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Whenever we think of a Disney film, the protagonist naturally comes to mind. Their trials and, more importantly, their triumphs dominate the conversation and allow us to enjoy the film to its natural conclusion.

However, a lot of people tend to overlook the villains of the story. But in fact, villains are just as important as the heroes in a story. This is because, without the villain, there's no story in the first place. There's nothing for the hero to do!

Check out these compelling Disney villains, in no particular order, that helped make Disney movies into the classics that they are today.

1 - Jafar (Aladdin)

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Jafar, like most villains, is on a quest for absolute power. And managing to rise high into the ranks of the aristocracy was simply not enough for him. He was willing to risk the lives of others, even the innocents, in order to achieve his goal. But ultimately, that arrogance was also his downfall.

2 - Shere Khan (The Jungle Book)

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Despite a relatively short amount of screentime, Shere Khan had a dominant presence as a villain thanks to his deceptive charm that hid a frightful rage. The mere mention of his name was enough to evoke fear in others. He certainly fits the bill as an important villain with such a menacing reputation.

3 - Queen Of Hearts (Alice In Wonderland)

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The Queen Of Hearts perfectly fits the definition of someone who is off their rocker. What makes her terrifying is not the fact that she poses any actual danger to the protagonist but the fact that you never really know what she's going to do. That made her a very memorable villain for the film.

4 - Hades (Hercules)

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Although Hades definitely looks the part of the villain, he manages to pull off being cunning and comedic at the same time. Definitely one villain you almost want to root for!

5 - Lots'-O-Huggin' Bear (Toy Story 3)

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Lotso welcomed Woody and friends and touted Sunnyside as a toy's paradise. It didn't take long for Lotso to show his true colors as a manipulative dictator who had no qualms about killing to get his way.

6 - Captain Hook (Peter Pan)

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Captain Hook understandably wants payback on Peter Pan after the eternal child had a crocodile eat his arm. But his single-minded focus on revenge is terrifying and even came close to killing the hero.

7 - Governor Ratcliffe (Pochahontas)

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Governor Ratcliffe's compelling nature as a villain doesn't come from magic power but rather from simple human depravity. From racism to a willingness to use violence, he's not one to take lightly.

8 - Cruella De Vil (101 Dalmatians)

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You could say that anyone who hates on dogs is already a villain by definition but Cruella took it to whole new levels. Living up to her name, she even skinned puppies to make her fur coat.

9 - Lady Tremaine (Cinderella)

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Although this villainess didn't try to outright kill Cinderella, she subjected the poor girl to almost slave- like conditions. She even went so far as to practically kidnap Cinderella to prevent her from having a better life with Prince Charming.

10 - Gaston (Beauty and the Beast)

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If you were looking for a villain who personified toxic masculinity, look no further than Gaston. Narcissistic and manipulative, he couldn't stand being told "no."

11 - Mother Gothel (Tangled)

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Everyone knows about the saying "if looks could kill" but Mother Gothel was willing to kill for looks as poor Rapunzel knew all too well.

12 - The Evil Queen (Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs)

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Aptly named, the Evil Queen was so vain and entranced by her own beauty that she couldn't stand anyone being more beautiful than her. What's worse was that she was willing to go to extreme lengths to preserve her status.

13 - Yzma (Emperor’s New Groove)

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This villainess could more accurately be described as more stylishly eccentric than being sinister which made the movie more light-hearted.

14 - Ursula (The Little Mermaid)

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The rash of comedy that Ursula brings to the film doesn't take away from the fact that she's evil. In fact, her specialty was going after people at their most vulnerable moments.

15 - The Headless Horseman (Legend Of Sleepy Hollow)

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The image of a headless monster giving chase through the night is enough to terrify anyone. This is why the Headless Horseman has remained one of the classics in villainy.

16 - Claude Frollo (Hunchback Of Notre Dame)

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In this era of #MeToo, Claude is very recognizable in the way he harasses Esmeralda. What makes it more creepy is that he uses his religious fervor to justify his actions.

17 - Hans (Frozen)

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Hans shows all of us that villains can lurk behind a facade of seeming decency. Their true colors usually come out when they are tempted in some way as Hans was.

18 - Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty)

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The live-action version would have us think that we misunderstood Maleficent all this time but you have to acknowledge that holding a grudge for nearly two decades and then acting on it is still pretty villainous.

19 - Randall Boggs (Monsters Inc.)

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Randall couldn't stand playing second fiddle to anyone, especially Sully and company. It's easy to see why he was the villain.

20 - Scar (The Lion King)

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Someone willing to kill his own blood definitely ranks high among the most villainous things one can do. That's why Scar played a large part in making The Lion King the classic it is today.