I’ve watched hundreds of hours worth of Disney movies in my lifetime, so with that weird brag up my sleeve I deem myself worthy of telling everyone about the most underrated Disney characters of all time.
Now look, I’m a reasonable man and I’m aware that not everyone’s going to agree with my opinion but hopefully, at the very least, it’ll remind you of some quality movies that absolutely deserve to be re-watched purely for the bants alone.
Have I forgotten some characters who should be on the list? Definitely, my memory is particularly shocking for my age but that’s another issue for another time. Anywho, here are just a few from the Disney crew that demand more attention.
VICTOR, HUGO & LAVERNE, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME
The Hunchback of Notre Dame was the only movie that’s ever made me warm to gargoyles – I used to think gargoyles in real life were genuinely terrifying so it was comforting to think they actually had warm personalities and that they’d help me if I ever got tied up and pelted with tomatoes like ol’ mate Quasimodo.
We also can’t forget that without Victor, Hugo and Laverne, Quasimodo’s fate would be anything but positive – the trio of gargoyles really were his guardian angels. Bless.
PASCAL, TANGLED
There’s no denying that Rapunzel got dealt a pretty shoddy hand of cards. Yes, she gets to live in a cool treehouse which is every child’s dream, but she also can’t leave said treehouse and runs a very high risk of copping cabin fever.
To be fair, the only reason she hasn’t already got cabin fever is thanks to her trusty best pal/chameleon, Pascal. On top of keeping her company, Pascal is a key player in sussing out who’s super dodgy – he’s got some killer character judgement, that Pascal.
VIOLET, THE INCREDIBLES
Are we really going to forget that without Violet, the entire Incredibles family would have been hit by a literal plane? Sure, she may not be the most outgoing person around but if anyone can create energy forcefields to save my butt, I’m buddying up with them pronto.
Can you imagine how many young kids saw themselves in Violet too? The gal’s so relatable and perfectly embodies that awkward teenager phase – we’ve all wished we were invisible at least once during school.
MERRYWEATHER, SLEEPING BEAUTY
Can somebody please just listen to Merryweather?? She’s right so often but her older sisters are just like, ‘Yeah nah Merryweather you’re wrong get outta here’ even when she’s 100% right. It’s wildly infuriating.
I also have a soft spot for Merryweather because she’ll fight tooth and nail over the colour blue and frankly, same.
KRONK, THE EMPEROR’S NEW GROOVE
Bless Kronk‘s cotton socks, he’s really just a child at heart, ain’t he?
The adorable/jacked henchman of the delightfully evil Yzma was by far the best supporting character to exist in any movie ever – that’s a huge claim but I firmly stand by it. The Emperor’s New Groove is stacked with 11/10 comedy but I’ll never get over Kronk panicking about burning his spinach puffs. Ugh, so much gold.
MISS UNGERMEYER, THE LIZZIE MCGUIRE MOVIE
Few people have the huge responsibility of taking a bunch of students to a foreign country and one of those few is Miss Ungermeyer. Growing up I used to think she was a wet blanket who kept trying to get in the way of Lizzie McGuire’s quest for romance but now I’ve realised she was just trying to keep them all alive.
Imagine if Lizzie ended up accidentally getting a train to another country and disappearing forever? Miss Ungermeyer would 100% be fired and I imagine Lizzie’s parents wouldn’t be the biggest fans of hers if she lost their only daughter. Teach on, Miss Ungermeyer.
HEIMLICH, A BUG’S LIFE
I actually feel like A Bug’s Life is an underrated gem in general, but I distinctly remember laughing the hardest at Heimlich, a squishy caterpillar who just wants his moment in the sun.
Perhaps my favourite line of any Disney movie ever – which still cracks me up – is when Heimlich finally sprouts his (admittedly tiny) wings and the other bugs have to carry him to make him feel like he’s flying. The line in question? “And from way up here, you all look like little ants!” Heimlich says to literal ants. Amazing.
