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This is my land! I make the laws here! And I say anyone who so much as looks at an Indian without killing him on sight will be tried for treason... and hanged!
„
~ Governor John Ratcliffe declaring that anyone who doesn't kill any Native Americans upon sight shall be hanged.noicon
“
I told you those savages couldn't be trusted! Smith tried to befriend them, and look what they've done to him! But now I say it's time to rescue our courageous comrade. At daybreak, WE ATTACK!
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~ Governor John Ratcliffe to his men after John Smith gets captured by the Native Americans.noicon
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Please don't hurt me! I was just doing my duty! Surely you would know that a good soldier always follows orders. If it were I, then I would have killed you years ago! As I was saying... I never liked you, Smith! I hereby sentence you to death! Goodbye, Smith!
„
~ Governor John Ratcliffe before he makes one final attempt to kill John Smith before getting defeated and arrested.
Governor John Ratcliffe is the main antagonist of Disney's Pocahontas franchise.
He is very loosely based on the historical figure John Ratcliffe, though he really takes on the qualities of many of history's ambitious and morally dubious pioneers as well as the usual traits of a Disney villain (such as a love of power, snootiness, and a flair for the dramatic). In this portrayal, he is depicted as a greedy British governor of Virginia who wants to obtain the gold that's supposedly located at the Powhatan tribe's residence. He is the former superior turned archenemy of John Smith.
He was voiced by the late David Ogden Stiers, who also played Wiggins, his manservant, in the same film, as well as Voltan in The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Dr. Jumba Jookiba in Lilo and Stitch, one of Satan's human disguises in Touched by an Angel, the Penguin in Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, and Mr. Maellard in Regular Show.
At first, Ratcliffe leads an expedition to Virginia to search for gold and other riches (which he wants to keep for himself). He fails to tell any of the other crew of his real reason for traveling to Virginia and recites the "Adventure of our lives" and "Freedom" speech to cover it. When they see land, Ratcliffe meets with John Smith, who the crew admire, about his plot on dealing with the "savages" and "filthy heathens" (what he calls the Native Americans) and Smith assures his success and the meetings through. Ratcliffe shows up on the Shore of Virginia shortly after Smith and Thomas, a new recruit, takes some land in the name of King James and calls it Jamestown afterwards (which is named after the king).
After Smith departs to search for the Native Americans, Ratcliffe tells his men to build a fort and clear the ship while he has the rest of the men dig for gold everywhere. After several days of digging with no results, he begins to grow worried and frustrated. When Wiggins bursts in, seemingly shot with an arrow, he realizes the Native Americans must have it. When John Smith returns from talking to Pocahontas, he demands to know where he has been, and after the former makes up the excuse of scouting the terrain, he concludes that he must know where the Native Americans are. But to his chagrin, Smith tries to dissuade the settlers into attacking, saying they can help them by navigating the rivers and providing them with food, even saying there isn't any gold. Ratcliffe refuses to believe this, and declares that it is his land and his laws now, one of which is that any Native American must be shot on sight and anyone failing to do so will be branded a traitor and punished with execution by hanging. Later that night, when he Thomas sees Smith running off somewhere, he sends him to follow him, hoping the "poor excuse for a soldier" will be of some use. After John Smith was captured by the Native Americans, Ratcliffe overhears the men talking about Smith's capture and realizes that he could steal the Powhatan's gold once they’re done with them. He wages war against the Powhatans, but to assure the men's back up, he states that it is to rescue Smith. After both sides march their way to one and other, they are paused curtly by the film's heroine Pocahontas, who tells everybody that they were led onto the path of hatred and tells everybody to think through a problem.
Even though Chief Powhatan and the Powhatans are touched by Pocahontas' speech and released Smith, Ratcliffe is unmoved (as well as determined not to return to England empty-handed and risk ruining his already-soiled reputation permanently) and tells his men to fire at the Native Americans, thinking that it's a trick. Eventually, they declined to do so, as they no longer see any reason to fight the Native Americans just because they have different societies, just as Smith told them before. Additionally, the Native Americans let Smith go and they also had no more desire to fight. Ratcliffe tries to gain the upper hand by firing a shot at Chief Powhatan, but Smith takes the bullet but not fatally. He tries to save face by saying it was Smith's own fault for deliberately stepping in the path of the blast. Unfortunately, Thomas and the other settlers finally see who the real savage has been the entire time: Ratcliffe. They realize that Smith was right all along and that Ratcliffe has been lying to them, causing them to turn on their former commander, and drag him away tied up and gagged.
Then Ratcliffe is roughly loaded into a boat back to England to await punishment for his crimes, despite his muffled protests that he will see his crew hanged for their mutiny. As Ratcliffe was sent on a rowboat that was heading back to the ship and send him to the brig, his servant Wiggins weeps for him as he mentioned how Ratcliffe was highly recommended for the expedition.
Pocahontas II: Journey to the New World[]
Ratcliffe returns in the second movie and his personality changes from mere stinginess to pure menace. He allows Smith to "fall to his death" after Smith tries to get away from the English soldiers (he has been framed by Ratcliffe as a double-crosser). Working with King James, he learns of Pocahontas' visit to court to discuss with the king (he and the king were expecting the chief, but ultimately let that fact pass) and invites her to the ball to prove that she is not too savage. However, knowing her savage instinct, he gets circus performers to bear bait (he buys it in black market) in front of Pocahontas and the king's court in order to frame Pocahontas act savage and be punished by the king to get her out of the way. He plots to lead England's Armada to ambush the Powhatans.
After Pocahontas is freed and John Rolfe discover and put forth that Smith is alive in front of the king's court, it proves to the king that Ratcliffe has lied from the start. Ratcliffe's new army was just getting ready to set sail for revenge on the new world when Ratcliffe orders a rush anchor release after realizing he is being targeted. After the ships have crashed (thanks to Pocahontas, Rolfe, and Smith), Ratcliffe attempts to end Pocahontas' life in revenge. When Smith gets in the way, he attempts to do away with him in execution style with his firearm after their sword fight turned stalemate. Rolfe comes in from behind and "hangs" Ratcliffe on a boat post, Smith cuts the rope holding Ratcliffe and the latter falls into the sea afterwards. Ratcliffe swam to the shore decks where the outraged King and his guards are expecting him.
Exposed, Ratcliffe (ignoring his furious expression) attempts to lie one more time to the King about the heroes sabotaging the armada and ordering to arrest them. Unfortunately for him, the King has now already realized the truth, and coldly tells his so-called "friend" that he will not fall for any more of his lies ever again. The King tells his guards to arrest Ratcliffe. With Ratcliffe defeated, King James grants Pocahontas and her people with peace and friendship, hires Rolfe as his new lord advisor (though Rolfe declines it to be with Pocahontas for the rest of her life), and Smith with a new ship for himself to travel around the world.
House of Mouse[]
Ratcliffe is a minor guest character in the House of Mouse, He also appears in Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse. What’s more is that he makes a possible cameo appearance in Mickey's House of Villains. It's also possible that he took part in the takeover with the other villains.
Personality[]
Just like most of the Disney villains, Ratcliffe is very power-hungry and autocratic. He is unbelievably greedy, avaricious and materialistic, as evidenced by his insatiable craving for gold, which would make him a very wealthy and extravagant man. He is also highly xenophobic (even for the period in which he lives), ruthless, cruel, pompous, and incredibly manipulative. While he exudes great confidence and gives the impression of being rather vain, Ratcliffe actually seems to have very little self-esteem, admitting in a sad voice that he has never been a popular man. However, Ratcliffe has no respect for anyone and is pretty much a rude and selfish person who loves killing people, hates the Native Americans, and all he does is think about himself. He even outright admits that he is fine with killing anyone who does not comply with his rules and he loves to make others miserable.
Because his mission to colonize the Americas is his last chance to prove himself, he cannot afford to return empty-handed, as his reputation was already damaged to the point where his failure would mean permanent disgrace, throwing his dreams of fame and power out the window forever. Despite his self-confessed lack of popularity, Ratcliffe also seems to be quite persuasive, charismatic, authoritative and glamorous, as he commands the respect of his troops until the end of the film.
Another thing that distances Ratcliffe from most Disney villains is that he actually believes that he is in his right. Ratcliffe, who seems privately insecure, who suffers from the low esteem that others have for him, never thinks he is acting wrong. His actions are only dictated by what he believes to be justice. He believes it is fair that America should give him a chance to rebuild his reputation at court. For him, it is just that his men toil at work "for the King and the fatherland". It is right that the Indians who are considered inferior pay the price for the arrival of the English. It is also right that his men should take up arms to deliver their companion John Smith. War is impossible for him to avoid. And for him, it was the Indians who provoked it.
Unlike most Disney villains, Ratcliffe is patient, phlegmatic and harmonious for most of the two films. For example, when John Smith tells him there is no gold in Virginia, Ratcliffe (rather than losing his temper) insists on a stubborn voice that is a "lie" and will hang anyone who refuses to shoot an Indian. However, he is sometimes angry but he easily calms down.
Ratcliffe is also shown to be extremely snide, sarcastic and contemptuous, as he "praises" John Smith for saving Thomas, which implies that he actually did not care whether Thomas had drowned or not. In the second film, he flirts with Pocahontas at the ball and makes fun of John's death in a very sarcastic voice. Ratcliffe is also somewhat lazy, indolent, parsimonious, self-indulgent and acquisitive, as shown when he simply ate rich food while the settlers did every manual work in search of gold and survived on outdated and unappetizing supplies.
Overall, John Ratcliffe is so disrespectful and greedy, that no one even thinks of him when he is arrested. Even his men did not like him and this goes to show that everyone hates Ratcliffe and the only person he really likes is himself and thinks that he is more superior than others, as he is perfectly fine with declaring things his and no one else's, proving that he does not care for others.
Appearance[]
Ratcliffe is a tall and obese adult man with long black hair tied up into two short pigtails with red ribbons, thick black eyebrows, green eyes, and notable lavender eyelids. He is most often seen in a lavender long-sleeved shirt with a long V-cut neckline underneath a magenta coat with a lavender collar and cuffs, black linings on the chest and waistline, and a magenta colonial hat with a turquoise blue feather on its black band, and a blue medallion resting around his neck to top his sophisticated look off. He also wears magenta keen-length pants, lavender calf-high socks, black colonial boots, and a red cape with a black satin lining. In his imagination at the King's ball, he wears a golden-yellow version of his uniform with a red medallion.
Quotes[]
“
John Ratcliffe: Now's our chance! Fire! Thomas: No. John Ratcliffe: What? Thomas: They let him go! Ben: They don't want to fight! John Ratcliffe: It's a trick, don't you see? FIRE! (the Settlers still refuse to comply. An enraged Ratcliffe steals one of the Settlers' gun) John Ratcliffe: Fine! I'll settle it myself. (Smith realizes Ratcliffe is about to shoot Chief Powhatan) John Smith: NO! (Smith pushes Chief Powhatan out of the way, taking the gun shot instead) Thomas: John! (Pocahontas gets shocked and goes to a wounded Smith. Ratcliffe gets shocked at what he just did) Thomas: You shot him! John Ratcliffe: He stepped right-right into it! It's his own fault! Ben: Smith was right all along! Lon: We never should've listened to you! Ben: Get the gun! John Ratcliffe:TRAITORS! Unhand me, I say! How DARE you! Thomas: Put him in chains! John Ratcliffe: I'll see you all HANGED for this! Thomas: And gag him as well!
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~ Ratcliffe confronted by his men.
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How dare you! Untie me at once! I'll have your heads for this!
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~ Ratcliffe's last words before he gets sent back to England in Pocahontas.
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Now I can finally get rid of you, you savage!
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~ Ratcliffe as he begins to Kill Pocahontas in Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World.
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Huh? Your Majesty, the fugitives are getting away! They've sabotaged the armada. Stop them!
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~ Ratcliffe's last words, making a foolish attempt to lie to the king again before he gets arrested in Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World.
Trivia[]
Ratcliffe and Wiggins are the only Disney villain and henchman to date to share the same voice actor.
Ratcliffe is one of the only two Disney animated villains to be loosely based on an actual historical person. The other being Prince John from Robin Hood. The rest of Disney's animated villains are indeed fictional.
In real life, Ratcliffe was extremely appreciative and generous with the colony's Native Americans. They tortured him to death when he was planning to trade with them in December 20, 1609. He did not live to see Pocahontas be married to John Rolfe.
The supervisor of Captain John Smith's ship on the journey to America in 1607 was Christopher Newport instead of Ratcliffe.
The late David Ogden Stiers, Ratcliffe’s voice actor, was the same man who voiced Cogsworth the mantel clock in Disney’s 1991 animated film, Beauty and the Beast.
He is ranked #29 in the Top 30 Disney Villains.
His first name, "John", is never mentioned in the first or second animated film.
He is the second villain in a Disney Princess film to not be killed off. The first being Lady Tremaine, and is followed by Te Kā (who is technically Te Fiti without her heart) and Nalo. Ratcliffe didn't die in the sequel either, but it's possible that he was likely sentenced to death and killed offscreen.
He is also one of the only two main villains in a film of Disney's Renaissance Era to not be killed off at the end of the film. The other being Hades from Hercules, considering that he survived his defeat at the end of the film because of his immortality.
Despite being the main antagonist of the first film, Ratcliffe doesn't interact with Pocahontas until their first true meeting in the second film. This makes Ratcliffe the only Disney villain who doesn't interact with the main protagonist in their first film.
Ratcliffe's supervising animator is Duncan Marjoribanks, making him the first main antagonist of a Disney Animated Canon film since Percival C. McLeach (who's supervising animator is also Duncan Marjoribanks) to not be animated by Andreas Deja (in which the latter refused to work on the first film due to his love of The Jungle Book).
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