Disney/Pixar films would be incomplete without good villains.
Using Google Trends, Shane Co. has determined which villains the U.S. loves to hate the most. Here are some takeaways from the research.
Who is the most popular Disney/Pixar villain?
Scar.
“The Lion King” villain was the most popular Disney baddie in the country, reigning supreme in the following seven states:
- Alabama.
- Arkansas.
- Georgia,
- Iowa.
- Kansas.
- South Carolina,
- South Dakota.
The Queen of Hearts from “Alice in Wonderland” was a close runner-up as the most popular villain in the following six states:
- Maine.
- Missouri.
- Montana.
- North Dakota.
- Ohio.
- Wyoming.
Ursula from “The Little Mermaid” came in third as the favorite villain in the following four states:
- Alaska.
- California.
- Florida.
- New York.
What about Utah?
The award for Utah’s favorite antagonist goes to “101 Dalmatians” villain Cruella de Vil, who was also the favorite in Connecticut and West Virginia.
This proved true in a separate study from 2020, per the Deseret News. In that study, done by ViasatSavings.com, Scar also took first place for the country’s favorite villain — although his fanbase seems to be declining as he was the favorite in 10 states at the time.
What are some other popular Disney/Pixar villains?
- Maleficent from “Sleeping Beauty,” Randall Boggs from “Monsters, Inc.” and Syndrome from “The Incredibles” each had the hearts of three states.
- Captain Hook, Gaston, Hans and a pair of villains from the “Toy Story” franchise — Stinky Pete and Gabby Gabby — each found the most popularity in two states.
- The study noted several one-offs, including some that appear to be influenced by location — such as Dr. Facilier from “The Princess and the Frog” being the most popular villain in Louisiana, and Governor Ratcliffe being most popular in Virginia.
The methodology
Shane Co. compiled a list of 45 Disney/Pixar films and used Google Trends to analyze the search volume of each villain over the past five years.