Disney is notorious for its love-at-first-sight storylines, but one theory suggests something more sinister in The Little Mermaid: that Ariel is a siren. These creatures from Greek mythology lure sailors to their death through their songs. It is said that no one can resist the sirens' call, and sailors crash their ships into the rocky islands the sirens inhabit. While the original sirens are sometimes described as a group of bird-like women, over time, the myth evolved to become mermaids, which is the more widely known variation. It isn't the only connection to mythology in this film, either, as others have pointed out that Ariel and Hercules are likely cousins.
The Little Mermaid is an iconic Disney film based on the 1837 Danish fairy tale from Hans Christian Andersen. Its soundtrack and artwork are much-beloved by fans. The plot is simple: a mermaid princess named Ariel (voiced by Jodie Benson) falls in love with Prince Eric (Christopher Daniel Barnes) as he sails through her kingdom. She rescues him from drowning, singing as he awakes, and he falls in love with her. Ariel sells her voice to a witch named Ursula for a pair of legs. Though this plan initially backfires, in the end, she and Eric do live happily ever after. The Disney film changes the original fairytale in which the mermaid dies. However, this siren theory brings back some of that darkness.
According to a theory (via Reddit), The Little Mermaid's plot proves Ariel is a siren. Perhaps the film's most iconic scene is her perched on a rock, singing to Eric, just like a siren. It's after this scene that Eric becomes obsessed with finding Ariel. Possibly he has heard her siren song and now feels compelled to go to her. After selling her voice, Eric refuses to believe Ariel is the same woman who rescued him. He sees her song as her defining trait. When Ursula reappears later in the film using Ariel's voice, Eric seems to be under a spell, marrying her almost instantly. This not only suggests that the voice is what is enchanting Eric but that Ursula is aware of Ariel's power.
This theory is so acceptable that even Supernatural has a siren named after Disney's Ariel. Ariel is one of seven sisters, all of whom are beloved singers in their kingdom. Her voice is said to be the most beautiful of them all and perhaps, therefore, the most powerful. The number of sisters and the focus on music both fits well into siren mythology. There seems to be a real hatred towards humans in the film. King Tritan often becomes angry with Ariel for interacting with the human world, calling it "barbaric." Even when Ariel explores a sunken ship, she remarks, "Isn't it fantastic?," suggesting maybe she likes the site of human tragedy. She loots the site for artifacts, which could actually be trophies from her victims.
The Disney Renaissance changed the princesses for the worse, making young girls like Ariel obsessed with finding a husband. Her desire to be with him means she's willing to sell her voice, but she seems powerless and a bit lost. Her instincts for seduction no longer work. A siren's greatest asset is her song, and Ariel has been robbed of her power. Early in the film, Eric's ship pilots into a thunderstorm while Ariel speaks to her friends. This is a rookie mistake for a sailor, meaning her voice is so powerful that even hearing it distantly enchanted Eric enough to sink his ship.
While Disney might have a reputation for being family-friendly, its source material often isn't. The company tries to keep its image so clean that official Disney princesses have no magic. Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid was about unrequited love and ended with the tragic death of the protagonist. It's entirely possible that Disney decided to sneak a little bit of darkness into this film. Perhaps this movie isn't about two people from different worlds falling in love, but instead, it's about a killer falling for their victim.