Disney Movie Heroes

Generally, I've noticed male heroes in Disney movies appear very strong and big, such as Mr. Incredible and Shrek.


18) Violet, The Incredibles (2004) Violet may have twice as many superpowers as anyone else in her fantastic family of superheroes, but she easily has twice as many insecurities as well. The ability to turn invisible should be a dream come true for a socially-awkward teenager, but that power as well as the gift of force fields creates some angst for Violet as she and younger brother Dash show up on Mom's flight to Nomanisan Island. She is called on to save her family, and proves heroic a number of times. The experience certainly helps her develop some surely needed confidence. Overall, Violet may be a polar opposite from the flawless princesses who sing in the woods and save the day or (more likely) have the day saved for them. But like the other members of the Parr family, her imperfect persona is most appealing to postmodern audiences who appreciate side orders of reality and humanity served with their main course of fantasy.


Violet Incredible is considered a hero because she's your everyday teenager who does something unexpected and saves her family when they are in trouble.

9) Elastigirl, The Incredibles (2004) Some moms feel like they are pulled in every direction, but Helen Parr knows quite literally what that's like. Convinced that an ordinary suburban existence is the best for her three kids, Helen keeps her powers of flexibility secret, but still finds the occassional reason to call upon them in her challenging new job: mother of three. She's there to provide advice at the uneasy times that "fitting in" entail for insecure daughter Violet and restless son Dash. When not dealing with school and self-confidence issues, she's tending to Jack-Jack, a task which she makes look easy but clearly isn't so for others (like babysitter Kari). While she's fairly heroic in parenting, Helen tackles still more as she assumes a superhero role like the old days (when she was known as "Elastigirl"). This is to scold and perhaps rescue her husband who has already reverted back to Mr. Incredible without letting her know.

Elastigirl is considered a hero because her ability to manage multiple tasks at once kept her family from breaking apart and helped them to stay strong.

2) Mulan, Mulan (1998) Mulan, among Disney heroines, catches my attention not by her looks or her voice, but by her character. She's the Chinese girl who stole her father's armor, impersonated a soldier, destroyed [the Emperor's] palace, and she saved them all. Although I admire other Disney girls/women as well, Mulan definitely marks a standing point among them. She not only has a will of her own, but she has a desire that isn't the focal point of the movie. She proves herself by serving her father rather than by serving herself, which is rare. It was one of the few movies that Disney had released lately, at the time, that I truly thought had heart."
Disney's Divinity: Mulan is quite possibly one of the greatest Disney Heroines. Like most people in the world, she is afraid to be herself and disappoint her family. Nevertheless, she risks her own life to save her father's by posing as a soldier in China's army. Even after she has been discovered to be a woman she continues to attempt to save China from the Huns. In the end, it is her bravery, care and selflessness that makes her a great heroine

Mulan is considered a Disney hero because of her bravery and passion to find and become who she truly was, even if it meant betraying her family's trust and risking her life for others.

21) John Smith, Despite being admired by the men of the Virginia Company, Captain John Smith feels like he's never really fit in anywhere. His quest for the new and different leads him to Pocahontas, the adventurous chief's daughter and a poignant (albeit fictional) romance ensues. Misunderstandings abound, Smith is prone to prejudice like his fellow Englishmen and the natives who too are suspicious. Nonetheless, he is quicker to see the good in the so-called "savages", absorbing the lessons Pocahontas shares with him while teaching her about the land from which he hails. The good-looking guy who woos the beautiful lady might be one to envy, but Smith comes across as caring, compelling, and willing to discover the many things he's yet to learn.

"He was able to bring peace on the newfound land. He was ignorant at first, but throughout the movie, his whole opinion and view of life changed. His love for Pocahontas was so strong and witnessed by others, even Percy and Meeko found peace with each other! Had it not been for this hero (and Pocahontas) and his role in the Disney movie, the word "savage" would still be uttered."

John Smith is a Disney hero because he was able to see the good in people that were stereotyped as being 'savages' and bad people, and risk his reputation to teach others not to judge people they don't know.

1) Aladdin, Aladdin (1992) "There's some quality to Aladdin's character that causes everyone, or at least the male portion of the population, to identify with him. From his rise from the slums of life to his quest to get the girl to his efforts to defend her and figure himself out on the way, Aladdin is a strong protagonist and proves himself heroic in the face of everyone's least favorite vizier, Jafar." - Aaron Wallace • "There are six princes to match Disney's six fairy tale princesses: three are interchangeable, two need saving by their women, and then there's Aladdin, the only prince that can be called a hero in every respect. He's not the strongest guy in the Disney cannon, but he has the heart to triumph over them all. Aladdin makes it very clear early on that it's not about the bling, but what's on the inside that counts. Of course, in a true reflection of modern-day America, he gets caught up in the Hollywood lifestyle, forgetting his simple playful antics that wooed Jasmine in the first place. Aladdin learns his lesson, and all turns out well for this future monarch." - Prince Eric • "My pick for the greatest Disney hero is Aladdin. This was a hard category, but I picked Aladdin because he was the hero who overcame the most. He started out the movie as a 'street rat' and we saw as he rose up and fulfilled his true potential as a hero thanks to his wits(and a little help from the Genie). That, and he's the only hero to trick the villain into defeating himself!" - Raydawggie • "Aladdin found a genie, became a Prince, found his true love, defeated the enemy Jafar. Fast-forward through the sequels, and he demolished Jafar and the 40 thieves, became an actual Prince by marrying Jasmine." - RJKD23

Aladdin is a Disney hero because he rose up from his life as a 'street rat' as he struggles to find himself, and marries a princess and betters his life through his hard work and teaches the lesson that if you really put your mind to something you can do it.

"(singing) A dream is a wish your heart makes when you're fast asleep. In dreams you will lose your heartaches. Whatever you wish for, you keep. Have faith in your dreams, and someday, your rainbow will come smiling through. No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true."—Cinderella; Cinderella

Cinderella is also a story similar to Aladdin, because she put up with her lifestyle of doing her stepmother and stepsisters chores for too long, and ended up falling in love with a prince and lives happily ever after, which is another example of having faith in your dreams and believing in yourself.

‘Shrek' uses presentational devices to defy the stereotypical views of man-eating ogres, showing Shrek to be valiant and good- hearted.

Shrek is portrayed as a hero because he defies typical stereotypes of ogres and falls in love with a princess, which was something no one would have expected.

In the African PrideLands, Simba, the lion cub is born to the the wise lion king Mufasa and his queen Sarabi. He grows up to be a precocious, fiesty little cub who adores his father and loves to romp with his best friend, a lioness cub named Nala. Like any child, Simba's view of his future role as king is rather simplified. To him, growing up to be king means getting his way and telling the other animals what to do. However, the wise Mufasa tells him all creatures must exist together in the great circle of life. But Scar, Mufasa's throne- hungry brother, kills the king, and then blames a devestated Simba. Guilt ridden, the lion cub runs away into exile. He almost dies on the hot, dry african desert but is saved by Timon, a meerkat, and Pumbaa, a warthog, who live a life with no worries. Hakuna Matata! Simba grows to adulthood with this carefree duo, but is still troubled about his past, his father's death, and the life he left behind. When his cub-hood friend, Nala, comes to the jungle paradise searching for help, she finds Simba and the two are reunited. The two soon discover that their feelings have deepened into love. Nala tells Simba that Scar and the hyenas have taken over the Pridelands and Simba must return to set things right, but Simba just can't let go of his guilt over what happened. Alone on the savanna, brooding, Simba meets the wise old Rafiki, the baboon who was there on the day of his birth. He teaches Simba that Mufasa lives in him and the lion rediscovers the courage to face his destiny and himself. He returns to the Pridelands with Nala, Timon, and Pumbaa and learns the truth about his father's death. He defeats the decietful Scar, who dies at the claws of his own hyenas, who he also betrayed. As his proud family and friends look on, Simba accends the great pride rock and takes his place as king with a mighty roar. Time passes... Once again Rafiki blesses a newborn cub, Kiara, Simba and Nala's daughter. The Circle of Life has been completed and begun once again.

Simba is considered a Disney hero because of his bravery after the death of his father to follow in his footsteps and becomes the king and learns a lesson about the circle of life.

• "Belle, the book-reading beauty, is the heroine of the most beloved love story of all time, Beauty and the Beast. She is beautiful, inside and out, and when her father gets locked inside a castle with a fearsome beast, she rushes to his rescue. She unselfishly exchanges her own life for her father's and is sentenced to be locked up in the castle forever. Over time, though, she falls in love with the beast, of whom has already fallen head over heels in love with her and suspects that if things continue this way, their love should break a curse set upon him and all the objects in the castle. When Belle returns home when her father gets sick, the beast stops caring about life and Gaston, the villain, strives to get Maurice, Belle's dad, put into an insane asylum. After learning about the Beast's feelings about Belle, Gaston hunts down the beast, and takes advantage of his morose attitude. Meanwhile, Belle and Maurice break out of Gaston's grasp and proceed on up to the castle, to warn the Beast about the villain. When the Beast sees Belle he regains his control and defeats Gaston, and he then he seems as though he is dying. He is transforming however back into a human and they then live happily ever after. Belle is a more modern heroine, not waiting nor needing a prince or a lover. She is unaware of her radiant beauty, and strives to help others when help is needed. She is a wonderful candidate for the coveted role of 'Disney Heroine.'" - James Taylor

Belle is considered a Disney hero because she teaches that you can't judge a book by it's cover, and learns to accept and understand 'the beast' when no one else would give him a chance.


"I believe Pocahontas to be one of the strongest Disney heroines because she went against what society had conformed to in terms of racial boundaries and followed her heart. She fell in love with John Smith because of the person he was inside, not because of the color of his skin. She could have easily dismissed him as another 'white demon' as the rest of her tribe did, but she chose the path of love, not hate. The dramatic final confrontation when she saves John's life moves me to tears almost every time I watch it. Even at the cost of her own life, she stood up for what she believed in and protected the man she loved. I find her story to be moving because she's such a role model even for people today because interracial love and marriage still isn't very common and is oftentimes frowned upon. You could even apply Pocahontas and John Smith's love to the issue of gay marriage going on in the United States at the moment. Forbidden love, love not accepted by society, love that's looked down upon. Pocahontas knew that love was love, no matter what the circumstances. When that same emotion is felt by two people in love, nothing else matters. At the end of the film, Pocahontas also displays her selflessness by staying with her tribe to help them instead of being selfish and running off with John to England. Although she loved them, she knew she had a certain responsibility to her people and stayed with them. That shows true strength, for she had to make the devestating choice to leave the person that she loved for a greater responsibility. I look up to Pocahontas even today, ten years later." - Izak

Pocahontas is a Disney hero because, like John Smith, she disregards stereotypes and teaches the lesson to not 'judge a book by it's cover'. She also is a hero because she stands up for what she believes in and doesn't let other people tell her what to do, and risks her life for the life of another.

In conclusion, I found that Disney heroes fall under two categories: Those that become a hero by defying stereotypes, and those that become a hero by helping others. Some examples of heroes that fall into the first category of characters that defy stereotypes are Pocahontas- because she falls in love with a man regardless of his skin color, Belle- because she teaches the lesson to not judge a book by it's cover when she gives 'the beast' a chance, and Shrek- because no one expected an ogre to fall in love with a princess. In all of these stories, stereotypes are proved wrong and an overall lesson about not judging others is portrayed. Some examples of characters that fall into the second category of heroes who go out of their way to help others are Simba- because he risks his life to fight Scar for the safety of others, Violet Incredible- because she goes to great lengths to help protect her family, and Mulan- because she saves the Chinese from the Huns.