A Definitive Ranking of Disney Princesses, Based on Their Girl Boss Status
We like to think of ourselves as self-declared experts in the subject of Disney princesses.
What credentials do we have, you ask? Well, we spent our entire childhood watching and re-watching Disney movies, and now we feel perfectly qualified to voice our opinions to the world.
(Tangled via Walt Disney Pictures)
And while we love each and every princess for her unique story, we also love that Disney has gradually moved away from the "I'm waiting for a prince" storyline and towards the "I can do it myself" narrative. Do we love our prince-focused leading ladies any less? Of course not—but we do love the idea that a prince isn't the only thing that matters.
We have to give credit where credit is due, so keep scrolling for a definitive ranking of Disney princesses, based on their girl boss status.
15. Aurora
Sadly, Aurora sits at the bottom of our list, mostly due to the fact that she just doesn't do anything. Her only opinion throughout the movie is that she wants to marry a boy she met one time in the woods. Other than that, she just follows people around and does what she's told. Also, we're having trouble understanding why exactly she touched that spindle of the spinning wheel. If we see a sharp, pointy object, we usually don't reach out to touch it. We're not saying she did it to herself, but she definitely didn't help her situation.
(Sleeping Beauty via Walt Disney Pictures)
14. Snow White
Oh, Snow. While we do love our OG Disney princess, her girl boss status is very, very low. She runs away from the evil queen, only to voluntary become a maid for seven men who can't take care of themselves. It sounds like a nightmare, which makes it very hard to see Snow as a powerful female figure.
(Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs via Walt Disney Pictures)
13. Ariel
Sadly, we just can't think of Ariel as a girl boss, mostly due to her excessive lack of self-control. She gives up her biggest talent and her entire family and lifestyle for the chance to meet a boy who she saw once. Her head always seems to be in the clouds, which means she makes some pretty terrible decisions. To be fair, we made awful decisions at 16, too, but her lack of experience isn't going to earn her a higher spot on our list.
(The Little Mermaid via Walt Disney Pictures)
12. Cinderella
Poor Cinderella has had a very hard life. We feel terrible about everything she went through, but we're going to add to her pain by ranking her fairly low on our list. Much like Aurora, she's a pretty passive participant in her story. She doesn't do much to try and change her situation, she just kind of gets lucky and then marries a prince who doesn't really know her. She doesn't have much opportunity to play a part in her story, which makes it hard to view her as a girl boss figure.
(Cinderella via Walt Disney Pictures)
11. Jasmine
We adore Jasmine for so many reasons, but we especially love the way she calls out the archaic marriage traditions of her country. She doesn't want to marry some random dude she just met, which is a totally valid opinion, but very difficult to say when that's what's expected of you. Jasmine has a voice and a sense of agency that allows her to stand up for herself, which we love. However, refusing to marry people she doesn't know is all Jasmine really gets to do in her movie. It's more a problem with the writing than it is with Jasmine, but it still means she gets a slightly lower ranking.
(Aladdin via Walt Disney Pictures)
10. Rapunzel
Rapunzel is a bit of a confusing princess in terms of girl boss status. She's smart, intelligent and ridiculously powerful with a frying pan in her hands, but she also has a tendency to be a little passive. She spent her entire life in a tower until a random stranger showed up to help her out, which forced her to rely on someone she barely knew to change her situation. Considering her mom was gone all day, every day, she probably could have ventured out of the tower before then and had a little more power in pursuing her dreams. However, she doesn't go looking for love or someone to take care of her. She has her own goals and kind of stumbles into love along the way, which is a sweet storyline that we can respect.
(Tangled via Walt Disney Pictures)
9. Elsa
We love Elsa and completely believe that she's a total girl boss, but in comparison to some of her princess counterparts, she had to rank lower on the list. Her massive power is incredible and she's a kind and loving person who wants to be a truly successful ruler, but when the going gets tough she responds by running away and leaving her people to deal with the aftermath of her actions. We totally understand being so overwhelmed with stress that you just break down, but there was probably a better way to handle this whole situation.
(Frozen via Walt Disney Pictures)
8. Anna
Anna has some major problems, specifically the fact that she wants to get married to a guy that she's only known for five minutes. But instead of running away when things get tough (like Elsa did), Anna steps up and gets things done. She definitely needs some help (don't we all?), but she ventures out into a massive snowstorm, fights a monster and deals with a frozen heart, all without giving up on her sister. In the end, it's that same sisterly love that makes everything okay, which is a really awesome way to show that romantic love isn't the only love that counts.
(Frozen via Walt Disney Pictures)
7. Belle
Considering Belle lived in 18th-century provincial France, she was a pretty powerful lady. First of all, she wasn't on the hunt for a man to take care of her. Instead, she just wanted to read her books and help her dad out and get some adventure out of her life. She even denied a marriage proposal when it came along, which was pretty unheard of in those days. We wouldn't marry Gaston either, but we aren't prohibited from making a living on our own in this day and age, so we can totally acknowledge that her decision carried a little more weight. She definitely has a fiery, opinionated and powerful personality, but we also think she forgave the Beast a little too easily considering her kidnapped her and kept her as a prisoner.
(Beauty and the Beast via Walt Disney Pictures)
6. Pocahontas
Pocahontas has all kinds of girl boss qualities. She admittedly makes the same mistake as many of us—falling in love with an undeserving boy—but she also knows how to stand up for what's right. Her story is focused on lots of unfounded hate between two groups of people, whom she helps unite by nearly sacrificing herself in the name of peace. It's not something many of us would ever have the courage to do, making her bravery incredibly inspiring.
(Pocahontas via Walt Disney Pictures)
5. Megara
Meg is the most underrated Disney princess by far, but she's also a total boss. Seriously, you just have to hear her talk for about five seconds before realizing that this is a woman who can totally handle anything life throws at her. She's admittedly made a few mistakes (selling her soul for the sake of a terrible boyfriend, to name one) and she has a tendency to get caught up in her feels, but she's also not about being saved or rescued. She makes her own decisions and she refuses to be anyone but her sarcastic, independent self, which is a trait we can respect in anyone.
(Hercules via Walt Disney Pictures)
4. Merida
Merida is an undeniably incredible Disney princess. She couldn't care less about what people think of her—she just wants to live her life and maintain her freedom, which is awesome. She refuses to conform to the typical "feminine" activities that her family wants her to be involved in and she's majorly outspoken and willing to stand up for herself, which isn't always the case with Disney's leading ladies. Plus, she enters a competition to fight for her own hand in marriage and totally decimates the other competitors. It's amazing, she's amazing and we're here for it.
(Brave via Walt Disney Pictures)
3. Tiana
Tiana is the quintessential example of a girl boss. The girl's got dreams, and she's willing to work herself to the bone in order to accomplish them. Not only does she make it very clear that she doesn't need anyone but herself, she goes one step further to actively avoid anyone who might get in the way of her goals. She falls in love with Naveen, but instead of changing her plans to fit his cushy lifestyle, she pulls him into her world and they accomplish her dreams together. She found love and filled all her amazing aspirations, proving to everyone that it doesn't have to be one or the other.
(The Princess and the Frog via Walt Disney Pictures)
2. Moana
There are so many reasons why Moana is a major girl boss. First, she is leading a village. But while taking care of her people, Moana isn't content to just leave things at "good enough." She brings her own ideas and opportunities for advancement, ultimately creating a better life for her and her people. She inspires change, which is what we love and respect about all our girl boss role models. Plus, she also saves the entire world from transforming into black ash, so that's pretty cool, too.
(Moana via Walt Disney Pictures)
1. Mulan
Mulan's girl boss status goes without saying, but we'll explain anyway. First of all, she's another lady who struggles with the idea of getting married just because that's what she's supposed to do. She wants to honor her family, but she also wants to be her lovable self. Then, when she realizes her father is in danger, does she just shrug and say there's nothing she can do? Of course not. She takes matters into her own hands, joins the army and blows everyone else out of the water with her awesome skills and intelligence. Then, she takes it one step further and basically singlehandedly saves all of China. Mulan is everything and she deserves all kind of recognition for her amazing story.
(Mulan via Walt Disney Pictures)
We love our Disney princesses so much, but their male counterparts just don't seem to meet their level of awesomeness. If you agree, click HERE for a definitive ranking of Disney princes, based on just how shallow they really are.