In Disney's 2023 live-action The Little Mermaid, Ariel's six sisters are named Mala, Indira, Caspia, Tamika, Karina, and Perla, with diverse ethnicities and designs, unlike the original animated film where they had "A" names. Their new names (ending in 'a' or 'la') and appearances highlight their distinct personalities and roles within the seven seas, representing different aquatic environments.
But Ariel's sisters in the 2023 live-action THE LITTLE MERMAID diverge from this continuity in name, personality and origin. They are: Mala, Karina, Indira, Caspia, Perla, and Tamika.
It's a family reunion with all seven mermaid sisters from Disney's exciting theatrical release, The Little Mermaid -- Caspia, Indira, Perla, Karina, Mala, Tamika, and Ariel fashion dolls – together in this one Ultimate Ariel and Sisters set!
Also appearing as the daughters of Triton and Ariel's sisters (renamed for the film) are Lorena Andrea as Perla, Simone Ashley as Indira, Karolina Conchet as Mala, Sienna King as Tamika, Kajsa Mohammar as Karina, and Nathalie Sorrell as Caspia.
Trivia. In the 2023 live-action remake, each daughter (added with different ethnicities and cultures) rules one of the seven seas (with fictional names), and their fins are based on real-life fish. This also implies that they are actually half-sisters.
Disney cast a Black actress, Halle Bailey, as Ariel in the live-action The Little Mermaid primarily because she had the perfect voice, spirit, and talent for the role, with the decision also aligning with Disney's broader strategy to increase diversity, offer representation to Black audiences, and reimagine classic characters, building on the original fairy tale's flexibility regarding appearance and the film's Caribbean setting.
In the end, Tinker Bell didn't lose her status — she evolved beyond it. Rather than being one princess among many, she became a standalone icon, proving that you don't need a crown to be one of Disney's most magical and enduring characters.
Arista - red; Attina - orange; Adella - yellow; Ariel - green; Aquata - blue; Andrina - purple; Alana - pink.
Out of the official Disney Princess line- up, there are a few who aren't actual princesses by either birth or marriage Mulan, Moana, Raya and technically Pocahontas (like Moana, she's the daughter of a chief, no one would really call her a 'princess' in her own culture I don't think?)
The most prominent figure for queer representation in The Little Mermaid movies has always been Ursula, who was visually designed and inspired by the fiery personality of the legendary drag queen Divine. Divine was known for being bigger than life, confident, talented, and vulgar.
In the movie The Little Mermaid (Clements & Musker, 1989), Ariel displays symptoms of disposophobia, which is defined as the fear of getting rid of things.
Many know and fear Ursula, the witch of the sea, but her sister Morgana is just as dangerous. 🌊🖤 Stream The Little Mermaid and The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea on Disney+. The villainy is helped by the fact that Pat Carroll voiced both sisters.
Similar to the Broadway musical, this version is the estranged younger sister of King Triton and Ariel's aunt.
And outside of varied hair colors, they all look the same. Of course, the animated mermaids are the daughters of King Triton and Queen Athena, but that may change in the live-action version with the implication that Ariel's sisters have different mothers.
Attina, the eldest and most motherly sister, adds stability and guidance to the royal family in The Little Mermaid franchise.
Flounder is a character from Disney's 1989 animated film, "The Little Mermaid." He is Ariel's best friend, a loyal and somewhat timid tropical fish.
Ursula's octopus form in The Little Mermaid is significant for several reasons. Firstly, it underscores her role as a powerful and imposing antagonist. The octopus form, with its multiple arms, is a symbol of strength and dominance. Secondly, it represents the old rivalry between the merpeople and the octopans.
Athena (The Little Mermaid), character in the Disney franchise, mother to the protagonist, Ariel.
Princess Eilonwy has been nicknamed by fans as the "Forgotten Disney Princess" because of her little-known status and the fact she is not an "official" Disney Princess, despite being a princess by birth, like Kida Nedakh from Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
Tinker Bell appears in the 2025 horror film Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare, which portrays her as a transgender woman addicted to heroin, which she is convinced is fairy dust. She is played by Kit Green.
Esmeralda was removed in 2005. Tinker Bell was also removed in 2005, but she would go on to headline the sister franchise Disney Fairies (also created by Mooney).
Eric's mother in this rendition is Black, and this is explained - Eric is adopted. Triton, however, is Spanish I assume (since he's played by Javier Bardem), and all his daughters are different races.