Who’s the Real Villain? A Legal Analysis of Disney Characters

Villains aren’t always evil. Heroes aren’t always right. And fairy godmothers could show up a lot sooner.

What if we put Disney characters on trial? 

It started as a passing thought — one of those brain blips you don’t expect to spiral into anything serious. The more I sat with it, the more the lines started to blur. Were the villains really as evil as we believed? And were the heroes… actually innocent?

By now, it’s pretty clear that this whole legal drama thing is my co-author’s niche and I guess her influence finally rubbed off on me… because here I am, giving this whole courtroom thing a go — Disney edition.

Maybe it’s not about who’s wearing the crown or the cape — it’s about who deserves the benefit of the doubt. Context.  Something every storyteller misses out on. 

And that’s when I knew: it was time to put them all on trial.

So, welcome to my Disney courtroom.

Where fairy tales meet subpoenas.

Where redemption arcs don’t erase felonies.

Where singing sidekicks are not admissible as evidence.

And where we stop blindly trusting those montages and catchy ballads 

I think it is finally time to play jury with our childhood

Yes, I had to Google half of these law terms.

And yes, most of my legal knowledge comes from binging Suits.

But technicalities aside — objections overruled.

Court is now in session

Let the trials begin.

Case #001: Ursula vs. The People (and Merpeople)

Charges: Fraud, coercion, unlawful contract enforcement, attempted usurpation of the throne.

Ariel — impulsive, sixteen, and dramatically smitten — stumbles into the lair of Ursula, the infamous sea witch exiled by King Triton himself. She wants legs, freedom, and a shot at true love. Ursula offers a deal: voice for legs. No fine print tricks, no cursed apples. Seems like a sketchy Craigslist transaction.

Ursula is a sea witch with a reputation for trapping desperate souls in her creepy coral garden. Ariel is a teenager who thinks kissing a boy will solve all her problems. That’s not a fair negotiation. In legal terms? Undue influence and unconscionable contract alert! When Ursula takes on human form, she hijacks Ariel’s voice, and manipulates Eric. That’s where her case really crumbles. Fraudulent interference, identity manipulation, and yes — attempted coup of the royal family.

But here’s the part the sea kingdom conveniently forgets to mention: Ursula wasn’t always the villain. 

Once a powerful figure in Atlantica’s court, she was exiled without a trial — cast aside for being “too ambitious,” “too unconventional,” and “too threatening” to Triton’s reign. So when desperate souls came knocking, she didn’t hunt them down — she opened the door. 

So maybe Ursula wasn’t born the sea witch we booed at.

She was made that way. Pushed out, labeled “evil,” and left to survive in the shadows until the only way to be heard… was to steal a voice.

Verdict:

Guilty — but not without reason.

Her methods were wrong. But her origin story? Suspiciously convenient for the crown. Maybe she wasn’t the monster… but rather a warning.

Case #002: King Triton – The State vs. Dadzilla

Charges: Destruction of property, emotional distress, abuse of power.

The sea king himself, King Triton, literally vaporizes Ariel’s collection of human treasures in a fiery rage fit for a Greek tragedy. Parenting is hard but on legal terms, he destroyed property that technically belonged to Ariel. That’s malicious destruction and possibly psychological abuse. 

But… he’s also a dad. A single dad, ruling an entire underwater kingdom while trying to raise seven mermaid daughters. He thought he was protecting Ariel from the human world which in a way is a valid concern. Have you seen what humans do to the ocean?

Verdict:

Guilty, but with a suspended sentence. Court recommends family therapy and anger management.

Case #003: Gaston – The People vs. the Worst Tinder Date Ever

Charges: Harassment, attempted murder, mob incitement.

Gaston, the self-obsessed himbo of Beauty and the Beast, is a walking red flag factory. He repeatedly proposes to Belle, despite her clear disinterest (read: harassment). Then, when rejected, he decides to storm a castle and kill her love interest. That’s right—attempted murder with a torch-lit angry mob in tow.

But he genuinely thinks Belle’s in danger. He sees the Beast as a monster holding her hostage. So, is it delusion or manslaughter with good intentions?

Either way, his muscles can’t bench-press him out of this.

Verdict:

This one doesn’t need a trial — just a restraining order and maybe a hobby that isn’t toxic masculinity. This is why we don’t idolize men who can’t read.

Case #004: Is Tinkerbell… Kinda Toxic?

Charges: Attempted murder, jealousy-fueled sabotage.

Everyone remembers Tinker Bell as the adorable, glittery sidekick to Peter Pan — the girlboss in a green mini dress. BUT Tinker Bell tries to have Wendy killed. Not banished. Not pranked. Killed. Out of pure jealousy. She literally tells the Lost Boys that Wendy is a “bird” that Peter wants dead. That’s conspiracy to commit murder, Your Honor.

Yet she still gets the glittery merch aisle and her own movie spin-offs. Why? Because she’s cute and tiny and sparkly. Classic case of the media giving pretty privilege a legal loophole.

Verdict:

Guilty as charged, but somehow still beloved. Exhibit A in the case of double standards.

Case #005: Elsa – The Ice Queen or Just an Overwhelmed Older Sister?

Charges: Public endangerment, creating a hostile environment, fleeing the scene of royal duty.

For the first half of Frozen, Elsa is painted as the problem. Her powers spiral out of control, she plunges Arendelle into an eternal winter, and she runs away from her responsibilities like a snowstorm with commitment issues. The townspeople panic, Anna chases after her, and she’s basically branded the kingdom’s biggest threat.

But let’s rewind. Elsa’s powers were never evil — she was just never taught how to control them. Her own parents raised her in fear, taught her to hide, to “conceal, don’t feel,” and then left her to rule a whole kingdom the day they died. No advisors. No therapy. Just repressed trauma and frostbite-level anxiety.

Meanwhile, Anna — the “hero” of the story — barges into a stranger’s castle demanding answers and tries to get engaged to someone she just met. Chaos? Kinda on her too.

Verdict:

Elsa: Not guilty. Just severely under-supported.

Anna: Also not guilty, but someone get this girl a relationship coach.

Case #006: The Beast – Redemption Arc or Rich Guy with Anger Issues?

Charges: Unlawful imprisonment, emotional manipulation, intimidation.

Let’s talk about the furry elephant in the room. The Beast locks a woman in his castle for the crime of trespassing and picking a rose. That’s… kidnapping, maybe even false imprisonment. He throws tantrums, destroys furniture, and growls like a human earthquake. But he’s sad, so we forgive him?

Yes, he changes. Yes, he learns. But would we be as forgiving if he didn’t turn out to be a prince with a jawline carved by angels? Or if the castle wasn’t full of singing teacups and enchanted wardrobes? 

Verdict:

Guilty, but served time via character development. Eligible for parole with anger management classes and a mandatory “Healthy Relationships 101” course.

Case #007: Anastasia – Ugly Stepsister or Misunderstood Middle Child?

Charges: Bullying, passive complicity, attempted sabotage.

Ah yes, the iconic stepsister in Cinderella lore. Known mostly for shrieking off-key, ripping dresses, and tripping over her own bitterness. But here’s the thing: not all stepsisters are created equally villainous.

Anastasia — the redhead with the perpetual pout — has always been a second-string antagonist. She follows her mother’s lead but in later retellings (like Cinderella II and III), she actually shows regret. She falls in love, she questions her family’s cruelty, and — plot twist — she wants out of the toxic drama.

So maybe she wasn’t evil. Maybe she was just… trapped. Living under Lady Tremaine’s roof with sky-high expectations and one mirror to share. Can we blame her for lashing out when the only person getting love and attention is the girl who sings to vermin?

Verdict:

Not guilty, with a conditional pardon. Needs therapy, a real friend, and maybe a scholarship to the School of Emotional Growth.

In a world of animated storytelling, villains aren’t always evil — they’re edited. In Disney and in life, the difference between “villain” and “hero” often comes down to who is holding the pen.

Directors, writers, and animators choose who gets a redemption arc and who gets a thunderclap. Sometimes the “villain” is just someone who said no to the chaos around them. Sometimes the “hero” is just the prettiest person in the room with background music on their side.

We’re spoon-fed archetypes: Evil Stepmother. Mad Queen. Angry Man with Beard. But if you dig a little deeper — beneath the glitter and growls — you’ll find real characters, shaped by backstories, biases, and bad decisions.

If Disney released The Little Mermaid from Ursula’s perspective, would she be a sea witch or just a woman tired of an oppressive monarchy and teen drama?

The line between villain and hero isn’t always drawn by morals. It’s drawn by storytelling choices — whose version we hear, what angle the camera zooms in from, and whether or not they get a catchy solo. That’s why it’s so important to take off the mouse ears every once in a while and ask: Whose story didn’t get told?

In the real world — and even in fiction — the truth usually sits somewhere between a villain’s laugh and a hero’s smile.

Maybe we don’t need more heroes or villains, we just need more context.

If you ever find yourself unfairly labeled the “bad guy” in your own story, remember: you might just be someone else’s misunderstood plot twist.