Disney's Ariel is not the same as Anderson's little mermaid. The movie is loosely based on the fairy tale, so Disney has the freedom to give Ariel any skin color they want. In the 1989 movie, Ariel was born in the fictional underwater kingdom of Atlantica, which technically makes her Atlantican, not Danish.

Is Ariel Greek or Danish?

Ariel's story really begins in Ancient Greece. According to lore, she is a nereid, one of the dozens of daughters of the sea-god Triton. This isn't the first time that the internet has been set alight over the suggestion that famous figures of antiquity could be anything but white.

Why are Ariel's sisters different ethnicities?

So, why the change? One theory is that each of Ariel's sisters represents different oceans that are home to various cultures and ethnicities. It's pretty problematic to have mermaids who all look the same representing such an expansive underwater world.

What is the Disney princess's ethnicity?

What is Ariel's ethnicity?

Disney's Ariel is not the same as Anderson's little mermaid. The movie is loosely based on the fairy tale, so Disney has the freedom to give Ariel any skin color they want. In the 1989 movie, Ariel was born in the fictional underwater kingdom of Atlantica, which technically makes her Atlantican, not Danish.

Why Does Hollywood Keep Doing This?

Which Disney Princess was Hispanic?

Elena de Avalor is Disney's first Latina princess.

What is Prince Eric's nationality?

It is never stated in the movie what exactly is the country of origin for Prince Eric. The creators of the movie stated that they got ideas for his castle from Italian, France, and Algerian architecture, so there is a combination of Mediterranean cultures. I always assumed that he was the Prince of Denmark.

Why did they change Ariel to black?

This version of The Little Mermaid is great for young people because it allows them to better appreciate diversity and gain a better sense of the world. Diversity and inclusion in film and TV can attract a larger audience and is seen as more authentic and enjoyable.

Do all of Ariel's sisters have the same mom?

The Seven Princesses of Atlantica (commonly referred to as the Daughters of Triton or Ariel's Sisters) are the seven daughters of King Triton and Queen Athena, debuting in Disney's 1989 animated feature film The Little Mermaid.

What is Ariel's native language?

That means Frozen's Elsa is singing in Norwegian, Ariel in Danish, Jasmine in Arabic, Mulan in Mandarin Chinese, and Rapunzel in German.

What culture is Ariel based on?

Ariel is loosely based on the nameless protagonist of the Danish fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen, but unlike the Andersen fairy tale in which the mermaid loses her prince, dies, and gains an immortal soul, the Disney adaptation has a happy ending.

Was The Little Mermaid originally white?

1. The little mermaid in the book was white. Here is how Hans Christian Andersen described the little mermaid: “They were six lovely girls, but the youngest was the most beautiful of them all.

Was Halle Bailey the first black Ariel?

Disney's live-action version of the 1989 animated classic 'The Little Mermaid' hits theaters on Friday. This highly-anticipated film is also marking a moment in Disney history with Halle Bailey as the first Black Ariel.

What is Rapunzel's ethnicity?

Rapunzel – Germany

Disney's 2010 hit film, Tangled, was loosely based on the German tale of Rapunzel.

Was Ariel supposed to be blonde?

“I remember the first thumbnail sketches,” Benson tells EW of the first iterations of Ariel. “She had blonde hair. She looked like one of the exaggerated faces from [the] Peter Pan era. She looked a little bit glamorous and a little bit mature to me.”

Will snow white be black?

In the new, 2024 Disney adaptation of the classic fairy tale, Snow White will be played by Latina actress Rachel Zegler despite her name and the former popular depictions of the princess.

Is Ursula Triton's sister?

Although The Little Mermaid live-action confirms Ursula is Triton's sister, the Sea Witch does not have a mermaid's tale like Ariel. Rather, Ursula's appearance is radically different from her family, and she sports tentacles that look like a permanent black dress.

What happened to Ariel's mother?

Ariel's Mother Had a Brutal Disney Death

Athena took too long to try and escape (going back for a music box she'd gotten for her husband as a gift), and she ends up crushed between the pirate ship and the rocks of the cove. Ariel's mother is far from the only material figure in Disney Animation to die.

What ethnicity is Moana?

Moana as she appears in Moana (2016). Inspired by Polynesian mythology, Moana is depicted as the strong-willed daughter of a chief of a Polynesian village, who is chosen by the ocean itself to reunite a mystical relic with the goddess Te Fiti.

What race is Jasmine?

While some claim Jasmine is Arab because the movie opens with a song called Arabian Nights, others believe that the architecture in Agrabah is clearly based on the Taj Mahal, making Jasmine Indian. It's a debate that has fueled speculation that in Hollywood, Indians and Arabs are interchangeable.

Is Sofia the first Mexican?

According to a Disney spokeswoman, Sofia has a mixed fairy-tale heritage; her mother and father are from Galdiz (which is based on Spain) and Freezenburg (which is based on Scandinavia), respectively.