The following is a list of original characters from Disney's The Little Mermaid franchise, covering the 1989 film, its prequel television series, its direct-to-video sequel and prequel films, stage musical adaptation, and the live-action adaption.
Introduced in The Little Mermaid
Ariel
Ariel (voiced by Jodi Benson and played by Auli'i Cravalho in The Little Mermaid Live!, Sierra Boggess in the Broadway musical and portrayed by Halle Bailey in the 2023 live-action film) is one of the main characters of the franchise. She is the seventh-born and the youngest daughter of King Triton and the late Queen Athena of the merfolk, and over the course of the original film becomes human and marries Eric, a human prince. She is the only Disney Princess to reach parenthood in Disney's animated film canon. In The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, Ariel is the mother of Melody, the film's protagonist.
Prince Eric
| Eric | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | The Little Mermaid (1989) |
| Created by |
|
| Portrayed by | |
| Voiced by | |
| In-universe information | |
| Title | Prince |
| Family | Queen Selina (adoptive mother; in live-action film) Unnamed father (mentioned) |
| Spouse | Ariel (wife) |
| Children | Melody (daughter) |
| Relatives |
|
| Partner(s) | "Vanessa" (ex-fiancée) |
Eric is based on the "prince" character of Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale "The Little Mermaid," but was adapted by the writer-directors Ron Clements and John Musker for the film adaptation. According to the film's screenplay, Eric had just turned an 18-year-old teenager in the film, which would make him two years older than Ariel.[1] Prince Eric is the only prince in the Disney Princess franchise not to sing in an original movie.
Eric is a young 18-year-old human prince who lives in a castle in a small costal town in Europe. He is rescued by a young 16-year-old mermaid princess named Ariel when he almost drowns in a storm at sea. She drags him to shore and sings to him, leaving Eric haunted by her voice. He searches the kingdom for her to no avail. When he crosses paths with Ariel again, he is unable to identify her, as she has given her voice to Ursula in exchange for legs. However, he brings her back to his palace and they spend time together. Eric develops feelings for Ariel, but before he can approach her about them, Ursula, disguised as a human girl named Vanessa, hypnotizes Eric, forcing him to forget about Ariel and believe that Vanessa is the one who saved his life. He nearly marries Vanessa, but Ariel and her friends intervene, breaking Ursula's spell and restoring Ariel's voice to her. Eric realizes that Ariel is the girl he has been looking for, but before they can kiss, the sun sets and Ursula claims Ariel. Eric dives into the sea to help Ariel, and in the battle that follows, climbs onto a ship and plows it into Ursula impaling her on the prow.
Eric makes cameo appearances in three episodes of the prequel television series: "Thingamajigger" (a non-speaking appearance), "Scuttle", and "Ariel's Treasures".
In the 2000 direct-to-video sequel, Eric is a supporting character. Although he and Ariel are happily married and being the king and queen of Eric's kingdom, they are attacked by Ursula's sister Morgana, who wishes to avenge Ursula. He and Ariel raise their new daughter Melody away from the sea, keeping her mermaid heritage secret.
In the 2007 Broadway musical, the role of Eric was originated by Sean Palmer. It is explained through dialogue that Eric's father has died, and it is Grimsby's duty to help Eric find a bride so he can return to the throne properly, despite Eric's affinity for exploring the seas. Eric contributes singing vocals to the opening song "Fathoms Below", and performs two solo songs: "Her Voice", a song about Eric's obsession with Ariel's voice that had been written for the original film but discarded, and "One Step Closer", a new song where Eric helps Ariel express herself through dance. Eric also provides vocals in the quartet "If Only", where he expresses confusion over his attraction to Ariel, and his fear that if he finds the girl with the right voice, he might lose Ariel. A new subplot in the stage musical is a singing competition where the eligible princesses in all the land are invited to sing for Eric. The princesses perform in the song "The Contest", which is set to the tune of Ariel's song "Part of Your World." At the end of the performance, Ariel dances for Eric, and he chooses her. The role was also performed by Drew Seeley.
Eric also appears in the video game Disney Magic Kingdoms, as a playable character to unlock for a limited time.[2][3] He performs an original song for the character named "Wild Uncharted Waters", dreaming of going on adventures on voyages.
Sebastian
| Sebastian | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | The Little Mermaid (1989) |
| Created by | Ron Clements & John Musker |
| Portrayed by | Tituss Burgess (Broadway debut) Shaggy (The Little Mermaid Live!) |
| Voiced by | Samuel E. Wright (1989–2008) Kevin Michael Richardson (Kingdom Hearts series, Ariel) Keith Ferguson (Disney Parks) Philip Lawrence (2007–present) Daveed Diggs (live-action film) |
| Full name | Horatio Thelonious Ignacious Crustaceous Sebastian[4] |
| Nationality | Jamaican |
Horatio Thelonious Ignacious Crustaceous Sebastian[4] is a red Jamaican crab and a servant aka who is the advisor of King Triton, and also his main musical composer. His main song is "Under the Sea".
The character was developed solely for the Disney film and is not derived from the original Hans Christian Andersen story. Early on in the writing and development of the film, the character was originally an English-butler lobster named Clarence; songwriter Howard Ashman proposed changing Clarence to a Jamaican Rastafari crab and shifting the music style throughout the film to reflect this.[5] Duncan Marjoribanks served as Sebastian's supervising animator.
Wright auditioned for the role as though for a stage musical. He could not do a Jamaican accent, so he did a Trinidadian accent during his audition,[6] which Ashman decided to keep. His physicality impressed co-director Ron Clements, who videotaped a repeat performance in order to inspire the animators.[7]
Two reggae albums featuring Wright performing in-character as Sebastian were released under the Walt Disney Records label. The first was Sebastian from The Little Mermaid, featuring one song from The Little Mermaid, along with covers including Three Little Birds, and one original tune. The second, released in October 1991, is Sebastian: Party Gras! This consists of reggae covers of classic songs such as "Iko Iko", "Octopus's Garden", "Twist and Shout", and "What a Wonderful World", as well as one original tune.[8]
In Aladdin, Sebastian has a cameo. When the Genie looks for "Royal Recipes" to transform Aladdin into a prince, he glimpses a recipe for "Alaskan king crab". Sebastian comes out of the book, pinches the Genie's finger, and a few seconds of "Under the Sea" is played. (The Genie responds, "I hate when they do that.")
Sebastian appears in the Little Mermaid Broadway musical, where he was originally played by Tituss Burgess, and has also been performed by Alan Mingo Jr. and Rodgelio Douglas Jr. He also appears in The Little Mermaid Live!, played by Shaggy.
Sebastian made an appearance in the first three titles of the Kingdom Hearts series of video games. He also appears in the video game Disney Magic Kingdoms, as a playable character to unlock for a limited time.[2] [citation needed] This version is a fiddler crab.
Flounder
| Flounder | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | The Little Mermaid (1989) |
| Created by | Ron Clements & John Musker |
| Portrayed by | Trevor Braun (Broadway debut) |
| Voiced by | Jason Marin (1989 film, Sebastian from The Little Mermaid album) Edan Gross (TV series) Cam Clarke (sequel) Anthony Skillman (Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey) Parker Goris (Ariel's Beginning, Kingdom Hearts series) Jacob Tremblay (live-action film) Rachel Bloom (Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, 2022) Luke Lowe (Once Upon a Studio) Gracen Newton (Ariel) |
Flounder is a yellow and blue tropical fish and Ariel's best friend. Flounder scares easily, and is prone to panicking under stressful situations like a single shark breaching the sunken ship, but when Ariel is in trouble, he comes through for her without hesitation. In the film he is the only character (aside from Scuttle) to support Ariel's fascination with human things, and at one point gives Ariel a statue of Eric as a gift.
Flounder appears in all the episodes of the prequel television series, sharing constant adventures with Ariel and in the episode "The Evil Manta", it is shown how he first met Ariel when they were children. According to the television series, Flounder's real name is "Guppy Number 35."
Flounder also appears in Jim Henson's Little Mermaid's Island where he has a twin sister named Sandy.
Flounder has a small role in The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, where he is reunited with a grown-up Ariel and takes part in the search for Ariel and Eric's daughter Melody. He grew up and became a father himself, with five children of his own and he first meets Melody in Morgana's lair.
He has a larger role in The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, which shows an alternate version of how he first meets Ariel and later unknowingly leads her to the Catfish Club. He beatboxes and initiates a reprise of "Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora)" when he, Ariel, Sebastian and the Catfish Club Band are on the run from Atlantica.
Flounder appears in the Kingdom Hearts series, where his role as Ariel's friend remains. His biggest role in the series is in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, where Ursula kidnapped him to force Ariel to give her the trident. He also sings his part in the song called "A New Day is Dawning." He also appears in Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey as Ariel's sidekick and is voiced by Anthony Skillman. He is also a remote-controlled playable character in the same game seen holding a big conch shell on his head with your help to catch the voice orbs. Flounder also appears in the video game Disney Magic Kingdoms, as a playable character to unlock for a limited time.[2]
At the Disney theme parks, Flounder makes cameo appearances in the Mickey's Philharmagic 3D show and in the Hong Kong Disneyland version of "It's a Small World." He has also appeared in the parks as a walk-around character, but mostly in parades, shows and special events such as "Mickey's Pirate & Princess Party".
Flounder appears in the stage adaptation of The Little Mermaid. His supporting role is similar as in the film, but he does not give Ariel the statue of Eric, and does not help Ariel reach Eric's wedding barge, as the Vanessa subplot has been removed. However, Flounder performs a new song titled "She's in Love", which he sings with Ariel's sisters when they notice that Ariel has been acting "fishy lately." The stage role was originated by Cody Hanford and J.J. Singleton, but the two actors had to leave the show when their height overshot that of Sierra Boggess, who originated Ariel. The role was taken over by Trevor Braun and Brian D'Addario. On the Original Broadway Cast Recording, Brian D'Addario performs as Flounder.
Flounder also appears as a puppet in The Little Mermaid Live!. He also makes a cameo appearance in the 2022 film Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers.
Scuttle
| Scuttle | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | The Little Mermaid (1989) |
| Created by | Ron Clements and John Musker |
| Portrayed by | Eddie Korbich (Broadway debut) |
| Voiced by | Buddy Hackett (film, sequel & The Little Mermaid: Songs from the Sea) Maurice LaMarche (all other appearances except ride) Chris Edgerly (The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure, Disney Princess: My Fairytale Adventure) Awkwafina (live-action film) Jess Harnell (Once Upon a Studio) |
Scuttle is a seagull and friend of Ariel. He presents himself as an expert on human objects, with whom Ariel consults about items she salvages. He refers to a fork as a "dinglehopper," and a smoking pipe as a "snarfblatt." He also provides support and advice when he learns that Ariel has to win Eric's heart in three days. On the third day, Scuttle discovers that Vanessa is actually Ursula, and immediately tells Ariel.
Scuttle appears in a small role in The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, in which he helps Ariel find her daughter Melody, who has run away.
Scuttle appears in two episodes of the third season of the prequel television series. The episodes he appears in are "Scuttle", where Ariel, Flounder and Sebastian meet him for the first time (in which he claims his name was originally "Scuttlebutt" but he changed it "for obvious reasons"), and "Island of Fear." In these episodes, Scuttle's explanation of human things is a mixture of correct and erroneous. Scuttle also made a cameo appearance in an episode of Quack Pack.
In the album The Little Mermaid: Songs from the Sea, Scuttle performs a song called "The Scuttle Strut," which is the third track of the album.
Scuttle appears in the stage adaptation of the original film, where he sings two songs: "Human Stuff" and "Positivity." The role is originated by Eddie Korbich. In the stage musical, Scuttle has a group of seagull friends, and together they perform a tap dance during the "Positoovity" number.
Scuttle has a non-speaking cameo in The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, appearing when Marina is on a rock at the surface (animated the same way with Ariel when she sings a reprise for "Part of Your World") and is splashed by a wave.
Scuttle also appears in the video game Disney Magic Kingdoms, as a playable character to unlock for a limited time.[9] The character's species was changed from a seagull to a Northern gannet in order to be featured in underwater scenes.[citation needed][9] He's also changed to female in this film.
Ursula
Ursula (voiced by Pat Carroll, who also provides her vocals for all the canonical animated media until her death in 2022, played by Queen Latifah in The Little Mermaid Live! and played by Melissa McCarthy in the live-action film) is the main antagonist of the 1989 film. Ursula is based on the "sea witch/sorceress" character in Hans Christian Andersen's story "The Little Mermaid". In the 2007 Broadway musical, the role of Ursula was originated by Sherie Rene Scott. Ursula goes by the nickname of 'wella' to her sorceress friends and minions.
King Triton
| King Triton | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | The Little Mermaid (1989) |
| Created by | Hans Christian Andersen (original story) Ron Clements & John Musker (adaptation) |
| Portrayed by | Norm Lewis (Broadway debut) Javier Bardem (live-action film) |
| Voiced by | Kenneth Mars (1989 film, TV series, sequel, Kingdom Hearts series) Jim Cummings (prequel film, Lego Disney Princess: The Castle Quest, Disney Speedstorm) |
| In-universe information | |
| Alias | The Sea King |
| Title | King of Atlantica |
| Family |
|
| Spouse | Queen Athena (widowed) |
| Children | 7 |
King Triton is the ruler of Atlantica who has white hair, a white beard, and a white mustache (in the prologue of prequel film he has auburn brown), widower of Queen Athena, the father of Ariel and her sisters and grandfather of Melody. The sea king is unnamed in the Hans Christian Andersen version. Triton wields a powerful trident; the source of his apparently unlimited power. The character is inspired by the son of the Greek sea god Poseidon, although the actual Triton is from Greek mythology and has two finned feet.
In The Little Mermaid, Triton shows severe distaste for humans, and Ariel's fascination with them strains their relationship. Because of this, Triton orders his servant, Sebastian, to look after Ariel. When Triton discovers that Ariel has fallen in love with a human prince named Eric, he destroys her grotto and collection of human artifacts in a fit of rage. After Ariel disappears, Triton subsequently blames himself and orders a search for her to apologize, not knowing that she has accepted Ursula's deal and become a human. When Sebastian arrives with news of Ursula's scheme, he offers to take his daughter's place. Triton is transformed into a polyp by Ursula, but is restored to his original form when she is defeated by Eric. Seeing that Ariel is happy with Eric, Triton uses his trident to transform her into a human.
Triton is a regular character in the prequel television series, in which he is called by the son of Poseidon. A number of episodes show conflict between him and Ariel.
Triton appears in the sequel, The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, where he meets his newborn granddaughter Melody and gifts her a necklace to show her mermaid heritage. However, after Melody's life is threatened by Ursula's sister Morgana, Ariel decides that for Melody's safety, she must not know about the sea or her mermaid heritage, meaning that she cannot have contact with Triton and the other merfolk. Triton reluctantly throws the necklace away and assigns Sebastian to watch over Melody for him. 12 years later after Melody goes out to sea, Triton turns Ariel back into a mermaid to look for her. Morgana tricks Melody into stealing Triton's trident and makes Triton and the other merfolk bow to her, but Melody (being human) is immune to the spell and takes back the trident and throws it to Triton, who defeats Morgana by trapping her in a block of ice. Triton then asks Melody if she wishes to be a mermaid permanently, but Melody instead wishes to destroy the wall that was built to stop her getting to the sea all those years ago.
In the 2008 direct-to-DVD prequel The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, Triton bans music from Atlantica after his wife Athena is crushed to death by a pirate ship. He forces everyone and the city to follow a strict daily schedule, straining his relationship with free-spirited Ariel. He eventually lifts the ban on music and appoints Sebastian as his court composer. Jim Cummings replaces Kenneth Mars as the voice of King Triton, due to Mars' pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
In the stage musical, Triton is Ursula's older brother, and the two are each given equal share of the sea and one magical item each. When Ursula began to abuse her power, Triton exiled her, though he did not take away her Nautilus shell. This stage role is originated by Norm Lewis.
In the Kingdom Hearts series of video games, Triton still plays the role of over-protective father and king of Atlantica. In the first game, his relationship with Ariel becomes strained due to his daughter's desire to see other worlds, and he initially distrusts Sora, Donald and Goofy when they first arrive in Atlantica, having somehow heard of the negative part of the Keyblade legend, but eventually respects Sora when Ursula is defeated and locks the world's keyhole. In Kingdom Hearts II, Triton's relationship with Ariel is strained, this time thanks to Ariel's fascination with the human world. He asks Sora, Donald and Goofy to take part in the music concert with Ariel, but Sora ignores Triton's request and helps Ariel become human to find and fall in love with Eric. He is also part of the song called "A New Day is Dawning." After Ursula is defeated once again, he respectfully bids a final farewell to Sora. King Triton is referenced in the film The Princess and the Frog, as a parade float during the Mardi Gras. King Triton also appears in the video game Disney Magic Kingdoms, as a playable character to unlock for a limited time.[2]
In this version, like the stage musical, Triton is Ursula's brother.[10] In addition, he is depicted as being less grumpy. The source of King Triton's distaste for humans is that his wife was killed by one of them.
King Triton also appears prominently in books that have been written by authors based on the film. In Part of Your World, a part of the A Twisted Tale series and written by author Liz Braswell, Triton was kidnapped and held by Ursula for a much longer time following Ariel's defeat and her installment as Queen of Atlantica. Triton is released towards the end of the book and takes up his rule of the sea again, while Ariel becomes an ambassador between the land and the sea to be with Eric.
King Triton plays a prominent role in Poor Unfortunate Souls: A Tale of the Sea Witch, the third volume in the Villains series by author Serena Valentino. In the book Triton reveals himself to Ursula after she had been living among the humans of Ipswich and took revenge on them for the death of her adoptive father. Rather than being a loving and accepting brother, Triton forces her to take the form of a mermaid at court, rather than her true tentacled form. It is eventually revealed that Triton sought her out only to prove that she was dead so he could take the throne. Ursula is eventually banished by Triton to the dark depths of the oceans where she cannot touch his kingdom.
Triton also gets a brief mention in Fire & Fate, the tenth volume in the series. Hades mentions while reading the Book of Fairy Tales held by the Odd Sisters that Poseidon is going by the name Triton now and is residing in the realms of the Many Kingdoms under that alias.
King Triton is also featured in the Lego animated special Lego Disney Princess: The Castle Quest, where he is trapped in a giant fishtank by Gaston (from Beauty and the Beast).
Attina, Alana, Adella, Aquata, Arista and Andrina
| Attina, Alana, Adella, Aquata, Arista and Andrina | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | The Little Mermaid (1989) |
| Created by | Hans Christian Andersen (original story) Ron Clements & John Musker (adaptation) |
| Voiced by | Full list |
| Alias | Mersisters |
| Family |
|
Ariel has six older sisters named Attina, Alana, Adella, Aquata, Arista and Andrina. In the 1989 film, they perform the song "Daughters of Triton." Later, Attina, Andrina, Adella and Aquata make a brief appearance together with Ariel, in what appears to be the palace dressing room. In this scene, Ariel emerges from behind a curtain of seaweed swimming dreamily and hums a few lines from "Part of Your World." The sisters notice a change in Ariel's mood and conclude that Ariel is in love. All six sisters appear again in the end of the film together with Triton, smiling and waving to Ariel after she marries Eric.
In the second film, the sisters play a minor role with only Attina, Andrina, Aquata and Adella having dialogue.
In the prequel film, the six sisters play a major role in the plot.
In the 2023 live-action remake, Ariel's sisters have diverse ethnicities and renamed as Perla (played by Lorena Andrea), Indira (Simone Ashley), Karina (Kajsa Mohammar), Caspia (Nathalie Sorrell), Mala (Karolina Conchet) and Tamika (Sienna King).[11][12][13]
Voice actors
- Attina:
- Kath Soucie (TV series)
- Christie Houser (Kingdom Hearts II)
- Kari Wahlgren (Ariel's Beginning)
- Alana:
- Kimmy Robertson (first film and TV series)
- Jennifer Hale (Ariel's Beginning)
- Adella:
- Kimmy Robertson (first film)
- Sherry Lynn (TV series)
- Tara Strong (Ariel's Beginning)
- Aquata:
- Mona Marshall (TV series)
- Grey DeLisle (Ariel's Beginning)
- Arista:
- Kimmy Robertson (first film)
- Mary Kay Bergman (TV series)
- Grey DeLisle (Ariel's Beginning)
- Andrina:
- Kimmy Robertson (first film)
- Catherine Cavadini (TV series)
- Susan Stevens Logan (Kingdom Hearts II)
- Tara Strong (Ariel's Beginning)
Glut
Glut is a ferocious great white shark who is the opening antagonist of the film. He first appears where Ariel and Flounder are exploring the Sunken Ship are collecting human artifacts and pursues them trying to kill them, but somehow gets his head stuck in an anchor and was not seen again for the entire film afterwards.
He makes minor appearances in the television series and also appears as a boss in Kingdom Hearts where Sora and company at first can escape fighting him, but he must be defeated later to enter Ursula's lair.
Glut appears (made in CGI) in the 2023 live-action remake adaptation of the same name. Like the original animated film, he does not speak and still served as the film's opening antagonist. He is first seen when Ariel and Flounder are exploring a sunken ship, much to Flounder's worry that King Triton will not be pleased for not being present during the meeting. When Glut sees the two, he suddenly chases Ariel and Flounder across the sunken ship. Throughout the chase, Flounder tries to escape from the shark, but ends up getting caught on the seafloor below, leaving him unable to swim while Ariel drops a barrel onto Glut, causing him to charge towards her, only for the shark to crash through a mirror, smashing through it and causing him to get stuck, leaving the shark unable to move. Glut does not appear again afterwards as his fate is left unknown.
Flotsam and Jetsam
| Flotsam and Jetsam | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | The Little Mermaid (1989) |
| Created by | Ron Clements & John Musker |
| Voiced by | Paddi Edwards (original) Corey Burton (Kingdom Hearts series and Disney parks) |
Flotsam and Jetsam are Ursula's green moray eel minions. Both of them look and sound exactly identical and are only able to be told apart by their eyes; that being Flotsam's right eye is yellow and the other white, while Jetsam's left eye is yellow. They do Ursula's bidding and act as her spies, keeping their eye on the events unfolding in and around Atlantica. They are tasked with following Ariel and reporting her actions back to Ursula. They eventually manipulate Ariel into visiting Ursula to attain human legs. They are ultimately killed by Ursula inadvertently in the film's climax, and Ursula subsequently mourns for them.
Flotsam and Jetsam appear in the prequel television series alongside Ursula. They also appear in the Broadway stage musical, where the roles were originated by Tyler Maynard and Derrick Baskin. The eels also appear as puppets in The Little Mermaid Live! and in CGI form in the 2023 live-action film, in which they don't speak.
Grimsby
| Grimsby | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | The Little Mermaid (1989) |
| Portrayed by | Dominique Kelley (The Little Mermaid Live!) Art Malik (live-action film) |
| Voiced by | Ben Wright (1989 film) Kay E. Kuter (TV series, The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea) |
| In-universe information | |
| Alias | Grim |
| Title | Sir |
Grimsby is Eric's majordomo and confidant. In the opening scene, Grimsby is shown as not having the stomach for the sea, and dismisses the sailors' stories about merpeople living under the sea. Through dialogue, Grimsby reveals that he worries for Eric, and has been hoping that the prince will settle down with the right girl. For Eric's birthday, Grimsby presents a statue he had commissioned of Eric in a dramatic pose. Though Eric and Max disapprove of the statue, Grimsby is proud of it. Later, when Ariel has become human, Grimsby grows fond of her and encourages Eric to give up his dream girl for one "of flesh and blood".
Grimsby appears in some scenes in the sequel.
In the 2007 stage musical adaptation, Grimsby says that the reason he wants Eric to marry is because he (Grimsby) had made a promise to Eric's late father to ensure it. Though Grimsby is reluctant to believe Eric's story of being saved from drowning by a girl, he comes up with the idea of holding a contest in which the princesses of the land are to sing for Eric, in the hopes that one of them will be the right girl. In the stage musical, the role is originated by Jonathan Freeman.
Grimsby also appears in The Little Mermaid Live!, and in the 2023 live-action remake of the film. In the latter, not only is he portrayed as Eric's confidant, but also prime minister of Queen Selina's kingdom and acts as a father figure to him.[14]
Max
Max is an Old English Sheepdog and Eric's pet. Unlike all the other animals in the film, Max is minimally anthropomorphic and does not speak in the human language. Max's barking and growling is provided by Frank Welker throughout his animated incarnations.[citation needed]
During Eric's birthday celebration, Max catches Ariel's scent and tracks her down, licking her on the cheek in an apparent show of affection. When the ship catches fire, the sailors escape safely, but Max is left behind. Seeing this, Eric dives out of his lifeboat and climbs back on board, grabbing Max and tossing him to safety. Later, when Eric is brought to shore safely by Ariel, Max smells out his master and rushes out to greet him. Max is also able to smell Ariel who is hidden off-shore behind rocks, but Eric does not understand his barking. After Ariel has made her deal with Ursula and is brought to shore as a human, Max leads Eric to her, recognizing her as the same person, though Eric cannot. Eventually, Ursula herself appears in the guise of a human girl named Vanessa to distract Eric from kissing Ariel before the third day is up. Max is the only character in the human world who can fully see Vanessa for who she really is and is seen growling furiously at her during her and Eric's wedding, and she kicks him directly in the face. When Scuttle and the sea animals try to stop the wedding, Max assists by biting Vanessa's rear, giving Scuttle the leverage to break the conch shell containing Ariel's voice.
Max makes a few brief appearances in the prequel television series and the direct-to-video sequel, and is the only named character of the original film (other than Vanessa) who does not appear in the 2007 stage musical.
Max does however appear in The Little Mermaid Live!, played by Bagel the sheepdog, and in the 2023 live-action film.
Chef Louis
Louis is the chef in Eric's castle, voiced by René Auberjonois. His accent implies that he is French, and he performs the song "Les Poissons" in which he happily cooks seafood in the castle kitchen. According to dialogue by Carlotta the house maid, Louis' specialty is stuffed crab. This puts him at odds with Sebastian, who accidentally ends up in his kitchen and frantically tries to get away from him. This rivalry is extended to the wedding in the finale, where the chef again chases Sebastian in an attempt to cut him up. The rivalry is shown again in the sequel The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, with no change between the two.
He also stars in one of the episodes of Disney's Marsupilami and Raw Toonage as a noise hating hotel guest with his victim, Sebastian as the hotel manager. Louis also makes an appearance in the episode "Ariel's Treasures" of the prequel TV series, where he accidentally steps on a whisk called a "whirly twirly" by Ariel and it slips into the water when he is making recipes.
In the 2007 stage musical, Louis is head of a group of chefs that work in Eric's castle. He performs the song "Les Poissons" from the original movie. A reprise is performed by Louis and all the other chefs as they present their fish masterpieces to Ariel, Eric and Grimsby. The role was originated by John Treacy Egan.
Chef Louis appears in The Little Mermaid Live!, played by John Stamos..[15]
Carlotta
Carlotta (voiced by Edie McClurg) works in Eric's castle in a role suggested to be similar to a housekeeper, though it is not stated outright. She reappears in the sequel, apparently continuing her role after Eric and Ariel are married and have a daughter of their own.
In the 2007 stage musical, Carlotta develops an affectionate maternal relationship with Ariel. Carlotta sings in the musical number "Beyond My Wildest Dreams", where she berates the other servants who gossip about Ariel. Near the end of the musical there is a contest where the princesses of the land are to sing for Eric, in the hope that one of them will have the voice of the girl who saved his life. The role is originated by Heidi Blickenstaff.
She is renamed as Lashana in the 2023 live-action film, played by Martina Laird.
Seahorse
The Seahorse (voiced by Will Ryan in the film and Charlie Adler in the TV series) is King Triton's herald, master-of-ceremonies, and messenger.
Introduced in the television series
Urchin
Urchin (voiced by Danny Cooksey) is an orphaned merboy with an olive-green tail and is one of the main characters of the prequel television series, in which he is a close friend of Ariel, Sebastian and Flounder, and often goes on adventures with them.
In it, Urchin is seen to be an orphan who lives by himself and wants badly to have friends. He is approached by small-time villains Lobster Mobster and Da Shrimp, who bring him into their gang and use him to steal food for them. Urchin manages to steal food from the palace, but in doing so is confronted by Ariel. Ariel tries to befriend Urchin, who at first rebuffs her. Urchin shows his true colors when he helps Ariel escape after she is kidnapped by Lobster Mobster and Da Shrimp. He even stops Crab Louie from stealing from the royal treasury. This earns him a kiss from Ariel. A friendship is forged when Urchin follows Ariel's advice and apologizes to King Triton for his behavior.
In the episode "Trident True", Urchin plays pranks on Ariel's sisters Arista, Attina, Andrina and Adella and buys a Father's Day present for King Triton, implying his closeness with the royal family, and Ariel's sisters admit that they look on him as their own little brother.
Gabriella
Gabriella is one of Ariel's friends. She is a deaf mermaid with a pink tail and matching shells who communicates with sign language. In her first appearance, before she meets Ariel, she sees her singing the first part of a song called "Daring to Dance" and sees her twirling about a music box with a figure of a ballerina on top of it. Ariel stops abruptly upon seeing her, but Gabriella encourages her to continue. She wishes to be able to sing as beautifully as Ariel, and she identifies with Ariel's desire to dance. She decides to journey with Ariel to visit the Magical Wishing Starfish, passing through many dangers along the way. She is saddened when the Magical Wishing Starfish proves to be a fraud, but Ariel reassures her that she can express her feelings just as well through sign language. She joins Ariel in the second part of "Daring to Dance".
In her second appearance, she returns to Atlantica for a visit. She and Ariel gush over Ariel's new additions to her collection of human objects, as well as the music box that Ariel found when they first met. Unbeknownst to either of them, Ursula has launched another scheme to take over Atlantica, this time casting a spell that causes Ariel's treasures to come to life and terrorize people. She is confused and shocked when the treasures come alive, but she works with Ariel to break Ursula's spell.
The character was added to the series in its second season and was named after Gabriella Angelina Bommino, a fan of the movie, who watched it repeatedly while under treatment at the San Diego Children's Hospital, and died of leukemia during the run of the first season, on November 17, 1992. The character design was based on photographs of her.[16]
Ollie
Ollie (voiced by Whitby Hertford) is a blue vocal octopus who is the close friend and interpreter of Gabriella, a mute mermaid. He has spots on the sides of his head and a patch on his left eye. In his first appearance, he is shown with Gabriella, watching Ariel sing. After Ariel notices them, he explains Gabriella's disability and introduces himself. He is also the one to tell the tale of the Magical Wishing Starfish, and he accompanies them along the way. In his second appearance, he is visiting Atlantica with Gabriella and helps her stop Ursula's plot to take over the kingdom.
Pearl
Pearl (voiced by Cree Summer) is a fun-loving mermaid with a blue tail and matching shells who is familiar with Ariel and Alana. She is blonde, with a blue tail and blue, ruffle-edged shells. She makes her first appearance in the episode "Red" at a party held by Ariel, arriving with a crowd of friends on "squid-cycles." She is apparently very popular and seems friendly, if a bit snobbish. She comments that the party is a bit dull, and Ariel requests that the live band play louder, against her father's instructions. She leaves with the other guests when Triton puts a halt to the party.
In her second appearance in the episode "Eel-ectric City", she shows up at the palace to pick up Alana, who has been invited to a party at her house. Ariel is shocked and impressed when Pearl comments that her parents allow her to do as she pleases, and is invited to join them. As they are leaving, Pearl spies Triton's new chariot and coerces Ariel into driving the three mermaids in it while she gives directions. After a few minutes, Alana notes that they are not heading for Pearl's house; they are instead going to Eel-ectric City, a party town reminiscent of Las Vegas, where Pearl is going to meet a few friends. They arrive and are having a fairly good time until a gang known as the "Orange Roughies" led by Big Barracuda show up. Pearl taunts them, then challenges them to a chariot race. Ariel and Alana try to reason with Pearl, but she wants to see the race through to the end. They start the race, but quickly lose control of the chariot in the rush of the arctic current. It is only Ariel's quick thinking and the timely appearance of Triton that saves them. Pearl is shocked that her parents bothered coming, but happy that they cared about her. Her mother states that she will be keeping a closer eye on her daughter from now on.
Spot
Spot (vocal effects provided by Frank Welker) is a fun-loving orca whale calf whose name is based on a single white spot which is birthmarked on his tail. In the episode called "Whale of a Tale", when the human poachers get nearby, he frightenedly swims away from his real family until Ariel encounters him with a little love. She cares for him until she lets him go to be with his real family. He returns in "Save the Whale" as a grown-up whale and, as Sebastian announces him, he excitedly begins to perform for the citizens of Atlantica until he gets caught.
Dudley
Dudley (voiced by Dave Coulier) is an elderly sea turtle who also serves somewhat of an assistant to King Triton besides Sebastian. Dudley mumbles when he speaks and does not swim like other sea turtles in real life, instead he walks slowly along the sea floor like a land turtle and keeps important documents within his shell when he retracts his head. His conversation is always interrupted by his employer as he understands what the former is about to say.
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen (voiced by Mark Hamill), the author of the original Little Mermaid fairy tale, appears in the episode "Metal Fish". Based on rumors he hears from other sailors about the existence of merfolk, he attempts to verify these claims by exploring the undersea world with the invention of his primitive submarine. While exploring the undersea world, his sub springs a leak and his steering controls are affected causing his sub to lose control and eventually sink to the bottom. However, to his surprise he encounters Ariel, to which his claims are verified.
Later on, Archimedes, Sebastian, Flounder, The Crabscouts, and even King Triton appear to assist Andersen's damaged vessel back to the surface. At the end of this episode, the character is inspired by the encounter to "write" the story of The Little Mermaid. This encounter contradicts the idea that Ariel's first face to face contact with humans is with Prince Eric, and forces Ariel to confront her father with the fact that she, Triton, and all merfolk are half human when she appeals to Triton for help in saving Andersen's life.
Lobster Mobster and Da Shrimp
Lobster Mobster (voiced by Joe Alaskey) and Da Shrimp (voiced by David Lander) are a lobster and shrimp duo who are bumbling con-artists and constantly antagonize Ariel and her friends and are recurring antagonists from the television series. They are modeled after the stereotypes of the gangsters from the 1920s.
Manta
Manta (voiced by Tim Curry) is a recurring villain in the TV series. Although his exact age is unknown, he appears to be potentially ageless as an individual is referenced in a legend as nearly destroying Atlantica who was imprisoned in an undersea volcano many years before the time of the series. The character is freed from an undersea volcano by a well-meaning Ariel. He then became a recurring character, intent on taking control of Atlantica for himself. He later has a son, "Little Evil" (voiced by Bradley Pierce), who becomes a friend of Ariel's, resulting in his father's redemption.
Other characters
- Neptune (voiced by an unknown actor or actress) is the late grandfather of Triton and the great-grandfather of Attina, Alana, Adella, Aquata, Arista, Andrina and Ariel. When Triton was young, Neptune would play the sea calliope every night at bedtime.
- Simon (voiced by Brian Cummings) is a sea dragon. Imprisoned in a cave and looking to be rescued. Simon writes a message and puts it in a bottle and with some luck, Ariel, Sebastian, and Flounder find the letter, brave danger en route to the cave, and then they face a giant sea dragon. The dragon turns out to be Simon himself, the writer of the message, who's looking to have a party with some new friends. Bringing Simon home to King Triton poses another challenge until Simon helps King Triton to save Atlantica and its merpeople from an invasion of evil sea anemones.
- Archimedes (voiced by Rod McKuen) is a merman scholar, explorer and adventurer who is fascinated with humans, particularly human objects, like Ariel, he wants to know as much about the human world as possible, because of his fascination with humans, he is ostracized and disliked by his own people, as his only friend is Ariel. Because Archimedes goes to the surface very often, his knowledge on human culture is far more accurate than Ariel's; prior to the latter becoming human herself and her marriage to Eric. Due to Archimedes being ostracized by the merpeople, he lives in an abandoned sunken ship, in the wilderness outside of Atlantica, which is also where he keeps his collection of human objects. Initially, unlike Ariel, he has directly met humans and has even interacted with them.
- Moray (voiced by Dave Coulier) is an eel who works as a cave-to-cave salesman.
- The Sharkanians are a race of merfolk who are human-shark hybrids. They have often plotted to invade Atlantica.
- Emperor Sharga (voiced by Jim Cummings impersonating Marlon Brando) is the ruler of the Sharkanians.
- Commander Shaabala (voiced by Charlie Adler) is a Sharkanian that works under Sharga.
- Howling Hairfish (vocal effects provided by Jim Cummings) are monstrous fish, analogous to werewolves. Flounder is the only Howling Hairfish that can speak. To cure anyone who was bitten by a Howling Hairfish, one must expose them to the mist of a school of silver fish.
- Stormy is a wild giant seahorse. Ariel once tried to ride him despite her father's warnings in the series. After the mermaid's accident, Stormy had to be released back into the wild where he is much happier.
- Big Barracuda (voiced by Tino Insana) is the leader of the Orange Roughies that consist of two other unnamed members.
- Zeus (voiced by Mark Hamill) is an athletic crab who was Sebastian's old rival.
- Dr. Vile (voiced by Kenneth Mars) is a mad scientist who does experiments on crabs.
- Flo (voiced by Kath Soucie) and Ebb (voiced by Jim Cummings) are two alligators who arrived in Altantica.
- Apollo (voiced by Ron Perlman) is a Merman who helped to fend off an Octopan invasion. What nobody knows is that Apollo did it through dumb luck.
- The Octopans are Ursula's kind who once attacked Atlantica and are led by an unnamed leader (voiced by Clancy Brown).
Introduced in The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea
Melody
| Melody | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea |
| Created by | Elizabeth Anderson & Temple Mathews (screenplay) |
| Voiced by | Tara Strong |
| Family |
|
Melody is the daughter of Eric and Ariel, the niece of Ariel's sisters and the granddaughter of King Triton and Queen Athena. She is also the princess of her father's kingdom.
The film opens to the celebration of her birth and her being the first child ever born of both land and sea; her parents sail out to sea to present Melody to King Triton and the merfolk. As Triton gives her the locket, the celebration is interrupted by Morgana, who threatens to hurt Melody if Triton does not hand over the trident. Eric and Ariel manage to save Melody, but Morgana escapes. Ariel vows to keep all knowledge of the sea from Melody until Morgana is found.
By her 12th birthday, Melody has been regularly sneaking out of the palace to swim. She finds the locket, and questions Ariel about it. Ariel and Melody argue, and before Ariel can apologize and explain, Melody runs away from the castle in a boat. Melody is discovered by Morgana's shark (currently turned into a piranha) Undertow and convinced to meet Morgana, who uses Melody's love of the sea against her. Morgana transforms Melody into a mermaid, promising that the transformation will last forever if she retrieves the trident from Triton.
Melody succeeds in stealing the trident and gives it to Morgana, who subsequently traps her in a cave. Soon afterward, Morgana's spell on Melody wears off, causing her to revert into a human and nearly drowns. Melody sneaks up behind Morgana and stabs her with the trident, before giving it to Triton, who encases Morgana in ice.
In the wake of their victory, Triton offers Melody the option of becoming a mermaid permanently but Melody declines. Instead, she decides to destroy the wall that separates the sea from her home with the trident to reunite the land and sea once again.
Melody performs one song in the film, "For a Moment", in which Ariel, voiced by Jodi Benson, also provides vocals.
She is also a playable character in the PlayStation game, The Little Mermaid II, based on the two movies.
Morgana
| Morgana | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (2000) |
| Created by | Elizabeth Anderson & Temple Mathews (screenplay) |
| Voiced by | Pat Carroll |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Cecaelia; Half-human, half-octopus |
| Gender | Female |
| Title | The Sea Witch Queen of Atlantica (temporarily) |
| Occupation | Failed Sorceress |
| Family |
|
| Pet(s) | Undertow, Cloak and Dagger |
Morgana is the younger sister of Ursula and is also half octopus. She has three minions; a tiger shark named Undertow, and a pair of manta rays called Cloak and Dagger.
She attacks Melody during her first birth celebration and uses her as a hostage to gain Triton's trident. Morgana eventually meets 12-year-old Melody, who she asks to retrieve the trident for her. After attaining the trident and proclaiming herself the new ruler of the seas, Triton helps Melody defeat Morgana who is frozen in ice.
Due to her death in the original film, Ursula does not appear in the sequel Return to the Sea, but she is mentioned many times, mostly by Morgana. Her image does appear in a photograph that Morgana has of Ursula. Morgana's song "Gonna Get My Wish", was cut from the final film edit. All throughout the film Morgana describes how Ursula was the favorite of their mother. Unlike Ursula, Morgana is a failed sorceress as well as being thin with liver spots and longer thicker hair compared to Ursula's short hair. She also is rather tall and slender compared to Ursula being short and obese. Morgana has eight tentacles unlike Ursula's six and looks more like a squid which in real life has ten limbs like her (including her arms).
She is the first antagonist in a Disney animated film to be the sibling of another Disney villain.
Morgana herself appears in the video games, The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea Activity Center and The Little Mermaid II: Pinball Frenzy.
Undertow
| Undertow | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea |
| Created by | Elizabeth Anderson & Temple Mathews (screenplay) |
| Voiced by | Clancy Brown |
Undertow is a minion of Morgana.
He is initially a large purple and black colored tiger shark, before being transformed into a piranha by Triton. Undertow convinces Melody to visit Morgana, who, upon attaining the Trident restores him to his original form.
Cloak and Dagger
| Cloak and Dagger | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea |
| Created by | Elizabeth Anderson & Temple Mathews (screenplay) |
Cloak and Dagger are dark blue manta rays and Morgana's henchmen. Although they are non-speaking characters, they do snicker, groan, and scream.
Tip and Dash
| Tip and Dash | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea |
| Created by | Elizabeth Anderson & Temple Mathews (screenplay) |
| Voiced by | Max Casella (Tip) Stephen Furst (Dash) |
Tip and Dash are supporting characters in The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea and friends of Melody. Tip is an emperor penguin voiced by Max Casella, and Dash is a walrus voiced by Stephen Furst. Their names are derived from the convention of Morse Code which uses dots (or "tips") and dashes to communicate messages. They are based on Timon and Pumbaa from Disney's The Lion King.
In the film, Tip and Dash are established odd couple best friends whom Melody encounters when she has been transformed into a mermaid. Tip and Dash join Melody on her journey to retrieve the trident for Morgana. In the final battle, both characters find their inner courage and help to save the day.
The duo perform the song "Tip and Dash" with Melody.
Ursula and Morgana's Mother
Ursula and Morgana's unnamed mother was a widowed witch. She loved Ursula more than Morgana, likely due to the former being better at magic. She is briefly mentioned in The Little Mermaid II, though her role gets slightly expanded in the Special Edition, as Morgana elaborates on her motives and backstory through the song "Gonna Get My Wish".
Introduced in The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning
Queen Athena
| Athena | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning |
| Voiced by | Lorelei Hill Butters (Speaking) Andrea Robinson (Singing) |
| Family |
|
| Spouse | King Triton |
| Children |
|
Athena was Triton's wife, queen of Atlantica, and the mother of Ariel, Aquata, Andrina, Arista, Attina, Adella and Alana. Her speaking voice is provided by Lorelei Hill Butters, and her singing voice is provided by Andrea Robinson. She appears in the opening prologue of the prequel, in which she is at first shown singing her and Triton's special song (Athena's song) to the girls before bedtime. She is then seen relaxing in a cove on the ocean surface with her husband, children and other merfolk. Triton gives her a music box that plays their song as an anniversary present. The fun ceases when a pirate ship appears and attacks the merpeople, during which Athena is crushed to death by the ship, whilst trying to save the music box. Triton responds to this tragedy by banning music from Atlantica. Prior to this film, Ariel's mother had been mentioned before in the prequel television series, but had then remained nameless. It is never actually stated, but it is quite likely that it was Athena's death, at the hands of humans, that caused Triton's prejudice towards them.
The character was reported to appear in the live-action film adaptation of The Little Mermaid, with the film also focusing on Ariel and her mother's relationship.[17] Though that part was scrapped and it was just mentioned that she was killed by a human.
Marina Del Rey
| Marina Del Rey | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning |
| Voiced by | Sally Field |
Marina Del Rey is a mermaid and the governess of King Triton's seven daughters, in charge of enforcing Triton's distant and formal parenting style and is the main villainess. She feels she has been stuck as the governess for too long, and her primary motivation is to take over Sebastian's job as the king's attaché. She temporarily succeeds after getting Sebastian, Flounder, and their secret music band sent to prison (as music was forbidden from Atlantica at the time since the death of Queen Athena). Upon learning of the gang's escape with Ariel, Marina resolves to kill them all by sending her electric eels after them. Marina is eventually caught and Triton has her remanded to the dungeon for her crimes. She was last seen in her cell with Benjamin as they end up doing the conga.
Benjamin
| Benjamin | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning |
| Voiced by | Jeff Bennett |
Benjamin is a light green manatee and Marina's sidekick. Unlike Marina, Benjamin is a softy who loves Ariel and her sisters, and wishes Marina would be nice. Following Marina's defeat, Benjamin was shown to have been remanded to the dungeon as he persuades Marina to join him in the conga.
Catfish Club Band
| Ray-Ray, Cheeks, Ink Spot, and Shelbow | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning |
| Voiced by | Kevin Michael Richardson as Ray-Ray and Cheeks Rob Paulsen as Ink Spot Jim Cummings as Shelbow |
The Catfish Club Band are a quartet house band in the Catfish Club, the underground music club in Atlantica that exists in opposition to King Triton's ban on music. Their bandleader and vocalist is Sebastian, who also plays maracas.
Other members are:
Introduced in the live-action film
Queen Selina
| Selina | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | The Little Mermaid (2023) |
| Created by | David Magee (adaptation) |
| Portrayed by | Noma Dumezweni |
| In-universe information | |
| Title | Queen |
| Family |
|
Queen Selina is the adoptive mother of Prince Eric and the ruler of a Caribbean island kingdom. She was created for the 2023 live-action film.
References
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