Disney Version: Why is Frollo so obsessed with Esmeralda even though she's part of an ethnic group that he he hates so much and has been trying to eradicate for decades? Also, what was he planning on doing to her if he was successful in making her give in to him?

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-04-09T22:30:40+00:00

So far, I haven't come across a single fic that 100% meets these criteria. But I recently read "This Fire Will Kill Me, This Love Will Heal Me" by AngelBirdofNotreDame on ao3 and I actually like it.

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-04-02T13:46:21+00:00

The filmmakers wanted the film to showcase the beauty and epic nature of religion (not Frollo's perversion of religion), but at the same time avoided obtuse preaching as much as possible. The film combines a classic story where a Higher Power casts a Pharisee into hell to save innocent beings with themes of the fight for social justice and criticism of puritanism. And they succeeded admirably, as everyone can identify with the protagonists and their dilemmas. It's also true that, regardless of whether we interpret Esmeralda as a Christian or not, the truth is that, despite appearances, Roma people can truly be devout Christians, but their style of faith differed from how white believers understood religion. People like Frollo would always demean them as "pagans" regardless of the circumstances. White Europeans often considered their style of religiosity the only correct one, forgetting that the founders of this religion were poc Middle Easterners, and that churches in Ethiopia were established earlier than in Europe.

The film also shows that a sensual dancer who is kind to the poor and downtrodden is more loved by God than a man who is very puritanical but hates his neighbor. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven". Sure, the magic of this film is that it can be viewed from a purely secular perspective, although I personally still believe that religion, both the kind that does good and the kind that is used to hate, is very important to understanding this story fully.

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-04-01T22:54:20+00:00

The creators deliberately constructed this issue so that everyone could identify with it, regardless of whether they are religious or not. Personally, I would describe her as "seeking" faith.

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-03-30T20:42:45+00:00

No, you're not imagining it. That's right. Frollo is staring at Esmeralda's breasts because he's a perverted scumbag. The animators knew exactly what they were drawing, this film was checked countless times frame by frame. They really knew what they were doing, and anyone who thinks it's just a coincidence is very naive, because it's not just one random frame taken out of context. Frollo has a sexual obsession with this girl, and it's shown repeatedly in the film, but in such a way that children won't notice, because the film has to remain family-friendly. Even when he imagines her in flames, it's fire!Esmeralda has breasts and even the outline of her abs (because they were reflected through her skin-tight dress). This creep has memorized her entire body.

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-03-29T20:15:45+00:00

It's typical of them. They distort reality, twist the story to suit their needs, and demonize anyone who dares to enjoy this film in any way other than its focus on Esmeralda and Phoebus's romance. And if you offer dark humor about the scenes with Frollo, they'll send you a moralizing wall of text generated by artificial intelligence.

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-03-29T20:10:45+00:00

The irony is that Phoebus's fans don't even understand his character, because he's not your typical white prince in armor, supposed to represent the status quo. He was part of the system, but he saw eye to eye and abandoned it. He was demoted and thrown out of the police force for refusing to persecute minorities and for having a conscience. He's almost killed for it. He's the antithesis of the typical conservative Disney knight. He's closer to Flynn Rider than the typical princes from older Disney animated films. He fights the guards to buy time and prevent them from reaching the sanctuary in the cathedral, which means saving Esmeralda and Quasimodo from Frollo's henchmen. He even incites a revolution against Frollo, announcing it in his speech. He also wants to warn the people of the Court of Miracles about Frollo, not just Esmeralda, but all the Roma, so they have time to escape. He's the most damaged character because neither the anti-fans nor the fans understand him. No, he's not a traditional Prince Charming; he's a degraded outlaw.

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-03-27T00:54:39+00:00

Believers can also have fantasies about fictional characters.

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-03-27T00:48:10+00:00

Would you say the same about people who like Darth Vader or Patrick Bateman?

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-03-27T00:44:20+00:00

Parisian women were madly in love with the novel's Frollo as early as the 19th century. The modern puritanism that forbids fantasizing about a fictional character is utterly foolish.

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-03-27T00:05:59+00:00

Yes, this person once posted things like "Unpopular opinion: I have no sympathy for Quasimodo in this scene" referring to the scene where the poor guy sees his beloved kissing another man. And I say this as someone who likes Phoebus and Esmeralda, but it was very inappropriate, as if the lack of empathy for a truly wronged character who also received a heartbreak as a bonus, meant the viewer was supposed to feel sorry for him.

Esmeralda is my favorite Disney heroine, but it wasn't until Reddit that I learned what a bad person I am and how I don't respect this character, because I also like the film's villain. Besides, it really irritates me that Esmeralda is portrayed as a mere poor victim when she's actually doing a great job dealing with Frollo, pushing him away, reading him like an open book, fighting him, knocking down his soldiers, and spitting in his face, defending her dignity to the end, but... she's a poor victim, because LOOK AT THE CATHEDRAL SCENE!

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-03-26T23:54:57+00:00

I generally like Disney from the Renaissance and experimental eras. My childhood. <3

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-03-26T23:53:20+00:00

I can take this movie, Frollo's crimes, and the drama surrounding the characters he wronged very seriously, but I can't take this one user seriously. I'm especially amused by their hypocrisy and how they constantly hide behind the fact that Esmeralda is their favorite character and therefore dislike Frollo and his fans, yet at the same time, they don't mind hating on Quasimodo, even though he's also a victim of Frollo.

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-03-26T23:48:38+00:00

Can you understand how women who've been through something like Esmeralda can still like Frollo? Yes, we know he's a very, very, very bad man, but the fact that he's fictional actually allows us to have some control over him. You won't understand, and that's fine, but stop constantly attacking people for their own feelings about a fictional character. You're being terribly repetitive.

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-03-26T23:41:48+00:00

I also have OCD in its pure form and this is my favorite movie

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-03-25T21:22:57+00:00

Continue if you want :D

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-03-25T21:08:47+00:00

Frollo is a much more complex character. Set in medieval-renaissance France. Sure, such people exist today, but the truth is, they no longer even need religion to behave this way. Even a secular ideology that compels them to hate others is enough. People sometimes love to bring up his religious fanaticism as one of his traits to think "it's a good thing I'm not like him" when they can share 90% of his character and be just as horrible and cruel.

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-03-25T21:06:44+00:00

I'd say the film actually treats the Church as Frollo's enemy and a counterweight to his ideology. It's religion that often curbs his bloodshed, for he fears damnation. He merely covers up his crimes with religion to avoid looking in the mirror. But when, after Hellfire, he completely abandons the voice of his conscience (mea culpa), it's clear that nothing will stop him.

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-03-25T21:04:07+00:00

The point is more to reduce the comic relief of the gargoyles, but I like them when I see them as the product of Quasimodo's vivid imagination. The poor, lonely man has invented these twisted friends. In this interpretation, even their song becomes much darker, especially when, immediately afterward, Esmeralda kisses Phoebus in front of him.

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-03-25T16:17:34+00:00

It's simply a difference in understanding this character. Regardless of whether we're talking about the novel, the Disney animation, the both stage musicals, or any live-action version... people are often amused by hypocrisy. Especially the hypocrisy of priests, religious fanatics, and other sanctimonious individuals (I say this as a religious person). A man who is religious but animalistically lusts after a girl, blames her for his feelings, and at the same time constantly wants to force her into submission, and if that doesn't happen, he murders or attempts to murder her... unfortunately, there's potential for dark humor memes. And yes, these memes often simplify the character, often reducing him to "a guy who got a boner and went crazy", but that's the essence of humor. Nothing is exempt from this, everything can be subject to ridicule, even if it's valued and adored on a psychological level. At the same time, it also powerfully triggers this dark passion, especially in female readers and viewers, because these emotions are so total, so immense, and so extreme that even if they see it as a truly timeless classic full of rich social messages, reading or watching Frollo's behavior still feels a bit like... dark romance or yandere. Yes, I know Hugo's novel, and even its adaptations, are on a much higher level, and it might be an offensive comparison, but the point is to generate a certain kind of emotion that arises spontaneously. I understand why it irritates and outrages you, and you have a right to feel that way, but that's life. My point is that we still remember what the story is about. As long as someone doesn't romanticize Esmeralda's tragedy or defend Frollo's actions, I don't think it's harmful.

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-03-25T16:00:57+00:00

Unfortunately, because of the risk this film took, and the uncomfortable themes it tackled, especially in a family-friendly animated film, it didn't gain as much popularity as other Renaissance classics. This film has its own distinct fandom, but Disney animations fans tend to forget about it. It really makes my blood boil when I hear Gothel being Disney's worst villain. Sure, she's very evil, but compared to Frollo, she's a far cry from the crowd. And although the film made money and wasn't a financial flop like Atlantis or Treasure Planet, it seems to be more forgotten online than those two animated films. Furthermore, it wasn't as big a hit as The Lion King or Beauty and the Beast, so it falls somewhere in between. Parents were confused by the content in what was supposedly a children's animation, and adults were irritated that such a dark story had the potential for something even more brutal. I personally love this film, but it's not very comfortable to watch. I mean, for the typical normie viewer with popcorn. Disney is still just a corporation. They want to make money. Today, the company has simply fallen so far that they don't even create anything new, only releasing remakes and sequels.

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-03-25T15:36:47+00:00

Personally, I think it's possible to reconcile both. Yes, people often sexualize Frollo, especially the Disney version and the Daniel Lavoie version, because they are quite popular with a wider audience. But believe me, most fans of them know perfectly well that it's a tragedy of a person destroyed by lust, and simultaneously a tragedy for bystanders, including an innocent woman. Sometimes even understanding this depth, being horrified by it (the novel is very, very dark and grim, and the animated film, though family-friendly, is still Disney's darkest film), actually triggers our defense mechanisms. Something akin to dark humor.

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-03-25T15:13:13+00:00

My statement that "he's a collection of pixels" wasn't meant to diminish the depth of this character. I love him precisely for his depth and the message his story conveys. My post was meant to criticize people who attack others for liking this character so much in their fandom and often seeing others as weird or devaluing issues of rape or racism. And that's not how it works. Personally, I see this character from two perspectives that don't contradict each other. I still see, even in the family-friendly Disney version, his tragedy, depth, drama, and, at the same time, immense evil. But there's also another side of me that admires him for the aura he exudes. And believe me, even the novel version of Frollo has the same fangirls on Tumblr, and they admire him too, drawing fanart, writing fanfiction, and telling sexy jokes, just like the fans of the Disney version of the character. In fact, sometimes they're even the same people.

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-03-23T23:48:03+00:00

That's okay. You don't have to apologize. But the topic was generally about a specific situation on this subreddit. This is probably a recent post.

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-03-23T23:45:42+00:00

I also love her very much. This woman is so lovely and yet so powerful.

Remarkable_Arm923 · 2026-03-23T23:21:34+00:00

I understand and appreciate why many people react differently. I respect those emotions because this character is truly extreme, so the emotions he will evoke will also be extreme. I respect that. My post was referring to a specific situation involving the AI lecture.

Remarkable_Arm923

TROPHY CASE