Cecil Clayton

"Go ahead. Shoot me. *chuckles* Be a man!"

- - Clayton taunting Tarzan during their fight in the trees

John Clayton was the main villain in Disney's Tarzan. He had only one motive in mind that he lets no one except his crew know until he's confident he has the upper-hand, but in the end, Clayton's dark heart and greed would be his undoing. While fighting Tarzan for the gorillas, Clayton met his demise when he cut the last vine with his knife and he plunged down, with the vine wrapping around his neck and hanging him.

He was voiced by Brian Blessed.

Plan
Clayton first started out as a rather haughty and aggressive guide who was clearly more interested in hunting animals than researching them, much to the displeasure of Jane and her father - who were searching for gorillas for research rather than for profit. Despite his behavior, Clayton didn't show signs of being a true villain at that point, though he was always slightly antagonistic - however, his antagonism worsened when the group came across Tarzan. Clayton figured that this "missing link" could be his ticket to finding the gorillas and he tried to get Tarzan to aid him.

However, Clayton was neither patient nor particularly nice, thinking of Tarzan as inferior and somewhat stupid (without knowing that Tarzan was both stronger and smarter than he was). Eventually, Tarzan did lead the group to the gorillas, but more out of his growing love for Jane and the way she and her father had treated him (with respect rather than insults). Clayton came along under the false promise that the gorillas wouldn't be harmed.

Once he learned of the gorillas' home, Clayton's true nature quickly surfaced as he had Jane, her father, and Tarzan captured and imprisoned - it was then Clayton revealed what he truly was: A poacher. He and his mob then began causing havoc in the jungle, snatching gorillas and putting them in cages, presumably to be either sold or killed.

However, Tarzan manages to escape and fights Clayton to save his family. During this conflict, Clayton shoots Kerchak dead - later, the tragedy of the moment is made worse as Kerchak finally accepts Tarzan as his son, only to die. Angered, Tarzan renews his attack on Clayton and gets the upper-hand, holding the rifle to Clayton. The poacher mocks Tarzan and tells him to shoot him and be a "man". But Tarzan regains his senses and smashes the rifle against a tree, stating bitterly to Clayton that he was "not a man like you". Clayton is unmoved and proceeds to attack Tarzan with his machete, but he's too quick and agile and uses vines to try and restrain Clayton. But this only serves to drive Clayton into a frenzy and he slashes at the vines, unaware of one of them tightening around his neck. Tarzan realizes what was happening and warned Clayton to stop, but the mad hunter wouldn't listen and ultimately cutted the vine he was holding, making him plunge down as the remaining vine wrapped around his neck and effectively hanged him, snapping his neck instantly, a flash of lightning revealing his hanging body.