When you hear the name Cruella de Vil, your mind probably jumps straight to those 99 (or 101, if you’re counting the parents) puppies and a cloud of green cigarette smoke. It’s hard to blame you. She’s arguably the most single-minded villain in the Disney vault. No world domination. No ancient curses. Just a lady who really, really wants a coat.
Honestly, that’s what makes her so terrifying. She isn’t some abstract magical force; she’s a person with a checkbook and a complete lack of empathy.
But if you only know her from the 1961 cartoon, you’re actually missing out on some of the weirdest, darkest details from her actual history. Most people don’t realize she started in a 1956 novel by Dodie Smith. In that version, Cruella wasn’t just a fashionista—she was basically a walking nightmare who put pepper on everything she ate because she was "perpetually cold."
The Cruella de Vil 101 Dalmatians Origin Most People Get Wrong
We usually think of Cruella as an old socialite, but in the original book, she was actually an old "friend" of Mrs. Dearly. Well, "friend" is a stretch. They went to school together, and even back then, Cruella was a menace. She got expelled for drinking ink.
Yeah, ink.
She was also married to a furrier (who was basically her servant) and lived in a house called Hell Hall. The 2021 live-action movie Cruella starring Emma Stone tried to give her a tragic "misunderstood artist" vibe, but if we look at the source material, the woman was just born wrong. In the book, she even mentions drowning kittens for fun. It’s heavy stuff for a kids' story.
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The 1961 movie simplified her into the skeleton-thin, high-energy fashion monster we know today. Animator Marc Davis is the genius behind that look. He based her movements on a woman he knew in real life who was "tall, thin, and talked constantly." He wanted her to move in a way that "displeased the eye."
Why we are still obsessed with her
Why does Cruella de Vil 101 Dalmatians still trend in 2026?
It’s the fashion. Obviously.
She’s one of the few villains whose "power" is basically her aesthetic. She doesn't need a magic wand when she has a two-tone bob and a custom 1974 Panther De Ville.
- The Hair: That half-black, half-white split isn’t just a stylistic choice. It’s a visual representation of her duality and her obsession with high-contrast luxury.
- The Silhouette: In both the Glenn Close and Emma Stone versions, her clothes take up space. She uses fashion as armor and as a weapon.
- The Name: It’s the least subtle pun in history—Cruel + Devil.
There’s also a theory that she was inspired by real-life actress Tallulah Bankhead. Bankhead was known for her gravelly voice, her constant smoking, and her "larger than life" personality. If you watch the 1961 film and then watch an old Bankhead interview, the resemblance is spooky.
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The Evolution of the Villain
Disney has spent the last decade trying to "humanize" their villains. We saw it with Maleficent, and we saw it with the 2021 Cruella film.
In the modern version, Estella is a girl who loses her mom (to Dalmatians, ironically) and builds a persona to survive. It makes her sympathetic. But there’s a segment of the fan base—mostly those who grew up on the original 101 Dalmatians—who think this ruins the point.
Cruella is better when she’s just bad.
There’s something cathartic about a villain who doesn't have a "reason" to be evil other than being a greedy narcissist. It makes her more relatable to the real-world monsters we actually encounter. We don't meet many sea witches, but we've all met a "Cruella" at a job or a party.
What actually happens to her in the end?
In the original book, she doesn't just go to jail. After the dogs escape and she loses her mind, her husband’s fur business goes bankrupt. They have to flee the country. Interestingly, the dogs end up buying her house (Hell Hall) after it goes up for sale.
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In the 1961 movie, she just crashes her car and gets yelled at by Jasper and Horace. It’s a bit more "cartoonish," but that car crash is iconic. The way the car literally falls apart as her sanity does? That’s cinema.
Actionable Tips for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of Cruella de Vil 101 Dalmatians, here is how to actually find the good stuff without getting lost in the "Disney Princess" marketing:
- Read the original Dodie Smith novel: If you want the "true" Cruella, the book is much darker and more interesting than the movies.
- Watch the Marc Davis interviews: Look for the "Diamond Edition" extras of the 1961 film. Hearing the animators talk about how they made her "move wrong" is a masterclass in character design.
- Check out the 1996 Glenn Close performance: While the 2021 version is stylish, Glenn Close captured the "gleeful evil" of the character in a way that hasn't been topped.
- Look for Panther De Ville history: If you're a car nut, research the actual car that inspired her ride. Only about 60 were ever made.
Cruella isn't going anywhere. Whether she's a punk rock anti-hero or a puppy-stealing heiress, she remains the most fashionable nightmare in history.
Grab a copy of the 1956 book to see the version of Cruella that was too "spicy" for the big screen—the one who seasoned her meat with enough pepper to make a dog sneeze from across the room.