Over the past few years, it appears that board games and tabletop games have begun a comeback after years of being overlooked in favor of video games and other more modern forms of entertainment. But perhaps the best board game option for fans of Disney is Disney Villainous.
Players take control of classic Disney villains like Jafar, Maleficent and many more as they attempt to complete their unique objectives before other players achieve theirs. Players can also use "fate cards" to hinder their opponents' progress by summoning heroes to thwart villains' schemes and more.
Because of the game format, not every villain from Disney lore is a good fit. Here are 5 villains we'd love to see in the game, and 5 that we don't.
*Updated on 6/24/2020, by Richard Keller: The Disney Formula is based on a protagonist achieving their goal. However, it seems the television and movie antagonists are more interesting than the hero. This is why Disney Villainous is so popular. Should another expansion pack come out, here are few more villains we'd love to see and some we hope are left out.
15 *Love to See: Evelyn Deavor
We knew Buddy Pine was going to be a super-villain in Incredibles because his obsession with Mr. Incredible turned into vengeful anger. In Incredibles 2, we didn't expect Evelyn Deavor to be the person behind Screenslaver. That's why she's a perfect fit for Disney Villainous.
Similar to Hans in Frozen, the realization was shocking. We thought she was the technology guru who befriended Elasti-Girl. Turns out, she hated her, to the point she was willing to let the mother of three children die of hypoxia. In other words, Evelyn's good-hearted soul was well hidden.
14 *Don't: Lady Tremaine
Stepmother to Cinderella, Lady Tremaine doesn't deserve to be in the next expansion pack. She's not only cruel but also mean-spirited, and so are her daughters. Ripping to shreds the gown found by Cinderella was horrible.
Lady Tremaine places a sour taint on step-parenting. She is verbally and emotionally abusive to Cinderella. Luckily, the princess has resilience and her animal friends to help her get through the days.
13 *Love to See: Darth Vader
Hey, Anakin is part of the Disney universe now. So, why not include him in the next expansion pack? He's the ultimate villain, though he started and ended as a good person.
Think about this. He destroyed his daughter's adopted home planet. Then, he cut off the hand of his son. Finally, Vader brought Luke to Palpatine so he could be taken by the Dark Side. Basically, Darth Vader is both evil and a poor parent figure.
12 *Shere Khan
The tiger from The Jungle Book isn't a true villain. He's the Lex Luthor of the jungle. He seems charming at first, but he's actually a cold and calculating animal. He's the king of that part of the jungle, and he won't let Mowgli and his friends get in the way.
Also, he's not as resilient as other Disney villains. He's afraid of human hunters and fire. He can be quickly defeated by animals larger than him. Furthermore, his ego is easy to bruise. Though he might be a killer, it takes a lot for him to attack. Not someone who deserves a game card.
11 *Love to See: Heinz Doofenshmirtz
While the antagonist of Phineas & Ferb is technically not a true bad guy, Doofenshmirtz needs to be in the next expansion pack. The main reason is he tries so hard to take over the tri-state area.
In some cases, we have rooted for Doofenshmirtz over Perry the Platypus. We want one of his 'Nators to work so he isn't a laughing stock at the evil doctor conventions. Thus, the reason we would root for him to be in the next game release.
10 Love To See: Syndrome
Pixar villains have yet to be introduced to the game and while it can be argued that it might clash against the aesthetic of Villainous, Pixar has an incredible lineup of baddies that we can't pass up. Most impressive among them has to be Syndrome from The Incredibles.
As far as objectives go, Syndrome's would be simple: defeat the Omnidroid at the Metroville location. However, it can be done where the heroes from the "Fate" deck are also trying to beat the Omnidroid first. As far as allies, effects, conditions and items go, Syndrome's various gadgets, Omnidroids and emotional turns can all translate great into cards.
9 Love To See: Gaston
Nobody completes their objective like Gaston! It's almost unbelievable that Beauty And The Beast's true monster isn't already a character in the game because he fits in perfectly.
Not only is his big personality a great fit for the game, but his various weapons, allies and personality traits (which normally work as "condition" cards) would make any fan of the character choose him in a heartbeat. As far as objectives go, perhaps having to rally enough villagers to one location and kill the Beast would be the way to go.
8 Don't: Bruce (Finding Nemo)
What's more terrifying to a little clownfish than a massive Great White Shark? Similar to another villain we'll see later on the list, Bruce The Shark makes for a great visual, but not much else.
While finding ally and "Fate" cards for him wouldn't be a problem, the fact is that he's very much an unwilling villain. Unlike all the other villains in the game who choose to be evil, Bruce only goes bad when he gets a taste for blood. Sorry, but we prefer our villains entirely bad to the bone.
7 Love To See: Frollo
One of Disney's most controversial and evil villains, Judge Frollo is a massive hypocrite who hides behind the word of God while lusting after Esmerelda and threatening her life unless she shacks up with him.
While Frollo may not have a ton of allies to make a deck out of, it can be made similar to Yzma in Villainous where Quasimodo can begin the game as an ally, but can be turned against you and become a hero. As such, his deck would rely more on effects, items and conditions as you try to capture Esmerelda from the streets of Paris and bring her to the Cathedral.
6 Don't: Sid
While many Pixar and Disney villains have a concrete plan in place to achieve their goals, Sid is possibly the most Chaotic Evil of any Pixar/Disney villain. His goal is simply destruction however possible as he's just a kid. While he works well in the context of the film, he doesn't make a good fit in Disney Villainous for that reason.
Not only would his objective be muddled, but his personality is also too one-dimensional and simple to make an interesting deck out of. While it would be funny to have a "hooker" ally card, there's just not enough meat on the bone for Sid.
5 Love To See: Mr.Waternoose
An often forgotten about villain, Mr.Waternoose is a ruthless businessman who in his own words "I'll kidnap 1000 children before I let this company die". Nothing is beneath this monster and as the CEO of Monsters Inc., he has a wealth of items and allies that can fill out a deck.
Not only would the awesome duo of Mike and Sully be in his "Fate" deck, but Randall would be the ace ally of his deck and someone who can capture items and allies from the Fate deck using his camouflaging. Once Boo is caught and attached with the Scream Extractor, Waternoose's objective would be completed.
4 Don't: Hans
The villain from Disney's modern merchandising machine Frozen, the movie was tremendously well-received due to the awesome songs, sisterly bond between Elsa and Anna and gorgeous animation... but not really because of the villain, Hans.
Perhaps because the film pays so much attention to the heroes, it kind of leaves Hans high and dry. He has no real memorable moments, powers, allies or personality traits to pull from. Thus, we got nothing for this villain in the game.
3 Love To See: Mother Gothel
While newer Disney movies have been criticized for having a lack of memorable villains compared to their classics, Mother Gothel from Tangled may be the best of the 2010s. The antagonist of Tangled, Mother Gothel keeps Rapunzel trapped in her tower so she can exploit her power to stay young.
Gothel's objective can work as a mix of Jafar's and Yzma's in the game as you would have to find Rapunzel in one of several Fate decks, capture her and bring her back to the tower. Your cards can also have various levels of effects depending on how much Power the player has, which can be tied to Gothel's age levels.
2 Don't: Chernabog
If Disney Villainous was based surely on the visuals, Chernabog from Fantasia would be a shoo-in. Perhaps the evilest representation of a villain in Disney history, Chernabog is a gargoyle/devil hybrid creature that is a memorable sight to behold.
However, that's all there really is to him. What would Chernabog's Fate deck look like? Due to not really having any heroes to go up against, it would make for a very forced and disjointed play style and take a roster spot away from many other and deeper antagonists. But yes, the artwork for him would be sublime.
1 Love To See: Lotso Hugging Bear
While Sid wasn't a great choice as stated earlier, the villain from Toy Story 3, on the other hand, is perfect. Even though he is a cuddly teddy bear, Lotso Bear is essentially the mafia boss of Sunnyside Daycare. With an army of toys under his paw, Lotso's deck could include Ken Doll, Big Baby and scariest of all, that damn monkey with the cymbals.
In the end, Lotso goal would be to get a certain number of heroes into one location (possibly the dumpster) so Lotso could get control of Sunnyside Daycare again. Who doesn't want to see Woody & Buzz in a "Fate" deck after all?