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All the hype is currently around the highly anticipated Little Mermaid live-action feature, with Halle Bailey at the helm, while Gamora joins her as an unofficial Disney Princess in Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout! (although this particular plot is animated and therefore excludes this gorgeous green gal from the list). Comments will not be passed on Azula’s performance in the abysmal live-action version of Avatar, The Last Airbender, as she has a chance for redemption in the new Netflix series (which will hopefully debut in 2023).
6 Aurora: Maleficent
The age-old tale of Sleeping Beauty is brought back to life with a refreshing twist; however, this time around, the narrative is delivered from the perception of the villainous fairy. While Angelina Jolie clearly steals the spotlight, Elle Fanning manages to hold her own alongside this A-list superstar, allowing the audience to effortlessly fall in love with her charm.
In stark contrast, other viewers are exceptionally frustrated by the girl’s naivety, which, in her defense, is likely a result of her isolated upbringing (and arguably a vital element of her character design). Aurora’s optimism is enough to inspire even the Dark Mistress to take a break from her melancholy, as Elle perfectly personifies the innocent, kind-natured characteristics expected from the Princess Ulstead (and Queen of the Moors).
5 Princess Jasmine: Aladdin
Even though Princess Jasmine is technically a side character in the highly celebrated pauper-to-prince story, Naomi Scott’s mere presence in any Aladdin scene demands that all eyes are glued to her, as she is simply the picture of perfection!
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Jasmine’s cheeky attitude and sharp tongue make her the perfect role model for young Princess-loving girls; it accurately portrays that women can stand up for what they believe in, even if it goes against the grain of society’s expectations. There is no lipsynching involved during Jasmine’s singing in Aladdin, as Scott personally makes some worthwhile contributions to the Disney soundtrack, with her rendition of Speechless debuting on the Billboard Top 100 in 2018.
4 Anne Hathaway as Mia Thermopolis: The Princess Diaries
While Mia may not possess incredible superpowers or attract birds to her side with the power of song, she does have an animal companion (Fat Louie) and a royal bloodline, not to mention one of the funniest Princess reveal stories in cinematic history!
The gangly, awkward, geeky girl isn’t winning any popularity contests at Grove High School; however, Mia begins to attract some unwanted attention (and a couple of highly-sought after flirting sessions) after discovering that she is next in line to inherit the Genovian Throne. She must first survive a crash course in etiquette during a Finishing School Boot Camp run by her long lostGrand-mère and her trusty assistant Joe, and to say that Anne Hathaway is hilariously charming through the whole ordeal is a grand understatement!
3 Letitia Wright as Princess Shuri: Black Panther
The Princess of Wakanda was always meant to take over the reins as Black Panther (during the Dark Reign era), so as heartbreaking as Chadwick Boseman’s untimely passing is, it is not the reason behind her ascension to superhero status. Shuri’s introduction to the MCU in 2018 emphasizes how sassy and smart T’Challa’s beloved younger sister is, allowing her to assimilate into the spotlight with ease in Wakanda Forever.
RELATED: Things Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Sets Up For The Future Of The MCU
The innovative and brave scientist uses her genius-level intellect to develop a thorough understanding of Vibranium and how best to use it in her engineering exploits, creating some of the most revolutionary equipment for Wakanda (and some lucky heroes too!) Shuri proves that powerful women can have brains, brawn, and beauty (without having to compromise to compensate for the male ego).
2 Gal Gadot as Princess Diana: Wonder Woman
1 Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia: Star Wars
The most iconic on-screen sci-fi princess of all time can be identified purely by her eye-catching hairstyle and flowing white ensemble (or by the memorable titillating golden bikini) and even caused a spike in Leia-related baby names after the Star Wars debut in 1977. Ironically, she does not inherit her Princess status through her mother, Queen Amidala, but rather through her adoptive family, who just so happened to be royals, too (of the Alderaan High Court).
As one of the fiercest female warriors to lead the Rebel Alliance, Leia clearly inherited her mother’s diplomacy and father’s inability to conform to standards; Carrie Fisher did a stellar job empowering women in a predominantly male-dominated genre and has cemented her status in history as a top-tier Rebel Princess.
MORE: Star Wars: Most Awesome Things Princess Leia Did (Outside Of The Movies)
