Disney Princesses Are Becoming More and More Warrior-like
The Walt Disney film company is, without a doubt, a favorite among children worldwide. And, more specifically, the princesses starring in Disney films are the most acclaimed and well-known by fans – among kids and adults alike. Therefore, their personalities, actions, and characters must evolve and adapt to the life of the 21st century, breaking away from the stereotypical fairy tales and love stories that these movies have featured so far. As a result, female heroines have become more warrior-like.
The evolution of Disney Princesses has been very noticeable in recent years. And the profile of women fighters who are capable of defending themselves is increasingly present. Below, we’ll show you the profiles of the more warrior-like princesses. That way, you can learn a little more about the great change that Disney is making by leaps and bounds to adapt to the times in which we live.
Disney’s more warrior-like princesses
Moana
In 2016 came this film with a heroine that’s extremely different from what Disney’s is used to. Although we can count Moana among the Disney princesses, she’s far from the princess prototype we all tend to imagine.
In this film, we see how the heroine challenges her father because of her dream of wanting to save her people. We also see the protagonist’s desire to be a leader, to go where no one else has gone before, and to stand up to anything that gets in her way. Fearless and courageous, we believe that Moana has set the stage for a new generation of Disney heroines, setting an example for children today.
Mulan, one of the first more warrior-like Disney princesses
Mulan is the first Asian princess, besides being the first warrior princess who came to the big screen in 1998. In her, we don’t see the surrender of her love for a man, nor the following of family traditions. Rather, on the contrary, we see a radical change of life in every way as she fights to save the life of her father.
It’s been 22 years since we first saw how this story emphasizes the importance of an equal standard of living for women and men and sends the message that everything is equally valid for both genders.
For this reason, Mulan was the first of the Disney princesses to glimpse a change in thinking that, to this day, continues to take hold in the Disney company.
Elsa
Currently, Elsa’s got a stronghold when it comes to being a favorite Disney princess. She’s one of the heroines of the movie Frozen, appearing also in Frozen 2, which came out in 2020.
Undoubtedly, Elsa is a vindication of intentions and, with her, Disney wanted to mark the beginning of a new era of Disney princesses – and an end to the previous era.
In their story, we can see that love’s also a main character, as it’s been in all the other previous films. However, this love isn’t centered on a prince but on another sort of relationship: A love between sisters.
The character of the prince disappears in these two fascinating films and, without a doubt, no one misses him. Elsa is, without the slightest doubt, one of the most independent, feisty, and courageous protagonists of the entire Disney collection.
Merida
The title of this film – Brave – reveals that we’re not going to find a princess like the ones we’re used to. The first appearance of Merida already shows us an unusual princess. Far from a traditional princess wearing long, ornate dresses, Merida’s faithful to her fantastic fighter outfit. What’s more, she’s always accompanied by a bow and arrow. In addition, her hair is also one of the features that make her stand out: It’s wild, curly, and the color of fire.
The plot of the film focuses on her family pressuring her to follow tradition and choose a future husband soon. However, Merida is independent and very brave, and wants to be free to decide for herself. So, she decides to break the rules and rebel against them.
