Cecil Clayton

"Hiding, are we? Go on! I could use a challenge, because after I get rid of you, rounding up your little ape family will be ALL TOO EASY!"

- Clayton taunting Tarzan. "Go ahead. Shoot me. Be a man. *laughs*"

- Clayton goading Tarzan, as well as his last words.

William Cecil Clayton, simply known as Clayton, is the main antagonist of Disney's 37th full-length animated feature film, Tarzan. He is Tarzan's arch-nemesis and the "bodyguard" of Archimedes Q. Porter and Jane Porter.

He was voiced by Brian Blessed, who also played El Supremo in Freddie as F.R.O.7..

Personality
"What's going on here!? (Tarzan: Clayton! Clayton, help!) Have we met? Ah yes, the ape man! (Clayton...you...you!) I'm so sorry for the rude welcoming, old boy. But I couldn't have you making a scene, when we put your "furry friends" in their cages! (Tarzan: Why?) Why? For three hundred pounds sterling a head! Actually, I have you to thank my boy! Couldn't have done it without you! Lock him up with the others!"

- Clayton revealing his true colors.

Clayton initially appears as a chivalrous and polite gentleman, albeit with a delicate temper and intolerance for treating the African expedition as a vacation experience, rather than a business endeavor, as Jane and Porter are often sidetracked by sights and wildlife other than the gorillas. He is also shown to have a hint of hatred towards animals, and ignorance in terms of understanding them, believing that gorillas would be savage beasts, in spite of Porter's hypothesis that gorillas are generally social creatures. This also ties to Clayton's slight obsession of the jungle, as he is shown to be overly caring and protective of himself, as well as trigger-happy and unpredictable, blasting his gun the second that he suspects that an animal (other than a gorilla) may be nearby.

As time goes on throughout the film, Clayton's patience with Jane and Porter decreases thin, and with it, his true nature begins to unfold; one that is extremely vicious, cruel, abusive, opprobrious, uncomplimentary, vituperative, and conniving. By the time the climax comes forth, he is revealed to be a very manipulative and sinister individual who plans to make wealth from selling gorillas. According to the audio commentary of Tarzan on DVD, Clayton's actions (during his final moments) in the film were meant to mirror the film's first antagonist, Sabor, symbolizing Clayton's increasing lack of humanity and descent into animalistic madness.

Tarzan
Clayton, a veteran hunter and guide, served as guide for Jane and her father Archimedes Q. Porter on an expedition to Africa in search for gorillas, but his secret agenda was to use the trip as a means to hunt gorillas in order to sell them on the black market. Clayton was arrogant and totally convinced in his own abilities and invulnerability.

With the introduction of Tarzan to the expedition, Clayton made several attempts (all unsuccessful) to get the location of the gorillas from Tarzan, who was far more fascinated by what Jane had to teach him about humans.

Days later, a cargo ship arrived to pick up the explorers and escort them back to England, much to their dismay. As the ship's crew loaded up their luggage and supplies, Clayton and Jane attempted to reason with the captain and request more time, but the captain refused, fearing falling behind his schedule. Clayton subsequently blamed Jane for distracting herself with teaching Tarzan, but Jane retorted that she was just as upset about not being able to find the gorillas. With both his and his employers' goals thwarted, Clayton prepared to leave Africa with Jane and Professor Porter until he witnessed Tarzan asking Jane to stay while presenting her flowers. Realizing Tarzan had strong feelings for Jane, he manipulated the ape-man into believing that they'll stay if he took them to the gorillas. This is, of course, not true—Jane would have had to return to England at some point anyway. Tarzan, however, was convinced and had Kerchak, the head gorilla, distracted so that he could lead Jane to the gorillas. Upon arrival, Clayton secretly forged a map to the troop's home. Kerchak returned unexpectedly, though, and was angered by the trespassers and attacked Clayton after the hunter threatened one of the family during a skirmish.

Luckily for Clayton, Tarzan managed to pin down Kerchak. Disowned from the family by Kerchak, he agreed to return to England with Jane and the professor. However, when they boarded the ship, they were unexpectedly ambushed by the captain's crew who had also turned on the captain and his officers. As Jane and her father were taken to the ship's brig to be imprisoned, Tarzan tried to flee the thugs but was eventually captured them. The scuffle ended when Clayton intervened and fired his rifle. Tarzan was initially relieved to see him and begged for his help, but was soon surprised by Clayton's casual behavior toward the ape man's situation and realized that he led the thugs. After striking the angry Tarzan in the chest with his rifle's handle, Clayton revealed to him his plan to capture the gorillas and sell them to a zoo for three hundred pounds each (a substantial amount of money in the days when the movie was set). In order to further emotionally damage Tarzan's spirit, Clayton sadistically reminded him that only by his own unknowing efforts would he have succeeded and ordered him to be imprisoned with the other captives. He and his men then left in a small boat loaded with large cages and made way for the gorilla's nests.

The poachers eventually reach the nests and began capturing the gorillas, netting them, forcing them in the cages, and throwing the babies into burlap sacks. Kerchak attempted to rescue his group but was captured as well. Clayton slowly approached the restrained ape leader and prepared to shoot him in revenge for having been attacked by him earlier but was interrupted when he heard Tarzan's trademark yell. Tarzan and his friends, who had escaped imprisonment earlier, ambushed and frightened Clayton's henchmen (trapping some of them in the same cages they intended to trap the gorillas in), and freed the gorillas, including Kala, Tarzan's adoptive mother. Clayton was forced to take cover during the scuffle but soon set out to kill Tarzan for interfering in his plans.

From the undergrowth, Clayton shoots at Tarzan, but the bullet only grazes his arm. Kerchak is fatally shot when he charges Clayton. After knocking an invervening Jane aside savagely with his rifle, putting her out of the fight, Clayton follows Tarzan up the trees. Clayton scans the mossy branches for his prey, when Tarzan jumps onto his shoulders, making him drop his gun. The two wrestle each other as they tumble from branch to branch. Clayton spots his rifle in some nearby vines and reaches for it, but Tarzan pulls him back and retrieves the gun himself and points it at Clayton. Clayton teased Tarzan by telling him to "be a man" and shoot him, but Tarzan realized that doing it would only make him no better than Clayton. In retaliation, Tarzan angrily pressed the rifle's muzzle against Clayton's neck and instead imitated a loud gunshot noise, startling Clayton. Tarzan then retorted that he was not a man like him, and smashed the rifle. After watching the pieces of his beloved gun fall to the ground, Clayton flies into a rage and draws out a machete from his belt and lunges at Tarzan. Tarzan jumps back into a mass of vines to escape Clayton's furious swipes. He tosses a vine around Clayton's wrist to block his attack, then pulls down several more to entangle Clayton. But this only serves to drive Clayton into a blind fury and he slashes at the vines, unaware that one of them is tightening around his neck. Seeing this, Tarzan tries to warn him, but in his blind rage, Clayton chops through all the vines and plummets with the one still wrapped around his neck. The vine pulls taught with a sickening crunch, instantly killing him. Tarzan lands safely just as a flash of lightning briefly reveals the shadow of Clayton's hanged corpse, swaying ever so slightly in the breeze.

The Legend of Tarzan
Clayton does not physically appear in the series, but he is mentioned once.

During one episode, Clayton's sister Lady Waltham comes after Tarzan, seeking vengeance for what she saw as her brother's cold-blooded and traitorous murderer. However, when Tarzan managed at great risk to save her from a fate similar to Clayton's, she came to realize that the man who did this for her could never be a savage killer and left the jungle.

Kingdom Hearts
Clayton finds Donald and Goofy and brings them back to the tent where they are reunited with Sora. Clayton meets Tarzan and asks for the whereabouts of the gorillas, and Tarzan obeys and reveals the location.

Clayton soon finds Terk the gorilla and tries to shoot her, but is stopped by Donald. He says he tried to shoot a snake attacking Terk, but they disbelieve him and he is reprimanded. Furiously, his anger attracts the Heartless, who he decides to use to kill off the gorillas.

He kidnaps Jane and Terk and hides them in the forest and then brings the Heartless to the gorilla location. As the Heartless are about to attack, Tarzan arrives, joined by Sora, Donald and Goofy, and a battle erupts. Clayton takes aim at his enemies and uses his gun as a club, but is defeated.

Clayton was not done yet, and called upon the Stealth Sneak to help fight his enemies. Now a bigger threat than before, Clayton battled once more, but was knocked down by Clayton. As he takes aim at Sora, the Stealth Sneak is subdued and falls on him, crushing his body and killing him.

Trivia

 * In the Tarzan books, Clayton was Tarzan's biological cousin who had inherited the family estate after the disappearance and deaths of Tarzan's parents John II and Alice Clayton. He was also engaged to Jane, but later ends it before dying of fever.
 * Currently, it is unknown what Clayton's real name is as he was simply referred to as Clayton in the first film. However, it can be assumed that his first name could be Cecil, John, or Casper.
 * According to the film commentary, Clayton's outfit was designed to appear like Sabor's yellow fur to designate him as the new villain. When he's introduced, he's covered in shadows that give him the look of spots similar to Sabor's.