17 Movie Villains Who Completely Ruined Your Childhood
12. Maleficent - Sleeping Beauty
The dual-horned fairy of darkness who terrorised all and sundry in Sleeping Beauty, Maleficents reign began because like most villains, shes basically just a moody sort who likes to throw her weight around when she doesnt get her way. What a lesson she imparts with her first act of viciousness. After the birth of Princess Aurora, Maleficent curses the newborn child to prick her finger on a spinning wheel and die on the night of her sixteenth birthday. Out of boredom? No, as punishment for not being invited to the christening, which seems like a monumental over-reaction. On what logic was this decision based?! Its not the babys fault, she patently didnt write the guest list, pen the invites and lick the envelopes. Clearly, Maleficent is significantly unhinged if a social snubbing is enough for her to ruin an innocent childs future. When shes not busy with those matters, she quite likes to change shape into terrifying dragons, attempt murder and boss around her inept goblin acolytes to do her bidding. And all because she didn't get invited to a social gathering where her odd appearance would presumably have seen her ostracised or ridiculed anyway.
Gem is a freelance writer, musician and librarian.
Her hobbies include: recreating movie death scenes from LEGO, concocting new types of bird suet cakes, walking on fresh snow and playing the glockenspiel - all at the same time.
