Prince Eric destroys the shell containing Ariel’s voice in Disney’s 1989 The Little Mermaid.
Ursula stores Ariel’s voice in a magical shell after making the bargain that gives Ariel human legs. She later wears the shell as Vanessa and uses the stolen voice to enchant Eric. During the wedding confrontation, Ariel’s friends help expose the disguise and recover the shell.
Eric then uses the ship’s broken bowsprit to smash the shell. This action releases Ariel’s voice and breaks the immediate spell surrounding Ursula’s deception. It also gives Eric an active role in resolving the conflict rather than leaving the ending entirely to Ariel or Triton.
Some summaries describe the object simply as Ariel’s voice or a necklace, but the film presents it as a shell-like magical pendant worn by Ursula. Eric’s destruction of it is a key event before the final battle at sea.