Baroness Von Hellman

## Villain Description

### Goals

Remain as the best role model and fashion designer in the city without letting anyone overtake her (failed)
Kill Cruella De Vill for being better than her (failed)
Have Catherine killed for her betrayal (succeeded)
Murder The Baron and steal his wealth instead of Estella / Cruella (temporarily succeeded)

### Hobbies

Making herself look beautiful
Killing her foes while nobody notices it

### Skills

Good looks
Knowladge
Manipulation
Trickery

### Type of Villain

Arrogant Crime Woman

**Baroness Von Hellman**, or simply called **The Baroness**, is the main antagonist of the 2021 crime-comedy Disney live action feature *Cruella*.

She is a ruthless and cunning fashion designer and she secretly operates as a crime woman. She also happens to be Cruella De Vil's archenemy and rival as well as her real biological mother, and she also happens to be the murderer of Catherine who is Cruella's loving and caring adoptive mother.

She is portrayed by Emma Thompson.

## History

### Beginnings

Baroness Von Hellman is a cold and ruthless mob boss and crime woman who has her own gang of criminals and assassins. She is also the mother of Cruella, whom ordered her valet John to kill her. John hesitated and had the courage to bring her to Catherine, who was also a not so loyal worker of The Baroness. She afterwards killed Cruella's father and her own husband, The Baron, as she intended to steal all of his wealth and hide from Cruella the fact that she is the rightful heiress for the fortune.

One day, Cruella's adoptive mother Catherine comes with her adoptive daughter to the hall of The Baroness and she declares that she will no longer be loyal to Hellman, since she wants Cruella to live a normal, happy and valuable life outside the crime world. Hellman however sends her Dalmatians out of rage to kill Cruella and Catherine. Catherine is killed, but luckily Cruella runs away from the area. She managed to make Cruella feel guilty so she will not be caught for her crimes.

### Competing with Cruella

She at first meets Cruella inside her hall as she speaks about fashion and good looks. After realizing that Cruella has potential as her own worker, she hires Cruella with intent of being rich and killing her when she has no use. One day comes, and Cruella together with Jasper and Horace steal from The Baroness a very valuable necklace. Von Hellman however catches up with Cruella's theft and she orders her Dalmatians to kill her. Cruella remembers that the whistle which Hellman has used right now was the same whistle which she used to have Catherine killed.

Since that very day, Cruella dedicated her life for getting her revenge on Hellman for killing her adoptive mother. Cruella then steals Hellman's spring collection and shows off on a stage with a massive crowd. While Cruella was ruining Hellman's dreams, Hellman tried to find out her true identity and she failed many times, but eventually she was succesful. She then ordered her thugs including her two right-hand henchmen Jeffery and George to abduct Jasper and Horace and tie them up to chairs in her office.

### Downfall

Cruella eventually comes to rescue them and a massive confrontation happens between Cruella and Hellman.

After The Baroness finishes with her confessions, she lights her office on fire and leaves Cruella, Jasper and Horace to die as they are all tied up. However, they manage to escape.

Cruella then sneaks to The Baroness and pricks her with a needle. Hellman then went outside because she knew that Cruella was there.

After that, Cruella and Hellman stood against each other, and Hellman let's her Dalmatians attack Cruella. However, Cruella tells them to sit and they pledge their loyalty to her. She then poses as a mother as she pretends to be motherly and she asks Cruella for a hug. However, as they hug each other, Hellman pushes her off the cliff. Fortunately, the entire city comes to watch the incident and thanks to Cruella's plans, The Baroness is arrested for her crimes (despite her lies that Cruella jumped off the cliff) as she looses everything.

## Personality

Hellman is obsessed with wealth and fashion, and she will do anything to satisfy herself, even if it means to abandon and kill her own daughter. She is very cold to Cruella and she doesn't really care for her, but only for herself.

Hellman is a cold-hearted murderer and framer who enjoys hurting others and mocking them to a level in which they don't appreciate themselves anymore.

She enjoys murdering the ones who stand in her way.

## Trivia

* Due to her influence on Cruella, she could be considered as the Bigger Bad narrative and ultimate villain of the entire 101 Dalmatians franchise, despite not being part of the main series.
* The reason why Cruella did not like Dalmatians was because she instigated a trap for Catherine and had her killed off by some of these dogs.