Disney’s Best Unofficial Princesses, Ranked

While Disney has created multiple princess characters, only 13 of them are deemed official Disney princesses. Though Disney has been making content for the screen since the 1920s, not all of its movies and shorts fall under the Disney Princess umbrella. The official lineup of Disney Princesses is part of a specific merchandise line for Disney and has specific events that character actors participate in at Disney Parks around the world. That lineup includes Snow White, Aurora, Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Moana, and Raya.

Raya is the most recent addition to the lineup, added to Disney Princess merchandise and Disney Park events in late 2022. There are many other characters in both Disney's animated and live-action content that don't meet Disney's criteria for their official line-up though. The best unofficial Disney Princesses aren't all royalty, but they do have great stories and are deserving of recognition as well.

Related Frozen Sneakily Broke An Unspoken Disney Princess Rule With 1 Popular Song Frozen marked a lot of firsts for Disney, and the 2013 movie broke a princess rule that benefited the film overall – and should be replicated.

Princess Eilonwy

The Black Cauldron

If a Disney fan doesn’t remember Disney’s 1985 dark fantasy The Black Cauldron, they really can't be blamed. The film only made back around half of its budget at the box office and has since faded into the background. Merchandise for the movie is rare, and the movie has become more of a cult classic for hardcore fans. However, fans of Disney's princesses shouldn't overlook the main female protagonist — Eilonwy — who is indeed a princess.

Like the film she came from, Eilonwy isn’t the most remembered of Disney's leading ladies. However, she is brave and heroic, escaping the Horned King’s dungeon alongside Taran. She has earned herself the nickname the “Forgotten Disney Princess.” That being said, she could be considered a queen, being that both of her parents have died, and she should be the rightful ruler of her kingdom.

Melody

The Little Mermaid II: Return To The Sea

The main protagonist of the direct-to-video The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea is indeed a princess. Melody is the daughter of Ariel and Prince Eric. She has the opposite dream of Ariel, wishing to adventure into the sea rather than gain legs (which she already has) since Melody grows up on land in the castle with her parents. Of course, Ariel has also kept Melody from experiencing the mermaid part of her heritage because she's afraid of someone targeting her daughter the same way Ursula came after her.

The movie might not be the best of Disney's direct-to-video sequels, but Melody is a great character. Little Mermaid enthusiasts will love Melody for being adventurous and independent. She also has a cute and rebellious friendship with Sebastian that mirrors the friendship her own mother held with the crab. Melody is also the first child of any Disney Princess, opening the door for that particular storyline in sequel movies.

Nancy Tremaine

Enchanted

While Giselle might come to mind before Nancy when audiences think of Enchanted — the 2007 live-action comedy about a princess who wanders into New York by mistake — Nancy is actually the one who marries into royalty. After Robert runs off with Giselle, Nancy falls for Edward when he discovers the glass slipper she left behind fits her foot. The two head back into the fairytale world of Andalasia and get married. He’s a prince, which automatically makes her a princess.

The events of the movie make Nancy an unofficial Disney princess by default, but she's also a great character. Nancy is a career woman who wants a little romance in her life. She appreciates the very things that Giselle wants a break from. Most of all, she understands that she and Robert aren't meant to be together. She's sad that he's fallen for someone else, but she understands and isn't angry with him or Giselle.

Anya

Anastasia

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buy Not available Not available Not available Anya searches for clues about her past and discovers she's the lost princess Anastasia. Director Don Bluth , Gary Goldman Release Date November 21, 1997 Writers Susan Gauthier , Bruce Graham , Bob Tzudiker , Noni White Cast Meg Ryan , John Cusack , Kelsey Grammer , Christopher Lloyd , Hank Azaria , Bernadette Peters , Kirsten Dunst , Angela Lansbury Runtime 94 minutes

Anya is a special case when it comes to Disney princesses. She wasn’t originally a Disney princess, and she’s independent and unafraid to speak her mind. Anya, really the princess Anastasia, is from an animated movie produced by FOX in 1997. The movie has the look and feel of Disney’s animated movies in their Renaissance, and many ‘90s kids probably grew up not realizing the movie wasn’t from the same company.

In it, Anya is a young woman who has aged out of the children’s home where she’s lived for as long as she can remember. She decides to go on her own journey to try to discover her past, but a con man and his partner convince her she might be the lost Soviet princess Anastasia and coach her on the royal family. What they don’t realize is that she really is, making for a great story of finding her own path.

Related Only Two Disney Princesses Broke This Cardinal Rule (& Still Didn't Lose Their Title) There's one cardinal rule with Disney Princesses that only two characters have broken, but that didn't take away their titles and spot on this list.

Nala

The Lion King

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The Lion King Jon Favreau directs this 2019 live-action adaptation of Walt Disney's popular film, The Lion King. Starring Donald Glover, Alfre Woodard, Seth Rogen, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, this release follows young Simba as he grows up to become a mighty lion and take vengeance on his dastardly uncle, Scar. Director Jon Favreau Release Date July 19, 2019 Writers Jeff Nathanson Cast James Earl Jones , John Kani , Shahadi Wright Joseph , Eric Andre , Donald Glover , JD McCrary , Alfre Woodard , Chiwetel Ejiofor , Beyoncé , Florence Kasumba , john oliver , Seth Rogen , Keegan-Michael Key , Billy Eichner Runtime 118 minutes

One aspect of the Disney Princess lineup that fans will notice is that there are no animals among the princesses. Ariel is a mythical mermaid, but she still becomes human during the course of her story. It appears to be an unwritten rule that official Disney princesses aren’t animals like Nala in The Lion King.

Nala, like Simba, is openly defiant of the rules placed on the cubs by the adults in their pride. She is a fun-loving cub who joins Simba in two of the standout songs in his movie, “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King” when they’re kids and “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” as adults. It’s Nala who defies the new order as an adult to find Simba, not believing he’s lost forever and convinces him to take his rightful place on the throne.

Asha

Wish

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buy Not available Not available Not available Wish is a Disney animated adventure/fantasy comedy that follows Asha, a young girl from the kingdom of Rosas who wants nothing more than to care for the people of her home. One night, Rosa takes a chance to wish upon a star - only to invite a bit of chaos when her prayers are somewhat answered by an energetic cosmic entity known as Star. Together with her goat and this new friend, they'll set off to save the kingdom from an ambitious king. Director Chris Buck , Fawn Veerasunthorn Release Date November 22, 2023 Writers Jennifer Lee , Allison Moore Cast Ariana DeBose , Chris Pine , Alan Tudyk , Dee Bradley Baker , Frank Welker Runtime 95 Mins

Asha is one of the newest Disney animated characters, making her debut in Wish as part of the studio’s 100th anniversary celebration. Her design is very reminiscent of Disney princesses, which led many fans to assume she would be a princess before the movie debuted. However, Asha begins her journey as the apprentice to a sorcerer and never gets a crown, but instead a very different title by the movie’s end.

Asha’s movie provides, to a degree, the origin of wishing on stars in Disney movies. She lives in a village where the king is also a sorcerer who grants wishes, but when she discovers he’s hiding a dark secret, she makes a wish on a star to help those in her community. That leads to her adventure with magic and her becoming a fairy godmother, someone who helps others achieve their dreams. She’ll never be considered a Disney princess because of that role.

Kida Nedakh

Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Kida, the main female character of 2003’s Atlantis: The Lost Empire, is indeed a princess even if she doesn’t fulfill the role of a typical damsel. Filmmakers gave her a strong personality and a slightly different look, ultimately deeming her Atlantis’ warrior princess. Unfortunately, Atlantis wasn’t as popular as other Disney films, and despite fans’ push for Kida to become “official,” it never happened.

However, she appears in the My Princess Collection and The Art of the Disney Princess books. Part of the issue is that Kida technically becomes queen during her movie. Her father dies during the events of the film, passing the ruling of Atlantis to her, so really, she outranks the official Disney princesses. Her age (which is somewhere over 8,000 years old) also didn’t help her secure an official Disney Princess title.

Elsa

Frozen

Plenty of fans are surprised that Elsa hasn't been added to the Disney Princess lineup, but that's because she doesn't technically meet the criteria for one. She becomes queen toward the beginning of the film for one thing, and for another, she's not the princess the movie truly focuses on. The journey is as much her sister's as it is hers. And finally, her film — Frozen — blew up the box office.

Frozen didn’t need to join the Disney Princess line because its lead characters were popular enough to have their own line of merchandise and films. "Disney Princess" is considered its own franchise. That's why some characters, like Tinkerbell, who used to be part of the lineup, no longer are, since they have their own line of movies. Elsa is much the same with a movie trilogy built around her and her sister.

Anna

Frozen

Of the Frozen sisters, Anna is the more qualified of the two to fit the official Disney Princess bill. She has a sidekick (Olaf) and is indeed a princess instead of a queen. She even has a love interest (or two) in the traditional princess format. However, she still comes from Disney’s most successful princess film of all time. This means she won’t be getting a coronation at Disney parks anytime soon.

Anna is cute and awkward, and she owns it. She proves that female characters don’t need to be tough to be seen as strong. While Elsa hides her emotions from the world and has to learn to embrace them, Anna wears her heart on her sleeve and makes speaking her mind a normal occurrence. Anna doesn't let the fact that she doesn't have a magic ability limit her either.

Related The Biggest Disney Princess Complaint Has Already Been Fixed 7 Times (But Everyone Forgets) Disney has already fixed its biggest Princess complaint in seven movies and in different ways, but these achievements were overlooked.

Shuri

Marvel Cinematic Universe

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buy Not available Not available Not available Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the sequel to the 2018 film Black Panther and is part of Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Gripping with the passing of their king, the nation of Wakanda attempts to figure out how to move forward with Queen Mother Ramonda (Angela Bassett) and Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) at the helm. However, a nation in grieving is not observed by all, as soon Wakanda comes under attack by the underwater civilization of Talocan, led by Namor (Tenoch Huerta.) Wakanda will enlist allies outside and from within to push back this new invading threat and ensure that Wakanda truly does live on forever. Director Ryan Coogler Release Date November 11, 2022 Writers Ryan Coogler , Joe Robert Cole Cast Winston Duke , Dominique Thorne , Michaela Coel , Danai Gurira , Angela Bassett , Lupita Nyong'o , Letitia Wright , Martin Freeman Runtime 2h 41m

Like animals in their animated movies, people who appear in live-action aren’t considered among Disney’s official princess lineup, though many Disney princess movies have been given live-action adaptations. Shuri, who made her first Marvel Cinematic Universe appearance in Black Panther, is actually a princess in the Marvel world.

Shuri is the youngest child in the royal family of Wakanda. Because her older brother takes on the Black Panther mantle and her mother takes on the duties of ruling after her father passes, Shuri has a bit more freedom from responsibility at first. She uses that freedom to foster her curiosity and scientific inquiry, inventing much of the impressive technology seen in the Black Panther movies. After the deaths of her mother and brother, she becomes the ruler and the Black Panther as well.

Mirabel

Encanto

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buy Not available Not available Not available Encanto tells the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia, in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, charming (and enchanted) place called an Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift from super strength to the power to heal—every child except one, Mirabel (voice of Stephanie Beatriz). But when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she, the only ordinary Madrigal, might be her exceptional family’s last hope. Mirabel will seek out her missing cousin, Bruno, to discover the truth that Abuela has buried away for all of their lives. Director Jared Bush , Byron Howard , Charise Castro Smith Release Date November 24, 2021 Writers Charise Castro Smith , Jared Bush Cast Mauro Castillo , John Leguizamo , Carolina Gaitan , Rhenzy Feliz , Diane Guerrero , Wilmer Valderrama , Jessica Darrow , Stephanie Beatriz , Adassa , Alan Tudyk , Angie Cepeda , María Cecilia Botero , Maluma Runtime 99 minutes

Encanto was a breath of fresh air for Disney’s animation slate. It embraced Latin culture by featuring a roster nearly entirely made of Latin actors and using Colombia as the inspiration for its setting. It didn’t feature a princess in a castle, but it did feature a young woman who grew up in a magical house with a magical family. Mirabel is the center of the movie, and she’s also at the center of the Madrigal family.

Every member of Mirabel’s family has been granted some sort of special gift as the result of a magical candle and a magical house watched over by her grandmother Alma. Mirabel is the only one who doesn’t get a gift, but that ends up working in her favor because that means she’s the only one in the family who can see who people are beyond the gifts they’ve been given, and the only one who can help bring the family back together when they’re falling apart.

Megara

Hercules

Megara is a princess in Greek Mythology, and while the end of the original film doesn’t conclude with her gaining this title, she becomes a princess in Disney's Hercules: The Animated Series after marrying the titular character. Despite this, she’s never entered the Disney Princess franchise. That being said, plenty of Disney fans are still obsessed with her.

Meg is sassy and smart and very different from the princesses who come before her. Meg ends up falling in love when she is young but falls on the wrong side of a bargain to rescue her boyfriend from Hades. He leaves her for another woman, and this makes her lose belief in love. However, she slowly opens up her heart again and cautiously falls for Hercules when she realizes not everyone will treat her poorly. Her strength and hope is admirable.

Related 10 Ways Disney Princesses Have Changed Over The Past 86 Years Disney Princess movies like Wish look pretty different from the OGs like Snow White, with every decade of the last 86 years bringing something new.

Mia Thermopolis

The Princess Diaries

The star of The Princess Diaries, played by Anne Hathaway, is an awkward high schooler who learns she is royalty. Her grandmother Clarisse attempts to groom her into the perfect princess during the first movie, and during the second, she searches for a husband so that she can retain her rightful place as ruler.

Mia is funny and relatable, as even once she becomes more refined, she retains her signature sass. She is also caring toward others and has incredible relationships with her grandmother and quirky best friend. Ever since the release of the second movie, fans have been clamoring to see more of Mia's adventures, especially since the movies were inspired by books by Meg Cabot - and there are more. Plans for a third movie about Mia as an adult have been in development for years, but it's not clear if Anne Hathaway will get to reprise her iconic role.

Princess Leia

Star Wars

Disney announced its deal with Lucasfilms in 2012. Lucasfilms owns the Star Wars franchise, meaning that Princess Leia — played by the beloved Carrie Fisher — became one of Disney’s star princesses. That being said, Leia is no damsel in distress like the traditional Disney princesses were. Fisher’s strong character is a symbol of female empowerment, tackling every challenge that comes her way and always keeping up with the boys.

She’s set the standard for many fictional badass women who have come after her and truly elevated Star Wars to a whole new level. Fisher appears as Leia in the original trilogy and the sequel trilogy, but the character lives on in animation, comic books, and more for the franchise. Even if Princess Leia will never become an official Disney Princess, fans have more than enough material to watch Leia's story play out.

Vanellope Von Schweetz

Wreck-It-Ralph

Vanellope von Schweetz from Wreck-It-Ralph might not be the first character that comes to mind Disney fans think of a Disney Princess, but she certainly fits the bill. During the first film, Vanellope’s memory has been altered, causing her to forget that she is the rightful ruler of the video game Sugar Rush. After winning a race, her memories are restored and she has a Cinderella-style dress transformation.

In Ralph Breaks The Internet, Vanellope stumbles upon the official Disney Princesses (plus Anna and Elsa) hanging out together on the Oh My Disney website. The princesses quiz her about her past, enthusiastically determining she is a real princess because people assume all her problems were solved because a “big, strong man showed up.” Though Vanellope isn’t an official Disney Princess, she definitely deserves some royal recognition.