The Little Mermaid remains a beloved Disney classic to this day. Ariel, a mermaid, falls for Prince Eric, a human. In an adventure about two worlds united by true love, there are plenty of characters, good and bad. Audiences certainly remember the dreaded sea witch Ursula; they may appreciate her as a noteworthy villain, but she’s not all that likable when it comes down to it.
Elsewhere, characters like Flounder and Grimsby are much more likable given they help their friends and genuinely care for them. The Little Mermaid contains several unforgettable characters that audiences love, as well as characters that audiences don’t necessarily care for.
Ursula
The villain certainly isn’t the most likable, especially when it’s Ursula. She’s ruthless, cunning, and selfish. She tricks the merpeople into making deals with her, and if they don’t hold up their end, they belong to her for eternity.
It’s safe to presume that, given Ursula tried to set Ariel up for failure by disguising herself as Vanessa and casting a spell on Eric, she’s done that to her previous customers as well. Plus, she went mad with power when she gained King Triton’s trident, and tried to take over the entire ocean. There really wasn’t a bright side to Ursula.
Flotsam And Jetsam
These two evil henchmen of Ursula’s are not only creepy but dangerous. They seek out potential victims, which is how Ariel is added to Ursula’s customer list. They approached Ariel when she was at her most vulnerable and convinced her to seek out Ursula for help.
They may not have the powers that Ursula does, but they’re sneaky and deceptive like her. Near the film’s ending, they try to drown Eric but are stopped by Flounder and Sebastian. They were capable of horrible things, but rest assured, they met their ends before the film’s conclusion, and could no longer hurt anyone.
King Triton
King Triton is close-minded when it comes to humans. He refuses to believe they are anything but bad and forbids Ariel from ever coming into contact with them. He’s trying to protect her, but he fails to really communicate with his youngest daughter. Unfortunately, a horrible event occurs between the two of them when he, in a rage, destroys all her human treasures that she’s collected in her grotto, including her newly acquired statue of Eric.
Only after Ariel goes missing that a softer side of King Triton emerges as he expresses regret and worries over Ariel’s well-being, and he ultimately grants her wish to be human. He’s probably not the audience’s favorite character; though, he’s not the worst, either.
Chef Louis
Chef Louis was initially just doing his job, but his scary devotion to going after Sebastian, refusing to allow him to escape, was a touch much. Poor Sebastian never meant to end up as dinner, and Louis almost instantly becomes obsessed with trying to catch him. Louis takes his job seriously, but for audiences, his feud with Sebastian diminishes his likability. Who likes a character that tries to kill and serve one of the other characters as a dish?
It’s no wonder he and Sebastian are archenemies.
Scuttle
Scuttle wasn’t always the brightest. He certainly misinterpreted what a fork was, placing Ariel in an awkward situation when she was later having dinner with Eric and used her fork to brush her hair. He could be loud and obnoxious and didn’t always pick up on the signs given to him.
Still, he’s a good friend, and he tried to help Ariel any way he could, including stalling Eric’s wedding to Vanessa until Ariel could get onboard the ship herself. He’s a good ally, but he’s not great with subtlety.
Grimsby
Grimsby is like a father figure to Eric, looking out for him and chastising him when need be. He’s usually the one putting Eric in touch with reality, such as when he convinces Eric to embrace Ariel and let go of the girl he’s focused on finding.
Grimsby isn’t at all annoyed when Ariel misuses his pipe, and smoke ends up in his face. He’s good-natured, and he has Eric’s best interests in mind, whether he’s helping him recover or urging him to find a bride.
Ariel
Ariel is sweet and adventurous. She longed to join a completely different world from her own. She loved her friends and family, but she had a tendency to act like the sixteen-year-old she was, given her rebelliousness and impulsiveness. Ariel’s rash decision to make a deal with Ursula placed her friends in a tough spot to help her or else see her suffer a terrible fate, and she also neglected to tell her family where she’d gone, leaving them to worry.
She and her father eventually fixed their relationship, but it wasn’t an easy road to do so. Ariel loves with all her heart, but sometimes her spontaneous nature can be a little selfish, especially if it puts those who care for her in difficult spots.
Eric
Eric is a good man, through and through. He risked his life to go back to save his dog, Max, from his burning and sinking ship. He’s kind to all around him and cares about his kingdom.
Instead of getting frustrated at the fact that Ariel couldn’t talk, he patiently tried other ways to get to know her. Even when he found out Ariel was really a mermaid, Eric went after her and saved her life by killing Ursula. He’s a hero, as well as thoughtful, kind, and brave.
Sebastian
Sebastian was in a tough spot from the beginning, between trying to remain loyal to King Triton and attempting to keep Ariel out of trouble, the poor crab was definitely stressed out. King Triton assigned Sebastian the difficult duty of constantly watching over Ariel, and while Ariel wasn’t too happy with Sebastian after King Triton had destroyed the treasures in her grotto, Sebastian still made it his duty to watch over her.
Eventually, he came to be one of her best supporters and friends. He had a heck of a time trying to keep himself from being dinner too! Sebastian was funny and witty; what’s not to love?
Flounder
Ariel’s best friend, Flounder is always there for her and is one of the few to know about Ariel’s love for humans and her collection of human things. In the beginning of the film, he’s helping Ariel explore a shipwreck for more treasures. He tends to worry too much, though, in the case of the shipwreck, Flounder was right to be worried about sharks.
Even after Ariel is turned human, he stays nearby and helps any way he can to ensure Ariel remains human and doesn’t end up belonging to Ursula forever. He’s lovable, funny, and a great best friend.
