Disney Princess Blog Tag

Hello there! Yep, I disappeared for a bit there (I blame work), but I’ve got a huge backlog of blog posts to get through (I’ve been given so many tags that I want to do!) so here I am today to do a random blog post!

So, Emily over at E.K. Seaver created a blog tag for writers, called the Disney Character Blog tag and she tagged me for it a few weeks months ago. Basically, here’s the rules:

1. Link back to the tag’s creator
2. Link back to the person who tagged you
3. Pick 10-12 of your favourite Disney Characters
4. Chose which of your cast of characters (whether from your current or a former WIP) reminds you of those princesses and tell us why.
5. Tag 4-7 other people
6. (Optional) Use the graphic I created for the tag

So…I don’t really know that many Disney characters. Weird, aren’t I? I didn’t really grow up watching Disney movies so the only ones I’ve seen are the ones my younger siblings enjoy watching. With that in mind, I decided to use the original Disney Princesses, with a few exceptions. I honestly couldn’t think of any of my characters to compare to Aurora, Snow White or Cinderella, because, if we’re being honest, they don’t have much in the way of personality. So I’ve replaced them with three other characters I like from movies I’ve actually seen.

Also, I think I’m supposed to choose one novel/cast of characters, unfortunately, I’m a rulebreaker and I don’t want to choose just one of my novels. So anything I’ve written so far is fair game! Now, let’s get into it!

Esmerelda

Esmerelda is a great character, especially in the Disney version of this story. I love Esmerelda so much and I wish she spat on Frollo more than she actually does.

However, which of my characters does she remind me the most of?

I think she reminds me of Skaati the most. They’re both orphans who have to look after themselves, they’re both smart, brave and outgoing. Neither of them are afraid to speak their mind or to go and get what they want.

Rapunzel

This one is actually easy to answer, since I have a character I based on Rapunzel! If you’ve read my novel The Stars Fill Infinity you’ll know that character is Chessy Verde. In fact, the very first lines of SFI are:

It had always struck me as unrealistic that in all the years the witch kept Rapunzel locked up in the tower, Rapunzel had never tried to escape.

Maybe Rapunzel had never been a fiery, passionate type of person, like me. Maybe Rapunzel had a better conscience than I did. Maybe Rapunzel didn’t have a street girl with blue hair as her best friend. Maybe Rapunzel hadn’t fallen in love with a revolutionary in a black jacket.

So yeah, Rapunzel and Chessy are an easy comparison. They’re both extremely extroverted, bubbly, kind, with a healthy streak of rebellion, and a touch of wildness.

Tiana

The Princess and The Frog is another movie I haven’t seen, but I do know a bit about Tiana. She’s hard-working, loyal and determined, she also values honesty and integrity. Out of my characters, she probably reminds me the most of Sapphire. Sapphire’s probably a bit softer, but they both share their determination to make things to work out and to bring their dreams into a reality. For Tiana, that’s her restaurant, and for Sapphire, that’s her son and their future together.

Elsa

Elsa is actually one of my favourite Disney characters, though I prefer the Frozen Musical version of her. She’s much more complex than a lot of the other Disney characters, and she’s quite interesting. It’s also not hard to come up with a similar character in my stories. Elsa’s outward appearance is cold, regal and detached, much like Justice is. Both of them are traumatised by horrible events that happened in their childhoods, and while they appear cold and calculating on the outside, they are both incredibly wild and turbulent.

Despite all that, Justice is intensely passionate about…well, justice. He is compassionate, somewhere deep down, and he is hurting. If he ever manages to drop his cold face, he is, under all that, a teasing, fun-loving, kind-hearted bloke.

Belle

I didn’t see Beauty and the Beast until I was in my mid-teens, but I do like Belle, quite a lot. She’s so sweet and exuberant and, of course, loves books so much. This is another one that’s an easy comparison, Belle reminds a lot of Quillon. Quillon loves books, he is impoverished, speaks three languages and translates books for a living. He is kind and compassionate, and courageous as well, with a snappy sense of humour. They’re both softly-spoken but also not afraid to stand up for the things they’re passionate about. They seem birds of a feather to me.

Anna

Anna is a great character, she’s just so full of tenacity and bubbling over with excitement and love. I find it so easy to root for characters like that. Anyway, she reminds me the most of Amy, the main character from my WW1 novel Southern Cross. Both of them are hyperactive, energetic, excited by everything, and optimistic, unwilling to be beaten down by the bad things that have happened to them.

I also kinda think they both have ADHD. At least, I purposefully wrote Amy to have ADHD and Anna is basically the stereotype of ADHD, though no one from Disney has ever confirmed that she has it, to my knowledge.

Pocahontas

To be honest, I think this is really a stretch (and I’ve never even watched Pocahontas, so I’m kinda blind here), but Pocahontas reminds me of my Southern Cross character, Henry Ashford. Pocahontas is a strong and determined character, who has firm beliefs that she refuses to compromise on, but she can also see things from the other side and consider others’ beliefs. Like Pocahontas, Henry has firmly held beliefs and even goes to gaol for them, because he’s incredibly stubborn and doesn’t like to compromise. However, Henry isn’t very good at considering other peoples’ beliefs and he refuses to admit others might have a point, which also gets him into trouble (and is part of the reason he ends up gaol in the first place).

Mulan

I actually really like this comparison. Both Mulan and Ilio are characters that feel out of place in their homes. Both of them feel like frauds and both of them go on a crazy, almost-doomed-to-failure mission in order to prove themselves worthy of their family’s love. Both Mulan and Ilio are a little bit socially awkward, but level-headed and clever in times of danger, with a creative streak that allows them to see problems from a different angle and act accordingly. Neither of them is afraid to stoop below their supposed ‘station’ in life in order to get something done.

And yes, in case you were wondering, Mulan is 100% my favourite Disney character.

Ariel

Look, not gonna lie, the only thing these two have in common is fiery red hair and an extraordinary temper. These two were the last ones left in my lists when I was matching characters up and I just said, “yeah, fine, they’ve both got red hair, that’s good enough.”

Moana

Again, this link might be a bit tenuous. Both Tahitoa and Moana are based heavily on Polynesian people, but they do have other things in common. Tahitoa and Moana are both brave, but also happy to conform to the social norms of their villages. At the same time, when pushed they both step out into a world of uncertainty and unknowns in order to do what is best for the people they love.

Jasmine

Like Jasmine, Puatea is a fiery little ball of small stature and a lot of spirit. Both of them are out of place in their royal position, both ambitious, determined and passionate about their dreams. They also both fall in love with an unlikely man. Also, in both cases, there’s a vizier making some very bad suggestions to the king, which leads to a lot of drama.

Merida

Finally, we’ve got Merida! Though I wasn’t a fan of Brave, Merida was such a fun character and I loved how her character arc involved her learning that she’s actually selfish and honestly quite horrible, and becoming a kinder, more caring person who understands her mother better. Merida seemed to fit Yilla the best I decided after a very long period of contemplation. They’re both incredibly independent and determined to look after themselves. They’re both skilled in combat and survival skills, and both have families they love but often struggle to relate to. Also, neither of them want a man in their life.

So, this article has got quite lengthy and I should probably stop comparing my characters to Disney princesses and actually study for my tests on the weekend. Oh, and I guess I’ll tag some people too…Miranda at Virtual Paper, Megan Chappie at The Pen and the Cross and Meg at Meg’s Magical Musings!