Cruella de Vil is usually just a woman who wants a coat. In most versions of the story, she’s a rich, eccentric fashionista with a weird obsession with puppies. But when Once Upon a Time (OUAT) decided to bring her into the fold during Season 4, they did something remarkably different. They made her a literal monster.
Honestly, Victoria Smurfit’s portrayal of Cruella de Vil in OUAT is one of the most underrated performances in the entire series. She didn't just chew the scenery; she swallowed it whole. While the show often tried to give every villain a "sob story" to justify their evil—think Regina’s lost love or Rumple’s cowardice—Cruella was the outlier. She was just bad. And that’s exactly why she worked.
The Cruella de Vil OUAT Twist We Never Saw Coming
Most fans expected a tragic backstory involving a mean mother and maybe a traumatic incident with a dog. We got the mother, sure. Madeline de Vil kept Cruella locked in an attic, using Dalmatians to keep her prisoner. It felt like the standard "broken hero" trope the writers loved so much.
Then came "Sympathy for the De Vil."
This episode flipped the script. We found out that Cruella wasn't the victim of her mother; her mother was the victim of her. Cruella had murdered her father and her stepfathers just for the thrill of it. She wasn't born with magic, and she didn't have a cursed heart. She was a sociopath.
The Author, Isaac Heller, gave her the power to control animals, thinking he was helping a damsel in distress. Instead, he created a monster who used those powers to turn her mother’s own dogs against her. It was dark. For a show that aired on ABC and was owned by Disney, it was surprisingly grim.
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Why the No-Killing Restriction Changed Everything
One of the most fascinating parts of the Cruella de Vil OUAT arc was the restriction placed on her by the Author. Because he realized how dangerous she was, Isaac wrote that Cruella could no longer take a human life.
Think about that for a second.
A villain who physically cannot kill anyone is forced to become a master manipulator. She had to use her wits, her glamour, and her terrifying animal-control powers to get what she wanted. She held Henry at gunpoint not because she was going to shoot him—she couldn't—but because she knew Emma didn't know that. She played a high-stakes game of chicken with the Savior and won, even if it cost her her life.
The Glamour of the Underworld
When Cruella returned in the Underworld arc (Season 5), she was even better. Death suited her. She became the "Mayor" of the Underworld after Regina's mother, Cora, was moved on. Seeing her drive around a decayed version of Storybrooke in her iconic Zimmer Golden Spirit car was a highlight of an otherwise hit-or-miss season.
She wasn't looking for redemption. That's the key.
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Cruella was one of the few characters who looked the "Heroes" in the eye and told them she liked being exactly who she was. She wanted to be brought back to life, sure, but mostly so she could go back to being fabulous and terrible in the Land of the Living.
Smurfit played her with a 1920s-style transatlantic accent that felt both out of place and perfectly at home in a town full of fairy tale creatures. She gave us lines that felt like they belonged in a noir film, not a show about Snow White.
What People Get Wrong About Her Powers
There’s a common misconception that Cruella’s magic was just "talking to dogs." It was much more invasive than that. She didn't just ask animals to do things; she commanded their very essence.
- Total Obedience: She could make any animal, from a tiny dog to a massive dragon (like Maleficent), do her bidding.
- The Scent of Fear: She used her magic to track people, essentially using the world as her hunting ground.
- The Illusion of Power: Because she carried a gun and acted like a cold-blooded killer, most people never questioned whether she actually could kill them.
The Tragic Waste of a Great Villain
If there’s one gripe fans have, it’s how Cruella’s story ended. Being blasted off a cliff by Emma Swan was a shocking moment, but it felt like the show didn't know what to do with a villain who couldn't be "fixed."
Once Upon a Time thrived on the idea that everyone deserves a happy ending if they work for it. Cruella didn't want to work for it. She wanted it handed to her on a silver platter, preferably with a gin martini on the side. When she stayed behind in the Underworld, it felt like the writers were closing the door on one of their most vibrant creations because she didn't fit the redemption mold.
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Even her "death" was a bit of a plot hole. If Emma killed someone who couldn't actually hurt anyone, did that make Emma a murderer or just a victim of a very clever lie? The show touched on it, but never really let the weight of that choice sit with the audience for long.
Real-World Impact and Fandom
To this day, Cruella remains a cosplay favorite at conventions. Fans don't just dress as the Disney cartoon version; they dress as the Smurfit version. The faux fur, the cigarette holder (usually a prop, of course), and that wild half-black, half-white hair are iconic.
She represented a shift in how Once Upon a Time handled its villains. Before her, villains were "made." After her, we realized some people in the Enchanted Forest—and our world—are just born with a bit of darkness they have no intention of letting go.
How to Appreciate the Cruella Arc Today
If you're rewatching the series, pay close attention to the dialogue in Season 4, Episode 18. It’s a masterclass in subverting expectations.
- Watch the eyes: Smurfit does incredible work showing the "mask" Cruella wears slipping off when she’s alone with the Author.
- Listen to the music: Her theme is jazzy, discordant, and completely different from the sweeping orchestral scores of the other characters.
- Note the fashion: Every outfit Cruella wears is a weapon. She uses her appearance to intimidate and distract.
Cruella de Vil in OUAT wasn't just a villain of the week. She was a reminder that sometimes, the most dangerous person in the room isn't the one with the biggest fireballs or the sharpest sword. It's the one who has absolutely nothing to lose and a very clear sense of style.
To truly understand her impact, look at the villains that followed. None of them quite captured that mix of camp and genuine menace. She was a flash of lightning in a black-and-white world, and the show was never quite as stylish once she was gone.
If you're looking for more deep dives into the lore of Storybrooke, start by analyzing the Author's powers. Understanding how the Apprentice and the Author manipulated the fates of the "Queens of Darkness" puts Cruella’s choices in a much harsher, clearer light. You can find the original scripts or fan-compiled transcripts online to see how her dialogue was specifically crafted to be more "modern" and cynical than the other characters. This contrast is what made her stand out in a land of tropes.