Lope de Aguirre is one of the two primary antagonists of Disney's Jungle Cruise (2021), alongside Prince Joachim. Once a Spanish conquistador and Frank Wolf’s close ally and fellow soldier, Aguirre's ambition led to his downfall. Obsessed with finding the mythical Tears of the Moon to save his ailing daughter, he defied the warnings of the jungle’s guardians. As punishment for his betrayal and greed, the Chief of the Guardians cursed Aguirre and his fellow conquistadors, binding them to the jungle for eternity and transforming them into monstrous beings, imprisoned by the very land they tried to conquer.
Story[]
Past
Lope de Aguirre met Frank shortly after the death of his father. The two became close—like brothers—and worked side by side to chart a map that would lead them to the legendary Tree of Life, said to hold miraculous healing powers through its petals known as the Tears of the Moon.
By 1556, Aguirre’s daughter had fallen gravely ill. Desperate to save her, he embarked on an expedition into the depths of the jungle with Frank and their fellow conquistadors—Gonzalo, Melchor, and Sancho—in search of the Tears. But the jungle proved unforgiving. Disease spread among the men, one was killed by snake venom, and Aguirre himself fell sick. As hope faded, Aguirre was tormented by the thought that he had failed his daughter.
Just as death seemed certain, the Guardians of the Jungle found the dying men and used the Tears to revive and heal them. Restored to life, Aguirre felt renewed hope. For a time, he lived peacefully among the Guardians, even bonding with their children as he dreamed of finally curing his daughter.
However, his patience eroded. Consumed by obsession, Aguirre pleaded with the tribe’s Chief to give him the sacred Arrowhead—key to unlocking the tree's location. The Chief refused, judging Aguirre unworthy. Enraged, Aguirre slaughtered the Chief and many of his people, seizing the Arrowhead by force. Frank, horrified by Aguirre’s actions, intervened—giving the Chief’s daughter a chance to escape with the artifact.
Believing he had killed Frank, Aguirre pursued the girl into the jungle. With his dying breath, the Chief cursed Aguirre and his men to remain bound to the jungle forever, never straying far from the river or else nature itself would reclaim them. Eventually, Aguirre and Frank clashed again. Feeling betrayed, Aguirre fought Frank for years until Frank ultimately defeated him by trapping him and his crew in a cave, where they were turned to stone and imprisoned for the next 300 years.
Jungle Cruise
Centuries later, Aguirre remained entombed, his body desiccated and lifeless—until Prince Joachim of Germany freed him and his men by blasting open the cave and letting river water flow back in. Revived by the curse, the conquistadors were grotesquely transformed, fused with jungle elements. Aguirre’s decayed body became merged with snakes, turning him into a serpentine monstrosity.
From the shadows, Aguirre watched Frank resurface, now accompanied by British explorer Lily Houghton and her brother MacGregor. The trio journeyed deeper into the jungle, where Aguirre launched a brutal assault on a native tribe aligned with the Guardians. Still bound by the curse, Aguirre and his men were dragged back to the river when they attempted to stray too far from its banks.
After learning Lily had the Arrowhead, Aguirre and his crew informed Joachim of its location. In turn, Joachim captured MacGregor and forced Frank and Lily to lead him to the Tree of Life. When they finally discovered the tree and its petals began to bloom, the moon set too quickly, causing the petals to disintegrate. Lily managed to grab one just in time.
Realizing Joachim had deceived them—and furious that he had swatted Sancho’s honeybees—Aguirre turned on the prince. Betraying their uneasy alliance, he led his crew in one final assault to claim the petal. Amid the chaos, Frank crashed the boat into the temple wall, draining the river water and triggering the jungle’s wrath. Vines surged forward, seizing Aguirre and his men, petrifying them once more.
Lily used the lone petal to lift Frank’s curse, reviving him fully. But Aguirre and his crew were left sealed in stone once again—possibly for good this time.
Personality[]
Before his fall from grace, Lope de Aguirre was driven by love and desperation—a devoted father willing to risk everything to save his dying daughter. His bond with family was profound, and for a time, he shared a deep camaraderie with Frank, whom he considered a brother-in-arms.
Initially, Aguirre showed respect and gratitude toward the Guardians of the Jungle, who had healed him and his crew with the Tears of the Moon. During his stay, he revealed a softer, more compassionate side—especially evident in the way he played with the tribe's children and lived peacefully among them. But that compassion was ultimately consumed by obsession. Aguirre’s desire to obtain the Tears and cure his daughter became all-consuming. When the tribe's Chief refused to hand over the sacred Arrowhead, Aguirre’s desperation turned to rage. He chose violence over patience, slaughtering the very people who had saved his life.
Frank’s betrayal—standing against him to protect the Guardians—shattered whatever friendship remained. Cursed to remain bound to the jungle and robbed of the chance to save his daughter, Aguirre's heart hardened. His grief twisted into hatred, and over centuries, this fury festered into a relentless thirst for revenge. When Frank later imprisoned him and his crew in stone, Aguirre’s anger only deepened, transforming him into a vengeful, merciless figure whose humanity had long since been swallowed by sorrow and rage.
Powers and Abilities[]
Immortality and Curse-Bound Existence:
As a result of the curse placed upon him by the Chief of the Guardians, Lope de Aguirre was rendered immortal, incapable of dying and doomed to walk the earth for centuries. However, his immortality came at a steep cost—he was bound to the jungle, unable to stray beyond sight of the river that coursed through it. Should Aguirre attempt to leave its proximity, the jungle itself would turn against him: vines would ensnare him and drag him back. If the jungle was unable to reclaim him, the curse would activate fully, and he would be turned to stone.
Serpentine Transformation and Snake Manipulation:
After being petrified for over 300 years, Aguirre’s body was consumed and reshaped by the jungle’s magic. Upon his reawakening, he emerged as something no longer fully human—a grotesque fusion of man and serpent. His decaying form became entwined with snakes, allowing him to dissolve into a swarm of serpents at will. Aguirre can control these snakes completely, commanding them as extensions of himself, attacking with their venom, and even seeing through their eyes. This terrifying transformation not only grants him formidable offensive abilities but makes him nearly impossible to predict or contain in battle.