You can’t really have a great story without a great conflict, and good conflicts are rarely complete without a good villain. While we are taught from a young age to treat people the way we want to be treated, to be generous and benevolent, and to take care of one another, the idea of a villain always has a strange allure, despite that fact that we know that it is bad to be bad. Still, some of the best villains make being bad look all too good.

Despite villains typically getting what they deserve by the end of the story, we still can’t help but be captivated by their wickedness. They have the best looks, they live in the best lairs, and they always just seem to somehow have the best musical numbers. And even though we certainly still love the heroes that put them in their place, we will always have a soft spot in our hearts for even the most evil of villains.

Plenty of cartoon films over the years have given us plenty of memorable heroes and villains, but it is often fun to imagine our favorite heroes in a different light. What if they weren’t so good? What if they teamed up with the bad guy for a change? Or what if something in their life eventually set them on the wrong path? The road to villainy is never too far off, even for those who are considered good. Here are some cartoon movie heroes that could totally pull off being the villain.

25 Hiro Turned Villain

If superhero storylines have taught us anything over the years, it is that a great hero or a great villain usually has some sort of tragic backstory that put them on the path of good or evil. Disney’s superhero flick Big Hero 6 follows a similar structure as the main character Hiro also suffers from grief and loss, only to take his history and turn it around to do some good for the world.

But what if Hiro’s tragic backstory didn’t turn him into a superhero? What if he decided to use his scientific genius for bad rather than good? What if he got Baymax to perform bad deeds by his side (hard to imagine, I know)? While it is hard to picture this young child along with his marshmallow sidekick to follow a path of evil, it would not be too farfetched compared to other superhero origin stories.

Even though this has yet to be confirmed, concept art for the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 3 has shown what appears to be an evil (or Heartless) Baymax. Is it possible that we might actually see a darker version of the character coming up soon? It’s too early to tell, but based off of this picture, we’d rather not deal with an evil Hiro or Baymax.

Art by Tttttengo.

24 Tangled In Despair

Disney Princesses might just be the most difficult characters to imagine viewing as evil villains as a Disney Princess is usually considered to be the embodiment of kindness, purity, compassion, and beauty. While Disney has had their fair share of evil royalty over the years, the princesses typically tend to be characters that carry positive traits and don’t have a mean bone in their body.

Then again, some of these characters’ backstories are so demented that it’s hard to believe that these princesses didn’t turn out bad.

Rapunzel might just have one of the most tragic backstories of them all compared to other princesses. Being taken away from her parents as a baby and forced to live in a tower in isolation for her entire life is bound to cause a few loose screws in the noggin.

Even though Disney’s version of the princess is seen as incredibly pure, we can only imagine how twisted a person might become if they really did live their entire life in isolation away from human contact. This Rapunzel is one princess we think we might rather keep locked up in the tower as she looks a bit frightening for one to actually want to save.

Art by Mictones.

23 Most Powerful Being In The World

I remember feeling like Princess Jasmine was sort of the first Disney Princess that could really hold her own. No, she does not suffer from any sort of tragic backstory, but her strong will and desire to be free and go on adventures was something a lot of other Disney Princesses lacked and is a quality we began to see more so later on in Disney films. Plus, Jasmine had way more sass than any previous princesses at that time.

Still, I can’t really imagine the princess of Disney’s Aladdin being evil. So how do you portray this wonderful character into a supervillain? Well, why not just fuse her together with X-Men’s Apocalypse? Well, that is a crossover we definitely didn’t expect.

Even though Jasmine is very unlikely to be a character who is bent on world domination, we all know how destructive and powerful Apocalypse is. After all, he is the most powerful mutant in all of existence. This piece of fan art definitely deserves props for creating such an unlikely character fusion, though I doubt the two’s personalities would hardly get along or mesh well with one another. Give up the mutant powers, Jasmine, and return to being your wonderful self!

Art by Bryan-Lobdell.

22 Feel The Heat

Even though Disney’s Hercules my not be my favorite flick from the House of Mouse, it definitely has my all time favorite Disney villain. Hades may not have been a completely accurate representation of the Lord of the Underworld, but his sarcastic wit and manic behavior was completely brought to life by the voice talent of James Woods. And no one can really deny that the chemistry between Hades and Megara wasn’t always entertaining to watch when the two were on screen together.

Meg certainly did a few evil deeds over the course of the Disney film as Hades pretty much owned her soul, though she was not inherently a bad person. But because of Hades’ reign over her life, she never really had much of a free will.

It looks like all those bad deeds finally caught up to her.

While Meg was not actually a god, it would be an interesting twist to see her turn evil and earn some god-like powers of her own, possibly teaming up with Hades. This version of Meg portrays her if she had a bit more fire in her heart and even though she might not be as hot headed as Hades, she definitely caries the look well.

Art by LDQ.

21 They'll Leave You In Stitches

Well, this is kind of another unlikely pairing.

Experiment 626, or better known as Stitch, is not necessarily a bad creature. Unfortunately for the little guy, he was created with the intent of causing mass destruction and even though he doesn’t act as Disney’s Lilo and Stitch’s villain, his nature was actually meant to somewhat be evil and bent on destruction.

Of course we know that Stitch ended up in good hands, finding an Ohana of his own that could teach him the difference between right and wrong. Indirectly, the little girl Lilo pretty much saved the world just by caring for the little guy. But what if Lilo wasn’t the one who found Stitch? What if someone less benevolent found him instead? You know, someone like Grumpy Cat?

These two together are definitely going to have the world in flames in no time.

Why Grumpy Cat would team up with Stitch, I don’t know, but we all know that Grumpy Cat is pretty much over EVERYTHING and he’s likely one of those characters that just want to see the world burn. Even though Stitch seems to be having fun causing destruction to the town, Grumpy Cat still just doesn’t seem to care. That’s our Grumpy Cat!

Art by Tsaoshin.

20 My Sith Lord Neighbor

Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbor Totoro is a character that could have just as easily been a villain as he could have been a hero. Seeing any enormous kind of creature like him in the woods would likely cause a bit of fear in people as he still manages to have huge fangs and ferocious claws. Not only that, but there is also a theory that believes that Totoro is actually a deity and that the movie’s plot is actually a lot darker than what we see on the surface (and far more depressing).

Thankfully, Totoro turned out to be nothing more than a giant, cuddly teddy bear.

Totoro likely wouldn’t hurt a fly, but we all know that everyone has a little bit of evil in them. But who would have ever thought that Totoro was force sensitive and actually aligned with the dark side of the force? Here, we see Totoro dual wielding two red lightsabers and we all know that a red lightsaber is definitely a sign that someone is evil. I’m not sure how well Totoro would necessarily do in a ligtsaber battle with those clumsy paws, but he is still someone I would definitely not pick a fight with.

Art by Meganerid.

19 The Fairest Master Of Them All

Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who is the cruelest of them all? It looks like the Evil Queen doesn’t actually hold a candlestick when compared to this evil variation of the original Disney Princess.

Being the first Disney Princess ever created, Snow White was one of the first depictions of Disney’s portrayal of beauty, generosity, and benevolence which were traits that would carry over to most Disney Princesses. While other Disney Princesses later evolved to have more attitude, Snow White just simply does not have a bad bone in her body making her one of the least interesting Disney Princesses. This version of the iconic character, however, is somewhat horrifying.

Maybe Snow White was bunking up with the Seven Dwarfs for a much more sinister reason. Maybe she simply captured them and kept them for herself as her personal slaves, only to mine for gems and gold. Or maybe Snow White was just a sinister and spoiled brat this whole time and the Evil Queen actually wasn’t all that bad after all. Then again, I am not too sure I’d like to run into these seven dwarfs in the woods alone. They look strangely demonic and a bit too hungry for my tastes.

Art by Jeftoon01.

18 Fire From The Sea

It looks like we have yet another Disney Princess that has gone rogue. We already looked at Princess Jasmine a few pictures before as a reimagined version of herself fused with X-men’s Apocalypse. Well, it looks like we have yet another Disney Princess that is getting a bit of the Marvel fusion love as well.

Ariel may have gotten more than she bargained for when visiting the evil sea witch Ursula, but this is definitely a different take on how the story ends as Ariel never actually ends up on land but becomes fused with the Phoenix instead. While Jean Grey may have not been known as a villain per se, she certainly had a rather dark stint when she was revived as the Phoenix and had powers that were far unmatched by the X-Men.

Ariel of course doesn’t seem too likely to have mutant powers or to turn evil, but then again, neither was Jean Grey. The only question that really is boggling my mind is how Ariel lives her life has a mermaid that is constantly on fire. I mean, being a sea creature seems very impractical for someone that is constantly engulfed in flames. At least she will be easy to put out.

Art by Bryan-Lobdell.

17 The Mission Comes First

WALL-E is by far my favorite Pixar film (maybe aside from Inside Out) and I remember being so impressed by how well they could tell a love story between two mute robots and without any real form of words throughout a good portion of the movie. It may have seem like a pretty unlikely romance at first as WALL-E was more timid and curious while EVE could easily be seen as aggressive and with only her mission on her mind. Still, these two ended up making quite the match for one another.

There are no lack of films that convey robots as evil, destruction ridden machines and even though EVE isn’t necessarily violent, she still manages to have a few protective measures of her own that could still prove to be deadly. While WALL-E had a good reason to be somewhat frightened of EVE at first, we can’t help but imagine what it would have been like if EVE had turned out to be the villain… especially since she came off as kind of a jerk at the beginning. Would EVE really do anything to protect her mission? While WALL-E likely wouldn’t be able to stop her, this version of EVE seems to be willing to get rid of anything that gets in the way.

Art by Danluvisiart.

16 They Can't Stay Kids Forever

Ash Ketchum has been a ten year old for a good twenty years by now ever since he debuted in the Pokémon anime series so long ago. Not only has he starred in different generations of the Pokémon anime series, but he has also been in a ridiculous amount of Pokémon movies as well (remember when these things use to actually come out in theaters?). Though we are thinking that it might be high time for Ash to finally age a few years, even if we do never actually get to see him in adulthood.

But what if the once naïve Pokémon trainer grew up to become something more, and not for the better? Even though he may have always dreamed of becoming a Pokémon Champion, he could still easily end up on the path of evil. Pokémon trainers are often tempted to join Team Rocket and even though Ash does not seem like he would fit the bill, this grown up version of the Pokémon Trainer looks like he not only joined but also became the leader. Not only that, but he now seems to put for trust in his Luxray rather than his first Pokémon, Pikachu. Did something happen to Pikachu? Could his absence possibly explain why Ash turned evil? Hmm..

Art by Lilmarisa.

15 A More Sinister Rat

We’ve already taken a look at Princess Jasmine from Disney’s Aladdin, but we can’t help but wonder what the courageous street rat might be like as a villain as well. Sure, he might not be the super powered charged version we got of Agrabah’s princess, but this version of Aladdin certainly would fit in more realistically to his world.

Aladdin has had a pretty rough life growing up, orphaned at a young age and not really knowing his parents. This is a character that easily could have turned into a villain but still tries his best to be good.

Even though he steals every now and then, we can’t really blame him for doing what he has to do to survive.

For those of you who continued to watch the Aladdin films once the sequels made their way straight to video, you might remember Aladdin eventually meeting his father who turned out to be the King of Thieves. It is really not so farfetched to imagine Aladdin following in his father’s footsteps and running the gang of thieves himself if his path turned out differently… of course by this point, Aladdin had already saved Agrabah and was doing pretty well for himself!

Art by AgiVega.

14 What's The Buzz

Buzz Lightyear from Disney’s Toy Story already had a rival through the Evil Emperor Zurg, despite finding out that his entire rivalry and his sole mission were nothing but a big story made up by the toy manufacturers. Still, we got to see Buzz Lightyear in an entirely different light in the show Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. Strangely enough, we really do not need to imagine what it would be like if an evil version of Buzz Lightyear existed. Buzz Lightyear of Star Command already did it for us.

There actually was an Evil Buzz Lightyear in the show who existed as the ruler of an alternate universe and was actually more fearsome that Buzz’s rival Zurg himself. He not only maintained looks from both Buzz through his facial figures but also carried over design elements from Zurg such as his armor and garments.

This particular version of the Evil Buzz Lightyear looks a little more sinister, however, as he is covering up in some dark robes… and if cartoons taught me anything, it is that people in dark robes are not to be trusted. Who knows, maybe we will see an evil Buzz joining Organization XIII in Kingdom Hearts 3!

Art by Zorm.

13 Darker Than Ever

Batman is just another fine example of a superhero with a tragic backstory, but has still opted to use his past to fuel his anger toward evil and use it for good. Most villains from the Batman universe have a pretty grim background to begin with, but Batman is one of the few that actually choose to make a change in Gotham City. He still seems to have the looks of what could be considered evil, however.

He’s so dark and mysterious that he could easily be mistaken as a villain any day.

Of course we know that that is not the case and that Batman only uses his abilities to help people and punish wrong doers. Still, this alternate version of Batman is all too gruesome to even be considered being good.

While Batman has a strict code about not ending anyone’s life, this mutated version of Batman looks like he is ready to rip anyone to shreds, code or not. It looks like he’s also somehow been combined with actual bat genes considering those fangs and red eyes he adopted. Forget those cute bat videos you see on the web. This is the kind of bat that you should be afraid of!

Art by Chrishark.

12 He'll Melt Your Soul

Elsa was sort of the anti-hero in Disney’s Frozen and despite ending up to be quite good, her actions and wish to isolate herself in her ice fortress almost led her entire kingdom to her demise. Of course, the true villain turned out to be Prince Hans, one of the most lackluster Disney villains in recent memory, but at least we have Elsa’s ferocious curse to fall back on to feel like there was something at stake in the film.

Of course, we could never even fathom the idea of an alternate universe where Olaf was the actual villain. The adorable little snowman definitely doesn’t have any evil in him, so it is hard to imagine him being like the version of him depicted in this picture.

Then again, this is why you do not trust talking snowmen.

Even though Olaf may have gained Elsa and Anna’s trust, it seems like he had more diabolical plans in mind and never meant for the two sisters to actually return to Arendelle. While I definitely don’t think it’s a good idea for Olaf to be handling vats of lava, Elsa and Anna better hope that the little guy melts before ending the two sisters once and for all.

Art by Crimson-Seal.

11 Fallen To The Gypsy Curse

Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame featured plenty of themes including the balance between good and evil, religious ideals, and political corruption and while even children watching the film knew that Frollo was the main villain, it’s interesting to take a look at the idea of gypsies being evil and how Quasimodo originally had such a distorted sense of good and evil due to the teachings of his religion. Frollo was clearly a man that hid behind his religion as a means of causing his own destruction, but it is interesting to think how he might have actually viewed the gypsy Esmealda through his own eyes.

Of course, we know that Esmeralda was a kind and compassionate person, despite being a homeless gypsy. Still, it is hard to imagine such a character as actually being evil. Well, that is of course unless she looks like this. This version of Esmeralda almost looks like she has succumbed to some sort of gypsy curse. Even though she may be protected by the walls of the Notre Dame Cathedral, we all know how well gypsies do behind stone walls. Though this gypsy is one that I think I would actually prefer to see off the streets of France.

Art by Jeftoon01.

10 It's Just Child's Play

Rugrats might be more commonly known as a cartoon on television, but the pack of babies have made their way to the silver screen quite a few times over the years, including a crossover with The Wild Thornberries. Of course, this is a crossover that we did not think we would ever see.

Chuckie Finster is certainly the most timid and cowardly of all the Rugrats, so we never really get a chance to see much evil out of him. Even as a young adult, the character still held on to many of his traits that he had as a baby. He is just too good willed of a person to be bad and too scared all the time to ever see as frightening.

Give a baby a knife, however, and nightmares are made.

This Chuckie Finster doesn’t seem to have anything left of his former self and it looks like the evil doll Chucky has gotten rid of the evil curse that trapped him inside a doll… and instead took over Chuckie’s body. Whether or not getting trapped inside of a baby’s body is better or not for Chucky can be debated, but at least he gets to hold on to that flaming red hot hair.

Art by Z-Lady.

9 Unlikely Mugshot Finds

Oh, Belle. What have you gotten yourself into this time?

Belle really can’t seem to keep herself out of trouble. You can pretty much call it dumb luck, but how many people get taken prisoner by a beast in an enchanted castle for a year? While Belle’s luck might not be the best, we can’t help but imagine what kind of crazy thing she did to get herself in this situation.

Belle really does not seem like the type of person that would do anything illegal and we certainly don’t think that she would do anything with bad intentions on purpose. Perhaps this mugshot was taken in an alternate universe where they actually took Belle in after trying to protect the Beast? Or maybe she was taken in due to the fact that relationships with nonhumans is pretty much frowned upon across the globe? Or maybe Belle just had a few too much the night before while hanging out with the other Disney Princesses?

At least she has got royalty on her side and will likely get bailed out in no time. Though I would not want to deal with the Beast’s anger when getting bailed out of the county jail.

Art by Snozombie3.

8 How Could He Be Like This?

Even though most of the characters being discussed on this list are hard to imagine being villains, SpongeBob SquarePants might just be the most difficult seeing as a villain. The carefree and loving Nicktoon character just doesn’t have what it takes to be a villain.

He does not have a mean bone in his body. Or any bones for that matter.

Still, the idea of a talking and walking sea sponge can still be a little bit horrifying and there has been plenty of fan art on the web that have tried to make the popular sponge a more sinister being. We are not really too sure how good SpongeBob would be at being a villain as, let’s face it, he is just a little bit to dimwitted to do much that would be considered evil. Maybe spit into people’s Krabby Patties? Or maybe he’d go jellyfish hunting only to raise them to unleash on Bikini Bottom? Either way, we just do not see a SpongeBob evil scheme turning out too well, but we would not want to see him try one out anyway. His silly laugh just would not work for someone that was trying to be an evil supervillain.

Art by Craftofboredom.

7 Good Thing He Wasn't Actually Bad...

I have spent years hearing nothing but amazing things about the film The Iron Giant and it has honestly been on my Netflix queue for quite some time, though I never got around to watching it. With the Iron Giant recently reappearing the Steven Spielberg film Ready Player One, my curiosity finally got the best of me. This. Film. Was. A. Masterpiece.

I couldn’t believe how well the film stood up to the test of time and there were surprisingly quite a few tear jerker moments. Not only is it a great cartoon, it’s also just simply a great film. The Iron Giant was sadly a creation that was meant to destroy and even though we saw acts of “evil” from him in the film, he was still a somewhat benevolent being. This of course was due to the fact that he ultimately had the mind of a child at the beginning of the film and had a loving mentor to teach him about morality.

It really goes to show how people can be good or bad and is an interesting take on the nurture versus nature debate. Still, we wouldn’t want to be around this guy if he were to take up his original purpose as he certainly is capable of being an ending machine.

Art by Yonauchiha.

6 Red Suits Him Well

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have had quite a few movie outings over the years, and while most of them have been live action, we have still gotten a few animated ones (though only one that actually premiered in theaters). Still, based not only off the movies but the different generations of shows as well for the turtles, we know that Raphael is kind of the one with the most attitude. Subject to a bad temper, mood swings, and outbursts, this is definitely the turtle of the quartet that we might be able to imagine succumbing to the dark side of the force. Well, if the force was even a thing in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe.

Raphael isn’t just the most likely to become a Sith Lord due to his personality, but he seemingly has the color palette to match. Those red lightsabers certainly go well with his red bandana as we all know that the color red is the signature color of the Sith Lord. Red is a fairly aggressive color, however. Maybe Raphael would not have turned to the dark side of the force so easily if he was not always behind a red face mask!

Art by Halwilliams.