Is Peter Pan one of the only Disney movies where the villain is actually less powerful than the protagonist? Peter may have the body of a child but the ability to fly immediately makes him a serious threat. If he ever picked up a bow, the pirates would be done for. In D&D, flying+range = a really dangerous low-level enounter.
But I digress, this is not a blogpost about how unfair the antagonist has it in Peter Pan. No, this is a much more important and academic question on whether Captain Hook would make a great Big Bad Evil Guy for your table top game. Though his threat level is a part of that discussion, so we’ll see.
Presence – 4 out of 5
Captain is a delight. The elastic nature of his body plus the flamboyant style, the brooding, malicious countenance that can switch to comedic howls… his selfish and sadistic in the best way. The only issue is that he is played so heavily for laughs that he will not hold up a serious campaign. He is a nasty, clumsy, vicious coward.
Atmosphere – 1 out of 5
Hook is always present in Neverland, but his impact on the land is trivial. There’s probably a few cannonballs lodged in various parts of the landscape, but the tropical island continues with or without Hook. Other than ‘Kill Peter, find treasure’, Hook really has no drive.
Omniscience – 2 out of 5
He knows where everyone is, and how to manipulate people, but other than that, Hook isn’t really that clued in, and Peter can stealth around Hook without issue.
Henchmen – 2 out of 5
Smee gets a point. He’s ineffectual but he’s a delight wingman to Hook’s dealings. If this is an adventure you are running for kids, he’s a great addition. In any other campaign, he’s being adopted by the party after Hook’s downfall.
As for the rest of the crew, I’m not entirely sure if they have actual names, and there’s nothing much else we can say about them. They can tie a good knot, I guesss?
Threat Level – 2 out of 5
He has a sword and a hook, obviously. He knows how explosives work and has a little sneakiness to him. Nevertheless, this is a man that gets beaten up by a child with the smallest knife.
Finale – 2 out of 5
This is another finale where the protagonist/player characters are putting the work in. Flying around the ship, freeing people and fighting off pirates. The crocodile is adding more tension to affairs than Hook. His false promise is fun, but that means he’s also his own downfall, not the heroes.
Final Score = 2.16
Hook is a sneaky opportunist and a coward, so the bonus actions and reactions allow him to duck and weave. Last-Minute Escape is inspired by the way he’s able to rise shrieking out of the Croc’s mouth at full speed.
This is a great example of a great Disney villain not being a good TTRPG villain. Very fun to watch, but not what you want as your own final boss.
| Disney Villain | Score |
| Ursula | 4.16 👑 |
| Hades | 4.00 |
| Jafar | 3.83 |
| Shan Yu | 3.66 |
| Professor Ratican | 3.66 |
| Lyle Tiberius Rourke | 3.66 |
| Billy Pine, a.k.a Syndrome | 3.33 |
| Elsa of Arendelle | 3.16 |
| Hopper | 3.16 |
| Robert Callaghan | 3.00 |
Thank You For Reading
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Gamer Peak 