With such films as Lightyear, released on June 17th of 2022, it’s clear that Disney still knows how to create an absolutely marvelous adventure. But while some of the studio’s most recent work has ventured heavily into sci-fi, there are dozens and dozens of Disney fantasy movies, complete with their own set of adventurers on a magical quest.
From Lord of the Rings to Dungeons and Dragons, nearly all the greatest adventures have a gaggle of friends and allies undertaking them and developing their characters along the way. With that in mind, it’s remarkable to see just how many Disney friends seem to fall into that same description.
Taran, Elonwy, and Fflewddur Fflam (The Black Cauldron)
The Black Cauldron was released during one of the heights of the fantasy genre, along with the rise of Dungeons and Dragons and the fantasy films of Ralph Bakshi. Although Disney might have rolled a one on its delivery, the studio at least tried to do something different from their traditional fairytales. The film allowed them to show their dark side, and it in sense becomes something of a cult favorite.
It might seem a little obvious, considering these three actually do make up the adventuring party for a fantasy-focused quest, but there’s a good reason for that. With Taran as the bull-headed and brash Fighter, Elonwy as the waifish Druid who communicates with her fae familiar, and Fflewddur Fflam as the reluctant Bard, they already have the basics for a beginner adventuring party for a night of D&D.
Merida And Queen Elinor (Brave)
Not all parties of adventures have to have the traditional warrior, mage, and rogue archetypes in search of treasure and glory. Sometimes, it can just be two companions looking to see a common goal, such as undoing a spell. In the case of Merida and her mother from Pixar’s Brave, there is perhaps no better visual example of a ranger and her animal companion.
At first glance, Merida might not be the first character a player thinks about when they think of a Beast Master archetype from 5E’s ranger class. However, considering she fits well into the description of the class with her marksmanship and independent nature, the fact that she travels with a bear as a companion only cements the archetype of her character.
Lilo And Stitch (Lilo And Stitch)
Similar to Merida’s Beast Master status, Lilo and Stitch have a similar friendship but in a different setting. With her love for strange and unusual creatures, Lilo could very well fit the Beast Master archetype, but with Stitch’s otherworldly origins, it might serve to reason that he could be interpreted as a fey familiar rather than a beast.
Given Lilo’s proudly-weird nature, it stands to reason that she would be classified as some magic-user class like a wizard or a warlock, but her penchant for collecting other experiments like her blue-furred friend might also reaffirm that Beast Master element. Either way, her quest to interact with and save these strange creatures would make for an excellent backstory for a D&D character.
Simba, Timon, and Puma (The Lion King)
Although it might seem difficult at first to picture talking animals as a party of adventures on a quest, it isn’t that hard for the cast of The Lion King. After all, so many campaigns have dealt with the overthrowing of a tyrannical monarch at the hands of a team of underdogs, perhaps even led by a banished royal.
It would be so easy to see Simba as a leonine tabaxi paladin or fighter accompanied by the roguish Timon and his bard buddy, Pumbaa. If a group of players is imaginative enough, the entirety of this Disney classic could be reinterpreted as a high-fantasy adventure.
Big Hero 6 (Big Hero 6)
Reimagining superhero teams as Dungeons and Dragons classes there’s nothing inherently new, but there’s something special about thinking in these terms for Big Hero 6. With Hiro cast as the obvious artificer able to create technological marvels to upgrade the rest of his friends, the only difficult part is classifying the rest of the team.
To make a long story short, the team is made up of the essentials for an adventuring party. From the swordsmanship of Wasabi to the man-into-monster that is Fredzilla, the team has all the bases covered to take on any threat, especially with the aid of their inflatable automaton.
The Squad (Turning Red)
Fantasy-realism has been a popular flavor in recent years for the Walt Disney Company, but the plot of Turning Red really wouldn’t be that much different if the time capsule setting of 2002 Canada was exchanged for a whimsical fantasy world. A young girl dealing with a transformative curse is certainly a fantasy plot many have seen before, so it makes sense that a D&D character would share a similar backstory.
Along with Mei, who is obviously the party’s shapeshifting Druid, the Squad consists of Miriam, Priah, and Abby who could all easily fit into different classes. Abby’s particular passions and fits of rage would make her a prime barbarian candidate for any adventuring party.
Robin Hood And Company (Robin Hood)
There aren’t any rules saying that all players have to be different classes, and a gang of rogues and thieves certainly wouldn’t be out of the question for Robin Hood and his band of merry men of Sherwood Forest. With the accepting of maybe Friar Tuck as a Monk or a Cleric and Alan-A-Dale as the party’s obvious Bard, the rest of the cast could be absolutely stellar for an eager campaign of swashbuckling adventurers.
Although the film has no magical elements like some of Disney’s other contemporaries, the setting of Disney’s adaptation of Robin Hood could easily make the transition to a D&D setting. Once more, the theme of a tyrannical monarch and a corrupt army of enforcers isn’t that much of a stretch for a campaign.
Winnie the Pooh And Friends (The Many Adventures Of Winnie the Pooh)
To take a quote from Owl, “adventure is a wonderful thing.” If there’s one thing every DM and player knows, it’s that imagination is the most powerful element that goes into any session of Dungeons and Dragons. By little exaggeration, no group of Disney characters wields that better than Winnie the Pooh and the rest of his friends from the Hundred Acre Wood.
Dozens of Pooh’s outings involve imaginary adventures with him and his friends. There’s even a TV episode where they assume the identities of fantasy characters on a board game. Surely a D&D game between the likes of Pooh, Tigger, and Eeyore wouldn’t be that far out of the ballpark.
The Muppets (Various)
With the sheer number of different roles that all of the Muppet characters have played and all the movies and shows they’ve parodied, it’s a bit of an odd situation that they haven’t been given the full fantasy epic treatment. Although they’ve covered material from Treasure Island, The Wizard of Oz, and even The Haunted Mansion, the Muppets have yet to embark on a Lord-of-the-Rings-level quest.
Class distribution and assignment to different characters can be left entirely up to the filmmaker’s discretion, but seeing Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, and all the others assume roles in the Forgotten Realms opens the door wide for comedic possibility. Even a crossover with Vox Machina would be absolutely hilarious.
Mickey, Donald, And Goofy (Various)
Mickey, Donald, and Goofy are perhaps the most versatile Disney characters when it comes to interchangeable roles. The trio has been everything from clock cleaners to ghostbusters, so it makes sense that they would fall into a D&D adventuring party without the slightest hiccup, especially with their RPG experience in things like the Kingdom Hearts series.
Mickey’s already seasoned enough to be the group’s wizard or sorcerer, Goofy is more loyal than any paladin or cleric, and Donald has enough explosive rage to fill a whole horde of barbarians, the material practically writes itself. With the studio’s fingers in so many pies, it’s a wonder they haven’t negotiated anything with Wizards of the Coast for a magical crossover.
