My 10 Favourite Disney Princesses

This list should've been made a long time ago. How am I one of the biggest Disney fans on the planet, and yet I haven't done a list like this yet?!

When it comes to favourite Disney characters, I guarantee that every Disney fan on the planet can name at least one Disney Princess as among their favourites. Alongside Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and many others, Disney Princesses are among the most beloved, iconic and recognizable characters in the history of fiction. From their beginnings with Snow White to more recent outings with Anna and Elsa, princess characters have been a staple of Disney for quite some time and they're such a beloved part of Disney that they even have their own franchise, which is also Disney's fourth highest grossing franchise of all time behind Star Wars, Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse & Friends. They're especially popular meet-and-greet characters you can encounter at the Disney parks too.

And thus I'm here to give my own piece on the matter. This list will be a list of my 10 Favourite Disney Princesses. For this list, I can include ANY Disney character that has the title of "princess" in their name, or has been a princess at some point in their franchise, or at least is part of the official Disney Princess line-up. This list won't be just limited to the Disney Princess line-up, it'll include any other characters that have the title of princess, even if they're from lesser known or beloved media. As long as you're a princess, you're eligible for this countdown. I'm not too picky. XD

This list is in no particular order.

So without further ado, let's begin this royal list of Disney's fairest of them all...

1: Jasmine

Not only my overall favourite princess, but one of my biggest cartoon crushes of all time. I mean...look at her. How can you not have a crush on this girl? ;) I do agree though that her iconic outfit does make her more resemble a belly-dancer than a princess, but as if I'm complaining about that!

OK, enough simping for Jasmine. Why do I name her as my overall favourite Disney Princess? First of all, she has a lot of admirable qualities that make her both attractive and admirable: she's kind, she's feisty, she's strong, she doesn't let anyone push her around and she also won't stand for what she thinks is wrong. Need I remind you all she outright says the law is wrong about a princess like her being forced into marriage? She wants to marry for love, not because the law says she has to. Anyone who's willing to call out unfair laws is someone to aspire towards I say. She'd be great at calling out politicians of today with their ridiculous laws and policies. XD I just love this woman's fiery attitude too. She absolutely will not let anyone push her around, not even Jafar. Even when he was at his strongest, she remained defiant! That's pretty ballsy and you've got to admire that in a woman. She's not even afraid to call Aladdin out if she thinks he's in the wrong. She may love the guy, but that doesn't mean she'll be cool with everything he does, and I think that's better than just being so in love with someone that you're blind to their flaws.

People often have their own idea on what makes a strong female character, and I feel Jasmine qualifies even if she's not the most "badass" princess out there. You can still be strong without kicking everyone's ass you know, even though Jasmine has proven capable of doing so in other media like King of Thieves or even the Aladdin TV series. I admire Jasmine for being strong in her convictions and having a strong sense of right and wrong while also remaining a kind and friendly person if you're on her good side. She is the same woman who gave an apple to a hungry little boy after all, even if that nearly cost her an arm since she wasn't able to pay for it. Whoops. ^^; And need I point out she also has a FREAKING TIGER as a pet and said tiger is incredibly loyal to her? That should speak volumes of her kind nature when even a tiger has nothing but love and affection for her. As she says, she's also a fast learner as well, which is useful if you're in a position of political power. And need I bring up how this woman is such a trooper as well. Throughout the course of the Aladdin trilogy and the spin-off TV series, she's gone against magical beings, fantastical creatures and dangerous thieves, yet she manages to pull through in the end despite being just an ordinary human with no abilities. And people say Batman's amazing like that, yet we all sleep on Princess Jasmine in that regard. We could do with taking more notice of that! Combine all of that with a wonderful performance by Linda Larkin and you have one of Disney's best female leads out there.

This is a woman worthy of being a princess in my eyes. Beautiful, strong, feisty, kind, brave and noble, I'd happily bow down in respect to this princess if I ever met her...

2: Mulan

She's a woman who can kick ass and outthink the enemy. You have to be crazy not to like this woman! And yes, before anyone points out, I know Mulan isn't actually a princess, but she's in the Disney Princess franchise, ergo she counts. I DID say if you're part of the Disney Princess line-up, you're eligible for the list after all.

Mulan is often hailed as one of the best female leads in a Disney movie and I'm MORE than inclined to agree. She IS on the list for a reason. =P Mulan has one of the greatest characters arcs in all of cinema, and naturally that horrendous live-action remake completely butchered it, but we're not here to talk about that. She starts off as an ordinary woman who is the daughter of Fa Zhou, a renowned military hero amongst his people, who just wants to bring honour to her family, even if it...doesn't really go well. Just ask the unfortunate Matchmaker. ^^; But Mulan truly puts her loyalty to her family front and foremost when she makes the biggest and bravest, yet riskiest decision of her life. She takes her father's place in the army despite the fact a woman in the army is punishable by death (because how dare women be badass, am I right?). She loves her father that much that she'd make the ultimate sacrifice just for his sake and all of China's. That is awesome and Mulan more than proved herself honourable by doing such a courageous act. It was risky, but still courageous.

Mulan is also a great example of how being badass isn't all it takes to be a strong female character (something else the remake completely missed the point of!). Mulan is strong not because she's able to fight and kick ass, but because she's intelligent and resourceful. Seriously, the only reason the Chinese army even beat the Huns is because of Mulan having the common sense to use her resources cleverly, like figuring out the best way to retrieve the arrow Shang fired at a tall wooden pole, or using their last remaining rocket to start an avalanche and wipe all but a few of them out. She even manages to quickly improvise a plan that leads to Shan Yu getting all blowed up at the end! That is insane and it's so awesome to see Mulan defeating her enemies not just through brawn, but through brains too. She's also not one to give up so easily either. During the "I'll Make A Man Out Of You" song number, she's given the opportunity to go home since Shang thinks she's unsuited for the rage of war, but does she do so? No, she stays and keeps up the training until eventually, she improves and becomes a soldier so admirable that even those who initially antagonised her come to respect her. Pity Chi-Fu is such a lost cause that he couldn't do so, but who cares what a sexist pig like him thinks anyway? When you add in a fantastic performance by the legendary Ming-Na Wen as well, you have a woman who is the prime example of a great female lead.

Mulan is a woman that everyone should look up to. Brave, selfless, resourceful, intelligent, badass and willing to challenge China's sexist laws if it means doing the right thing, this woman brings honour to us all...

3: Pocahontas

One of the more underrated Disney Princesses in my opinion, and also one of the most unique since she's actually based on a real person. Loosely I might add.

Pocahontas is notorious for being one of the few Disney Princesses who is a person of colour due to being Native American and all, so that already gives her a lot of notability and a welcome addition of diversity to the Disney Princess line-up. That already is pretty admirable, but of course there's many other reasons as to why I like Pocahontas. First of all, she's a huge nature lover to the point she has a gorgeous musical number gushing about how wonderful nature is. As a guy who loves nature himself, I approve. You got to love someone who loves animals and the natural world all around us, am I right? She's also a woman who proves wise beyond her years too as she's the only one who actually tries advocating for peace while everyone else just wants to go to war. Her conviction to peace is so powerful that she even manages to convince Chief Powhatan to stand down, which in turn causes the English to stand down too...except for Governor Ratcliffe, but that's beside the point. Being able to stop a war through sheer devotion to your morals is damn impressive and you've got to admire her for being so strong like that. If only we in the real world could be more like her...

Another admirable trait of Pocahontas' is her loyalty to her people. Not only does she want to stave off war for everyone's sake, but when given the choice to either go with John Smith, the man she loves more than anyone (until the sequel gave us John Rolfe that is) or stay with her people, she chooses her people since she acknowledges she's needed with them. Choosing duty to your people over romance is always going to be the most noble option and it shows how Pocahontas is qualified to be a leader herself someday. Powhatan really must feel honoured to have such a compassionate daughter. And while I personally don't like the sequel much, I give it credit for really challenging Pocahontas' beliefs when she visits London and sees how different things are over there. True it nearly leads to her being executed, but she nevertheless remains true to her beliefs and is able to convince King James to stop Ratcliffe in the end and stave off another potential war that could've broken out. She really puts the "badass" in Badass Pacifist eh? A wonderful performance by her actress Irene Bedard also helps in making Pocahontas such a noble, likeable and admirable character in the Disney Princess line.

This woman seriously needs more credit, because she's the complete package: compassionate, kind, wise, noble and always choosing peace over conflict. If she was leading my village, I'd follow her lead any day...

4: Cinderella

I'll forever defend this heavenly saint, because this girl does NOT deserve one ounce of the backlash she gets, nor should she be looked down upon so much.

Cinderella to me is one of the best examples of a strong female character. Why is that? Because she embodies one of my biggest personal philosophies in life: that a truly strong person remains pure and good even after suffering the most terrible abuse of their lives. Cinderella is the perfect example of that. She's been treated like crap throughout most of her life by her horrible stepmother and stepsisters, on top of also losing both parents at a very young age. That's a lot for a young girl to deal with so early in life, yet does Cinderella let all that get her down? No, she remains ever gentle and kind and never once lets herself become as bad as her stepmother or stepsisters. That to me is true strength, never stooping to the abusive example of your abusers and remaining a good person no matter what. That to me is why Cinderella is so admirable and why I think she should be looked up to, not looked down upon.

Another thing I love about Cinderella is that despite the abuse she suffers and how she's clearly afraid of Lady Tremaine, she isn't afraid to stand up to her from time-to-time. You ever noticed how on occasion she makes snarky comments at the expense of her stepsiblings or how she'll talk back to Lady Tremaine if necessary? Then there's the fact she was about to beat the crap out of Lucifer for messing up her chores. This shows that contrary to what people believe, Cinderella is not a pushover and will stand up for herself if necessary. The sequel Cinderella III: A Twist In Time goes even further by having Cinderella play a more proactive role in getting her happily ever after. That further shows why Cinderella's so much stronger than she's given credit for. When pushed far enough, she will take matters into her own hands and not hesitate to fight back if she has to. And that to me is what makes her such an admirable character. All that plus a beautiful vocal and singing performance from the late Ilene Woods makes for one of the sweetest and most lovable protagonists in Disney history for me.

Cinderella is one of the best Disney Princesses and one of the strongest too. I will DIE on that hill! She's kind, she's hard-working, she keeps a positive attitude in the face of adversity and also isn't a pushover. It's no wonder this wonderful woman's dreams came true in the end...

5: Ariel

I wonder if so many people have a crush on redheads because of her. You can't deny, this mermaid's red flowing mane is pretty striking, eh?

Pretty hair aside, Ariel is one of the most endearingly adorable protagonists that Disney has put in a movie, and easily among the most endearing Disney Princesses out there. I especially imagine a lot of collectors (including myself) relating to Ariel since she loves to collect human artefacts and learn more about the human world. Her fascination with the human world gives her an enjoyable quirk that also makes her stand out from the other Disney Princesses. Heck, the fact she's a mermaid and not human also makes her stand out from the crowd. You ever notice nearly all the Disney Princesses are human? We don't get a lot of non-human Disney Princesses, so kudos to Ariel for having something so unique to her. Another endearing trait about Ariel is how she's so compassionate that she's willing to save the life of a human even though she's been warned to stay away from them. You got to admire a woman with a compassionate heart, eh?

Ariel has often been criticized for some of her decisions she makes in the movie and how she's so quick to fall for Eric and throw her life away just for a chance in the human world, but I personally don't agree with them. If anything, I like how Disney weren't afraid to make her flawed, and in a believable way too. Keep in mind she's a teenager so of course she'll make dumb decisions and be easily manipulated. You think back to your teen years, I bet you made a lot of dumb choices too. But as I say, Ariel is a flawed character in a way that makes sense and doesn't make her unlikeable in my eyes. I feel she was handled just right so she can remain a sympathetic character while also not being too perfect. Besides, her positive traits more than outweigh her flaws, plus she also gives us some of the best comedy in the movie. I know I always laugh at her little oddities during the scenes where she's on land. Jodi Benson's wonderful singing voice and emotional vocal performance also really bring Ariel to life and make her even more endearing to me. She just wouldn't be Ariel without Jodi's voice.

This little mermaid is an absolute gem and I'm happy to acknowledge her as one of the Disney Princesses. Adorkable, loving, kind, deeply fascinated by human culture and insanely endearing, I'd love to be a part of her world any day...

6: Belle

This woman is precious and the Beast is one lucky guy to have her.

Belle's name is actually French for "beauty", and it suits her perfectly if you ask me. She's beautiful both on the outside and the inside. As a person, Belle is another woman who has a very kind and gentle nature, but also isn't afraid to scold you if you get on her bad side. Seriously, even the Beast has been on the receiving end of this woman's stern words, and he's a beast! I say any woman who can tell a monstrous creature to their faces to get their s**t together deserves a lot of credit. And that's not getting into how unlike everyone else in town, she can see Gaston for the colossal jackass he really is and is immune to his shallow flirting and non-existent charm. Why anyone would take his side over Belle's is a mystery to me... Anyway, Belle's also an endearing character due to her nature as a bookworm. Gaston may say it's not right for a woman to read, but I say it's adorable. It gives her an imaginative and adventurous outlook on life and a desire for adventure in the great wide somewhere. I just don't think she had being cooped up in a beast's castle in mind...

Belle is another example of how a compassionate heart doesn't make one weak or a pushover. I see it as her greatest strength. She not only took her father's place as a prisoner in the beast's castle for his sake, but she even saved the beast's life despite the way he treated her and how she could've easily just fled for it. In the end her one act of kindness changed the beast for the better and as a result, his attitude towards her changed and that led to a romance blossoming between them. I just love it when an act of kindness inspires change and positively impacts others like that and Belle showed just how far that act of kindness can go. It's inspiring and I wish the world today could be more like this. All this is to say why I adore Belle so much and find her among the best Disney Princesses, and among my favourites too. Paige O'Hara's sensational, earnest performance as the character adds another layer of lovable to her. Just hearing that sweet, motherly voice is like music to my ears every time I watch Beauty and the Beast.

Belle is just a wonderful human being and definitely one we should aspire to be more like. Kind, compassionate, bookish, stern when she needs to be, endearing and able to tame even a beast with her gentle nature, Belle definitely deserved her happily ever after with the Beast...

7: Anna

I would've included both her and Elsa, but Elsa became a queen in Frozen, so she can't be counted as a Disney Princess. Granted, Anna takes over from Elsa as queen in Frozen II, but we knew Anna as a Disney Princess for longer, so I say she just about qualifies.

If I were to name the funniest Disney Princesses, Anna would be in my Top 3 without question. Anna is just a hoot from beginning to end with her quirky nature, her feisty spirit and how clueless she can be about the world due to her sheltered upbringing. While yes that does cause problems for her, it does lead to a lot of enjoyable comedy with this character and it also makes her oddly endearing as a result. That said, Anna has more to her than just being funny. She of course has the typical nice and caring nature that practically all the Disney Princesses have, but she's also among the most fiery and brave of the bunch. This is the same woman who was brave (and also foolish) enough to throw a snowball at a giant snow creature after all. But I think her bravest act is just how far she's willing to go for her sister's sake, even if it means risking her life. This woman was willing to DIE for Elsa despite Elsa shutting her out for much of her life and never telling her why. I dunno if that counts as blind devotion or true sibling love, but it's still admirable regardless. We can easily say Elsa's lucky to have a sister like Anna.

As you know, I love myself a nice girl with a loving heart, and Anna is no exception. I already brought up her devotion to Elsa when most people probably would've given up on them ages ago and how she's willing to risk life and limb for her. But she's also loving towards Kristoff and Olaf too to the point she's willing to get the former a new sled after it ends up wrecked. I also like to think Anna's kind nature had a positive effect on Kristoff and led to him becoming more open and sociable to others. Her interactions with Olaf are also adorable and give us a lot of sweet and funny moments throughout the two Frozen films. I'd also say one of Anna's crowning moments was in the second film in where despite all the bad things that were happening to her and he amount of despair she was feeling, she still wouldn't give up and helped to save he day in the end. Seriously, this girl is such a trooper! Gotta admire that about her, haven't you? It also helps how she was brought to life wonderfully by Kristen Bell, who's lovely singing voice, adorkable charm and sheer amount of energy she brings to the role really made Anna the lovable princess as we know her today.

Charming, adorkable, funny, feisty and full of determination, Anna is probably the best sister that Elsa could've ever asked for...

8: Rapunzel

I bet Flynn Ryder will forever be grateful he found this woman in that lonely tower that faithful day.

While I'd argue Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog probably repopularised Disney Princesses going forward after the Renaissance era ended, Rapunzel truly brought them back into the modern age. Rapunzel was an example of how the kind and caring princess archetype was still a character people could resonate with in this day and age while also modernizing it a little to make the character a stronger role model for girls. While I personally think all the Disney Princesses are strong and have a lot of personality in their own right, I do like how they handled Rapunzel in Tangled. Like Anna, she's also very funny with her odd quirks and how clearly out of place she is in the world due to her sheltered upbringing. I mean come on, she was raised in a tower by one person for 18 years, of course she's going to be a bit of an odd duck! And like I said, it leads to a lot of funny comedy and yet a lot of relatable drama too with how she wants to explore outside but is also afraid of defying her supposed mother. This makes Rapunzel very sympathetic and easy to root for, which only makes it all the more satisfying when she comes out well in the end.

Rapunzel's no pushover by any means. Just because she's a little naïve, doesn't mean she's incapable. Need I bring up her Frying Pan of Doom anyone? XD She was also able to coax Flynn Ryder into playing ball for her pretty effortlessly too, which is both ballsy and awesome of her. Don't mess with Rapunzel! Oh and her compassionate nature gets even Maximus the Horse to agree to a truce with Flynn for her sake and get an entire bar of rowdy thugs to perform an epic musical number. Try and convince me that's not awesome and admirable of her. =P Rapunzel's a woman of many talents, as her "When Will My Life Begin" musical number will tell you, and she's resourceful with how she uses her hair too. Whether it's for playing around or for combat, Rapunzel knows how to use those really long blonde locks to her advantage and before you know it, she'll have you, well, tangled up and at her mercy. Like I said, don't mess with her, it won't end well. A lot of her lovable nature comes from Mandy Moore's vocal and singing performances as her too. She brings a lot of adorable charm to the character and gives us a great musical number to listen to anytime she sings. What's not to love about Rapunzel, I say?

Rapunzel is just an adorable bundle of fun and I adore her. Quirky, funny, lovable, resourceful, more than able to handle herself and very appealing, I can say that at last we saw the light through her...

9: Snow White

Much like Cinderella, this adorable cinnamon bun doesn't deserve to be looked down upon and seen as "weak". I mean she got seven dwarves to bow down and follow her every command. That's not weak to me. XD

Snow White was the very first Disney Princess and I'd say she was a great first impression for what was to come with the rest of the Disney Princesses to come. She's a lot like Cinderella actually in how she embodies perfectly my philosophy on life, which naturally makes me adore her. Like Cinderella, Snow White hasn't had the happiest life ever with her wicked stepmother dressing her in rags and making her a servant out of nothing but pure pettiness and yet despite this harsh upbringing, Snow White doesn't let that get her down whatsoever. Instead, she remains ever sunny, optimistic and kind. Once again, showing true strength in the face of adversity. Even after she finds out her own stepmother wants her dead and she had that scary experience with the forest that left her in tears, she still remains on the sunny side and is able to make the best of a bad situation. That's so admirable and I think we could all do with that kind of attitude to get us through life's problems too. A positive attitude can do wonders after all and Snow White's no exception.

Like with Belle, Mulan, Rapunzel and more, Snow White's the kind of person who's just such a sweetheart of a human being that they leave a positive impact on the people they meet and interact with. Even Grumpy ends up warming to her in the end and is just as distraught as the rest of the dwarves when they think she's dead! That's how you know you've got a truly wonderful human being here. The huntsman can't kill her despite the queen's orders because she's so sweet and nice and the dwarves are quick to take a shine to her (sans Grumpy, but he gets there eventually). Even the prince was quick to fall in love with her after hearing her sing. It's no wonder the Wicked Queen's jealous of her. I bet SHE couldn't impact anyone's lives as positively as Snow White does. XD And on top of that, Snow White also doesn't mess around either. Again, she gets all the dwarves to bend over and play nice for her. True, she IS a princess so they might just be doing it out of respect for her, but it's still so funny to see her whip seven little men into shape so easily. One would say she's a natural born leader, and she'd definitely do a better job leading a kingdom than the Wicked Queen ever did. When you also add in an endearingly sweet performance by the late Adriana Caselotti, it's no wonder Snow White endeared to audiences back in the 30's and is able to do so to audiences in this day and age.

The first Disney Princess ever and I say she still holds up as a lovable character who's much stronger than she's given credit for. Sweet, kind, always sunny no matter what and able to command authority with both a bunch of woodland animals and the seven dwarves no problem, Snow White is well and truly the fairest of them all...

10: Kiara

Bet you didn't see this one coming. But think about it: she's the daughter of Simba and Nala, who are king and queen of the Pride Lands, ergo she's a princess, ergo she counts as a Disney Princess. I did say "as long as you're a princess, you're eligible for the list", remember?

As a kid, I can always recall being fond of Kiara and that hasn't changed with my adult years. I still love Kiara. She was great as the Juliet to Kovu's Romeo (fitting as The Lion King II is essentially "Romeo and Juliet but with lions") in the movie in where she's on opposing sides to the Outsiders and yet she and Kovu were able to fall in love and work together to put a stop to the fighting between their prides. Kiara is very much Simba's daughter and it's so easy to see why. She has a lot of his most admirable traits: she's courageous, she's noble and she won't hesitate to fight for what's right. Even if she thinks Simba is in the wrong, she won't just blindly go with him and will challenge him if necessary. After all, she can see what Simba can't, that Kovu's not a bad guy despite being an Outsider and there's a better way to settle a conflict than just fighting. Heh, sounds like she's been taking lessons with Pocahontas now I think about it. And much like the other Princesses on the list, Kiara too positively impacts the people around her. Everyone in the Pride Lands just seems to adore her and it's her loving nature that gets Kovu to abandon the Outsider's plans and join Simba's pride instead. That just never fails to endear me, I love it when characters do that.

Kiara is also like Ariel in how she's allowed to be flawed, but not to the point it makes her unlikeable. She can be stubborn and reckless to a fault and she isn't the best at obeying her father. But at the same time, Simba's overly protective nature is a fault on his part and Kiara isn't always wrong to defy him, especially when he mistakenly believes Kovu was in on Zira's plot (even if he was justified in said belief). Yet at the same time, she does love her father and values the lessons he teaches. She even parroted his "we are one" speech back to him as a means to stop the fighting and make peace with the Outsiders. I like to think it shows Kiara's more like her father than she would've believed. She'll definitely be a worthy queen to take over the Pride Lands once Simba's time is up, I say. I also really adore Neve Campbell's performance as Kiara as an adult. She just gave her such a sweet, lovable voice that can also sound tough and sassy when she needed to be and that added a lot of likeability to the character.

Oh and before you ask, no I haven't seen The Lion Guard and I have no desire to, especially with how that show butchered The Lion King mythos and especially butchered Kiara from what I've heard about it! So all my love for her is down to The Lion King II, not that piece of trash!

Kiara may not be an "official" Disney Princess, but she's more than worthy of the title in my eyes. She has all the noble qualities of a princess, and is a lioness to boot. Can't go wrong with that. She's a princess who puts the "pride" in a pride of lions...

And that's all I have for my 10 Favourite Disney Princesses. Which ones are YOUR favourites? What do you think to my choices? Do tell me in the comments below.

Next week I'll be reviewing Pixar's latest addition to their legendary library of movies, Hoppers. See you then media fans!

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