Only Two Disney Princesses Broke This Cardinal Rule (& Still Didn’t Lose Their Title)

Although not official, there are some requirements that Disney characters must fulfill to become part of the Disney Princess branch, but two official princesses broke one cardinal rule and still have their titles. Disney has explored different visual styles and genres with its movies, but it’s best known for its animated movies, particularly those based on fairy tales and starring a female character, usually a princess. The first one was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, in 1937, with Snow White becoming the first Disney Princess.

Snow White’s story and traits were key to building the Disney Princess branch, which is now formed by a total of 13 characters. Although the requirements for becoming an official Disney Princess aren’t clear and have changed as time goes by and more characters are introduced, there are some requirements that every Princess fulfills and that have been key to them keeping their spot in this group. However, two princesses broke one of the most important rules, yet they still have their place among the other official Disney Princesses, and one of them is unfairly underrated.

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Brave’s Merida & Raya Are The Only Disney Princesses Who Don’t Sing

Some of the rules for becoming a Disney Princess are to play a central role in the movie they’re introduced in and not be introduced in a sequel, they must be royal by birth or marriage or have done a heroic deed (which is why Mulan is a Disney Princess), must be human or human looking (the latter applying to Ariel), and perform at least one musical number. The latter is one of the biggest and most popular rules for a Disney Princess, which is not surprising given that most of Disney’s animated and fairy tale movies are musicals, but two princesses have already broken that rule.

First was Pixar’s Merida, the main character of Brave. Merida is the daughter of King Fergus and Queen Elinor of Scotland and fits every requirement in the list of Disney Princesses except for the musical performance, as she doesn’t sing in her movie. In 2021, Merida was joined by Raya from Raya and the Last Dragon, the daughter of the chief of the Heart tribe and thus a warrior princess. Raya also meets every other requirement (including the often debated one of having an animal sidekick) as a Disney Princess, but she doesn’t sing in her movie.

Merida Is The Most Underrated Disney Princess

Despite its mixed-to-positive reviews, Brave and Merida broke the mold in more than one way. Merida is the first Disney Princess created by Pixar, Pixar’s first female lead (not counting Elastigirl from The Incredibles, as she shares the spotlight with her family), the first Disney Princess to be single (paving the way for other Princesses like Moana), and the first one whose story isn’t focused on finding true love but on family bonds, which was later seen in Frozen, as well. Merida was praised by critics for her freshness and for not following the traditional Disney Princess style, but that’s also why she has been overlooked.

Because of how different Merida and Brave were, many critics labeled her story as “boring” and weren’t on board with the twist of Merida not looking for a husband and instead her story being focused on her relationship with her mother. All this has made Brave one of the most forgettable Pixar movies and Merida one of the most underrated Disney Princesses, but breaking the mold and one of the cardinal rules of Disney Princesses didn’t make her lose her title, proving how important she is in the world of Disney Princesses.