r/disneyprincess

Has anyone else noticed that most Disney Renaissance princesses don’t have character arcs?

**Ariel:** She’s a huge step forward from previous Disney princesses since she drives the plot and has distinct quirks and flaws. But are these flaws actually addressed? She does apologise to Triton for 0.5 seconds in the climax before she’s interrupted, but she ultimately gets what she wants without consequence (besides potential PTSD?). If anything, this is Triton’s story, he’s the one who changes by letting go of his controlling nature. (The live action tries to address this by making Ariel apologise properly and having her be the one to kill Ursula, but that creates a whole new set of problems like how Ariel learned how to steer a ship, and Triton no longer witnessing a human save Ariel)

**Belle:** She’s arguably the flattest of them all. Her main “flaw” is that she doesn’t fit into her village, which isn’t a real flaw. She remains kind, intelligent, and true to herself from beginning to end. The Beast is the one who undergoes the real growth. I’ve seen one argument that Belle learns to stand up to Gaston at the end, but Belle’s assertiveness here is definitely more situational (Gaston threatening to lock her father up) rather than character growth.

**Jasmine:** Even though she’s not the protagonist, she doesn’t really change either. You coulddd say she begins wanting to escape the palace but eventually accepts her responsibilities, especially after almost getting her hand cut off, but the film treats this more as a plot device to bring her together with Aladdin rather than a lesson learned. It would’ve been interesting if the live-action focused on this part of her character development rather than the whole “won’t be silenced” kerfuffle - only for her to be silenced during the final battle anyway.

**Nala:** Another great character with a flat arc.

**Esmeralda:** Also has a largely flat arc, despite being one of coolest characters ever.

**Pocahontas:** Interestingly, as the Renaissance starts to decline, we get one of the first female protagonists with a clearer character arc. She begins seeking adventure and excitement but ultimately chooses to stay with her people, accepting where she’s needed most.

**Meg:** Disney’s first female lead who starts in league with the villain, but then gets a redemption arc.

**Mulan:** Another fantastic character arc.

Then, during the Disney Revival, we get characters like Tiana, Rapunzel, Elsa, Anna, and Moana, all of whom have strong internal arcs.

It’s interesting that in the Renaissance films, even if the female protagonist didn’t have an arc, at least one of the major male characters always had an arc. It’s almost like it took Disney a few years into the Renaissance before they were ready to write imperfect female leads who needed to change.

So what do you think? Are later Disney heroines better written because they have stronger arcs? Or is this a good example of how a protagonist can still be compelling with a flat character arc?