Disney princesses are a part of almost everyone’s childhood because everyone grew up watching Disney. This article will review some of the best known Disney princesses and see the top 5 Disney Princesses are according to EPHS.
There have been three major eras of Disney princesses. The first era includes Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Cinderella (1950), and Sleeping Beauty (1959). The second era includes The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), Pocahontas (1995), and Mulan 1998). The most recent era includes The Princess and the Frog (2009), Tangled (2010), and Frozen(2013).
Rapunzel:
Rapunzel is the princess of the Kingdom of Corona. She had been locked away in a tower since she was captured as a baby by an old evil witch. Her magical long blonde hair has the power to provide eternal youth, and the evil witch uses this power to keep herself young. At the age of 18, Rapunzel becomes curious about the outside world, and when a runaway criminal uses her tower as a refuge, she asks him to help her escape and see the world. Rapunzel realizes her birthday falls on the exact same day as the lost princess, eventually realizing she IS the lost princess. She makes the decision to reunite with her family that waited for her return for 18 years. Rapunzel had a happy ever after with the runaway criminal Ryder who she marries.
Tiana:
Princess Tiana was born in New Orleans, Louisiana where her parents raised her in an all black neighborhood. Since Tiana was little she loved cooking because of her father who always cooked the neighborhood his “famous” gumbo. Her father passed away and she wanted to continue living out a dream her and her father had since she was very young. She wanted a restaurant of her own named “Tiana’s Place”. Her dream takes a slight detour when she meets Prince Naveen, who has been turned into a frog by evil Dr. Facilier who had been dabbling evil voodoo. Mistaking her for a princess and hoping to break the spell, Naveen plants a kiss on Tiana that turns her into a frog as well.
Mulan:
Princess Mulan was born in Bozhou. Fearful that her old father would be drafted into the Chinese military, Mulan takes his spot, though, as a girl, she is technically unqualified to serve. She cleverly impersonates a man and goes off to train with fellow recruits. Accompanied by her dragon, Mushu, she uses her smarts to help ward off a Hun invasion, falling in love with a Captain along the way. Mulan is the first Disney Princess to be based on a legend. Conquering hard obstacles really pushed Mulan to the limit, as well as sending a message that gender roles are simply well-too-accepted stereotypes that can be broken. Mulan put her family first and became a strong independent role model to all the children who looked up to her.
Belle:
An arrogant young prince and his castle’s servants fall under the spell of a wicked enchantress, who turns him into the hideous Beast until he learns to love and be loved in return. The spirited, headstrong village girl Belle enters the Beast’s castle after he imprisons her father Maurice. With the help of his enchanted servants, including the matronly Mrs. Potts, Belle begin to draw the cold-hearted Beast out of his isolation, not judging the beast by his looks but falling in love with his heart. With the whole village trying to kill the beast without knowing the truth to his well-being, Belle tries to reassure them that he is not bad and he means well, but the ignorance with the village made them try to kill the beast. Finally Belle tearfully professes her love to the Beast, and the spell is undone, reviving the Beast and restoring his human form along with his servants and castle.
Jasmine:
Aladdin is a lovable street urchin who meets Princess Jasmine, the beautiful daughter of the Sultan of Agrabah. While visiting her exotic palace, Aladdin stumbles upon a magic oil lamp that unleashes a powerful, wise-cracking, larger-than-life genie. As Aladdin and the genie start to become friends, they must soon embark on a dangerous mission to stop the evil sorcerer Jafar from overthrowing young Jasmine’s kingdom.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion on who they believe is the best Disney princess. There are many more princesses that were not talked about in this article, but below are the results for which princess EPHS believed to be the best.
Work cited:
(Best Disney Princess, 04, 2024)
Bucksbaum, S. (2022, September 23). From Snow White to Encanto: The evolution of Disney princesses. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 22, 2024, from https://ew.com/movies/disney-princesses-evolution/
