The original dark Disney stories often have complex and sometimes disturbing character relationships. In 'Beauty and the Beast', the initial situation where Belle is essentially a prisoner in the Beast's castle can be seen as quite dark. It's not as light - hearted as the modern adaptations make it seem. There's a sense of fear and uncertainty for Belle in the original story.
Another aspect is the way death is depicted. In stories like 'Cinderella', the stepsisters' attempts to fit into the glass slipper are more brutal in the original. One sister cuts off her toe and the other her heel to try and deceive the prince. It shows a more unforgiving and somewhat macabre side to the stories compared to the sanitized versions we often see today.
Among the 'Dark Disney Original Stories', 'Beauty and the Beast' has some darkness. The Beast's initial rage and the villagers' fear and superstition towards him are dark elements. Also, Belle is essentially a prisoner in the castle at first. 'Peter Pan' can also be considered in this category. Captain Hook's villainy and the constant danger in Neverland add a touch of darkness, not to mention the Lost Boys' situation of being stranded there.
One of the disturbing elements is the often cruel and harsh punishments in the stories. For example, in some tales, characters who misbehave are severely punished, like in 'Rumpelstiltskin' where the miller's daughter is forced into a difficult situation. Another is the presence of dark magic which often has terrifying consequences. And the general atmosphere of danger and threat that pervades many of the stories can be quite disturbing.
One of the dark original Disney stories is 'Snow White'. In the original story, the Evil Queen actually tries to kill Snow White in more gruesome ways than the sanitized version shows. For example, she orders the huntsman to bring back Snow White's heart as proof of her death.
One disturbing story is about illegal human trafficking rings that operate on the dark web. Victims are sold like commodities, often for immoral purposes. It's a horrifying display of the worst of humanity.
The moral lessons in Brothers Grimm Dark Stories can be disturbing in a sense. Sometimes the lessons seem to be taught through extreme circumstances. For instance, a character who is vain might be punished by having their beauty completely taken away in a very cruel and deforming way. This shows how the stories use shock value to convey their moral teachings.
One of the really dark truth stories is in the field of education. In some areas, children from poor families are not given equal educational opportunities. Schools in these areas may lack proper resources like textbooks, qualified teachers, and updated teaching facilities. This educational inequality can trap generations in a cycle of poverty as they are not equipped with the knowledge and skills to break out of it.
Well, in original dark Disney stories, the use of fear is quite notable. In 'Sleeping Beauty', Maleficent is a terrifying figure. This use of fear helps to create a sense of drama and suspense. Moreover, these stories were sometimes based on much darker folk tales from different cultures. Disney then adapted them, but still retained some of the original darkness, which gives them an edge over the more sanitized versions we often see today.
Power - hungry characters are often part of these dark origin stories. Ursula in 'The Little Mermaid' is a great example. She was so power - hungry that she would do anything to get control of the underwater kingdom. Also, in 'Aladdin', Jafar's thirst for power led him to try and take over the kingdom by any means necessary. And then there's the element of cruelty. The stepmother in 'Cinderella' was extremely cruel to Cinderella, which made her story have a very dark start.
The Lich's nihilistic view is quite disturbing. He wants to end all life in the universe, which represents a really dark and extreme ideology.
The illegal trading. There are often stories of human trafficking being arranged on the dark web. Innocent people, especially women and children, are sold like commodities. It's a terrifying thought that such evil exists just beneath the surface of the normal internet we use every day.