How Aladdin’s Jafar Is Disney’s Male Version Of Maleficent

It turns out that Aladdin’s Jafar takes a lot of inspiration from another Disney villain – Maleficent. How similar are the two iconic characters?

Aladdin‘s villainous Jafar is one of the most memorable parts of the animated classic, but as it turns out, he’s essentially Disney’s male version of Maleficent. Maleficent is often considered one of Disney’s most evil villains, first appearing in 1959’s Sleeping Beauty, then continuing to appear across various forms of Disney media, and later even getting her own live-action movie series, aptly titled Maleficent. Although there was a pretty big time gap between Sleeping Beauty and 1992’s Aladdin, Jafar shares many traits with Maleficent, both on and under the surface.

Jafar’s character design shares a lot with the design of Sleeping Beauty‘s Maleficent, so much so that it’s impossible not to see it. Both characters are slender, wear flowing black robes, and carry a powerful magical staff, all of this being topped off with their iconic headpieces. While these similarities are interesting enough on their own, Jafar and Maleficent’s common traits go far deeper than just appearances.

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Jafar’s Maleficent Inspiration Goes Beyond Looks

In a 2013 Blogger post, Jafar animator Andreas Deja confirms that he took heavy inspiration from Maleficent when designing the villain for Aladdin. These similarities can be seen in the character’s personalities as well as their looks, as both Jafar and Maleficent are conniving, sarcastic, and have contempt for royalty. The characters even move the same, with the tall troublemakers having a graceful presence as they walk through the castle and palace corridors.

Another layer of commonalities can be seen when looking at the villain’s sidekicks. Jafar has Iago the parrot, a loyal feathered sidekick who helps him with his schemes, while Maleficent has Diablo the raven, a loyal feathered sidekick who also helps his master. Even the villain’s plans are the same, with Aladdin ending with Jafar using magic to turn into a giant snake, while Sleeping Beauty ends with Maleficent using magic to turn into a giant dragon.

Maleficent’s Influence Makes Jafar A Traditional Disney Villain

Although he is one of the most well-known characters in the Disney Villains lineup, Jafar simply wouldn’t be as popular as he is if it weren’t for Maleficent’s influence. Most Disney Villains are beloved for their grandiose personalities, and Maleficent was one of the first to bring this trait to the table. Jafar’s sarcasm and contempt alongside his regalness and poise are directly inherited from Maleficent, giving him the personality and appearance of a traditional Disney Villain. If it weren’t for how beloved Maleficent was in Sleeping Beauty, Jafar may have been a completely different character in Aladdin.

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