Don Bluth left Disney to pursue his own dream: to scar children for life. But which Don Bluth film is the most terrifying? To decide, I chose to rank them entirely based on my unreliable memory from whenever they last terrified me as a child.
9. The Pebble and the Penguin (1995)
The bad guy in this movie was a weightlifting bro-penguin rapist named Drake.
But honestly the scariest part is how they try to distinguish between the penguin sexes by giving the girl penguins ludicrous human curves:
8. A Troll in Central Park (1994)
I mean, yes, this movie was scary-bad, so it automatically ranks higher, but the scariest part is honestly that these two infants are left to wander around New York City alone:
Honestly I’m thinking the trolls they meet in central park are a childish imagining to block out their real abductors and the trauma that ensues.
7. Thumbelina (1994)
I don’t remember a ton about Thumbelina (besides this annoying-ass song) but there were at least two terrifying parts. When Prince Cornelius is frozen in ice:
I remember it really bothered me that his finger was still sticking out. That shit is going to turn black and snap off, Cornelius. Of course, even scarier is when Thumbelina is roped into marrying Mr. Mole, who hates sunlight and probably smells like mildew:
6. An American Tail (1986)
Besides the countless times someone almost gets stepped on or worse, you have this:
5. Anastasia (1997)
Granted, I was a little older when this one came out, which I think is the only reason this guy doesn’t rank higher on the list:
4. Rock-a-Doodle (1992)
I don’t have as clear a memory of this one, besides that it included live-action footage of bad flooding, which hit pretty close to home.
3. The Land Before Time (1988)
Yeah, sure, kids love dinosaurs. They also love tons of violence and the worst on-screen parent death until Mufasa.
2. All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)
What the fuck is this movie
And even if the protagonists don’t end up there
1. The Secret of NIMH (1982)
It is impossible to find a screencap of this movie that ISN’T fucking terrifying.
In conclusion, this movie still haunts my nightmares.
Previously: Disney Villains Ranked by Scariness