Disney is best known for their princess franchise, which has kept heroines like Cinderella in the public imagination more than decades after their creation. But what about their other leading ladies?
1. Megara
Her song "I Won't Say in My Love" is a childhood favorite, falling just behind "Be A Man" from Mulan. She's sassy, elegant, and manipulative. Plus, I always thought she looked like a pillar. Slender and lined. She actually is a princess. In the myths, she's a daughter of King Creon.
2. Alice
She's not royalty at all. Although in the sequel, Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, she becomes a queen. She's got the grace and class of a princess and holds her own with the Queen of Hearts. Some early Disney Princess products included her, along with Tinkerbell, who eventually gained her own franchise.
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3. Kida
I loved Atlantis when it came out, because crystals! Explosions! Princess with weird white hair! This sci fi film doesn't fit well with Disney's fairy tale image, so it's largely forgotten. Kida wasn't included in the franchise. Either because her outfit is too minimal (hey, Ariel, I'm looking at you) or she becomes a queen at the end (Elsa, Elsa).
4. Melody
If I have to be honest, this is my all time favorite princess movie. The Little Mermaid made me want to grow fins, but Return to the Sea showed me that maybe, just maybe, a human girl stood a chance of becoming a mermaid. They did release a doll and a computer game to go along with the video, but Melody died off there. She didn't join her mother in the franchise. At thirteen, she's younger than most of the other princesses. Having a child around would make Ariel look older. Plus, Return to the Sea was just a direct to video sequel. Few people remember her today.
5. Lilo
I think I liked this so much because Lilo is a little girl, not a young woman. As with Melody, this is probably a factor in her exclusion. The Disney princesses are often criticized for their mini waists and airbrushed supermodel features. Lilo, with her chunky body and potato nose, is a refreshing take on the average Disney heroine.
6. Jane Porter
Jane, along with Meg, was originally considered for the franchise. She's not a princess, but if Pocahontas and Mulan make it in, so can she. After all, she is Queen of the Apes. Jane doesn't let jungle living knock the proper English lady right out of her, but that doesn't mean she's above a romance with her jungle-dwelling man.
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