252 Ariel

## Ariel

**Princess** (later **Queen**) **Ariel** is the titular protagonist of The *Little Mermaid* trilogy and TV show. In the sequel *The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea*, she serves as the deuteragonist. She has vivid flowing red hair and aqua blue eyes. When she was a mermaid she had green fins and a lavender seashell bra. She is voiced by Jodi Benson.

Ariel is assigned by the State Transit Authority of Simba under Route 252.

## History

Ariel entered the State Transit Authority of Simba in 1938 (then known as the State Transit Department of Simba & Mufasa) under route number 240. In 1959, the character's route number became 252.

### *The Little Mermaid*

Ariel was the 16-year-old daughter of the sea king, King Triton, who hated humans. However, she wanted to know more about humans and was fascinated by them. Her goal was set when she fell in love with a human prince Eric. Desperate, she traded her voice with the sea witch Ursula for human legs, which would last for three days. Before the sunset of the third day, she had to let Prince Eric kiss her with true love's kiss in order for her to become human permanently. However, Ursula kept thwarting Ariel's plans. By the third day, Ursula changed into a human with Ariel's voice, enchanting the prince. Nonetheless, Ariel had her voice back, but her father was changed into a polyp, and Ursula gained control of the trident and the seven seas. In the end, Eric stabbed Ursula with a broken ship, killing her. King Triton felt sympathy for his daughter and bestowed her with legs.

She and Eric lived happily ever after. As depicted in the 1989 film, Ariel is the youngest of King Triton's seven daughters and is 16 years old. Ariel has a vast fascination with the world of humans, despite such contact being forbidden by her father, King Triton, who is xenophobic, meaning that he hates humans. At the beginning of the film, Princess Ariel and her fish friend Flounder swim through a shipwreck where they salvage human items. During their adventure, the two are attacked by a shark, but Ariel manages to outwit the vicious creature. After escaping the shark, Ariel and Flounder swim up to the surface, where they speak to Scuttle to identify human objects. Scuttle misidentifies a fork as a "dinglehopper" used to straighten their hairs and a pipe as a "snarfblatt" used to make music. The identification of the latter reminds Ariel about the concert she was initially supposed to a part of. After Ariel is watched by two eels, Flotsam and Jetsam, Ursula the Sea Witch watches from her crystal ball bubble and wants them to keep an extra close watch on her.

Ariel hurries home to her father King Triton and Sebastian the crab, who both rebuke her for missing the concert. Hearing from Flounder about Ariel's encounter with a seagull, King Triton reprimands Ariel for going up to the surface, telling her how she could have been spotted by what he calls "barbarians" who could have snared her with a fishhook. After being demanded by Triton to obey his every rule and not to swim up to the surface again, Ariel tearfully swims off to her secret grotto, where her collection of human objects, from books to other regular objects, such as globes, mugs, and chests of jewels, is kept. She feels that collecting human objects isn't enough and gets more curious about the world above the ocean, even expressing her desire to actually live among humans.

Later, Ariel spots a ship passing above. Incited, she quickly swims up to the surface and toward the ship, where she watches the party on board. She then spots a male human by the name of Prince Eric and remarks to Scuttle how she has never seen a human this close before. Just then, a storm moves in and destroys the ship. Ariel looks around for Eric and finds him unconscious in the sea. She carries him to the shore, where she sings to him how she longs to be with him in his world but is forced to leave when others approach. Ariel falls in love with the prince and becomes even more determined to accomplish her dreams of living alongside humanity. Back at Atlantica, Ariel's other sisters notice her humming dreamily, giving them a notion that she is in love. Ariel comes up with a plan to somehow see Eric again, but Sebastian tries to talk her out of it, telling her how life under the sea is better than the world up above through the song Under the Sea.

While Sebastian tries to entertain Ariel with a band of crustaceans producing music, Flounder comes over to Ariel to tell her something, and they both swim off. Flounder takes Ariel to her grotto, where he surprises her with a statue of Eric that Flounder has somehow salvaged from Eric's destroyed ship and added into Ariel's collection. Ariel thanks Flounder, but then faces her stern father, who is very upset to learn from Sebastian that she has rescued a human being from drowning. Shocked and enraged that Ariel is in love with that human, Triton loses all his temper and proceeds to destroy all the human artifacts in the grotto with his trident, including the statue of Eric. Ariel tries to plead for her father to stop but to no avail. Devastated, Ariel breaks down in tears, and an ashamed Triton leaves the grotto. Sebastian, who has accompanied Triton to the grotto, tries to console Ariel, only for her to tell him to leave. After Sebastian and Flounder exit the grotto, two eels, Flotsam and Jetsam, appear to convince Ariel to see their mistress Ursula the Sea Witch, who may have the power to make Ariel's dream come true.

Ariel, after initially attempting to refuse, reluctantly follows Flotsam and Jetsam to Ursula's fortress. Ariel nervously and fearfully enters the fortress, and Ursula calls for her. The sea witch, who knows that Ariel is in love with a human through spying on her via Flotsam and Jetsam, tells Ariel that she must become a human herself to be with Eric. Ursula explains the deal to Ariel: Ariel will become human for three days, during which she must get a kiss of true love from Eric before the sun sets on the third day in order to stay human; otherwise, Ariel will turn back into a mermaid and will be bonded to Ursula forever. Ursula further states that as part of the deal, Ariel must give up her voice in order to become human.

(Unknown to Ariel, the deal is simply a part of Ursula's sinister plot to take Triton's throne). Ariel, thinking that is her only chance to be with Eric, accepts the deal as she signs a contract conjured by Ursula. The sea witch then orders Ariel to sing for her and summons magical hands to rip out Ariel's voice, which is then sealed into a seashell of Ursula's necklace. Ariel is then turned into a human and is helped to the shore by Flounder and Sebastian due to her inability to swim. At the shore, Scuttle arrives and witnesses Ariel's new legs for the first time.

However, Sebastian is beyond furious, going into a nervous panic at what would happen if she failed to kiss Eric, as well as if King Triton were to find out about the entire event. Frustrated, the crab begins trotting home, only to have Ariel convince him to stay and help, knowing if they reversed the curse and went back home, Ariel would be miserable once again. Now that the mission is set in motion, Scuttle provides some "clothing" for Ariel, just as the group is found by Eric's sheepdog Max, who leads his master to her. When Eric sees Ariel, he finds her familiar, but when he sees that she is unable to talk, he gets the feeling that she cannot be the girl he is looking for. Nevertheless, Eric takes Ariel to his palace, where Ariel takes a bath and gets dressed for the dinner.

As Eric, his manservant Grimsby and maid Carlotta join her, Ariel notices a fork and uses it to comb her hair, making the three dumbfounded, which makes her embarrassed. Noticing Grimsby's pipe, Ariel takes it and, thinking it as a musical instrument, blows the contents into Grimsby's face, and Eric laughs at Grimsby's face covered with ash. After Grimsby wipes his face and dinner is served, he suggests that Eric take Ariel out on a kingdom tour, which Ariel accepts. The next day, Eric takes Ariel out to show her his kingdom, whilst Sebastian, Flounder, and Scuttle watch on, anxiously awaiting the moment they finally share the kiss of true love. During the tour, he teaches her to dance and ride a carriage. For Ariel, finally exploring the human world freely, it was the best day of her life, with a constant smile beaming on her face as she curiously experiences the sights and sounds of the kingdom. That evening, Eric and Ariel spend time in a lagoon, riding in a rowboat rowed by Eric.

In order to get the two to kiss, Scuttle tries to provide some romantic stimulation. However, his terrible squawking (mistaken for singing) prompts Sebastian to lead some animals in the lagoon to create the mood with music and his song "Kiss the Girl". Ariel and Eric enjoy the sights and draw closer to a kiss, but before they can, purposely Flotsam and Jetsam tip the boat over by order of the scheming Ursula (who's been watching the couple's development from her undersea lair), prompting Eric to help Ariel out of the water, and thus ruining the kiss. The next day (which is the third and last of Ariel's human days), Scuttle wakes Ariel up and delivers the news that Eric is getting hitched. She excitedly runs downstairs, only to see Eric with a dark-haired girl named Vanessa, whom he intends to marry. Ariel breaks down in tears and runs off, devastated that Eric is not marrying her. Later that afternoon, the wedding ship departs with Eric, the girl, and the wedding guests on board, leaving a heartbroken Ariel to mourn the loss of her dream prince. Just then, Scuttle comes over to tell Ariel shocking news: the girl Eric is getting married to is the sea witch in disguise.

Recalling Ursula's deal, Ariel jumps into the sea but has to grab onto one of the barrels released by Sebastian to stay afloat, and Flounder helps her to the wedding ship by pulling the barrel. Just as Ariel reaches the ship and climbs aboard, the seashell of Ursula's necklace that the bride has been wearing shatter in front of Ariel, freeing Ariel's voice, which is then restored to her. Eric, who has come out of a spell placed on him by the girl who seduced him with Ariel's voice, realizes that Ariel is the girl he is looking for. He dumps Vanessa and runs over to Ariel. But just as Eric and Ariel are about to kiss, the sun sets and Ariel turns back into a mermaid and collapses. Vanessa transforms back into Ursula, takes Ariel as her prisoner, and dives back into the sea.

As Ursula thinks of what she should do to Ariel next, Triton appears to confront the sea witch and orders her to release his daughter, to which Ursula refuses. Ariel apologizes to her father as he attempts to destroy the contract, to no avail. Ursula proceeds to wither Ariel but offers someone even better to take Ariel's place. Triton accepts by blasting his signature on the contract with his trident. Ariel is released but is forced to watch as her father is withered and transformed into a polyp. Ursula then takes Triton's crown and trident. Shocked and enraged, Ariel confronts Ursula and tries to fight her off, only for the sea witch to destroy the mermaid princess with the trident.

Eric arrives to help Ariel, hitting Ursula with a harpoon. Ursula prepares to destroy Eric with the trident, but an enraged Ariel pulls on Ursula's hair just as the trident shoots, causing the shot to miss Eric and hit Flotsam and Jetsam instead, killing them. After Ursula shortly mourns their loss, she enlarges herself into gargantuan size. Ariel and Eric try to escape but then face a towering, gigantic Ursula. The sea witch declares herself as ruler of the ocean who has the power to control the waves and creates a rainstorm and a whirlpool. Ariel is separated from Eric, and Ursula causes her to become trapped at the bottom of a whirlpool. Ursula aims her trident at the princess and fires bolts of pure destruction at the now helpless Ariel, who barely manages to avoid her painful destruction each time. Just as Ursula prepares to use the trident to destroy Ariel with an unavoidable blast and taunting that she will never kiss Eric, Eric plunges the splintered bow of one of the shipwrecks (that have surfaced as a result of the whirlpool) through Ursula's abdomen, killing Ursula and saving Ariel at the last minute.

With Ursula defeated, her spells upon the unfortunate merfolk are broken, including the spell cast upon King Triton, who transforms back into a merman. Above the waters, Eric manages to swim to shore, breaking down out of exhaustion as a saddened Ariel watches on from a nearby rock. King Triton and Sebastian look on from a distance; the king finally softening up towards humans upon realizing Eric risked his own life to save Ariel. Knowing the love between his daughter and Eric is pure and true, despite their differences as species, King Triton uses the power of the trident to permanently transform Ariel into a human, allowing her to be with the one she loves, at long last. After the transformation, Ariel walks up to the shore, where she is happily reunited with Eric as he embraces her, and the two share their first kiss. Soon, Ariel and Eric, now married, have a wedding on the wedding ship attended by Eric's loyal subjects onboard and Ariel's family and friends in the sea around the ship. Ariel silently bids farewell to Scuttle and Flounder and gives to Triton a heartwarming hug before happily sailing away with Eric. Thanks to Ariel, Triton accepts Eric, Ariel's new husband, as his new son-in-law.

### *The Little Mermaid* (TV series)

The prequel series, which first debuted in 1992, takes place during an indeterminate time chronologically before the 1989 film and revolves around Ariel's adventures as a 15 to 16-year-old mermaid living under the sea. Most of Ariel's adventures involve her meeting various creatures, getting into trouble, and usually getting out of it successfully. Her friends, Flounder and Sebastian, are also featured prominently in the series.

She is also shown to have a friend named Urchin, an orphaned merboy. The series also has her meeting Hans Christian Andersen, which also hints at both her possible birth year (i.e. during his lifetime, yet at least 16 years before the writing of *The Little Mermaid*) and the possible chronological events of the series, due to Ariel being a direct influence on the creation of the story. Ariel continues to be fascinated with human things in the series and is shown collecting items for her grotto; she gives them strange names such as calling an ordinary telescope a "Thing-a-mabob." Many episodes show Ariel working to foil enemies who would do harm to Atlantica. Prince Eric is sometimes shown in the series, but Ariel always just misses seeing him, preserving the continuity that she sees him first in the 1989 film. This is similar to Peter Parker, and Mary Jane in the first comic they met.

### *The Little Mermaid II*

 File:Ariel’s sailor gown.jpeg
Ariel became the mother of her daughter, Melody. After Melody got a fishtail from the sea witch Morgana, she gave the witch Triton's magic trident. By doing this, she put all her family members in danger. Meanwhile, Ariel changed back into a mermaid to find her daughter but was ultimately saved by Melody. In this 2000 direct-to-video sequel, Ariel serves as the deuteragonist. The film shows Ariel as having given birth to a daughter named Melody (the film's protagonist). When we first see Ariel playing with her adorable and very beautiful newborn daughter, many toys of Flounder, Sebastian, and other fish can be seen in the room, showing that she misses her old friends and family.

When Melody's safety is threatened by a sea witch named Morgana (sister of Ursula, who died in the 1989 film), Ariel and her husband Eric decide they must keep Melody away from the sea, and to this effect, they build a large wall separating the castle from it. Melody's love of the sea proves too strong, however, and when Melody falls into Morgana's clutches, Ariel is forced to temporarily resume her mermaid form in order to rescue her and save Melody from Morgana's scheme. In this time, Ariel briefly returns to her grotto as seen in the first film, and studies the objects, (which we are left to presume survived King Triton's anger in the first film) and keeps looking for Melody. This sequel features Ariel becoming an over-protective parent for her daughter, effectively taking over the role of her father in the 1989 film. Ariel is the first and only mother of the Disney Princesses.

### *The Little Mermaid III*

After her mother, Athena, gave King Triton a music box and was later killed by a ship, the king banned all music from his kingdom. His daughter, Ariel, tried to find the truth about the past and saved music from fading away. Years before the events of the original film, a toddler Ariel and her sisters enjoy a music-filled life in Atlantica, with Triton and their mother, the beautiful Queen Athena. The merfolk are shown relaxing in a lagoon above water, and Triton gives Athena a music box. Suddenly, a big pirate ship approaches. Everyone escapes except Athena, who unfortunately passed away after being crushed by the ship when she tries to save the music box. Devastated by Athena's death, Triton throws the music box into the ocean and bans music from the kingdom.

Ten years later, when Ariel was fifteen, she and her sisters live under a strict routine maintained by their stepmother, Marina Del Rey, and her assistant, Benjamin. Marina hates being the girls' governess and longs to be Triton's attaché, a job currently filled by Sebastian. Ariel is frustrated by their current lifestyle, which brings her into conflict with her father. One day, Ariel encounters Flounder, whom she later follows to an underground music club. She is overjoyed by the presence of music and is shocked when she sees Sebastian performing there. When her presence is revealed, the entire band stops playing and hides, believing Ariel will tell her father about them. Ariel sings a song explaining her love of music and the remembrance of her mother, and she joins the club with an oath. Ariel returns to the palace, and her sisters confront her over her disappearance. She explains where she was, and the following night all seven girls go to the club to have fun. Marina secretly finds them, and she later reports their activities to Triton. Sebastian, Flounder, and the band are sent to jail, while Marina gets the job she wants.

Triton confines his daughters to the palace, which results in Ariel asking him why music isn't allowed. Triton refuses to answer and shouts that he won't have music in his kingdom. Distraught, Ariel confronts Triton and says that Athena wouldn't have wanted music to be forbidden and angrily swims to the girls' bedroom, her saddened sisters soon following, while Marina, who is not the girls' governess anymore, is now Triton's new attaché. That night, she decides to leave Atlantica and frees the jailbirds. Sebastian leads them to a deserted place far from the palace where Ariel finds Athena's music box, as Sebastian hoped. Ariel and Sebastian decide to return to Atlantica to bring the music box to Triton, hoping that it will change his mind, as he has forgotten how to be happy after Athena's death. On the way back, Marina and her electric eels confront Ariel, Flounder, and Sebastian. Before music is restored back into the kingdom, the final battle begins when Marina bans Ariel from going back to Atlantica. Marina wants to stop them so she will retain her position of "power", and a struggle ensues. It ends when Marina barrels towards Sebastian, but Ariel pushes her away, getting hit in the process.

Triton arrives in time to witness this, and he is remorseful for his actions. He sings the lyrics of "Athena's Song", and Ariel wakes up. The film ends with Triton restoring music to Atlantica and appointing Sebastian as the new court composer, much to everyone's glee with Ariel and Flounder. Everyone, including Ariel, Sebastian, Flounder, and six older sisters, rejoices except Marina, who has been sent to prison and is constantly blowing her nose. In the original concept for Ariel's Beginning, then known as The Little Mermaid III, Ariel, alongside Sebastian, was supposed to accompany Eric in locating a white whale.

### *House of Mouse*

Ariel appears as a regular guest in the animated television series House of Mouse and its specials, usually sitting with Sebastian and Scuttle. Her appearance alternates irregularly between her human form and mermaid form, depending on what the situation requires. Daisy Duck seems to be a big fan of Ariel and her films, as shown in "Daisy's Debut" and "House of Genius". In the show's opening song, she is seen combing her hair with a fork, like in the original film. In the episode "Jiminy Cricket", while Jiminy Cricket is sharing his wisdom, he states "Never sell your voice to a giant sea witch just because you have a crush on some guy, it's just not worth it." Ariel sits there looking embarrassed and ashamed, and upon hearing this, she snatches the necklace containing her voice away from Ursula, much to Ursula's anger. Also in "Everybody Loves Mickey", Ariel wishes that Mickey could live under the sea with her.

In "Pluto vs. Figaro", she tried to sing on stage, although the set ended up falling on top of her. In "Suddenly Hades", Pete attempted to flood the club to run out the customers, as he could shut down the club if there were no guests. Though he succeeded in flooding the club, he was stopped from closing the club as Ariel was still present. Ariel was also briefly seen in "Pete's House of Villains" where she held up a sign that read "Somebody stole my voice again" since she lost her voice. In "Ask Von Drake", she is seen in Professor Von Drake's song, sitting next to a giant seashell where Ursula is hiding. Ariel also appears in Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse. In the film, Ariel, along with Eric and other characters are snowed in and trapped inside the club. Ariel is the first to openly have faith in Mickey Mouse, who she believes will have a plan.

### *Sofia the First*

Ariel appeared in the special Sofia the First: The Floating Palace. She was the first princess to be seen twice in an episode. Ariel is summoned to help Sofia with her trouble of saving her mermaid friend and her family's ship in danger and sings "The Love We Share" to encourage Sofia to enlist Cora to help her save Oona. She is seen at the end of the special by the floating palace jumping into the water.

### *Ralph Breaks the Internet*

In *Ralph Breaks the Internet*, Ariel appears as a netizen resident of Oh My Disney. She and the other Disney princesses work as cast members that meet-and-greet net users. When Vanellope von Schweetz is confronted by First Order Stormtroopers, she glitches into the princesses' backstage room; Ariel is seen combing her hair with a dinglehopper at her vanity. The princesses mistake Vanellope for a threat, and charge at her with various weapons at hand; Ariel wields a dinglehopper. Vanellope explains that she's actually a princess, as well, prompting Pocahontas to ask what kind of princess she is. Ariel's questions are Vanellope made a deal with an underwater sea witch in exchange for human legs, but to Ariel's relief, Vanellope denies. When Jasmine asks if Vanellope has "daddy issues", she notes that she doesn't even have a mom, to which Ariel relates.

Shortly after, Cinderella takes a liking to Vanellope's casual attire. She asks her mice to seam comfy outfits for each of the princesses. Ariel dons green shorts and a blue shirt that reads lyrics to "Part of Your World". Ariel is overwhelmingly delighted to finally have a shirt and expresses through song that she's always dreamed of one-day wearing one before Vanellope cuts her off. Vanellope questions Ariel's singing, but the other princesses explain that they've all had songs that help them express their desires. They encourage Vanellope to find her song, but the results are not very impressive.

During the climax of the film, Ariel and the Disney princesses spot Wreck-It Ralph falling to his doom. They rally together to rescue him and do so using their unique skills. Moana summons the ocean, which Ariel dives into. She then swims upward, creating a spiral with the water. When Ariel emerges, she lands on Jasmine's magic carpet, from where Elsa freezes the sea while in its spiral formation, creating a slide for Wreck-It Ralph to safely descend. After Ralph is safe, the princesses formally introduce themselves as friends of Vanellope.

### *Once Upon a Time*

In a trailer for Season 3, Ariel is seen stealing Grumpy's fork and disappears into the sea. She made her debut in Episode 6 titled "Ariel" and was portrayed by Joanna García. In her debut episode, she saves Snow White from drowning after Snow jumps off a cliff to avoid The Evil Queen's guards. Ariel tells Snow White that once a year a mermaid can walk on land, though only for the 12 hours between high tides. She then tells Snow White she saved Prince Eric a year before and has been in love with him ever since. Snow White knows what love at first sight is like understands the mermaid and convinces her to go to Prince Eric's ball. At the ball, Prince Eric is immediately drawn to Ariel and he asks her to dance with him. While they dance he tells Ariel that he will be leaving the next morning on an adventure to see the world and asks Ariel to go with him.

Ariel relays this information back to Snow White who tells Ariel to be honest with the prince however Ariel is reluctant as she does not want to be rejected by the prince by telling him she is a mermaid. Ariel is later seen at the seashore asking the Sea Goddess Ursula for guidance. After she seems to have given up Ursula appears in front of Ariel. However, this is not the true Ursula this is Regina in a disguise. Regina gives Ariel a magical bracelet that will trade her tail to whomever she gives it to. Ariel gives the bracelet to Snow White thinking if Snow is a mermaid she can escape to the sea and be free from the Evil Queen. Regina then appears and tells Ariel to go her Prince and moves to kill Snow White. Ariel not willing to let that happen attacks the queen with a fork which distracts Regina long enough to get the bracelet off Snow and give her back her tail. Snow and Ariel then dive into the water and swim away from Regina. After Ariel and Snow White have escaped to a nearby beach, Snow tells Ariel to go back to the prince and tell him the truth.

Ariel happily listens to Snow White and returns to the dock by Eric's palace as she is about to yell Eric's name her voice vanishes. Regina appears on the dock and tells Ariel that she will not have a second chance at true love and that she took her voice so Ariel can never tell Prince Eric how she truly feels. In tears, a muted Ariel heads back to the sea. 29 years later in Never Land, Regina and Mr. Gold are by the banks of a lake. Regina whispers something into a seashell that causes Ariel to appear. Regina returns Ariel's voice to her and asks her to go to return to Storybrooke so Ariel can retrieve a weapon from Mr. Gold's shop that will be strong enough to stop Peter Pan. Regina then promises Ariel that she can be a human permanently and if she goes to Storybrooke she will find Eric there. Ariel then agrees.

Ariel's next appearance in Once Upon a Time is titled "Dark Hollow". This episode immediately picks up after the events of "Ariel". Mr. Gold explains to Ariel how to get to Storybrooke by using a stick to draw a map. Ariel studies the map and comments that it will be a long journey and that she will need to cross realms, but she will be able to get there. Mr. Gold then conjures a sand dollar shell for Ariel to take along and tells her she must find a person named Belle and give it to her. Before leaving Ariel asks about where to find Eric. Regina refuses to tell her until Ariel and says incentives are important and the bracelet will only give her human legs for twenty-four hours. Though hesitant about what Regina said Regina says to Ariel she will need to trust her to which Ariel jumps back into the water and makes her way to Storybrooke. Ariel makes it to Storybrooke and sees Leroy. She introduces herself as Ariel and slips on a bracelet that transforms her into a human. She then walks out of the water and approaches to ask Leroy where to find a person named Belle. Leroy takes Ariel to the town diner to meet Belle. Belle questions Ariel as to why she has come to Storybrooke to which Ariel replies she came from Neverland on a mission for Mr. Gold.

Belle is then shocked and relieved Mr. Gold is alive and Ariel tells Belle Mr. Gold needs him to save everyone. The two head to Mr. Gold's shop where Belle is able to use the Sand Dollar given to her by Ariel from Mr. Gold to find the item capable of defeating Pan. However, after finding the item which has turned out to be Pandora's Box the are ambushed by John and Michael Darling now working for Pan and the two of them tie Ariel and Belle up and take the item to destroy it. In order to get out of the ropes, Belle removes Ariel's bracelet which allows Ariel to wiggle free from the ropes and undo Belle's bindings. Ariel then puts the bracelet back on and go after John and Michael. Belle and Ariel find Michael and George just before they destroy the box. Belle is able to stop them by activating a minecart on the tracks, which throws Michael and John off their feet. Using time to her advantage, she grabs the box and kicks their gun away.

John and Michael tell Ariel and Belle that Pan has Wendy hostage and if they don't do his bidding he will kill her. Ariel and Belle promise they will help save their sister. Ariel and Belle then go to the coast where she parts ways with Belle and returns to Neverland with Pandora's Box. Ariel returns to Neverland and is greeted by Regina and Mr. Gold. Regina keeps up the end of her deal and enchants Ariel's bracelet telling her she now becomes a human whenever she wants. She then gives the two Pandora's Box and before heading back to Storybrooke she tells Mr. Gold and Regina about Wendy that she needs to be rescued too. Regina has no concern but Mr. Gold expresses a willingness to try. Ariel then leaves to return to Storybrooke.

After she permanently becomes human, she finds Eric working as a fisherman. The two of them are then reunited and reconcile. In Episode 17 of Season 3, Ariel returns and yet does not return. She is seen in the missing year to have tracked down Killian Jones and the two of them track down the notorious Blackbeard so that Hook can regain The Jolly Roger. Things do not go as planned and Ariel escapes to find Eric on an island where they are reunited. That is where they still are when Zelena the Wicked Witch of the West impersonates her in Storybrooke after the second curse. The fake Ariel "reunites" with Belle for her actions in Storybrooke.

### *Kingdom Keepers*

The mermaid first appears in Power Play when she helps Willa escape Judge Claude Frollo. She then teams up with the Keepers to defeat The Overtakers. It is revealed at the end of the book that she is friends with the captain of the Disney Magic. In the second book Disney at Dawn, Willa approaches a cast member of the park who's dressed up as Ariel for autographs. She tells Willa that Captain Hook was acting strangely and leaving his usual meet and greet spot.

## Trivia

* In the original story, Ariel couldn't kill the prince after she heard that he was engaged. She jumps back into the water and dies. Her soul goes to heaven. A later ending has it that Ariel stays with the prince and his wife after not killing the prince. The prince's wife falls in love with another man. The prince, his wife, his crew, and Ariel go sailing and a storm shows up. A bolt of lightning hits one of the ship's mast poles and then it starts to fall. The unknown man that the prince's wife fell in love with, saves her lift from the falling pole. She then asks her husband if he'll let them get married. The prince approves. Ariel and the prince are married. Ariel gets her voice back and she then shows her husband her true form. Her husband then carries her into their carriage and drive away.
	+ Ariel's name in the original story was Serena, and she was portrayed with blonde hair.
* She is the first Disney Princess to have red hair.
* She is the only Disney Princess not to be human, but of a mythical species.
* She is the only Disney Princess to be a mother.
* She was the first Disney Princess to have her own television series.
* She appeared in *Peter Pan's Flight* ride in Walt Disney World.
* Ariel is seen in one of the paintings for *Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides*. She's on a rock with two other mermaids.