From Cinderella and Aurora to Ariel and Jasmine, princesses have long been among the most beloved characters in Disney films. In 2000, the Walt Disney Company created the Disney Princess franchise to capitalize on the marketability of these (usually) royal female protagonists, with their likenesses appearing on countless toys, games, apparel, dolls, and other products.
Snow White was the first princess to be included in the lineup, in recognition of her starring role in Disney’s first full-length cel-animated feature film, released in 1938. Snow White clearly deserves her royal title, as an orphaned princess who is forced to work as a scullery maid after her evil stepmother becomes queen, yet ultimately ends up living “happily ever after” with a prince. Many later Disney heroines were modeled, at least in part, on Snow White.
Yet despite Snow White’s iconic status as the first official “Disney Princess,” she arguably wasn’t the first princess (or princess-like character) to appear in a Disney film. That honor goes to Persephone, the animated protagonist of “The Goddess of Spring,” a nine-minute Silly Symphonies short produced in 1934. “The Goddess of Spring” was based on the Greek myth in which the god Hades (known by his Roman name, Pluto, in the film) abducts Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter, taking her to the underworld, where she ultimately has to stay for half the year.
In many ways, “The Goddess of Spring” was a trial run for Disney ahead of the production of “Snow White.” Persephone shares several similarities with Snow White, including their fondness for dancing and twirling, as well as their adorable forest creature companions. The short also featured fairies and dwarf-like figures, previewing the appearance of the seven dwarfs in the later film.
Having mainly focused on animals like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, Disney animators used “The Goddess of Spring” to work on their skills for animating a human princess (or, in this case, a goddess), as well as the rotoscoping technique for creating realistic action. Many animators worked on both projects, and film historians have noted the phenomenal improvement in animation quality in just three years between “The Goddess of Spring” and “Snow White.”
Princesses and other protagonists:
- Before Snow White, Persephone, Mickey Mouse, and even Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney created a series of shorts that merged animation and live actors, known as the “Alice Comedies.” The main character was a spirited young girl named Alice (originally played by Virginia Davis) who has adventures alongside her animated cat, Julius.
- As of 2025, the official Disney Princess lineup includes thirteen characters: Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Moana, and Raya. Notably, Elsa and Anna are not officially part of the Disney Princess franchise due to the standalone success of Frozen.
- In 1987, Snow White became the first fictional female character to earn a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
