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Disney’s most heroic heroes, ranked
In honour of Disney On Ice presents Find Your Hero, we’re selecting our top 15 Disney heroes
Disney has given us many of our most beloved animated heroes, from warriors setting out to save civilisations, to those winning quiet victories and staying true to themselves in the process. Find Your Hero, the latest skating spectacular from Disney On Ice, brings many of these stories of courage and determination to life – but which hero rises above all the rest?
To celebrate the return of Disney On Ice, we’re breaking down our top 15 most heroic Disney characters. Remember – we’re just ranking on heroism here, so any other aspects of these characters or the films they star in aren’t a factor. Now, disagree away…
15. Tiana
Hardworking and honest, Tiana is testament to achieving your dreams the right way. Although she isn’t saving any kingdoms, she’s brave enough to stay true to herself and maintain her integrity, even when everything she’s ever wanted is dangled in front of her.
14. Merida
Given that she appears in a film called Brave, it’s fair to say that Merida has a great deal of courage. However, whilst she ultimately does a lot of good for her kingdom, she’s also the cause of the film’s main conflict when she inadvertently turns her mother into a bear. We can appreciate the bold steps she takes to fix things, but a better hero would probably ask a few more follow-up questions before putting her family members under the world’s vaguest spell.
13. Hiro
Hiro is a hero by name, but not necessarily by nature. Whilst he’s gifted with a lot of intelligence, it isn’t until close to the end of his story that he learns to use it for heroic means, and it’s his brother Takashi and Takashi’s invention, Baymax, whose heroism has a real influence over the story. Still, by the end of the film Hiro is quite literally a superhero, so he can’t really be placed any lower.
12. Tarzan
Curious and open-minded, Tarzan has great emotional intelligence – and clearly a decent IQ as well, picking up English a lot faster than would reasonably be expected from someone raised by gorillas. He fights valiantly to save his home and brings his human and animal communities together, and he also manages to convince a well-off, educated woman to live in the jungle as an ape, which we have to recognise as impressive.
11. Belle
Belle is a perfect combination of book smarts and bravery, willing to sacrifice her freedom to save her father without hesitation, and approaching her imprisonment in the Beast’s castle with optimism and curiosity. She also falls in love with someone who – to say the least – isn’t currently looking like their best selves, which is certainly brave, along with whatever else we might call it.
10. Ralph
A pre-programmed ‘bad guy’, Ralph is brave enough to change his story and accepts that being a hero doesn’t always mean getting the credit. He makes tough choices throughout the film, choosing to sacrifice how others see him in order to save the people he cares about, and learns to love and accept himself exactly how he is – something many heroes never learn.
9. Pocahontas
Pocahontas is an open-minded, free-spirited woman who is fiercely protective of her people whilst still managing to look for the good in John Smith. She’s brave enough to defy Powhatan’s orders and follow her heart. She also manages to bring an end to the fighting between the Powhatan tribe and the settlers.
8. Quasimodo
One of Quasimodo’s most heroic qualities is his kindness – his lifelong imprisonment at the hands of a cruel man doesn’t make him bitter, but he instead develops a love for the people of Paris. He’s brave enough to follow his heart and venture out into the world, despite being told since birth that the Parisians will consider him monstrous. He puts his life on the line to protect people that he barely knows and worries about the wellbeing of others far more than he worries about himself, and saves Esmeralda and her people from Frollo even though he knows she will never reciprocate his feelings.
7. Esmeralda
Another character from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Esmeralda is a key figure in the Romani resistance against Frollo and his guards. She inspires Quasimodo to heroism by saving him when he is being tormented and evades Frollo’s clutches time and time again. She has a deep compassion for anyone that society casts aside and shows this in her actions as well as her words, standing up to those in power, setting an example to her people, and saving lives on more than one occasion.
6. Li Shang
Whilst Li Shang’s emotional intelligence isn’t necessarily high at the start of Mulan, it develops throughout the film, and he is open-minded enough to change his idea of what a hero can be. He’s someone willing to lay his life on the line for a cause he believes in, and although he doesn’t always make the correct choices, he’s always trying to do what he feels is right and to put the cause he fights for ahead of himself.
5. Anna
Although Anna makes some imperfect decisions – getting engaged in a matter of hours to a stranger and then leaving her kingdom in the hands of said stranger – she conducts herself with courage and compassion throughout Frozen, bent on getting through to her sister no matter how many times she is pushed away. She sacrifices herself for Elsa without hesitation, saving the kingdom of Arendelle from eternal winter in the process, and proves that a hero doesn’t have to have physical strength or skill to make a big impact.
4. Hercules
Speaking of physical strength and skill… Hercules is born a hero, but it’s a birthright he has to grow into. The son of Hera and Zeus, Hercules is stripped of his immortal godhood as a baby and goes through a series of trials in order to prove that he is a true hero and get back to Mount Olympus. However, he doesn’t really become the hero he’s supposed to be until he starts acting selflessly, sacrificing his strength and putting his life at risk to save Meg.
3. Raya
A warrior by training, Raya perseveres through heartbreaking loss in order to not only save her people but unite Kumandra. She makes tough decisions, thinks strategically, risks her life and ultimately succeeds because of her compassion and the radical decision to trust her enemies. She’s a classic hero, one whose path was set for her when she was very young and who takes every turn in her stride.
2. Moana
Unlike Raya, Moana is actively discouraged from embarking on her adventure. She follows her calling to sail despite a lack of experience and direct orders from her father, showing bravery in the face of every obstacle and trusting in her heart to guide her in the right direction. She’s a diamond in the rough, someone who grows her skillset throughout her adventure, and it’s her intelligence and empathy that ultimately leads her to solving the film’s final mystery and saving her people. Outside of a Disney film, her decision to jump on a boat and head for open waters might not be the smartest one – in this world, however, destiny is a powerful force, and Moana fully deserves her silver medal for embracing hers with open arms.
1. Mulan
![Mulan - Reflections [HQ]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1_BtlAw4trg/0.jpg)
It had to be Mulan. The bravest Disney protagonist, Mulan heads off to war in order to save her father with no prior experience as a soldier – despite knowing she could be executed if caught – and becomes the warrior she is through sheer tenacity. She’s often afraid or out of her depth, but she doesn’t let that deter her, always remaining brave and focused. Unlike many Disney heroes, Mulan has no magic to aid her, but saves a nation of people by training hard, trusting herself and thinking outside of the box. Plus – not that this counts here – she does it to a fantastic soundtrack.
Disney On Ice presents Find Your Hero is on sale now – find tickets here
