After Ursula lost her singing voice (the last reminder of her mother), she took her anger out in the form of becoming a power hungry monster of the sea. She rebelled against her father, and used his trident to transform herself without his consent.
I get all this and it’s well reasoned. The issues is that saying you are going to do X does not automatically equate to doing X. For every other villain–Cora, Rumple, Regina, Hook, Pan, Ingrid, Zelena, Mal, and probably eventually Cruella–we’ve seen (will see with Cruella, I think) them do *something* that was bad/morally wrong–rip out hearts, murder, abandon their children, chose their own selfish desires over their loves ones, assault, more murder, baby powered time travel, sleeping curses. Something that puts them lock stock and barrel in the category of villain. Ursula gave herself tentacles and then proclaimed that she was more powerful than her father and that he should fear her. I mean, it’s the equivalent of a moody teenager being put off, getting a tattoo and declaring to their parents that they refuse to kowtow to them or society, *rock and roll hand signal and Nirvana music here*
Just because you say that you’re now super powerful and the ocean will obey your every whim, doesn’t mean it actually comes to pass. Obviously she must have done something but…what? Did she take her father’s kingdom? Did she kill humans? Did she enslave Shark-Kind? Saying you’re a villain (or hero!) is one thing, but you heroes and villains are defined by their actions. None of her actions put her in villain territory, not even her moments with the QoD of the past thus far since all she’s done is use her tentacles to retrieve an object (and I guess choke Belle but does that really qualify you as a Queen of Darkness?)
I think Cruella will be similarly underdeveloped, though at least she’s sticking around in present day SB longer than Ursula is
You shush your mouth. I am honestly enjoying her. Don’t take this from me!