The cast of Stranger Things is uniquely adorable and courageous and just stellar characters in general. They fight, they love, they struggle, they suffer, but they ultimately, and inevitably, triumph. In a number of ways, each of them adds a portion of their persona to the overarching narrative, consequently setting its direction and pace.
Similarly, Disney movies are packed with characters exactly like these — they may not look or behave the same, nor have a single destination in common, but all of them have “heart.” The strength to persevere in the midst of adversity, and the sheer guts to take charge of their own stories. How would a comparison between these two vastly different universes even work?
Eleven — Ariel
Like the sea princess, Eleven is trapped within the boundaries established for her by someone else, a paternal entity, so to speak. Ariel desires the thrill of freedom, of making her own choices, of meeting and marrying the prince of her dreams, and has the nerve to go through a magical transaction to see her dreams come true.
El knows exactly what King Triton’s rules feel like because those are precise words employed by Dr. Brenner to prevent her from escaping: that his restrictions exist for her safety and nothing else.
Mike — Mowgli
Mowgli, the man-cub, the child raised by wolves, is a free spirit, bound to nobody but himself, features that appear in the character of Mike Wheeler. For a nerd, he’s quite the wild child, always being the first to come up with a new plan, or thoughtlessly charging into dangerous situations.
In addition, they are each warm, empathetic people who befriend everyone they meet almost instantly, for example, Eleven and Baloo. Mowgli and Mike also have mild anger issues, regularly blowing up at people who care about them the most.
Dustin — Simba
Spunky little Dustin is so much like young Simba he could have voiced the character in the live-action remake and it would have been fantastic. Playful, precocious, adventurous, these two boys are all and more: in fact, even when it comes to taking risks, such as sneaking into an elephant graveyard, or raising a baby Demogorgon, Simba and Dustin are as reckless.
They have intense personalities, considering their firm belief in the differences between right and wrong, regardless of how others might perceive their actions.
Nancy — Mulan
Although Nancy doesn’t endear herself to the audience for the first few episodes, she quickly shows her true colors after her friend, Barb vanishes. Like Mulan, who wants to save her father the trouble of enlisting in yet another pointless war, Nancy endeavors to help the boys and Eleven with their “situation”, dragging Jonathan (Captain Li Shang in this context only) along with her.
Interestingly, these pair face off against one of the most ancient enemies of humankind, the patriarchy — the Chinese Empire and the Hawkins Post, to be specific — and win.
Steve — Mamá Imelda
Steve and Imelda, Miguel’s great-great-grandmother from Coco (2017) are like two peas in a pod. In the beginning, he’s quite callous about others’ feelings, given his spoiled upbringing, and she cannot see past her unbearable rage towards her husband, nearly a century after his “disappearance.”
And that is why their catharsis is an incredible sight to behold. Steve morphs into a babysitter/uncle for Dustin and the others, and Imelda finally forgives Héctor and resumes her romance with him, dead or otherwise.
Jonathan — Rapunzel
In a weird way, Jonathan is the outsider in his own home: his relationship with his father is ice-cold, and that with his mom is diluted by Will’s presence (not that he minds it.) Rapunzel feels like one too, having been cloistered in an inescapable tower for her entire life.
She has dreams of fleeing her prison, against the strict orders given to her by Mother Gothel, whereas he runs off on a hunt for his little brother in defiance of Hawkins’ authorities. To put it simply: stubborn but sweet.
Hopper — Rafiki
Rafiki might not be as cranky as Chief Jim Hopper, but their spiritual goals are aligned surprisingly well. The mandrill takes on the task of maintaining Mufasa’s legacy, finding Simba, and offering some sage advice regarding his many quandaries about his identity.
Hopper does everything in his power to safeguard Eleven, as he had already adopted her in his mind long before it is formalized on paper. Both bear the weight of protecting the younger generation on their shoulders and willingly so.
Will — Jasmine
Will is stifled by convention, getting bullied his whole life for being different, for liking wizards and magic, for his art, for just being antithetical to what 80s society expected boys to be. Jasmine, all alone in her father’s massive palace, is burdened by his assumption that she will merrily accede to his wishes and get married to some random royal.
Will creates a safe space deep in the woods, Castle Byers, where he knows he can be himself without anyone questioning him; Jasmine runs off to Agrabah, in a disguise that almost gets her hand cut off for stealing. But they are free, for a while.
Joyce — Elsa
Elsa knows her powers can have a horrible effect on her loved ones, if set off by accident, and tries to suppress them as well as her relationship with her sister, Anna. Likewise, Joyce Byers is supremely self-sacrificial; she will go all the way for her two sons, even if it means serious consequences to her person.
Joyce and Elsa are two strong, independent women (most men have no influence on their lives, whatsoever), because family comes first, in every case, in all possible scenarios.
Lucas — Beast
Lucas wears an armor of emotional distance around him, as seen in his initial dislike of Eleven (and how she allegedly broke up their group.) The real reason is that he’s averse to bonding with others, except for his three special pals, explaining why he takes such a long time to warm up to the new entry.
Beast behaves in a comparable manner, what with his ridiculous seclusion and hatred of all things human, and Belle makes all his pain evaporate only after he chooses to let her inside his heart. It takes them time and effort, but they always triumph.
