Zorro, “the fox”. His flowing cape, flat brimmed sombrero and concealed visage behind the black mask, Zorro fits cleanly into the legacy of literary heroes, a Californio robin hood, striking back for the oppressed and downtrodden. Armed with bullwhip, rapier or pistol, his appearance, outfit, and even the man himself often change, but there is no doubt when Zorro appears, he will triumph over tyranny with finesse and aplomb. Apparently tyranny rarely rests as evidenced by Zorro’s innumerable foes; brutal criminals, arrogant noblemen, and corrupt military officers.
Captain Ramon
Image from The Mark of Zorro (1920)
The original Zorro Villian, elitist, amoral and vicious. in the first incarnation of Zorro in the 1919 story by Johnston McCuilley, The Curse of Capistrano features Zorro along with his servant Bernardo and his lover Lolita Pulido, against the nefarious and criminal persons of Caption Ramon and Sgt. Gonzales. The plot is directly influenced by The Scarlet Pimpernel, with Don Diego (Zorro’s true identity) being a do-nothing unmanly fop whom Lolita has little interest, yet being intrigued by Zorro, who is of course, the same man. Ramon acts as more of a Romantic Rival than any particularly nefarious character, his evil deeds are motivated by passion for Lolita, and not general maliciousness.
Don Del Oro
Zorro’s Fighting Legion (1939) Republic Pictures
The prince of gold. Wearing an imposing mask of a God and a suit of gold armor, Don Del Oro is one of Zorro/Don Diego’s most enigmatic foes. A traitor on the council of San Mendolito, He secretly influences the Yaqui Tribe by posing as the God of Gold. Using his power over them, he commands the Yaqui to seize the gold being delivered by caravan to Mexico City from San Mendolito mine, the richest mine in mexico.
Zorro’s Fighting Legion: The Complete Serial, Chapters 1-12
George Crane
Image From Ghost of Zorro (1949)
One of the lessor known Zorro villains, George Crane is villainous Luddite intend on keeping construction of the telegraph (and the inevitable appearance of lawmen) out of his territory. The role of Zorro is filled by the original’s grandson, an engineer named Ken Mason, who dons the mask of Zorro when Crane sends men to disrupt the construction.
Sgt. Demetrio Lopez Garcia
Based on the original Sgt. Gonzales from The Curse of Capistrano, Sgt. Garcia is Disney’s answer to the crude and corrupt miltary officer. He is easily scared, overweight and dimwitted, a foolish man who is good friends with Don Diego and often reveals secrets of schemes and traps to capture Zorro, unaware his dear friend is also his primary foe. Of all the villains presented here, Sgt. Garcia is least malicious and most honorable, as he is motivated not by amorality but dedication to his military service and desire for reward money.
Captain Harrison Love
Captain Harrison Love is the second banana villain in The Mask of Zorro (1998). Based off the real lawman Harry Love, who lead the first law enforcement agency in California, the California State Rangers. It is a recorded historic fact that Love executed folk hero Joaquin Murietta and preserved his head in a glass filled with brandy, which was later displayed in a travelling oddity show. Love in the film is shown drinking from the bottle he keeps his enemies body-parts in, but despite this grotesque habit, he is the definition of a scummy WASP; blonde, oppressive and elitist.
Don Rafael Montero
A traditional thoroughly corrupt Zorro villain, Don Rafael Montero has money, henchmen, and too much time on his hands. He stole Diego de la Vega’s daughter Elena, and he planned to steal gold from California’s gold mines, kill the miners, and use the gold from California to purchase California. With Harrison Love as his right hand, he commands an army of mercenaries against Zorro using murder, false imprisonment and kidnapping being his tools of his greed.
About the Author
David
David Stewart has a Ph.D in LOL. Mr. Stewart has been producing web content for over 60 years for Respected Web Institutions such as Tumblr. He continues his tenure to this day as a Net Guru and Fine Artiste for Private Island Party. His interests include: Fresh Haircuts, Nice Dinner, and PLUR (Peace, Love, Unity, Respect) and his dislikes include dillweeds, rudes and lames.
