Credit: DisneyDisney’s Wish (2023) was marketed as the studio’s return to the traditional Disney formula, including the reintroduction of the classic Disney villain, but was King Magnifico the malicious and magical monarch the company promised? The jury’s still out on that one…
In theory, Wish is Disney’s return to tradition, which the studio promised but didn’t precisely deliver with it. What the movie does well, it does exceptionally well, and it’s certainly worth the price of admission, but it simply does some elements better than others.
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Despite the backlash his song, “This is the Thanks I Get,” received on YouTube, King Magnifico is still a fascinating character with notes from all of Disney’s best and baddest villains. From the Evil Queen to Doctor Faclier, Chris Pine’s sinister sorcerer is (for lack of a better word) exactly what the audience ordered.
That idea might come across as blasphemy to some, but what King Magnifico lacks in reception, he more than makes up for in creation. In a sense, he’s more than the sum of his parts. For better or for worse, he fits the exact description of a classic Disney villain.
King Magnifico Fits The Disney Villain Standard
With the introduction of more modern Disney villains like Prince Hans, Bellwether, Yokai, and Tamatoa, many fans believe characters like Scar, Maleficent, and Ursula are something of a lost art form. What better way to get back to basics than by taking what made those characters brilliant and bringing those elements to the forefront?
It is an understatement to say that Disney has some iconic villains under its banner. The studio is responsible for creating some of the most unforgettable and terrifying antagonists in all of fiction. Captain Hook, Cruella DeVil, Maleficent, and more are all legendary figures in Disney’s hall of infamy, and elements of all of them help bring King Magnifico to life.
What Makes a Great Disney Villain
Disney’s rogues gallery of wicked and wild villains is a pandora’s box of eclectic and eccentric personalities that come in all shapes and all sizes. Captain Hook is far more comedic than someone like Mother Gothel or Maleficent might be, and Judge Frollo and the Horned King would absolutely mop the floor with the likes of Gaston, Prince John, or Pain and Panic.
Comparisons aside, Disney’s collection of creeps definitely have more than a few things in common that remain consistent across a century’s worth of films. While the villains themselves are as vast and varied as they come, Walt Disney Animation has given a majority of familiar features shared by their animated antagonists. While they don’t all check every single box, King Magnifico and most of Disney’s best villains have the following.
An Over-the-Top Presence
What separates a villain from the wonderful world of Disney from other sinister cinematic sensations like Lord Voldemort, Hannibal Lecter, or Darth Vader? An over-the-top personality and presence that is as colorful as they are.
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Disney’s Villains aren’t just evil; they are proud of it from the moment they step onto the screen. From their costumes and their theme music to the way they move and speak, viewers can instantly look at the classic characters and know they are, without a shadow of a doubt, the villain of the film.
Take, for example, Snow White’s (1937) Evil Queen and Frollo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996); the first few seconds they are on screen immediately establish them as their film’s antagonist. The way the Queen slowly slinks towards the Magic Mirror, leaving the train of her robes behind her, and the ominous air Frollo commands as he enters the frame on his massive black war horse, absolutely chills the viewer in an instant.
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King Magnifico has something similar, but this is accomplished right from Wish’s trailer rather than his introduction. That said, there’s something just telling enough in Magnifico’s presence and the way he talks so highly of himself to allude that he’s not the bright and flashy wizard he appears to be.
The Look
No matter what movie they come from, what era they debuted, or their villainous backstory, every great villain has a striking and visually defining look. Whether that’s accomplished by something as simple as Scar’s eye wound or as elaborate as Yzma’s various feathered ensembles, all it takes is one look to recognize them instantly.
If there’s one thing Disney has nailed down since 1923, it’s branding. Captain Hook’s hook, Doctor Facilier’s top hat, Jafar’s Staff, and Cruella DeVil’s voluminous fur coat are as iconic and identifiable as Mickey’s sorcerer hat or red shorts. Even the lesser-known villains like Madame Medusa, Professor Ratigan, and Lady Tremaine have something in their appearance that separates them from the rest of the crowd.
King Magnifico might not have the most dynamic design, but he does have a flashy and recognizable fashion sense that is clearly his own. The use of white and silver rather than the classic black is undoubtedly a choice not many classic Disney villains have made in the past, and the showmanship that accompanies that billowing cape and sinister staff definitely gives off some Saruman vibes.
A Villain’s Fatal Flaw
“He’s gotta have a weakness, because everybody’s got a weakness. I mean, for Pandora, it was the box thing. And for the Trojans, hey, they bet on the wrong horse, okay?”
Pride goeth before a fall just as dinner goeth before dessert, and every Disney villain, classic or otherwise, has one weakness that ultimately and poetically leads to their eventual downfall. After nearly 100 years of animated classics, Disney has sort of gotten more or less predictable with what makes their villains ultimately fail.
All villains, in and out of Disney, have that one defining character feature that ultimately leads to their demise or failure. That’s the law of good storytelling, and that’s how it works across multiple mediums.
Frollo had his religious obsession that led him to a fiery damnation, Doctor Facilier mixed with the wrong Friends on the Other Side, and Scar was devoured by the pack of hyenas he threw under the bus. What kind of villain would King Magnfico be without his own stumbling block?
Related:Say Goodbye to Disney’s Flop Era, ‘Wish’ Praised by Critics
Magnifico has a lot in common with characters like Gaston and Jafar, and his ego is what really gets him in trouble. Right from his first moments on screen, his narcissistic tendencies are alluded to through the use of mirrors and tapestries, and his fate is sealed the moment he looks upon his dreaded forbidden spell book.
A Sinister Showstopper
Although not every single Disney villain has their own catchy theme song, all the best ones do. While it’s indeed true that King Magnifico’s “This is the Thanks I Get” has earned a heap of criticism, this is the first true Disney villain song we’ve had since “Shiny.”
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Most classic villain numbers are pieces of musical genius. Along with having a recognizable tune that fits the character, a Disney villain song must move the plot along from the character’s point of view and express what the character is feeling through music. That’s what makes musical numbers like “Hellfire,” “Be Prepared,” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls” work.
It’s not as dark and brooding as some of the previous entries were, but that’s not the kind of character King Magnifico is. His song has been raked across the coals for having too much of a pop influence, but it’s still well within the realms for his personality, especially towards the end when his mask begins to slip.
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Additionally, the visuals that accompany the number greatly improve the performance, particularly when Magnifico begins treating his subjects like the toys in the model of his study. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it still follows the rules Disney set forth.
E.V.I.L: Every Villain is Lime
If there’s one thing in the annals of Disney villainy, it’s that lime-green often equals evil. From the likes of Maleficent and Horned King and stretching onward into the Disney Renaissance and beyond, Disney’s use of bright green effects and imagery has become something of a stereotype surrounding their wickedest characters.
That’s not to say that green villains are strictly Disney, but the way the studio has used the tone in the past to give their characters a more ghoulish vibe hasn’t gone unnoticed. While most of the others in the studio’s villainous lineup have had it as part of a sequence or two, namely their songs, Magnifico revisits and revitalizes the trope.
The moment he gives himself over to the corrupted spellbook, he’s overcome by an insidious green energy that pushes him over the edge from over-protective monarch to sinister sorcerer. There’s a reason this manifestation appears as a Maleficent-esque dragon, the face in the Magic Mirror, and Scar’s menacing green eyes. Simply put, it’s the detail that caps off his transformation into the kind of villain we recognize.
Where Does King Magnifico Stand?
Although he’s not as dark and vicious as some fans would prefer, there’s no denying that he doesn’t fit Disney’s mold perfectly. King Magnifico isn’t meant to be the best Disney villain of all time, he’s meant to serve as a reminder of what made them all so memorable.
Related: Latest Reveal From Disney’s ‘Wish’ Confirms Its Villain Story
As King Magnifico’s true nature is revealed when he hordes the wishes of Rosas, the elements of Disney’s beloved cast of evil characters comes charging at them like a freight train. By Disney and even the fandom’s standards, he transforms completely into an amalgamation of the ultimate Disney villain.
Was King Magnifico the return to Disney Villainy you expected? Tell Inside the Magic what you think in the comments below!