25+ Artists Take Disney's Fairytales Back To Their Grim(m) Roots With Their Fan Art

These incredibly talented artists recreate some of our favorite Disney characters with a macabre spin

Kylin

• Published in Disney
• July 1, 2022

When asked to think about words that could describe overall Disney movies or shows, it is probably safe to assume that you think of things like, “innocence,” or “safe/made for kids.” This is essentially the truth, Disney carved themselves a really secure spot in the niche market of children’s stories by creating innocent characters that get into pretty superficial trouble that they always come out on top.

The comfort of Disney programs mixed with nostalgia lends to the massive, utterly enormous fanbase. Children and adults alike are fanatical about all things Disney.

Most of us grew up watching movies or shows created by the Walt Disney company. Many millennials grew up alongside Disney’s animation styles, from their classic 2D characters from movies like The Lion King and Aladdin to their 3D computer-rendered characters that younger generations are more familiar with, like those from Frozen or Encanto.

While Walt Disney didn’t exactly have it easy when he first started out, there’s no denying that his company has grown to be the pinnacle of animation studios. Disney Studios basically became what other animation studios would be compared to, both inside the United States and out.

It seems like Disney not only wrote the dang book on profiting off children’s movies, they even changed it up, growing and evolving with the times. They’ve helped champion the incredible breakthroughs in the field of animation, and continue to do so to this day.

All the work that Disney Studios put out into the world didn’t just inspire their viewers, or other animation studios to be better, but they managed to ignite a passion in multiple generations of artists and animators. Artists who also grew up watching the same films as the rest of us have taken their love for all things Disney and created their own pieces of art.

Disney fan art is nothing short of extraordinary, ranging across literally every skill level. But specifically, we’re going to admire artists who bring Disney back to its fairytale roots, many of their most famous movies were based on the dark Grimms' Fairy Tales.

Below, you’ll find a sampling of some macabre, dark, or otherwise moody-themed works of Disney fan art. Keep scrolling to see what we got!

1. Tale As Old As Time

2. That Disney's Moment: Hercules

3. Cinderella

4. Hunger White

5. The Princess and the Frog

6. Beauty and the Beast

7. - The Red Queen -

8. Moana

9. Pinokyo

10. That Disney's Moment: The Sleepy Beauty

11. Twisted Fairies: Tinker Bell

12. Snow White

13. Twisted Princess: Rapunzel

14. Ariel

15. Alice in the court room

16. princess Jasmine

17. Beyond Wonderland No. 4 Cover

18. Merida

19. Goldilocks

20. Twisted Ariel

21. J: Life's full of tough choices, innit?

22. Jungle Book

23. Lilo and Stitch Fooray

24. Sally -The Nightmare Before Christmas-

25. Alice In Wonderland

26. Colors of the Wind

27. Adult Mulan

28. Rose and Thorns

29. Jafar

30. Elsa

31. Hunchback of Notre-Dame: Esmeralda

Which of these darker-themed Disney fan artworks was your favorite? I really liked the piece with Merida and her bow on the shore with crashing waves, she looks ready and capable of effing up someone’s day.

Do you have a favorite artist that creates their own Disney fan art that we missed in this post? Let us know about them and your thoughts in the comments section below, we will never get enough of Disney content.

And don’t forget to share with your fellow Disney-lovers!

Kylin