Mulan is considered among Disney’s Princesses, but why if she’s not royalty by birth or marriage? Walt Disney Pictures has been bringing its own type of magic to the big screen for decades, and while it has explored different genres over the years, it’s best known for its animated features. However, the studio holds a special place in the hearts of viewers thanks to its fairy tale movies, starring different princesses.
The first of these, which also happens to be Disney’s first animated movie, was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, released in 1937. The movie arrived to change the film industry and gave the studio its first Academy Award – an honorary one, with a normal statue accompanied by seven miniature ones. Since then, Disney has brought various fairy tales to the big screen, but not all their protagonists can be considered Disney Princesses. There are some requisites to follow in order to be considered a Disney princess – but why is Mulan considered as one, if she holds no relation to royalty?
Depending on who you ask, the criteria for becoming an official Disney Princess vary, but what they all seem to have in common is to be human or humanoid, as is the case of Ariel from The Little Mermaid; to be the lead in an animated Disney/Pixar movie; they shouldn’t be the star of a sequel; they must be royal either by birth or marriage; have at least one musical number and an animal sidekick. The “royal by birth or marriage” requisite has a small twist, as it also allows those who have performed an act of heroism to be a Disney Princess – and that’s why Mulan is considered as one.
Mulan meets every requisite except being royalty, as she’s the main character of her movie, doesn’t have an official sequel, has a musical number, and an animal sidekick (the unforgettable Mushu). Mulan is the first Disney Princess to be based on a legend (that of Hua Mulan) and the second to not be based on a fairy tale (the other being Pocahontas). Her receiving a high-status and grace from the Emperor after saving her country also grants her a place among (the more traditional) Disney Princesses. In addition to that, Mulan, along with Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, and Pocahontas, is part of an era in the Disney Princess mythology where they were more active than reactive, and focused more on adventure and challenged the traditional roles of women.
Although she does marry a prince at the end of Mulan II, this story is not considered canon, as it was a direct-to-video sequel produced by DisneyToon Studios, thus not considered canon. What Mulan represents with her actions throughout the movie as well as her popularity among viewers have given her the title of Disney Princess, and make her stand out from other characters who fit in with the traditional concept of “princess”.
