From the mind of Mindy Kaling, Netflix's Never Have I Ever takes the American high school experience and shares it through the lens of being in a family of Indian immigrants. As protagonist Devi navigates her teenage years, she has to deal with a strict family and a whole lot of mistakes.
Considering how obsessed Devi is with her social status and romantic flings, her life isn't exactly like a Disney movie. She does have one missing parent and plenty of obstacles in her way though, which is why it's not too difficult to find animated Disney characters that do in fact match up nicely with plenty of the cast of characters in Devi's life.
Updated on August 19th, 2022 by Amanda Bruce: With the introduction of new characters in the second and third seasons of Never Have I Ever, Devi’s circle of friends (and antagonists) has grown while her character grows as well. That means there are even more people in Devi’s circle who share traits with Disney characters, including Season 3’s Des.
Aneesa: Namaari
Aneesa is someone who just wants to feel a connection with someone. She tries to make friends, but their differences make her and Devi temporary enemies after her introduction. She doesn’t quite have the same sense of duty that Namaari of Raya And The Last Dragon has, but the way her relationship plays out with Devi and her friends isn’t that different.
Like Namaari, Aneesa earns Devi’s trust over time, and like Namaari, she becomes one of the closest friends of someone who might have considered her a rival. While Namaari has to find a path for herself outside of her mother’s control, Aneesa finds a path for herself outside of her romantic relationships.
Des: Prince Charming
In Season 3, Devi gets a new love interest in Des. In a lot of ways, he’s her perfect match. He doesn’t find her interests strange, shares a lot of the same academic goals as her, and even has a similar cultural background as they’re both being raised by incredibly successful women from India who want the best for them.
Des seems like Devi’s Prince Charming because he’s exactly what she didn’t know she was looking for, and he’s someone who sees her when the others in her school don’t. Their relationship might not work out the way the Prince and Cinderella do, but that’s largely because of Des’ own loyalty to his mother, not because he’s a bad person.
Manish: Kristoff
At first glance, fans might want to compare Manish to one of Disney’s animated mentors, but he’s actually a better fit for Frozen’s Kristoff than he is a teacher like Merlin (The Sword In The Stone) or Phil (Hercules).
That’s because Manish is someone who believes in the abilities of those he cares about, but he also isn’t going to shy away from calling them out when he disagrees with them. Kristoff is always unflinchingly supportive of Anna, but he also isn’t one to hide his opinion from her - or her sister. He also wants what’s best for her, even when he thinks that might not be him. Manish doesn’t push Kamala like some of her other suitors do, and while he clearly has a crush on her once he meets her, he’s also willing to just be friends with her until she shows an interest in him.
Paxton: Gaston
Paxton isn't exactly the villain of the series. For instance, he's not as bad as Gaston, who incites a riot when the woman he expects to love him isn't interested. However, he does still have quite a bit in common with the character.
He's used to things coming easy to him, not initially putting a lot of stock in academic pursuits. He's also used to everyone giving him attention, though he doesn't have to work for it. The difference is Paxton has a good heart even if he acts like a jerk on occasion in Never Have I Ever. He's who Gaston would be if Gaston got a redemption arc.
Trent: Lefou
If Paxton is Gaston, then Trent is most certainly LeFou. He's Paxton's biggest cheerleader, even if he doesn't realize that he would be better put to use helping Paxton study than getting him loaded before a big test.
Trent is the quintessential Disney movie sidekick. He makes silly mistakes, but imparts a few surprising gems of wisdom in the middle of his antics. Trent is also a pretty loyal wingman. He's incredibly distraught when the possibility of Paxton attending college away from him is brought up since the two are as close as family.
Nalini: Triton
Though she cares about Devi very much, Nalini shows it by trying to keep her daughter in check. She's incredibly strict with her, not wanting Devi to get hurt or in trouble, and her leash simply tightens after the loss of Devi's father instead of giving Devi her own space to breathe.
She might as well be Triton, the king of the seven seas in Disney's The Little Mermaid. Though Triton has seven daughters to look after, Ariel is the one who gives him the most trouble, and who he most tries to keep an eye on - by assigning someone to look after her at all times. If Nalini could get her own Sebastian to follow Devi around, she would.
Eleanor: Anna
Eleanor is the most dramatic of Devi's friends, and that's largely because she spends so much of her time honing her craft in her journey to become an actress. She's excited about everything, and quick to jump to conclusions where Devi's complicated social schemes are concerned.
That excitability - and her tendency to be all in with people she cares about - scream Frozen's Anna. She and Anna both work to pull the other women in their life back from the edge of horrible mistakes as well.
Fabiola: Luca
Luca is a newer addition to Disney's animated characters as his self-titled Pixar movie debuted on Disney Plus in 2021. The character is a bit timid at first, not wanting to step outside his comfort zone, but ultimately, his curiosity, fierce friendships, and love of learning help break him out of his shell.
Fabiola is a lot like him in those respects. It's hard for her to accept changes in her life, and she's initially terrified of her social groups and her mom mixing - especially when it comes to her new girlfriend. Like Luca, however, just how much those close to her care about her, and Fabiola's love for learning new things, provide a foundation for her to deal with change.
Kamala: Jasmine
Kamala knows what she wants in life. She doesn't want to give up her love of science to enter an arranged marriage with someone who will want her to be a housewife. She fights hard to have the things she wants, even living with her aunt to pursue her doctorate.
Much like Aladdin's Jasmine, certain expectations are placed on Kamala. Jasmine doesn't just want to be someone's prize, but wants to take care of her country in her own right, though that's better demonstrated in Disney's live action version of the story. Both women use their knowledge of the antagonists in their lives to manipulate situations in their favor - at least temporarily.
Dr. Ryan: Jiminy Cricket
Dr. Ryan isn't just Devi's therapist. She's a woman who tells it like it is and provides a grounding, moral perspective for a teenager who is more preoccupied with her social standing than most.
Her tendency to remind Devi of right and wrong, acting as the conscience Devi tries to avoid, makes her very similar to Jiminy Cricket. The cricket provided Pinocchio with advice, though the puppet was too caught up in his own wishes to think about the consequences sometimes.
Mohan: Mufasa
Mohan and Mufasa aren't solely alike because they tragically and suddenly leave their children behind. Instead, Mohan has Mufasa as his Disney counterpart as a result of the idealized view of him that his child has and just how beloved he is.
Memories of Mohan are what get Devi through stressful times in her life, though she also continues to grieve his absence all the same. Mohan is the parent she was closest to, the one dispensing advice, and the one giving her a little more freedom to be herself. Like Mufasa, he tries to make responsibilities fun for his kid, and he leaves a large hole in her life.
Ben: Aladdin
Ben is actually quite difficult to pin down a Disney counterpart for. He's not the stereotypical Disney prince who saves the day. Instead, he's a bit of a schemer, though he wouldn't want to admit it. Ben's definitely got the brain that could trick a royal family into believe he was a visiting prince. He also, however, has the heart to know that he'd have to give up the ruse eventually.
Ben even pines for the girl he can't help hiding a part of himself from and keeps trying to help her pick up the pieces of her life. The best fit for Ben might just be Aladdin, though he'd be more likely to use a genie to help him study in school instead of getting him new clothes.
Devi: Rapunzel
Devi is not a cookie-cutter Disney character. There's no disputing that. Like Ben, she's hard to find the perfect Disney counterpart for. She's got the stubbornness of Moana, the rebelliousness of Brave's Merida, and the intelligence of Beauty and the Beast's Belle. Ultimately, however, she's also a teenage girl who feels like she's been locked in a cage and wants to follow her dreams. Her dreams just happen to include a better social status and a cute boyfriend instead of lanterns on the water.
That feeling of being trapped equates well with Tangled's Rapunzel. Devi might not be in an actual tower, but she pushes herself to be the daughter she thinks her mother wants her to be while she secretly tries to be someone completely different. She excels at nearly everything she puts her mind to, just like Rapunzel, and she finds herself able to charm the exact people she tries to push away.