Hi all!

Welcome to Day 4 of the 30 Day Disney Blogging Challenge! Today I am going to discuss my favourite topic within the Disney realm – villains! I believe the villains make the movie and a lot of the time, I love them just as much, if not more, than the heroes themselves. Some are downright evil, whereas others can make us laugh and even sympathise with them. I’ve always loved the same villain since I was a child and this was further reaffirmed after the live-action film was released in 2014, providing a whole new perspective on her side of the story. I am of course talking about…

MALEFICENT!

What makes Maleficent such a great villain? She is absolutely beautiful, graceful and speaks so eloquently, with a calming voice. She’s not like the other villains that rant and rave. She is poised and calculating. Maleficent quite simply, does not like being left out. When she discovers that she was not invited to Aurora’s christening, she is incredibly insulted. She places a curse on the baby princess, that will take place when she turns 16 years of age. It is foretold that Aurora will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall asleep for eternity, unless she is awakened by true love’s kiss. Try as they might to protect her, the prophecy does indeed fulfill itself. Only Prince Philip can defeat Maleficent with his Sword of Truth.

Let’s look at Maleficent’s appearance. There are quite a few satanic references here, from the horns on her head to her black raven sidekick, named Diablo, which translates to devil in Spanish. In the live-action film, Maleficent also has enormous dark wings, that are tragically removed without her consent. Maleficent is also known as ‘The Mistress of all Evil’ and when she morphs into her dragon form, she supposedly represents the dragon in hell from The Book of Revelations. In fact, Maleficent’s name derives from the Latin word: maleficentia, which translates to ‘evil-doing.’ Maleficent uses her glowing staff to summon the forces of all evil to do her bidding and she resides in a dark, decrepit castle, surrounded by hellish minions. In my eyes, she has and always will be Queen of all Disney villains. In fact, if you have ever played Kingdom Hearts, Maleficent is the final boss and the most difficult to defeat.

In the live-action adaptation, we see the beautiful Angelina Jolie play Maleficent and get a real inside look into her back-story. She is a sworn protector of her forest homeland, defending it with all her might from an invading army. When she is horribly betrayed, her desire for revenge takes over and the curse on Aurora is enacted. We witness Maleficent’s fondness for the blonde princess grow over time and eventually, they form an understanding that cannot be broken.

Maleficent embodies a truly wicked, feminine villain. She does not have her own song, which almost suggests she is above such things. There is so much more to her than meets the eye. Beneath that black, bat-wing cape, beats a heart that is sorely misunderstood.

Honourable Mention

Ursula from The Little Mermaid

Who is your favourite Disney villain and why? You cannot have the light without the dark!

See you tomorrow! Peace & Love xoxo