Top 10 Darkest Disney Movies

1. The Hunchback of Notre Dame

   

   The movie discusses genocide, lust, death, humiliation, and other dark themes. My reasons for voting for this one are:

   - Frollo is a terrible, TERRIBLE person. He killed Quasimodo's mother when the hunchback was only a baby and nearly drowned him. He also manipulates him throughout the movie, making him reveal the location of the Court of Miracles. Frollo shows lust for Esmeralda, which is inappropriate. He says in the Hellfire song: "Choose me or your pyre. Be mine, or you will burn." He burns down the house of an innocent family and nearly kills Quasi and Esmeralda. His death is also very scary.

   - The movie includes religious terminology, such as Maria (Mary), God, sins, hell, devil, etc.

   - The part where Quasi gets humiliated is very sad to watch.

   - Frollo says he'll find Esmeralda, even if he burns all of Paris in the process.

   - And other reasons.

2. Pinocchio

   

   By today's standards, Pinocchio should be rated PG. A lot has to do with the Pleasure Island scene, where bad kids can drink, smoke, fight, and even kill one another. The only thing it's missing is a hooker bar. But as it turns out, the island is a trap where the coachman turns the kids into donkeys and sells them off to places like the salt mines. The whole sequence where Lampwick turns into a donkey is pretty scary.

   Dude, this movie is really dark. Children are turned into donkeys and sold away, probably killed. Kids are drinking and smoking. The giant fat puppet show owner is going to kill Pinocchio. A fox and cat try to get him killed. Geppetto, the cat, and the fish get eaten by a whale, and then the whale kills Pinocchio. Do I have to say more, or talk about the book?

3. The Black Cauldron

   

   With its creepy villain and the undead army that he's created with the black cauldron, this movie could be on the list where the darkness raised the bar in Disney animation.

   Forgive me for saying this, guys, but I'm afraid those people at Disney might have been on drugs when they made this piece of trash.

   There is a rumor that there is a deleted scene with partial nudity from the princess. Brought to you by the happiest place on earth.

4. The Lion King

   

   Scar murders Mufasa in order to take over as king, then tricks Simba into deserting his kingdom by telling him that Mufasa's death was his fault. Simba comes back all grown up, challenges Scar, and sends him over the edge, where he is either killed or eaten by the hyenas.

   It may be all happy and cute at first with Simba and Nala's friendship as cubs, but then it gets darker throughout the movie and escalates to Scar killing Mufasa and blaming Simba for it. Then Simba returns as an adult and fights Scar.

5. Fantasia

   

   Definitely the best Disney movie ever made. Since Chernabog is the reason to be scared, it deserves to be top 3. Chernabog is the scariest and the best Disney villain ever made.

   It really depends on the segment. Night on Bald Mountain is quite dark, but other segments are either merely artistic or have Mickey Mouse in a sorcerer's hat.

   Dinosaurs kill each other. The Mickey Mouse segment is too creepy.

6. The Nightmare Before Christmas

   

   It is a little too scary for little kids but is really, really good.

7. The Fox and the Hound

   

   This should be in the top three, or in the top five at least. By the middle of the movie to the end, it gets sadder and sadder, and the themes of wildlife make you feel lost. This movie is incredibly good and sad. Probably one of the best Disney films, in my opinion.

   The first half of the movie is more kid-friendly, but after both Tod and Copper grow up, they are pitted against each other. Even Big Mama warns Tod that the time will come when Copper will do what Amos has trained him to do, which is to hunt game. The scene where Tod and Copper are face-to-face with a crazed look in their eyes as they go in for the kill is intense.

8. Bambi

   

   Very dark film. The father deer and the mother rabbit are too bossy toward their children.

   Despite its cuteness, this movie has a couple of dark moments. The most memorable is the death of Bambi's mom. Another scene is where a couple of birds are hiding in the grass, and one of them starts panicking uncontrollably, flies off, and is shot down by the hunters.

   The mother is killed, and the father is too strict.

9. Return to Oz

   

   Return to Oz drops everything that was great about the original Wizard of Oz. The colorful atmosphere, musical numbers, and lovable characters are replaced with hideously deformed characters and a darker tone.

   This should be number 3. The Nome King is dark and creepy and tried to eat Jack!

   This is a dark, creepy, and weird film that they made based on L. Frank Baum's books.

10. Tarzan

    

    This is not only dark because of Clayton's death. Tarzan's parents die, Sabor killed a baby monkey, and Kerchak dies!

The Newcomers
11. ?

    Mulan

    

    How is this number 45!? It should be at least number 6.

    Mulan doesn't want her father to die, and Shan Yu is more evil than Frollo! He killed a messenger, burned a town, and there are all those onscreen dead bodies. Shang's dad died - so dark! Shan Yu gets blown up, and Shang nearly kills Mulan!

    Mulan herself has arguably killed even more people than Frollo has.

    Very morbid film with too many adult jokes.

12. ?

    The Brave Little Toaster

    

    Surprised this wasn't here already. But hey, at least we have Brother Bear! Definitely deserves its spot!

    The toaster almost dies during the ending.

The Contenders

13. Toy Story 3

    

    The inner story of this film is full of discrimination. Toys in one room are treated one way, and other toys are treated in another. And then there's the incineration scene...

    The first two were not very dark, with very few exceptions, but things took a pretty dark turn here with Lotso's backstory, the incineration scene, and pretty much the whole last quarter of the film.

    Ken and Barbie have an unhealthy relationship. The purple teddy bear is a problematic character.

14. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

    

    This film was probably the darkest of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. It deals with loss and suffering. It also has a few violent depictions. Davy Jones has some pretty deep motivations.

    Jack coming back from the dead and the death of the captain (I forget his name) are very sad.

15. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

    

    The Evil Queen commands the Huntsman to kill Snow White, and if that wasn't enough, she also wants him to rip out her heart and place it in a chest as proof of her death.

    Very creepy film, and the main character is not a good role model for children and teenagers.

    The stepmother is strict, abusive, sadistic, petty, and sociopathic.

16. Big Hero 6

    

17. Alice In Wonderland (2010)

    

    The scene where the Hatter tells Alice about when the Red Queen took over.

18. Dumbo

    

19. Pocahontas

    

    This is so dark it should be number 7. Pocahontas wanted to die if John Smith died! And Kocoum dies. He's a main character, and the dark song Savages shows that Ratcliffe wants to kill hundreds!

20. Lilo & Stitch

    

    Despite its PG rating, the film does go a bit far. There are also a few scrapped scenes, including one with some tourists who see Lilo, and then one says, "Oh, look! A real native!" Luckily, the animators didn't want to be racist about Hawaiian culture.

    Another scene that didn't make it to the final cut was Pudge's death. Lilo introduces Pudge the fish to Stitch. Stitch is disgusted by Pudge's appearance and throws him out of Lilo's hands, and the poor fish gets eaten by seagulls. Lilo chases the seagulls away and mournfully picks up Pudge's mutilated dead body and scolds Stitch. She then buries the fish next to her and her sister's parents' graves. Animators found the scene way too gruesome for children and cut it for good.

21. Something Wicked This Way Comes

    

    One character sees his disembodied head, and the villain is terrifying. So, yeah.

22. James and the Giant Peach

    

23. Old Yeller

    

    Too violent and dark for minors.

24. The Watcher in the Woods

    

    Why do people never rank this high? It is TERRIFYING. The sister gets possessed multiple times, the protagonist is getting stalked by a girl with a blindfold, and there's a freaking alien at the end. Disney's scariest movies are definitely the live-action ones.

25. Maleficent

    

26. Brother Bear

    

    Kenai kills Koda's mother out of revenge. That's pretty dark. It also has one of the best morals/lessons of any Disney movie because of this.

    Killing a bear and then nearly getting murdered by his brother is very dark.

    Kenai stabbed Koda's mother. Also, the background music is pretty dark.

27. The Princess and the Frog

    

    It's dark mostly because of the whole voodoo magic thing.