Once upon a time, Disney princess movies required their title characters to look pretty, sing a song, and wait for a handsome prince to save them. These days, the princesses get to save themselves more often than not. They are their own superheroes, as it were.
Fans have long loved the idea of mashing up two concepts, and Disney’s princesses and the superhero ideal are the perfect match. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like if Snow White was a caped crusader or a princess lineup took the place of the Avengers, fan artists have you covered. There’s a large variety of designs inspired by the two.
Superhero Snow White By DeathByBacon
Deviant Art user DeathByBacon took inspiration from a cosplay group to create sketches of several princesses as superheroes - and give them all a bit of backstory.
Snow White as the step daughter of an evil sorceress who finds a way to help people with her ability to talk to animals sounds just about right. Her original princess gown provides a great framework for her superhero attire.
Princesses Of Power: Tiana By Brodiehbrockie
Brodiehbrockie has a series of faux comic book covers on Deviant Art featuring Disney princesses. Taking into account how comic book art styles shift over time, each princess featured is designed with a uniform that would have been in style when her movie was released - or when these faux covers would have been published.
In the case of The Princess And The Frog’s Tiana, she’s a shapeshifter in 2009 with a sleek suit befitting her skills.
Sailor Sun By Mayorto
Most superhero fans think of mainstream comic book characters like the Avengers or Justice League when they think of heroes. There is, however, a wide variety of superheroes out there in pop culture, like the Sailor Senshi of Sailor Moon.
Artist Mayorto took the idea of a team of powerful women and applied it to the Disney princesses. Instead of Sailor Moon, this team is led by Rapunzel as Sailor Sun and filled out by most of the Disney princesses, with only a few missing from the lineup.
Esmeralda As Scarlet Witch By CB Original Design
Artist CB Original Design only has a handful of pieces on Deviant Art from the last few years, but they all combine the idea of Disney princesses with superheroes. In this case, it’s Esmeralda from The Hunchback Of Notre Dame with the power of the Scarlet Witch.
Both characters have Romani heritage, which is likely what inspired this particular match up. Esmeralda would have no problem using Scarlet Witch’s abilities to improve the lives of the people around her.
Ariel The Superhero By Byakko-777
If The Little Mermaid were more like Aquaman instead, this piece of artwork might be the result. Byakko-777 imagines a version of the Disney princess that does more than pine for a prince and adventure.
This version of Ariel gets to keep her legs so she can better act as an emissary for her people to humans on land. She’s also got her own trident, not unlike her father’s, to aid in her abilities.
Mulan: Savior Of China By Ariart09
Mulan isn’t technically a princess in her animated movie. She does, however, hold an honorary place in the princess lineup as a result of her films. She’s probably the closest a Disney princess can get to being a superhero already.
The design of Ariart09’s piece takes Mulan out of her animation style and puts her in different warrior garb. Able to channel the spirits of her ancestors, Mulan would be ready to go up against any villain.
Disney’s Avengers By PickyPepper
Some fans have already jokingly referenced the Avengers as Disney princesses since Marvel Studios is under the Disney umbrella, but this piece of art makes that a reality.
Aurora, Megara, Mulan, Belle, Ariel, and Merida each take one of the spots of the original Marvel Cinematic Universe lineup in PickyPepper’s art. Belle certainly has Bruce Banner’s love of learning, and Merida could give Hawkeye a run for his money with her bow skills, so these seem like fitting matchups.
Moana The Shark Ranger By AngryZenMaster
Much like the Sailor Senshi, the Sentai, or Power Rangers are a kind of superhero that often get overlooked in discussions of heroes. Not by this artist!
Twitter’s AngryZenMaster brought one of Disney’s youngest heroines into the Power Rangers fold. He made Moana into the Shark Ranger. It seems fitting for a young woman who loved the water so much that she took a hero’s journey across it to embody a shark in this way.
Anna And Elsa In The Finger Snap By Shibamura-Prime
Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers have always been as close as brothers, except for during that pesky mind control thing. It makes sense that an artist would depict a pair of sisters in their superhero uniforms then.
Shibamura-Prime took one of the most iconic moments of Avengers: Infinity War and brought Frozen’s Anna and Elsa into it. Just like Steve’s Captain America, there’s definitely nothing Elsa wouldn’t do to save Anna (Bucky). If Thanos’ snap took Anna away, Frozen would be a whole different movie.
Pink Ranger Princess Jasmine By The Imaginative Hobbyist
Naomi Scott brought the Pink Ranger to the screen in a remake of the classic 90s version of Power Rangers. She also brought Princess Jasmine into live action in the Aladdin remake. That’s why it’s a little surprising that there aren’t more artists who have combined the two ideas.
Over on Tumblr, The Imaginative Hobbyist did just that with this piece, placing the animated Jasmine’s facial design into the rebooted Power Rangers helmet. Looks like a perfect fit.