- “I live for furs! I worship furs! After all, is there a woman in all this wretched world who doesn't?”
- ―Cruella expresses her one true love to Anita Radcliffe[src]
Cruella De Vil is the main antagonist of Disney's 1961 animated feature film 101 Dalmatians. She is an eccentric, fashion-obsessed heiress who wishes to use the skins of 99 Dalmatian puppies to create a spotted fur coat. Regarded as a "witch" and "devil woman", Cruella's infatuation with furs drives her to murderous insanity. She commits immoral acts to satisfy her mania, such as kidnapping and slaughter. In her mad pursuits, Cruella is typically aided by her henchmen, Jasper and Horace.
Cruella first appeared in the novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians (1956) by Dodie Smith. Perhaps the most famous incarnation of the character was developed for Disney's 1961 animated adaptation One Hundred and One Dalmatians by story man Bill Peet and animator Marc Davis. The Disney villainess proved successful and has led to numerous appearances in other media, most notably the Disney Villains franchise, of which Cruella is a primary member.
Quick Answers
What is the main reason for Cruella De Vil's obsession with furs?
What is Cruella De Vil's relationship with Anita Radcliffe?
What drives Cruella De Vil to murderous insanity in 101 Dalmatians?
What kind of coat does Cruella De Vil want to create using Dalmatian puppies?
Why is Cruella De Vil regarded as a 'witch' and 'devil woman'?
Background[]
Cruella is an old school friend of Anita Radcliffe, and a glamor-obsessed heiress who claims that she cannot live without furs. She hires Horace and Jasper Badun, two incompetent crooks, to steal Pongo and Perdita's 15 Dalmatian puppies, and buys 84 more through legitimate means.
Unlike previous Disney villainesses, such as the Evil Queen, Lady Tremaine, the Queen of Hearts, and Maleficent, Cruella is not a schemer, nor does she have any powers. Instead, she acts purely on impulse and is thus prone to reckless behavior, particularly tearing through the snowy landscape in her car. Unlike future versions of the character, this version of Cruella was seemingly invincible in the eyes of the Dalmatians, who, though they could just about be able to keep Jasper and Horace Badun at bay, were unable to face "that devil woman". Their only hope was therefore to flee; Cruella's defeat in the film is brought about not through the deeds of the animals, but her own stubborn relentlessness (which, by the end of the film, has seemingly degenerated into a mad fury) and the incompetence of her henchmen.
Development[]
A youthful Cruella De Vil concept art by Marc Davis.
Though Cruella's basic appearance inherited several visual traits from Dodie Smith's original novel - her black-and-white hair, her black dress, and her enormous mink coat, which swings about her like a cloak - the character's design in the film was developed by Bill Peet, Ken Anderson, and Marc Davis. This version of the character was also completely skeletal, and smoked constantly, leaving a trail of green, foul-smelling cigarette smoke wherever she went. Her physical appearance and general manner were described as a hellish beast or a demon, a fact referenced in her name and a song about her. In sketches exploring designs for Cruella, Marc Davis experimented with more youthful-looking versions of the character, possibly for any flashbacks that would have occurred. The juxtaposition of the enormous coat against the rail-thin body was established in these early sketches.
Davis exaggerated the size of the coat to match Cruella's larger-than-life personality and added three big tails to its back to add a "slightly ridiculous" element; the coat's red underlining was intended to allude to the character's somewhat demonic nature (and corresponding name). The messy style of Cruella's hair was inspired by hairdos seen in magazines between the 1940s and 1960s. The long green cigarette holder was modeled on one used by Davis himself.
Voice[]
Betty Lou Gerson, who had previously provided her voice as the narrator of the opening scenes of Cinderella, was inspired by Tallulah Bankhead when voicing Cruella De Vil. This is interesting as it is said that Dodie Smith originally conceived the character as an evil parody of Bankhead.[2] When performing, Gerson was intimidating even to the other actresses working with her. She was the primary inspiration for Marc Davis when animating Cruella. Davis commented that the vocal performance suggested that "this character was bigger than life, high in energy, and, like a shark, always moving".
In 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure and other appearances, Cruella was voiced by Susan Blakeslee. For 101 Dalmatians: The Series, she was mainly voiced by April Winchell and partly Tress MacNeille. Cruella was later voiced by Michelle Gomez for 101 Dalmatians Street.
Animation[]
Marc Davis, the sole animator of Cruella in all her scenes in 101 Dalmatians, was initially unsure that Cruella would suit the film, worrying that the character was too comic. Indeed, his colleagues criticized him as he worked; Frank Thomas felt that the head was too skull-like, while Milt Kahl demanded to know why Davis had to "make her feet so damn big".
In addition to the voice of Betty Lou Gerson, the animation was inspired by Tallulah Bankhead, Bette Davis in All About Eve, and Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame. Davis also worked from live-action footage of character actress Mary Wickes. Wickes' angular physique and sophisticated, smooth movements in this reference footage inspired Davis to incorporate these contrasting aspects in Cruella's animation. However, Davis used the footage sparingly.
Davis wanted Cruella to move "like someone you wouldn't like" and thought of people who do not listen to any voice other than their own and thus dominate a conversation or situation. He made a specific reference in an interview to "one woman I knew who was just a monster. She was tall and thin and talked constantly – you never knew what she was saying, but you couldn't get a word in edgewise".
Though Milt Kahl initially disliked Marc Davis' caricatured approach to the design and animation of the character (complaining in particular about the size of Cruella's feet), he was very impressed by the final product and, thinking Davis to be a better draughtsman, appears to have become rather jealous of his colleagues' success with the character. When Kahl was given the chance to animate his own flamboyant villainess, Madame Medusa in The Rescuers, he swore to Davis that he would "blow your Cruella off the screen". A fan letter to Kahl from a young Andreas Deja mistakenly referring to him as Cruella's animator received the reply: "Thank you for all your compliments, but I did not animate Cruella De Vil. She was animated by my friend Marc Davis and, unlike Medusa, was based on live-action."
Personality[]
Cruella is a very flamboyant narcissist. She is known to be mean-spirited and rude, frequently barging into other people's homes unannounced and openly disrespecting others. She adores attention but looks down on others, showing no sympathy or concern for anyone's well-being.
She is also greedy and selfish and adores high fashion and art. Her interest in fashion revolves around furs from animals, particularly fur coats, as she is always wearing one. As a result, Cruella often seeks animals to help her with making coats. Upon learning that Perdita has had puppies, Cruella attempted to buy them from Roger, showing no concern for the puppies themselves, having already purchased 84 puppies legally. The reason for her obsession is because the spots will make her fur coats more popular, meaning she'll get more money. Her interest in spots runs so deep she turned to Lars after seeing his painting of spots as a way to substitute her obsession.
Cruella is known to be short-tempered. She gets annoyed with Jasper and Horace's foolishness and throws a tantrum when things don't go her way. Her anger seems to be a problem, as it makes her reckless and impulsive, as she throws the bottle that Jasper drank from into the fireplace causing an explosion, and when drove her car recklessly after the Dalmatians but ended up crashing her car into a ravine. She may also be bipolar, as she is prone to psychotic fits; her reckless driving is a prime example. This happened again when she tried to capture the puppies in London, only to end up in an institution. However, she did seem to be a slightly reasonable woman, as she attempted twice to convince Anita to sell Cruella her puppies, only choosing to steal them when it became clear it was the only way for her to get the puppies.
Physical appearance[]
Cruella is an extremely thin woman that almost appears skeletal around the curves. She has pale skin, red lips, green eyes, and eye shadow. She has shoulder-length hair, the two halves of which are a different color; the right side is black, and the left side is white.
Cruella's usual attire is a simple satin black dress, red high heel shoes, black stockings, long red opera gloves, large turquoise earrings and ring on her right hand, a cream colored mink coat with a red satin lining, and a matching purse with three foxtails.
Appearances[]
One Hundred and One Dalmatians[]
Cruella arrives at the Radcliffe home.
A while after Roger and Anita have married and settled down together, Perdita, Anita's Dalmatian, hears the screech of Cruella's car outside, and runs to the kitchen to hide from "that devil woman." Looking out of the window, Roger sees that Cruella, whom he refers to as Anita's old schoolmate, is coming towards the house. As she approaches the front door, Roger sings a less-than-flattering song about her. Anita attempts to stop Roger in fear that Cruella might hear him. Roger goes upstairs and uses various musical instruments to play the tune to the song when Cruella bursts in, demanding to see Pongo and Perdita's puppies and leave a smoke trail from her cigarette. During her visit, Cruella expresses her love for fur, especially that of a Dalmatian (though she never elaborates on her plans), and also mocks Anita's choice of marrying Roger and their house. Anita informs Cruella that the Dalmatian puppies will not arrive for until three weeks. Cruella then departs as quickly and loudly as she came, saying that she will return in three weeks. A previously excited Perdita grows anxious at Cruella's interest in the puppies, knowing that Cruella would never be a benevolent dog owner and started to wish they never have puppies.
Cruella swears vengeance on the Radcliffes after they refuse to sell the puppies.
Cruella returns to the Radcliffe's house just after the 15 puppies are born. At first, she is furious that the "mongrels" have no spots, but when Anita tells her that the spots will appear in a few weeks, Cruella offers to buy all 15 immediately. Roger (after having his songwriting career made fun of by Cruella, and being splattered along with Pongo with permanent ink from a pen that Cruella was using to write the check for the puppies), nervously but defiantly stands his ground and says they are not selling the puppies and that's final. Cruella, refusing to take no for an answer, furiously storms out, vowing revenge. Sometime later, she secretly hires Jasper and Horace to steal the puppies while the Radcliffes are out. At home, Cruella laughs to herself as she reads of the theft in the newspaper; she is the orchestrator of the crime. The Baduns, frightened by the press coverage of the dognapping, phone her to demand payment but are told that they will receive nothing until 'the job' is done; she even brushes off their concerns about the newspaper headlines, believing the whole spectacle will blow over by the next day. Slamming the phone down angrily after mistaking Jasper angrily telling Horace to shut up to be directed at her, Cruella then decides to phone Anita and feigns surprise at the theft to avert suspicion from herself.
Roger, however, is convinced that she is involved, even after Anita relays to him that Scotland Yard has questioned and investigated her, but couldn't find any evidence connecting her to the crime. When the police investigation appears to lose momentum, Pongo and Perdita take matters into their own paws by teaming up with the dogs of England to find the whereabouts of their puppies. They receive a hit from a Great Dane who explains that the puppies were seen being taken to the Old De Vil Place, Hell Hall, confirming Pongo and Perdita's suspicion that Cruella was behind the kidnapping.
Cruella plots with Jasper and Horace.
It is later revealed that another 84 puppies were legally purchased by Cruella and taken to the same place by the Baduns. Cruella arrives at Hell Hall one evening and angrily confronts her henchmen, demanding that 'the job' be done immediately due to the police stepping up their investigation, revealing in the process that she plans to kill the puppies and use their fur to create Dalmatian fur coats for herself. She doesn't care what methods they use to do it as long as it's done. When Jasper and Horace prove hesitant to move with purpose, she furiously throws a bottle of the former's alcohol in the fireplace (causing an explosion) and slaps both of them in the face to drive her point home, and then leaves, threatening to report them to the police and have them take the full blame for everything if they don't get the job done by the time she returns the following morning.
Shortly after this, Sergeant Tibbs succeeds in helping all 99 Dalmatians escape the old mansion and reunite with their Pongo and Perdita, who decide to take in the other 84 puppies. As the 101 Dalmatians make their way back home to London, they are pursued by the Baduns and Cruella, who were eventually told of their escape. The three briefly lose the dogs' trail when they use a frozen stream as their path to avoid leaving tracks. Meanwhile, after meeting up with the Baduns on a country road, Cruella angrily lambasts Horace for stating he and Jasper are giving up, vowing to find the puppies even if it will take them until next Christmas, before speeding off again.
A crazed and obsessively determined Cruella chasing after the puppies in her car.
Cruella, Jasper, and Horace later pick up the dogs' trail again and follow it to a small village called Dinsford, where they search for them. Cruella is initially fooled when the dogs cover themselves in fireplace soot to disguise themselves as Labradors and board a lorry heading for London. When she sees icicles drop water, removing the soot, however, she realizes what's going on and chases after the lorry in her car, and Jasper and Horace follow her in their truck. Pursuing the puppies, Cruella, who's gone complete psycho and seeing red now, almost succeeds in ramming the lorry driver and Dalmatians all off a cliff, greatly damaging her car during the chase.
The chase, however, comes to an end when Jasper and Horace who are also heading for the van, ready to ram the it off the road, actually ram their truck into Cruella's car after Horace breaks off their truck's steering wheel in a panic, sending Cruella, Jasper, and Horace over the cliff, allowing the van to continue and thus the dogs to make their official getaway. All three survive unharmed, but Cruella is furious and subjects Jasper and Horace to a tongue-lashing, at which point Jasper, having had enough of Cruella's constant verbal abuse towards him and Horace, finally plucks up the courage to tell her to shut up before she finally breaks down and sobs in manic and hysterical rage over the destruction of her beloved car and the loss of her dream coat. What becomes of them next is unseen and their final fate is ultimately unresolved, but it can be presumed that the police find them and arrest them all.
The Rescuers[]
A concept art of Cruella in The Rescuers.
Walt Disney's early vision for The Rescuers revolved around the kidnapping of a polar bear from a city zoo; writers considered reusing Cruella as the main antagonist (presumably driven by her desire for the bear's fur). The idea was dismissed when the source for the storyline changed because Disney was not interested in making sequels at the time. Interestingly, the idea that Cruella De Vil liked the fur, but also the diamonds, was in the original Dodie Smith book (while not used in the Disney version of One Hundred and One Dalmatians), and Madame Medusa, the similar main villain of the final version of The Rescuers loves diamonds.
The concept art of the film shows Cruella wearing an outfit made out of crocodile leather. Because The Rescuers was set more than a decade after 101 Dalmatians, Cruella was given a period-appropriate update. Aside from her '70s alligator-chic outfit, Cruella is accessorized with Sly and the Family Stone-style sunglasses. In other sketches, De Vil is depicted in bell-bottom pants and a pair of platforms. Other concept art showed Cruella driving a water vehicle similar to the one Medusa uses in the final film.[3]
101 Dalmatians: The Series[]
Cruella in the animated series.
The incarnation of Cruella that appears in 101 Dalmatians: The Animated Series (which relocated the events of the films in America) shares traits with both the 1961 version and the live-action version. In design, she resembles the Cruella of the original animated version. However, the series' slightly different design style and lower budgets resulted in a simpler design; most notably, the black dress and fur coat was dropped in favor of a simple black-and-white dress.
This version of the character also had a somewhat mellower and less demented personality, as well as losing previous incarnations' excessive smoking habits (in the first episode, she lampshades this by stating "I picked the wrong week to quit smoking") and, notably, obsession with fur (these factors may have been removed due to censors not wanting smoking and animal murder on a Saturday morning cartoon); instead, her goal throughout the series was to own the land currently owned by Roger and Anita Dearly. Like the live-action version, this Cruella was the head of the House of DeVil, and was often defeated in comedic fashion. Her minions included Jasper and Horace, as well as her pet ferret, Scorch. Cruella also had a recurring habit of making recorded memos to herself, constantly carrying a tape recorder with her.
In the Christmas Episode, It is revealed that she always wanted a Dalmatian puppy as a pet for Christmas, but she never got one. Her parents were always away for the holidays, while she was left in the care of a different foreign babysitter, revealing that she was always evil, even as a baby.
101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure[]
Cruella in Patch's London Adventure.
Cruella returns in the sequel once again as the main antagonist. She is first seen trying to enter Fitzwell's Fine Furs store, but the manager angrily pushes her out, saying that the terms of her probation will not allow him to sell her any more furs. She then meets an artist named Lars, whom she quickly admires for his artistic vision. Lars' paintings of spots proves a fine replacement for Cruella's prior obsession. However, Cruella eventually gets bored with Lars' work, but to help him find inspiration, she came to the house and felt surprised that the puppies were gone when Anita, Roger and the dogs had moved away but didn't get a moving address from Anita. She's been hit by a newspaper on her head that a newspaperman threw and found the picture of Patch and used her small binoculars to see the new address on his dog tag where they moved. Cruella bails out Jasper and Horace to kidnap the Dalmatian puppies again.
The duo kidnaps the puppies and takes them to Cruella's new home: the warehouse. Lars believes Cruella wants him to paint puppies, but after he finds out he would have to kill the puppies, he refuses and declares that he may be eccentric, but is not a sicko. He tells Cruella he will not let her do any harm to the puppies. In anger, Cruella ties Lars onto a large target and throws several knives at him as torture. She returns to her psychotic state and wishes to have a new fur coat once again.
Jasper and Horace are given the job to murder the puppies again but the dogs escape thanks to a bold and witty Patch. A chase through the city follows which soon leads to Patch putting the bus in reverse as Cruella surprised that Lil' Lightning was running until she was shocked to see the bus back up and began running with Jasper, Horace and Lightning as she was defeated in Thames River. Afterward, Cruella's crimes are finally explained to the police by Lars, Jasper, and Horace and she is arrested and sent to a psychiatric hospital to be treated for anger management, and presumably some form of obsessive disorder and hallucinations (alluded to by her final lines of seeing spots). She is last seen in a newspaper showing her to be locked up in a psychiatric hospital wearing a straitjacket tied up with belts with an angry look on her face during the end credits.
House of Mouse[]
Cruella in Mickey's House of Villains.
In the series House of Mouse, Cruella appears as a recurring character. As a running gag, she was often seen measuring and examines other dogs from other Disney films.
In the first episode, "The Stolen Cartoons", when Pete tried to escape Mickey and friends after his villainy was exposed, he disguised himself as a Dalmatian but ran away in fear after Cruella began to measure him with a wicked grin. Later, at the end of the episode, she threatens Pluto by saying "Forget the [doggie] bag, I'll take the doggie!"
In "Jiminy Cricket", Cruella was one of the three guests (alongside Hercules and Aladdin) holding and wanting the title character just before Minnie brings Pinocchio in to retrieve him.
In "Pluto Saves the Day", when Pluto and his all dog band performed, Cruella eagerly mumbled to herself "Ooh, where's my tailor when I need him!?".
In "Max's Embarrassing Date", she went on a date with the Beast and asked if he came in a medium, which the Beast became annoyed of. After the Beast gets soaked with soup he was eating, Cruella is unhappy as she would have to get him dry-cleaned. Cruella also appears as one of the main villains in the film Mickey's House of Villains where she, Jafar, Hades, Ursula, and Captain Hook take over the House of Mouse. Out of the main villains, Cruella was the first to note her interest in taking over the club for her own purposes.
In the episode "House of Crime", Cruella was accused of kidnapping Pongo and Perdita's puppies. She replies by shouting "You make one movie and you're labeled for life!"
In "Mickey and Minnie's Big Vacation", when Mr. Toad drives his motorcycle past the audience before her, she rants "I will make shoes out of you!"
101 Dalmatian Street[]
Cruella in 101 Dalmatian Street.
A silhouette of Cruella is briefly seen in the opening titles for 101 Dalmatian Street.
According to the series bible, following the events of the first film, Cruella fled the country and moved to Switzerland, where she spent the next fifty years living in a spa, being held together through plastic surgery and an assortment of elixirs.
In "London, We Have a Problem", it is revealed that she is the great-aunt of Hunter De Vil and is the true mastermind of Hunter's plan to abduct the Dalmatians. Her name is first used when Delilah recognizes the scent of a De Vil from a remote which Hunter was holding. Delilah and Doug compare the remote's scent with a sample of Cruella's hair, which the Dalmatians store in the attic. It seems, while Delilah and Doug both know of Cruella, they have not yet told the other puppies about her, based on Dolly and Dylan's reaction.
Cruella makes her first physical appearance in the climax of season one. It shows that she is very abusive and uncaring towards Hunter, due to the fact that she never called him once and seemed to forget about him when he was trapped in the container for six months. She decides to take things into her own hands. Instead of her cigarette holder, she is seen with a spray which seems to cover up the cracks and wrinkles in her face; it even suggests she has taken to wearing a wig.
In "The De Vil Wears Puppies", Cruella makes her first appearance in the show.
After a conversation with Clarissa's human, Hugo, Cruella takes over Constantin's house and lays siege to the Dalmatians' house, explaining the fear shall stimulate the fur. Cruella is able to knock out the power and soon is able to get into the house, when Hunter tricks Dizzy and Dee-Dee. Her presence in the house is more of a trap, since she has learnt about the Dalmatians' escape tunnel, with her other henchmen waiting at the exit of said tunnel to capture the puppies, Cruella in turn capturing Delilah and Doug.
She then drives to the docks, pursued by Dolly and Dylan on P. C. Pearl. Cruella informs her henchmen to wait until they're in international waters before "dumping the remains". This is when Hunter realizes that, in order to get their fur for her coat, Cruella intends to kill the puppies, making him see what a monster Cruella is. Cruella then throws him in the cargo container with the other Dalmatians, saying she's become "bored with him".
She then reveals to Delilah and Doug her skinning machine, where she intends to make them watch turn their puppies into a coat, before turning them into matching luggage. Dolly, Dylan and Fergus are captured and she tries Fergus on as an accessory, not realizing he's still alive. The Canal Crew is then able to provide a distraction, while Hunter escapes and helps the other Dalmatians escape too.
When the Dalmatians are able to subdue her henchmen, Delilah, Doug, Dolly and Dylan come charging towards Cruella, but she uses her spray to melt a chain above them, causing a large pile of fur to land on top of them. She then finds Dorothy and tries to grab her, but Hunter gets to her first and refuses to give her to Cruella. Cruella berates Hunter asking if he's "a De Vil or a dog", with Hunter barking at her in response. This causes her to fall back into her own skinning machine, but Delilah and Doug turn it off before it can kill her, since while they're animals, they're not monsters.
This is when the police arrive and Cruella is arrested for smuggling illegal live cargo.
Other appearances[]
Cruella with Santa's Little Helper in Plusaversary.
In Electric Holiday, Cruella was featured as one of the models at Minnie Mouse's fashion show. She was first seen preparing in the makeup department, and later on the runway.
Cruella can be seen sitting alongside Scar in Moe's Tavern in The Simpsons in Plusaversary. She is also seen taking Santa's Little Helper's measurements.
In Once Upon a Studio, Cruella is seen with Aurora, Prince Phillip, John Henry, and Hades as the latter expressed his annoyance of how everyone was going to sing "When You Wish Upon a Star". Cruella then sings the last line of the song as the group photo is successfully taken for Disney's 100th anniversary.
Printed media[]
Kingdom Keepers[]
Cruella appears in the fourth and fifth books in the saga. In Power Play, she and the Evil Queen take over the leadership of the Overtakers when Maleficent and Chernabog are captured. At the end of the book, she mentions she's an important part of the Overtakers, because she knows the ways of the modern world unlike the Queen or Maleficent. In Shell Game, she and the Queen appear again aboard the Disney Dream while following the hyenas who caught the Keepers' scent; she commands the hyenas, giving them names like Happy or Howly. She has a figurative "magic" the Overtakers need to use on Chernabog, but what that is remains unknown. She has also asked "Queeny" to teach her some spells.
The Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel[]
Cruella appears in the prelude to Descendants, where it is shown that she treats Carlos as a slave rather than her own flesh-and-blood, going as far as to have him sleep in an inhospitable coat closet rather than give him a room of his own. She spends a portion of her time at an area on the island that passes for a spa; it serves as one bit of comfort and reminder of her past luxurious life.
Evil Thing: A Tale of That Devil Woman[]
In this book, Cruella is the protagonist and is the daughter of Lord and Lady De Vil. Her father died when Cruella was sixteen and her mother blamed Cruella for it. Cruella was also friends with Anita Radcliffe and was also expected to keep her last name even after marriage, otherwise her house would go to her mother.
Disney Chills[]
In this series, Cruella is in book 4, Be Careful What You Wish Fur. Cruella appears as the antagonist/villain to the main character Delia, wanting Delia to give back her fur coat she took, stalking Delia and some puppies constantly, not stopping until she got what she wanted.
Video games[]
Disney Sorcerer's Arena[]
In this game Cruella de Vil appears as a villainous character from the center, she uses the same abilities from the movie which makes the enemies face her in any event that is hers.
Disney Heroes: Battle Mode[]
Cruella in Disney Heroes: Battle Mode
Cruella De Vil is playable character in Disney Heroes: Battle Mode. Cruella is Front-line Control role hero. Cruella has friendship campaigns with the Percival C. McLeach and Shere Khan. Cruella can summon her lackeys, Jasper and Horace, to stun enemies and remove their buffs, Cruella also laughs at enemies to scare them and gain buffs, and she throws a check to deal damage and charm enemies. With her passive ability, Cruella scares nearby enemies.
Cruella De Vil's skills:
| Skill Type | Skill Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| White Skill | "Get Them!" | Cruella calls her lackeys into battle, targeting the enemy with the least HP. That enemy has all of their Buffs removed while also becoming Knock Back Immune and Stunned for a few seconds. The lackeys run towards the enemy until they collide to deal Fantastic Damage.
The Stun from this skill cannot be Cleansed, avoided by Evasion, reduced by Tenacity, or Dodged. Cruella cannot use this Skill if her lackeys are already in combat. |
| Green Skill | "Got to be Kidding Me" | Cruella laughs maniacally, Scaring all enemies for a few seconds.
For the next few seconds, Cruella gains a percent of increased Movement and Attack Speed while her Basic Attacks Knock Back and deal an additional Fantastic Damage. |
| Blue Skill | "Paper Cuts" | Cruella throws a check at the enemy with the least HP, dealing Fantastic Damage and Charming them for a few seconds.
If the enemy is KO'ed immediately or within the next few seconds, Cruella will instantly use "Got to be Kidding Me". |
| Purple Skill | "Always in Charge" | Enemies are Scared while they are near Cruella.
Cruella gains Max HP and Armor for the rest of the wave each time an enemy is Scared from any source. These buffs cannot be removed and she can gain up to a certain amount of Max HP and Armor this way. |
| Red Skill | "Fabulous Fashion" | When enemies would gain any amount of Determination stacks they instead have all Hardy stacks removed. Then they are Scared and have a Damage over Time applied to them for a few seconds plus an additional second per Determination Stack they would have gained. This Damage over Time deals Fantastic Damage every second.
"Get Them!" now deals Fantastic Damage to all other enemies near the collision and the enemy hit is left Confused for a few seconds after the Stun wears off or is removed. Cruella also Removes Energy from all Scared enemies every few seconds. |
| Friendship Disk 1 | "???" | ??? |
| Friendship Disk 2 | "???" | ??? |
Disney Speedstorm[]
Cruella is an unlockable character in Disney Speedstorm where she is also voiced by long time voice actress Susanne Blakeslee. Cruella is classified as a Speedster and has two karts based on her car from the 1961 film and the Panther De Ville from the live action films.
Disney Dreamlight Valley[]
Cruella was added to the game with the release of the Wishblossom Ranch DLC on November 19th, 2025. After the player rescues Maximus from the Wishing Alps Wishblossom and levels him up to where he could jump the broken bridge leading to the Glamour Gulch biome of the Wishblossom Mountains, the player and Maximus follow the tire tracks Cruella carved into the ground in her car until finding them having crashed through the railing into the quarry. Finding Cruella's makeup kit she left behind, Maximus is able to pick up her scent and lead the player right to her. Cruella asks for the player's help to recover her automobile from the quarry. Once that is done, the player confronts her regarding her overuse of the Pixie Dust that keeps the Wishblossoms healthy and the mountains from crumbling, while also asking for the second Crystal Key that will allow the player to then rescue Khan from the next Wishblossom. It was revealed earlier in some memories the player recovered that Cruella had sent Snow White on a wild goose chase so she could take over Wishblossom Ranch, but she came to blows arguing with Maximus, and then had to flee the ranch in her car when Khan attacked her in defense of the ranch, thus leading to her current predicament. Once the player helps her recover her car, and then manages to recover the second Crystal Key to then rescue Khan, Cruella proves vital in helping reach the third biome, Pixie Acres, to find Tigger and repair the damage he caused to the Wishblossoms himself with his overuse of wishes, and then helping to fix the damage wrought on the Wishblossom Mountains caused by The Decay that caused the Wishblossoms to grow weak and almost die, putting the mountains in danger of collapsing and destroying the ranch and everything else in the process.
In her first friendship quest Automotive Appeal, she has the Player and Goofy work repairing her car, as she refuses to be outshone by Goofy's Caravan and is angry that he's the only resident to have a working vehicle.
Other games[]
In Disney Universe, a Cruella costume can be unlocked for the player to wear.
Cruella also appears as a Townsperson in Disney Infinity. In the 3DS version of the game, she appears as a cameo and will take coins from the player with the highest amount and keep them for herself.
In the Disney Villains Challenge tablet game, Cruella is one of the antagonists that the player may face. Her challenges include trying to help a Dalmatian from DeVil Manor, pinning down her car, repainting said car, playing Roger's piano, and giving Cruella a makeover to make her look silly.
Disney Parks[]
Cruella posing for a photo at Hong Kong Disneyland.
Cruella makes appearances in the Disney theme parks around the world.
Disneyland Resort[]
Cruella was featured in the villains segment of the 2015 rendition of World of Color.
For meet-and-greets, she can often be found along Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland Park.
Walt Disney World Resort[]
In Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, Cruella is a villain enemy featured in Main Street, U.S.A. She makes a deal with Hades (under the guise of Boss Teal), to have all the Dalmatians in her possessions in exchange for the legendary crystal of the Magic Kingdom. When word spreads that Pongo has contacted the local dogs to guard the crystal, Cruella sends Jasper and Horace to capture the dogs. They capture a few, but before they are given a chance to eliminate them, the park guests arrives and defeats the hoodlums. Meanwhile, Hades created a fireworks show to distract the citizens whilst Cruella rampages through their homes to find the crystal. Eventually, she breaks into Merlin's secret vault. However, Perdita replaced the crystal with a chew toy, and Cruella breaks down in tears at the fact that she's been outwitted by dogs. After the guests blast her with magic, her coat falls apart, causing her to throw a tantrum and falling beneath the floor.
Cruella appears as one of the villains in the Florida version of Fantasmic! In the show, Cruella is called forth by the Evil Queen when she plans to destroy Mickey Mouse once and for all with the help of her fellow Disney Villains. In the end, Cruella is killed by Mickey along with the other villains.
In the former castle show, Disney Villains Mix and Mingle, Cruella is summoned by Dr. Facilier (and prior to 2011, Maleficent) to celebrate the dark and sinister style of Halloween.
In Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, Cruella is conjured by Maleficent as one of the "frightful friends" the Sanderson Sisters need for their Halloween party. Cruella and the other villains be seen singing "I Put a Spell on You" with the sisters at the end of the show.
Cruella also appears with several of the other Disney Villains in Mickey's Boo-to-You Halloween Parade as part of Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in October.
Disneyland Paris[]
Cruella's most notable park appearance in arguably Disney Stars and Motorcars Parade. In Disney's Maleficious Halloween Party, Cruella is the fourth villain Dr. Facilier encounters. She teaches Facilier about fashion, and he defeats Cruella using the puppies which drives her to running away.
She also has a street show in the Disney Studio Park called "Starring Cruella De Vil".
Disney Cruise Line[]
Cruella is featured in several shows including, The Golden Mickeys and Villains Tonight!.
Cruella is one of the villain suspects in Midship Detective Agency on the Disney Fantasy cruise ship. However, after finding some evidence, it is revealed that Cruella is not responsible for the crime in question, being absent from the ship at the time the crime was committed. Ironically, one of the crimes she was innocent of was the kidnapping of Pongo and Perdie's 99 puppies. So far, Cruella is always innocent. Cruella is a key character for the newest ship of the Disney Cruise Line fleet, the Disney Destiny. To that end, for the 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Cruella was among the characters that performed the Disney Destiny's stage show for the parade, joined by fellow Disney Villains Maleficent and Dr. Facilier, alongside Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Moana, Tiana and Naveen, Anna and Elsa, Mirabel and her uncle Bruno, Hercules, Loki, Spider-Man, and Black Panther.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- In Dodie Smith's original book, Cruella was married to a furrier, but kept her maiden name. In the Disney films, Cruella's portrayed as single.
- "Cruella De Vil" is a play on the words "cruel" and "devil".
- In the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap, the twins call Meredith Blake "Cruella".
- Bruce W. Smith, an animator at the Walt Disney Animation Studios, used Cruella as a reference when creating Dr. Facilier.[citation needed]
- She was listed #16 in Empire Magazine's The 50 Best Animated Movie Characters, stating as her stroke of genius her unique approach to keeping her two henchmen, Jasper and Horace, on her side, constantly slapping them, threatening them and berating them for (admittedly catastrophic) failures.
- It was revealed in "A Christmas Cruella" that she did want a puppy before becoming her villainous self.
- In all animated and live-action films, Cruella is commonly seen smoking, but quits in the TV series.
- A running gag throughout the TV series is Cruella calling Roger by a different name, as well as the live action remake.
- Cruella made the Forbes Fictional 15 list of the wealthiest fictional characters as #13 in 2002. She is one of five characters in the Disney company to make the Forbes Fictional 15 list, with the others being Flintheart Glomgold, Oliver Warbucks, Tony Stark (even though Stark was not owned by Disney at the time), and Scrooge McDuck.
- Cruella was originally chosen to be the villainess for The Rescuers too, but then it was decided to create a new villainess, Madame Medusa, instead. However, both Cruella and Medusa have strikingly similar personalities and traits.[citation needed]
- In the original book by Dodie Smith, Cruella loved fur and diamonds. It was not used for the 1961 animated film; however, it's a new point in common.
- Cruella has a brother named Cecil and a niece named Ivy. However, Cecil is not Ivy's father, meaning that Cruella and Cecil must have another sibling (most likely a brother) who is Ivy's parent.
- Cruella is the first female villain to oppose a male protagonist, being Pongo.
- Cruella's design and animation served as inspiration for the character Yesss in Ralph Breaks the Internet.[4]
- Cruella has had the most live-action iterations of any Disney Villain.
- Out of primary members of the Disney Villains, Cruella De Vil was the only main antagonist who did not appear in the Kingdom Hearts series despite her homeworld, London was destroyed by the Heartless leaving survivors of Pongo & Perdita and Puppies until Sora sealed Kingdom Hearts, they returned their home world presumably continue their role especially Cruella in the film. Same goes to Gaston (until he reached in Kingdom Hearts χ)
- In the 1961 film, Cruella is never seen to be arrested after her car crash alongside Jasper and Horace, but in the two live-action films and the animated sequel, she does.
- Cruella is the second Disney Animated Canon villain that gets a live action movie where she is portrayed in a sympathetic manner, the first being Maleficent.
- She is one of the few Disney villains to survive the climax of the movie.
- Cruella was the last animated character that Marc Davis worked on as a directing animator.
See also[]
- Cruella De Vil (101 Dalmatians)
- Cruella De Vil (Once Upon a Time)
- Cruella De Vil (Descendants)
- Cruella De Vil (Cruella)
References[]
- ↑ "Disney's Cruella: Easter Eggs and Homages to "101 Dalmatians"". LaughingPlace (May 29, 2021).
- ↑ Disney Archives|Cruella De Vil Villains History
- ↑ https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/cruella-de-vils-comeback-that-wasnt-see-110587473877.html
- ↑ "31 Things We Learned About Ralph Breaks The Internet From A Trip To Disney Animation". GameSpot (September 20, 2018).
External links[]
Cruella de Vil on Wikipedia- Cruella De Vil on Villains Wiki
- Cruella De Vil on Disney Speedstorm Wiki
- Cruella De Vil on Disney Heroes: Battle Mode Wiki
- Cruella De Vil on Disney Mirrorverse Wiki
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