Villains is a book series written by Serena Valentino. The books are each based on and told from the perspectives of iconic Disney Villains, and explain their lives and how they became evil. The series also focuses on original characters, such as the Odd Sisters (a trio of sister witches who are often responsible for leading the focus villains down their paths to evil) and Princess Tulip Morningstar.
There are currently eleven books, three more are confirmed after Heartbroken, this being the twelfth came in 2025, and two graphic novels in the series.
Books[]
| Number | Cover | Title | Based On | Disney Villain | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | The Evil Queen | August 18, 2009 |
| For anyone who's seen Walt Disney's Snow White, you'll know that the Wicked Queen is one evil woman! After all, it's not everyone who wants to cut out their teenage step-daughter's heart and have it delivered back in a locked keepsake box. (And even if this sort of thing is a common urge, we don't know many people who have acted upon it.)
Now, for the first time, we'll examine the life of the Wicked Queen and find out just what it is that makes her so nasty. Here's a hint: the creepy-looking man in the magic mirror is not just some random spooky visage and he just might have something to do with the Queen's wicked ways! | |||||
| 2 |  |
The Beast Within: A Tale of Beauty's Prince | Beauty and the Beast | The Beast | July 22, 2014 |
| "A cursed prince sits alone in a secluded castle. Few have seen him, but those who claim they have say his hair is wild and nails are sharp--like a beast's! But how did this prince, once jovial and beloved by the people, come to be a reclusive and bitter monster? And is it possible that he can ever find true love and break the curse that has been placed upon him?" | |||||
| 3 |  |
Poor Unfortunate Soul: A Tale of the Sea Witch | The Little Mermaid | Ursula | July 26, 2016 |
| The tale of the sea king's daughter Ariel is a beloved one of losing— and then finding— one's own voice. The story has been told many times and in many ways. But always the mergirl wants more than her world can offer, and her father demands that she live within the confines of his domain. Her rebelliousness costs the little mermaid her voice and nearly her soul. But the power of good prevails, and Ariel emerges proud and unchanged. And yet this is only half the story. So what of Ariel's nemesis, Ursula, the sea witch? What led to her becoming so twisted, scorned, and filled with hatred? Many tales have tried to explain her motives. Here is one account of what might have shaped the sea witch into a detestable and poor unfortunate soul. | |||||
| 4 |  |
Mistress of All Evil: A Tale of the Dark Fairy | Sleeping Beauty | Maleficent | October 3, 2017 |
| The tale is told as if it's happening once upon a dream: the lovely maiden meets her handsome prince in the woods. The story has been told many times and in many ways. But always the maiden finds out that she is a princess—a princess who has been cursed by a dark fairy to prick her finger on a spindle and fall into an eternal sleep. Though her three good fairies try to protect her, the princess succumbs to the curse. But the power of good endures, as her true love defeats the fire-breathing dragon and awakens the princess with true love's first kiss. The two live happily ever after.
And yet this is only half the story. So what of the dark fairy, Maleficent? Why does she curse the innocent princess? What led to her becoming so filled with malice, anger, and hatred? Many tales have tried to explain her motives. Here is one account, pulled down from the many passed down through the ages. It is a tale of love and betrayal, of magic and reveries. It is a tale of the Mistress of All Evil. | |||||
| 5 |  |
Mother Knows Best: A Tale of the Old Witch | Tangled | Mother Gothel | August 7, 2018 |
| The tale of the legendary golden flower is widely known. The story has been told many times and in many ways. But always the flower is coveted by an old witch to keep herself young and beautiful. And always the flower is used to save a dying queen, who then gives birth to a princess with magical hair. Not willing to lose the flower, the old witch steals the princess and locks her away in a high tower, raising her as her own. But the princess always finds out who she truly is and manages to defeat the old witch. And yet this is only half the story. So what of the old witch, Mother Gothel? Where does she come from? And how does she come across the magical golden flower? Here is one account that recounts a version of the story that has remained untold for centuries . . . until now. It is a tale of mothers and daughters, of youth and dark magic. It is a tale of the old witch. | |||||
| 6 |  |
The Odd Sisters: A Tale of the Three Witches | None Disney Movie | Odd Sisters | July 2, 2019 |
| Throughout the Villains series, the Odd Sisters have meddled in the lives of the Wicked Queen, The Beast, Ursula, Maleficent, and Mother Gothel, changing the course of fate for the greatest villains ever known. Now, it's time for their reckoning.
This latest novel by the author of the wildly popular Villains series goes deeper into the lives of the twisted, diabolical Odd Sisters, finally revealing the dark truth about who they are and where they're from. The Odd Sisters will appeal to fans who can't get enough of the mischievous sisters, as well as draw new readers to Serena Valentino's darkly fascinating take on the Disney Villains. | |||||
| 7 |  |
Evil Thing: A Tale of That Devil Woman | One Hundred and One Dalmatians | Cruella De Vil | July 7, 2020 |
| The darkly captivating seventh novel in the popular Villains series follows the rise and fall of the deranged and glamorous fan favorite, Cruella De Vil. If it doesn't scare you, no evil thing will…
Cruella De Vil is the perfect villain: stylish, witty, relentless…and possibly cursed. From her lonely childhood, to her iconic fashion choices, to that fateful car crash (you know the one), Cruella tells all in this marvelous memoir of a woman doomed. Even the cruelest villains have best friends, true loves, and daring dreams. Now it's Cruella's turn to share hers. This latest novel by the author of the wildly popular and darkly fascinating Villains series brings readers a tale told by the Evil Thing herself—a tale of the complicated bonds of female friendship, of mothers and daughters, and of burning, destructive desire. After all, nothing is as simple as black and white. | |||||
| 8 |  |
Cold Hearted: A Tale of the Wicked Stepmother | Cinderella | Lady Tremaine | July 6, 2021 |
| This was supposed to be her happily ever after...
It's a familiar tale: A kind and beautiful young girl, reeling from loss. A doting father, frantic to bring a mother's love back into his daughter's life. And the selfish, cruel woman who insinuates herself into that family―a woman so unfeeling, so cold hearted, that when her new husband dies, she makes the girl a servant in her own home. But who is that evil stepmother, that icy lady of the house? How did she become so closed off that, in the face of a child's grief, she thought only to seek wealth and power for herself and her abhorrent daughters? Before that fateful ball, before the glass slipper and the prince, there was another story―a story of love and grief, of hope and of dreams dashed. It is the story of Lady Tremaine. Even the coldest of villains are sometimes wives and mothers, women who loved and lost and hoped for something grander for their lives . . . once upon a dream. The latest novel in Serena Valentino's deliciously devious Villains series introduces the most famed and hated wicked stepmother of them all―but turns everything you know about her on its head. | |||||
| 9 |  |
Never Never: A Tale of the Pirate Captain | Peter Pan | Captain Hook | July 5, 2022 |
| Before Peter Pan and Wendy. Before the Lost Boys. There was just a boy named James who wanted to get back to Neverland.
As a baby, James Bartholomew fell out of his pram and was taken to Neverland. James is claimed by his parents just shy of seven days--after which he would have officially become a Lost Boy. Once he returns to London, he never stops thinking about Neverland. As he grows up, he hates his life in London, and everything to do with growing up and eventually becoming a gentleman. So he seeks a position on the ship of the infamous pirate, Blackbeard. On Blackbeard's ship he learns to be a cutthroat pirate, and eventually becomes captain of his own ship, which James is determined to sail to Neverland. With the help of the Odd Sisters and a bit of magic, he just might get his wish. But returning to Neverland comes at a price--and now that he's grown up, the whole world seems to be rooting for his demise... | |||||
| 10 |  |
Fire and Fate: A Tale of the Lord of Darkness | Hercules | Hades | July 18, 2023 |
| The tenth book in the New York Times bestselling Villains series takes a dive into the Underworld, exploring how Hades turned from god to villain.
The myth has been told for centuries: Brothers Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades waged a years-long war against their father Cronus and his tyrannical Titans. Upon their mighty victory, Zeus split the world into three. For himself, he claimed the Sky and what fell below it. To his brother Poseidon, he assigned dominion over the Sea. And his oldest brother, Hades, would rule the Underworld. While Hades tries to make the best of a lonely situation, eternity proves a long time to be forced live in a role—a domain—he never wanted. And the part of the story no one tells is that when your family treats you like a villain, it is far too easy to become one. Years of being ignored and shamed by his family reach a fiery head, when three perfectly alive witches find their way into the land of the dead. Bored and lonely, Hades befriends these mysterious Odd Sisters and makes a bargain that will change the course of fate. But when you're a god, making a deal has the potential to rewrite more stories than just your own . . . | |||||
| 11 |  |
Kill the Beast | Beauty and the Beast | Gaston | July 2, 2024 |
| The eleventh book in the New York Times best-selling Villains series follows the downfall of Disney's slickest, quickest, and smarmiest villain: Gaston.
He knew he was the best. He knew he was everyone's favorite guy. You may think this tale as old as time has been told before. You may know about the Beauty, and the Beast, and the curse they broke together. But some stories have more than one ending. Some stories have more than one villain. Such is the story of Gaston. Growing up, young Gaston and the prince were brothers in all but blood. Their boyhood adventures led them throughout the many rooms of the castle, and into the deep woods beyond. The woods that were home to the legendary Beast of Gévaudan, a terrifying creature whose presence loomed larger than life in their imaginations. Then one fateful night, a violent tragedy changed their lives—and their friendship—forever, setting each of them down a very different path: the first, of greed and entitlement, the second, of determination to right the wrongs of the past. The prince, as we know, paid a price for his wicked ways. And Gaston, fueled by the magic of three meddling witches, grew ever more haunted by a singular mission: to become the hero who killed the Beast. | |||||
| 12 | 
|
Heartbroken | Alice in Wonderland | Queen of Hearts | July 29, 2025 |
| She missed the days of wonder. But those days were long past. All that remained was the anger.
You may think you know the story of the Queen of Hearts, the bloodthirsty tyrant known for seeing red. Surely you've heard of the young girl Alice, who fell through the rabbit hole to a place called Wonderland, and how she defeated its villainous ruler in order to find her way back home. But have you ever wondered about the Queen's own first day in Wonderland? Did she encounter the same wonders—and horrors—as Alice? Are the laws of the land her royal decree—or a desperate attempt to bring order to a place that refuses to make sense? And why is she so angry? It may be hard to answer, with any certainty, questions about a world created from the broken shards of others. In the end, it all comes down to a woman fighting against the darkness within, and her unlikely friendship with a little white rabbit. | |||||
| 13 | [TBA] | [TBA] | Fantasia | Chernabog | [TBA] |
| Serena Valentino on her Social Media confirmed that she has been contracted to do another 3 Villians books. She later confirmed in her replies that the next villain would be Chernabog from Fantasia and that the ending of Book 12 implies this as well. | |||||
| 14 | [TBA] | [TBA] | [TBA] | [TBA] | [TBA] |
| Serena Valentino on her Social Media confirmed that she has been contracted to do another 3 Villians books. | |||||
| 15 | [TBA] | [TBA] | [TBA] | [TBA] | [TBA] |
| Serena Valentino on her Social Media confirmed that she has been contracted to do another 3 Villians books. | |||||
Graphic Novels[]
| Cover | Title | Based On | Disney Villain | Original Villains Book | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Evil Thing: A Villains Graphic Novel | One Hundred and One Dalmatians | Cruella De Vil | Evil Thing: A Tale of That Devil Woman | September 28, 2021 |
| "Sure, you know the story of those wretched Dalmatians. But don't I deserve a chance to tell my own side of the story? It is fabulous, after all."
You may think you know the tale: a happy young couple, one hundred and one Dalmatians, and the woman determined to turn them into a perfectly spotted fur coat. But who is that monster, that scene-stealer, that evil thing? Who is the woman behind it all? Before the car crash, before the dognapping, before furs became her only true love, there was another story. This is the story of Cruella De Vil―in her own words. Even the cruelest villains have best friends, true loves, and daring dreams. After all, nothing is as simple as black and white. In this first graphic novel adaptation of the New York Times best-selling Villains series, Arielle Jovellanos brings Serena Valentino's darkly captivating world to life with beautiful and haunting illustrations in a stunning new visual format. | |||||
 |
Fairest of All: A Villains Graphic Novel | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Evil Queen | Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen | May 2, 2023 |
| Disney's New York Times best-selling Villains series comes to life in this graphic novel adaptation of the book that started it all in this tragic tale of love and loss, the untold story of Snow White's Wicked Queen. The tale of the young princess, Snow White, and her evil stepmother, the Wicked Queen, is widely known—the Queen was jealous of the girl's beauty, and this jealousy culminated in the Queen's attempt on the sweet, naive girl's life.
But what caused the Queen to become so, well, wicked? Perhaps the Queen hated her stepdaughter for her resemblance to the King's first wife. Perhaps she resented the girl for her beauty. Could the Queen simply have been born that cruel? Or does it have to do with a mysterious mirror, gifted to her upon her wedding and swirling with dark magic? And who is the man in the mirror? Is he the reason for the Queen's downfall? This tragic tale of love and loss is the untold story of the Wicked Queen, a woman who just wanted to be the fairest of all... | |||||
Alternate Covers[]
Special Editions[]
UK Editions (2023-)[]
.jpg "Fire & Fate (UK Cover).jpg (111 KB)")
Trivia[]
- The series was originally planned to be adapted into a Disney+ series titled Book of Enchantment.[1] After a year of working on the series and finding its tone too dark, efforts were made to make it more lighthearted partway through production, but Disney was still unsatisfied with the results for remaining too dark. Rather than make further compromises to the project's tone, the show was cancelled before being greenlit.[2][3]
- The series is set in a unified land called the Many Kingdoms, comprising of all the settings of each of the films the books are based on. Various royal families are established as related to each other by various means, such as Aurora being a cousin to Princess Tulip Morningstar, who was courted by the Beast.
- Additionally, the movies are said to take place around the same time as each other, allowing for the time between their events.
