dungeons & dragons – Gamer Peak

Monsters, Inc. – Greatest Disney BBEG?

Following on from Meet the Robinsons, my book tells me that the next entry is ‘Mickey and Friends’. That’s multiple movies and technically there’s some villains in there, but they are just goofy versions (pun intended, hyuk) of villains in other works.

Next is Moana. There’s no Big Bad Evil Guy there. Monsters galore, and a great adventure, but no one’s stepping up to be the main bad guy in this adventure.

Which means I get to talk about Monsters Inc. This is an interesting one, because there’s definitely a bad guy in this, but they’re not fully filling the role of ‘villain of the story’. This is not an adventure tale or heroes’ journey. The villain(s) in this case aren’t nice people… monsters… but they only really fill the villain role because of actions taking by the protagonists.

It also strains the ‘Henchmen’ aspect of our little discussion here. The main protagonist is only loosely henching for the BBEG/mastermind, and has their own objectives and motives.

Spoilers ahead.

Meet the Robinsons– Greatest Disney BBEG?

This is the first time that discussing Disney’s Big Bad Evil Guys has required me to do actual research. By that I mean I had to actually sit down, watch the movie and see its villain for the first time. I had a notepad nearby, so it counts as research.

I had zero memory of this movie. I do not remember its release, I did not recognize any of the characters. I only noted its existence because it’s next on the list in my copy of Disney Who’s Who, and no proverbial bells were rung.

Before viewing, I googled “Does Meet the Robinsons have a villain?” just to make sure it was worth my time. Google’s A.I. confidently interjected to state that yes, there is a villain. However, as if often the case, the A.I. got the details wrong. It insisted that ‘Bowler Hat Guy’ was the main antagonist, which (itty bitty spoilers going forward) is very very wrong.

Scar – Greatest Disney BBEG?

You don’t have to be a bad guy to the the bad guy, but it helps. So many villains, Disney or otherwise, have a loveable side, misunderstood in some way. If you want to be a true contender for greatest Big Bad Evil Guy, you really need to have that in your core.

For instance, someone who is ready to commit fratricide, nepiticide, abuse of multiple family members, a hostile takeover that leads to the breakdown of an entire ecosystem… well… they’re gunning for the number 1 spot.

Shere Khan– Greatest Disney BBEG?

So I’ve skipped Inside Out. Following my guide alphabetically, that leads us to The Jungle Book. You know, unless we want to look at Rage as the antagonist, and I don’t personally find that healthy…

Now this being an animal bad guy, in an animal based world, we might need to postulate a very particular kind of TTRPG for this to work. A group of humanoid D&D heroes taking on sentient snakes and orangutan might be fun, but tonally jarring. Perhaps The Jungle Book would play well as a solo campaign where you play as Mogli, or a the players take on the rolls of the animals getting him to safety?

Regardless, Shere Khan must be measured alongside all those that have come before, and measure equally. Sorry to say, but I don’t think he’s going to make the campaign villain Top 10 at this stage.

Incredibles – Greatest Disney BBEG?

I hope you’d agree with me that a TTRPG set in the Incredibles would be amazing. Super heroes abound but heavily controlled, scrutinized and often ostracized. Retro-futuristic vibes. Good grounds for a superb adventure.

The villains in Disney I’ve scored so far tend to perform well on Presence (because they are great characters) but fall away on being an actual villain. The bad guy in the first Incredibles movie is a brief part of the story with very little time to brood or boast around the heroes, but his setup is very powerful.

I’m being vague about who the villain is because I don’t like spoilers. The villain of Incredibles is the worst kept secret, but someone is always watching a great movie for the very first time and its a nice twist.

Hades – Greatest Disney BBEG?

Jafar has sat smugly atop the leaderboard for a long time – and for good reason – but I think we finally have a true contender.

It seems so obvious that an actual god would make a good villain for your TTRPG, but most gods would actual be too powerful. Your level 5 fighter isn’t going to stand up to Ares and expect to scuff his armour. What makes Hades compelling though, is that he’s not directly involved in his own scheme. He’s a manipulator, a mastermind, until all the pieces are in place.

And that’s a sign of a good Big Bad Evil Guy.

Professor Ratican – Greatest Disney BBEG?

21 people have played Moriarty on TV. Twenty One. Add up all the movies and stage shows and audio productions and we’re closing in on 100 variations. The Professor’s shown up in at least five different video games too.

It’s not simply because Sherlock Holmes is a compelling character/story. There are many storylines that do not include the Professor. He’s been seen and heard in so many times because he is a great villain. A Big Bag Evil Guy that enjoys begin mean and intelligent and better than everyone else. He is so successful that he will often bully Sherlock out of sheer boredom.

So a Table Top RPG villain based on Moriarty is a good idea. I would argue that, with clear evidence to prove it, that the rat crime lord based on Moriarty is an even better inspiration for your BBEG.

Elsa – Greatest Disney BBEG?

Ah, what could have been. Early on production, Elsa called ‘Greta’ and was a cold-hearted villain. I thoroughly enjoy the more heart-felt, nuanced take we ended up with, but I can’t help wondering what darkness we missed out on.

Elsa is still a villain though. She gets good right at the end, but before that she plunges her kingdom into ice, nearly kills her sister and several NPCs and only gets more and more powerful.

If this was the basis of a Table Top Role Playing Game, what we have hear is an adventure with two very different outcomes. Either the heroes convince Elsa to listen to sis and find her compassion… or they have to kill an ice queen.

Spoilers: And yes, I know who the ‘real’ villain is, we’re going to score them at the same time. He’s not worth a separate score sheet, and Elsa makes a much more fascinating BBEG.

Yzma– Greatest Disney BBEG?

In this highly serious, prestigious and highbrow discussion, it is important maintain a strict standard. There should be no favouritism, no biases or personal prejudices.

The fact that Yzma is a particular favourite of mine should have no bearing of proceedings. We are here to determine her merit as your TTRPGs model for a quality BBEG. Individual preference must be placed to one side in order to maintain the validity of the debate.

As a wise scholar once said: squeak squeak squeakedy squeakley squeaky squeaken.

Coco – Greatest Disney BBEG?

In order to figure out which Big Bad is the best for any Roleplaying Game, we must hold them all to the same standard. Otherwise, this very serious discussion lacks credibility.

Having said this, certain villains would be poor for the average fantasy adventure, but excellent for very specific game types or storylines.

The villain of Coco (spoilers incoming) would be a pitiful BBEG in a regular hack and slash. With a game more centred around roleplay, or a game where everyone is a travelling bard, this dastardly individual has some merit.