I understand your point OP but I feel the need to say: none of the Disney Villains were cruel for “cruelness sake” either. Maleficent and the 3 Good Fairies have a philosophical divide: there are actually a few lines of dialogue that imply she has been fucking with their shit long before Aurora on the principle of proving her magic (and evil in general) is stronger than theirs. Lady Tremaine is doing what she thinks is best for her daughters and also genuinely believes Cinderella is below them, it’s a ‘know you’re place’ antagonistic ‘thesis’ (as I like to say). Even The Evil Queen, who tries to murder a child, is not cruel for the sake of cruelty. So I wouldn’t say even what you suggest is a good lesson for children. Children should learn that EVERYONE has a capacity for cruelty. Even someone beautiful like The Evil Queen or strong/handsome like Gaston. Even the Beast, at first, is cruel. Aladdin also has moments of cruelty even though he is a hero, and he overcomes it. The cruelty stems from very human desires we can all relate to. What makes a villain evil isn’t having the desire, but using lies, trickery & other oppression to get what they want. I also have another thread about how historically, only men have gotten redemption in fairytales (like Beast and other fairytales in that category) and so honestly it doesn’t bother me that much to do it for the step sisters. Right now, it seems like two very different girls uniting against a more powerful oppressor (this other princess in the story ??? I think I read, who will most likely look down on Cinderella etc). I think that’s an equally important lesson for young girls that we really only get in the fairytale setting when we look at old Barbie movies. Even with Cinderella II, it’s not the same as that.