Disney has created many beloved villains over the years, with their dramatic personalities and wickedly nefarious schemes to which the hero must put a stop. But although they often seem to have been born bad (except perhaps those with a live-action backstory, like the newly released Cruella) and enjoy being evil, some of them perhaps may not have turned out that way.
In fact, some of these Disney villains had a chance to redeem themselves or even be led down a different path to where they at least cause no harm to others. While these characters still remain flawed (no villain is perfect after all), they could have potentially ended up on the good side, maybe even become a hero.
Edgar (The Aristocats)
While not the most critically acclaimed, The Aristocats is a fun and charming movie that remains in the hearts of Disney fans. What's more, this is perhaps the movie with one of the earliest sympathetic villain characters to date.
Edgar is the long-serving and loyal butler of Madame Bonfamille, who is shown if anything to be a pleasant and patient man who was happy with his job. However, the moment he overhears that Madame's beloved cats are to inherit her entire fortune, he is understandably angry and very upset. Perhaps if Edgar had given time to think things through instead of his rash act to get rid of his boss's beloved pets, he may have become a likable character.
Sir Hiss (Robin Hood)
sidekick, Sir Hiss has shown frequently to be smarter than the spoilt prince by remaining competent and being the only villain who saw through Robin Hood's disguises.
However, there was one moment where Sir Hiss could have had a change of heart and ultimately sides. When Friar Tuck is kidnapped, Prince John decides to have him hanged to bait Robin Hood. Hiss looks horrified by the suggestion and even exclaims "Hang Friar Tuck? A man of the church?!" Perhaps if he hadn't have been so cowardly, Hiss could possibly have been fighting alongside Robin Hood.
Stinky Pete (Toy Story 2)
Toy Story 2 was a more-than welcome sequel to its predecessor as it introduced some of the franchise's most beloved characters; most notably Woody's round-up gang. One of these was Stinky Pete, an old mining prospector.
Stinky Pete could easily have avoided becoming a villain. In fact, he doesn't really start being an antagonist until Woody attempts to escape. While his reasons for his bitterness are somewhat understandable (having to watch every toy except him be sold), Woody was right in that Andy would have played with all of them. Perhaps if he wasn't so bitter and listened to Woody, Stinky Pete would have been ing the rest of Andy's toys on their adventures.
Ernesto De La Cruz (Coco)
Pixar's Coco is a magnificent feast for the eyes and the ears, with the story set in the lush Land of the Dead, and communicating how powerful music can be. Unfortunately, the power of music somewhat corrupted one character for the worse.
Ernesto de la Cruz toured with his best friend and songwriter Hector and they were on the road to stardom. But when Hector started missing his family and decided to go home, Ernesto secretly poisoned Hector and stole his music in one of the most jaw-dropping Disney betrayals. Ernesto led everyone to believe he was a hero but he could have actually been a hero had he let his best friend live and considered pursuing his dreams solo.
Long John Silver (Treasure Planet)
The intergalactic adventure Treasure Planet is one of Disney's underrated gems. Many will know that the villain of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island is the cutthroat pirate Long John Silver but Disney ended up making their version of the character something of a potential hero.
Silver, a cyborg in this version, is planning a secret mutiny on board but over time, he develops a father-son relationship with Jim and becomes less invested with the mutiny at one stage. It is his bloodthirsty crew, his status as a leader, and his greed that keeps Silver from becoming a hero but Silver does choose to save Jim's life over the falling treasure.
Professor Callaghan (Big Hero 6)
Having faked his death and with Krei set up to be the villain of a Disney villain that tricked everyone. But his motives for his actions are heartbreaking and if handled differently, could have put Callaghan on the heroes' side.
Under the guise of the mysterious Yokai, Callaghan's sole reason for what he did was to avenge the loss of his daughter Abigail at the inadvertent hands of Krei. Whilst his motives are sympathetic, Callaghan's actions were reckless and Tadashi died in vain as a result.
Syndrome (The Incredibles)
Gadgets genius Syndrome is the supervillain in The Incredibles. But many fans will know that had things been a little different, Syndrome could have easily have been a hero, or at least a hero's sidekick.
Ten-year-old Buddy was such a big fan of Mr. Incredible that he created a sidekick person for himself. However, "Incrediboy" was ill-received by Mr. Incredible for varying reasons and his gruff rejection sent a furious Buddy on the path to becoming Syndrome, one of the powerful foes Mr. Incredible has faced.
Kaa (The Jungle Book)
Another serpentine character that could have potentially been a hero is the sinister python Kaa from the beloved animated classic The Jungle Book. But unlike the other contenders here, the reason why Kaa could have been a hero is mainly down to the movie's source material.
In Rudyard Kipling's original novel, Kaa was a protagonist and one of Mowgli's strongest allies. In fact, Kaa single-handled saved Mowgli from the monkeys in Kipling's tale. But perhaps because of Western depictions of snakes being evil, and that apparently Walt Disney himself felt that a snake character couldn't be sympathized with, Kaa was recast as a villain. But at least the spin-off cartoon Jungle Cubs depicted Kaa as a protagonist.
Gaston (Beauty And The Beast)
Gaston doesn't really become the movie's villain until about halfway through Beauty and the Beast. To start with, Gaston starts out as simply being a funny and boorish character with his over-the-top arrogance and his misogynistic views towards women. The sole thing that takes Gaston down the route of villainy was being told 'no'.
Gaston is the town's hero and used to being doted upon by everyone. But Belle, the one woman he wishes to marry, has absolutely no interest in him in that manner and it's when Belle publically rejects him that Gaston starts to become a villain, beginning with tricking the other villagers into believing her father is mentally ill. Perhaps if Gaston had been more humble and moved on, he could have easily been the hero he believes he is.
Captain Hook (Peter Pan)
Ruthless yet reduced to a cowardly wreck when face-to-face with the Crocodile, Captain Hook is one of Disney's most beloved villains. However, just because he is a pirate, it doesn't mean he could have immediately have been a villain, especially with a foe like Peter Pan.
Captain Hook's main (and perhaps only) reason he wants revenge on Peter Pan is for the boy cutting off his hand and feeding it to the Crocodile, an act that was done for no other reason than malicious fun. He may have been a ruthless leader but his charm and comedic personality could have put Hook in a more positive light in the eyes of Never Land had he not been driven by vengeance. Once Upon A Time take advantage of the former and made Hook one of the show's leading protagonists.