Despite earning mixed reviews for many of their live-action remakes, The Walt Disney Company continues to churn out live-action versions of its beloved classic movies and classic characters. The latest live-action movie serves as an origin story for the despicable Cruella de Vil from the 101 Dalmatians franchise.
While fans know and love Cruella, they don't know why the Dalmation hating fashionista is the way she is, that is, until now. Villain origin stories aren't always the easiest, but most feel that Disney manages to pull this one off, creating an interesting cast of characters. And while it might seem difficult to out-villain a villain who kills puppies, Cruella did just that.
11 Baroness Von Hellman
Cruella might be the villain in 101 Dalmations, but the villain in her origin story is the one and only Baroness Von Hellman. Portrayed by Emma Thompson, the Baroness is a world-renowned fashion designer who will stop at nothing to be the best at what she does - including committing murder.
While Cruella/Estella grows up idolizing the Baroness, she soon learns a devastating secret about the Baroness while working for her. Not only is the Baroness the reason Cruella's mother is dead, but it's also revealed that she is Cruella's birth mother who ordered her to be killed when she gave birth. Killing puppies is one thing, but conspiring to kill your own infant is a whole other level of despicable.
10 Gerald
Gerald (Jamie Demetrious) might seem like a well-meaning store manager, but he's not. He is the store manager, or clerk, at Liberty, a store that regularly sells the Baronesses' designs. He also becomes Estella/Cruella's mean-spirited boss.
Wanting to get on the Baronesses' good side, Gerald will stop at nothing to make sure she sees him in the best light, even if it means throwing others under the bus. He immediately dislikes Estella/Cruella when she starts working and doesn't even give her the time of day when she tries to talk to him. Not only that, but he takes credit for her designs, which is one of the worst offenses.
9 Jeffrey
Every villain needs a good right-hand man, which is where Jeffrey comes in. Portrayed by Andrew Leung, Jeoffrey serves as the Baroness' assistant and is always there to help her with whatever she needs.
A fashionista in his own right, Jeffrey is a no-nonsense assistant who likes to be punctual. He immediately dislikes Estella/Cruella when she starts working there and that doesn't change. He regularly goes out of his way to remind her where she stands in the Baroness empire and is just all-around a condescending person.
8 Catherine
In the world of Disney parents, Catherine (Emily Beecham) truly is a diamond in the rough, though she's not perfect, which is what makes her a complicated character. Catherine starts out as Estella/Cruella's devoted mother, who just wants what is best for her. However, this often leads her to censor Estella and her unique personality in the hopes of keeping her safe.
Of course, later, everyone learns that Catherine only did this because she feared Estella would turn out like her true mother. While Catherine definitely cares about her daughter, she did lie, which makes her a questionable character.
7 Roger
Roger might be a major character in the live-action and animated 101 Dalmations, the story doesn’t revolve around him in Cruella. Portrayed by Kayvan Novak, Roger is merely a lawyer working for the Baroness.
However, he does later become a key player by helping Cruella mend the will, leading the entire von Hellman estate to be left to Cruella de Vil instead of Estella.
6 John
Cruella might be billed as a villain origin story, but it's also an amazing heist movie, And every heist movie needs an incredible double agent, which is where John (Mark Strong) comes in.
Originally a devoted valet and accomplice to the Baroness, John's true colors start to show when Cruella resurfaces and begins to challenge the Baroness. In the end, it is revealed that John is the one who saved Estella/Cruella and gave her to Catherine to raise. His soft spot for Estella/Cruella has only grown since then, and he ends up helping her take down the Baroness once and for all.
5 Horace Badun
Horace Badun (Paul Walter Hauser) hasn't changed much since fans first met him in 101 Dalmations. He's still the dimwitted thief they know and love, and yet he's so much better. For starters, Horace has an incredible bond with a one-eyed chihuahua named Wink. The two are inseparable and might even be a better team than he and Jasper are.
He's also there to bring the laughs to an extremely tense movie with his wild antics. If there is one thing Cruella does for Horace is make him a truly lovable character who cares about his found family and would do anything to help them.
4 Jasper Badun
Like Horace, Jasper Badun (Joel Fry) becomes even more likable thanks to his character development in Cruella. The movie gives Jasper a reason for becoming a thief by explaining that he and Horace are orphans who have no family to look after them but themselves.
Jasper is a lot smarter this time around, and he's also one of the only people who aren't afraid to call Estella/Cruella out when she's being impossible and evil for no good reason. He is definitely the father figure of this little family and fans love him for that.
3 Estella/Cruella
While the movie might be called Cruella and she is definitely the main character, she's not necessarily the best character when they are all considered together. Still, Estella/Cruella is high up on the list, thanks in part to Emma Stone's killer performance as this iconic villain.
Like many villain origin stories, Cruella has a past that makes her sympathetic to audiences after learning that she watched her birth mother kill the only real mother she knew. This Cruella is more than just her cruel past, though. She's also a kick-ass designer who knows how to make an entrance. She seems to genuinely care about the people around her who care about her, making her not as heartless as fans once thought.
2 Anita
Anita has always been a fan-favorite in the world of 101 Dalmations, and Cruella definitely doesn't take that away. What's really fun about Anita this time around is that we get to see her relationship with Cruella develop.
Anita has been a good person since day one, befriending Estella/Cruella on her first day of school when everyone picked on her for being different. And while these two unlikely friends drifted apart, Anita ended up playing a huge role in getting the world to see Cruella as the fashionista she is.
1 Artie
Arguably the best character in the new Cruella movie is a character fans have never met before. Portrayed by John McCrea, Artie is the owner of a vintage shop Estella/Cruella frequents and quickly becomes recruited to help her take down the Baroness.
Like Cruella, Artie is a fashionista in his own right, with a keen eye for what is unique and different. With a team behind him, he helps Cruella go from a fashion wannabe to the star of the ball, creating an entire fashion show for her. Not only is he down to help her no matter what, but he's also the first original character in a Disney live-action movie to be openly gay, which deserves to be celebrated.
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