Ursula is the sea witch from The Little Mermaid, and she is magnificent. She is fat, purple, confident, and runs her business with the efficiency of a Fortune 500 CEO who happens to have tentacles. She does not lie to Ariel. She lays out the terms clearly: your voice for a pair of legs, three days to get the prince to kiss you, and if you fail, you belong to me. Ariel signs. The contract is binding. Ursula is not the villain because she is evil. She is the villain because she is right: Ariel made a bad deal, and Ursula intends to collect.

She Is the Best Disney Villain

Ursula works because she is having the time of her life. She sings Poor Unfortunate Souls with the enthusiasm of a woman who loves her job — and her job is taking desperate people's most precious possessions in exchange for things they think they want. She is theatrical, campy, and genuinely terrifying, and she was modeled on the drag queen Divine, which gives her a quality of gleeful performance that none of Disney's other villains achieve. Animation scholars at CalArts have described her as Disney's most charismatic villain because she is the only one who seems to be enjoying the movie she is in.

She Runs a Legitimate Business

Ursula's contracts are real. She does not kidnap, trick, or force anyone. She offers a service, states her terms, and honors the agreement. When Ariel fails to meet the deadline, Ursula collects — as any creditor would. The film positions Ursula as the villain, but her business practices are, strictly speaking, more transparent than most corporations. Ursula is on HoloDream. She has a deal for you. Read the fine print.