The Disney princess who stars in the 1989 film The Little Mermaid is Ariel.
Ariel is the youngest daughter of King Triton, ruler of the underwater kingdom Atlantica. Fascinated by the human world, she collects human objects and dreams of life beyond the sea, despite her father’s strict ban on contact with humans.
Her story begins after she rescues Prince Eric from a shipwreck and falls in love with him. Ariel bargains with the sea witch Ursula, trading her voice for human legs. The film’s central conflict follows her struggle to win Eric’s love while Ursula schemes against Triton.
Ariel was adapted from the mermaid in Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 fairy tale, but Disney gave her a more adventurous, rebellious personality and a happier ending. She is often called the fourth Disney Princess and the first to emerge during Disney’s Renaissance period. A common mix-up is confusing Ariel with her daughter Melody, who appears in the 2000 sequel The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea.