Disney's Sleeping Beauty has plenty of memorable characters. Especially in its villain, Maleficent. Not unlike Cruella de Vil or Ursula, Maleficent had her own impact and committed several terrible acts throughout the film. Maleficent had an agenda, and she stuck to it without regret or hesitation.
She may not be the best character, but she is a great villain. Aurora may not have run away from home like Ariel to get the life she wanted, but her kindness and compassion make her stand out. The three good fairies are certainly fan-favorites, too, given they sacrificed and put their own lives on hold to raise Aurora. Sleeping Beauty presents many characters that audiences love to this day.
King Hubert
King Hubert is an exuberant and jolly character. He's thrilled that Aurora and Phillip are to be married and happily dives into planning their lives together. But he never really considers that Aurora likely needs some time to adjust before she delves into her new life.
His excitement does come from a good place, but he can get carried away and gets offended easily, as shown in his conversation with King Stefan. Nonetheless, he's fun to be around and has everyone's best interests at heart.
Queen Leah
Queen Leah was a good mother; she loved her daughter more than anything. Despite giving her up for Aurora's own safety, Leah knew it was the right thing to do.
She's supportive of her husband as well, which is a big deal, whether or not the couple has a kingdom to run. Leah is sweet and kind; it's easy to see where Aurora gets her considerate nature from. She's happily reunited with her daughter by the film's end and surely spends plenty of time getting to know Aurora afterward.
Aurora
Aurora is thoughtful and kind and certainly has an appreciation for nature and its creatures. She adores and cares for Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather dearly. Naturally, she was heartbroken over learning who she really was and that she was betrothed to someone after having met Prince Phillip, though, at the time, she didn't know Phillip was her betrothed.
Her kindness and consideration for others are admirable, and it certainly made things all the more tragic when she succumbed to her curse; luckily, Phillip was able to wake her up and break the curse.
King Stefan
King Stefan was a good guy. His one mistake? Not inviting Maleficent to Aurora's christening, Maleficent was so offended she evilly placed a curse on baby Aurora. Despite knowing it would be a hardship, especially since he and his wife had wanted a child for so long, he did the right thing in allowing the three good fairies to raise his daughter in the forest.
Plus, he was more understanding of the fact that Aurora would be in for a shock upon learning the truth of her heritage and would need time to adjust, whereas King Hubert was already planning Aurora and Phillip's life together.
Maleficent
Maleficent isn't the most likable character, of course. However, she is a standout villain, especially in Disney's villain line-up. She's evil, she's brutal, and she was willing to take out her rage on the kingdom in the form of cursing an innocent child. It's no wonder she wasn't invited to a party.
Her transformation into a dragon is memorable; she certainly went out with a bang when Phillip defeated her.
Prince Phillip
Prince Phillip really was Aurora's true love. He was good-natured about the animals swiping his things in the forest, and he was kind and gentlemanly towards Aurora. He happily declares that he wants to marry a peasant girl to his father, which shows how good his character is as he doesn't care about status.
He bravely fights Maleficent so he can break the curse, rescue Aurora, and essentially rid the kingdom of Maleficent. Phillip certainly had a lot on his plate, and he did well with all of it.
Fauna
Fauna is lovely and kind, and she loves Aurora more than anything. She prefers to keep the peace, especially when Flora and Merryweather are in the midst of one of their spats. She tries her best at everything; though the cake she made without her magic doesn't turn out exactly the way she intended, it was still a thoughtful gesture.
Like Flora and Merryweather, she made the sacrifice to live like a mortal and clearly has no regrets. She's gentle, nurturing, and even-tempered, which is something Merryweather could learn from.
Flora
Flora is certainly the leader of the trio of good fairies. She was the one that came up with the idea to raise Aurora away from the kingdom to protect her from Maleficent. She knows how to solve problems and take charge, and she willingly sacrifices what she has to in order to do the right thing.
While Merryweather struggled with giving up their magic, Flora thought nothing of it. She happily took on a maternal role for Aurora. She often disagrees with Merryweather, especially over the color of Aurora's dress, but despite their differences, Flora cares for her and vice versa.
The Drunken Minstrel
Without a doubt, the drunken minstrel is the funniest character in the film. His appearance may be brief, but he certainly left an impression. While he serves King Stefan and King Hubert, he sneaks several drinks for himself.
The kings are oblivious to the minstrel's intoxicated state until they find him asleep under a table. With a villain like Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty, it helps to have as many light-hearted characters as possible, and the minstrel is definitely one of them.
Merryweather
Merryweather is the funniest fairy, given her comebacks and biting remarks, especially when it came to her opinion of Maleficent. Merryweather was able to soften the blow of the curse that Maleficent had placed on an infant Aurora in Sleeping Beauty; instead of dying, Aurora would sleep.
Merryweather fought with Flora over Aurora's dress color, and though she was the most reluctant to give up their magic to raise Aurora, she grew accustomed to it. She's funny, witty, and certainly has a lot of spunk.