Frozen’s Anna is unlike most princesses in Disney’s animated movies, but, surprisingly, she shares a record with a beloved 30-year-old princess. The official group of Disney Princesses is an elite one, and the requirements to become one haven’t been specified, but not every Disney animated Princess can be one. Still, the Princesses in Disney animated movies follow a specific formula that has proven to be quite successful, and even though Frozen’s Anna and Elsa aren’t official Disney Princesses, they check most of the boxes.
Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, Frozen is based on Hans Christian Andersen’s 1844 fairy tale “The Snow Queen.” Frozen introduces Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell), the Princess of Arendelle, and her older sister, Elsa (Idina Menzel). After accidentally unleashing her ice and snow powers, Elsa flees the castle, and Anna sets out to find her. Of course, Anna meets some loyal companions along the way, but she also makes a heartbreaking discovery. Frozen was a huge critical and commercial success and launched a franchise, and now Anna shares a very specific record with a popular Princess.
Frozen’s Anna & Pocahontas Are The Only Disney Princesses With 2 Love Interests
Anna & Pocahontas Had To Choose, & Their Decisions Were Very Different
Back in 1995, Disney released Pocahontas, directed by Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg and very loosely based on the life of the real Pocahontas and the arrival of English colonial settlers. Pocahontas is the daughter of Chief Powhatan, who wants her to marry the warrior Kocoum, who she considers too serious for her. When English settlers arrive, Pocahontas meets Captain John Smith and they fall in love, but their romance unleashes a war between Pocahontas’ tribe and the English, led by greedy Governor Ratcliffe.
Unlike Pocahontas, one of Anna’s love interests turns out to be a villain, who, luckily, gets his punishment.
Just like Pocahontas with Kocoum and John Smith, Anna had two love interests in Frozen. Anna quickly becomes engaged to Prince Hans during Elsa’s coronation, but when she sets out to find Elsa, she meets Kristoff, a kind-hearted iceman. However, and unlike Pocahontas, one of Anna’s love interests turns out to be a villain, who, luckily, gets his punishment. Anna ends up with Kristoff and they live a happy life together, while Pocahontas decides to stay with her tribe while John Smith returns to England to recover from his injuries.
By the end of Frozen 2, Ana becomes Queen of Arendelle after Elsa abdicates.
Merida, Moana, & Raya Are The Only Disney Princesses Without A Love Interest
These Princesses Broke A Big Disney Tradition
Every Disney Princess has at least one love interest, but there are three (official) ones who broke that rule. First was Brave’s Merida, whose story centered on family instead of a love interest, as well as on fighting for the freedom of being who she is and doing what she wants. Moana followed Merida’s steps in her own movie, with her journey being a heroic one also rooted in family and traditions. Raya from Raya and the Last Dragon doesn’t have a love interest, either, with her story also being more family-oriented.
It’s worth noting that Frozen’s Elsa didn’t have a love interest either, but she was only a Princess during the first minutes of her first movie. It’s to be seen if the “rules” for Disney Princesses and the style of their stories and characters will continue to change with future movies, but for now, Anna and Pocahontas share a very specific trend, while Merida, Raya, and Moana broke a big tradition.
