Sebastian

**Sebastian** is a major character in Disney's 1989 animated feature film The Little Mermaid. He is a red, Jamaican-accented crab who serves as King Triton's advisor and "distinguished" court composer and singer-songwriter.

## Background

### Personality

Sebastian is a multi-layered character. He is generally carefree and fun-loving, especially when dealing with his most-beloved profession: music. He can be so high-spirited, in fact, that it can sometimes overwhelm the more solemn King Triton. However, the urgency of his job, as the king's most sought after assistant, requires Sebastian to be strict and no-nonsense often. This is sometimes a point of contention; being as how Sebastian is less staunch than Triton, the two rarely see eye-to-eye when it comes to Triton's laws. However, as Triton's advisor, Sebastian must uphold the king's regulations no matter how upsetting they may be. This makes Sebastian out to be "the bad-guy" in some situations (mainly those involving Ariel), but his moral compass has the tendency to push Sebastian to follow his heart, rather than the law. The greatest example of this comes when Ariel is transformed into a human. Rather than alerting the king about Ariel's transformation, Sebastian chose to support Ariel throughout her adventure upon the surface, knowing she'd just be miserable if she returned to the sea.

Sebastian's most striking traits are his loyalty and kindness. He would risk life and limb for his loved ones and has done so many times in the past. In regards to the royal family, Sebastian genuinely respects King Triton even when they disagree. In *The Little Mermaid* television series, their relationship is explored even further; one episode showed that Sebastian values his friendship with the king so much that he was visibly depressed when Triton apparently did not reciprocate his feelings. Of all King Triton's daughters, Sebastian is undoubtedly closest to Ariel. Having been forced to watch over her so many times, Sebastian gradually developed a paternal bond with Ariel and has gone against King Triton's orders multiple times for the sake of her happiness. As a surrogate father figure, Sebastian can still be strict with Ariel, but as is the case for King Triton, this is purely out of love.

Sebastian shows great disdain for Ariel's adventures and fascination with the human world, due to the danger that comes with them. As his attempts to turn Ariel against her more controversial passions are often futile, however, Sebastian is a frequent—albeit, reluctant—participant of Ariel's adventures, mainly to protect her as best he can. So many near-death experiences have left Sebastian riddled with anxiety. He occasionally suffers from nervous breakdowns, which in turn makes him high-strung and irritable.

For all his accomplishments, Sebastian has struggled with an inferiority complex; he is especially sensitive about his size and the fact that his tiny arms prevent him from swimming as fast as Ariel and Flounder. This makes it difficult to tag along on adventures which is why he'll just grab onto Flounder's tail fin. He also worries over his usefulness to his friends and the king, which drives him to go above and beyond to prove his worth. Sebastian tries to mask his insecurities with a pompous and haughty demeanor. He even lied to his parents about his job by claiming himself to be the King of Atlantica (though this was eventually debunked). Those close to Sebastian—specifically Ariel, Flounder, and King Triton—are aware of his low self-esteem. They typically deal with the issue by feeding Sebastian's ego and reminding him of his own self-worth.

## Role in the Ed-Chronicles

### Avengers Saga

#### *The Eds and the Little Mermaid: Age of Extinction*

Sebastian will make his debut in The Eds and the Little Mermaid: Age of Extinction.

#### *Thor and the Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning*

Sebastian will return as a supporting character in Thor and the Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning.

#### *Ed, Edd n Eddy: Heroes Assemble*

Sebastian will appear as a supporting character in Ed, Edd n Eddy: Heroes Assemble.