Characters

Tawny-haired mermaid Ariel was one of Disney's most immediately popular animated heroines. Ariel is a girl in the process of becoming an attractive woman. One of her attractive qualities is that she is very definite about what she is doing and very confident about her own ability to succeed. Of course, a good deal of that confidence is ill-placed, as she is just a teenager. Although she is warned by her father, King Triton, that humans are dangerous, Ariel stubbornly believes otherwise and has an insatiable curiosity about them. She explores human artifacts (sunken ships, etc.) and is cons...

Prince of a seaside kingdom, Eric had been searching for his true love when fate stepped in and he is rescued from a watery grave by Ariel (who falls instantly in love with him). Eric is haunted by her voice (Disney's attempt to add authenticity to the story. Ulysses (Odysseus),in mythology, ties himself to the mast of his ship to stop himself from being dragged under the waves by the seductive voices of the mermaids). Eric searches for the source of the voice only to discover Ariel, voiceless and alone on the beach. After much excitement, he discovers that she is the one he was searching...

As King of the Ocean, Triton commands much respect from everyone in the seas. He has trouble convincing his youngest of seven daughters to obey his laws about humans. As a result he ends up forbidding her from seeing Eric thus causing her to go to Ursula and there is another major event in the story... King Triton is Ariel's dad. Strict but loving at the same time, he's as stubborn as Ariel, and the two tempers flare up against each other occasionally, but all's well that ends well, right?

Since childhood, Flounder's best friend has been Ariel. He is very timid and shy and often gets tongue tied. A very cute little sidekick , Flounder is a colorful addition to the movie. Flounder is Ariel's best friend, and the only other creature living under the sea that can understand and appreciate Ariel's love for the world above.

A Carribean Crab, Sebastian is brought to be the court composer and tutor to Ariel.When not working, he follows Ariel around, trying to keep her out of trouble. He follows Ariel onto the land when she goes in search of Eric, and lends his voice to the beautiful love scene when he and the animals of a lake sing "Kiss the girl". Sebastian the crab is King Triton's advisor, and Ariel's friend / guardian / nagging protector. He tries to get Ariel to forget the land above the ocean surface, and may not approve of some of the things she does, but as a friend, he's willing to help her ...

Ursula is a cross between an octopus and a human, she has arms and tentacles. Once a member of Triton's court, Ursula was banished in disgrace (for something we never find out about , although who is triton's wife?) She possesses great magic and the occassional merfolk come to her to get help. She helps them for a price that is usually too high. She tries to spoil Ariel's attempt to woo Eric by using Ariel's voice to enchant Eric and change herself to a human named Vanessa. Ursula is deliciously wicked, intelligent and conniving; and she's not afraid to play dirty to get...

A seagull whom Ariel turns for (incorrect) knowledge on the human things she finds. Scuttle definitely has trouble cutting to the chase when talking. Scuttle is Ariel's other friend, and supposed know-it-all when it comes to human things, but he gets things wrong more often that not. Except when it's important, of course.

Simba is a rowdy, independent little cub who likes to romp and play. When Simba's father dies, it leaves Simba unsure about who he is. Then Rafiki shows Simba his reflection in a pool and the young lion understands that his father's courage and wisdom are a part of him, too. Simba is the only son of Mufasa, the King of the Pride Lands and ruler of Pride Rock. His mother is the Queen Sarabi, and he is the nephew of the King's brother Scar, who sees a political opportunity in the young cub's trust in him. Working to his disadvantage as well as defining his character is Simba&#...

Every bit as rambunctious as Simba, Nala is ready to go wherever he goes or do whatever he does. Best buddies, the twosome are taken aback when Zazu tells them they are to be married. What a yucky idea! But time changes things, and when they meet again, they realize their friendship has deepened into love. Nala's mother is Sarafina, one of the pride's lionesses and a friend of Sarabi; the question of who her father is remains one of the mysteries of The Lion King universe (though directors Rob Minkoff and Roger Allers have personally, though reluctantly, acknowledged that it must be...

Regal, commanding and majestic, Mufasa is a great king with a kind, generous heart. Concerned with teaching his son Simba to be a wise, responsible adult and king, Mufasa can seem a bit stern at times, but it's only because he loves Simba and wants to keep the youngster on the right track. Mufasa's lineage is known only through A Tale of Two Brothers, a children's book published at about the same time as the original 1994 release of The Lion King. In this book, Mufasa's father is named Ahadi, his mother is Uru, and his brother Scar has the cubhood name of Taka. As a king ...

The French cook of Eric's castle. Sings "Les Poissons" and tries to kill Sebastian.

As Mufasa's brother, Scar was next in line for the throne until Simba's birth, and he is obsessed with the need to possess it. Although Scar hides his plot with concern for Simba's safety, this evil, cunning betrayer is really Simba's and Mufasa's enemy-- a fact which the great-hearted Mufasa realizes too late. The younger brother of King Mufasa and second son of Ahadi and Uru (as told in A Tale of Two Brothers), Scar was known as Taka until an incident in which he ran afoul of some Cape Buffalo (in a botched attempt to embarrass his brother Mufasa) and was struck on the...

Mufasa's trusted advisor, Zazu is a prim and proper hornbill with a strong sense of personal dignity. Although Zazu's feathers can be easily ruffled, he is dedicated to Mufasa. The honorable hornbill would give his right wing for the lion king and stays with the pride through good and bad times. Zazu is the steward and majordomo to the King of Pride Rock, as his family has been since the time of Ahadi, when (as is told in A Tale of Two Brothers) Zazu's mother Zuzu was recommended by Rafiki to the king's service as a lookout and carrier of messages keeping the king informed o...

Aladdin is one of the classic Disney heroes: born and raised among a den of villains, yet brave, intelligent, clean, steadfast, and quick-witted, even if he happens to be a street thief at the moment. In short, he's a diamond in the rough. The animators' portrayal of Aladdin is not typical of Disney; his eyes are large, like those of a Disney heroine, and the lineaments of his body are freer-flowing and more rounded than is usual for Disney heroes. The biggest difference from the norm is that, unlike most youthful Disney heroes, he's a doer rather than a passive character; in th...

One of Eric's advisors. He gives eric a statue of the prince for his birthday present. He also desperately wants Eric to marry a princess.

Timon is a hyperactive meerkat with a motor mouth. Whether he's making good-natured jokes at Pumbaa's expense or pitching his free-wheeling lifestyle to Simba, Timon always has a fast line. But behind the patter is a loyal little guy who'd give his last wisecrack to help a friend. Once a member of a large and thriving colony of meerkats far from Pride Rock, Timon was never in his element digging and guarding the holes as a unit with his fellow meerkats. One too many incidents in which his daydreaming and misplaced ingenuity brought real danger down upon the colony caused his Unc...

The beautiful Jasmine, daughter of the Sultan, is only a few days short of her 16th birthday; the day on which, by law, she must choose a husband. However, she wants to marry for love, so -- to her father's great dismay -- she keeps turning away her high-born suitors. She then decides to flee the luxuries of the palace for the wild adventure of the marketplace ... where she happens to fall into the company of a young street thief, Aladdin. Headstrong and impetuous, she makes a perfect match for Aladdin, although a street thief is hardly prince material. But after saving the Sultan and the ...

A well-padded warthog, Pumbaa is a bit clumsy and dimwitted, but his empathy and intuition make up for his slow thought processes. Sympathetic and warm-hearted, Pumbaa is ready to trust anyone-- even a carnivore like Simba. And when Simba confronts his destiny, the loyal warthog is the first to follow. The amiable warthog Pumbaa is cursed with the ultimate in social stigma: uncontrollable flatulence. His family background is a mystery, but his story from the point when he meets up with the meerkat Timon tells us all there is to know about his sad exile from the company of those who can'...

he wacky and wisecracking Genie has, among other functions, the purpose of providing a burst of slam-bang comic relief (somewhat in the style of the similar Wilbur from "The Rescuers Down Under"). In his first encounter with Aladdin, he presents the youth with an incredibly fast-moving parade of verbal tricks, shape-shifting impersonations, and stand-up comedy routines -- all the while singing a rambunctious song. Freed from a lifetime of confinement, Genie radiates energy and geniality. This character, inspired by its voice artist, Robin Williams, is one of Disney's all-time funnies...

Sarabi, Mufasa's wife and Simba's mother, is kind, gentle and loving. She's also wise to her little son's tricks. Courageous Sarabi holds her own through Scar's destructive rule, and is proud when her son comes back to battle the evil ruler and claim his rightful place as King. The head of the lionesses of Pride Rock, Sarabi is the Queen to King Mufasa and the mother of Simba. She's a responsible mother, watching out for her son and making sure he doesn't get into any trouble that he can't get out of, as well as making sure he keeps clean. The death of Muf...