Ok, joking aside, Disney truly is a darker and scarier world then most think, and has more adult themes then some would truly believe. Now I'm sure we've all heard of the hidden messages in the films, but for me, there was something that was out in the open for all to see. What I'm talking about is the means in which the villains die.

Now this isn't some puritanical article complaining that there's murder in children's movies or anything, a lot of the time the villains disserved what they got. However, this isn't so much that they die its how they die. For an adult film, some of these deaths are just fine, but for kid's film, they're pretty god damn extreme. So that's what we're listing, Disney's most brutal executions.

I'd like to note first that 5 and 2 are ties, 5 because they're both Pixar films and 2 because I honestly couldn't decide between the 2. Also, some films will not make the list either because the villain survives (obviously) or the means of death wasn't enough to make the list. That should do it, let's begin.

Read, enjoy and revel in getting to know an up and coming horror queen a little bit better.

Step Mother: Fell to death and possibly crushed
I'll note from here on that all films will be animation of some sort. One death that pops up frequently in Disney is actually falling to there death, it happened in Beauty and the Beast, Up, the Great Mouse Detective. Yet it's not all that brutal, in most cases, so much so that this one making the list actually surprises as like #10, it should have been more brutal as she not only fell, but was crushed by boulders. The one factor though is that Snow White is actually Disney's first full length animated film ever, so this in turn is the first death scene they've ever done, which gives it the nod.

McLeach: Swept off a waterfall to death
This to me is one of the more underrated Disney films out there. The first Rescuers film was fun at times but rather silly and at times stupid. This sequel, while still filled with comedy, was shockingly more adult and dark, and the reason for that is McLeach. McLeach is a poacher who gladly makes a living off the hides of animals, endangered ones in fact, and the darkest part of all is he'll kill a kid to keep his secrets. Now granted, this is another falling death, but what sets this one above Snow White is it builds it as we see him try desperately to swim away and fail.

Dr. Faciler: Dragged into the underworld
Before I start, I'd like say that this film is proof that Disney needs to go back to classic animation. Along with being a fun throwback to the glory days of old, Princess and the Frog brings us another awesome villain in Dr. Faciler AKA the Shadow Man, a Voodoo Priest who tricks people and cast's magic on them after attaining what he needs. Besides being an awesome villain (voiced by the awesome Keith David), Faciler had a rather surprisingly dark end, after his pendent is smashed, the spirits he made a deal with come and drag him away into the underworld, or even hell. While not painful or bloody, it's none the less dark and kind of reminiscent of Ghost with the shadows from hell.

Syndrome: Pulled into his Jet Engine Turbine
Some consider The Incredibles to be Pixar's best film (I give that to WALL*E). It's the quintessential super hero film, as it takes all the aspects, all the reasons we love superhero films and shows them in their purist form. Perhaps one of the most loved aspects is the villain, Syndrome, who actually is one of us, a fanboy. This whole film actually is a trail of bodies as Syndrome is first revealed to have killed past heroes to perfect his robot, Mr. Incredible and his family manages to stop Syndrome's minions who number of them actually are killed, and of course there's Syndrome's death. Pretty much a Turbine is a large fan and you can imagine what it's like being pulled into one. This combined with the body count through out the film has this tied at this spot

Hopper: Fed to baby chicks
What's weird about A Bug's Life is that it's kind of a forgotten gem these days. It's understandable though as Pixar has produced countless masterpieces (their two worst are Cars and Ratatoullie, and they're still good to a level). This film is also pretty dark at times as it features a grasshopper gang keep a colony of ants under control for via fear to get food, and Hopper through out is shown to be soulless and willing to keep control via any means. Now granted, he being so damn dark should make us clamor for his just ending, but even his death was rather surprisingly harsh. Like a lot of insects, he fears birds and he dies via just that, fed to a baby chick. What makes it stand out more it drags out as he's shown screaming in fear and builds to him being eaten. Looking back, I still have to think "Damn that's harsh!"

Ursula: Impaled by a ships bowstring
Just about all of Disney's animation films can apply to boys and girls, the girls get the princess fantasies and the boys can be the hero and adventure fantasy. This one...really is more meant for girls then boys, and to be honest is rather surprising that it would make this list. Despite it not applying to my gender in general, even I have to admit that Ursula is one of Disney's best villains to date a she does the classic "deal with the devil" and does whatever to make the contract work in her favor. What ultimately puts it on the list, and this high, is the fact that she suffers a physically painful death. After using the trident to grow to tremendous size and about to kill Ariel, her prince charming (I don't know the prince's name and I honestly don't care) steers a sunken ship and uses the broken nose of the ship to impale Ursula. Pretty much, she literally is stabbed through the heart, and that's why she's at this spot.

Mulan
Shan Yu: Shot into a tower of Fireworks which then explodes
This happens to be one of my favorite villains to be honest. Shan Yu is just a war whore bastard that's looking for a fight, hell he says point blank that he only started this war because he saw the Great Wall's creation as a challenge of his strength. Even after finding out that the Mulan, who destroyed his army via an avalanche, is a woman he doesn't give a damn about the gender aspect and simply wants vengeance, I'm sorry but this guy's is evil in the awesome way. Really, some wouldn't think his death so painful or bloody, since it's actually very brief and the film moves along quickly. How he dies is a giant fire work is launched at him and he's trapped via a sword through his clothing, then its force lifts him and launches into a tower full of fireworks, exploding on impact. If the blast didn't kill him (which it might have), then he most likely suffered a long painful death via fire. Hey, at least he went out with a blast. Ok, I apologize for that.

Scar: Mauled and eaten by Hyenas
I'll admit right now that these 2 and the last spot are the main inspirations for this list. Lion King is by far one of Disney's greatest films, and one of its most adult themed. It pretty much is Hamlet with animals. Scar is your standard Tyrant who longs for power and control and will do whatever it takes to get it. Hell, if you notice on his song "Be Prepared" they reference Hitler's rise to power, look it up and pay attention. Once again, what ultimately puts him on this list, and tied at #2 is that his death is poetic justice. He uses the Hyena's in order to gain his power, but when threatened by death; he instantly blames them alone, unaware that they're really listening. And of course later, they attack him. While that alone would have put this on this list, what puts it so high up is that I noticed looking back is that Ed licks his lips right before they attack, meaning they mauled and ate him, and to a level full filling his promise for food. Even by other films on this list, that's fucking brutal.

Clayton: Fell from a tree and hung by a vine
This film would be the last successful classic Disney Animation before they hit a slump with the films that fallowed, so this was the last true classic they released basicly. This one also kind of surprises me being this high up; as Clayton is problebly one of the least built characters on the list. All we ever get of him is that he wants to capture gorillas for money, that's it. This is also another rather dark film as the opening has a Leopard killing a baby gorilla and then Tarzan's parents, who he eventually kills later on. Like last time, his mean of death would have put him on the list but his time; Disney itself went blatantly one step farther. After getting caught up in tree vines and violently cutting them away, he falls with one wrapped around his neck and he obviously dies when the vine reaches its limit. The real kicker here is that we see Tarzan land and behind him while lightening strikes; we see the shadow of Clayton's hanging body. I say it again; a kid's film shows a silhouette of a hanged man. If I hadn't noticed that Scar was actually eaten alive, this would have beat out Lion King for #2.

Frollo: Falls into a moat of fiery melted steel
Out of all the classic Disney Animation films, this by far might be the darkest, and Frollo is the reason. The film shows Frollo, a judge who lives, breaths and sleeps righteousness and sees sin and evil at every corner. After discovering he's having lustful thoughts about Esmeralda, he vows that she will give herself to him or die. Pretty much he wants to fuck her and he still finds a way to figure it as an act of purity. Once again, it's cruel irony that puts this death where it is, this time more so then any other. How he dies is right before he gives a death swing with a sword to Quasimodo and Esmeralda, the gargoyle water vent suddenly breaks and he falls into a moat of melted steel and burns to death (although I think he'd be dead before he even touched the fire, not sure). Now again, that alone would have put this on the list, but here's what makes this top all the others. Right before he's about to strike, he utters the words "And he shall smite the wicked, and plunge them into the Fiery Pit!" After that, the statue he stands on starts to crack and as he catches himself, the gargoyles face suddenly comes alive and roars at him, and he then falls into a fiery lake. Even though it's metaphorical, Frollo is quite literally, forsaken for his sins and cast into the fires of hell. And again, this is a god damned kid's movie. And this makes it the most brutal death of them all.

Read, enjoy and revel in getting to know an up and coming horror queen a little bit better.

The reason I did this article is because despite Disney being for kids and a magical world to have child like innocence, it's still fairly dark and very adult. You don't need to seek out the "Horror" titles to get horror; you can find it in some places you'd never think.

That's it for this issue, next time we'll be focusing on a throw back to the classic 50's monsters. Until then, stay scared.