Disney Princess Article: My Ranking of Disney Princess Couples

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posted by anukriti2409

Here's my listahan of Disney Princess couples, it's primarily based on what connected with me in their relationship and what i find admirable. I do have some ifs and buts with few couples but that's just my way of looking at how a relationship grow

1. Mulan and Shang:
Theirs a relation that I actually look up to with great admiration and respect. They both were mature to handle a relationship before falling for each other. Their pag-ibig grew out of mutual trust, understanding and respect rather than romantic feelings. It is to not say that romantic feelings are not true or valuable, it's my personal opinion that while romance over the time diminishes and eventually trust, respect and understanding becomes the core of relationship, on which true pag-ibig can be nurtured. I also pag-ibig how they gain each other's trust and respect sa pamamagitan ng their actions madami than their words.
I pag-ibig how they talk about their differences without hurting each other's feelings and how they can respect each other's opinions while upholding their own. I cannot help but simply put their relation on a pedestal of perfection.

2. Belle and Beast:
I really pag-ibig the growth of their relationship. It truly shows how pag-ibig brings out the best in them, makes them better people and also shows how without love, a person is actually only a beast. I pag-ibig the gentle changes in Beast's personality from absolute mannerless, rude, selfish and mean to slowly warming up to how to care for someone, how to ipakita affection, how to be polite and eventually how to be selfless. Belle also learns that some adventures in life are not about daring swords and charming prince but to find pag-ibig and happiness in least expected place. She also learns to not be stubborn to not ipakita her real feelings to someone else. I feel she was afraid to admit to her own feelings and only when she thought she has Nawawala Beast, did she finally broke down to admit her feelings for him.
It tells me that for true pag-ibig one must have the courage to be vulnerable, and that is why I pag-ibig their growth.

3. Anna and Kristoff:
I don't understand why people find their relation forced or rushed. I think it's one of the most natural relationship that grew out of facing circumstances together and getting to know someone over course of time. I think, it was actually very sweet of them to find each other's opinion on pag-ibig to be exact opposite. I also liked that they bump into each other at a public place, happened upon knowing each other;s requirement which Anna only seemed to help Kristoff with if he helped her in return. They were honest with each other, looked out for each other as companions to common goal. I loved how Kristoff was so genuine with rushing Anna to his mga kaibigan when he saw her being hurt sa pamamagitan ng Elsa. And they eventually realized that they had fallen for each other all this time, sharing their feelings and seeing each other in madami vulnerable phases. That is how you stumble upon love, i guess sometimes, not really realizing until it starts to slip away.

4. Sinderella and Prince Charming:
I'm not a big tagahanga of pag-ibig at first sight and do not understand how they came to pag-ibig each other just after spending only half a night with each other, with little to talk about themselves. But i pag-ibig how their relationship is shown in the 3rd sequel. They have found deep pag-ibig and respect for each other in marriage. Despite being torn apart, i loved how Prince Charming always felt that he somehow knew Cinderella, and how Sinderella whole-heartedly believed that despite the spell, his puso won't change and will recognize her again. I do believe that nothing can change true love; no spell, no materialistic greed. I find their relationship madami strong and meaningful in 3rd sequel.

5. Rapunzel and Eugene:
It is one of the most complex relationship I have ever seen in a disney princess movie, but i like to believe in the good part of it rather than turning it into a completely horrible relationship, of Eugene taking advantage of Rapunzel. I think Rapunzel's goodness undid him. He would have never experienced that kind of trust and genuineness before. He would have been used to getting his pagkain sa pamamagitan ng cheat and manipulation and learned it as a way of life. I loved the change in him after they were trapped in the water tunnel, the way he was surprised when Rapunzel told him her story, of healing powers and never leaving the tower. I think it touched him to see that despite being locked up that way for all her life, she would not rebel straight away and would consider going back. I think it undid him seeing that kind of innocence and selflessness. I think that moment changed him in his heart, changed him to do something good in his life, for someone else's happiness. i find that incredibly moving to see how genuine affection and honesty and vulnerability can shed outer layers we often cover ourselves in the name of defense against cruel world.

6. Aurora and Philip:
Although I'm not a big tagahanga of pag-ibig at first sight, but I'm a strong believer in destiny and people who come together because they were meant to be. They had a beautiful time with each other, something as sweet and innocent as first unknown date. They simply wanted to meet each other madami because they liked it. And when Philip kissed Aurora to wake her up, they simply realize they were just meant to be. I would have loved to see madami of their relationship, to place them higher in my list.

7. Tiana and Naveen:
I could see why Naveen fell for Tiana for being smart and hard working, dedicated person she is, despite being so tough and uptight from outside most of times. But I didn't find his change of puso to be so powerful, he simply started liking her when she was being fun and let loose a bit at Mama Odie's place. I could say later he fell eventually for her righteous ways and morals and passion and knowing she could be fun too along with it. I'd want to believe that Tiana would have found that having a dream is great but being able to share it with someone is even madami fulfilling but somehow i missed this chemistry on emotional front but i like the premise of their relationship, even though they were polar opposites of each other.

8. hasmin and Aladdin:
I like how they discover each other, Aladdin rescuing her from a cruel vendor and sharing similar feelings of being trapped into a lifestyle that restricted them in different ways. They instantly connected with each other's way of thinking. This seemed like a great base for friendship rather than romantic love. I think the movie madami focused on the adventure of Aladdin from there on than their relationship and failed to build it from there. I would have loved if they were to become mga kaibigan and fought for each other's companionship in honest ways rather than both of them being dishonest with each other and hiding their true identity. I honestly didn't see why Aladdin fell for her, except for her beauty initially, and couldn't understand why hasmin fell for him after the carpet ride. It could have been exciting but it truly failed in my eyes to deepen their infatuation/attraction into true love.

9. Ariel and Eric:
There were lot of things missing for me in their relationship. First of all, I didn't connect with Ariel's reason for falling for Eric. Despite gauging him from distance for a short while, i still find it hugely influenced sa pamamagitan ng her fascination with human world that got her liking him rather than actually liking him for his personality/nature. I find it odd that she didn't interact with him at all if she liked him or thought she loved him but rather sought to go to his world with no voice in changed form to make him attracted towards her in disguise. I find it dishonest on her part, as she clearly had a choice of letting him know her. I enjoyed how they spent their time in town, however i find it a little forced on Eric. I mean he was dreaming about some girl with a beautiful voice and then he's kinda stuck with being nice to Ariel coz she seemed Nawawala and need of help. For him, they were two different people. I really didn't like "Kiss the girl" sequence where he's being led into an awkward situation, he clearly do not want to halik her like that without knowing her properly. It seemed as if she was trying so hard for Eric to fall in pag-ibig with her.

10. Pocahontas and John:
This seemed like one of the most forced romantic relationship to me. They were simply fascinated with each other because of the huge cultural differences and were drawn to each other simply because they hadn't experienced each other's way of life. I couldn't understand and connect why they loved each other as a person. The movie shifted to completely different topic of peace between different kind of communities and their relationship seemed Nawawala to me rather than developing further deep into each other in that war and peace situation.

11. Snow and Prince:
I completely failed to see why Prince was pag-awit to a maid out of nowhere. And then fell in pag-ibig with her just like that. And right at the end of the movie, he claims his pag-ibig for her while she's presumably dead. This was really one of the most unfit romantic relationship with no foundation and it didn't sit well with the plotline at all.

Would pag-ibig to hear from you all, as always.

Disneyotaku, anime_crazy925 and 4 others like this

Windrises Where's Anna and Hans? Just kidding.

laylastepford I'm personally really excited to read your opinions on the romance/couples as you are the only other younger wife that I know of here! :D I also respect and admire Mulan and Shang's relationship. (I personally didn't rate them higher because they aren't really a couple in the original and I didn't count sequels but I agree with your opinions on them.) I also love that their relationship grew out of mutual trust and understanding. I think it's very important to start as friends before lovers. I love them in the sequel though! I love the way they solve problems together and the way their differences compliment each other to create an overall balance between them as one unit. <3 I also agree with you about how Belle & Beast show how love brings out the best in us. That's why they're my personal favorite couple. :D I also agree with you that true love requires the courage to be vulnerable. (Which is why I believe people should be very picky when it comes to love and not be so flighty or impulsive with it.) Anna & Kristoff rank really high for me too! <3 Like you, I totally don't understand why people find their relation forced or rushed! I also agree their relationship was very organic and came about very beautifully. They rescued each other often and relied on each other as a team. It was like they did relationship boot camp without realizing it but passed beautifully. I love watching them together and their organic love grow throughout their journey. I think they are adorable together too! I love their balance, very ying & yang with masculinity and femininity in my opinion. I believe that [b]true love[/b] occurs the most when we are [i]least[/i] expecting it, and that is exactly what happened with them. I also even personally loved how honest Kristoff was with her about her decisions when he met her. When I first met my husband, he was also very honest with me about things that others didn't have the courage/desire/etc. to be honest about and it made me respect and trust him more. Since Walt Disney started the Disney Princess stories as "fairy tale" stories that focused on the overall "good triumphs over bad", I don't mind the "love at first sight" in the earlier films because I believe in it's context that it is meant to be more symbolic than literal. I love the symbolism of the Classic relationships and I think it's important to note those time-period/contextual differences. :D I love that Cinderella's Prince Charming was picky and not easily impressed by the social status-climbing women but that he noticed the girl who was different. I also love that Cinderella represented the unbroken spirit of a good woman whose goodness would bring about the love she deserved with a good man. <3 Just like you said Aurora & Phillip were symbolic of people destined to be which I agree with as well. (But Cinderella is very much like my life story so I suppose there is a lot of personal bias there.) :) Similar to Phillip and Aurora, but before them, the Prince started singing to Snow White because she was singing first in the well and he heard her voice and followed it to her. :D He fell in love with her "at first sight" like Phillip did. Also it was assumed he came back for her but she was gone because of the Huntsman sending her away so the Prince (for some lame reason) couldn't find her until long after the spell had been invoked with the biting of the apple. He awoke her like Phillip though. Phillip & Aurora were definitely more developed but it was all along the same lines. :) I have a very maternal point of view, I can't help it as it is just in my nature. I am always thinking about how things affect children in every way, probably as a result of my own childhood admittedly. That being said, I cant help but only see Eugene & Rapunzel's relationship as "completely horrible" and "Eugene taking advantage of Rapunzel". I really don't think Eugene is up to par with the kind of man I would like my daughter to settle with in context to the way he was represented in the film. Eugene never really paid consequences for his own actions in a major way so I don't feel like he really had much of a change of heart. I think a deep character change like that needs more to occur successfully than what was shown. I believe Rapunzel was just his golden ticket to a better life and he was smart enough to realize that since his whole life was about taking advantage and finding an "easy way out" at "whatever cost". He wasn't a "diamond in the rough" like Aladdin who was a good person at heart. I believe if Eugene grew up with money, he'd be a lot like Naveen: spoiled and self-centered. Whereas if Aladdin grew up with money, I still believe he would have his big heart and want to help others as much as possible though he'd just also have nicer things because he liked having nicer things but wasn't a corrupt or bad person. I think Aladdin is proof that Eugene isn't really a good person by comparison. Especially since Aladdin grew up in a much harsher, violent and "cruel world" environment than Eugene. Also Aladdin chose to be alone with his pet but Eugene was running with other hooligans and conning them so he didn't even have "loyalty amongst thieves" as they say. (Not saying he should be loyal to thieves but showing that he didn't have the compassion to not involve others like Aladdin, for example.) I don't think just meeting Rapunzel and seeing her actions was enough to change Eugene as I believe a change had to come internally not just externally in his environment (i.e. Rapunzel). I agree with you a lot about Tiana and Naveen except somewhat similar to Anna & Kristoff, I see that they saved each other and did get to know each other over their time in the bayou especially when fighting off the frog hunters (I would say that was the changing point in their relationship). I think it's important to note that Naveen got off the ship and played guitar for the ladies but then was distracted from the women by the band which shows the women were just a good time but not that important to him. When he left those women to play with the band however, he left the band when he saw Tiana in her waitress uniform working as she obviously stood out to him. I think that was a "love at first sight/meant to be" kind of moment because something about this "waitress" distracted him from his good time and bad whereas all the other women had come up to him. Tiana was the only one he sought out on his own though she immediately rejected him and he went back about on his way with the band. That being said, I think Naveen had a lot of growth and maturity because he seemed to genuinely want it though it frightened him. I agree with you that the chemistry isn't the best and I have a lot of other "buts" with them but I think overall they are healthier than Rapunzel & Eugene, which is why I rate them higher in my list. I don't think Jasmine is the best woman for Aladdin but I think Aladdin is the best man for Jasmine and happy to be with Jasmine. I wont recite to you my article defending Ariel & Eric's relationship. :) I will just say that I think their relationship was a beautiful balance of the classic symbolism and the renaissance/modern organically developed relationships. I think they symbolize romeo & Juliet type love that is forbidden by ancient feuds that don't really apply anymore. I think Ariel fell in love with Eric because she watched him for quite a while on the ship and learned a lot about him and found him to be a "great catch". I wouldn't call it a disguise for her to try and win his affection without her voice as I think make up is much more of a "disguise". He already did know what her voice sounded like so it wasn't like she was purposefully hiding it from him. I thought it was noble of her to give up her voice for a chance to win his love. I don't see how she had a choice at letting him know her unless you mean as a mermaid and I don't blame her for not wanting to meet him as a mermaid though she was going to try to before Triton destroyed her grotto, if you remember from the film. I thought Eric's loyalty to the woman "with the beautiful voice" was so endearing and wonderful. I agree with you that I didn't really like the "Kiss the girl" sequence (nor really that song) but I did like his character in it. He was such a gentleman. I felt bad for Ariel because most girls don't have to compete with themselves. I LOVED reading your list and hearing your opinions. I agree with most of them and was very happy to read this article from you. :D

anukriti2409 @laylastepford: I'm really happy that you liked reading my opinions on Disney Couples. And I'm also glad to know that you agree with most explanations :) I agree with you that Eugene is not "as good as" Aladdin. It is fairly visible that Eugene is rather more corrupt and has given in to way of life more than Aladdin, and therefore has lost some of his morals. But despite that, I assume that he must have faced horrible times in his childhood to compromise so much and I;m willing to give this benefit of doubt to him. I also agree that he should have faced much harsher punishment to salvage or reclaim the good part in him. Although, he was being led to death penalty, which is as heavy a punishment as it gets. I would have also loved to see a more deep and sincere change of heart but I think he wasn't much of an expressing person. I absolutely agree that Aladdin was more than what Jasmine could have get on her own. I do mean that Ariel should have tried to talk to Eric as mermaid,especially after she herself was in love. I don't like it that she actively sought magic, knowing the person she's asking it from is a well-known dubious witch in her kingdom. She may have wanted to, but she never really tried, like she does for every other thing. I feel she felt that Eric may not like her as a mermaid and might turn away from her, therefore she wanted to be able to make the connection with Eric in human form. I never once doubted Eric, he's such a gentleman all along. Although what i find missing was how much he insisted on finding the girl "with beautiful voice" and not place his trust on more admirable qualities. Beautiful voice is just like physical beauty to me, I care for more meaningful qualities which Ariel saw in Eric - brave, loyal, humble etc.

laylastepford [b][u]anukriti2409:[/b][/u] I didn't just like reading them, I loved it! :) I can see where you are coming from on giving Eugene the benefit of the doubt. I guess I am just coming from a much more cautious and apprehensive point of view as I get picky with DP romances. :) If there was a stronger event and character change in him then I would be more willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. I don't personally consider the death penalty to be one for him because he brought that on himself with his crime and he never turned himself in, he was turned in, so he never took responsibility himself for his actions. Well about Ariel trying to see Eric as a mermaid, she actually did come up with a plan to have "Scuttle splash around to get his attention" and try to see him but Sebastian was right there. When Sebastian heard her plans, he stopped her and sang the song "Under the Sea" which distracted her. While the song was going on, Flounder came over and told her that he got her a surprise and took her away from the song. (The song ends with Ariel missing and Sebastian says "Somebody's gotta pin that girl's fins to the floor.") Just as Sebastian realizes that Ariel is missing, he is called by that little seahorse to go see Triton who just found out that "Ariel is in love". Sebastian goes to see Triton and upon being pressured reveals that Ariel was infatuated with a "human" making Triton upset. While this is going on, Ariel is checking out the "surprise" which is the statue of Eric in her grotto. Just as she is admiring the statue, Sebastian brings Triton to the grotto and he discovers her secret collection and destroys it. While Ariel is crying, Ursula's eels (henchmen/fish) manipulate Ariel's raw emotions and tell her that "Ursula can help" and then Ariel goes to the sea witch. Hope you don't mind the recap! I agree she shouldn't have went to Ursula though. I wish she had been stronger (like I wish Merida had been smarter about the witch she encountered though Merida is less at fault than Ariel, to me). As far as Eric, he said "When I find the right girl, it'll just hit me." and honestly, that is more true for men then it is for women as we have different chemical reactions etc. I promise, I am not talking about lust. :) When Eric woke up to Ariel singing to him, it "hit" him and he knew she was the one. I admire him for not wanting to give up until he found that same girl. I believe he was just focusing on the "beautiful voice" because that was the best thing to remember her by since he didn't see her as well.

anukriti2409 ^ Sure, no problem with recap for Ariel. I do remember it. And i was exactly comparing it with Merida, myself :D She, like Merida (following her practice converstaion with Angus to her mother), should have followed what she had thought initially, about trying to to talk to Eric. But yes, these girls are not that fully matured and are still learning to be better. I can understand what you mean by men deciding on who's right for them in different than women. They have fairly single-directional approach, if i could put it in words. But somehow then also, he didn't really know anything about Ariel except her voice. While it could have stuck in his mind and he just wanted to check it out, I think the advise of his butler friend was much meaningful, to focus on what's here in present. My only problem with their relationship was that Ariel was already in love with Eric, and was rather desperately trying for him to fall for her under disguise. I wont say she was manipulating him, coz i can see her innocence and the fact she was sincerely enjoying being human but for Eric, i think it was a little unfair to not know who Ariel was. I can see where you are coming from, for Eugene. :)

laylastepford ^ I completely agree with everything you said. I would like to add that I think that's why Ariel is so symbolic of the classic teenager as she has the classic teenager crush where she's totally in love with him and doing everything she can to get him to notice her. The story was a little more cleverly set up than a high school with teenagers though. :) Although Ariel didn't get to speak, I do still think that Eric was getting to know her and her interests etc. while spending the day together. In one way Ariel was lucky, he was already in love with her and her "beautiful voice"; So in a way all he was doing was spending time getting to know that girl but I agree with you that it wasn't really fair to him to not know that they were one and the same. :) I kind of think Eugene & Jasmine and Aladdin & Rapunzel would've made better couples, at least for the latter.

anukriti2409 ^I can't believe you said that about Eugene with Jasmine and Aladdin with Rapunzel, I'm doing an article with cross-over couples, I have placed them exactly like that :D So happy to hear that!

laylastepford ^ That's hilarious! :D We share so many more opinions than I had originally thought! :) I have also considered Naveen as a better mate for Jasmine before but don't like Aladdin with Tiana so much.