When it comes to animated villains, the first examples that come to mind are from Disney. Brought to life through a combination of smooth animation and perfectly-cast voices, they often frighten younger audiences with how effective and brutal they are in their quest to achieve their goals. Often they end up eclipsing the heroes of their movies and become the audience's favorite characters.
A fair few of Disney's fiends have been accompanied by animal sidekicks. Many of them possess colorful and villainous personalities comparable to their owners, and a fair few even have their own miniature story arcs.
1 Percy - 'Pocahontas' (1995)
As the pet to Governor Radcliff (David Ogden Stiers) in Pocahontas, Percy (Danny Mann) has lived his whole life in the lap of luxury. He accompanies his master to establish Jamestown in North America and is content to be waited on by Radcliff's assistant, Wiggins. However, a mischievous raccoon named Meeko (John Kassir) constantly ruins his relaxation.
Percy and Meeko's conflict is meant to mirror the battle between the English settlers and the native Powhatan tribe. Though he is meant to mirror his greedy and self-centered owner, Percy actually goes through an arc where he develops a friendship with Pocahontas (Irene Bedard). This leads to him leaving Radcliff and remaining with the tribe at the end of the film.
2 Iago - 'Aladdin' (1992)
Though he may look like any ordinary parrot, Iago (Gilbert Gottfried) is anything but. When he's not parroting words to keep his cover in Aladdin, he works closely with the royal vizier, Jafar (Jonathan Freeman). With his talent for mimicking voices, and his ability to fly, Iago is able to work as an effective spy and saboteur.
While later entries in the Aladdin franchise would see Iago team up with the heroes, in the first film he served as an effective and memorable minion to Jafar. His reasons seemed to be that he wanted power over the Sultan and to not be treated like a mere pet. Gottfriedy's nasally voice and abrasive delivery further elevate his villainy.
3 Brutus and Nero - 'The Rescuers' (1977)
In order to obtain The Devil's Eye, the largest diamond in the world, Madame Medusa (Geraldine Page) kidnaps an orphaned girl named Penny (Michelle Stacy) in The Rescuers. Unsurprisingly, Penny doesn't like going down into a flooded well, and frequently tries to escape. When that happens, Medusa sends her crocodiles, Brutus and Nero (Jimmy MacDonald), to retrieve her.
Frank Thomas of Disney's Nine Old Men was the lead animator for the crocodiles and absolutely killed it. Their movement perfectly captures their power and weight, which sells them as dangerous foes for the mice Bernard (Bob Newhart) and Bianca (Eva Gabor) to overcome. The duo still has a few moments of levity, particularly during a scene where they try to capture the mice using a pipe organ.
4 Felicia - 'The Great Mouse Detective' (1986)
If there's one thing that Professor Rattigan (Vincent Pryce) hates more than Basil of Baker Street (Barrie Ingham), it's being reminded that he is a rat. Usually, his henchmen are good at not bringing up the subject, but every now and again one of them upsets the professor. This prompts him to pull out a bell and summon his villainous pet cat Felicia.
In The Great Mouse Detective, Felicia's massive size and loyalty to such a villain make her an imposing foe. There's also a fun juxtaposition of seeing a well-dressed rat acting so tenderly toward a regular, non-anthropomorphic cat. Her role as a hulking beast that devours for the villain is similar to the Rancor from Star Wars: Return of The Jedi, ironic considering Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012.
5 Joanna - 'The Rescuers Down Under' (1990)
Within the Australian outback depicted in The Rescuers Down Under, Percival C. McLeach (George C. Scott) poaches wildlife to be sold on the black market. By his side is his loyal goanna, Joanna (Frank Welker). Be it trapping rare animals or catching pesky mice, Joanna tackles every task with gusto, even if it sometimes bothers McLeach.
Joanna's lanky design, big eyes and expressive face allow for a wide array of emotions. She is perfectly capable of threatening others, especially due to her size compared to the protagonists, but her movements and facial expressions also lend her well to comedy. This is best seen when her love of eggs gets the better of her and causes conflict with McLeach.
6 Si and Am - 'Lady and The Tramp' (1955)
When Jim Dear (Lee Millar) and Darling (Peggy Lee) go on vacation, Jim's Aunt Sara (Verna Felton) comes over to watch their dog, Lady (Barbara Luddy) and their son, Jim Jr. Unfortunately, Sara also brought her Siamese cats, Si and Am. The cats quickly lay claim to the house and delight in trashing it while Lady tries to stop them.
Despite only appearing in one scene, these cats more than leave their mark in Lady and The Tramp. Their movements are playful and teasing, and their destructive antics and ability to play for human sympathy perfectly capture a cat's personality. Lee provides their voices, and sings their iconic song, "We are Siamese."
7 Roscoe and DeSoto - 'Oliver and Company' (1988)
Wherever loan shark Bill Sykes (Robert Loggia) goes, he is accompanied by his faithful Doberman, Roscoe (masterfully voiced by Taurean Blacque) and DeSoto (Carl Weintraub). While their master deals with Fagan (Dom DeLuise), his hounds delight in tormenting Dodger (Billy Joel) and his friends. Roscoe in particular loves putting Dodger in his place, while DeSoto sets his sites on the orphaned kitten, Oliver (Joey Lawrence).
A combination of smooth animation and strong voice-acting makes these two stand out in Oliver and Company. The Dobermans move with the suave and deadly confidence expected from a gangster, particularly Rosco, who is the more chatty of the two. They also have some of the most brutal deaths in any Disney film alongside their master, thanks to active subway tracks.
8 Diablo - 'Sleeping Beauty' (1959)
The evil fairy, Maleficent (Eleanor Audley) rules from the Forbidden Mountain with a castle's worth of demonic goons. However, when their lack of intelligence fails her, she turns to her raven familiar, Diablo (Candy Candido). There is little that his keen eyes cannot see, and he is willing to risk his life to fulfill his mistress' wishes in the classic film, Sleeping Beauty.
Diablo was created to give Maleficent something to interact with, and his inspiration was taken from the raven familiar of the Evil Queen (Lucille La Verne) in Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs. Though he doesn't speak, his animation encapsulates how much he adores serving Maleficent. He takes as much delight as Maleficent in causing misery, and her moments of affection towards him offer an interesting look into how even evil can have loved ones.
9 Flotsam and Jetsam - 'The Little Mermaid' (1989)
After being banished from King Triton's (Kenneth Mars) palace, Ursula (Pat Caroll) is forced to live in a deep grotto in one of the best Disney movies ever, The Little Mermaid. She remains up to date on the outside world through her Moray Eel henchman, Flotsam and Jetsam (Paddi Edwards). Able to see through their eyes, Ursula learns of Ariel's (Jodie Bensen) love of humans and instructs her eels to lure her into a deal.
Flotsam and Jetsam are among the best of Disney's henchmen in terms of presentation. Edwards' voice work is smooth and sinister, and the minions' serpentine bodies combined with the weightlessness of being underwater allow them to accentuate Ursula like a feather boa. They are also rather competent in their job, keeping Ariel and Eric (Christopher Daniel Barnes) apart and even overpowering Ariel's friends at times.
10 Lucifer - 'Cinderella' (1950)
As if Cinderella's (Ilene Woods) life wasn't bad enough looking after her step-family, she also has to contend with their cat, Lucifer (June Foray). This appropriately named feline never misses a chance to make a mess and ruin Cinderella's work. He also spends his time chasing her mice friends with a teacup to trap and eat them.
Lucifer's design in Cinderella was modeled after the cat of Ward Kimbell, one of Disney's Nine Old Men. Though his actions are exaggerated for comedic effect, the baseline is very realistic for a cat. Combined with the sadistic glee he shows when Cinderella is punished by his owner, Lady Tremaine (Eleanor Audley), it's little wonder why many future Disney cats would take inspiration from Lucifer.