Be it Mickey Mouse or Rapunzel, every Disney character has something good to teach us. Walt Disney movies and shows made our childhood great and made us obsessed with their awesome characters. Disney has been making people happy with its movies, TV series, and animated shorts for ages. Disney characters, songs, and brilliant animation are what make it magical. Do you remember Donald Duck? Do you know the song ‘Circle of Life?’ I am sure most of you remember the song and the character because once we watch any Disney show or movie, the characters stay in our hearts forever. Here’s a list of the most popular Disney characters of all time.
Best Disney characters of all time
1. Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is one of the most loved Disney characters. In the year 1928, Walt Disney was planning to create a cartoon character for Walt Disney Studios. He drew inspiration for Mickey Mouse from a tame mouse he found on his desk.
He shared his idea with Ub Iwerks, an animator who started working on the creation of a new Disney character. After some time, Mickey Mouse was created, and both Disney and Iwerks had no idea that this mouse would become one of the most loved characters of all time.
You will be shocked to know that initially, the name of this character was Mortimer Mouse, but Lillian, Walt Disney’s wife wasn’t too impressed with the name, saying it sounded too formal, after which the name was changed to Mickey.
Mickey Mouse was introduced in the short movie Steamboat Willie, released in 1928, and now fast forward to 94 years, Mickey Mouse is everywhere.
Mickey Mouse is one of the most beloved creations and has appeared in more than 130 short films, as well as featured in various comics, and even video games.
He wears red shorts, white gloves, and yellow shoes. His character is shown as a kind-hearted, lovable, adventurous mouse who loves his near and dear ones, but can be stubborn at times. He also has a girlfriend Minnie Mouse and usually appears with his pet dog Pluto, friends Goofy and Donald Duck, and his nemesis Pete.
Some of the best movies featuring Mickey Mouse are Fantasia (1940), Mickey’s House of Villians (2002), Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip (1940), and so on.
2. Simba
Simba is so cute and kind-hearted, that watching him in the movie ‘The Lion King’ made us fall in love with lions. He is undoubtedly one of the best male Disney characters.
In the movie, “The Lion King”, he is shown as a loving son who wants to be brave like his father. He is backstabbed by his uncle Scar, who wants to be the “King of the Jungle”, and runs away from Pride Lands after a tragedy. He meets Timon and Pumbaa and befriends them. Finally, he returns to Pride Lands to avenge the death of his father.
The Lion King was released in 1994 and won various prestigious awards including two Academy awards.
Thanks to the unique character arc, Simba will have a special place in the hearts of fans always.
3. Winnie the Pooh
Winnie the Pooh is a lovable bear and is often described as “a bear of very little brain.” He was created by author A.A. Milne and illustrator E.H. Shepard.
Winnie the Pooh is a cuddly and cute teddy bear who loves honey and spends a lot of time searching for it. He is kind-hearted, naive, friendly, slow-witted, and laidback. He has a special place in his heart for his friends and is always ready to lend help to his friends when they land in trouble.
He has featured in many wonderful movies such as The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year (2002), and Winnie the Pooh (2011), Christopher Robin (2018), and so on.
4. Rapunzel
We all felt in awe of Princess Rapunzel’s beautiful, long hair in the movie Tangled, isn’t it?
Rapunzel is a German fairy tale that was first published as a part of Children’s and Household Tales in 1812. The story was later adapted into a movie named ‘Tangled’ released by Walt Disney Pictures in 2010.
The movie follows Rapunzel, a beautiful princess with long, golden hair who is raised by an old woman named Mother Gothel. Rapunzel is locked in a hidden tower in the woods so that Mother Gothel can exploit her hair’s magical powers to remain young forever.
The best thing about the young princess Rapunzel is that she never pretends, and is naive and kind-hearted, which makes the fans love her even more.
5. Belle
Belle is one of the most loved princess Disney characters and was featured in the movie Beauty and the Beast in 1991.
Belle is a bright, young, eccentric woman who longs for freedom and wants to abandon her village and do something adventurous.
She unexpectedly becomes a Beast’s prisoner to save her father’s life, but eventually starts falling in love with him.
Belle has received lots of love and praise from the critics, who appreciated her bravery, intelligence, and sense of independence.
Belle is the fifth official Disney Princess and is often regarded as one of the best female Disney characters.
6. Scar
If one has to make a list of Disney characters that are evil, there’s no way no one can miss ‘Scar.’
Scar is one of the main antagonists in ‘The Lion King’. This evil character was created by screenwriters Jonathan Roberts, Linda Woolverton, and Irene Mecchi in the year 1989. He was animated by Andreas Deja. He is evil and can be sarcastic at times, which is why despite being evil, he can be oddly likable. He kills Mufasa to take over Pride Lands, but in the end, is killed by Simba (Mufasa’s son).
His sarcastic nature, amazing one-liners like “Forgive Me For Not Leaping For Joy. Bad Back, You Know.”, and evil mind, make him one of the best antagonists of Disney movies.
7. Ursula
Ursula, also known as Vanessa or The Sea Witch is the antagonist in The Little Mermaid.
She is a half-octopus, half-woman sea-witch who provides an opportunity to a young mermaid princess to become human so that she can be with the love of her life Prince Eric. However, her plans are evil and she wants to sabotage the young mermaid’s chances to be with her Prince.
With the ability to shapeshift, and persuade others, she is one of the unforgettable Disney villains.
8. Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck, commonly known as Donald Duck is a popular cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Company.
Donald Duck often wears a sailor shirt and cap with a bow tie and is mischievous, short-tempered, jovial, and friendly.
At times, he can come off as a fiery-tempered and hot-headed character, but he loves his friends and tries hard to keep his temper under control.
Some of the best movies featuring Donald Duck are Chip an’ Dale (1947), Trick or Treat (1952), The Three Caballeros (1944), and so on.
9. Pumbaa & Timon
Yes, Pumbaa and Timon are two different characters, but we have named them together in the list of the best Disney characters because they are inseparable and work best together.
The lovable duo of warthog Pumbaa and meerkat Timon in the movie ‘The Lion King’ makes the movie more interesting to watch. They live a simple, easy-going life, and take no worries at all.
When Simba runs away from Pride Rock, he meets Timon and Pumbaa and is impressed with their quirkiness and love for life. They happily sing ‘Hakuna Matata’, and are a treat to the eyes.
10. Cinderella
Cinderella is one of the most loved Disney characters of all time. The story of a beautiful girl, her stepmother, step-sisters, the fairy, and the slippers that changed the luck of Cinderella overnight is a beautiful saga that we will never forget ever.
Originally voiced by Ilene Woods, Cinderella is one of the most popular Walt Disney movies.
She is known for her beauty, kindness, patience, and positive belief that something good will happen to her.
Cinderella is a popular animated fantasy musical movie that was released in 1950 and is based on the fairy tale by Charles Perrault.
11. Piglet
If you are a fan of Winnie-the-Pooh, there’s no chance you can ever forget Piglet.
It is a fictional character and is one of the best friends of Winnie-the-Pooh.
He is soft-spoken, kind, and loyal, but can be timid at times. However, he tries to be brave and overcome his fears all the time.
He is one of the best characters in “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” (1977), and it is demonstrated in the books that he has a big heart.
Piglet is so funny and full of warmth that he will remain memorable forever.
12. Mufasa
Mufasa is another great character from the movie ‘The Lion King.’ and we all cried when he did, didn’t we?
His nobility, high moral values, regard for others, and decisive nature make him one of the best male Disney characters of all time. Mufasa was voiced by James Earl Jones, in the 1994 “The Lion King” movie.
The love and care that Mufasa showed for his son Simba is something worth-watching and remembering forever.
13. Hercules
Being the song of gods, Hercules doesn’t have ego or arrogance. Hercules is known for his physical strength and optimism. He is a Disney character that has a great transformation and goes from zero to becoming a hero. As he realizes that being a God, he has lots of responsibilities, he becomes a better person.
Hercules is an American animated movie that was released in 1947 and opened to wide critical acclaim.
14. Genie
We often ask our friends ‘If a genie grants you three wishes, what would you ask for? isn’t it?
Whenever I hear the word ‘Genie’ my mind immediately starts thinking about Aladdin.
Genie is one of the most popular Disney characters from “Aladdin”, a 1992 animated feature movie. He is witty, humorous, and energetic and gives lots of magical and musical vibes to the movie.
He was voiced by the late Robin Williams in the first movie. He is a larger-than-life spirit and hails from within a magic lamp that kept him imprisoned for years. Whoever holds the ownership of the magic lamp in which he resides, will become the master of the genie.
Genie has many powers – he can grant wishes, transcend space and time, and shape-shift. He is a larger-than-life spirit and an unforgettable character in Disney movies.
Other honorable mentions of the most popular Disney characters:
1. The Evil Queen
2. Meg
3. Nala
4. Alice
5. Goofy
6. Minnie Mouse
7. Lady
8. Jock
9. Tarzan
10. Mowgli
Disney characters are so lively that they can make us forget everything. All of these characters have something unique to bring to the table – Pumbaa teaches us to live life as it comes, and Simba teaches us bravery. In fact, if you take a look at the Disney character names, you’ll see that we can learn a few lessons from every antagonist. Who is your favorite Disney character? Let us know in the comments section below.
