Disney Rankings Finals: Best Disney Romances
Disney Rankings Finals: Best Romances
Welcome to the fifth round of my Disney Rankings Finals! Last round, I covered who I thought were the top 12 Disney side/supporting characters. You can go to that one here. In this round, I'm going to go over the top 12 Disney couples! Disney is known for its romances, practically every movie has two characters get together by the end. Some of these couples are rather boring (*cough* Snow White and Prince Ferdinand *cough*). But, as we'll see very soon, some of these couples are amazing.
As a bit of fun, I decided to create a "relationship name" for each couple. I'll basically do this just by splicing their two names together into a new name--it's a common practice among many internet fandoms, so I thought it would be fun to do it here :).
Let's begin!
12th Place: "Baline", Bambi & Faline (Bambi)
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Okay, so these two are pretty cute together in my opinion (at least, they are when they're both kids). Faline's confident and playful personality mixes well with Bambi's more serious personality. They bounce off of each other's characters really well, and they have some pretty comical, and cute interactions with each other. The thing that's the most striking about their relationship is just the sweet innocence of it. They like each other because they get to know and like each other, not just because the plot calls for it (I'm looking at you Snow White).
11th Place: "Pongita", Pongo & Perdita (101 Dalmatians)
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So, there are two sides to Pongo and Perdita's relationship, which parallel the two sides that I think exist in every good relationship. On one side we see that Pongo and Perdita are both willing to risk their lives to defend their family, and their willing to stay by each other's side no matter what. We see them brave blizzards together, rescue their children from Cruella DeVill, and fight (nearly to the death) with Jasper and Boris. It's kind of rare that you actually see a married couple fight together in an animated movie, or any type of movie for that matter. But in real life, aren't most couples fighting together to provide what's best for their children?
Then there's the other side of their relationship, the side of safety and security. The pictures above show just how safe they are with each other. They both just look so peaceful together. It's this kind of peaceful bliss between husband and wife that I think movies need to show more of. I mean, seeing a couple who are truly at peace around each other and just obviously love each other to bits is so heart warming--that's why movies like Up, Wall-E, and this one are so well received. This is true love, not meeting some random guy in the woods and falling in love with him that same day.
10th Place: "Trady", Lady & Tramp (Lady & the Tramp)
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Lady and the Tramp just have the sweetest love story ever. Their relationship is what makes the heart and soul of this movie. Lady and the Tramp is a romance movie--for kids. This is actually quite rare for Disney. They usually just have romance tacked on to the movie, rather than having it be at the heart.
One thing I liked about the relationship between these two was how much we actually got to see it on screen. The bulk of the movie features both of them together. The entire second act alone is essentially the Tramp taking Lady on a day-long date. We get to see them do all kinds of things together: Fight off crazy alley dogs, go to the zoo, have dinner, get shot at by an angry chicken farmer, etc.
I really just loved how real their relationship felt. Lady didn't just meet some random guy and fall in love with him at first sight. She got to know him, she went on a date with him, she even had her doubts about him. However, after he proved himself to her, she welcomed him back into her heart. Their happily ever after at the end of the movie just feels so right, because the movie actually earned it. Plus, you even get to see their puppies! Disney movies hardly ever let you see their couples actually married and with kids, so showing kids that romance includes a happy marriage and children is a really big plus for this movie.
9th Place: "Kristanna", Anna & Kristoff (Frozen)
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The above pictures really make me wish Disney had done more with their relationship in Frozen, oh well, at least there's the sequel coming out soon (which I am, of course, excited for). That being said, I really do like Anna and Kristoff together. They balance each other out really well. Anna helps Kristoff become a little less selfish, and Kristoff helps her develop a more realistic world-view, and he was the one who helped give her hope after Hans betrayed and manipulated her. It's really quite touching that Kristoff helps Anna discover what true love really is, in contrast to the short-sighted infatuation she felt for Hans. The movie does this in a pretty clever way. Rather than showing off the fruit of their love by having Kristoff' kiss Anna to melt her heart, they just get a cute, warm, and completely honest moment in the end where we get to see how much they mean to each other. It just goes to show that your love doesn't necessarily have to be this "magical, true love's first kiss" to be powerful, sometimes, it can just be warm and simple.
8th Place: "Toxey", Tod & Vixey (Fox & the Hound)
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I really liked seeing these two together. Their relationship just felt so natural. They started off pretty awkward (Tod chose to open up with the best pick up line ever: "may I call you by your first name?"), but then after a while, they really took to each other, and ended up having a pretty good relationship. And one of the best things is that they get a lot of screen time together (pretty much the entire third act of the movie, as well as a decent chunk of the second act).
One of the best things about their romance is that it actually means something. Before Tod meets Vixey, he's basically on the verge of a mental breakdown. He was, from his perspective, completely abandoned by his mother figure in the middle of the woods, with no one to help him. He was definitely at his lowest point right before he met Vixey. However, as they started to fall in love with each other, Tod's fears began melting away, allowing him to take his final steps in his character's growth.
7th Place: "Kilo" Kida & Milo (Atlantis: The Lost Empire)
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Kida and Milo are an interesting couple. On the one hand, they really only get the second act to be together, since Kida gets merged with the crystal during the final act, so they don't have quite as much screen time as other couples do. One thing they do have going for them though is how sincere their relationship is, and how well they complement each other.
Right off the bat, Kida shares one of her greatest desires with Milo--to save her people's culture and livelihood. Although Milo doesn't share this same desire at first, he quickly adopts it once Kida tells him about her people's plight. They share this passion with each other and work together to achieve Atlantis' security. Their shared passion and interests helps them create a relationship built on respect and equality. The To see a couple adopt the same mission and work together so powerfully is really touching and inspiring.
6th Place: "Chibby" Chicken Little & Abby (Chicken Little)
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As I mentioned before, Abby does so much for Chicken Little. She listens to him talk about his struggles and doesn't judge him for it. She enthusiastically encourages him to take the steps necessary to heal the relationship with him and his dad. And the best part is that she doesn't let him get away with procrastinating his healing process. She can be a little overbearing with him sometimes, but at heart, it's because she genuinely cares about him, and wants him to be happy. That's a pretty strong foundation for a relationship. Plus it's just awesome to see two nerds fall in love XD.
5th Place: "Tiaveen" Tiana & Naveen (Princess & the Frog)
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Prince Naveen and Tiana's relationship follows a very common trope in Disney movies: bad boy meets good girl. Bad boy shows good girl the world, and good girl helps bad boy shape up. Although it is built on the foundation of an overused trope, I feel like Tiana and Naveen's romance is more nuanced then others of its kind. More so than similar relationship, they help each other see the weaknesses they'd been hiding or running away from and help each other face them head on. They also learn to love themselves more through each other.
At first Tiana relentlessly points out Naveen's weaknesses. She calls him out on his laziness, and his nonchalance, and helps him to see the effects his weaknesses have on people. Later on, she helps him learn how to become hard working and honest. But, more than that, she helps him gain true confidence in himself, as he learns that he is not useless and that his life can be meaningful.
Naveen helps Tiana to welcome others into her life, at a time when she was used to shutting other people out. Although it's never directly stated, you can tell that Tiana is afraid of socializing with other people, and doesn't really have a lot of confidence in herself in that regard. Naveen helps her see that she is desirable, and that her personality is something people can be attracted to. Thanks to Naveen, Tiana starts to let other people into her life and accept their help.
4th Place: "Biancard" Bianca & Bernard (The Rescuers)
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I really love the romance between Bianca and Bernard, in fact, they're probably my favorite Disney couple (though, to be fair, I'll admit that there are romances that are better written, and contribute more to the overlying story). They’re just so adorable together :). Their love for each other just feels so natural and sincere, they just have so much chemistry together. I liked how they seemed to just like each other from the very beginning, which is interesting because I usually don’t like that in a love story. But, the fact that they like each other so readily means that the movie doesn’t waste anytime doing the “will they or won’t they?” routine. Them falling for each other at the beginning allows the rest of the movie to show off how awesome they are together.
They get to do so much with each other. Both of them saved each others’ life on multiple occasions, and they worked together to accomplish their mission. Their relationship is a perfect example of what a movie romance should do, and I applaud the makers of The Rescuers for creating such a touching romance between these two.
The last image above is a rather touching one, in that it shows perfectly what these two mean to each other. It's hard to remember because they're cute, animated mice, but these two are taking on some of the greatest evil that earth has to offer. They're not facing off against charismatic, yet unrealistic monologue-spouting schemers--no, they're going up against kidnappers and child exploiters. It can't be easy for them to face this darkness--but with each other, they can stand up against anything.
3rd Place: "Bellam" Belle & Adam (Beauty & the Beast)
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Just as a reminder, if you think this pairing is an example of Stocholm Syndrome, there's a very well-written article that will prove you wrong, here.
This romance is such a Disney classic, that I feel like it goes without saying why I hold it in such high regard. It isn't First Place material, but I definitely believe it deserves this spot. While angry internet writers who can use the word "patriarchy" and "toxic masculinity" in the same sentence, and thus think they are Feminists, decry this relationship as abusive and detrimental to women, I think this relationship teaches a lot of valuable lessons.
Ironically enough, the first of these lessons is that toxic masculinity (oops), will not get you what you truly desire in life, and that it is better for men to open themselves up to others instead of pushing people away. There are many men, currently trapped in self-destructive patterns of anger (and later regret), who can learn from Adam's change of heart. He allows his love for Belle to tame "the beast" that's inside of him. Contrary to what angry "feminist" writers (and those on the opposite extreme) argue, it isn't Belle who changes Adam. It's Adam who changes for Belle. He learns to curb his temper, he recognizes the errors of his ways and sets Belle free--allowing her to make her own decisions rather than force his own will upon her.
To her credit, Belle makes an equally important transformation. At first, she is rightfully angry and distrustful towards Adam, and is more than willing to leave him. However, after he risks his life to rescue her from the wolves in the forest, she decides to help him (even though she was sorely tempted to leave him for dead). She then opens up her heart to notice the changes that Adam makes, and allows herself to see his good intentions. She then chooses to be with him, not because she's obligated to or because she's "supposed to", but because she's grown to genuinely love him, and wants to be with him.
Adam and Belle's relationship is a symbol of what true, genuine forgiveness and redemption can do for a relationship. And although it is important to recognize that this pattern doesn't always work out, it's also important to remember that it is possible.
2nd Place: "Tarzane" Tarzan & Jane (Tarzan)
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I really loved the relationship between these two. The best thing about this relationship is how much they both bring to it. Neither one of them really drags their heels. They both absolutely adore each other and do everything they can to spend time with each other. The way they look at each other, is just adorable. They make the whole audience root for them.
Something unique about their relationship is the amazingly innocent sense of wonder and amazement they have for each other. Both of them are powerfully motivated to learn about and share in the other's world. I think that taking interest in the other person's world is one of the most important things about any relationship. When people are genuinely interested in us, it opens us up, and allows for emotional intimacy. This is what makes Tarzan and Jane's relationship so believable and lovable.
Their relationship isn't bogged down by any complicated nonsense, they're just entranced by each other from the get go. Although I can like it sometimes when the couple in a movie has to struggle with their own weaknesses and baggage before they can be with each other, I just find myself loving how effortless the chemistry comes for these two. It just goes to show that sometimes, love is just something that stumbles upon you, rather than being something that must always come after an uphill battle.
I also want to point out that their love fulfills the words of the very first song in the movie: "Two worlds, one family". There's probably no better way to describe the coming together of two people :).
Winner: "Mercules" Meg & Hercules (Hercules)
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Well, here it is, the crowning couple on Disney's wedding cake so to speak. I absolutely love the relationship Hercules and Meg have, and I have no regrets in saying that their's is the best Disney romance ever.
The love between these two is just so natural, and meaningful, it’s arguably the best part of the whole movie. The thing that makes this relationship so great is that it is deeply meaningful and impactful for both Hercules and Meg.
Hercules wasn’t really much of a hero before he met Meg. True, he had good intentions, but it was Meg who helped him to put his heart in the right place. She helped him to forget about what everyone else thought about him and helped him realize that it was far more important to mean the world to one person than it was to have the whole world accept him. Not only did his relationship with Meg teach him about acceptance, but it also helped him learn forgiveness. Hercules was seriously hurt when he found out Meg had been working for Hades, and this hurt led him into a spiral of depression and grief. However, when Meg sacrificed herself to save him, Hercules learned to overcome the pain she had caused him and see her true love for him instead. That’s how relationships work in the real world. Sometimes we hurt each other. But, forgiveness will always be there to heal us, and help us remember our love for each other. Plus, I love that for once, it's the guy forgiving he girl in this scenario, since in the real world, both sides end up hurting each other and must therefore forgive each other.
Meg was also changed by this relationship. Before she met Hercules, she had been lied to, abused, and betrayed by men, and she had sworn off ever falling in love again. There are many people in this world, men and women, who have made similar promises to themselves. Like Meg, they believe that a life of loneliness is better than having the chance of getting hurt. However, as Meg began to let her guard down, and let herself be more vulnerable, she discovered that in opening herself up to pain, she also opened herself up to love, hope, and healing. Sometimes that’s the way a relationship is, we need to open ourselves up and be vulnerable. It will almost certainly be terrifying, but it is the only way for us to find true peace and security.
Both Hercules and Meg have to embrace vulnerability and uncertainty in order to end up together, and I think that is the biggest reason why this romance works so well. True love is something that is forged and strengthened during affliction. Sometimes that affliction is self-inflicted, and at other times it's more of an "Us versus the world" kind of situation. Regardless, I feel like this relationship is the perfect example of what "true love" really is, and is the kind of relationship that I hope to achieve someday.
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And that's that! I must say that I particularly enjoyed this section. I can be a rather hopeless romantic at times :). After this, I'm going to get to work on writing the second to last section: The Best Disney Music!
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