I can't believe I haven't done one of these until now. :) Enjoy!
10) Miriam (The Prince of Egypt)
I believe that Dreamworks' "The Prince of Egypt" is one of the most underrated films ever created, and Miriam is no exception. Only a supporting character in a film that is almost entirely about her brother, Moses, Miriam manages to shine despite her rather minor role. She isn't traditionally pretty (paling in comparison to the lithe and exotic Tzipporah,) but she has an innate, inner goodness that shows throughout her being. Despite having spent her whole life enduring backbreaking work, hunger, and abuse, Miriam trusts the God that she loves to care for her, no matter how far away he may seem. Spirited, faithful, and a shining example of how strong beliefs can help 你 endure anything, Miriam is a great example of a great character in a very great film.
9) Meg (Hercules)
Say what 你 want about Meg, but she's unique, particularly for 迪士尼 heroines. Sarcastic, jaded, and even bitter, Meg is a far cry from the original creation, sweet, happy, upbeat Snow White. Meg is in many ways the modern young woman; she has baggage (because she's old enough and mature enough to have it,) she's got insecurities, and at times, she's got an awful attitude, but hey, she's human. I like than even though Meg is technically a supporting character, she has her own backstory; she doesn't exist purely to give Hercules something to do. I also like that Meg is portrayed as a (mostly) positive character, despite all her obvious personality issues. What's the message here? 你 can still be a good person despite of, maybe even because of, your imperfections, and who doesn't get need to hear that?
8) Captain Amelia
Belle is often 给 credit for being the "smart" 迪士尼 heroine, but in my opinion, that honor goes to Captain Amelia, of the (severely underrated) "Treasure Planet." Captain Amelia might just be the coolest female character ever created 由 Disney. Authoritative, in-control, whip-smart and clearly highly educated, Captain Amelia is a woman in high position and of high ambition, traits unheard of with 迪士尼 women until this point. The only reason she's this low on my 列表 is because she (*sigh*) eventually caves at the end and falls in love, settles down, and has babies, totally trumping any badass-ness she had going for her. (Just once, I want 迪士尼 to create an awesome female character that doesn't end up snuggling into a traditional gender role at the end. *climbs off soapbox*) However, despite her eventual fall from grace, Captain Amelia is a great character, and one of my all-time favorites.
7) Cinderella
I know that she may seem a little passive and weak compared to the other heroines on this list, but for the record, I adore Cinderella. I 爱情 her grace, her elegance, her beauty... she's kind of the Audrey Hepburn of the 迪士尼 Princesses, with her understated sincerity and quiet regality. I like that she has a breaking point; she's spent so much of her life playing 由 the rules, so much of her life trusting that everything will work out if she just does what she's told, if she just works harder, if she just is 更多 pleasant 或者 kindhearted. When that doesn't work out, 灰姑娘 has had enough, and it's time to take fate into her own hands (with some help of course.) I think most women fall into this category. Even the nicest girl-next-door can only take so much neglect, and it's when we set out to take control of our own lives that we start to truly shine, just as 灰姑娘 does.
6) Jessica Rabbit
DAMN. The single hottest woman ever drawn is also a remarkably interesting character, despite being an entirely supporting character. Sexy, bold, and yet kindhearted, Jessica is the polar opposite of how animated women had been betrayed before 1988: (keep in mind that the last major animated heroine was Aurora.) I 爱情 her sensuality, her sense of humor, and her seeming obliviousness to the fact that she could clearly do better than Roger Rabbit. To her, they're soul mates. If that's not proof that 爱情 is blind, I don't know what is.
5) Jasmine
My 爱情 of 茉莉, 茉莉花 is astoundingly new. I used to be Anti-Jasmine, calling her spoiled, crabby, and hard to relate to. With the exception of the latter, I still believe those things, but my view on those attributes has changed. 茉莉, 茉莉花 is pretty significant in the Princess canon for being high-spirited, flirty, and the first princess who feels genuinely intelligent as opposed to well-read 或者 merely curious. I even like her defiant streak; it makes her 更多 memorable than if she'd cowered and caved under pressure like other princesses. Whatever the reason, I've been permenently won over to Team Jasmine, and I'm never going back.
4) Odette
I truly 爱情 Odette, and I don't think she gets enough credit. On a purely superficial note, I think that luscious Farrah Fawcett hair of hers is to die for, but 更多 than that, I like how spirited she is, without ever losing her princessy personality. She's what I imagine 灰姑娘 would be like if 灰姑娘 were 更多 of a modern woman. Even though she is beautiful, Odette isn't concerned with being a trophy wife. She wants to marry Derick, but only if she feels he truly loves her for who she is, not her beauty. Even when faced with living life as a swan, 或者 worse, Odette doesn't fade away. Rather, she seems to thrive on the adversity, even challenging and bickering to Rothbart's face. In my opinion, Odette is the perfect princess: lovely, enchanting, and with a spine of steel.
3) Belle
I'm not going to spend much time here because everyone knows why Belle is so likable. Intelligent, well-read, highly-relatable, and a huge step 前锋, 期待 for 迪士尼 heroines at the time, Disney's bookworm has a huge fanbase of hardcore fans, and I'll be the first to admit I'm one of them.
2) Esmeralda
I'll touch 更多 on how important Esme is during my 下一个 installment of the "Disney Feminism" articles, but for now, here's a sneak peek: I think Esmeralda is remarkable because she's confidant, sexy, and a mature woman rather than a fledgling teenage girl. She earns her own money, doesn't seem to depend on anyone, and can fight her own battles, but what's more, she stands up for something just because it's right. Unlike other heroines, she isn't motivated 由 a boy 或者 family issues. She does the right thing because it's right, independent of outside factors. She has a conscience, and I 爱情 how she's portrayed as highly positive despite her brazen sexuality and confidence. (These traits are usually frowned upon, particularly in tradtional 迪士尼 films.) Keep an eye out for my 文章 on "The Tough Girls" for 更多 on Esme.
1) Ariel
And of course, 你 just can't beat the classic. Just like Belle, I won't spend any time on Ariel because you've heard it all before. I just 爱情 her, despite all the reasons I probably shouldn't. :)
"God will not abandon you. So don't 你 abandon us."
10) Miriam (The Prince of Egypt)
I believe that Dreamworks' "The Prince of Egypt" is one of the most underrated films ever created, and Miriam is no exception. Only a supporting character in a film that is almost entirely about her brother, Moses, Miriam manages to shine despite her rather minor role. She isn't traditionally pretty (paling in comparison to the lithe and exotic Tzipporah,) but she has an innate, inner goodness that shows throughout her being. Despite having spent her whole life enduring backbreaking work, hunger, and abuse, Miriam trusts the God that she loves to care for her, no matter how far away he may seem. Spirited, faithful, and a shining example of how strong beliefs can help 你 endure anything, Miriam is a great example of a great character in a very great film.
"I'm a big tough girl. I can tie my own sandals and everything."
9) Meg (Hercules)
Say what 你 want about Meg, but she's unique, particularly for 迪士尼 heroines. Sarcastic, jaded, and even bitter, Meg is a far cry from the original creation, sweet, happy, upbeat Snow White. Meg is in many ways the modern young woman; she has baggage (because she's old enough and mature enough to have it,) she's got insecurities, and at times, she's got an awful attitude, but hey, she's human. I like than even though Meg is technically a supporting character, she has her own backstory; she doesn't exist purely to give Hercules something to do. I also like that Meg is portrayed as a (mostly) positive character, despite all her obvious personality issues. What's the message here? 你 can still be a good person despite of, maybe even because of, your imperfections, and who doesn't get need to hear that?
"Doctor. To 缪斯 and blabber about a treasure map in front of this particular crew, demonstrates a level of ineptitude that borders on the imbecilic! And I mean that in a very caring way."
8) Captain Amelia
Belle is often 给 credit for being the "smart" 迪士尼 heroine, but in my opinion, that honor goes to Captain Amelia, of the (severely underrated) "Treasure Planet." Captain Amelia might just be the coolest female character ever created 由 Disney. Authoritative, in-control, whip-smart and clearly highly educated, Captain Amelia is a woman in high position and of high ambition, traits unheard of with 迪士尼 women until this point. The only reason she's this low on my 列表 is because she (*sigh*) eventually caves at the end and falls in love, settles down, and has babies, totally trumping any badass-ness she had going for her. (Just once, I want 迪士尼 to create an awesome female character that doesn't end up snuggling into a traditional gender role at the end. *climbs off soapbox*) However, despite her eventual fall from grace, Captain Amelia is a great character, and one of my all-time favorites.
"No matter how your 心 is grieving, if 你 keep on believing, the dream 你 wish will come true."
7) Cinderella
I know that she may seem a little passive and weak compared to the other heroines on this list, but for the record, I adore Cinderella. I 爱情 her grace, her elegance, her beauty... she's kind of the Audrey Hepburn of the 迪士尼 Princesses, with her understated sincerity and quiet regality. I like that she has a breaking point; she's spent so much of her life playing 由 the rules, so much of her life trusting that everything will work out if she just does what she's told, if she just works harder, if she just is 更多 pleasant 或者 kindhearted. When that doesn't work out, 灰姑娘 has had enough, and it's time to take fate into her own hands (with some help of course.) I think most women fall into this category. Even the nicest girl-next-door can only take so much neglect, and it's when we set out to take control of our own lives that we start to truly shine, just as 灰姑娘 does.
6) Jessica Rabbit
DAMN. The single hottest woman ever drawn is also a remarkably interesting character, despite being an entirely supporting character. Sexy, bold, and yet kindhearted, Jessica is the polar opposite of how animated women had been betrayed before 1988: (keep in mind that the last major animated heroine was Aurora.) I 爱情 her sensuality, her sense of humor, and her seeming obliviousness to the fact that she could clearly do better than Roger Rabbit. To her, they're soul mates. If that's not proof that 爱情 is blind, I don't know what is.
"If I do marry, I want it to be for love."
5) Jasmine
My 爱情 of 茉莉, 茉莉花 is astoundingly new. I used to be Anti-Jasmine, calling her spoiled, crabby, and hard to relate to. With the exception of the latter, I still believe those things, but my view on those attributes has changed. 茉莉, 茉莉花 is pretty significant in the Princess canon for being high-spirited, flirty, and the first princess who feels genuinely intelligent as opposed to well-read 或者 merely curious. I even like her defiant streak; it makes her 更多 memorable than if she'd cowered and caved under pressure like other princesses. Whatever the reason, I've been permenently won over to Team Jasmine, and I'm never going back.
"I need to know that he loves me for just being me."
4) Odette
I truly 爱情 Odette, and I don't think she gets enough credit. On a purely superficial note, I think that luscious Farrah Fawcett hair of hers is to die for, but 更多 than that, I like how spirited she is, without ever losing her princessy personality. She's what I imagine 灰姑娘 would be like if 灰姑娘 were 更多 of a modern woman. Even though she is beautiful, Odette isn't concerned with being a trophy wife. She wants to marry Derick, but only if she feels he truly loves her for who she is, not her beauty. Even when faced with living life as a swan, 或者 worse, Odette doesn't fade away. Rather, she seems to thrive on the adversity, even challenging and bickering to Rothbart's face. In my opinion, Odette is the perfect princess: lovely, enchanting, and with a spine of steel.
"I want so much 更多 than this provincial life."
3) Belle
I'm not going to spend much time here because everyone knows why Belle is so likable. Intelligent, well-read, highly-relatable, and a huge step 前锋, 期待 for 迪士尼 heroines at the time, Disney's bookworm has a huge fanbase of hardcore fans, and I'll be the first to admit I'm one of them.
"God help the outcasts, the poor and downtrod. I thought we all were the children of God.."
2) Esmeralda
I'll touch 更多 on how important Esme is during my 下一个 installment of the "Disney Feminism" articles, but for now, here's a sneak peek: I think Esmeralda is remarkable because she's confidant, sexy, and a mature woman rather than a fledgling teenage girl. She earns her own money, doesn't seem to depend on anyone, and can fight her own battles, but what's more, she stands up for something just because it's right. Unlike other heroines, she isn't motivated 由 a boy 或者 family issues. She does the right thing because it's right, independent of outside factors. She has a conscience, and I 爱情 how she's portrayed as highly positive despite her brazen sexuality and confidence. (These traits are usually frowned upon, particularly in tradtional 迪士尼 films.) Keep an eye out for my 文章 on "The Tough Girls" for 更多 on Esme.
"I don't know when, I don't know how, but I know something starting right now: someday I'll be part of your world!"
1) Ariel
And of course, 你 just can't beat the classic. Just like Belle, I won't spend any time on Ariel because you've heard it all before. I just 爱情 her, despite all the reasons I probably shouldn't. :)
