28 Princesses

[NiceBlue]

This is a list of all 13 Official Disney Princesses plus 15 of who I consider to be Unofficial Disney Princesses. An unofficial Disney Princesses is a major female character, who looks human, is a kind and compassionate person at least by the end, is not a fairy, is from a feature length animated (including stop motion) first film of the franchise, made by Walt Disney Productions (1937–1985), Walt Disney Feature Animation (1986–2006), Walt Disney Animation Studios (2007–present) or Touchstone Pictures, primarily for release to movie theaters. In some cases, the term “Princess” doesn’t show royalty, but indicates any important and noteworthy female character.
Each of the 28 entrees gives the name of the “Princess,” the title and the year of release of the film, best guess of the general area of the setting of the film, best guess of the nationality, ethnicity or race of the “Princess” and a brief statement about the villain.


1 Snow White, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1937, Germany, European, youngest and most innocent official princess. Female villain dies.


2 Cinderella, Cinderella, 1950, France, European, wants to have a night out and not necessarily marry a prince. Female villain does not die.



3 Alice, Alice in Wonderland, 1951, England, European, it is a dream, combination of two books – “Alice in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass.” Female villain does not die.


4 Wendy Darling, Peter Pan, 1953, England, European, in the book it was not a dream, male villain does not die but does die in the book.


5 Aurora, Sleeping Beauty, 1959, France, European, least active princess and princess who talks the least, but the Good Fairies make up for it. Female villain dies.


6 Eilonwy, The Black Cauldron, 1985, Wales, European, supposedly the film was not popular because it was too violent. Male villain dies.



7 Ariel, The Little Mermaid, 1989, Greece (Aegean Sea), European, in the original story the Little Mermaid does not die but becomes a “Daughter of the Air” because of her good heart. Female villain dies. Ironically, I feel the ending of this film is just as violent as The Black Cauldron.

Next 7 to follow

 

[NiceBlue]

Next 7, Belle to Mulan, see original post for information.


8 Belle, Beauty and the Beast, 1991, France, European, original story by a female author, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve. Male villain dies.

9 Jasmine, Aladdin, 1992, Persia, Middle Eastern, Jasmine is much more assertive than her female counterpart in the original story and in that story, Aladdin is a spoiled lazy brat. Male villain imprisoned.

10 Sally, The Nightmare Before Christmas, 1993, Halloweentown, European, Sally appears to be made of body parts as was the monster in Frankenstein. Male villain dies.

11 Pocahontas, Pocahontas, 1995, Virginia, Native American, Pocahontas was only 11 years of age when story took place. Male villain imprisoned.

12 Esmeralda, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 1996, Paris, Romani, in the book Esmeralda was a French woman who was kidnapped by the Romani as a child. Also, in the book Phoebus was a terrible person who lets Esmeralda be executed for his murder even though he is alive. Male villain dies.

13 Megara, Hercules, 1997, Greece, European, Megara starts as a potential antagonist but then becomes more positive. Male villain dies.

14 Mulan, Mulan, 1998, China, Asian, the story of Mullan was inspired by a poem or ballad dating back to before 600 CE. Male villain dies.



Next 7 to follow

 

[NiceBlue]

Next 7, Jane Porter to Merida, see original post for information.

15 Jane Porter, Tarzan, 1999, African Coast, European, Jane is an important character from the 1912 novel “Tarzan of the Apes.” Male villain dies.

16 Kida, Atlantis the Lost Kingdom, 2001, Atlantis, European, she is a princess of the lost land of Atlantis. This is perhaps my least favorite of the films listed here as many innocent people die in it. I like the character Audrey Rocio Ramirez, the mechanic and Dr. Sweet. As I remember they were the only ones who did not turn against Milo. Male villain dies.

17 Lilo 18 Nani,
Lilo and Stitch, 2002 Hawaiian, Polynesian, Duel Unofficial Princesses and sisters. Great emotional connection between the characters. One of my favorite stories. No villain.

19 Tiana, The Princess and the Frog, 2009, Louisiana, African American. Unlike most Princess stories, Tiana must succeed based on her abilities. Male villain dies.

20 Rapunzel, Tangled, 2010, Germany, European. Rapunzel and the “prince,” Flynn Rider are co-protagonists. Female villain dies.

21 Merida, Brave, 2012, Scotland, European, my favorite part is when Merida “shots for her own hand” but the song “Touch the Sky” by Julie Fowlis is good also. Great story between mother and daughter. Directed and written by Brenda Chapman. Male villain redeemed

Next 7 to follow

 

[BrianL]

View attachment 956823
16 Kida, Atlantis the Lost Kingdom, 2001, Atlantis, European, she is a princess of the lost land of Atlantis. This is perhaps my least favorite of the films listed here as many innocent people die in it. I like the character Audrey Rocio Ramirez, the mechanic and Dr. Sweet. As I remember they were the only ones who did not turn against Milo. Male villain dies.

Your reading on Atlantis is a little off. All of the primary crew of the expedition was originally in it for the money and were willing to go along with stealing the power source, even after people were found there. Vinny blew the door to the throne room and wired up the bridges for the escape. When it came down to it though, all of them (outside of Rourke and Helga) stood with Milo and the Atlanteans - Audrey, Sweet, Mrs. Packard, Cookie, Mole, and Vinny all help. Helga eventually turns on Rourke too, but for selfish reasons - neither of them make it.

 

[NiceBlue]

Thank you for the correction Brian.
Tom

 

[BrianL]

Thank you for the correction Brian.
Tom

Well, it's a favorite of mine. I do think that Kida should count as an official Disney Princess.

 

[NiceBlue]

Next are the last 7 “Princesses” Vanellope von Schweetz to Asha


22 Vanellope von Schweetz, Wreck-it-Ralph, 2012, Internet, European. According to Sarah Silverman, Vanellope is Jewish. Male villain dies.

23 Elsa 24 Anna,
Frozen, 2013, Norway, European. Another Dual Princess story, with a great story between the sisters. Male villain imprisoned.

25 Moana, Moana, 2016, Polynesia, Polynesian, my favorite part is the song “I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors).” Female villain redeemed.

26 Raya, Raya and the Last Dragon, 2021, Southeast Asia, Asian, despite only one person being shown to have died in this story I felt it would be scary for a young person, and I would have preferred that Namaari would have joined with Raya and Sisu earlier. I do like the last dragon Sisu. The villain is a force of nature.

27 Mirabel, Encanto, 2021, Columbia, Latina, Mirabel is a “princess” who is not perfect. No villain.

28 Asha, Wish, 2023, island between Iberia and Africa, Afro-Iberian, I was pleasantly surprised that I like this film. I do like the character Dahlia (Doc). There are some indications that Asha has Sephardic Jewish heritage. Male villain imprisoned.

Kindly note if I made any errors. Also, let me know how you feel about the Unofficial Princesses I identified? World you like any of them included in the Official lineup or would you suggest any other Disney female characters?

 

[Gabby01]

This was an interesting read! I'm wondering what got you interested in whether the villain was male or female, and what their fate was? Do you see any patterns there?

 

[NiceBlue]

Gabby, thank you for your kind words. I think I’m interested in the villains because I don’t like most Disney villains. I feel they are too violent, and I don’t like the idea of one person being totally bad. In my opinion that is a lazy way of producing dramatic tension and most Official Disney Princess films have significant dramatic tension without a villain. I’m generally interested in whether any character is female or male. I would advocate for more female characters. There are 24 villains (16 males, 7 females, 1 force of nature). I like the 2 villains who are redeemed at the end (Te Fiti /Te Kā and Mor'du). Earlier villains tend to be female (the first four villains from Official Princess films are female), and tend to be taken from the originating story, but later villains tend to be added to the film version. In Hans Christen Adderson’s Little Mermaid, the Sea Witch is not actually a villain. Also, the earlier films tend to be truer to the originating stories. More than half of the villains die at the end (10 males and 4 females). My favorite Official Princess story is “Brave” due I believe very much to writer and director Brenda Chapman and my favorite Unofficial Princess story is Lilo and Stitch.

Tom,

 

[NiceBlue]

Despite the danger that the world will come down on me, as happened with Rachel Zegler, because I write something critical about the 1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, that Snow White was presented as a person to whom things happen to and she could not determine the direction of her own life. She was a damsel in distress who must be saved by multiple men, the Huntsman, the Dwarfs and the Prince. Even Cinderella takes things into her own hands at the end when she escapes downstairs to ask if she tries on the glass slipper and then best presents the second one. Only Aurora from Sleeping Beauty is perhaps more passive, but that film is redeemed by the very important and active three good fairies. However, I feel, other than that, the 1937 film was well made. The first part advanced the plot quickly, moving through different emotions – love, kindness, surprise, anger, fear and happiness. The part with the Dwarfs is largely comic relief, but then once it returns to the Evil Queen the plot is advanced quickly again. Further the evilness of the Evil Queen is muted somewhat, so she is not as scary and loud as the future villains may be. We don’t even see Snow White bite into the apple and while the Queen is chased by the Dwarfs during a thunderstorm we don’t see her fall to her death. One criticism of the original film was the non-consensual kiss that awakens Snow White at the end. That was not in any of the original stories that I have read. While the live action Snow White film was somewhat different, I liked and enjoyed that and the idea that the protagonist was more active than the earlier one.

I feel Rachel Zegler, who is 23 years old and a fine singer and actor, has been treated very unfairly. She does not deserve to be treated that way.

Tom,

 

[gsdweller]

...

I feel Rachel Zegler, who is 23 years old and a fine singer and actor, has been treated very unfairly. She does not deserve to be treated that way.

Tom,

This is the best response I have seen with regard to her actions, and yes, she does deserve a lot of the blame. She basically destroyed the potential increased income of thousands of people.

“Free speech does not mean you’re allowed to say whatever you want in your private employment without repercussions,” Platt continued. “Tens of thousands of people worked on that film and she hijacked the conversation for her own immature desires at the risk of all the colleagues and crew and blue collar workers who depend on that movie to be successful. Narcissism is not something to be coddled or encouraged.”

 

[NiceBlue]

Gsdweller, see my post on entitled Snow White controversy in Controversial Topices. I feel Rachel Zegler, who is 23 years old and a fine singer and actor, has been treated very unfairly. She does not deserve to be treated that way.
Tom,

​

 

[gsdweller]

Gsdweller, see my post on entitled Snow White controversy in Controversial Topices. I feel Rachel Zegler, who is 23 years old and a fine singer and actor, has been treated very unfairly. She does not deserve to be treated that way.
Tom,

​

Woody Allen is a great comedian and film maker, but he is still a low life scum bag. Just because you are talented doesn't mean you get a free pass in life.

 

[NiceBlue]

Rachel Zegler, has not done anything like Woody Allen did. I feel Rachel Zegler, who is 23 years old and a fine singer and actor, has been treated very unfairly. She does not deserve to be treated that way.

 

[gsdweller]

I didn't say she did do anything like what Woody Allen has done. I was just stating that talent is irrelevant. The fact that she is young and stupid does warrant cutting her a bit of slack, but she does deserve most of what she is getting.

 

[NiceBlue]

I have started a new thread on Controversial Topices I will not respond to that topic on this thread anymore.
Tom,

 

[BrianL]

I'm not so sure that Encanto doesn't have a villain - I think it's the grandmother.

 

[NiceBlue]

Brian, I found the story to be somewhat confusing, so I see your point. One thing is that I tried to differentiate between a “hard core” always evil villain and a character than may not always see eye to eye with the protagonist. m For example would Titan, Ariel’s father be a villain, I think not, or Moane’s father? Thank you for your comment.

Tom,

 

[NiceBlue]

I am also interested in the nationality, ethnicity or “race” of the “Princess’s.” I put race in quotation marks as I feel “race” is a social construct. Based on the way they look more than half, 7 out of 13 Official Princesses are European. Of the remaining 6, one is Middle Eastern, one is Native American, one is Asian, one is African American, and one is Southeast Asian. Adding Elsa and Anna makes it 9 out of 15 European. Of all 28 Official and Unofficial Princesses, more than half, 16 out of 28 “Princesses” are European. The 5 non-European Unofficial Princesses include one Romani or Roma, two Hawaiian, one Latina and one Afro-Iberian. Further, there are suggestions that two might be Jewish, Vanellope von Schweetz and Asha who might have Sephardic Jewish heritage. I am glad that Disney has diversified its “princesses” somewhat.

Tom,