The Disney princess who first appeared in *The Little Mermaid* is Ariel.
Ariel is a mermaid princess and the youngest daughter of King Triton, ruler of the underwater kingdom of Atlantica. She longs to explore the human world, and her curiosity leads her to rescue Prince Eric after a shipwreck. The 1989 animated film follows Ariel’s bargain with the sea witch Ursula, who gives her human legs in exchange for her voice.
Jodi Benson provided Ariel’s speaking and singing voice in the original animated film. Songs such as “Part of Your World” helped make Ariel one of Disney’s most recognizable protagonists and contributed to the film’s role in the company’s late-1980s animation revival.
Ariel is sometimes confused with later Disney princesses because the official Disney Princess brand includes characters from different eras. Cinderella, Belle, and Jasmine each belong to that lineup, but they first appeared in *Cinderella*, *Beauty and the Beast*, and *Aladdin*, respectively. Ariel debuted earlier, in 1989.