When it comes to Disney Princesses, there is no denying that each character has her own strengths. Whether it be kindness, intelligence, or pure tenacity, these powerful young women have inspired fans for decades. So much so that Disney will producing a multitude of live-action remakes in the coming years. These will include titles such as The Little Mermaid, Snow White and many more.
Meanwhile, Netflix has recently found huge success with Squid Game, with a second season on the way. The first season had viewers debating how far they could get in the games. So, it is only fitting that Disney's beloved Princesses be put to the test as well.
Updated on September 22nd, 2022 by Amanda Bruce: One of the major tenets of being a Disney princess is being kind, so it seems almost out of place to consider the princesses in a cutthroat competition like Squid Game. Some princesses do understand what it means to be a survivor. Other princesses, however, are more along the lines of the classic, naive young women Disney first animated. Of course, it's important to remember that not every Disney animated heroine is a princess, and not every princess is a member of Disney's official lineup, so not every woman in Disney's animated catalog makes the list.
Ariel - The Little Mermaid (1989)
While many Disney fans love Ariel and her seafaring friends, she would probably be one of the first to be eliminated. Her naivety and lack of direction would be her greatest downfall in the Squid Game competition.
The first tournament is known as the "Red Light, Green Light" game. Contestants can move when the light is green, but they must come to an immediate stop on red or they will be shot. Since Ariel is a mermaid and doesn't know how to read the fine print, she would most likely be caught flopping around on the first run.
Cinderella - Cinderella (1950)
Cinderella is arguably one of the most well-known characters in the Disney lineup. Beloved for her kindness, compassion, and humility, her strengths would probably become her weaknesses in the first round at Squid Game.
"Red Light, Green Light" took out nearly half of the show's contestants. So, it's no surprise that more than one princess would lose at this point. While Cinderella is used to doing hard labor at home, she is quite clumsy. This trait would be her downfall right off the bat. She would lose in the first round just like she lost her glass slipper.
Snow White - Snow White And The Seven Dwarves (1937)
A lot of respect is owed to Snow White simply because she was the first Disney Princess to ever grace the silver screen. She has absolutely no guile, is 100 percent trusting, and just so happens to be the youngest in the group. (She is only 14.)
Again, the "Red Light, Green Light" game would be her demise. Based on how she ran away from the huntsman, she would probably get caught flailing around not knowing what to do or where to go. She might make it through a few red light green light calls, but she would most likely panic before reaching the finish line.
Sleeping Beauty - Sleeping Beauty (1959)
While Princess Aurora is good at keeping a low profile in the forest, she probably wouldn't make it very far in the games. Based on how easy it was for Maleficent to poison her with a spinning needle, she would most likely fail in the second round.
Making it past the first tournament, the Honeycomb Shaping game may be where she falls short. During this portion of Squid Game, the contestants are instructed to choose a circle, star, umbrella, or triangle and whittle down a honeycomb into that shape. The catch is that they don't know why they are choosing the shape until after they have decided. Falling for the trick just like she fell for Maleficent's spindle, Aurora would run out of time before completing her task.
Moana - Moana (2016)
Moana might be ready for an adventure on the open ocean at a young age, but Moana is a character who is all about forgiveness and healing. Something like the Squid Game would leave her appalled.
She likely wouldn’t make it beyond the first few rounds of the game, targeted by the guards after she tried to get other game players on her side. Breaking the rules, especially by leading the rebellion, would make her a target.
Tiana - The Princess And The Frog (2009)
As one of the newer Disney Princesses, Tiana is one of the most resourceful characters to date. However, the third game - Tug of War - would most likely be her downfall because she prefers to do things on her own.
Tiana doesn't let anything stop her from going after her dreams, and she is quite capable of excelling by herself. But if she were placed on a team, she might not be able to pull through if the other side of the rope is handled by a stronger unit of characters. In The Princess and the Frog, all of Tiana's problems start when she agrees to try and help Prince Naveen. She is turned into a frog and is almost killed numerous times. Because of her difficulties working on a team, she probably wouldn't survive the Tug of War portion of the games.
Jasmine - Aladdin (1992)
Jasmine would also fail at the Tug of War game. Although her feisty, confident, and rebellious nature gives her the tenacity to make it quite far in the Squid Game series, her sheltered lifestyle would be her downfall.
Jasmine simply doesn't have the street smarts to help her get very far in the competition. While she shows her agility during her escape from the guards in the marketplace, Aladdin is the one to show her how to move through the gauntlet step-by-step. Throughout the film, she is saved by Aladdin, Raja, or even Genie every time she is put in danger. This indicates that she wouldn't have much luck in making it to the finish line without a lot of extra assistance.
Merida - Brave (2012)
If archery were part of Squid Game, Merida might be the winner. But she wouldn't make it past the Glass Bridge with her untamed nature and overall impulsiveness.
Merida is best known for her willful, defiant attitude, but her sheer determination wouldn't be quite enough. In the fifth round, players are instructed to jump from one glass panel to the next. But the catch is that some pieces are tempered and others are regular glass. Merida would most likely make the wrong decision just like she did when she accidentally turned her mother into a bear.
Eilonwy - The Black Cauldron (1985)
Unlike a lot of the other Disney princesses, Eilonwy, princess in what is often considered Disney’s darkest animated feature, sees plenty of violence and darkness in her young life. She would understand the need to survive better than most princesses would.
Eilonwy has had to fight for her life while most of the early Disney princesses had other people fight for her. She might not be a brilliant strategist, but she’s observant and committed enough to make it pretty far in the game. Where she might see her downfall is in the glass Hopscotch game as she would have difficulty finding her way across the correct panels of glass.
Rapunzel - Tangled (2010)
While Rapunzel would certainly be the underdog of the competition, she would not win. Her energetic, child-like nature may prove to be too fragile to make it to the end of the game.
Rapunzel would most likely make it to the Glass Bridge. However, her lack of real-world experience would get the best of her. When Rapunzel encounters the dangers that Mother Gothel warned her of - such as the bar full of menacing ruffians - she uses her charms to soothe things over. However, in Squid Game, there is no chance to do something like this. It is survival of the fittest, and her dazzling demeanor would be of no use here.
Anna - Frozen (2013)
Anna isn’t a picture-perfect princess. She’s messy and forward and loves a good adventure. She’s also incredibly naive. Anna wouldn’t see betrayal coming until it was too late.
While she would have no problem in the early stages of Squid Game, she would definitely be surprised to find that an opponent in a game like Marbles would be able to take her down while she struggled with the moral quandary of hurting someone she considered a friend.
Elsa - Frozen (2013)
Elsa is all about doing what’s best for everyone else - but, specifically, for her sister. She has a hard time allowing Anna to make her own mistakes because she wants so badly to protect her. If Elsa is in Squid Game at all, it’s likely because she’s there to make sure Anna isn’t, or to protect her.
Elsa would be able to make it pretty far in the games if she wasn’t fighting for herself. There’s nothing she wouldn’t do for Anna. If, however, she was ever forced to go up against her own sister in the game, Elsa would definitely sacrifice herself for Anna.
Kida - Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
Kida grew up in a society cut off from the outside world, one that protected their traditions and their secrets with magic as much as they did soldiers. She would fight to preserve that, even in an arena like Squid Game.
Kida inspires a lot of confidence in those around her, which means it would likely be easy for her to gather allies within the barracks where players live. That would give her an edge over those competitors who didn’t have other players backing them up. When it got to the point of her betraying a trusted ally in a game like Marbles, however, she wouldn’t want to move forward, and her opponent might be able to one-up her.
Belle - Beauty And The Beast (1991)
Belle would probably make it all the way to the last contest. However, this final match would prove to be her demise due to her soft heart.
The last contest in the Squid Game series is the Squid Game. Based on a real Korean children's game, teams are divided into defense and offense. Defense players can run around on two feet, and offense players can only hop on one foot. Since Belle has showcased her agility and coordination on the ice, this wouldn't be an issue for her. Her downfall at this point would be her selflessness. Just like when she went back to the castle to help the Beast against Gatson, Belle would go back to help her opponent to the finish line.
Raya - Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
If any Disney princess is a survivor, it’s Raya. Forced to live on the run after a mistake made as a child, Raya basically raised herself to become a warrior. She took the teachings of her father and became an accomplished fighter and someone who can quickly recognize patterns and investigate mysterious circumstances.
That all means that Raya would excel in the actual game play of Squid Games. While she does prefer to work alone, she isn’t completely against working with other players as well. It would be hard for her to betray someone in the end though, and depending on who she was up against in the end, she would be just as likely to sacrifice herself for their happiness as she would be to fight for her own survival.
Namaari - Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
While Namaari didn’t have to go on the run in Raya and the Last Dragon, she was also trained to be a warrior. She and Raya have a lot of the same skills, and the two even eventually go from enemies after the same thing to allies who can share their success.
Namaari has been raised to always put her own people first, so if her place in Squid Game involved fighting for her kingdom, she would let nothing stop her from getting to the end. If it was solely about her own survival though, her own doubts about her abilities might creep in and prevent her from winning the whole thing just as they did nearly every time she was tasked with getting to Raya by her mother.
Anya - Anastasia (1997)
Anya isn’t an officially recognized Disney princess, but with the FOX distributed Anastasia now owned by Disney, she does belong to the latter’s catalog of characters. Like Raya and Namaari, Anya was a survivor who would do what it took.
Anya is one of the few Disney princesses to go one-on-one with the villain of her movie as well. Most princesses end up fighting alongside others, but Anya ends up saving Dimitri’s life from Rasputin and ending the sorcerer’s magic. She would stand up for herself, all the way to the end of the games.
Mulan - Mulan (1998)
The Disney Princess who would excel in the Squid Game series is Mulan. Although she is poised as clumsy, awkward, and impulsive in the beginning of her story, her experience fighting against the Hun army gives her an edge in the competition.
Mulan's independent, ambitious, and sneaky characteristics shine throughout the tournament, and she is able to make it all the way to the final game. Just like at the Emperor's palace, she would be the most likely Princess to fight her way to the squid's head, tap it, and yell out "Victory!' to win.