Bill Sykes

"Now, I lent you money and I don't see it. Do you know what happens when I don't see my money, Fagin? People get hurt. People like "you" get hurt. Do I make myself clear?"

- Sykes to Fagin Mr. Bill Sykes is the main antagonist in the 1988 animated Disney movie film Oliver and Company, which is a modern-take on Charles Dickens' classic story Oliver Twist. Sykes is therefore based upon the character of Bill Sikes.

He is voiced by Robert Loggia, who is well known for portraying gangsters.

Biography
Sykes has lent a large amount of money to the petty criminal Fagin for some unknown reason, sending his two evil Dobermans, Roscoe and DeSoto, to tell Fagin to go up and meet with him. Fagin, unfortunately, finds himself unable to pay the money back and begs for more time. Sykes tells him that he has three days to find the money, or else who knows what'll happen to Fagin, his home, or his dogs. Then, he honks his horn to call his dogs back, which frightens Fagin, causing him to fall off the dock and into the Hudson River.

During the night of the third day, Fagin arrives to Sykes' office, where he reveals of his plan of using a pet kitten named Oliver to have his family to come by to the docks tonight to pay the money in return for their pet's safety. Realizing this and noticing Oliver's pet collar, Sykes is very impressed by this and allows Fagin an additional 12 hours, warning him that this will be his last chance.

However the plan backfires horribly on Fagin when a young girl named Jenny takes a special interest in Oliver. When Jenny shows Fagin that all she has brought with her is her piggy bank, with Sykes and his evil dogs unknowingly watching from afar in his Cadillac. When Sykes sees Fagin abandoning the plan by freely handing Oliver back to Jenny without asking for the ransom money, he seizes his chance, driving up, pulling Jenny into his car, and taking her to his warehouse after throwing Oliver out the window. Sykes tells Fagin to keep his mouth shut and consider their "closed." Later, Sykes ties Jenny to a chair in the center of his office, taunting her about his dogs, cruelly joking that he'll have his dogs eat her if her parents don't pay the ransom.

Oliver and his gang of friends, pursue Sykes and rescue Jenny where Sykes eventually has them cornered. Before Sykes can order his dogs to attack however, Fagin bursts through the window on his scooter and the gang along with Jenny hop on and drive away as fast as they can. Sykes and his dogs follow them in his car. Sykes, driving like a maniac, follows Fagin into a subway, steps hard on the gas and goes at full speed, causing his car's tires to wear away and run on the tracks. He bumps into Fagin's scooter, causing Jenny to fall onto his hood. He grabs her by the arm. Oliver jumps on and bites Sykes' hand, but Sykes throws him into the backseat with Roscoe and DeSoto. Dodger manages to jump on and fights off Roscoe while Oliver fights off DeSoto, causing the two Dobermans to fall onto the electrified tracks and killing them. Sykes pays no attention as to what happened to his dogs and continues to chase the gang. He goes up through his car roof, grabs Jenny's leg, and tries to pull her back in. Just as he is pulling her back in, Dodger and Oliver jump onto Sykes and fight him off; causing him to lose his grip on Jenny. Even as Sykes manages to throw them off, he turns around to see a train heading straight for him just before his car collides with it, killing him in a fiery blaze, sending the remains into the Hudson River.

Trivia

 * Sykes was unusual for a Disney villain in the fact he was an ordinary human with no magical or supernatural abilities - his scheme was not grand and he was also generally without humor - being a dark and serious character in keeping with his role as a dangerous criminal.


 * Sykes is also based loosely on Bill Sikes, the main villain of Oliver Twist, whom he shares his name with as well as his criminal tendencies.