King Stefan is the main antagonist in the 2014 live-action film Maleficent. In contrast to the character seen in Sleeping Beauty, this version of Stefan is shown to be an evil, power-hungry, and vengeful tyrant. Here, he is also shown to be even more bad-tempered, stubborn, and jerkish than he was in the original film and happens to have had quite a history with Maleficent, making her a victimized villain.
Role in the film
As a child, Stefan was an orphan and often stole things. He first meets Maleficent when he escapes to the Moors after stealing a gem. The two became the best of friends and on Maleficent's sixteenth birthday, Stefan gives her true love's kiss as their close friendship gradually blossomed into romance. However, one night, Stefan steals Maleficent's wings so he could lie that he killed her and become the new king. He marries King Henry's daughter, Princess Lelia, and together, they have a child of their own, a baby girl named Aurora. However, his treacherous actions would cost him dearly, as Maleficent places a dark curse of eternal slumber upon his daughter Aurora as revenge for what he did to her. Over the next sixteen years, Stefan becomes extremely paranoid and obsessed with hunting Maleficent down, so obsessed that he doesn't care less for his dying queen.
When Aurora returns on the day before her sixteenth birthday, he has her locked up. But when the curse starts, she finds her way to the dungeons where the spinning wheels were burnt and pricks her finger, putting her into her deep slumber, much to Stefan's dismay. Maleficent is able to lift the curse with the power of true love, but Stefan and his guards capture Maleficent and Diaval. He brutally tortures and taunts Maleficent. But as he is about to kill her with his sword, Maleficent's wings return to her, thanks to the help of Aurora.
Stefan is quickly overpowered and carried onto a tower by Maleficent. She beats Stefan and nearly strangles him, but decides to spare him. Blinded by his overwhelming pride and seething rage, Stefan refuses to concede defeat and attacks her again. The two fall from the tower, but Maleficent manages to become airborne, while Stefan plummets down to his death, ending his venomous wrath forever.
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