Dr. Facilier

Articles About Dr. Facilier
Versions	Canon - Once Upon a Time

Friends on the Other Side

“	Don’t you disrespect me little man! Don’t you derogate or deride! You’re in my world now, Not your world And I’ve got friends on the other side! He’s got friends on the other side… That’s just an echo, gentlemen. Just a little somethin’ we have here in Louisiana, a little parlor trick. Don’t worry…. Sit down at my table Put your minds at ease If you relax it will enable me to do anything I please I can read your future I can change it ‘round some, too I’ll look deep into your heart and soul (you do have a soul, don’t you, Lawrence?) Make your wildest dreams come true! I got voodoo, I got hoodoo, I got things I ain’t even tried! And I got friends on the other side. He’s got friends on the other side… The cards, the cards, the cards will tell The past, the present, and the future as well The cards, the cards, just take three Take a little trip into your future with me! Now you, young man, are from across the sea You come from two long lines of royalty (I’m a royal myself on my mother’s side) Your lifestyle’s high But your funds are low You need to marry a little honey whose daddy got dough Mommy and daddy cut you off, huh playboy? Now y’all gotta get hitched, but hitchin’ ties you down. You just wanna be free. Hop from place to place. But freedom… takes green! It’s the green, it’s the green, it’s the green you need And when I looked into your future It’s the green that I see! On you little man, I don’t want to waste much time You been pushed around all your life You been pushed around by your mother and your sister and your brother. And if you was married… You’d be pushed around by your wife But in your future, the you I see It’s exactly the man you always wanted to be! Shake my hand. Come on, boys Won’t you shake the poor sinner’s hand? -Are you ready? -Are you ready? -Are you ready? -Transformation central! -Transformation central! -Reformation central! -Reformation central! Transmogrification central! Can you feel it? You’re changin’, You’re changin’ You’re changin’, all right! I hope you’re satisfied But if you ain’t Don’t blame me You can blame my friends on the other side! You got what you wanted! But you lost what you had! Hush…	„
	~ Dr. Facilier's song "Friends on the Other Side"

Background

Dr. Facilier (commonly known as the Shadow Man) is the main antagonist of Disney's 2009 animated feature film The Princess and the Frog. He is an evil, smooth-talking voodoo witch doctor who plots to rule New Orleans with help from his "friends on the other side". Having come from a poor background, Facilier grew to resent the rich and prosperous—none so much as the most powerful man in the city, Eli "Big Daddy" La Bouff. Facilier sought to supersede his rival using voodoo and pawns while offering the souls of New Orleans' denizens to his "friends" as recompense.

Since his inception, Facilier has garnered critical acclaim and major popularity with fans, making him one of Disney's most popular villains. In response, he quickly became a primary member of the Disney Villains line-up.

This dropdown contains the synopsis of Dr. Facilier’s story. Read at your own risk as you may be spoiled otherwise!

Dr. Facilier makes his debut amidst the bustling streets of New Orleans, showcasing his sinister talents as he strikes a deal with a bald man seeking to grow hair. While he fulfills the request, he does so in a darkly humorous manner, causing the man's hair to grow uncontrollably across his entire body. This grotesque spectacle frightens the onlookers and the man himself, much to Facilier's sadistic delight. However, his amusement fades when he catches sight of Eli "Big Daddy" La Bouff's immense wealth and opulence. Overcome with envy, Facilier and his shadow seethe with disgust and begin scheming to attain a similar level of power and fortune. The witch doctor follows Big Daddy and his daughter Charlotte into a local café, where he overhears their discussion about the arrival of Prince Naveen, a foreign royal. Charlotte, filled with excitement, dreams of marrying the prince and shares her aspirations with her friend Tiana, a hardworking waitress. Lurking in the shadows, Facilier eavesdrops and formulates a cunning plan to exploit Charlotte’s ambitions and Naveen’s royal status to claim the La Bouff fortune for himself. When Naveen and his valet Lawrence arrive in the city, Facilier approaches them with promises designed to appeal to their deepest desires. To Naveen, he offers freedom and riches, while to Lawrence, he promises a life of luxury and importance. With their agreement sealed by a magical handshake, Facilier sets his sinister scheme into motion. Using his voodoo magic, he transforms Naveen into a frog and provides Lawrence with a talisman imbued with Naveen’s blood, allowing the valet to assume the prince’s likeness. Under Facilier's guidance, Lawrence is to marry Charlotte and gain access to her family’s immense wealth. Once the fortune is secured, Facilier plans to kill Big Daddy, leaving Lawrence as the sole heir. The two would then split the riches, with Facilier taking the larger share, granting him the power to dominate New Orleans. During Charlotte’s masquerade ball, Lawrence, disguised as Naveen, begins courting Charlotte, while the real Naveen manages to escape captivity. Naveen encounters Tiana, mistaking her for a princess, and convinces her to kiss him in hopes of breaking the spell. Instead, the kiss backfires, and Tiana herself is transformed into a frog, joining Naveen in his cursed state. Meanwhile, Facilier discovers Naveen’s escape and furiously confronts Lawrence, who begins to have second thoughts about the nefarious plan. Facilier manipulates Lawrence into staying on course, emphasizing the talisman’s vital role in maintaining the charade. As the talisman’s magic weakens due to the depletion of Naveen’s blood, Facilier’s carefully laid plans begin to unravel. With no other options, he seeks aid from his "friends on the other side," offering the souls of New Orleans' citizens in exchange for their help. The voodoo spirits, enticed by the prospect of such a bounty, provide Facilier with a horde of shadow demons to capture Naveen and secure the talisman’s power. On the night of Charlotte’s wedding, Facilier holds Naveen captive while Lawrence prepares to finalize the ceremony. As the disguised Lawrence is about to marry Charlotte, Facilier lurks in the shadows, ready to use a voodoo doll to kill Big Daddy and solidify their control over the La Bouff fortune. However, Naveen escapes with the help of Ray, a brave firefly, who steals the talisman and delivers it to Tiana. Facilier and his shadow demons intercept Ray, brutally attacking him and leaving the firefly mortally wounded. The shadows pursue Tiana, cornering her as she threatens to destroy the talisman. In a final attempt to regain control, Facilier offers Tiana a deal, conjuring a vision of her dream restaurant and promising to make it a reality. He plays on her sacrifices, doubts, and even invokes the memory of her late father to sway her. Tiana momentarily hesitates but ultimately rejects the offer, realizing that her father’s legacy of love and integrity mattered more than unfulfilled dreams. As Tiana attempts to destroy the talisman, Facilier’s shadow retrieves it and returns it to him. Triumphant, the witch doctor cruelly mocks Tiana, transforming her back into a frog and declaring that she will remain a slimy creature for the rest of her life. However, Tiana uses her frog tongue to snatch the talisman from Facilier and shatters it, breaking its magic. The destruction of the talisman marks Facilier’s downfall. His "friends on the other side," angered by his failure to repay his debt, arrive to collect his soul. Despite his desperate pleas for another chance, the voodoo spirits drag Facilier and his shadow into their realm, condemning him to eternal torment. In the aftermath, Facilier’s tombstone emerges, bearing his terrified likeness, a chilling reminder of his fate and the price of his treachery.

General Information

Name: Dr. Facilier (His full name is unknown)

Other Names: The Shadowman

Origin: Princess and the Frog

First Appearance: Princess and the Frog

Company: Walt Disney Animation Studios

Creator: Ron Clements, John Musker

Actor: Keith David

Sex: Male

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Pronouns: He/Him

Age: Unknown

Homeworld: Earth

Residence: New Orleans

Story Role: Witch Doctor, Villain

Classification: Shadow Man, Voodoo User, Doctor, Conman

Species: Human

State of Being: Regular

Physiology: Humanoid Physiology

In-Universe Creator: Unknown

Affiliations: Friends on the Other Side, Lawrence

Enemies: Prince Naveen, Tiana

Occupation: None

Height: Unknown

Weight: Unknown

Status: Deceased (Due to Tiana breaking the talisman, Facilier's "friends from the other side" arrive to pull him to the other side, effectively killing him)

Date of Death: Unknown

Alignment: Chaotic Evil (Dr. Facilier's ultimate plan was to have a false prince marry the richest girl in New Orleans, in order to get control of Big Daddy, killing him and having complete control of the city, giving the souls of the people to his "friends from the other side". Is a master con artist, being able to convince people to make deals with him, with no real regards of the after-effects that happen to people. Killed Ray)

Threat Level: Metropolitan Threat (Dr. Facilier's ultimate plan was to have a false prince marry the richest girl in New Orleans, in order to get control of Big Daddy, killing him and having complete control of the city, giving the souls of the people to his "friends from the other side")

Codex Statistics

Tier: 10-B

Dimensionality: 3-D

Attack Potency: Average Human level, can negate durability with his shadow being able to attack others shadows (Dr. Facilier through unknown means was able to make his shadow essentially have a second conscious, with its interactions through the shadow bodies can affect the actual people and objects outside of the shadow)

Durability: Average Human level

Striking Strength: Average Human Class

Lifting Strength: Average Human Class

Travel Speed: Average Human

Attack Speed: Average Human

Reaction Speed: Average Human

Stamina: Average

Range: Standard Melee, Higher with his Shadow (Depending on the environment and time of day shadows can grow infinitely in length), Cross-Universal with Summoning (Able to summon his "friends from the other side", along with items from the spirit world)

Intelligence: Genius Intelligence (Due to Dr. Facilier being able to use master voodoo magic in such a short timeframe)

Knowledge: Master level

Dr. Facilier is a masterful conman who was able to gain voodoo abilities and make use of "friends from the other side" by repeatedly convincing them of ways to pay back his debt, he is also a master of his voodoo magic, having no trouble using it along with knowing the limits of it.

Is a master con artist, being able to convince people to make deals with him, convinced his "friends on the other side" to help him search for the frog after already not paying back his debt, nearly tempted Tiana before she had her epiphany.

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Powers and Techniques

Genius Intelligence, Human Achievements & Social Influencing (Is a master con artist, being able to convince people to make deals with him, convinced his "friends on the other side" to help him search for the frog after already not paying back his debt, nearly tempted Tiana before she had her epiphany), Weapon Usage (Uses his cane for various purposes, including show performances, a tool, or as a weapon), Vodoo Magic (Facilier is infamously known as "the Shadow man", a voodoo magic user), Clairvoyance, Retrocognition & Precognition (Destiny Perception; Is able to see one's past, present and future with his tarot cards, with the cards being able to extend themselves to show an entire line of history and change the picture for different points in the past, present, and future. Dr. Facilier is aware of users past events he was not present for), Shadow Manipulation & Animated Shadow (Dr. Facilier through unknown means was able to make his shadow essentially have a second conscious, with its interactions through the shadow bodies can affect the actual people and objects outside of the shadow. After he makes a deal with his friends, he gets access to all of their shadows to command and use), Hair Manipulation (Has powder that allows one to grow hair all over their body at a fast rate), Fire Manipulation (Was able to light up fire during his song. Notes he "has things he hasn't even tried" which is a small flame cloud), Shapeshifting (For his shadow, as it doesn't have a fully solid body it can shift its form to take different animals and such), Summoning (Able to summon his "friends from the other side"), Transmutation & Blood Manipulation (Able to use his own powder to transform Tiana back from a frog into a human and from a human back into a frog. With the talisman from his friends, it can take the blood of one and turn them into a frog, the blood from the talisman can make the person wearing it look just like the person the talisman took blood from), Perception Manipulation & Reality Warping (Dr. Facilier showed Tiana a reality of her restaurant being open, with even the drinks and objects being real, able to show users past events, along with past events they weren't aware of. Conjured up a misty version of the town of New Orleans), Durability Negation (Has access to voodoo dolls, dolls made with the express purpose of harming the doll harming the real target by extension).

Resistance to Voodoo Magic (For an unexplained reason, Dr. Facilier cannot conjure a thing for himself with voodoo magic, being completely unaffected by wearing the talisman)

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Equipment

• Friends on the Other Side: Dr. Facilier's friends on the Other Side are a sinister legion of loa (spirits) who aid the villainous Dr. Facilier in his plot to rule New Orleans. While he does call upon them for help, he is in actuality deeply indebted to them already (the nature of which is never explained but, it is implied the only way to pay them back is by giving them souls) and secretly fears them.
  • Masks: A large, horned mask appears to be the head of the legion, as the others look to it for guidance and approval. This mask also serves as a gateway to the hellish "Other Side". It provides Doctor Facilier with his voodoo talisman, it releases the Shadow Demons from its mouth, and it has Facilier dragged inside it when the talisman is destroyed. Various other masks are seen in the film, plastered along the walls of Facilier's emporium, disguised as ordinary decorations. They serve as the primary background vocalists during Facilier's spells, chanting with deep, booming voices.
  • Voodoo Dolls: Miniature, living voodoo dolls who beat tribal drums during Facilier's larger spells, in addition to dancing alongside the doctor during their finales. They repeat the beating of the tribal drums during Facilier's musical demise. Unlike the other spirits, the voodoo dolls neither speak nor vocalize.
  • Shadow Demons: A legion of black, demonic-shaped shadows who were bestowed upon Facilier to serve as henchmen in the fields, with an order to capture Prince Naveen, and prevent others from foiling their plot. They can only be defeated by enchanted light, which is shown when they faced Mama Odie and Ray.
  • Shrunken Heads: Sentient shrunken heads that briefly appear during "Friends on the Other Side", also as background vocalists during Facilier's spells, and its reprise. They physically appear as the heads of deceased and decayed humans, with human-esque eyes and facial structures.
  • Snakes: Two snakes who appear during "Friends on the Other Side", in which they tied themselves around a captive Naveen, preventing him from escaping. As Naveen's transformation takes place, the snakes can be seen dissolving midst the chaos.

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Notable Techniques

• Voodoo Magic: Facilier is a con artist that performs left-handed or Petro Voodoo (the dark and stereotypical voodoo magic). He is a conjurer and sorcerer of sorts, possessing powerful dark voodoo magic capable of accomplishing nearly anything. He can see into the past of a person and see what people desire the most, along with looking into their present and future and use this information to trick them into deals. He is proficient in sleight of hand, effortlessly shuffling, twisting, and manipulating his deck of tarot cards. He is a skilled conjurer as well, being able to pull his staff and tarot deck out of thin air (although this may also be attributed to sleight of hand). Though despite his great voodoo magic, he can't conjure anything for himself. Instead, he must rely on trickery and guile to manipulate other people into doing what he wants.
• Tarot Cards: Facilier's tarot cards possess unique properties: the images on them change, reflecting the history and/or desires of Facilier's victims (such as when one of his cards elongated to show Naveen is descended from two long lines of royalty and when Tiana's restaurant picture appeared on a card in the deck.) The cards usually show his victims their future in a positive light; however, they are unable to corrupt the truth entirely and usually include a clue as to the victim's real fate (for example, when Naveen sees his future filled with "green," he fails to see the lily pad made of money in the background).
• Spell-Casting: Facilier is shown casting spells through the use of a strange pink powder. The effects of this powder include the reversal of the frog spell on Tiana, a man spontaneously growing hair on his head (briefly before having it sprout all over him), producing puffs of smoke that display memories, and the creation of a full-scale rendition of Tiana's dream restaurant.
• "Friends on the Other Side": Facilier's evil abilities are primarily derived from his "friends" on the other side: these "friends" of his are a multitude of dark spirits (known as Loa) which appear in the forms of voodoo masks in his Voodoo Emporium.
• Con Artistry: Facilier has proven to be cunning, conniving, and persuasive. Facilier can charm and persuade anyone to strike a deal with by using their desires and tempt them, and his voodoo to make their dreams come true. However, he can twist his promises to fulfill his own desires by lying to them or misleading them. Facilier had tricked Prince Naveen into promising him money and Lawrence for a chance to be a prince, for the former he turned into a frog for the latter's dream to be genuine, but used both of them to give himself what he wants. Facilier almost tricked Tiana into handing him the talisman by offering her the restaurant her and her father's been working so hard to achieve before she had her epiphany.

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Other

Standard Tactics: Dr. Facilier is a con artist at heart and uses his trickery and persuasion to try and get what he wants from his opponent, never directly confronting them in a direct fight unless absolutely needed.

Weaknesses: For an unexplained reason, Dr. Facilier cannot conjure a thing for himself with voodoo magic. If his talisman breaks, his friends will come to have him pay his debt, pulling him into the spirit world. His shadows have a weakness to light.

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Trivia

• In French "facile" (in other Romance languages it is written in the same way, but pronounced differently) means "easy", then "Facilier" could be "the one that makes things easy", using magic.
• Bruce Smith describes Facilier as the love child of the Disney Villains Captain Hook and Cruella De Vil.
• Facilier may be a swindler, but also a man of his word; he is a master of using the truth to lie. This is something that was likely carried over by Captain Hook who used a similar double-speak (E.G. telling Tinkerbell he wouldn't lay a finger or a hook on Peter Pan only to use a bomb to attack him).
• He may not be an actual doctor, though his title could likely refer to the fact that Facilier uses his voodoo magic to "help" people. It's possibly a reference to him being a witch doctor.
• He is not actually dragged into Hell as Loa are not demons nor do they believe in Hell like the Christian concept.
• Facilier was originally named Dr. Duvalier after Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, the Voodoo practicing genocidal dictator of Haiti.
• In the film, Dr. Facilier is shown to use Voodoo Dolls. Counter to popular belief, "Voodoo Dolls" are not an actual part of Voodoo but were created by white authors during the 1930s to further vilify the religion, taking the concept of the dolls from European witchcraft.
• Dr. Facilier is the only character in the film who refers to himself as such. Everyone else simply calls him "(the) Shadow Man". Dr. Facilier's first name is never revealed, either.
• Facilier's design is inspired by the loa Baron Samedi from Haitian Voodoo. The Baron is a well-known figure from Voodoo and also became very famous due to the appearance of an impersonator (possibly hinted at the end to be the deity itself) in the 1973 James Bond film Live and Let Die and in various subsequent James Bond-themed video games.
• Facilier is the first male Disney character to have purple eyes (the second being Fear from Inside Out), and one of the few Disney characters in general to possess such, the only other characters being Aurora, Vanessa, Megara and Judy Hopps (all of whom are women).
  • Violet/purple and green eyes are often associated with sorcery and the Devil, which is why many of Disney's earlier villains had green eyes. Therefore, it is not surprising the animators chose to give Facilier purple eyes, due to his voodoo powers.
• The way Facilier moves is quite similar to 1920s-era jazz musicians/dancers, notably Cab Calloway.
• While he is dancing in front of Naveen and Lawrence in his Voodoo shop, his Shadow turns the wall's floral background into skulls.
• In an earlier script, Dr. Facilier would not just be a dark wizard who wants to conquer New Orleans with the help of his friends, he would have been Mama Odie's son, who followed the path of the dark arts, unlike his mother. In this same script, there was to be a showdown between the two of them, which would have converged into a major battle during the Mardi Gras.
• Facilier's ultimate downfall is among the darker and unusual demises for Disney villains: when his amulet is destroyed, he loses how he can pay back his debt, and as such, his soul is claimed by the Loa as payment and he is dragged, begging for his life, into their dark realm (essentially condemning him to eternal damnation).
• Facilier is the first black Disney Villain and the fourth to have French origins.
• Facilier is the first Disney Villain not to have a particular entrance of his own, instead of appearing in the opening song casually.
• Facilier's crocodile-tooth necklace can lead to his power; Voodoo practitioners believe that crocodile teeth can bring strength, primal energy, and wisdom.
• Facilier and Tiana never meet until the film's climax, though she knows of his reputation and he knows of her father (most likely through the cards).
• Facilier is the first villain in the Disney animated canon to have his song since Alameda Slim in Home on the Range.
• He once said that he was born of royalty on his mother's side.
• It is very subtly implied that Doctor Facilier can play the piano because there is one in his Voodoo Emporium.
• In some books, Facilier is not sucked into the voodoo mask as a gateway to the voodoo world, but swallowed by his shadows, leaving his hat.

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