Maleficent

Maleficent's iconic dragon form

Maleficent is a sorceress and the main antagonist in Disney's 1959 movie, *Sleeping Beauty*. She is normally a human in form but can transform into a dragon.

## Sleeping Beauty

In Sleeping Beauty, she grants her own gift to the newly born princess Aurora, bestowing a curse that if she touched a spindle before her 16th birthday, she would die. This curse is partially lifted by one of the fairy's so the curse results in eternal sleep until a lover kisses her. In the years after, Maleficent asks her minions to keep an eye on the baby but the three good fairies had taken her away to a cottage in the woods with the minions forgetting babies grow up.

Aurora's 16th birthday draws near and Maleficent sends her raven, Diablo to locate the princess, knowing she is now a teenager. She discovers plans for the princess to be bought to the castle and concocts a ploy to have her plan go through before the strike of midnight. In the castle, Maleficent convinces Aurora in curiosity to prick her finger on a spindle and fall into an eternal slumber. It is also discovered Aurora had got into a love relationship with a man in the woods, Prince Philip. Maleficent organizes a successful ambush on him and locks him up in her dungeon. As Maleficent rests, the three fairies rescue Philip and grant him the Shield of Virtue and the Sword of Truth. Diablo is able to warn Maleficent but not before being turned into stone. Maleficent raises a barrier of thorns to thwart Philip's escape but Philip hacks away the plants with his sword and continues onward to awaken Aurora from her sleep. In a last effort, Maleficent summons all "the powers of Hell"
and transforms into a dragon.

Philip charges at Maleficent but is driven back by Maleficent's fire breath towards the top of a cliff. The three fairies enchant Philip's sword and he throws it at Maleficent, impaling her and causing her to visibly bleed. Maleficent attempts to eat Philip by lunging at him but he dodges her and she falls off the crumbling cliff, dissolving in the process by her own flame. Maleficent's curse on Aurora is subsequently lifted by Prince Philips kiss of love.

## Other appearances as a dragon in film and TV

* In the *House of Mouse* episode "Mickey and Minnie's Big Vacation" Maleficent along with Mushu, Madam Mim, Elliott, and The Reluctant Dragon cause a fire in the club building. Donald Duck admitted to inviting them and 96 other dragons because he loves dragons. She later turns into a dragon as part of the "House of Villains" special.
* A dragon resembling Maleficent's dragon form made a brief cameo in the *Timon & Pumbaa* episode "Guatemala Malarkey" in a pit of fire as one of the cursed temple's booby traps.
* Maleficent sometimes transforms into her dragon form in ABC's *Once Upon a Time*.
* In the finale of *Descendants* Maleficent transforms into a dragon in an attempt to stop the friendship of her daughter Mal with Ben but is transformed into a lizard by Mal.

## Appearances as a dragon in games

* Her dragon form is an ability in Disney Heroes: Battle Mode.
* She appears as a boss and transforms into a dragon in *Kingdom Hearts*.
* Dragon Maleficent is a boss in *Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion*.

## Appearances in Disney parks

* Briefly appears in *World of Color: Villainous!* at Disneyland.
* Brief appearance in *Disney Dreams!* show formerly at Disneyland Paris.
* A steampunk Dragon Maleficent parade float is in the Festival of Fantasy parade at the Magic Kingdom. It has appeared since March 9, 2014 and breathes fire during enactments of Prince Philip and the Three Fairies combating her where she breathes fire. The parade float dramatically caught fire on May 11, 2018 during a showing and returned January 25, 2019. The float itself returned to service after the 2020-21 COVID shutdowns for *Maleficent's Fiery Prowl* August 2021 with glowing eyes.
* A somewhat more ornate version of this float has appeared in the Disneyland Paris in the *Disney Stars on Parade* show since March 26, 2017.

## Trivia

* The blood from Maleficent being impaled is the first instance of blood in an animated Disney movie and a rarity among Disney 2D animated films.
* Maleficent is often ranked high among Disney animated villains alongside Scar and Jafar on review sites.
* Despite happening in a crowded place, the Dragon Maleficent parade fire in Walt Disney World resulted in zero injuries.
* Maleficent's utterance of the word "Hell" is rare in Disney animated media, having only been spoken otherwise by Frollo in Hunchback of Notre Dame.
* In the *House of Mouse* Mushu blames Maleficent for the fire though curiously the flames are not of her characteristic green color.
* The green flames Maleficent creates can be made by usage of copper or barium based compounds.
* A Sea Dragon heavily resembles her dragon form in *The Little Mermaid* TV series episode "Heroes".