With such lovable light-hearted films as Encanto under their belt, Disney has produced quite a collection of comfortable and cozy movies for fans to enjoy. Since 1928, the company has been associated with all things sweet and wholesome, from pretty princesses to brave little toasters. That all being said, Disney is not without a touch of darkness.

Many of the studio's most colorful and enchanting productions take a hard left turn into some seriously dark territory. What might start out as a delightful fantasy adventure can soon turn into something twisted at the drop of a hat - and Disney makes no attempt to hide it.

Updated on December 1st, 2022 by Jordan Iacobucci:

Disney's animated films have always been a staple of the film industry, ranging from their very first animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, to their latest theatrical release, Strange World. Although Disney's animated films are aimed at a younger audience, many projects in their filmography are surprisingly dark in nature, making some audience wonder if they are suitable for children at all.

Mulan (1998)

Though Mulan came at the tail-end of Disney's Renaissance period, it fostered a much darker tone than the other films with which it is often categorized. While other Disney films from the '90s occasionally delved into the depths of human emotion sporadically, Mulan was much more consistently dark in tone.

This beloved animated film not only featured a formidable and bloodthirsty villain who frequently ordered the deaths of his enemies, including helpless messengers, but Mulan also features the highest body count of any Disney film from the Renaissance period. Moreover, one of the film's more infamous scenes depicts the aftermath of a slaughter that left a town destitute, even implying the death of a young child.

Bambi (1942)

On the surface, Bambi seemed like a fun and carefree story about a cute baby deer and his various adorable woodland friends. However, while the film itself is beloved for its creatures and lightheartedness throughout, one very famous scene brings a dark reality to the overall story.

There are few viewers who could forget the utterly tragic scene in which Bambi's mother is shot and killed by a hunter. Though the carnage takes place offscreen, the events are made perfectly clear, as the young fawn comes to realize that he has been left alone in the world--a crushing blow to any audience member, especially the many children at whom the film was aimed.

Toy Story 3 (2010)

Pixar films are known for including emotional gut punches that rarely leave a dry eye in the theater, but the studio truly outdid itself with Toy Story 3, which was at the time considered to be the last installment in the beloved franchise. While many other Pixar films capitalize on emotional realism to bring about its climax, this film took things one step further.

In what has become one of the most famous scenes in the Pixar pantheon, the beloved toys find themselves stranded in a landfill for the film's climax. As they approach the incinerator, the characters clasp hands, resigned to the fact that they are about to die. Although the gang is saved at the last minute, this scene has remained firmly fixed in audience ' minds and continues to bring about chills anytime one dwells on it for too long.

The Princess And The Frog (2009)

The Princess and the Frog was the last of Disney's hand-drawn animated films, symbolizing the end of an era for the House of Mouse. Adapting the classic story of the frog prince, this film added a new angle to the well-known tale by setting it in New Orleans, which brought about a surprisingly dark take therein.

The Princess and the Frog became infamous for its heavy use of voodoo and demonic spirits, surprising many audience who hadn't expected such from the normally quite family-friendly company. The film's final act even features the primary antagonist being dragged to hell, an image that likely proved quite traumatic for unsuspecting young viewers.

The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is one of Disney's most underrated films, which proves to be quite different from their other animated offerings. While one might expect any rendition of Victor Hugo's classic book to be sufficiently dark in tone, it is still somewhat surprising just how dark Disney was willing to go with its own animated adaptation.

From its opening sequence, wherein a mother is murdered and her infant son is nearly thrown into a nearby well, it is clear that this film is not afraid of grappling with the baseness of the human spirit. The film only grows darker as it goes on, with Judge Claude Frollo committing atrocious actions in the name of his own lusts, a surprisingly mature theme to include in a kids' movie.

Pinocchio (1940)

Pinocchio is a dark story to begin with, but the way the studio lures the audience into a false sense of security with characters like Jiminy Cricket singing about wishing upon a star and Pinocchio being wide-eyed and innocent is almost diabolical. Pinocchio might be singing "I've Got No Strings" one minute, but he'll be running for his life the next.

While viewers will always be fond of "When You Wish Upon a Star," they'll also the miserable donkeys on Pleasure Island and the nightmare fuel that was Monstro the Whale. Pinocchio becoming a real boy doesn't exactly water down the fact that hundreds of missing children are now working in a sinister carnival and being sold to salt mines as beats of burden.

Fantasia (1940)

Walt Disney's concert feature Fantasia earns something of an honorable mention simply because of how much it flip-flops between the enchanting and the unsettling. Viewers going in blind might not understand that the film is more of an art-house piece than it is one of the studio's animated adventures, playing with their visual senses rather than their emotions alone.

Going back and forth from the whimsical nature of scenes like "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and "Dance of the Hours" to dark and frightening sequences like "The Rite of Spring" and "Night on Bald Mountain" keeps the viewers on their toes, not knowing which way the soundtrack will sway next. It was certainly ambitious for its day.

Alice In Wonderland (1951)

Disney's adaptation of Alice in Wonderland is probably the one that most audiences are familiar with when they hear the title. However, much like the book, it takes a few dark twists and turns. Blurring the line between imagination and chaos, Wonderland itself is the true star of the film; Alice is just the stand-in for the audience.

Although not nearly as dark as its unmade original drafts, Disney's Alice takes a sharp dark turn towards the end of the third act. What began as a colorful adventure with eccentric characters soon turns into Alice running for her life lest she loses her head before she gets home.

Sleeping Beauty (1959)

At the time of its release, Sleeping Beauty was a return to form for Walt Disney Pictures. The studio's three previous films had deviated from the standard fairytale formula seen in films like Cinderella, and it was time to get back to basics. However, it still does offer up some seriously dark elements recognizable from the days of the Brothers Grimm.

Maleficent is practically the face of Disney's animated villains, and her contributions to the film pull it from classic fairytale to dark fantasy at the drop of a hat. Once Philip is captured, things take a sinister turn as it appears she has the upper hand. A castle covered in thorns, an army of goblins and goons, and a giant dragon summoned forth "by all the powers of Hell" certainly seems a bit out of Disney's typical range.

The Black Cauldron (1985)

The Black Cauldron is an animated film so dark, so graphic, and so decidedly un-Disney-like that it almost killed Walt Disney Animation for good. It might start out like the standard traditional swords-and-sorcery story with its prophecies and farm boy hero, but from the moment Hen Wen has her oracular vision of the titular Black Cauldron and the Horned King, it only gets darker.

The film is home to some of the most terrifying and graphic imagery seen in any Disney movie, and it's nothing compared to the cut that almost warranted an R rating. Evil liches, sinister cauldrons, and an army of the dead are just a few freaky flavors that helped build this film's less-than-stellar prominence.