To celebrate the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast, we’re taking a look back at the top ten Disney princesses. Some are of royal decent, some aren’t, but either way all these women reign in our hearts.
Aurora
Princess Aurora, aka Sleeping Beauty, lives up to her nickname. Ok — so she rebels and goes outside against the wishes of her fairy godmothers, but then her rebellion leads her to go and prick her finger. She then spends more than half of the film asleep. Don’t get us wrong, everyone loves a nap, but when you’re the titular character you’d except to be a bit more involved.
Ariel
Ariel, daughter of King Triton, is a non-conformist. She’s curious and wants to learn and that’s great. Plus she’s willing to sacrifice her gift (her voice) to learn and achieve her dreams. Of course, she does all of this for a strange man she only met for a few seconds and is convinced she’s in love with him, but whatever.
Snow White
A woman so charming she can convince the local wildlife to do the housework? That’s a talent. Snow White may be a bit of a wuss and spend a good part of the film asleep (are we seeing a pattern here?) but she doesn’t expect to be taken care of just because she’s a woman. When she goes to stay in that cottage full of strangers she at leasts tried to earn her stay by cooking and cleaning. Until she convinces the animals to do it for her.
Pocahontas
Now this is a strong female character. Pocahontas is one of the new Disney princess who does not need rescuing — in fact she saves John Smith! We love that she never wants to compromise on who she is, and decides that she’d rather stay with her friends and family than travel to cold England with a guy she just met. Wise woman.
Mulan
Anything you can do I can do better! And she does. Mulan proves that not only are women just as capable as men, not matter what they think, but also that they can be better sometimes too. Not only does she save all of Chine, but Mulan gains the respect of others who had preciously looked down on her.
Belle
Brains, beauty and not willing to settle — Belle’s a bit of a rebel and we love it. She doesn’t care what people think about her father and she’s not willing to lower her expectations to become Gaston’s trophy wife. She falls in love with the Beast because, like her, he’s an outsider. And chooses to go back and rescue her dad AND the monster everyone’s trying to kill — that’s brave.
Jasmine
Guys — this princess is NOT a prize to be won! Another young woman who knows what she wants is Princess Jasmine. She hates the laws that mean she has to marry whoever her dad tells her to not because he has poor taste in men (which he does), but because she recognises how unfair the laws actually are. So naturally she breaks out of the palace to have a taste at freedom and by the end of the film gets her dad to change the laws — and then she gets to marry Aladdin as a bonus.
Tiana
This woman works hard to get what she wants. Tiana is fiercely independent — one of the only Disney princesses who earns her own money — and has dreams of opening a restaurant of her own. Working two jobs to keep her dream alive, her ambitions are endless. Ok, she falls in love with a frog, but what girl hasn’t done that at least once?
Moana
Moana loves adventure — she wants to go where no one else has gone and seen what no one has been before. Though shy at first, she accepts the tasks set out before her and goes on a mission that will save her people from destruction. During the film we watch Moana grow into a confidant young woman, eventually becoming the leader of her tribe and taking them to find new worlds.
Elsa
She may be a kick-ass princess with amazing powers but Elsa lives in fear of herself. Her parents have tried to hide her gift instead of trying to help her, forcing her into seclusion. Her true love is the bond she shares with her sister Anna. Initially feared and branded a monster by her own people, Elsa manages to let go of her insecurities and personal demons to restore the kingdom, save her sister, and gain the confidence she’d always lacked.
Here’s to all the Disney Princesses!
