Disney heroines through the years

Mirror, mirror on the wall…

…are there any self-possessed Disney heroines at all? Yes! These leading ladies have come a long way since 1937, when the ideal princess had "skin as white as snow"; passively pinned hopes on a prince who would someday come; and trusted strangers a little too much. Moana showed us that if a young woman wants something now, she'll jump on a boat, learn to sail, and go get it herself. But it's not insignificant that it's taken the better part of a century to get this far. Over time these women have evolved into readers, archers, rebels, and leaders with diverse faces, bodies, and dreams. From Entertainment Weekly's special March 2017 issue The Ultimate Guide to Beauty and the Beast, here's a look at how that transformation happened.

Snow White (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1937)

Based on a Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Snow White led Disney's first animated feature film. Known for her beauty and kindness—much to the chagrin of her evil stepmother, the queen—Snow White befriends woodland creatures and men of small stature whose house she cleans, assuming children live there. She's a little too trusting, and a poisoned apple from the disguised queen puts her to sleep until a prince wakes her up with a kiss. Sure, it's wonderful to be nice, but are household chores and a surprise coma really worth it?

Disney announced a live-action remake starring West Side Story's Rachel Zegler, slated to hit theaters in 2024. While a cultural step forward having a Latina performer in the title role—and hopefully some additional agency for the character in the script—the production was already slammed by actor Peter Dinklage as "f---ing backwards" with regard to the anticipated portrayal of characters who are little people. Progress for a female protagonist should not come at the price of exploiting anyone else—that's not how feminism or heroism works.

Cinderella (Cinderella, 1950)

Several cultures have tales of a pitiful stepchild saved by a lost slipper, from China to Indonesia to Italy. Disney's telling, close to the French Cendrillon, brought more friendly animals, more punishing chores, and more evil steprelatives to the screen. While she may be more passive than Snow White, relying on a fairy godmother's magic to get her to Prince Charming's ball, we'll give her this: Her gowns are stunning, she deserved a night out, and points for the fairy godmother sisterhood. But in our era it's tough to watch her let her stepsisters stomp all over her without wishing she'd put up a bit of a fight. Bibbidi bobbidi…Boo.

Though the animated Cinderella is a bit cookie cutter, the 1997 live-action made-for-TV version with singer-actress Brandy in the title role and Whitney Houston as her fairy godmother leading a gloriously diverse cast brought some much-needed oomph to this tried and true tale. The Kenneth Branagh-directed 2015 feature with Lily James as the pauper turned princess is sans songs, but the leading lady sparkles in Swarovski slippers (an upgrade from glass).

All these Cinderellas, hand-drawn or not, radiate goodness and an enviable perseverance to be—and stay—kind when others are purposefully trying to keep them down. Though you want her to fight back, Cinderella takes the high road in her pumpkin carriage. At least her one goal isn't to marry a prince…that kind of just happens.

Aurora (Sleeping Beauty, 1959)

For a heroine who spends a good part of her movie asleep, Princess Aurora (a.k.a. Sleeping Beauty, Briar Rose) sure has a lot of aliases. Cursed by the evil Maleficent to die on her 16th birthday, Aurora is raised in the woods by three good fairies, who manipulate the curse so Aurora won't die; she'll just be doomed to sleep until true love's kiss wakes her up. Even in 1959 reviewers were bothered by the similarities between Aurora and Snow White, especially in their slumbering passivity. The only consolation is that she fell in love with Prince Phillip before she fell asleep, so there's a semblance of choice there.

Ariel (The Little Mermaid, 1989)

Considered the first film of the Disney Renaissance, The Little Mermaid pulled the studio out of its mid-'80s slump. But while Ariel's songs might stand the test of time, her story feels a little backward: She starts out as a wide-eyed, curious creature of the sea who longs to know what life would be like as a human on land. But when she trades her voice for legs (a cringe-inducing metaphor if ever there was one), she actually does meet the human prince of her dreams and eventually—voice intact once again—becomes a person herself. Achieving a dream or changing for a man?

Ariel has popped up everywhere from TV (Once Upon a Time) to the Broadway stage, but she graces the big screen once again in a 2023 live-action Little Mermaid remake, this time played by Halle Bailey. Still wide-eyed and curious, Bailey's Ariel is rumored to be more "modern," though she does give up her voice. While that kind of silence does not send the best message to young folks, Ariel being played by a Black performer does, and Bailey's presence on screen—and under the sea—will make a splash for generations to come.

Belle (Beauty and the Beast, 1991)

Belle proves that a heroine can still have that classic Disney kindness but also plenty of self-respect, along with a passion for something other than cleaning. Her looks are important to everyone around except Belle, who'd rather read her favorite book for a third time and daydream about something beyond her "provincial life" than take up with the town hunk (who's a bully). And after she ends up at the Beast's castle—where he's initially very, well, beastly—he's the one who has to change for her. An improvement, even though her story still ends with romance. The original fixer-upper boyfriend, perhaps?

This tale as old as time got its own live-action update in 2017, with Emma Watson as the self-assured book lover who sacrifices her freedom for her father's. It was Disney's 2022 Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration special on ABC, though, that allowed Belle to not only tame the beast, but shred on an electric guitar. Played by Oscar- and Grammy-winning artist H.E.R., who is Black and Filipino, this Disney princess elevated her animated counterpart into an actual rock star by her journey's end. Song may be as old as rhyme, but this was the Belle we needed right now.

Jasmine (Aladdin, 1992)

Though not the protagonist of her movie, Jasmine deserves her place in the Disney Princess Pantheon: She boasts a thirst for adventure, an aversion to empty-headed royal suitors, and a shrewd awareness of her own appeal. Based on both the love interest in The Thousand and One Nights and Audrey Hepburn's princess-on-a-day-pass in Roman Holiday, Jasmine is the first nonwhite animated Disney princess, showing girls of all races a whole new world. It's anachronistic but pretty satisfying when Jasmine asserts, "l am not a prize to be won!"

Jasmine had another big-screen moment in the 2019 live-action remake of Aladdin, directed by Guy Ritchie. Played by Naomi Scott, this Jasmine has hopes to become Sultan after her dad, but is (of course) expected to marry another royal. She's curious about the people in the kingdom and, while she still marries Aladdin (for love, though!), she also is crowned the sultana regnant. We stan this confident woman in power.

Pocahontas (Pocahontas, 1995)

Her Disneyfied story may not follow the facts, but Pocahontas has other lessons to teach besides history. She's a Native American woman whose respect for her people runs deep, as does her hope that peace with the British settlers is possible. She also rejects both her father's plans for her arranged tribal marriage and John Smith's offer to return with him to England. In truth, the real Pocahontas married a Brit and changed her name to Rebecca Rolfe. But, you know, she also didn't have a raccoon for a friend.

Mulan (Mulan, 1998)

Based on a beloved Chinese legend of a woman warrior, Mulan is a young female who disguises herself as a man to take her elderly father's place in the army. She struggles at first, but soon faces off against the Huns with brawn, brains, and bravery. Even after her identity is revealed and she's discharged from the army, Mulan saves the emperor and the city. The emperor bestows on her a prestigious honor, and she gets the guy in the end—despite having caused him a bit of sexual confusion when they were army buddies.

Mulan got the live-action treatment in 2020 with Yifei Liu as the titular solider. While this Mulan doesn't have a talking dragon for a friend (there is a witch, though, who shape-shifts into a hawk), she does have some pretty solid fighting skills. She's discharged from the army in this version, too, but still manages to free the emperor. Mulan continues to show that just because something has been done a certain way for a long time, doesn't mean that it's still the right (or only) way to keep doing it.

Tiana (The Princess and the Frog, 2009)

Our first animated African American princess is also our first career gal: Tiana works as a waitress in New Orleans while dreaming of opening her own restaurant. When she kisses a prince disguised as a frog, she becomes one herself. They fall in love, but the time the two spend in frog form almost negates the whole diversity premise. Eventually they marry, kiss, and become human again—and Tiana gets her restaurant. Congratulations?

Rapunzel (Tangled, 2010)

Like Snow White and Cinderella, Rapunzel has roots in a classic fairy tale. But unlike her foremothers, she's a spirited, quirky character with a fully formed personality and a knack for painting. She longs to leave the tower where old Mother Gothel locked her, so she strikes a deal with a fugitive thief named Flynn to break her out. Later, Flynn is injured by Gothel, and Rapunzel nearly sacrifices her hard-won freedom for him. She doesn't—but her story still ends, like most of the others, with a marriage.

Merida (Brave, 2012)

Merida, Pixar's first princess and female lead, is a skilled archer. Her parents ask that suitors demonstrate their own talent with a bow and arrow to win her hand in marriage. Merida, though, wants nothing to do with their plan. She beats them all, but her mother says her refusal to marry will cause unrest in the kingdom. Ugh—are we really forcing a 16-year-old to get married? Fortunately, the major issue in Merida's life is her relationship with her mother (and Merida's struggle to rescue her after she's turned into a bear). Her prize at the end is a happy, intact family, not a proposal. It's sad to be this excited when a heroine is not an obligatory teenage bride.

Elsa and Anna (Frozen, 2013; Frozen II, 2019))

Frozen's sisters are polar opposites: The oldest, Elsa, has ice-making powers, and after an accident she is isolated in the castle and ignores her younger sister Anna, who is perky and lonely and jumps at the first prince who looks her way. When he turns out to be a villain, Anna instead falls for the unassuming good guy. Yet, similar to Brave, the sisters' bond is far more important than any romance; in Elsa we meet a woman with no love interest, just a boatload of internal conflict.

Elsa's struggles are magnified in the sequel when she and Anna learn that their family is the reason why the Northuldran and Arendellian communities are at odds. While Elsa learns she is the "fifth spirit" (the entity that can bring people and nature back together), Anna is fielding a marriage proposal from Kristoff on top of dealing with giants, depression, and grief. In the end, the sisters not only are a bond for each other, but for the people of Arendelle (all hail Queen Anna) and the Enchanted Forest (protected by Elsa).

Moana (Moana, 2016)

With Moana, Disney introduced a heroine who has no marriage mandate but will someday become chief of her Polynesian tribe. In her heart, she'd rather spend her days exploring far beyond her home, but she's also quite adept at the intra-island diplomacy her future title requires. When the Ocean itself chooses Moana to complete an impossible task, she gets a demigod for a sidekick, learns how to navigate a boat using stars and wind, and ends up fighting most of their battles herself, refining her sense of self and purpose.

In April 2023, it was announced that Moana will get the live-action treatment with animated Moana's voice actor, Auli'l Cravalho, set to be an executive producer and Dwayne Johnson (who voiced Maui) on board as one of the producers. (You're welcome.) One can only hope the upcoming movie will expand upon Moana's personal journey as well as her external one to restore Te Fiti's heart.

Raya (Raya and the Last Dragon, 2021)

Steeped in traditions of Southeast Asian cultures, Raya and the Last Dragon stresses how trust and teamwork can heal most hardships. Raya, a warrior princess and daughter to the chief of the Heart tribe (one of five feuding communities of Kumandra surrounding a dragon-shaped river), is tasked with finding the last dragon and securing a new gem to drive away the Druun—spirits that turn living things to stone, including Raya's father—and restore prosperity back to Kumandra.

Like other leading ladies on this list, Raya is not alone on her journey, befriending the dragon Sisu, as well as an assortment of stragglers from the other communities who have had loved ones become stone. Raya makes fatal mistakes along the way, but her faith in humanity allows her to help bring the chiefdoms of Kumandra back together again. —Katie Labovitz

Mirabel (Encanto, 2021)

When 15-year-old Mirabel is the only Madrigal descendant who isn't given a gift by her family's magical house, Casita, she feels left out. It doesn't stop her from trying to save Casita, though, when it begins to crack and its ever-burning candle starts to go out—a vision her Uncle Bruno (we don't talk about him, I know) had before he exiled himself. While seemingly giftless, Mirabel's unflinching determination to help her family members regain their powers and protect Casita (all while facing generational trauma) is downright heroic. —K.L.