Disney's animated movies have their spots of darkness, especially when it comes to the tragic origin stories of many of their princesses, but as a whole, the films aren't nearly as dark as a series like Titans. When characters like Dick Grayson spend their formative years being manipulated by Batman, it might be difficult to see the Disney-like happy ending for them.
That doesn't mean the Titans don't have a lot in common with Disney characters. Aside from tragic origins and lost loved ones, the Titans also have a lot of similar personality traits to Disney heroes. They approach problem-solving and helping people in a lot of the same ways as Disney princesses do. As a result, it's not too difficult to find Disney counterparts for the Titans characters.
Updated on December 7th, 2022 by Amanda Bruce: Season 4 of Titans says goodbye to Season 3 standout Blackfire, but makes Tim Drake a part of the Titans, and forms a tentative alliance with the magical Jinx. All three characters make their own changes to the team dynamic, bringing new perspectives to the group. They also have very different personalities, demonstrating that sometimes, what it means to be a hero in Titans isn’t so cut and dry, just like it isn’t in Disney’s animated catalog.
Tim - Anna
Tim and Anna share an enthusiasm for life that is stifled by the place in which they grow up. Anna finds herself locked in a castle in Arendale with a reclusive sister, while Tim finds himself struggling to get by in a crime-addled Gotham.
Both characters jump at their chance to help when given the chance though. While Anna longs to help her sister, Tim longs to help the heroes he knows so much about. They both succeed in helping to save their homes from those who crave power once Elsa and the Titans both realize that there is value in what Anna and Tim say.
Komand’r - Namaari
Komand’r spends her life mistreated by her family because they believe that Tamarind has to be run a very specific way. She’s manipulated by her parents, and then completely locked away at one point. That doesn’t stop Blackfire from trying to find her own path and go after what she wants though.
Namaari doesn’t get exactly the same kind of treatment, though she is raised to be a fierce fighter like Blackfire. While Blackfire is pushed away from her throne, Namaari is pushed towards it. Both young women end up becoming violent and slow to trust as a result of the positions their parents place them in. They also both ultimately reunite with someone from their past that they grow to trust. In Namaari’s case, that’s Raya, and in Blackfire’s that’s her own sister.
Jinx - Flynn Rider
Jinx begins her time in the fourth season of Titans as someone who is only out for herself. She breaks out of custody and is hot on the trail of a big payday. That’s almost exactly how Flynn Rider enters the world of Tangled - on the run from authorities and out to make his own dream come true.
Along the way, Jinx becomes friends with the Titans, though she definitely understands the magical world better than they do. Flynn finds love with Rapunzel, not friendship, but he also allows her a way to explore the world outside her tower. Both characters bring a new perspective to the people they meet, but they also have their eyes opened by them as well.
Gar - Jim Hawkins
When Gar Logan is introduced in Titans, he's got some dark backstory despite his sunny disposition. He's always up for a little adventure, and he's got a mischievous streak that means he's down to play games or pull pranks during his heroics. Gar also has a great capacity for learning, as he proves by quickly learning to handle all the technology in the old Titans' safehouse and the Batcave.
All of that lines up with Gar's Disney counterpart being from an animated property based on a book. Jim Hawkins of Treasure Planet is inspired by the same character in the novel Treasure Island. He leaves home for an adventure and finds himself surrounded by dangerous pirates. Like Gar, Jim is a fast learner, a believer in found families, and someone who takes betrayal very seriously.
Conner - Simba
Conner makes his debut in Titans season 2, initially seeming like an antagonist before joining the team. There's a long legacy behind him as he's created in a lab from Kryptonian DNA and that of the criminal mastermind Lex Luthor.
Like The Lion King's Simba, Conner is eager to prove himself, but there's a legacy associated with him. For Simba, there's pressure to be a great king, while for Conner, it's to live up to Superman's image. Simba also wrestles with the "bad" in him when he thinks he's responsible for his father's death, just as Conner struggles to overcome the stigma of having Lex Luthor's genetic makeup. Conner has a lot of growing up to do in the series, and he's working through a lot of the same issues Simba does before he returns home.
Jason - Maui
Jason is a bit overzealous in his effort to be a hero. He's got the confidence of someone who's been in the business of saving lives for decades, but he's still a teenager. His overconfidence masks his insecurities, but his impulsive nature means he can sometimes hurt more than help.
That's not unlike Moana's characterization of Maui. Though he talks big and introduces himself in a musical number, he's also blamed for the birth of Te Ka. His actions lead to a "villain" making a big impact, not unlike Jason's actions in Titans' season 3 leading to a villain coming into a lot of power. Maui eventually finds a way to fix his past mistakes with the help of Moana. Jason can too.
Rachel - Rapunzel
Not all the Titans have superpowers. Some of them are just excellent at hand-to-hand combat. Rachel certainly isn't the latter. During her early time in the show, she doesn't fully understand her power or her family history, much like a very sheltered Disney princess.
Rapunzel spends her formative years in a tower where her magical hair is only used for the good of one person - the woman who kidnaped her. As a result, she's very naive, but also, very open to new experiences. Rachel isn't used for her power by those around her until her father seeks her out. It's her father that attempts to exploit that power before Rachel fully understands it, and she has to stand up for herself, just like Rapunzel.
Donna - Cinderella
Though Donna is an Amazon, a lot of her past as Wonder Woman's apprentice is glossed over. Fans still get to see her wield her own lasso of truth in the first two seasons though. It's clear, in her small contributions to the storyline that Donna isn't just one of the smartest Titans, but also one of the hardest working.
Like Dick Grayson, Donna leaves the world of the Titans behind for a while and gets a job as a police officer. No matter how much she wants her own life, just like Cinderella pining to go to the palace, she gets sucked back into the world of the Titans, also like Cinderella working for her step-sisters. Donna's dysfunctional family never treats her as badly as Cinderella's, but she does spend just as much time trying to clean up their messes.
Dawn - Ariel
When Ariel dreams of life on land in The Little Mermaid, it's because she's ready for new experiences, a little adventure. She wants out of the sheltered life her father wants for her, and she wants to experience things like walking on two legs. Dawn's path to becoming a hero is similar.
Dawn joins up with Hank when he's grieving, and their desire to experience more out of life sees them donning the Hawk and Dove costumes (for Hank, again). Dawn isn't just out to right wrongs and seek justice; she's also out to feel like she's truly living. That's very much in line with the dreamer that is Ariel.
Hank - Hercules
Hank might not initially seem like he has much in common with Hercules. After all, he's angry, jaded, and self-medicates to dull the pain from his repeated injuries. That's all a product of the cycle of grief he's caught in though. When Hank stops focusing on what he thinks a hero should be and becomes the hero he's meant to be, he's very much like Disney's version of Hercules.
Both characters put themselves through difficult training regimens and nearly impossible tasks to prove their worth as heroes before realizing that accolades don't make them heroes: truly doing for others does.
Barbara - Mulan
A woman who takes up her father's mantle in a male-dominated field, regularly saves lives, and keeps a huge part of her life a secret? The audience could be talking about former Batgirl Barbara Gordon - or Mulan.
Both young women step out of their comfort zone to do the opposite of what's expected of them. Mulan trains with her father's sword to take his place as a soldier. Barbara becomes a thief, a vigilante, and eventually, a police officer, taking her father's former position as Commissioner. Both women work to do the right thing, no matter what it costs them.
Kory - Merida
As her sister tells it, Kory is the golden child on their home planet. A princess who is beloved by the people, that might not initially sound like Merida, who seems to do the opposite of what her kingdom wants. The two, however, have a lot in common after all.
Both young women set out on missions on their own, far from home. Merida's mission involves making sure her mother isn't a bear anymore, and Kory's is to get rid of Rachel, so they're very different tasks. The outcomes are similar though as Merida realizes how much she truly loves her family (and they grow to understand her). Kory also creates her own family on Earth with Rachel and the rest of the Titans as her power grows.
Dick - Aladdin
Dick Grayson, of the Flying Graysons, lost his family at a young age. Instead of growing up on the streets of a major city like Aladdin, however, Bruce Wayne took him in and trained him to be his sidekick. The Genie is more like Aladdin's Bruce Wayne, bringing Dick the things he wants in life, but with a catch.
Aladdin and Dick even have a lot of the same skills - scaling buildings, lying through their teeth, and stealing small objects. They also tend to allow their objectives in life to be derailed when they fall for someone. For Aladdin, that's only Jasmine, but for Dick, that's Kory, Dawn, Donna, and even Barbara. He's charmed and had relationships with most of the heroines he knows.