Disney Wiki
Register
Disney Wiki
Tag: Visual edit
(Horned King)
Tag: Visual edit
Line 9: Line 9:
 
|animator = [[Phil Nibbelink]]<br>[[John Lasseter]]<br>[[Tim Burton]]<br>[[Ron Husband]]<br>Steve E. Gordon
 
|animator = [[Phil Nibbelink]]<br>[[John Lasseter]]<br>[[Tim Burton]]<br>[[Ron Husband]]<br>Steve E. Gordon
 
|voice = [[John Hurt]]
 
|voice = [[John Hurt]]
|inspiration = The Horned King from [[Lloyd Alexander]]'s ''Chronicles of Prydain''<br>Sauron from J.R.R. Tolkien's Arda'stories.
+
|inspiration = The Horned King from [[Lloyd Alexander]]'s ''Chronicles of Prydain''
  +
Arawn Death Lord from [[Lloyd Alexander]]'s ''Chronicles of Prydain''<br> Sauron from J.R.R. Tolkien's Arda'stories.
  +
<br> [[Arawn]]
 
|alias = The Phantom, Your Majesty, Sire (referred to by [[Creeper]]), Mr. Cauldron (called by [[Donald Duck]])
 
|alias = The Phantom, Your Majesty, Sire (referred to by [[Creeper]]), Mr. Cauldron (called by [[Donald Duck]])
 
|personality = Ruthless, truly evil, cruel, completely wicked, cunning, abusive, murderous, insane, dark, power-hungry, misanthropic, hegemonic, megalomaniacal, scary, black-hearted, ill-tempered, intelligent, arrogant, traitorous, vengeful, angry, sinister
 
|personality = Ruthless, truly evil, cruel, completely wicked, cunning, abusive, murderous, insane, dark, power-hungry, misanthropic, hegemonic, megalomaniacal, scary, black-hearted, ill-tempered, intelligent, arrogant, traitorous, vengeful, angry, sinister

Revision as of 20:34, 7 October 2019

Now I call on my army of the dead: the Cauldron Born! Arise, my messengers of death! Our time has arrived!
―The Horned King[src]


The Horned King is the main antagonist of Disney's 1985 movie The Black Cauldron. His main goal was to find the Black Cauldron and use its power to unleash an army of immortal warriors called the Cauldron Born. The Horned King has a vast army under him, which includes the troll-like Creeper, the hunters of Annuvin, the draconic Gwythaints, and, obviously, the Cauldron Born.

Background

Development

The film's main villain initially had to be Arawn, but animators felt that the Horned King would have been better received by the audience since he had horns (like Maleficent and Chernabog, two appreciated villains before him). So they combined elements of the two characters in order to create a lich, even if the narrator implies that the spirit inside the Cauldron is Arawn himself.

Personality

The Horned King is in great contrast with his predecessors and successors. While he shows the same arrogant and narcisistic traits, wishing to become "a god among mortals", he's cold and very collected, showing anger only when his plan fails and at that point he throws himself at Taran, believing it was his falt (under Creeper's suggestion). He's quite miyterious, and it's implied that not even his underlings know what he is, and he's one of the few active villains, his only move in the movie (that is not done by his servants) is his role in the awakening of the Cauldron Born. Also, he has no secrets about his intentions, he's very open about his dream of becoming "a god between mortal men" and then wipe out all life with an army of undead. He rarely shows some sense of humor or makes evil laughs, and the only time he does so is scornful and sarcastic.

Physical appearance

The Horned King is a skeletal creature with green, rotting flesh and two gnarled horns from which he earns his name. It is debatable whether the Horned King was undead or living; since Creeper served him wine at some point during the film, it can be assumed he possesses a digestive tract, implying he is a living being or at least that he is still able to enjoy food and drink. It is possible that in his quest for power, he tried several dark magical approaches, which left his physical appearance deteriorating.

It is also possible that in his obsession with godhood, the king has used his magical abilities to stave off death but is unable to keep his body from deteriorating as he is a skeletal creature with rotting flesh. Nevertheless, the decomposition seems only external as he is physically strong, fast and agile and able to project his voice.

Powers and Abilities

Although it is implied the Horned King is a sorcerer of some sort, he actually performs very little magic, only displaying his powers to teleport into his castle's mess hall and calling upon the spirit of the Black Cauldron. How he became King is unknown. Perhaps he was a great warrior or soldier, but then again he is never seen wielding a sword. He did have great physical strength, however, as he used that to assault Taran in the climax.

Appearances

The Black Cauldron

Black-cauldron-disneyscreencaps

The Horned King in The Black Cauldron.

No! You'll not have me! My power cannot die! Curse you!
―The Horned King's last words


The Horned King desires to find the Black Cauldron and use its power to unleash an army of deathless Cauldron Born to rule the world. He goes to many lengths to find it, kidnapping Princess Eilonwy for her bauble and the pig Hen Wen because he believes they have powers to locate the Black Cauldron. He is first seen talking to his currently non-animated Cauldron Born on his goals. He is seen again when he enters the mess hall of his castle via magical teleportation. There, Creeper tells him they are celebrating their success in capturing the pig. When the assistant pig-keeper Taran falls into the room whilst attempting to rescue Hen Wen, the Horned King instructs him to show the location of the Black Cauldron via the pig. When Taran refuses, the king claims the pig is no longer of use to him and orders his men to kill it, forcing the boy to comply. As Taran instructs Hen Wen to create a spell pointing the Cauldron's whereabouts, the excited king gets too close to Taran, who in his fright splashes water into the King's eyes (which has an agonizing effect on him) to lead Hen Wen into a chase where they manage to keep Hen Wen away after Taran throws the pig into a moat. However, Creeper drags Taran to the Horned King, who is angry about Hen Wen's escape and orders Taran to be thrown into the dungeon.

Later, Creeper reports that Taran and his new company have escaped, which he thinks will result in him being strangled, so he attempts to do it himself. However, the Horned King congratulates him, as the trio will undoubtedly locate the Black Cauldron, and quietly tells him to send the Gwythaints to follow them. The three are ultimately captured along with the newly acquired Black Cauldron which he then uses to summon the Cauldron Born. He sends them to destroy all opposition, however Gurgi arrives, frees the prisoners, and flings himself into the Cauldron to negate its necromancy ability. The Horned King suspects Creeper is the one to blame and carries him, returns to the room where the ritual was performed and finds Taran who he believes the Cauldron's failure was his doing. He throws Creeper aside, grabs Taran, and lifts him off his feet, but Taran pushes the Horned King into the pull of the Cauldron. The Horned King grabs Taran again and tries to throw him into the Black Cauldron, but the cauldron pulls the Horned King in instead and rips him to a skeleton, and explodes. The Horned King dies, and his castle soon follows.

House of Mouse

Blackcauldron

The Horned King in House of Mouse.

The Horned King makes appearances in several episodes of House of Mouse. He is also notable to be one of the only characters from The Black Cauldron to appear in the series along with the Cauldron Born.

In "Gone Goofy", he enters the club and shakes hands with Donald.

In "Goofy for a Day", while Goofy sings a song that's a spoof of "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!", he is seen at a table where a penguin waiter serves him his dinner.

In "Max's Embarrassing Date", he sits at a table and laughs with other characters after seeing Goofy fall into a gopher hole dug by Gopher.

Although he did not appear in Mickey's House of Villains, it is believed that he did take part in the takeover.

Video Game Appearances

Land of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse

The Horned King appears as the final boss of the game under the name The Phantom, having stolen a magical gem from a village. He is clad in blue and purple robes instead of his red and brown robes.

Mickey Mouse (video game)

The Horned King is the final boss in the video game of Mickey Mouse in which he's greatly larger than Mickey. In the beginning of the game, he had kidnapped Minnie.

Mickey Mouse III: Balloon Dreams

The Horned King acts as the main antagonist of the game, trapping Minnie in a coma via nightmares. After being beaten, he will tell Mickey to defend Minnie with all his life from now on.

Disney Parks

Snapshot 2011-03-12 11-55-44

The Horned King at Tokyo Disneyland.

The Horned King appeared as an audio animatronic in the Tokyo Disneyland attraction, Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour. In this tour style walk through attraction, the Horned King is the final Disney villain the guests confront. The tour guide will tell a guest the magic words to defeat the Horned King and his Cauldron Born army. At the end of the tour, the guest was awarded a medal for defeating him. The attraction served as inspiration for the final level of a Tokyo Disneyland-based game on the Super Famicom where Pete played the part of the Horned King. This attraction closed in 2006 and the animatronic has not been used or seen by guests since the closure.

Gallery

Wiki
The Disney Wiki has a collection of images and media related to Horned King.

Trivia

  • During his death, the Horned King's scream keeps being heard a little time after his body has been entirely destroyed. It might be an animation mistake, but it is also possible that it is meant to imply that he is screaming from his very soul.
  • The Horned King is definitely one of the most serious and darkest Disney villains, as he never makes any kind of joke (his taunting of Taran, Eilonwy and Fflewddur Fflam notwithstanding) and he always maintains his frightening and villainous image no matter what the situation.
  • The Horned King is one of the few villains without a song. The Horned King is accompanied by a haunting leitmotif composed by the late Elmer Bernstein.
  • The Horned King in the original book wasn't the main villain but rather the most powerful minion of the book's true villain Arawn.
  • In the Italian version of The Black Cauldron, Horned King was called Re Cornelius (King Cornelius, but "Corne" is also close to the Italian for "Horn") because the Italian word for horned (cornuto) means also "a person that has been betrayed by the proper partner". For the same reason, in the French version, he is renamed "le Seigneur des Ténèbres" (the Lord of Darkness).
  • In spite of the film's lack of popularity, the Horned King could perhaps be considered one of the movie's better-remembered characters; he is classified as a member of the Disney Villains franchise and has made appearances in House of Mouse, alongside his undead minions the Cauldron Born, albeit he may not necessarily be qualified to fall under a recognized status.
  • His voice actor, John Hurt, sounds like the equally dark Tirek from G1 My Little Pony.
  • The Horned King has one of the most brutal and graphic deaths in an animated Disney film, as his skin is sucked off his bones onscreen.
  • The Horned King's design later became an inspiration to many numerous villains. One of the best known examples would be The Lich from Adventure Time and Lord Hater from Wander Over Yonder.


v - e - d
The Black Cauldron logo
Media
The Black CauldronSoundtrackVideo gameChronicles of PrydainVideo
Disney Parks
Disney Animation BuildingCinderella Castle Mystery Tour
Fireworks: Wonderful World of AnimationWondrous Journeys
Characters
TaranPrincess EilonwyFflewddur FflamGurgiDallbenHen WenCatTalyllynMooseDallben's Farm AnimalsHorned KingCreeperCauldron BornHorned King's GuardsGwythaintsKing EidillegDoliFair FolkOrddu, Orwen, and OrgochThe Hunter (deleted character) • Arawn (deleted character)
Locations
PrydainCaer DallbenThe Horned King's CastleMarshes of Morva
Objects
The Black CauldronMagic SwordMagic HarpGolden Pelydryn


v - e - d
Kingdom keepers - logo
Books
Kingdom KeepersKingdom Keepers I: Disney After DarkKingdom Keepers II: Disney at DawnKingdom Keepers III: Disney in ShadowKingdom Keepers IV: Power PlayKingdom Keepers V: Shell GameKingdom Keepers VI: Dark PassageKingdom Keepers VII: The Insider
Characters
Original Characters: Finn WhitmanCharlene TurnerTerrence MaybeckDell PhilbyIsabella AngeloWayne KreskyAmanda LockhartJessica LockhartMrs. WhithamGreg LuowskiDillard Cole

Disney Characters: Mickey MouseMinnie MouseGoofyDonald DuckDaisy DuckPlutoChip and DaleArielViolet ParrMulanKing TritonMegaraStitchRemyDjangoRajahPrince PhillipElsaRapunzelTimonPumbaaTiggerLiloWinnie the PoohPiglet
Overtakers: MaleficentChernabogThe Evil QueenCruella De VilClaude FrolloUrsulaJafarShan YuJack SparrowTia DalmaGastonPrince JohnHorned KingBig Bad WolfJ. Worthington FoulfellowGideonShenzi, Banzai, and EdDiabloMagic BroomsGreen Army MenBlackbeardShere KhanSi and AmHopperFlotsam and JetsamJudge DoomMadame LeotaSaborThe Headless HorsemanStormtroopersScarZira

Locations
Magic KingdomEpcotDisney's Hollywood StudiosDisney's Animal KingdomDisney's Typhoon LagoonDisneyQuestCinderella CastleIt's a Small WorldSplash MountainThe New Adventures of Winnie the PoohBig Thunder Mountain RailroadCamp Minnie-MickeyExpedition EverestFantasmic!Voyage of the Little MermaidDisney DreamWalt Disney: One Man's DreamDisney's Animal Kingdom LodgeSoarin'Mission: SPACETest TrackWonders of LifeMorocco PavilionChina PavilionFrance PavilionNorway PavilionMexico PavilionDisneylandJungle CruiseThe Sorcerer's HatIndiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden EyeBuzz Lightyear Astro BlastersThe Haunted MansionCasey Jr. Circus TrainMickey's ToontownMatterhornThe Disney Gallery


v - e - d
Disney Villains Logo
Members
The Evil QueenChernabogQueen of HeartsCaptain HookMaleficentCruella De VilUrsulaJafarScarHadesDr. Facilier

Other Disney Animation Villains: PeteBig Bad WolfWillie the GiantLonesome GhostsMortimer MouseMagic MirrorHonest JohnGideonStromboliMonstroPink ElephantsRingmasterThe Headless HorsemanLady TremaineAnastasia TremaineDrizella TremaineLuciferCheshire CatCard SoldiersMr. SmeeSi and AmAunt SarahDiabloJasper and HoraceMadam MimKaaShere KhanEdgarPrince JohnSir HissSheriff of NottinghamHeffalumpsWoozlesMadame MedusaBrutus and NeroAmos SladeHorned KingProfessor RatiganFeliciaSykesFlotsam and JetsamPercival C. McLeachGastonIagoShenzi, Banzai, and EdGovernor RatcliffeClaude FrolloPain and PanicFatesShan YuClaytonSaborYzmaLyle Tiberius RourkeCaptain GantuDr. Jumba JookibaJohn SilverScroopBowler Hat GuyDorisLawrenceDr. Facilier's ShadowMother GothelStabbington BrothersKing CandySour BillHansDuke of WeseltonYokaiBellwetherTamatoaKing Magnifico
Pixar Villains: Sid PhillipsScudHopperMoltEmperor ZurgStinky PeteRandall BoggsHenry J. Waternoose IIISyndromeChick HicksChef SkinnerAUTOCharles F. MuntzLotsoMiles AxlerodProfessor ZMor'duThunderclapErnesto de la CruzEvelyn DeavorDragon the Cat
Other Villains: Br'er FoxBr'er BearOogie BoogieWinifred SandersonMary SandersonSarah SandersonDr. HämstervielQueen NarissaWicked Witch of the WestRipslingerHitchhiking Ghosts

Disney Parks
Celebrate A Dreams Come True ParadeCelebrate the MagicCinderella Castle Mystery TourClub VillainDisney's FantillusionDisney's Maleficious Halloween PartyDisney's Not-So-Scary Halloween ShowDisney's Once Upon a Dream ParadeDisney Dreams!Disney's Stars 'n' Cars... As Never Seen BeforeFantasmic!Feel the MagicFrightfully Fun ParadeGlow in the Park Halloween ParadeHappy HallowishesHocus Pocus Villain SpelltacularInferno Dance PartyIt's Good To Be Bad With The Disney VillainsIt's Good to Be Bad Villainous CelebrationIt's Party Time... with Mickey and Friends... and the Disney VillainsMickey's Boo-to-You Halloween ParadeMickey and his Magic Halloween NightMomentousRe-Villains! Halloween ParadeSorcerers of the Magic KingdomThe Disney Villains Halloween ShowtimeThe Nightmare ExperimentThe Villains WorldUnleash the VillainsVillains GardensVillainy in the SkyVillains Mix and MingleVillains Night Out!Villains Tonight!WishesWorld of Color
Media
Mickey's House of VillainsOnce Upon a HalloweenDisney Villains: Simply Sinister SongsDisney Villains Songbook

Video Games: Disney Villains ChallengeDisney's Villains' Revenge


v - e - d
Disney Tsum Tsum Logo
Media
Toys and MerchandiseMobile Application (Disney and Star Wars)Mobile Application (Marvel)Television ShortsKingdom Hearts Union χDisney Tsum Tsum FestivalTwisted Wonderland
Disney
Mickey and Friends: MickeyMinnieDonaldDaisyGoofyPlutoChip and DaleOswaldOrtensiaDuffyShellieMayGelatoniStellaLouCookieAnn'Olu MelHuey, Dewey, and LouieJosé CariocaPanchito PistolesClarabelle CowHorace HorsecollarMax GoofClaricePeteScrooge McDuckLudwig Von DrakeDr. FrankenollieJulius

Pooh and Pals: PoohTiggerPigletEeyoreRabbitOwlRooKangaGopherChristopher RobinLumpy
Lilo & Stitch: StitchLiloScrumpPleakleyJumbaAngelLeroyDr. HämstervielUgly DucklingSparky627GigiBabyfierYangSlushyShortstuff625AmnesioDupeSampleClipTankYinHunkahunkaPlasmoid
Silly Symphonies: Donald DuckBig Bad WolfPractical PigFiddler PigFifer PigUgly Duckling
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Snow WhiteEvil QueenDocGrumpyHappyBashfulSneezySleepyDopey
Pinocchio: PinocchioJiminy CricketFigaroCleoGeppettoBlue FairyHonest John and GideonLampwickMonstro
Fantasia: MickeyYen SidChernabogHyacinth HippoBen Ali Gator
Dumbo: Dumbo
Bambi: BambiThumperMiss BunnyFriend OwlThe Great Prince of the Forest
The Three Caballeros: GauchitoBurrito
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad: Mr. Toad
Cinderella: CinderellaJaq and GusPrince CharmingFairy GodmotherLady TremaineLuciferSuzyPerlaBruno
Alice in Wonderland: AliceMad HatterMarch HareDormouseWhite RabbitCheshire CatTweedle Dum and Tweedle DeeQueen of HeartsKing of HeartsCaterpillarDinahOysters
Peter Pan: Peter PanTinker BellWendy DarlingJohn DarlingMichael DarlingCaptain HookMr SmeeNanaTick TockTiger Lily
Lady and the Tramp: LadyTrampSi and AmJockTrustyPeg
Sleeping Beauty: AuroraPhillipMaleficentFloraFaunaMerryweatherDiabloSamsonKing StefanGoonOwlRabbit
Mary Poppins: Mary PoppinsBertPenguin Waiter • Carousel Horse
One Hundred and One Dalmatians: Cruella De VilLuckyPatchRolly
The Jungle Book: MowgliBalooBagheeraShere KhanKaaKing LouieHathi, Jr.Raksha
Pete's Dragon: Elliott
The Fox and the Hound: TodCopper
The Aristocats: MarieBerliozToulouseDuchessThomas O'Malley
The Rescuers: BernardBianca
Oliver & Company: OliverDodgerTitoRitaFrancisEinstein
The Little Mermaid: ArielFlounderSebastianEricUrsulaTritonMaxScuttle
Beauty and the Beast: BelleBeastLumiereCogsworthMrs. PottsChipMauricePhilippeGastonLeFou
Aladdin: AladdinAbuGenieJasmineJafarSultanIagoRajah
The Nightmare Before Christmas: Jack SkellingtonSallyZeroLock, Shock, and BarrelOogie BoogieDr. FinkelsteinMayor of Halloween TownSanta Claus
The Lion King: SimbaNalaTimonPumbaaZazuRafikiScarEd
Pocahontas: PocahontasJohn SmithMeekoFlitPercy
Hercules: HerculesMegaraHades
Mulan: MulanLi ShangMushuFa ZhouKhan
The Emperor's New Groove: KuzcoYzmaKronk
Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers: Mickey MouseMinnie MouseDonald DuckGoofy
Chicken Little: Chicken Little
The Princess and the Frog: TianaDr. Facilier
Tangled: RapunzelFlynn RiderPascalMaximusMother GothelQueen AriannaKing FredericCassandra • Fidella • Pub Thug
Wreck-It Ralph: Wreck-It RalphFix-It Felix Jr.
Frozen: AnnaElsaOlafKristoffSvenHansSnowgiesBruni
Big Hero 6: HiroBaymaxFredWasabiHoney LemonGo Go TomagoTadashi HamadaYokaiMochi
Zootopia: Judy HoppsNick WildeMayor LionheartFlashYaxGazelleChief BogoClawhauserFinnickMr. BigBellwetherJerry Jumbeaux Jr.
Moana: MoanaMauiPuaHeiheiTamatoaKakamora
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers: ChipDaleGadgetMonterey Jack
Phineas and Ferb: Perry
The Lion Guard: KionOnoBungaBeshteFuli
DuckTales (2017): Scrooge McDuckHuey, Dewey, and LouieWebby Vanderquack
Kingdom Hearts: SoraRikuKairiAquaXemnasAnsem, Seeker of DarknessVentusTerra • Chirithy • LeaYoung XehanortRoxas • Dark Riku • Naminé
UniBEARsity:
Sofia the First: SofiaMinimusSkye
Elena of Avalor: Elena
Enchanted: Giselle
Disney Fairies: PeriwinkleRosettaSilvermist
The Sword in the Stone: WartMerlin
Oliver & Company: Oliver
Raya and the Last Dragon: RayaSisu
Twisted Wonderland: Grim
Encanto: MirabelIsabela

Pixar
Toy Story: WoodyBuzz LightyearBo PeepHammAlienJessieRexBullseyeStinky PeteLotsoForkyDucky and Bunny

A Bug's Life: FlikDotHeimlich
Monsters, Inc.: SulleyMikeBooRandallCeliaRozFungusGeorge Sanderson
Cars: Lightning McQueenMaterSallyDoc HudsonJackson StormCruz RamirezMackMiss Fritter
Finding Nemo: NemoDoryMarlinCrushBruceDestinyBaileyHankSquirtNigelGillSheldonPearlDarlaCharlieJenny
WALL-E: WALL-EEVE
Ratatouille: RemyLinguini
Up: Carl FredricksenDugKevinRussell
Brave: Merida
Inside Out: JoySadnessAngerDisgustFearBing Bong
The Good Dinosaur: Arlo
Coco (film): MiguelHéctorImelda
Onward: Ian LightfootBarley Lightfoot
Soul: Joe22
Luca: Luca
Turning Red: Mei
Lightyear: Sox
Luxo, Jr.: Luxo, Jr.

Disney Parks
MonorailWalter E. DisneyDumboMad Tea PartySplash MountainAstro OrbiterMatterhorn BobsledsThe Haunted MansionAlbertEnchanted Tiki RoomOrange BirdPirates of the CaribbeanJungle CruiseBig AlBonnie BearTower of Terror
Marvel
The Avengers: Iron ManCaptain AmericaThorThe HulkBlack WidowHawkeyeFalconWar MachineWinter SoldierAnt-ManBlack PantherVisionSharon Carter

Ultimate Spider-Man: Spider-ManVenomGreen GoblinMiles MoralesLizardRhinoDoctor OctopusIron SpiderSpider-GwenKraven the HunterHobgoblin
Guardians of the Galaxy: Star-LordGamoraRocket RaccoonGrootDrax
Marvel's Women of Power: WaspElektraCaptain MarvelShe-HulkSpider-Woman
Marvel Icons: DaredevilDoctor StrangeGhost RiderMs. MarvelThanos

Star Wars
Luke SkywalkerHan SoloPrincess LeiaC-3POR2-D2Moff TarkinYodaChewbaccaStormtrooperSandtrooperAT-AT DriverRed GuardTusken RaiderJawaWicketJabba the HuttGreedoObi-Wan KenobiQui-Gon JinnQueen AmidalaClone TrooperJar Jar BinksDarth MaulJango FettGeneral GrievousAayla SecuraAnakin Skywalker/Darth VaderMace WinduCount DookuPlo KoonReyFinnBB-8Kylo RenPoe DameronCaptain PhasmaFirst Order StormtrooperMaz KanataThe MandalorianThe Child
The Muppets
KermitMiss PiggyFozzie BearRowlfGonzoAnimalThe Swedish Chef