10) Pocahontas
For the first time in the history of ever, Aurora is not my number 10 princess. I rewatched Pocahontas for the first time in a long while when it became available on Netflix Instant-Watch, and realized that the issues I have with the movie have little to do with the offensive and unbelievably inaccurate ‘historical’ liberties. That would be enough, but even if the movie were more accurate, Pocahontas would still likely be low on my list. Even though I appreciate that she is the first (and thus far, only) princess to be introduced to a ‘true love’ figure and yet decide that there are more important things in life than a boyfriend, and I appreciate that her design is lovely and her amazing flag-like hair whips in the wind like the friggin’ Jolly Roger, she is still boring as all get out. There is no trace of her namesake ‘little mischief’ in her personality (except for frolicking with Nakoma in one scene for 4 minutes of the movie,) and her bland development makes it hard to overlook her notable personality flaws. I can’t name a single definable trait that Pocahontas has- I suppose I’m meant to infer that she’s ‘noble, courageous, and compassionate,’ but it’s difficult to give those traits much weight when she spends so much of the movie just being sort of listless and vacant. Despite being the star of her own movie and having some admirable qualities as far as princesses go, Pocahontas is the one princess that I just can’t feel any sort of enthusiasm about.
9) Aurora
For many, many years, Aurora has been prominently in last place. There isn’t much I can say that hasn’t already been said to death- she’s only in the movie for a few minutes, and in the minutes that she is onscreen, she pretty much plays pretend in the forest, sings, gets hit on by a handsome creeper, runs away, falls asleep, and then wakes up and dances with said handsome creeper. Lots of people have said that they like her as a ‘stereotypical’ fairytale princess, one who is beautiful and delicate and more of a plot point than an actual person, and for years I didn’t see the appeal. I still really don’t. But when you stand her up against Pocahontas, who has an entire movie to become an interesting character and never does, Aurora does fairly well with the limited time allotted to her. She is a beautiful princess and her voice is my favorite of all the princesses, and after taking a break from Fanpop and from constantly surrounding myself with Disney stuff 24/7, I can sort of see the appeal of a character who exists to move the plot along and be pretty in the process. She doesn’t do much, she doesn’t have much, but she is lovely and she’s not bad, considering. She’ll never be one of my favorites, but she does well enough to not be at the immediate bottom (anymore!)
8) Rapunzel
While Punz is crazy popular with people younger than myself, I personally don’t see much of the appeal. She is a lot of fun, and I like that she is crafty, artistic and intelligent- I appreciate Disney giving her interests and hobbies, somewhat of a rarity in Disney females, and I certainly can understand how relatable she is to many women and girls. However, she just isn’t that impressive to me as a character. The ‘naïve’ princesses have never been my favorite- I prefer savvier, more independent types. While Punz’s naivete is certainly understandable, given her circumstances, as a cynical 20-something, Punz’s spasatic teenager personality isn’t appealing to me. I don’t think much of her one way or another- no passionate feelings of dislike or like. Punz fans, as I know you are many, keep on enjoying her. She’s just not my cup of tea.
7) Snow White
What I feel for Snow White is not so much love as respect. The original creation, Snow White represents not only the glorious beginning of the Disney that I know and love, but the dawning of a new era of art. One of the reasons that I admire sweet, simpering Snow White more than someone like Pocahontas, even though Pocahontas’ traits are ‘strong’ by today’ standards, is that Snow White is consistent from frame to frame. She has a defined personality- bubbly, sweet, optimistic, nurturing, and more than a little bossy. She’s kind of the veritable mother-type: loving but stern, sweet-spirited, but tough and sturdy in her way. The way that she bounces back from everything is admirable, and her ability to not lose hope in the worst of circumstances makes her a rosy, cheerful person that you can’t help but root for. By today’s standards, she’s a total Damsel in Distress- the very first lines she says (well, sings) in the movie are about finding a boyfriend, and by God, she sticks to that goal through the entire movie. Fortunately for her, her patience pays off in the end and she is literally swept off her feet and carried to a castle in the sky. She’s not very complicated, but she is enjoyable and consistent, and that explains why she is still the Fairest of Them All, all these years later.
What I feel for Snow White is not so much love as respect. The original creation, Snow White represents not only the glorious beginning of the Disney that I know and love, but the dawning of a new era of art. One of the reasons that I admire sweet, simpering Snow White more than someone like Pocahontas, even though Pocahontas’ traits are ‘strong’ by today’ standards, is that Snow White is consistent from frame to frame. She has a defined personality- bubbly, sweet, optimistic, nurturing, and more than a little bossy. She’s kind of the veritable mother-type: loving but stern, sweet-spirited, but tough and sturdy in her way. The way that she bounces back from everything is admirable, and her ability to not lose hope in the worst of circumstances makes her a rosy, cheerful person that you can’t help but root for. By today’s standards, she’s a total Damsel in Distress- the very first lines she says (well, sings) in the movie are about finding a boyfriend, and by God, she sticks to that goal through the entire movie. Fortunately for her, her patience pays off in the end and she is literally swept off her feet and carried to a castle in the sky. She’s not very complicated, but she is enjoyable and consistent, and that explains why she is still the Fairest of Them All, all these years later.
6) Tiana
Tiana has shifted up and down on my list for a few years, but usually between spaces 5-7. I love her because I connect with her and because I think she is a character that adds something truly unique to the Princess lineup. While opinions vary on her backstory-a modern woman in New Orleans who becomes a princess- there is no doubt that Tiana herself offers quite a lot as a character. Intelligent, hard-working, dependable, and highly independent, Tiana represents the modern woman. She doesn’t come from privilege, she is literally attempting to build something from nothing, and she is working diligently for her American Dream. I love Tiana for her drive, not just her dreams- dreaminess has never been a quality I admire in people, fictional or otherwise, and I find Tiana’s realistic, no-nonsense approach quite refreshing. The only thing that I dislike about Tiana is her complete willingness to throw aside the dream she’s worked for, sacrificed for, and prayed for since she was a small child to be with a guy she’s known for a few days. It seemed so contrary to her character, and struck me as Disney’s reluctance to build a female character that was too independent or too far away from the princess trope. It seemed cowardly, and while I guess the sentiment behind it is a nice one, it seemed that Tiana’s bold character would have been better served if she stood her ground, and then still got the prince in the end. Otherwise, she’s an amazing character, and one of my all time favorites.
5) Mulan
The older I get, the more I like Mulan. Watching the movie recently, I realized much I like her quirks and eccentricities, and I appreciate that her family accepts her for who she is. They know she’s creative and ‘odd’ and they love her for it- it is only outside the family home that Mulan is susceptible to judgment and societal standards. Clever, resourceful, devoted, and crafy, Mulan finds herself taking an unorthodox approach to life, something I admire greatly, and ends up saving her father and her family’s honor in the process. I have a great admiration for intelligence, and Mulan is, in my opinion, the most intelligent of the princesses. Her quick thinking saves the day on many occasions, and I appreciate Disney creating a female character who is, in Mulan’s own words, ‘a girl who’s got a brain, who always speaks her mind!’ My favorite scene of Mulan is when she defeats Shan Yu on the roof using her fan- a symbol of femininity and beauty, a symbol that she was uncomfortable with at the beginning of the movie, that she uses to her advantage as a weapon and a way to assert herself and become her true self. Quirky, unique, strong, and generally great, Mulan is by far one of my favorite Disney characters, and one of my favorite characters, period.
4) Ariel
At the beginning of my Fanpop days, Ariel was steadfastly in the number 1 spot. Aside from her obvious advantage of being a mermaid, I’ve always liked and related to her feelings of being unhappy in her privileged (but unfulfilling) life, and appreciated her curious, playful and spirited nature. The older I get, though, the less I relate to her, and the more my love for her is more nostalgic than personal. She is definitely a polarizing figure: on the one hand, she is spirited, determined, and groundbreaking, as far as princesses go, in that her main goal is to be human, not to find a guy and get married. On the other hand, she is selfish, impulsive, and pretty much willing to throw her whole family under the bus for a pipe dream and a guy she’s never met. So I totally understand her supporters AND her detractors. For me personally, I like that she is such a realistic person. Most teenagers are impulsive and moony and get lovelorn easily. Most of them don’t think about the consequences of their actions, and just like Ariel, most of them don’t mean any harm. She’s a great character, despite her polarizing nature, and while she’s no longer in my top 3 favorites, she’ll always hold a special place in my heart.
3) Jasmine
My love for Jasmine has been a little late-coming. As far as her personality is concerned, Jasmine is really amazing to me. Sharp, headstrong, and taking nobody’s bullshit, Jasmine stands alone among the princesses as the one who is willing to give anybody and everybody a piece of her mind. My favorite scene is when she catapults over the rooftop and throws the pole at Aladdin while smugly quipping, “I’m a fast learner.” She has a haughty, no-nonsense way about her that I appreciate, but I admire that she’s painted as a great person, not a bitch, throughout the movie. Aladdin loves her, and rightfully so. He doesn’t just admire her beauty- the very first thing he mentions that he loves about her is her intelligence. “She’s smart, and fun!” It is Genie that mentions her beauty, not Aladdin. I also like that when Jasmine realizes that Aladdin has been lying, she doesn’t wilt and forgive him instantly. She throws it in his face and demands an explanation. I know a lot of people dislike that she kept taking Aladdin back after he continued to lie to her, and I see their point- but I do think that in some instances, such as the one Aladdin was in, it’s understandable why he didn’t want to tell her the truth. We know that Jasmine would have loved him anyway. Aladdin didn’t know that. (I don’t count the sequels into this equation, where he lies to her about complete crap that wasn’t worth it.) I think her pros vastly outweigh her cons, and I think Jasmine is truly unique among the princesses.
2) Cinderella
Unlike my appreciation for Ariel, my love for Cinderella has just gotten stronger and stronger. There is an elegance, poise, and sophistication in Cinderella that is hard to rival. She reminds me often of Audrey Hepburn- unassuming, beautiful but unaware of it, courageous in a subtle way, and optimistic in a way that is often tinged with sadness. She is hopeful about her situation, but not blindingly so like Snow White. She trusts that it will all be alright, but that doesn’t mean that she’s being naïve about it. While it is unlikely that any real survivor of domestic abuse/captivity would be that put-together and graceful-admid-turmoil, Cinderella represents the ideal. She is what I would like to be, and what I admire. Yes, she’s kind of outdated in her values, and yes, she pretty much does none of her own ‘saving’ and is kind of passive in her own life, but for some reason, I find it more tolerable with her. I suppose it’s because of her ethereal level of quiet strength. My love for this classic, beautiful character grows every year, and there is definitely a reason that she is still one of the most popular Disney characters ever.
1) Belle
I don’t know what to say about Belle that hasn’t already been said by every other brunette bookworm in the world, but damn, I’ll try. When I was younger I identified with her being labeled ‘weird,’ but now that’s not it. Belle and I share bibliophile tendencies, but that’s not really it either. I can’t really say what it is about Belle that has cemented her status as my favorite princess for so long, but whatever it is, Belle does it very well. Brainy but subtle, elegant but intelligent, passionate but not cheesy or wishy-washy, Belle is the grand embodiment of everything I aspire to be in my own life. She isn’t perfect- I don’t care for the fact that she looks down on her ‘provincial’ (read: privileged) life and longs for a nondescript, irritatingly vague ‘more,’ but I relate to it. I understand what it’s like to want something badly, to feel its absence, but to not know what it is that you’re missing so badly. I appreciate that she’s too smart to see through the attractive-but-thin veneer of Gaston, and I like that once she is in the Beast’s good graces, she is pleasant, friendly, and a good companion. There are just so many reasons that I find Belle so wonderful, and she will always be my favorite.
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