Mother Gothel I think is truly my favorite Disney villain. I guess up there with Ursula (even though I legit forgot her name just now)
I think you can create a truly sympathetic villain that still needs to be done in/must be stopped. I recently played a game with such a villain and I hate (love) how much I sympathize and how I'm still thinking about him even though I beat him like a month ago. I totally got his plight. Totally understood where he was coming from. Would probably do the same thing if I were in his position because it's sorta heroic in a way... except for all the death and chaos required to fulfill his goals.
That feeling of "If only things had been a little different. If only we could've come to an understanding. If only you would've let me help. But it's too late and I have to stop you." I think that's the right kind of sympathetic villain I don't think Disney has successfully done yet. Maybe they have and I'm just having a brain fart?
I saw the first Maleficent and... I dunno. I just didn't care. It wasn't really Maleficent to me, y'know? Heard similar opinions about the Cruella thing though I haven't seen it myself. Haven't seen a live action Disney movie since and I have no plans to.
In essence, they shouldn't be afraid to make a truly bad guy even if his cause is kinda sympathetic. Though I guess Black Panther was a Disney movie technically and I guess Killmonger almost fit that bill. Well, he fit the bill very well. You get his plight, but you can't let him do it and it's too bad things weren't a little different cause you'd probably be on the same side kind of thing.
