other. Also, she has a pet Tiger. That's badass!
3. Genie
Like I stated above when talking about James Woods playing Hades, sometimes the performer makes the character. Robin Williams was born to play the Genie. I can't fathom anybody else portraying him and since I love Robin Williams, I love Genie. He is loud, he is funny and he has the biggest heart in all of Disney. Aladdin is a good movie turned great because of Genie. Without Genie working, that movie would be such an epic fail. Luckily not only does he work, he steals the show. A wonderful character performed by a wonderful man.
2. Frollo
I've talked about this character at great length a million times. If you don't see the greatness of Judge Claude Frollo, your opinion is invalid. He is complex, he is evil and he sings the very best Disney song of all time. He is the ultimate bad guy, subjectively the best Disney villain of all time and perhaps is the best Disney character. However, this is my list and I am very biased.
1. Gaston
I mean, I could sing the praises of Gaston. However, I think Disney has already done that and done it well. So, I'll let them take it away.
