ThroughoutDisney’sjourney of turning its beloved animated features into live-action adaptations, seven Disney princesses have been brought to life on the big screen, and this is how they rank. Although Disney released its first live-action adaptation back in the 1990s,the live-action trendreally took off for the company in 2015 with the successful release ofCinderella.From there,Disney took it upon itself to adapt all of its animated classics into live-action, fromBeauty and the Beastto its most recent project,Snow White.Unfortunately, these films have seen varying degrees of success.
The main issue (or benefit) that affects Disney’s live-action adaptations is accuracy versus freshness. Whilesome live-action Disney movies work hard to remain mostly accurate to the source material,others go out of their way to change the story. Regardless of which path Disney goes down, each movie receives heavy scrutiny and has the chance to be either a big success or an embarrassing flop. Ultimately, this is what affectsDisney’s live-action princessesthe most. Their reception relies on how they compare to the original, and what new elements they bring to the table.
7Mulan
A Completely Different Character
At the bottom of the live-action Disney princess list would have to be Mulan. Originally released in 1998,Mulantells the story ofa young Chinese woman who pretends to be a man to join the army, taking the place of her ill father.Along the way, Mulan makes friends, falls in love, and learns what it means to be yourself. Ultimately, 2020’s live-actionMulansticks to this general premise, but removes the movie’s most lovable parts, including Mushu, Shang, and the music.
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Mulan herself may be one of the most disappointing parts of the live-action movie. Actress Yifei Liu gave a strong performance, but it could not make up for the fact thatMulan herself lacked all the wittiness and ferocity that made her so compelling in the original. As a result of trying to make Mulan more of a strong soldier type, 2020’sMulantook away her most human qualities. Worse, it went back onMulan’soriginal themes, i.e. soldiers must be vulnerable and true to themselves as well as good fighters.
6Aurora/Briar Rose
Good But Not The Star
This next live-action princess is not a bad representation, but simply isn’t that memorable. In 2014, Disney madeMaleficent,a live-action spinoff of 1959’sSleeping Beauty,which frames the evil fairy Maleficent as an antihero rather than a true villain. In the film, viewers see the violent conflicts that occurred between Maleficent and Briar Rose’s ancestors, which led her to cast a curse on the child. Later, however,Maleficent and Briar Rose form a sweet and loving bond.
Perhaps if Disney were to make a live-actionSleeping Beauty,the character would be more effective.
By no means isElle Fanning’s portrayal of Briar Rosebad. In fact, she breathes life into the animated character, fully embodying her curiosity and kindness. However, Briar Rose is not the lead character ofMaleficent,and as a result, isn’t exactly the best live-action princess. In the shadow of Maleficent,Briar Rose comes across as rather dull and unexciting. Perhaps if Disney were to make a live-actionSleeping Beauty,the character would be more effective.
5Snow White
A Perfect Yet Controversial Pick
Next up is Disney’s most recent live-action princess, Snow White. 2025’sSnow Whitereimagines 1937’sSnow White and the Seven Dwarfsby having the young Snow White be the daughter of fair and beloved leaders who, after their deaths, are replaced by the cruel Evil Queen. With the help of the dwarfs and some local rebels,Snow White fights for her life and for the happiness of her people.Notably,Snow Whitehas been incredibly controversial, yet the princess herself is a bright spot.
40% - Critics
73% - Audience
Regardless of the issues surrounding Rachel Zegler’s casting and political views, she is a very good Snow White. She not only fits the role physically, taking on Snow White’s iconic looks, but she also elevates the princess in several noticeable ways. Her voice is fantastic, andshe gives Snow White more purpose, while also maintaining her classic sweetness.No matter how audiences feel about the movie itself, Zegler deserves props for her heartfelt performance.
4Jasmine
A Strong Update To The Original
Another actress who succeeded at updating her Disney princess character was Naomi Scott as Jasmine. Released in 2019, Disney’s live-actionAladdinmostly sticks to the original story ofa poor young man in the fictional city of Agrabah who stumbles upon a genie who grants him three wishes. As a result, Aladdin finds himself hunted down by the sultan’s advisor, Jafar, while also falling in love with the sultan’s daughter, the fierce princess Jasmine. The movie received mixed reviews from critics but was well-loved by audiences.
A definite highlight of 2019’sAladdinwas Jasmine. As Disney tends to do with their live-action remakes,Aladdinimproved upon its story by giving Jasmine more agency and more screentime. Already, Jasmine is a beloved character because of her outspoken nature, but Scott made her even more aggressive and willing to stand up for herself. Plus,Jasmine gets a new song in the remake which Scott nails. All in all,Aladdinoffers up a solid live-action rendering of this Disney princess.
3Belle
A Beautiful & Accurate Performance
In the upper echelons of Disney’s live-action princesses is Belle from 2017’sBeauty and the Beast.Staying close to the original story,Beauty and the Beastfollows Belle,a young woman from France who is bookish and dreams of exploring the world. When her inventor father goes missing near the castle of a terrible beast, she ventures out to save him and ends up the beast’s captive. Soon enough, she discovers that her keeper is more human than monster, and the real evil may be in the village she left behind.
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Emma Watson offers a gorgeous rendition of Belle. Although her voice doesn’t quite match up to that of Paige O’Hara in the 1991 original, the rest of her performance is spot-on. She aces Belle’s sass and intelligence, and lives up to the princess’s overwhelming kindness. Joined by other talented actors, 2017’s live-actionBelle is a great example of a well-done Disney princess.
2Ariel
An Elevated Portrayal
A Disney princess who truly measured up to her animated counterpart is 2023’s Ariel. In the live-actionThe Little Mermaid,Ariel is the youngest daughter of King Triton, and dreams of going to the surfaceto learn more about humans. She makes a deal with the wicked witch Ursula, and manages to naturally fall in love with Prince Eric. Yet, Ariel’s hopes come into danger when Ursula sabotages her to keep her voice forever.
There is no doubt that Halle Bailey’s casting as Ariel caused backlash from certain audience members, but at the end of the day, Bailey gave a fantastic performance.
There is no doubt thatHalle Bailey’s castingas Ariel caused backlash from certain audience members, but at the end of the day, Bailey gave a fantastic performance.She did justice to Ariel’s original songs and successfully showed her emotions through her faceand body language, as most of the movie sees her voiceless. Beyond that, 2023’s Ariel gets more time to develop her relationship with Eric, and she explores a far more interesting world, making her one of the better live-action princesses.
1Cinderella
A Classic Disney Princess
The live-action Disney princess that set the standardfor all those to come, and who gave a near-perfect performance, is Cinderella. First released in 2015,Cinderellatells the story of the titular young woman who is forced to be the maid of her cruel stepmotherand stepsisters. However, with the help of her fairy godmother, Cinderella is given one night to attend the prince’s ball where she falls in love with him.
Lily James was the ideal choice to play Cinderella, and the movie proves it. She is graceful, kind, and as whimsical as a Disney character should be. Often, live-action adaptations can take away the fun and magic that is inherent in animation, but this isn’t true forCinderella.James' portrayal harks back to the original animationin a way that makes her irresistible. Hopefully,Disneycan take some cues from this decade-old movie as it continues on its live-action journey.
