On the set of The Nightmare Before Christmas, a stop motion musical fantasy film written and produced by Tim Burton and directed by Henry Selick. (Photo by Touchstone Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
You may be surprised by some of the complex and engaging Disney role models included in this list
The entire concept of “role models” is complicated, to say the least. You might have a very different idea of what’s appropriate for someone, given your personal ethics. What pleases one person may horrify another. Even within Walt Disney Studios, different creators have clearly had different ideas on the same subject.
Still, I think there must be some core characteristics of a good role model. They should be fundamentally good in some way. They should not actively try to hurt others or keep another person from leading a happy, healthy life. Also, a role model doesn’t have to be perfect; in fact, it may even be better for a given role model to work through significant change. That said, I reserve the right to make exceptions to these rules here and there.
Notice that I haven’t specified kids here. Role models, however you want to define them, are for everyone. If we’re being totally honest with ourselves, us adults could use a little course correction now and again. Now, it’s not as if a Disney movie is going to change your life or anything, but surely it won’t hurt to think of certain characters as aspirational figures.
As you read, you’ll surely notice that there are precious few Disney princesses on this list. There are already plenty of articles out there concerning said princesses. Some defend them with real intensity that may be unknown to those of you who escaped the Princess Complex. Others deride the princesses with the same kind of verve also forged in the Princess Mines.
There’s plenty to like about them, like the common princess traits of bravery, independence, and good singing voices. Unfortunately, there’s also an awful lot of sexist nonsense in their stories. Ariel, after all, gives up her voice and eventually her place in an ocean kingdom in order to marry a guy she’s known for a month at most. Snow White just sort of lies around the woods crying until someone comes to save her. Too often, there’s an overly romantic focus to the stories, as if that’s the only thing that young girls should aspire to.
Fortunately, a lot has changed since the days of Snow White and Ariel. Disney characters have generally gotten more complicated and interesting, with a less intense emphasis on the lovey-dovey stuff. To that end, you’ll see a few princesses here or there. Just don’t expect this to be a defense of Cinderella, not to mention her uncomfortable footwear and unfortunate prince obsession.
1. Merida (Brave)
Not only does Merida defy the social and gender norms of medieval Scotland, but she’s got some pretty substantial archery skills. Plus, her journey with her mother is genuinely touching and inspiring without becoming entirely saccharine.
But things don’t start out well for Merida and her mother, Queen Elinor. Merida is firmly a tomboy, or at least as much as she can be as a princess in rural medieval Scotland. She gallops about on her gigantic horse and shoots at stuff with her arrows. However, her mom says that Merida is growing too old for such things. Now, she says, is the time for uncomfortable dresses and finding a suitable husband.
Merida is having none of that naturally, and thus begins her adventure in the nearby forest, where she meets a witch and eventually turns her mother and young triplet brothers into bears. Things start to get complicated when she realizes that having a bear mother is not all it’s cracked up to be.
Brave beautifully tells the story of a complicated relationship between mother and daughter, and how both people involved can come to a deeper and more compassionate understanding of one another. It’s a powerful message for a kids’ movie, and delivered by not one, but two powerful heroines.
2. Leia (Star Wars)
Through a series of corporate wheelings and dealings, Star Wars is now part of the Disney empire. If you’ve been to any Disney-related property recently, then you know that they’re playing up this acquisition like it rains gold every time someone mentions Star Wars. Which, for Disney, it now probably does.
This means that Star Wars properties are now fair game for this list. Which, of course, means that I must highlight General Leia Organa. If you somehow don’t understand why she might be a good role model, first go watch Episodes 4-7 of Star Wars. No, it’s cool. I can wait.
Okay, done? You’re probably nodding in wise agreement right now, but let’s lay out some of the reasons anyway.
Though Leia was raised in privilege as the (adopted) daughter of Senator Bail Organa, she takes up the fight against the evil Empire without hesitation. Wish we could say more for the rich and famous of our own society.
She’s also a take-no-holds sort of heroine. Yes, she’s introduced as a damsel in distress, but Leia quickly shows Luke and Han Solo that she is no slouch when it comes to fighting. Leia is also frighteningly good with a blaster.
Later on, she further proves herself by becoming a powerful and respected General in the Resistance. Honestly, the Empire (or its successor, the First Order) would likely have taken over if it weren’t for the singular and determined leadership of General Leia Organa.
3. Anna and Elsa (Frozen)
Too often, it seems, Disney movies seem hyper-focused on romantic love. Now, don’t get me wrong. There’s a time and a place for a healthy, equitable romantic relationship between two consenting adults. I have nothing against it. It’s just when the love story starts to feel a little rote that I begin to question it. Don’t you? Perhaps, you may begin to wonder, there could be something a little more to a character’s motivations than a kiss and a big, fancy wedding?
In Frozen, Princess Anna nearly falls for the same trap. At first, she think’s she’s found the real deal with Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. However, the typical plot gets turned on its head when her sister, Princess Elsa and the next in line to throne, loses it. And, by “loses it”, I mean lets her X-Men ice powers get the best of her, freezes over their kingdom, and retreats to an ice fortress Magneto that would fill Magneto with envy.
Yes, Anna eventually discovers that Hans is a big jerk and finds another kind of love with a reindeer herder named Kristoff. That’s frankly unimportant, however. What forms the emotional core of the film is the deep bond between the two sisters. Anna is motivated by her love and concern for her older sister, who clearly needs some help. In fact, it’s her bravery and devotion that save both Elsa and their entire kingdom. Perhaps this is something you could try to point out during the next inevitable sibling fight.
4. Moana
If even a hint of Disneyfied romance is enough to make you retch, then check out Moana. The central heroine is indeed a kind of princess (as pointed out by her co-protagonist), but she is far more interested in adventure and community service than anything else. Surely, there’s plenty there for kids of all genders and ages to look up to.
Moana is the daughter of a village chief in an unspecified Polynesian settlement. At first, her family convinces her that it’s perfectly alright to stay in their happy but small village for their entire lives. Still, Moana feels an unquenchable urge to explore the world just beyond the horizon, despite the fears of her parents and the obvious contentment of others in her village.
Things become a little more clear, however, when a mysterious force of ill-health and darkness descends upon her small patch of home. Moana must go adventuring in order to save not just her particular group of people, but all others and perhaps even the health and happiness of the ocean itself. Even when ridiculous obstacles get in her way – including a muscle-bound demigod, a giant crab, and a terrifying lava monster – she persists. Ultimately, Moana saves everyone through her own well-earned strength, endurance, and good will.
5. Jack Skellington (The Nightmare Before Christmas)
Now, no one’s going to be perfect. Perhaps that’s a lesson in and of itself. Certainly, it’s come to light in more recent Disney films, where protagonists make plenty of mistakes and must learn to navigate the consequences. In an instructive sense, it’s probably a lot more useful than watching Snow White be blandly good and helpless (sorry, Snow, but you know it’s true). It also makes for more complicated and interesting narratives.
Jack Skellington, hero of sorts for the 1993 film, The Nightmare Before Christmas, certainly fits the bill. By the way, it may come as a bit of a surprise to learn that Disney was involved with this supremely weird movie. Now, it’s not as if Disney hasn’t made some strange and unnerving films in its time.
Still, the conceit of the Tim Burton-produced film made them a little nervous. As a result, they released it under Touchstone Pictures, which is a film distribution label owned by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. As director Henry Selick recalled, “ [Disney was] afraid of their core audience hating the film and not coming”. However, the film proved to be enduringly popular. Disney was more than happy to put its name all over the movie’s 2006 3-D release.
Anyway, Jack Skellington is a brash and intelligent hero with a good heart. However, he soon learns that good intentions aren’t always enough. Yes, he desperately wants to bring the magic of Christmas into his land of Halloweentown, but Skellington needs to understand the nuances of both worlds. He also needs to, you know, not kidnap Santa Claus and take his place.
Ultimately, everything turns out fine, but Skellington (and, we hope, the viewers) learns an important lesson about thinking before you leap.
6. Riley (Inside Out)
Sometimes, childhood is difficult. As a child, you’re largely powerless and subject to the strange and seemingly unfair decisions of adults. There’s a kind of cognitive barrier between children and grown-ups, where the actions and thoughts of one are often totally incomprehensible to the other.
Certainly, that must be how Riley Andersen feels when her family moves from Minnesota to San Francisco. Eleven-year-old Riley, previously a cheerful and carefree child, suddenly experiences a big dose of sadness. By the way, her major emotions – Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust – are personified within Riley. They pilot a console that directs Riley through various emotions and memories.
While Inside Out is helmed mostly by the cast portraying Riley’s emotions, perhaps Riley herself is the most interesting character. After all, she is terribly complex, to the point where she often appears to be confused by her emotions and memories. Surely, kids and adults alike have been able to find something of their own experiences in Riley’s story.
By the end, Riley has learned to live with all of her emotions and not just the happy ones. She recognizes that sadness is not merely a “bad” feeling to be avoided, but a complex state that is just as important as joy and happiness.
7. Tiana (The Princess and the Frog)
The Princess and the Frog, released by Disney in 2009, was a groundbreaking movie in a number of ways. First and foremost, it featured Tiana, who would go on to become the first African-American Disney princess. However you might feel about Disney princesses in general or the seeming princess plague that touches nearly every young American girl, this is still a big deal.
There are other things to admire about Tiana herself, though. She refuses to be a passive damsel in distress, for one. Neither does she content herself with waiting for opportunity or vaguely yearning for adventure or love or something. Instead, she works hard to achieve her goals of becoming an acclaimed restaurateur by working two jobs as a waitress.
Now, one could raise a lot of questions about how, exactly, Tiana is going to achieve these goals. She is a black woman in early 20th century New Orleans, after all, and is likely to face a lot of resistance despite her hard work. Plus, she eventually achieves her culinary goals in part by becoming a frog and marrying a foreign prince.
Alas, however, Disney is rarely interested in exploring complex socioeconomic situations. They sure as hell don’t want to talk about the racism of the American South.
Still, there’s quite a good role model to be found in Tiana. She is indefatigable and ambitious. She is brave in the face of some really weird danger. Not a bad place to start when you’re looking for aspirational figures.
8. Mulan
Speaking of socioeconomic barriers, imagine being a woman in early Imperial China. Things, at least according to 1998’s Mulan, could be pretty grim. If you were a woman who wanted to be something more than an obedient, subservient wife, well, too bad. Might as well get down to denying your dreams and having copious amounts of children.
Now, the reality of such a situation is likely up for debate. But in this Disney-fied reality, things really are set against our heroine, Mulan. She’s clearly awkward in the role of future wife, as evidence by a disastrous meeting with a matchmaker. Afterwards, she mopes through her family garden and signs a Disney ballad about identity and not fitting in.
Things get worse, however. She learns that her aging father has been conscripted to fight against the foreign Huns. He’s practically been handed a death sentence. Unable to bear the thought of sending her beloved father into danger, Mulan disguises herself as a man and enlists in his place.
Though there’s a somewhat romantic subplot with Mulan’s army commander, Shang (whose singing voice is provided by, no kidding, Donny Osmond), Mulan herself isn’t that focused on courtship. Instead, she is motivated by her love of family and deep bonds with her parents and grandmother.
All of that adventure, including causing a massive avalanche to defeat invaders and a dramatic rooftop fight at the Imperial Palace? That’s ultimately for the sake of family. Mulan even turns down a prestigious role as advisor to the Emperor to just return home. Though it’s disappointing that she turned down a groundbreaking job, it’s still gratifying to see a Disney heroine who’s motivated by something other than finding her Prince.
9. Ursula (The Little Mermaid)
Yes, naming a villain as a role model is a controversial move. To be fair, there are certainly parts of Ursula’s story that are perhaps not ideal for kids or adults to emulate. For example, did you know that it’s bad to entrap people’s souls into terrifying muddy grub monsters? Plus, it’s generally frowned upon to enchant a prince into marrying you, even if it’s for the purposes of gaining power. You learn something new every day.
But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find that there’s a fair amount of admire in Ursula. For one, she is totally and completely into herself, including her large body and voracious personality. That’s a feat today, not to mention in a 1989 movie with a conventionally attractive (and, let’s be brutally honest, skinny) mermaid lead.
Now, there’s a lot to read into why the villain has to be fat and loud and the protagonist is slender and silenced. At least Ariel has an admirable streak of rebellion to her, though you may wish to see it brought to the fore more often. However, Ursula herself doesn’t seem too bothered about the dichotomy. In fact, she appears to have embraced herself in a way that outpaces any other being, under the sea or otherwise.
10. The Rescuers
Remember The Rescuers? Okay, maybe not. At the very least, you might need a bit of a refresher for this 1977 Disney film.
In the first Rescuers movie, Penny, a young orphan, starts off the plot by dropping a message in a bottle into a Louisiana bayou. She’s been abducted by Madame Medusa and her partner, Mr. Snoops.
Given that this is a Disney film, nothing outright awful has happened to Penny.
You see, Medusa and Mr. Snoops needed to find a child small enough to fit down the entrance to a pirate cave. Said cave holds the Devil’s Eye, the largest diamond in the world.
So, we’re just dealing with some light kidnapping and diamond thieves. What a relief. Well, for the audience. Penny herself isn’t too happy with the whole situation.
Thankfully, her message has attracted the attention of the Rescue Aid Society, or RAS. The RAS is run by mice, naturally enough. Two mice, Miss Bianca and Bernard, are tasked with rescuing Penny.
The entire movie is goofy in a uniquely 1970s animated film sort of way. Dig a little deeper, however, and there’s a lot admire about Bianca and Bernard. They are tiny mice, so small as to be almost inconsequential. However, thanks to their bravery and resourcefulness, they manage to save a young girl from a dangerous situation. Even the smallest people can be big heroes.
11. Benjamin Franklin Gates (National Treasure)
This is another exceedingly odd choice but stay with me here. Wouldn’t you want to kind of breathless enthusiasm and love for history and adventure that leads Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage) to steal the Declaration of Independence, paint it with lemon juice, and go on a massive treasure hunt?
I mean, please, don’t steal the Declaration of Independence. You will be caught immediately and probably go to jail. Even if you were successful, something tells me that a centuries-old document and lemon juice won’t play together well. Unsurprisingly, this movie is not well known for its historical accuracy, to say the least. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take some lessons from the protagonist of National Treasure.
For one, Gates is dogged in his pursuit of truth. Yes, yes, there is certainly an element of treasure hunting afoot, but it often takes a backseat. You’re just as likely to see Gates using his intelligence and confidence to solve a mystery. Many times, he takes a seemingly impossible situation and finds a way out or through thanks to his vast knowledge of history and enthusiasm for the subject. Good thing he studied hard both in and outside of school, it seems.
12. Woody (Toy Story)
Sometimes, you just want a protagonist who does the right thing. We’re so awash in anti heroes and complicated protagonists that it can get a little confusing. While there’s a time and a place for all kinds of heroes and otherwise, it’s refreshing to see someone who’s just good.
That doesn’t mean said heroes can’t be interesting, however. It certainly does not mean that they are uniformly, blandly good. After all, it would be hard to write a story or impart meaning through a character that never changes, simply because they do not need to do so.
Woody, from Toy Story, fits that bill. He is, ultimately, an exceptionally good person (or pull-string cowboy toy, as the case may be). Despite this, he isn’t without flaws, despite being voiced by everyone’s Hollywood Dad, Tom Hanks.
Woody grows anxious and jealous with the arrival of a flashy new toy, Buzz Lightyear. You see, he has grown used to being the boss of all the toys in his particular world. He is a benevolent leader, to be sure, but the head of it all nonetheless.
Where I would probably descend into a pit of pettiness, however, Woody doesn’t. Instead, he learns to transcend his selfishness and helps Buzz through an existential crisis. The two form a bond and work together to save a bunch of toys and make the transition to a new house. It’s a fun and lasting lesson about overcoming your own insecurities and making friends instead of enemies.
13. The Bugs (James and the Giant Peach)
Family is a complicated thing. Sometimes, Disney gets just a little too saccharine with the whole affair, making it seem as if family is a beautiful, perfect thing that everyone should enjoy. Such lessons can even get downright harmful if taken the wrong way. Sadly enough, not everyone is born into a loving and supportive family. Indeed, depictions of seemingly perfect, conflict-free families might even make someone feel deficient when it comes to their own imperfect home life.
But the family you’re born into isn’t the only option available to you. As many people throughout human history have discovered, found family can be just as valuable as genetic relations, if not even more so. Such is the central conceit of James and the Giant Peach.
To be fair, James Henry Trotter does start out as a happy young kid with a loving mother and father. When his parents are killed by a ghostly sky-rhinoceros (seriously), he’s sent to live with his aunts. These are no kindly, doting aunts with plates full of cookies, however. They’re a mean pair named, evocatively, Spiker and Sponge. James soon learns to be miserable in his new home.
However, James soon finds escape in an unusual way. A mysterious man gives him a bag of glowing green “crocodile tongues” to somehow make his life better. While this sounds like the setup for a horror movie, it turns out that this weird plan actually works.
First, the crocodile tongues make a normal peach grow to gigantic size in the front yard. James then discovers that a number of bugs have also grown, both in size and intelligence. He soon sets off on an oceangoing adventure across the Atlantic. Over the course of the movie, James and the bugs bond and form the kind of loving family that the young boy has been missing for so long.
14. Eilonwy (The Black Cauldron)
The Black Cauldron, released in 1985, was one of Disney’s risk-taking films. During the 1970s and 1980s, Walt Disney Studios was on truly shaky ground. After the animated film triumphs of the early days, the animation giant’s fame had shrunk. Furthermore, they’d wasted money and effort on weird, generally unsuccessful films, such as the 1979 live-action flop, The Black Hole.
This isn’t to say that The Black Cauldron isn’t worth watching. It’s just easy to forget that there are quite a few interesting, even daring Disney films that were released before the Disney Renaissance exploded onto the scene with 1989’s The Little Mermaid.
That’s a bit of a shame, really. As it turns out, there’s quite a bit to like about The Black Cauldron and its characters in particular. You’ve got Taran, the assistant pig-keeper turned unlikely hero who bravely fights against the Horned King (one of Disney’s truly creepy villains).
There’s also Princess Eilonwy. Now, alas, this one is a bit of a cheat. In the film, Eilonwy doesn’t have much to do. It’s unsurprising to an older viewer, if not still frustrating. However, this film may open a gateway to the Chronicles of Prydain books by Lloyd Alexander.
In the novels, Eilonwy is a powerful enchantress with a strong will and an even stronger sense of stubbornness. She is also a powerful fighter, both with weapons and without. At least in the books, which inspired the Disney film, Eilonwy is a formidable role model.
15. Sulley (Monsters, Inc.)
It’s tough to be one of the best at something, only to realize that you’re tangled up in a corrupt system. What matters most, perhaps, is what you do with that realization. Do you just sort of throw up your hands, say “oh, well”, and get back to your unethical job? Or, do you put on your big kid pants and do the right thing?
Thankfully, James P. “Sulley” Sullivan learns to do the right thing. He’s the top “scarer” at the Monsters, Inc. factory. In his world of monsters, everyone gets their power from this factory, where scarers frighten young children and harvest the power in their screams. Thankfully, the creepiness of this situation doesn’t stand out too much in what is an otherwise supremely charming movie.
Given that children are toxic to monsters, Sulley is practically a hero. Things get upended, however, when a little girl (nicknamed “Boo”) makes her way into the monster world. Sulley and his best friend, Mike Wazowski, soon discover that children aren’t toxic after all. They also discover that a rival, Randall, is developing a far more harmful and forceful method of energy-production, called “The Scream Extractor”.
Instead of just rolling with it and benefiting from this terrifying new technology, Mike and Sulley work to fight Randall. In the end, they’re able to discover that children’s laughter is far more potent in terms of energy. It’s also way renewable and kinder than scaring the hell out of toddlers and the like.
Sulley deals with the hit to his ego and reputation with bravery and grace, and in the process helps to fix a major problem in his society. Sounds like a pretty good deal, in the end.
16. Pacha (The Emperor’s New Groove)
Is it strange that John Goodman shows up twice in this roundup? If you didn’t know already, he voiced Sulley in Monsters, Inc. He also provided the voice for Pacha, a simple Andean peasant in another Disney film, The Emperor’s New Groove.
What’s up with that? Maybe it has something to do with his deep, rumbling voice and larger than life persona. It’s soothing, right? Or is that just me? Anyway, something about John Goodman has led to a healthy profit in terms of Disney films. I’m sure his wallet is thankful, if nothing else.
Goodman also seems to do well playing characters that are fundamentally good people, if a little rough around the edges. Though, given the events of The Emperor’s New Groove, we can probably cut Pacha a little slack.
For one, he has to deal with a selfish and capricious emperor, Kuzco. It doesn’t help that Kuzco wants to turn Pacha’s cozy hilltop abode into a vacation spot called “Kuzcotopia”. Where will Pacha’s family live? Eh, not the emperor’s problem.
When Kuzco is turned into a talking llama by an evil advisor, he eventually crosses paths yet again with Pacha. Though Pacha has some pretty serious reservations about returning the emperor-llama to his rightful place he does the right thing. It’s tough as hell and isn’t made easier by the whiny, wisecracking Kuzco, but Pacha does it anyway.
Thankfully, everything ends up just fine. This is Disney, you know. Because of Pacha’s hard work, Kuzco realizes the selfishness of his previous ways and becomes a more compassionate (though still snarky) ruler. While we may wish there were some more direct real-life analogues for modern political figures, this is still a good start and a fun movie, to boot.
17. Edna Mode (The Incredibles)
Not all heroes wear capes. In fact, if Edna Mode had her way, no heroes would wear capes. No capes!
Edna Mode is somehow classified as a “minor” character in the 2004 film, The Incredibles. Take just a single scene with her, however, and you’ll find it mind-boggling that she’s anything other than a major force.
Mode, you see, is a fashion designer. She isn’t just any old designer, however. As she says, “I used to design for gods,” or, in regular human parlance, superheroes. She’s incredibly talented and demanding, valuable skills both for the high-paced world of fashion and the similarly demanding one of hero-ing. After all, you can’t let these superpowered people push you around, dahling.
Some might call Edna “bossy” (blech, what a word these days), but I’d call her forceful. You know what? She’s right. Those capes really are a terrible idea. Plus, she’s a busy woman, with fashion shows in major hubs such as Milan. Girl doesn’t have time for your ego or your hems and haws.
She certainly doesn’t have the time for the retired Elastigirl to be crying all over Mode’s incredibly expensive floors. Get it together, Helen! If it weren’t for Edna Mode and her strong, ambitious personality, the superhero world would be a truly shabby place.
18. WALL-E
It turns out that you don’t even need someone to talk for them to be a good protagonist and role model. That’s good news for our robot friend, WALL-E. Apart from a few beeps and boops, he doesn’t appear to have any substantial method of verbal communication.
WALL-E is a trash collection robot living on a devastated Earth. He’s got a pretty big job ahead of him, considering that our planet has become little more than a 196.9 million square mile dump. It also appears that WALL-E may be the only intelligent creature in the area, apart from a cute cockroach companion. That’s a tough thing to bear for an intelligent robot, especially considering he’s been at this for seven centuries.
Everything changes with the arrival of EVE, a.k.a., an Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator. EVE finds evidence of new life growing on the planet in the form of a tiny plant found by WALL-E. Though the two robots have bonded during her visit, EVE must now return to the Axiom, a gigantic spaceship housing the remnants of humanity.
Though he is a humble trash robot, WALL-E musters up his bravery and camaraderie with other Axiom robots to save the day. He also manages to start the process of recovering the human species and their ruined planet. Pretty big work accomplished by a small, plucky robot.
19. Giselle (Enchanted)
Naiveté isn’t always a good attribute. It’s true that the world is frequently a big, scary place. It’s also true, at least in my estimation, that people too often succumb to cynicism in a misguided attempt to shield themselves. Neither option seems like a good one. If you’re too open-hearted, you may very well walk straight into a trap of sorts, or at least make a fool out of yourself. On the other hand, saying “no” all the time and breaking down any attempt at warmth and sincerity makes for a miserable life.
It seems, then, that the best place to be is somewhere in between. That’s one of the lessons imparted by Enchanted, the 2007 Disney film that combined classic Disney-style animation with live action performances.
Enchanted begins with Giselle, a pretty princess type who lives in the woods and has a lot of woodland creature friends. She meets up with Prince Edward and the two fall in love. However, Edward’s stepmother, Queen Narcissa, wants the throne for herself. That means that she must break apart the new couple, and soon. So, naturally, she pushes Giselle into a well.
This is not any old well, however. It’s apparently some sort of magical portal that transports Giselle into the real, three-dimensional New York City. Giselle finds that she, too, has gained an extra dimension. At least she’s played by Amy Adams, so it’s not all bad.
Though her adventures in NYC throw her for a bit, Giselle manages to find her footing. And though she must deal with strange new emotions such as sadness, betrayal, and disappointment, she also learns how to manage them with grace and maturity. Plus, she also asks the vermin of New York to help clean a gross bathroom through song without screaming incessantly. Wish I had that skill.
20. Wreck-It Ralph
As far as antagonists go, Wreck-It Ralph is pretty unwilling to fill the role. As the villain of an arcade name called “Fix-It Felix”, his job is mostly to thwart the game’s hero (Felix, natch) from, uh, fixing stuff. That’s during the day, anyway. At night, when their arcade closes, Ralph and the other video game inhabitants are free to live their own lives and even travel between consoles.
Ralph is slowly growing fed up with his role. The people within his game ostracize him. He attends a support group for other villains as well. Ralph even tries to win a medal in an attempt to gain respect, but this just starts off a series of mishaps which eventually land Ralph in a racing game called “Sugar Rush”. He also must defeat a series of “Cy-Bugs”, a kind of computer virus that can infect any game.
What’s most important about Ralph isn’t his exclusion, however. He really comes into his own when he teams up with other characters. It’s very hard to defeat a Cy-Bug invasion on your own, it appears. He even works with Felix, though the two had previously enjoyed a fairly tense relationship. Thanks to the magic of cooperation, Ralph and everyone else saves the day and helps everyone find their happiest roles in video game society.
21. Hiro Hamada (Big Hero 6)
Let’s be honest here. Teenagers, or at least teenagers as depicted in pop culture, are often deeply annoying. That’s more often the fault of lazy writing and directing than anything else, but it still has become a pretty tired trope.
Sometimes, however, teen characters can face some pretty steep odds. Such is the case for Hiro Hamada, 14-year-old genius and roboticist extraordinaire. His older brother, Tadashi, is no intellectual slouch himself. Tadashi works in a cool robotics lab with equally cool co-workers, for one. He’s also created a medical prototype robot called Baymax. All of these dreams and promising starts are abruptly crushed when Tadashi dies in an explosion at a science fair. Hiro, who had been exhibiting his own “microbots” at the same fair, is devastated.
Tadashi’s co-workers – Fred, GoGo, Wasabi, and Honey Lemon – team up to provide support for Hiro. When Hiro accidentally reactivates Baymax, he doesn’t have the heart to deactivate the friendly robot. Instead, after a series of increasingly strange events, Hiro, Baymax, and everyone else gets involved in a complicated mystery involving a masked man and Hiro’s microbots.
Big Hero 6 doesn’t shy away from examining the grief that envelopes and occasionally consumes Hiro. At one point, Hiro even turns Baymax into a threatening fighting machine through a misguided desire for revenge. However, Hiro learns to work with his sadness instead of letting it corrupt him.
22. Judy Hopps (Zootopia)
At this point, you’re probably sensing a theme. A character starts out on their journey as a relatively uncomplicated being. They’re often all one thing or another. They’re angry. They are happy. Their actions are either good or bad. By the end of their story, though, they’ve learned the value of complex emotions. As a result, they’re far wiser and stronger thanks to a newly mature mindset.
Such is the story of Judy Hopps, an idealistic young police recruit. She’s just joined the force in the big city, Zootopia. However, there is a bit of a complication. Hopps is a rabbit. Nearly everyone else on the force is some other, larger kind of animal. In fact, Zootopia is a bustling metropolis full of intelligent animals, with nary a human in sight.
What makes Zootopia unique is its sideways address on the issue of race. No one talks about different colors, exactly, but Judy is certainly told she can’t do things simply because she is a small rabbit. Other characters point out that predators are inherently more bloodthirsty and therefore less trustworthy than herbivores. Though Judy has come to the big city with big dreams, she soon learns that there is a lot of institutional trouble blocking her way.
Hopps, however, doesn’t give up. Through dogged detective work and collaboration with a fox named Nick Wilde, she effects real change in her society. Though our real world can never seem to just solve a problem and put a bow on the whole affair, we at least get to see that happen in Zootopia. It has a certain kind of clear-eyed decency that lends hope to real-world proceedings.
23. Maleficent
Another villain? You may be starting to wonder what our motivations are, exactly. Now, I’m not trying to turn you or any kids into evil wrong-doers, but it doesn’t hurt you to entertain more uncertain definitions of “good” and “evil”. I’m not saying you should go out there and turn yourself into a monstrous dragon (though, now that I think of it, that would be pretty cool). Just try to consider things from another side.
Even Disney, it turns out, is willing to look at a villain’s story from different angles. The original presentation of Maleficent, in the 1959 Sleeping Beauty animated film, didn’t start off in a particularly flattering light. Maleficent was a powerful and evil sorceress who was upset about not receiving a party invitation. As with any early Disney movie, things end poorly for Maleficent.
With the 2014 live-action Maleficent, however, the story changed. There, Maleficent was a powerful fairy who was wronged by the human world. She was understandably angry and wanted to cause trouble for the people who harmed her.
However, upon meeting the grown Aurora (whom she had still previously cursed), Maleficent has a change of heart. She develops a maternal affection for the girl. Thanks to the growing love within her, she saves the princess and eventually restores peace and justice to the land.
Though critical reaction to Maleficent was so-so, it still holds some important lessons. Though she is initially taken hold of by grief and anger, Maleficent soon learns that innocent people should not suffer for wrongs done by someone else. Overcoming her tragic past without denying it proves to be a powerful solution.
24. Remy (Ratatouille)
While the mice of The Rescuers have a certain culturally-granted cute factor, Remy the rat has to deal with tougher preconceptions. While your individual perception may vary, many people see rats as little more than vermin. Even if you have a fancy rat or two as a pet, you still might be shocked and dismayed to find one puttering about a restaurant kitchen. But what if that rat turned out to be a world-class chef?
Even though he is undeniably a rat, Remy is dead-set on becoming a chef. Ever since he learned of the now-deceased chef Auguste Gusteau, he’s dreamed of somehow creating iconic restaurant dishes. Thankfully, he’s developed a fantastic sense of taste. Unfortunately, there’s that whole “I’m a rat” issue to be navigated.
Despite this, Remy manages to make his way into Gusteau’s former restaurant. There, he becomes friends with Alfredo Linguini, a garbage boy at the establishment. When Linguini accidentally spills a pot of soup, Remy helps him recreate it to great success. Linguini is then hired on as a cook for the restaurant.
Obviously, people are concerned about Remy preparing their food. Naturally, our rat hero comes up against obstacles which involve extermination, homelessness, and a bevy of kitchen knives. Still, they just can’t keep down both Remy’s natural talent and his tireless ambition.
25. Mary Poppins
On the face of it, Mary Poppins is a character who should, by all rights, cause concern. What do you mean, this strange woman just floated down from the sky and now wants to watch our children? Oh, and she dismissed her rival nannies by blowing them away in a mighty gust of wind?
If you’re an Edwardian parent, then you apparently just shrug your shoulders and let her get on with the childcare work. Just as long as she doesn’t charge extra for the magic parrot umbrella. The kids seem fine with it, anyway.
Maybe more than any other character on this list, Mary Poppins is largely an aspirational figure for adults. In many respects, she is a typical stern English nanny. However, she also brings much joy and whimsy into the lives of her charges, young Jane and Michael Banks.
Next: 25 Of The Creepiest Disney Movies Ever Made
Some of that magic may be great or horrifying, depending on how much you think you would enjoy impromptu musical numbers. Still, many adults could use a refresher on just what it means to relate to children. While I can’t necessarily recommend taking your kids on a LSD-inspired trip into a chalk drawing, it doesn’t hurt to laugh or play or sing silly songs.