20 Greatest 90s Movie Villains
8. The Hunchback Of Notre Dame - Judge Frollo
Ever since Snow White's Evil Queen terrified audiences the world over back in 1937, Disney has been masters of cinematic villainy and, given that the '90s was the decade of the Disney Renaissance era, it's no surprise that many of their best villains come from these years. Having said that, they outdid themselves with Judge Frollo (Tony Jay), the lead antagonist of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He is like nothing else the studio has ever done.
Most Disney villains are fantastical and otherworldly; this corrupt justice minister is unmistakably believable, and that's what makes him so effective. He's a cold, ruthless tyrant who wantonly abuses his power, not to mention an abhorrent hypocrite who, despite presenting himself as a righteous, moral Christian, commits many appalling and ungodly acts. How many people like that have there been throughout the centuries? So, so many.
The clearest look at his dark psyche comes in the form of Hellfire, his amazing villain song. As he discloses, despite his puritanical attitudes and even though he's aiming to commit genocide against Paris' gypsy population, he is now lusting after a particular gypsy woman and wishes to possess her for himself.
Frollo is perhaps the evilest Disney character of them all, and Tony Jay's mesmerising vocal performance sells it through every icy syllable. He's also another one of those characters who makes you miss the '90s; modern-day Disney would never be as ballsy as this.