List of Disney's The Little Mermaid characters

This article lists information of animated characters from Disney's The Little Mermaid franchise, covering the 1989 film, its prequel TV series, its direct-to-video sequel and prequel films, and the stage musical adaptation.

The Little Mermaid

Ariel

Ariel is the title character of the franchise, save the second film in which she is a secondary character. Ariel is voiced by Jodi Benson and designed by Glen Keane. Ariel is the seventh-born and the youngest daughter of King Triton and Queen Athena of the merfolk, and over the course of the original film becomes human and marries Prince Eric, a human. She is the only Disney Princess to reach parenthood in Disney's animated film canon.

Prince Eric

Prince Eric
First appearance The Little Mermaid (1989)
Last appearance The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (2000)
Created by Hans Christian Andersen (original story)
Ron Clements and John Musker (adaptation)
Portrayed by Gil McKinney (Once Upon a Time)
Voiced by C.D. Barnes (1989 film and Kingdom Hearts II)
Jeff Bennett (TV series)
Rob Paulsen (The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea)

Prince Eric is based on the "prince" character of Hans Christian Andersen's story "The Little Mermaid" but adapted by the writer-directors Ron Clements and John Musker for the film adaptation. According to the film's official novelization, Eric had just turned 18 in the film, which would make him two years older than Ariel.[1] Eric is voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes in the original film and Kingdom Hearts II, by Jeff Bennett in the prequel television series, and by Rob Paulsen in the direct-to-video sequel. For the original film, Joshua Finkel acted opposite Sherri Stoner as Ariel in providing live-action references for the animators.

Eric is a human prince who is rescued by Ariel when he almost drowns in a storm at sea. Ariel drags him to shore and sings to him, but before he can fully regain consciousness, Max and his servant Grimsby arrive, forcing Ariel to dive underwater. Eric is haunted by Ariel's voice, and searches the kingdom for her to no avail. When he crosses paths with Ariel again, she has traded her voice for legs, and though he initially finds her familiar, her lack of a voice makes him think that she cannot be the girl who rescued him. However, he brings her back to his palace and they spend time together. Eric develops feelings for Ariel, but before he can approach her about them, Ursula, disguised as a human girl named Vanessa, arrives and magically hypnotizes Eric into forgetting about Ariel and believing that she Vanessa is the one who saved his life. Eric almost marries Vanessa, but Ariel and her friends intervene, breaking Ursula's spell and restoring Ariel's voice to her. Eric realizes that Ariel is the girl he has been looking for, but before they can kiss, the sun sets and Ursula claims Ariel. Eric goes after them, diving into the sea to help Ariel. In the battle that follows, Eric climbs on to a ship and charges it towards Ursula, plunging the splintered prow into her belly. Eric manages to reach the shore, and when he wakes, he sees Ariel, transformed back into a human, and the two embrace. The film ends with their wedding.

Eric makes cameo appearances in three episodes of the prequel television series: Thingamajigger (a non-speaking appearance) Scuttle and Ariel's Treasures.

In the 2000 direct-to-video sequel, Eric is a supporting character. Although he and Ariel are happily married, they are threatened by the sea witch Morgana, who wishes to avenge her dead sister, Ursula. He and Ariel decide to keep raise their daughter Melody away from the sea, and keeping her merfolk heritage secret.

In the 2007 Broadway musical, the role of Eric was originated by Sean Palmer. It is explained through dialogue that Eric's father has died, and it is Grimsby's duty to help Eric find a bride so he can return to the throne properly, despite Eric's affinity for exploring the seas. Eric contributes singing vocals to the opening song "Fathoms Below", and performs two solo songs: "Her Voice", a song about Eric's obsession with Ariel's voice that had been written for the original film but discarded, and "One Step Closer", a new song where Eric helps Ariel express herself through dance. Eric also provides vocals in the quartet "If Only", where he expresses confusion over his attraction to Ariel, and his fear that if he finds the girl with the right voice, he might lose Ariel. A new subplot in the stage musical is a singing competition where the eligible princesses in all the land are invited to sing for Eric. The princesses perform in the song "The Contest", which is set to the tune of Ariel's song "Part of Your World". At the end of the performance, Ariel dances for Eric, and he chooses her. The role was also performed by Drew Seeley.

Prince Eric appears in season three of the ABC series Once Upon A Time, where is played by actor Gil McKinney. He first appears in the episode "Ariel" in which he was rescued by Ariel from drowning, and Ariel has used her once-in-a-year ability to gain legs to see him at his ball. Eric is enchanted by Ariel at the ball, commenting that she appears familiar to him. Eric invites Ariel to join him on an expedition around the world which is leaving the following morning. He waits for her as long as he is able, but she doesn't come to him due to events beyond her control. It is later revealed that Eric was transported to the town of Storybrooke after The Evil Queen/Regina Mills cast a curse over his land. Ariel, who now has the ability to become human whenever she wants, later finds Eric working as a fisherman in Storybrooke and the two of them reunite.

Sebastian

Main article: Sebastian (Disney)

Sebastian is a red Jamaican crab and a servant of King Triton, and also his main musical composer. His main song is "Under The Sea." He is voiced by Samuel E. Wright.

Flounder

Flounder
First appearance The Little Mermaid (1989)
Last appearance The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (2000)
The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning (2008)
Created by Ron Clements & John Musker
Voiced by Jason Marin (1989 film & Sebastian From The Little Mermaid album)
Edan Gross & Bradley Pierce (TV series)
Veronica Taylor (Little Mermaid's Island)
Cam Clarke (sequel)
Anthony Skillman (Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey)
Parker Goris (prequel film, Kingdom Hearts series)

Flounder is a bright yellow and blue colored tropical fish (despite the name, he is not a flounder) and Ariel's best friend, voiced by Jason Marin in the 1989 film, who also provided vocals in-character for the tie-in music album Sebastian From The Little Mermaid. Flounder scares easily, and is prone to panicking under stressful situations like a single shark breaching the sunken ship, but when Ariel is in trouble, he comes through for her without hesitation. In the film he is the only character to give unconditional support for Ariel's fascination with human things, and at one point gives Ariel a statue of Eric as a gift.

Flounder appears in all the episodes of the prequel television series, sharing constant adventures with Ariel and in the episode The Evil Manta shown how he first met Ariel when they were children. According to the television series, Flounder's real name is Guppy Number 35. In the series, he is voiced by Edan Gross and Bradley Pierce.

Flounder also appears in Jim Henson's Little Mermaid's Island where he has a twin sister named Sandy and is voiced by Veronica Taylor.

Flounder has a small role in The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, where he is reunited with a grown-up Ariel and takes part in the search for Melody. He became a father himself, with five children of his own and he first meets Melody in Morgana's lair. In this film, he is voiced by Cam Clarke.

He has a larger role in The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, which shows an alternate version of how he first meets Ariel and later unknowingly leads her to the Catfish Club. His characterization is notably different in this movie; he does not scare as easily and is much more carefree and high-spirited. He performs beatboxing that kicks off a reprise of "Jump In The Line (Shake, Senora)" when he, Ariel, Sebastian and the Catfish Club Band are on the run from Atlantica. In this film, he is voiced by Parker Goris.

Flounder appears in the Kingdom Hearts series, where his role as Ariel's friend remains. His biggest role in the series is in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, where Ursula kidnapped him to force Ariel to give her the trident. He also sings his part in the song called "A New Day is Dawning". He also appears in Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey as Ariel's sidekick and is voiced by Anthony Skillman. He is also a remote-controlled playable character in the same game seen holding a big conch shell on his head with your help to catch the voice orbs.

At the Disney theme parks, Flounder makes cameo appearances in the Mickey's Philharmagic 3D show and in the Hong Kong Disneyland version of "It's a Small World". He has also appeared in the parks as a walk-around character, but mostly in parades, shows and special events such as "Mickey's Pirate & Princess Party".

Flounder appears in the stage adaptation of The Little Mermaid. His supporting role is similar as in the film, but he does not give Ariel the statue of Eric, and does not help Ariel reach Eric's wedding barge, as the Vanessa subplot has been removed. However, Flounder performs a new song titled "She's in Love", which he sings with Ariel's sisters when they notice that Ariel has been acting "fishy lately". The stage role was originated by Cody Hanford and J.J. Singleton, but the two actors had to leave the show when their height overshot that of Sierra Boggess, who originated Ariel. The role was taken over by Trevor Braun and Brian D'Addario. On the Original Broadway Cast Recording, Brian D'Addario performs as Flounder.

Scuttle

Scuttle
First appearance The Little Mermaid (1989)
Last appearance The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning (2008)
Created by Ron Clements and John Musker
Voiced by Buddy Hackett (film, sequel & The Little Mermaid: Songs from the Sea)
Maurice LaMarche (all other appearances except ride)
Chris Edgerly (The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure)

Scuttle is a seagull and friend of Ariel, voiced by Buddy Hackett in the 1989 film and 2000 sequel. He appears as an expert on human objects with whom Ariel consults about items she salvages, though his identifications consist of nonsense. He wrongly names a fork a "dinglehopper" and says that it is used as a comb, and a smoking pipe a "snarfblatt" while claiming it works like a trumpet. Despite his erroneous information on human things, Scuttle provides support and advice when he learns that Ariel has to win Eric's heart in three days. On the third day, Scuttle is the one who discovers that Vanessa, the woman Eric has decided to marry instead, is actually Ursula. He immediately tells Ariel this information, and helps stall the wedding with help from other marine creatures so to allow Ariel to arrive and confront Eric (as well as smashing Ursula's shell that held Ariel's voice, thus restoring it and freeing Eric from Ursula's spell).

Scuttle appears in a small role in The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, where he helps Ariel find her daughter Melody, who has run away.

Scuttle appears in two episodes of the third season of the prequel television series in which he is voiced by Maurice LaMarche. The episodes he appears in are "Scuttle", where Ariel, Flounder and Sebastian meet him for the first time (in which he claims his name was originally "Scuttlebutt" but he changed it "for obvious reasons"), and "The Island of Fear". In these episodes, Scuttle's explanation of human things is a mixture of correct and erroneous. Scuttle also made a cameo appearance in an episode of Quack Pack.

In The Little Mermaid: Songs from the Sea, Scuttle performs a song called "The Scuttle Strut" on track 3.

Scuttle appears in the stage adaptation of the original film, where he sings two songs: "Human Stuff", where he explains the human things Ariel has brought to him, and "Positoovity", where he encourages a now-human Ariel to be positive in achieving her goal of winning Eric. The role is originated by Eddie Korbich. In the stage musical, Scuttle has a group of seagull friends, and together they perform a tap dance during the "Positoovity" number.

Scuttle has a non-speaking cameo in The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, appearing when Marina is on a rock at the surface (animated the same way with Ariel when she sings a reprise for "Part of Your World") and is splashed by a wave.

Ursula

Ursula appears in the 1989 film and is the main antagonist. She is voiced by Pat Carroll, who also provides her vocals for all the canonical animated media. Ursula is based on the "sea witch/sorceress" character in Hans Christian Andersen's story "The Little Mermaid".

King Triton

King Triton
First appearance The Little Mermaid (1989)
Last appearance The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (2000)
The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning (2008)
Created by Hans Christian Andersen (original story)
Ron Clements & John Musker (adaptation)
Voiced by Kenneth Mars (1989 film, TV series, sequel, Kingdom Hearts series)
Jim Cummings (prequel film)
Aliases The Sea King, Red

King Triton is the Sea King and Ariel's widowed father. In the Hans Christian Andersen version, the sea king is not given a name. In the first two films, the TV series and the Kingdom Hearts games, he was voiced by Kenneth Mars; in the prequel film, he is voiced by Jim Cummings. According to the film's directors Ron Clements and John Musker, the clashes of personality between him and Ariel is because both of them are strong-willed and independent, and it is revealed in the television series that Triton and Ariel are stubborn.[2] Triton wields a powerful trident, which is the source of his apparently unlimited power. The character is inspired by the son of the Greek sea god Poseidon, although the actual Triton is from Greek mythology and has two finned feet.

In The Little Mermaid, Triton is xenophobic toward humans, and Ariel's fascination with humans damages their relationship. According to Triton, it is a crime for merpeople to have contact with humans, and he orders his servant, Sebastian, to watch Ariel. When Triton learns that Ariel saved the life of and fallen in love with a human, he loses his temper and destroys her grotto filled with her collection of human artifacts, over his daughter's objections. Devastated by his recent actions, Triton orders a search for Ariel to apologize, unaware that she has accepted Ursula's deal and become a human. Triton is distraught over his daughter's disappearance, and when Sebastian arrives with news of Ursula's scheme, Triton goes to Ursula, offering to take his daughter's place. He is transformed into a polyp, but when Ursula is killed by Prince Eric, he is restored to his original form and regains both his crown and his trident. Realizing that Ariel truly loves Eric, Triton willingly transforms his daughter back into a human.

Triton is a regular character in the prequel television series, in which he is explicitly called the son of Poseidon. A number of episodes show him getting into conflict with Ariel, but it is always resolved in a positive manner, showing a close relationship between father and daughter. (For example, in the episode Charmed, when Ariel gets a human charm bracelet locked around her wrist, she cannot return because Triton would lose his temper again after he destroyed a magnifying glass she discovered earlier. However, after Ariel gets lost, Triton eventually finds her and uses the key to unlock the bracelet and feels apologetic for his actions). In the episode "Red", Triton regresses into a young merboy, reversing the role as Ariel has to worry and take care of him instead. As a young boy, his nickname is Red, for his red hair. Ironically, as a boy, Triton himself is fascinated with humans and human objects; complete reversal of his xenophobia towards humans as an adult. He sometimes agrees with Ariel in some episodes like "Land of the Dinosaurs", in which he understands that the dinosaurs are good after they have been thawed.

Triton appears in the sequel The Little Mermaid II: Return To The Sea, in which he has learned to trust humans and co-exist with them. His weakness is his love for his granddaughter Melody, which is exploited by Morgana. However, when Triton regains his trident, he traps Morgana in a massive ice cube.

In the 2008 direct-to-DVD prequel The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, the prologue shows King Triton with his wife Queen Athena. Athena is crushed to death by a pirate ship, and a distraught Triton bans music from Atlantica and forces everyone to follow a strict daily schedule. Ariel's free-spirited personality causes a strain on their relationship. He eventually comes to realize his mistakes, pardons Sebastian, lifts the ban on music and appoints Sebastian as his court composer. Jim Cummings replaces Kenneth Mars as the voice of King Triton, due to Mars's pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

In the stage musical, Triton is Ursula's older brother, and reveals that a reason he is overprotective of Ariel is because she reminds him of her late mother. In this version, Triton and Ursula are equals, and when their father died, they were each given equal share of the sea and one magical item each: Triton received the trident and Ursula received a magic Nautilus shell. When Ursula began to abuse her power, Triton exiled her, though he did not take away her Nautilus shell. The musical contains new songs that were written for his character: "That World Above (reprise)" in which he confronts Ariel in her grotto and destroys it, "If Only (quartet)" in which he expresses regret over his behavior towards Ariel, and "If Only (reprise)" in which he lets Ariel go to be with Eric. The stage role is originated by Norm Lewis.

In the Kingdom Hearts series of video games, Triton still plays the role of over-protective father and King of Atlantica. In the first game, his relationship with Ariel becomes strained due to his daughter's desire to see other worlds, and he initially distrusts Sora, Donald and Goofy when they first arrive in Atlantica, having somehow heard of the negative part of the Keyblade legend, but eventually respects Sora when Ursula is defeated and locks the world's keyhole. In Kingdom Hearts II, Triton's relationship with Ariel is strained, this time thanks to Ariel's fascination with the human world. He asks Sora, Donald and Goofy to take part in the music concert with Ariel, but Sora ignores Triton's request and helps Ariel become human to find and fall in love with Eric. He is also part of the song called "A New Day is Dawning". After Ursula is defeated once again, he respectfully bids a final farewell to Sora. He also appears in The Princess and the Frog as a parade float.

Ariel's sisters

Aquata, Andrina, Arista, Attina, Adella and Alana
First appearance The Little Mermaid (1989)
Last appearance The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning (2008)
Created by Hans Christian Andersen (original story)
Ron Clements & John Musker (adaptation)
Voiced by Attina:
Caroline Vasicek (first film)
Kath Soucie (TV episodes)
Christie Houser (Kingdom Hearts II)
Kari Wahlgren (prequel film)
Alana:
Kimmy Robertson (TV episodes and first film)
Jennifer Hale (prequel film)
Adella:
Kimmy Robertson (first film)
Sherry Lynn (TV episodes)
Tara Strong (prequel film)
Aquata:
Caroline Vasicek (first film)
Mona Marshall (TV episodes)
Grey DeLisle (prequel film)
Arista:
Kimmy Robertson (first film)
Mary Kay Bergman (TV episodes)
Grey DeLisle (prequel film)
Andrina:
Kimmy Robertson (first film)
Catherine Cavadini (TV episodes)
Susan Stevens Logan (Kingdom Hearts II)
Tara Strong (prequel film)
Aliases Mersisters

Ariel has six older sisters named Aquata, Andrina, Arista, Attina, Adella and Alana. In the 1989 film, they are voiced by Kimmy Robertson and Caroline Vasicek, and perform the song "Daughters of Triton", in which they announce themselves in the above order. Later on in the film, Andrina, Attina, Adella and Aquata make a brief appearance together with Ariel in what appears to be the palace dressing room meant for all the sisters. In that scene, Ariel emerges from behind a curtain of seaweed swimming dreamily and humming a few lines from "Part of Your World". The sisters notice the change in Ariel's behavior and conclude in front of their father that Ariel is in love. All six sisters appear again in the end of the film together with King Triton, smiling and waving to Ariel after she gets married to Eric.

In the second film, the sisters play a minor role with only Attina, Andrina, Aquata and Adella having dialogue, and Arista appearing in a non-speaking role.

The age order of the sisters is debatable, as various official Disney media that had been released from 1989 onward used the above order as their birth order,[3][4] but the 2008 film The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning states that Attina is the first-born, and the DVD's Vanity Game feature states that the age order is Attina - 21, Alana - 20, Adella - 19, Aquata - 18, Arista - 17, Andrina - 16 and Ariel - 15. But in the film the revealed order is this Aquata - 22, Andrina - 21, Arista - 20, Attina - 19, Adella - 18, Alana - 17 and Ariel - 16.

The sisters appear in the Broadway stage musical version, in which they perform the song "She's in Love" to describe Ariel's new behavior after saving Eric. The sisters also make in-character appearances on the music albums "Songs from the Sea".

Flotsam and Jetsam

Flotsam and Jetsam
First appearance The Little Mermaid (1989)
Created by Hans Christian Andersen (original story)
Ron Clements & John Musker (film adaptation)
Voiced by Paddi Edwards (original)
Corey Burton (Kingdom Hearts series and Disney parks)

Flotsam and Jetsam are Ursula's green moray eel minions, voiced by Paddi Edwards in the 1989 film. They do Ursula's bidding and act as her spies, keeping their eye on the events unfolding in and around Atlantica. They are tasked with following Ariel and reporting her actions back to Ursula. They eventually manipulate Ariel into visiting Ursula in order to gain human legs. They are ultimately killed in the film's climax when Ursula accidentally destroys them with King Triton's trident after Ariel sabotages Ursula's attempt to kill Eric. Out of remorse for killing her minions, Ursula mourns for them before turning her rage towards Ariel and Eric.

Flotsam and Jetsam appear in the prequel television series alongside Ursula. They also appear in the Broadway stage musical, where the roles were originated by Tyler Maynard and Derrick Baskin.

Grimsby

Grimsby is Prince Eric's manservant and confidant. He is voiced by Ben Wright in the original film. In the opening scene, Grimsby is shown as not having the stomach for the sea, and dismisses the sailors' stories about merpeople living under the sea. Through dialogue, Grimsby reveals that he worries for Eric, and has been hoping that the prince will settle down with the right girl. For Eric's birthday, Grimsby presents a statue he had commissioned of Eric in a dramatic pose. Though Eric and Max disapprove of the statue, Grimsby is proud of it. Later, when Ariel has become human, Grimsby grows fond of her and encourages Eric to give up his dream girl for one "of flesh and blood".

Grimsby appears briefly in the sequel, in which he is voiced by Kay E. Kuter.

In the 2007 stage musical adaptation, Grimsby says that the reason he wants Eric to marry is because he (Grimsby) had made a promise to Eric's late father to ensure it. Though Grimsby is reluctant to believe Eric's story of being saved from drowning by a girl, he comes up with the idea of holding a contest in which the princesses of the land are to sing for Eric, in the hopes that one of them will be the right girl. In the stage musical, the role is originated by Jonathan Freeman.

Max

Max is an Old English Sheepdog and Prince Eric's pet. Unlike all the other animals in the film, Max is minimally anthropomorphic and does not speak in the human language. Max's barking and growling is provided by Frank Welker throughout his animated incarnations.

During Eric's birthday celebration, Max catches Ariel's scent and tracks her down, licking her on the cheek in an apparent show of affection. When the ship catches fire, the sailors escape safely, but Max is left behind. Seeing this, Eric dives out of his lifeboat and climbs back on board, grabbing Max and tossing him to safety. Later, when Eric is brought to shore safely by Ariel, Max smells out his master and rushes out to greet him. Max is also able to smell Ariel who is hidden off-shore behind rocks, but Eric does not understand his barking. After Ariel has made her deal with Ursula and is brought to shore as a human, Max leads Eric to her, recognizing her as the same person, though Eric cannot. Eventually Ursula herself appears in the guise of a human girl named Vanessa to distract Eric from kissing Ariel before the third day is up. When Ursula is disguised as Vanessa, Max is the only character in the human world who can fully see Vanessa for who she really is and is seen growling furiously at her (in which she kicks him directly in the face), and during a sequence where animals try to stop the wedding, Max bites her in her rear end, causing the shell containing Ariel's voice to break.

Max makes a few brief appearances in the prequel television series and the direct-to-video sequel, and is the only named character of the original film (other than Vanessa) who does not appear in the 2007 stage musical.

Chef Louis

Louis is the chef in Prince Eric's castle, voiced by René Auberjonois. His accent implies that he is French, and he performs the song "Les Poissons" in which he happily cooks seafood in the castle kitchen. According to dialogue by Carlotta the house maid, Louis' specialty is stuffed crab. This puts him at odds with Sebastian, who accidentally ends up in his kitchen and frantically tries to get away from him. This rivalry is extended to the wedding in the finale, where the chef again chases Sebastian in an attempt to cut him up Sebastian defeats him by knocking him out with a wooden plank shattering his teeth. The rivalry is shown again in the sequel The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, with no change between the two.

He also stars in one of the episodes of Disney's Marsupilami and Raw Toonage as a noise hating hotel guest with his victim, Sebastian as the hotel manager. Louis also makes an appearance in the episode "Ariel's Treasures" where he accidentally steps on a whisk called a "whirly twirly" by Ariel and it slips into the water when he is making recipes.

In the 2007 stage musical, Louis is head of a group of chefs that work in Eric's castle. He performs the song "Les Poissons". A reprise is performed by Louis and all the other chefs as they present their fish masterpieces to Ariel, Eric and Grimsby.

Carlotta

Carlotta works in Prince Eric's castle in a role suggested to be similar to a housekeeper, though it is not stated outright. She reappears in the sequel, apparently continuing her role after Eric and Ariel are married and have a daughter of their own. She is voiced by Edie McClurg.

In the 2007 stage musical, Carlotta develops an affectionate maternal relationship with Ariel, whom she grows fond of. Carlotta sings in the musical number "Beyond My Wildest Dreams", where Carlotta berates the other servants who gossip about Ariel. Near the end of the musical there is a contest where the princesses of the land are to sing for Eric, in the hope that one of them will have the voice of the girl who saved his life. Carlotta is the one who encourages Ariel to step forward and dance for him in order to show her love for him.

Television series

Urchin

Urchin is an orphaned merboy with an olive-green tail and is one of the main characters of the prequel television series, in which he is a close friend of Ariel, Sebastian and Flounder, and often goes on adventures with them. He is voiced by Danny Cooksey.

Urchin first appears in the fourth episode of the series, "Urchin". In it, Urchin is seen to be an orphan who lives by himself and wants badly to have friends. He is approached by small-time villains Lobster Mobster and Da Shrimp, who bring him into their gang and use him to steal food for them. Urchin manages to steal food from the palace, but in doing so is confronted by Ariel. Ariel tries to befriend Urchin, who at first rebuffs her. Urchin shows his true colors when he helps Ariel escape after she is kidnapped by Lobster Mobster and Da Shrimp. He even stops Crab Louie from stealing from the royal treasury. This earns him a kiss from Ariel. A friendship is forged when Urchin follows Ariel's advice and apologises to King Triton for his behavior. In the episode "Trident True", Urchin plays pranks on Ariel's sisters Arista, Attina and Adella and buys a Father's Day present for King Triton, implying his closeness with the royal family, and Ariel's sisters admit that they look on him as their own little brother. It is unknown what happened to him after the series, as he does not appear in any of the movies.

Gabriella

Gabriella is one of Ariel's friends. She is a deaf mermaid with a pink tail and matching shells who communicates with sign language. She appears in two episodes: "Wish Upon A Starfish" and "Ariel's Treasures".

In her first appearance, before she meets Ariel, she sees her singing the first part of a song called "Daring To Dance" and sees her twirling about a music box with a figure of a ballerina on top of it. Ariel stops abruptly upon seeing her, but Gabriella encourages her to continue. She wishes to be able to sing as beautifully as Ariel, and she identifies with Ariel's desire to dance. She decides to journey with Ariel to visit the Magical Wishing Starfish, passing through many dangers along the way. She is saddened when the Magical Wishing Starfish proves to be a fraud, but Ariel reassures her that she can express her feelings just as well through sign language. She joins Ariel in the second part of "Daring to Dance". In her second appearance, she returns to Atlantica for a visit. She and Ariel gush over Ariel's new additions to her collection of human objects, as well as the music box that Ariel found when they first met. Unbeknownst to either of them, Ursula has launched another scheme to take over Atlantica, this time casting a spell that causes Ariel's treasures to come to life and terrorize people. She is confused and shocked when the treasures come alive, but she works with Ariel to break Ursula's spell.

Ollie

Ollie is a blue vocal octopus who appears in two episodes: "Wish Upon A Starfish" and "Ariel's Treasures". He is the close friend and interpreter of Gabriella, a mute mermaid. He has spots on the sides of his head and a patch on his left eye. In his first appearance, he is shown with Gabriella, watching Ariel sing. After Ariel notices them, he explains Gabriella's disability and introduces himself. He is also the one to tell the tale of the Magical Wishing Starfish, and he accompanies them along the way. In his second appearance, he is visiting Atlantica with Gabriella and helps her stop Ursula's plot to take over the kingdom. He is voiced by Gabriel Damon.

Pearl

Pearl is a fun-loving mermaid with a blue tail and matching shells who is familiar with Ariel and Alana. She is blonde, with a blue tail and blue, ruffle-edged shells. She makes her first appearance in episode "Red" at a party held by Ariel, arriving with a crowd of friends on "squid-cycles". She is apparently very popular and seems friendly, if a bit snobbish. She comments that the party is a bit dull, and Ariel requests that the live band play louder, against her father's instructions. She leaves with the other guests when Triton puts a halt to the party.

In her second appearance in episode "Eel-ectric City", she shows up at the palace to pick up Alana, who has been invited to a party at her house. Ariel is shocked and impressed when Pearl comments that her parents allow her to do as she pleases, and is invited to join them. As they are leaving, Pearl spies Triton's new chariot and coerces Ariel into driving the three mermaids in it while she gives directions. After a few minutes, Alana notes that they are not heading for Pearl's house; they are instead going to Eel-ectric City, a party town reminiscent of Las Vegas, where Pearl is going to meet a few friends. They arrive and are having a fairly good time until a gang known as the "Orange Roughies" shows up. Pearl taunts them, then challenges them to a chariot race. Ariel and Alana try to reason with Pearl, but she wants to see the race through to the end. They start the race, but quickly lose control of the chariot in the rush of the current. It is only Ariel's quick thinking and the timely appearance of Triton that saves them. Pearl is shocked that her parents bothered coming, but happy that they cared about her. Her mother states that she will be keeping a closer eye on her daughter from now on.

She is voiced by Cree Summer.

Spot

Spot is a fun loving orca calf whose name is based on a single white spot which is birthmarked on his tail. In the episode called "Whale Of A Tale", when the human poachers get nearby, he frightenedly swims away from his real family until Ariel encounters him with a little love. She cares for him until she lets him go to be with his real family. He returns in "Save The Whale" as a grown-up whale and, as Sebastian announces him, he excitedly begins to perform for the citizens of Atlantica until he gets caught. Ariel, Flounder and Sebastian have a chance to save this whale from the wicked humans.

Dudley

Dudley is an elderly sea turtle who also serves somewhat of an assistant to King Triton besides Sebastian. Dudley mumbles when he speaks and does not swim like other sea turtles in this show, instead he walks slowly along the sea floor like a land turtle and keeps important documents within his shell when he retracts his head. His conversation is always interrupted by his employer as he understands what the former is about to say.

Hans Christian Andersen

A character based on Hans Christian Andersen, the author of the original Little Mermaid fairy tale appears in the episode "Metal Fish". He is voiced by Mark Hamill.

Based on rumors he hears from other sailors about the existence of merfolk, he attempts verify these claims by exploring the undersea world with the invention of his primitive submarine. While exploring the undersea world, his sub springs a leak and his steering controls are affected causing his sub to lose control and eventually sink to the bottom. However, to his surprise he encounters Ariel, to which his claims are verified. Later on, Archimedes, Sebastian, Flounder, The Crabscouts, and even King Triton appear to assist Andersen's damaged vessel back to the surface. At the end of this episode, the character is inspired by the encounter to "write" the story of The Little Mermaid. This encounter contradicts the idea that Ariel's first face to face contact with humans is with Prince Eric, and forces Ariel to confront her father with the fact that she, Triton, and all merfolk are half human when she appeals to Triton for help in saving Andersen's life.

Evil Manta

The Evil Manta, voiced by Tim Curry, was a recurring villain in the TV series. Although his exact age is unknown, he appears to be potentially ageless as an individual is referenced in a legend as nearly destroying Atlantica who was imprisoned in an undersea volcano many years before the time of the series. As it so happens, the character is discovered imprisoned within and freed from an undersea volcano by a well-meaning Ariel, whom the Manta dupes into releasing him. He then begins spreading hatred and discord amongst the population of Atlantica, nearly causing the kingdom to self-destruct from his actions. During this initial appearance the Manta appeared to have the power of mental hypnosis or else some form of telepathy. Ariel manages, with the help of Flounder and their friends to defeat the Manta. He then became a recurring character, intent on taking control of Atlantica for himself. He later has a son, 'Little Evil', who ironically enough, has no true evil or malevolent aspects to his personality and becomes a friend of Ariel's, which also results in his father's redemption.

The Little Mermaid II: Return To The Sea

Melody

Melody
First appearance The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea
Created by Elizabeth Anderson & Temple Mathews (screenplay)
Voiced by Tara Charendoff

Princess Melody, voiced by Tara Charendoff, appears in The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea. She is the daughter of Ariel and Eric.

The celebration of her birth opens the film, during which her parents sail out to sea to present her to King Triton and the merfolk. The celebration is interrupted by Morgana, who threatens to hurt Melody if Triton does not hand over the trident. Ariel and Eric manage to save Melody, but because Morgana escapes, Ariel decides that the sea is too dangerous for her daughter. Until Morgana is found, Ariel vows to keep all knowledge of the sea from her, including her mermaid heritage. A magical locket that King Triton had made for Melody for the occasion is reluctantly thrown into the sea.

Melody grows up banned from entering the sea and is not told why, but by her 12th birthday has been regularly secretly sneaking out to swim. On said birthday, Melody finds the locket with her name, and questions Ariel about it. Ariel and Melody argue, and before Ariel can apologize and explain, Melody runs away from the castle in a boat. Melody is discovered by Undertow and convinced to meet Morgana, who uses Melody's love of the sea against her. Morgana transforms Melody into a mermaid, promising her that the transformation will last forever if Melody retrieves the trident from Triton, claiming that he stole it from Morgana. Wanting to be a mermaid forever, Melody agrees.

While searching for the trident, Melody befriends a penguin named Tip and a walrus named Dash, and they join her in her search. Melody succeeds in stealing the trident, and returns to Morgana at the same time that her mother Ariel, who has been turned back into a mermaid in order to find Melody, also arrives. Melody is angered by Ariel's decision to lie to her, and gives Morgana the trident. Morgana takes Ariel hostage and reveals her true intentions to Melody, and traps her in a cave by sealing the entrance with a thick layer of ice. Soon afterward, Morgana's spell on Melody wears off, causing her to revert into a human and nearly drowning. Tip and Dash manage to free her and drag her to the shore. Morgana uses the trident to subjugate the merfolk, but Melody, no longer a mermaid, is unaffected and steals the trident back. She gives the trident to Triton, who turns the tables on Morgana and encases her in ice.

In the aftermath, Melody apologizes to Ariel and Eric for her actions, and Ariel apologizes for not telling Melody the truth. Triton offers Melody the option of becoming a mermaid permanently but Melody declines. Instead she uses the trident to disintegrate the wall between the palace and the sea, thus reuniting both sides of her family.

Melody performs one song in the film, "For a Moment", in which Ariel, voiced by Jodi Benson, also provides vocals.

The character "Melody" is also a playable character in the PlayStation game, The Little Mermaid 2, which is based on the two movies. She becomes playable after Ariel's story arc has finished and the player is prompted to play as Melody in the chapter called "A New Beginning".

Morgana

Morgana
First appearance The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea
Created by Elizabeth Anderson & Temple Mathews (screenplay)
Voiced by Pat Carroll

Morgana is the main antagonist of The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea. She is the younger sister of the deceased Ursula. Like Ursula, Morgana is half octopus, having tentacles instead of a tail, but unlike Ursula, Morgana has 8 tentacles instead of 6, which, in addition to her thin stature, make Morgana's appearance more squid-like. Also, her skin is greenish-gray, unlike Ursula, who has light lavender skin. Morgana has three minions; a tiger shark named Undertow, and a pair of manta rays called Cloak and Dagger. Her voice is provided by Pat Caroll, who had also voiced her sister Ursula.

Morgana's prime motivation is to prove her superiority over Ursula, who was the favored child of their mother. However, she is not as powerful as Ursula and lacks her subtlety and deviousness, though she is highly cunning in her own right. She openly attacks Melody's birthday party and uses her as a hostage to gain Triton's trident, a ploy that fails due to Ariel's quick thinking. Morgana escapes, and for twelve years eludes Triton's efforts to find her. Morgana eventually meets twelve-year-old Melody, who has rebelled against her mother's overprotective ways. Morgana lures Melody with the promise of becoming a mermaid, using the last of Ursula's magic potion to transform Melody temporarily into a mermaid. Morgana asks Melody to get the trident for her, claiming herself to be its rightful owner. Morgana succeeds in getting the trident thanks to Melody, and proclaims herself as the new ruler of the seven seas. She is eventually stopped by Melody, who steals the trident back and gives it to King Triton. Triton then encases Morgana in an iceberg, and she is left to sink to the bottom of the ocean.

Tip and Dash

Tip and Dash
First appearance The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea
Created by Elizabeth Anderson & Temple Mathews (screenplay)
Voiced by Max Casella (Tip)
Stephen Furst (Dash)

Tip and Dash are supporting characters in The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea and friends of Melody. Tip is an emperor penguin voiced by Max Casella, and Dash is a walrus voiced by Stephen Furst. Their names are derived from the convention of Morse Code which uses dots (or "tips") and dashes to communicate messages.

In the film, Tip and Dash are established odd couple best friends whom Melody encounters when she has been transformed into a mermaid. She learns that the duo want to be "heroes" but find it difficult to do so when Tip is a braggart who exaggerates his accomplishments and Dash is openly a coward. With a big help to save the baby penguin for her mother, Tip and Dash join the other penguins to extend the form of a ladder just before the red-eyed hammerhead shark scares them all into a big pile. Rejected by other penguins, Tip and Dash join Melody on her journey to retrieve the trident for Morgana. In the final battle, both characters find their inner courage and help to save the day.

The duo perform the song "Tip and Dash" with Melody.

Undertow

Undertow
First appearance The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea
Created by Elizabeth Anderson & Temple Mathews (screenplay)
Voiced by Clancy Brown

Undertow, voiced by Clancy Brown, is the secondary antagonist of The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, and a minion of Morgana.

When the film opens, Undertow is a large purple and black colored tiger shark, but during the opening fight, he is zapped by the magic of King Triton's trident and transformed into a small, piranha-like fish so he can't eat or harm Melody. Undertow spends the next twelve years as a piranha. After Melody rebels against her mother, Undertow convinces Melody to visit Morgana, who manipulates her into fetching the trident. When Melody retrieves the trident, Morgana uses its magic to restore Undertow to his original form. During the final fight, Undertow battles Melody's friends Tip and Dash, and crashes into a wall of ice and all his teeth fall out. He is not seen again afterwards and his final fate is unknown.

Cloak and Dagger

Cloak and Dagger
First appearance The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea
Created by Elizabeth Anderson & Temple Mathews (screenplay)

Cloak and Dagger are dark blue manta rays and Morgana's henchmen. Unlike most of the animals in the film, they don't speak, and perform mostly physical duties for Morgana, either by pulling her or someone of interest to her.

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning

Queen Athena

Queen Athena
First appearance The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning
Voiced by Lorelei Hill Butters (Speaking)
Andrea Robinson (Singing)

Queen Athena is King Triton's deceased wife, Queen of Atlantica, and mother of Ariel and her six older sisters and Melody's grandmother. Her speaking voice is provided by Lorelei Hill Butters, and her singing voice is provided by Andrea Robinson. She appears in the opening prologue of the prequel, in which she is at first shown singing her and Triton's special song (Athena's Song) to the girls before bedtime. She is then seen relaxing in a cove on the ocean surface with her husband, children and other merfolk. Triton gives her a music box that plays their song as an anniversary present. The fun ceases when a pirate ship appears and attacks the merpeople, during which Athena is crushed to death by the ship. Triton responds to this tragedy by banning music from Atlantica. Prior to this film, Ariel's mother had been mentioned before in the prequel television series, but had then remained nameless.

Marina Del Rey and Benjamin

Marina Del Rey and Benjamin
First appearance The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning
Voiced by Sally Field as Marina Del Rey
Jeff Bennett as Benjamin

Marina Del Rey voiced by Sally Field, is the antagonist of the prequel film. She is a mermaid and the governess of King Triton's seven daughters, in charge of enforcing Triton's distant and formal parenting style. She feels she has been stuck as the governess for too long, and her primary motivation is to take over Sebastian's job as the King's attaché. She temporarily succeeds after getting Sebastian, Flounder, and their secret music band sent to prison (as music was forbidden from Atlantica at the time), but upon learning of the gang's escape with Ariel, Marina resolves to kill them all by sending her electric eels after them. Marina is eventually caught, and Triton sends her to prison for her crimes. Benjamin is a light green manatee and Marina's sidekick. Unlike Marina, Benjamin is a softy who loves Ariel and her sisters, and wishes Marina would be nice. He is voiced by Jeff Bennett.

The Catfish Club Band

Ray-Ray, Cheeks, Ink Spot, and Shelbow
First appearance The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning
Voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson as Ray-Ray and Cheeks
Rob Paulsen as Ink Spot
Jim Cummings as Shelbow

The Catfish Club Band are a quartet house band in the Catfish Club, the underground music club in Atlantica that exists in opposition to King Triton's ban on music. Their bandleader and vocalist is Sebastian, who also plays maracas. Other members are Ray-Ray, a sky-blue manta ray who plays the bass, voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson; Cheeks, a green blowfish who plays the saxophone, voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson; Ink Spot, a violet octopus who plays the piano, voiced by Rob Paulsen; Shelbow, a teal sea turtle who plays the drums, voiced by Jim Cummings.

References

  1. ↑ Singer, A. L. (1997). Disney's The Little Mermaid: Official Novelisation. Disney Press. ISBN 978-0-7868-4202-5.
  2. ↑ Disney's The Little Mermaid (1989 film) Platinum Edition DVD, commentary by Ron Clements and John Musker
  3. ↑ David, Peter (1992). Disney's The Little Mermaid: Ariel and Sebastian. Walt Disney Magazine Publishing Group. ISBN 1-56115-266-8.
  4. ↑ Disney's The Little Mermaid: Tales from Under the Sea. Disney Press. 1991. ISBN 1-56282-014-1.
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