Maleficent is a character who makes appearances in many of the Disney theme parks, whether human or dragon form.
History[]
Background[]
Origins[]
Maleficent was a powerful Dark Fairy in the 13th/14th century. Known as "The Mistress of All Evil", Maleficent ruled over a fortress atop the Forbidden Mountain with a small army of humanoid creatures and a loyal pet raven named Diablo. Maleficent frequently enjoyed committing evil acts for fun and petty spite, often against the three good fairies, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather.
Sleeping Beauty[]
When Maleficent was not invited to the christening of King Stefan's daughter, Princess Aurora, Maleficent arrived and cursed Aurora so that on her 16th birthday the girl would prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning-wheel, and die. After this, the good fairy Merryweather used her magic to alter the curse so that Aurora would not die but instead enter a sleep-like-death from which she could be awoken through true love's kiss.
The three fairies then tried hiding Aurora from Maleficent, assuming human aliases and raising the princess as a peasant-girl named "Briar Rose". Maleficent proceeded to spend the next 16 years searching for the girl, not realizing that her henchmen had spent all of these years searching for a baby. Upon learning this, Maleficent lashed out to fire magical blasts at them as punishment before assigning Diablo to find the teenaged girl.
Diablo found the cottage of the three fairies where Maleficent then laid an ambush and captured Aurora's true-love, Prince Phillip. Meanwhile, Aurora was told of her true heritage and brought against her wishes to her father's castle by the fairies. Here, Maleficent lured Aurora away into a tower chamber and hypnotically urged her to prick her finger on the spinning-wheel, causing the Dark Fairy's curse to come true.
Back in her castle, Maleficent's goons celebrated while Maleficent tormented Prince Phillip in one of her cells, instructing him that she'd let him go to save her in years when he was nothing but an old weak man. Phillip was then broken out by the three Good Fairies who also petrified Diablo to stone in the same incident. To stop Phillip from foiling her scheme, she encased Sleeping Beauty's castle in thorns and assumed the form of a giant fire-breathing dragon. Phillip was able to kill Maleficent when his shield and sword were blessed by the good fairies, then he threw his sword through Maleficent's heart.
Maleficent's shadow in Sleeping Beauty Castle
Death[]
After being killed, Maleficent's shadow would be seen cackling in the tunnels of Sleeping Beauty's castle, hinting that her spirit may have persisted. Likewise, the statue form of Diablo was placed in the palace, and was sometimes seen with glowing red eyes.[1]
After Maleficent's death, a dragon egg was found near the castle and its dragon was hatched and kept by the sorcerer Merlin below Sleeping Beauty Castle. It is unknown if this dragon is of any connection to Maleficent.
Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom[]
Using a "Get Out of the Underworld Free" card, Maleficent was resurrected by Hades, the Greek God of the Underworld, in the magical realm of Fantasyland. Here, Hades tasked Maleficent with aiding him in stealing one of the shards of the Crystal of the Magic Kingdom as part of his larger plot to take over the various lands which make up "The Magic Kingdom".
When Flora, Fauna and Merryweather attempted spying on Maleficent's plans, she had them imprisoned in her castle. The good fairies were then saved by apprentices to Merlin, the sorcerer keeper of the Crystal of the Magic Kingdom. After procuring her shard of the Crystal of the Magic Kingdom, Maleficent plotted to use it to lure Hades into a trap and betray him.
When Merlin, the Good Fairies and the apprentices fought her, Maleficent trapped a Fantasyland village within thorns and transformed into her dragon form. The sorcerers defeated Maleficent, seemingly killing her again much to Hades' dismay.
Fantasmic![]
Appearances[]
Beverley Sunset[]
Artwork of Maleficent's dragon form appeared in the Sweet Spells area. A figure of Maleficent appeared in the window display.
Fantasmic![]
Maleficent is the most iconic antagonist from this attraction, fighting Mickey in the climax in her dragon form.
Fantasyland[]
Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour[]
La Tanière du Dragon[]
This attraction below Sleeping Beauty's Castle in Disneyland Paris has a Maleficent motif. However, the dragon within is not Maleficent and rather a separate dragon which was raised by Merlin.
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough[]
Maleficent appears as main-antagonist in this walk-through attraction. At the very end, she appears as a shadow cackling as guests exit, inferring she escaped her death.
Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom[]
Maleficent was antagonist for one of the Fantasyland missions.
Kali River Rapids[]
Maleficent's likeness is illustrated on one of the newspaper ceilings in the queue.
Skipper Canteen[]
Maleficent's dragon form appears on the map of Asia drawn by Jason Chandler and Captain Brieux.
Trivia[]
- Two separate Maleficent dragon animatronics at the parks have burst into flames. One was a fire-breathing parade float in 2018, while, the other was her Fantasmic! animatronic at Disneyland in 2023.
- A character partially inspired by Maleficent called the Mistress of Evil was planned to appear in the unbuilt Haunted Mansion expansion, the Museum of the Weird.
- Due to her appearance in Fantasmic!, Maleficent is also shown in merchandise and promotional materials for the next-door attraction the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
- The Fantasmic! Maleficent dragon in California has the code-name Dymo, while Walt Disney World's has the code-name Vivian.
- Maleficent's original voice-actress was Eleanor Audley, who also voiced Lady Tremaine and Madame Leota.
