What makes a Disney princess? Do we expect them to be actual royalty in their movies? Do they need to be nobility of any type to assume the iconic Disney Princess crown? While, based on the list of official Disney princesses, which is not so easy to pin down, the answer would seem to be no, not necessarily, but it sure doesn’t hurt the character’s case. So, while we’ve got Merida, Aurora, and Moana, all of whom are considered nobility through birth, there’s also Mulan, Cinderella, and Belle, who move up in the world during their respective movies.
The last Disney princess to get an official crowning at a Disney park was Merida, back in 2013, and Moana has since joined the ranks, even without yet having an official crowning ceremony. Which brings the list to a nice round twelve: Ariel, Aurora, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, Merida, Moana, Mulan, Pocahontas, Rapunzel, Snow White, and Tiana. The official Disney princess page also has Anna and Elsa’s pictures included, but as far as anyone knows they aren’t official princesses yet. But, for the purposes of this list, we’ll consider them a part of the group.
So, now that we know who the official Disney princesses are, it’s time we look at all the female characters that don’t make the cut, and narrow them down to our ten best unofficial princesses.
Megara from Hercules
The official Disney Princess Collection should really consider bringing Megara into the fold. After all, the Megara that she’s based off of from the Greek myth is indeed a princess. And since she is one of the most complex, interesting, and authentic feeling of the female characters in animated Disney movies, it’s honestly a shame she hasn’t gotten more respect from the conglomerate. Her absentia is probably due to Hercules not being considered one of the classics, which is a shame. Megara takes herself from the victim of a bad deal to the love of a hero's life. She represents what's possible when you don't let your mistakes define you. She's not perfect, for sure, but her resilience despite being a pawn in the Greek gods game is so remarkable it's admirable.
Giselle from Enchanted
The only reason we can see that Giselle from Enchanted is not already an official Disney princess is because she splits her time between the animated world and the real one. There are no other live action movie princesses added to the collection, so this is probably just following that trend. But it shouldn’t. Giselle starts out as the quintessential storybook princess, but, by the end of Enchanted, she has moved on from her animated persona completely, and is enjoying life as a designer and business owner. She’s inspiring in so many ways, but mostly because she survives the disappointment of her expectations and picks herself up to keep going. We’re even going to get a second movie, Disenchanted, so maybe Giselle will get a second chance at the list. We've got our fingers crossed for her this time around.
Vanellope von Schweetz from Wreck-it-Ralph
She might be video game royalty rather than real royalty, but Vanellope von Schweetz survives some truly evil scheming from King Candy or Turbo or whatever you want to call him. She is the supreme leader of Candy Crush, so you'd think that might earn her a little nobility. But, since we know nobility isn’t exactly a deal breaker for princess-hood, the only reason we can come up with that she isn’t an official princess is her stature, which is a shame. There are legitimate characters that have been left off of the official Disney Princess classification before because they wouldn't fit seamlessly into the lineup, like Nala from The Lion King, but it seems especially hard to deny Vanellope because of such a silly reason. This little powerhouse of energy and creativity is a fantastic role model for young kids, especially since she reads as a bit younger than your typical princess.
Minnie Mouse
As one of the longest reigning female characters in the Disney pantheon, it’s honestly a little surprising that Minnie isn’t included in the Disney Princess list in some fashion. She’s the ultimate royalty, seeing as she’s Mickey’s soulmate and Disney is known as the House of Mouse afterall. Minnie is the ultimate female Disney character, so it's a little bit of a shame she has been left out of this group, but, if they are hesitant to include non-human characters, that might explain her absence. No matter what the reason, Minnie is definitely among the best of the female non-official princess Disney characters, and will always have a place in our hearts.
Alice from Alice in Wonderland
Alice has been included in the Princess grouping from time to time, back when it was first starting to expand, but was denied admittance to the official list a number of years ago. It’s a shame, since she has such an inquisitive, investigative mind, and is a fantastic role model for children. Sure, she makes some mistakes, but if children can learn from watching Alice make mistakes that’s definitely a positive role model in our eyes. Her curiousness and wonder at all the magic around her makes her a fantastic candidate for official Disney Princess-hood.
Tinkerbell and Wendy Darling from Peter Pan
This is a bit of a two-fer, mostly because while Tinkerbell was actually a Disney Princess until she got her own story a few years ago, she and Wendy sort of play opposites of each other in their first movie, Peter Pan. Tink is the embodiment of youth and fun whereas Wendy represents the seriousness of adulthood. Either of these two insanely strong and lively female characters could be Disney royalty, but for some reason do not seem to make the grade for inclusion in the Disney Princess collection. Maybe Wendy is just a bit too young. Maybe Tinkerbell is too magical these days. Neither seems like a good enough reason in the long run.
Esmerelda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame
While it's easier to understand a couple of these characters' exclusion from the Disney Princess collection, Esmerelda is one character that really feels wrongfully excluded. Her role in The Hunchback of Notre Dame is vital to Quasimodo’s herohood. Not just because she is the first to show him true kindness, but because she considers him not that much different from herself, someone outcast for completely different reasons, but outcast nonetheless. Her appearance being insanely different from sixty percent of the other princesses only helps to illustrate why she is more than eligible to be crowned a Disney Princess. Her Romani descent helps her stand apart, and would be excellent positive representation for a much-maligned community in the increasingly diverse Disney Princess Collection.
Kida from Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Before we had Jason Momoa as Aquaman, exposing us all to Atlantis, Disney made an adventure film all about one museum worker’s dream to use a journal as a guide and rediscover the legendary sunken city. And when he finds this place, he discovers that it isn’t the abandoned wreck it is imagined to be. While the city has been unable to exceed its confines, and the society hasn’t exactly flourished in their underwater prison, Kida, the Princess of Atlantis, is anxious to restore her home to its former glory. Kida’s refusal to let Atlantis just flounder is only one of the reasons she deserves princess status. As Disney’s first true science fiction adventure, just one short year before Treasure Planet, it’s surprising that Disney doesn’t promote this one more than they do. Kida represents a great film that stretches the boundaries of what Disney will and won’t tackle, and its flummoxing why they won’t give her and her movie their due.
Jane Porter from Tarzan
Not to be forgotten, last on our list is Ms. Jane Porter from Tarzan. While there’s a lot going on in this film, and tons of characters between the gorillas, Tarzan, and the human faction, Jane stands apart as Tarzan’s counterpart. He is the man raised by gorillas, looks human but acts like an ape. Jane on the other hand was raised by humans and acts as you would suppose she should act, but, upon arrival to the jungle, quickly finds herself enamored with not just Tarzan, but with the gorillas who gave him shelter and a home. Jane’s kind, understanding demeanor is overshadowed by the villainous Clayton and his band of greedy men, at least until the movie’s end. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why this powerhouse female character has been left behind by Disney, but hopefully somewhere down the line they will realize what a fantastic ambassador of love and understanding she could be as a Disney Princess.