Disney Princes

imageI was shopping for a birthday present for a 5 year old and realized what an absolute bazooka buffet of Disney princess merchandise there is. It is princesstacular out there. And this made me start thinking about Disney heroes – and which princes and heroes were my favorite. I asked the question on Twitter and Facebook, and had such a response I wanted to ask here as well.

On Twitter, the majority liked the Beast – in beast form – from Beauty and the Beast. I figure this is a clear case of loving the bad boy who learns to grow up, take responsibility, and reveal that moral core of goodness hidden … underneath all that hair. The folks at Pocket After Dark figure it’s because he gave Belle a library – also a good reason.

My faves: Beast, Tramp, and above all, Prince Phillip from Sleeping Beauty. I don’t know what it is about him, but of the Disney princes, Phillip is my favorite.

So which is your favorite of the Disney animated heroes or princes? Please, tell me why you picked your fave in the comments – I’m so curious which you like, and why, especially since early male heroes in the Disney movies had little to no personality, or even names. (And dude, if I forgot one, give a holler.) Does your princely preference match your romance hero preference?

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Random Musings

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  1. Zoe Archer says:

    I have this shirt:

    http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/womens/b3e7/

    So, that’s how I feel about princes.  And commoner heroes FTW!

  2. Carly M. says:

    I don’t understand how Prince Charming could be anyone’s favorite hero. He does not talk. He has seven words in the movie, and they are “Wait! Come back! I don’t know your name!” Seriously. How is that attractive at all?  … And I think that’s why I love Prince Phillip so much. He (and his horse!) were the only old school Disney princes with attitude (and speaking parts!)

    I also love Prince Naveen. He is the rake (A redhead on my left, a brunette on my right, a blonde or two to hold a candle) who just needs a good, hardworking girl to reform him and teach him how to mince vegetables.

  3. Tiblet says:

    I’m going completely off the lot and going with D’Artanian (SP?) out of the Disney version of The Three Musketeers.
    If I have to choose animated, I would go with Prince Eric out of The Little Mermaid. My grandma took me to see it when it came out in theater and I always associate that with a really good memory.
    Although, it is completely evil being made to choose…

  4. SylviaSybil says:

    While I do love me some B&TB; stories, the Disney version is not my favorite.  I had to go with Milo.  Klutzy, socially awkward, prone to spouting random trivia…I saw myself in him so much when it first came out.

    @Leslie H.

    Gaston’s Tale is now my personal canon. ^_^ While I dislike him intensely, the Beast was no better at the beginning of his arc.  And I like the thought of Gaston being hunted for sport. ^_~

  5. sugarless says:

    To whoever said Dmitri – I would agree with you 100%, though the technicality in there is that he’s not Disney. I still watch Anastasia from time to time. Awesome music and in LOVE with Dmitri.

    And I forgot about Robin Hood. For a long time, my friend was convinced that Robin Hood was, in fact, a fox. I LOVED that movie. See? This is me unable to decide still

  6. Niveau says:

    We can choose between the Beast and the human prince, but we can’t choose between Flynn and Eugene? BOO. Eugene’s so much more awesome.

    Except that I have to agree with the other Dmitri lovers – he is, without a doubt, the best of the best. Better than Eugene, even.

  7. Maria says:

    This is so impossible for me to pick.

    Beast is totally awesomesauce. I randomly sing “There’s something there” for no good reason. The expressive face, the unreasonableness followed by self doubt, and underneath all of that the squishy center. I don’t think his human form, Adam, would be any different, except that a lot of his insecurities that stem from being the beast would be resolved, but in my mind he would still be gruff with a squishy middle, so not really all that different from the Beast. Just because he changed form on the outside doesn’t mean he changed on the inside.

    Eric is just yummy and adventurous. I remember imagining what would he look like in real life, and wondering if can I get me one?

    Li Shang too for all the reasons stated above.

    I have a distinct feeling that I’m going to love Flynn, but I haven’t seen Tangled yet.

    Ok so reviewing my comments it’s an even split between the Beast/Adam, because I don’t really see them as 2 separate characters, just 2 forms of the same character.

  8. Nifty says:

    All this talk of Beauty & the Beast makes me want to vote for Lumiere!  He’s sly and funny and charming, loyal and flirtatious.  He can sing, has a fabulous French accent, and lives to serve.  (He’s not whole without a soul to wait upon.) He’s got a great nose—and you know what they say about a guy’s nose!—and, hello…JERRY ORBACH!  What’s not to love?

  9. Gwynnyd says:

    One of my clearest early memories is being in some kind of princess dress that my mother made for me and having a raging ends-in-tears fight with my uncle who teased me about growing up to marry ” Prince Charlie” – meaning the actual prince of England – and me insisting it was “Prince Charming” who was going to marry me.  It was probably the ‘57 release of Cinderella when I was all of six.  For sheer nostalgia, Charming, non-entity that he is, has to be it for me.

  10. R.J. says:

    Shang is my favorite,  not because I love his character, or any other plot related reason, but for two other reasons. 
    1. Mulan is such a good movie.  It comes in second, right behind Beauty and the Beast in my fav Disney movies list, and pretty high on my altime favs list.

    2. but, MORE IMPORTANTLY, Shang’s singing voice is Donny Osmond!  Really, what more could you want. 

    I have never liked a Disney prince; they were just so flat that they could have been played by talking cardboard and no one would know the difference.  Although I do agree that giving Belle the library does move Beast up in my opinion—If only I anylized my feelings toward the beast when I was young and forming my feelings on Disney princes.

  11. R.J. says:

    And I have to point out that the using the terms “prince” and “princess” to describe all disney main characters is missleading.  And I also have a soft spot for Tarzan, but that is because I really like the music in the Broadway version.

  12. Jen H says:

    Where is the love for Thomas J. O’Malley (The Alley Cat) from Aristocats???  He’s my fave, paws down;) Appreciates Duchess’ beauty and intelligience, loves her kittens like his own, is mellow, smart, and a tough guy when necessary, and has cool, rockin’ friends—-practically perfect!

    child93: yes, I probably will still be a child at heart when I’m 93!

  13. Tina M. says:

    I was torn between Robin Hood and Prince Phillip. So many great choices !

  14. krsylu says:

    I am SO with you on Phillip! He was the first Disney prince with a personality. And a sense of humor.

  15. Mama Nice says:

    My vote was for Phillip, because as many have said – he was the first Prince to show some real personality. He followed his heart and told his father to get with the modern times: c’mon man, it’s the 14th century! A rebel with a cause and a bit of wit to boot.

    Lucky for him a trio of fairies was around to help him get his HEA.

    On a looks-only basis, Eric is my all time fav. I fully admit to a total tween crush on him.

    And yes, Disney did a wonderful job with Tangled – great characters and so much fun to watch. I went with 2 other moms and our 3 daughters (who are all 7 years old) and it was such a hoot to watch them watching the movie.

  16. AllyJS says:

    Beast. Always and forever.

    I like to play the game where you say “It’s the end of the world and you have to repopulate the earth Would you rather do it with Man A or Man B?” Once I said “Beast or Captain Shang” and everyone in the room overwhelmingly cried “Captain Shang” with such amazement that there was any contest. I decided not to say who my choice would be.

    Though Captain Shang can get down to my business any day.

  17. Ingrid says:

    I have to vote for Prince Phillip – handsome, funny, can laugh at himself, kicks ass, doesn’t give up, and has an awesome horse.  He fights a dragon!

    But I want to put a vote in for two non-Disney animated “Princes”:  Moses in Prince of Egypt and especially Dmitri of Anastasia, because they are awesome, too.

  18. Mongoose says:

    Naveen. Naveen Naveen Naveen. Over the course of the movie, he goes from being SMARMY AND HILARIOUS to EARNEST, SWEET, DORKY, AND HILARIOUS, and he is adorable, and he and Tiana are adorable together.

  19. Ms. M says:

    SO pleased to see Robin doing so well. I knew he couldn’t compare with the Beast behemoth (how could he? what is life in Sherwood Forest compared to your very own library??), but he is beating Jack Skellington and the Tramp, and is only just losing to Aladdin!

    That said- I voted for Robin Hood because he was the love of my childhood. Why are so few people voting for Aladdin? Is Li Shang that hot? I don’t remember this at all.

    voice69? I don’t even know what it is, but I want it.

  20. Madd says:

    Show me the Beast!

    I’ve always loved the Beast best of all Disney princes. I’m always a little disappointed when he turns in to a prince. I love how Belle at first looks at him like “Who are you and where is my Beast?!”

    I also like heroes with issues. I guess maybe because I have a boatload of my own.

    Beast always struck as the kind of man who I could actually love in real life – guys who are bad-tempered and grouchy on the outside, but have a warm, squishy center.

    This describes my husband to a t.

  21. Betty Fokker says:

    Li Shang had the best body, by far. Phillip is my favorite, but I would totally have a hot fling with Li Shang before I married Phillip. And maybe Eric. I would be Sleeping-Around Beauty.

  22. Nix says:

    I’ve always had a soft spot for the Beast.  It’s been a while since I’ve seen a lot of the early Disney princess movies, but it seems like the Beast is the one in which the hero grows as much as the heroine.  He’s not just pursuing her b/c she’s beautiful or b/c of “love at first sight”, but because they got to know each other and their friendship changed them and made them better people.  Of course, some of that could stem from my reading of Beauty by Robin McKinley way back when (which is awesome and everyone should read if they haven’t.

    And, actually, I just took my niece to see Tangled and rather liked Flynn’s growth, as well.  But the Beast is probably always going to be my fave.

  23. JamiSings says:

    Hm – Well, I really love Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Mulan, and Tiana (The Frog Prince) for heroines. Which makes me wonder what this says about me.

    For heroes – I really can’t think of any. The Beast isn’t really what he was like in the original story which I prefer to the crapfest that was the Disney version. Phillip is brave but he’s pretty one-dimensional.

    I voted for Jack Skeleton because he represents some of what I want in a guy. But again, I think it’s actually Prince Naveen (PATF) I like the best. He starts out as very childish, but by the end of the movie he’s so matured and so willing to to give up everything to see Tiana’s dreams come true – and the fact that he’s musically gifted doesn’t hurt either.

  24. Shannon H says:

    Shang! Shang FTW!

    I’ll Make a Man Out of You is possibly one of my all time favorite songs, the best pump up song ever, and just generally rocks. Also, he totally come to appreciate and accept her for the awesome person that she is, even if he is initially shocked by the presence of female parts. I also how he is given an impossible task and he mans up and kicks everyone into gear and gets stuff done. I just generally like him lol

    Plus me and my friends get a good laugh over how it must have been a huge relief to realize that the guy he has been attracted to is actually a girl…

    Also, THEY NEVER GET THEIR KISS! They are the only Disney couple who never kisses…so sad.

    I will give a close second to Flynn because what a sense of humor. And bad boy redemption factor. And because he looks and acts exactly like a kid from my high school (including the smolder)

  25. Julia says:

    I like the Disney heroes that have their own story arc and growth.

    Beast is my favorite. You can really see his growth. Also ones I like: Aladdin, Eric, Flynn was great! Philip was wonderous as well… man it’s hard to chose. They’ve been burned into my brain as my very first romantic heroes…

  26. Daisy says:

    I voted for Phillip because Sleeping Beauty is my favorite of the Disney movies.  Though I have a soft spot for Shang from Mulan because Donnie Osmand sings for him and I had such a crush on Donnie when I was little.

  27. ennta says:

    I had crushes on both Aladdin and Shang when I was little, but I voted for Shang because NOTHING matched my obsession with “Mulan” when it first came out.

    Also, I’d like to put in a kind word for Kocoum, from Pocahontas, because while he had his faults, he also truly cared for her and also for his tribe. Oh, and he died for her, so there’s that.

  28. AmberG says:

    Mmm, Shang. He kicks butt, he’s hot, he’s tough but kind, and in the end, he’s the least bad of the bad boys. I mean, sure he freaks out when it turns out Mulan is a girl, but to be fair, that’s a pretty massive lie. He has less growing up to do, which means he’s attractive as a mature man right from the beginning.

    THAT SAID. Beastly Beast is an awesome hero for the exact opposite reason. He’s awkward and mean and a little scary, majorly childish, but the power struggle going on between him and Belle makes their relationship a lot of fun to watch grow, as well as his struggle to grow up and become a good person.

    They tie, for me, though ultimately I had more of a crush on Shang so he wins my vote. Human beast was not hot, at least by my standards. He was more fun when he was half feral.

    The princes from the traditional tales don’t have any personality. They were Ken dolls, generically handsome and chivalrous and bland as all hell. Which isn’t to say I don’t love me some Sleeping Beauty, but the characters don’t stand out.

  29. Milena says:

    I voted for the Beast—I even find him hot in the human version, although Shang is by far the hottest of them all, and comes a close second. And Robin Hood is third. What all these guys have in common, for me, is not only the fact that they appreciate their heroines for more than just good looks—it’s the fact that their heroines have more than just good looks. I like Philip (and TSB is visually perhaps the best Disney for me, still), but Aurora herself is just so… bland. And Philip falls for her after just seeing her, which doesn’t make him particularly interesting for me. Yes, he’s funny and heroic and all that, but, really – he decides to marry her after one dance in the woods? That just bugs me, honestly. The Beast and Shang have other reasons for liking their heroines. And Robin and Marian go waaaay back.

    And yes, I think that it goes for my romance hero likes, too—I can’t appreciate heroes who fall for bland heroines.

  30. Skygirl says:

    Robin! I love his rogish charm, cleverness and sense of fun paired with his loyalty, leadership and obvious love of Maid Marian. Brian Bedfords voice as Robin is so sexy … everytime I hear him say “Marian, my darling, I love you more than life itself” or “Marian, my love, will you marry me?” I go weak in the knees and wish my parents had named me Marian. 🙂 The scene where Robin gives the young rabbit, Skippy, his hat to help make up for the fact that the dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham had just claimed his birthday present as back taxes is heartwarming. A hero who doesn’t take himself too seriously but is serious when the situation warrants, who is thoughtful but not brooding – perfect! I just wish he was a foxy man, not a cartoon fox.

  31. Stefanie says:

    I love me some disney, and the princes are no exception. 

    Eric stole my heart when I was little, but Philip supplanted him when I got the reissued VHS edition in 1998 and finally saw SB.  Then I read a really old biography on Queen Liz II who was married to a REAL LIFE Prince Philip (who was still good-looking in the photos), and my 9 year old brain exploded.  I have a soft spot still for the real PP, and the fictional one is my favorite.  He’s handsome, funny, sings, fights dragons, knew her when she was little (a plot point The Swan Princess stole), and has a cool horse.  I also wanted to be Aurora because her hair was beautiful.

    I like the beast a lot (her own library FTW), but his human form’s hair offended me (its as long as hers!) and I was never into non-human heroes.  I loved beast, thomas o’malley, robin hood, etc for their personalities and relationships with the heroine and pals, but I never wanted to marry them.

    I also gotta add to the love for Dmitri.  I loved Anastasia when I was young, and he was the first hero that had a bad-boy past with personality (provided by John Cusack).  Also Shang and Hercules.

  32. Augustina says:

    Even though Beast is a close second (I do love the alpha-mad-at-the-world-gets-knocked-off-his-feet-by-the-right-girl-type and the way he fights at the end when Belle returns to the castle…sigh) but in the end I voted for Li Shang. During my childhood I always watched Mulan in the Dutch version and only recently did I get a chance to view the original English version – I don’t know if I was in a particular mood that day, but I just thought that Shang had the sexiest voice I had ever heard…okay, pretty shallow basis for a favourite disney prince, but what the heck 🙂

  33. Virg says:

    I think I like Beast best, something about the scene where they throw snowballs at each other makes me smile every time. And I saw how he became a better person throughout the whole movie (he was really awful in the beginning).

    Coming close to second would be Flynn, gotta love that flirt with a big heart (add the fact that he’s voiced by my very much loved Zach Levi aka Chuck)

  34. Bibliophile says:

    Jack Skellington is my choice because he has an actual personality.

  35. Gina says:

    Definitely had to go with Beast – total alpha, bad boy, and that library, I’d sleep with a beast for a library!

    On the flip side, I could not stand Eric from the Little Mermaid, I found him to so totally un-alpha, very metrosexual, easily played, unable to friggin kiss the girl, just a total turn off.  Ariel could have done way better!

  36. Lisa J says:

    BEAST for the win.  I love the bad boy with a soft side.

  37. Pam says:

    Tramp, I like the lovable bad boy type.

  38. Before this week, I would have had to say Beast hands down, but I am a new fan of Flynn Eugene Rider after seeing the excellent Tangled.

    I love the redeemed recluse “beast” in my romance novels, too, but I also love a reformed rake bad boy which Flynn is in spades.  Flynn and his smolder were pure awesomesauce.

    Moviemavengal, you took the words right out of my head. I saw Tangled today with my two daughter and their friends and the second the movie ended I wanted to walk back in and see it again. Flynn/Eugene was brilliant (and the fact he’s voiced by Zach Levi/Chuck makes it all the more delicious)

  39. Wendy says:

    Maaaan…I wanted to BE Robin Hood (was for much of my backyard and Halloween time around the ages of 5-7, when I wasn’t too busy being He-Man or a Jedi). 
    So I couldn’t really choose him. 

    It becomes a toss-up between Phillip—dude can WALTZ, slay a dragon and rock the tights—and Li Shang.  I went with Chinese babe-itude in the end because I’m pretty sure my teenage face did just what Mulan’s does when he goes into shirtless training mode.  More importantly, I get the real feeling he respects Mulan.  They learn from each other.

  40. DianeN says:

    I’d pick someone who isn’t on the list—Phoebus from Hunchback of Notre Dame. He’s a charming, irreverent soldier who easily matches wits with the gypsy heroine Esmeralda. I think my love for him was magnified by the actor who played him in the sadly now defunct mini-musical version of the movie that played for years at Disney World. He looked just as good as Phoebus the animated character, and I swear that his shoulderlength golden hair was REAL.

    I also have a certain fondness for Aladdin, again due to his Disney World version. I once inadvertently stumbled into a deserted character greeting location and that handsome charmer promised he would pick me up at my hotel later to take me for a magic carpet ride. (Being a former flower child, I know all about magic carpet rides!) Sadly, he stood me up—but it’s the thought that counts, right?

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