Ranking the Disney princesses based on the story
Ranking the princesses based on their stories is no easy task, but I’ve done my best to rank all of these classic Disney characters from best to worst. While some have strong narratives and relatable arcs, others don’t quite measure up. But first, subscribe below.
7. Snow White
Snow White is the first Disney Princess. She was the first to be told, and she is the most well-known of all. Her story has been told many times, but it’s always a classic. Snow White is a great role model for young girls and she’s one of my favorites too!
One thing that sets her apart from other princesses is that she can be serious when necessary. When it comes down to it, she knows how to take charge and make things happen.
2. Tiana (The Princess and the Frog)
Tiana is a princess with a great backstory, but her story isn’t all that compelling. She’s the first black Disney princess, but that doesn’t mean she’s particularly interesting or relatable. Tiana is strong and independent and has worked hard her whole life to make it in New Orleans. She knows what she wants out of life and doesn’t let anyone stop her from getting it. Which makes sense given how much discrimination she faces as a young black woman trying to succeed in 1920s Louisiana.
The problem with her character is that she’s just too perfect: She has no flaws (and when there are flaws present in the story, they’re never fully explored). While this might seem like an encouraging message for little girls who want to be just like Tiana, the lack of any real conflict within the story makes it feel unrealistic.[1]
The idea behind The Princess and The Frog was good. However, I think it could have been executed better than what we ended up getting on screen.
4. Rapunzel (Tangled)
Rapunzel (Tangled) is the fourth-strongest Disney Princess and one of the few who doesn’t wear a dress, but instead has a practical outfit that is appropriate for her background. She is also extremely good at fighting with her hair: a weapon she uses as much as possible against Mother Gothel. Rapunzel’s story shows us how she can be strong without needing to use her weapons. How she can be clever without thinking it through first, and how she can learn from others and still be herself. She also has beautiful golden locks that any girl would want to have!
3. Mulan
You may not have been aware of this before, but Mulan is actually a princess. She’s only ranked ninth because she’s not royalty in the strictest sense. She just happens to be the daughter of some generals who were invited by the emperor to join him on his trip. It’s important to note that while they are technically princes and princesses, Mulan and her family members are not from a royal bloodline (which makes them more like distant cousins than siblings).
However, this does not take away from their overall bravery or loyalty. As a protagonist in both the 1998 movie and its 2018 live-action remake, Mulan shows us time and time again how sacrificial she can be for her loved ones. She disguises herself as a man so that she will be able to fight alongside her father in battle; when he dies during his final mission, she takes over leadership duties without hesitation; and when her mother falls ill after being poisoned by Shan Yu’s troops—yes, it happened—she risks everything by traveling across the enemy territory with two dragon warriors (Shang) at their side!
All told: if you want someone who will always put others first before themselves (even if “other” means an entire kingdom), look no further than our number 3 princess!
8. Belle (Beauty and the Beast)
Belle is the only Disney Princess to be the main character in her own movie, so you might think that she’d rank higher than this. But Belle is not a typical princess: she’s an outsider and doesn’t fit in with the other girls, who don’t like her for being smart, different, and bookish. She also has a love for nature and animals that makes her stand out even more from other Disney Princesses.
While Belle has some great qualities (she’s kind, smart and brave), she also has some very negative ones (she can be rude at times). These negative traits tend to overshadow her positive traits which makes it difficult for me to rank her any higher on my list of favorite princesses
6. Merida (Brave)
Merida is the only princess who isn’t a Disney princess, which is why I’m ranking her as number 6. In Brave, Merida is the daughter of King Fergus and Queen Elinor. She’s an independent-minded girl who doesn’t like being told what to do or how to act. After learning that her mother wants to choose one of three suitors for her hand in marriage, Merida goes through quite an adventure in order to change her fate and find out what she really wants out of life.
The movie itself was great—it won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film. But I just don’t think it compares well enough with other Disney movies in order for me to consider it part of the official lineup (which currently consists of Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora from Sleeping Beauty/Sleeping Beauty 1959, Ariel from The Little Mermaid 1 & 2, Belle from Beauty and Beast 1 & 2).
10. Jasmine (Aladdin)
Jasmine is a princess and a role model for many young women. She was brave, she was a good friend and sister, she was a good mother, and she was also the Queen of Agrabah. Jasmine did not get to be with her father as much as she wanted to because he had duties as the ruler of their kingdom. Instead of being upset about this fact, Jasmine accepted it and worked hard so that her father would have time away from being king so they could spend time together.
3. Anna and Elsa (Frozen)
The Frozen story is great, but the movie is not. The Disney princesses’ stories are always great, but some of their movies are not so good. With Frozen, the cast and songs are great—but its visuals are not as good as they could have been.
Frozen’s story: Anna and Elsa (two sisters) must find each other again after a childhood tragedy that caused them to become separated for years; in order for this to happen, they must face some challenges together—with only each other helping them through it all! This plot point was very interesting because I’ve never seen another princess with two siblings; most princesses have just one sibling who stays in the palace while she goes on adventures throughout her kingdom without any help from anyone else… except maybe an animal sidekick or two!
The music from Frozen has become iconic since its release in 2013 because it won an Oscar award for Best Original Song (“Let It Go”). The lyrics were written by Robert Lopez
1. Pocahontas
Pocahontas is the best princess. She is a strong female role model and she has great hair. Pocahontas inspires everyone around her, and she’s just plain cool. She’s such a good person that even though she was captured by colonists and held hostage. She still saved their lives by putting up with everything they threw at her without fighting back. The best part about Pocahontas is that no matter what happens in her life or who tries to hurt her, she always remains kind and gentle. She never loses hope! This shows us all how important it is to stay positive, even when things aren’t going well. We should all try to be like Pocahontas. Because if we practiced more kindness in this world then maybe there wouldn’t be wars anymore (or maybe there would still be wars but at least we’d know each other as friends).
This is just my opinion, please don’t take it too seriously
I know, it’s just my opinion. But I also think every point that I made is pretty convincing and not offensive. So if you disagree with me, please say so in the comments and explain why you think that way! I’d love to hear what everyone else thinks about these princesses’ stories. Especially if you have some other good points that I haven’t mentioned here yet.
Conclusion
The princesses are all great in their own way, but there is one who stands out above the rest. Pocahontas is my favorite because she’s strong and independent but also makes mistakes like everyone else. She inspires me because she didn’t let her fears stop her from doing what was right. I hope this ranking has helped you decide which princess will be your favorite!
