Disney loves to show off its princesses. From Jasmine to Ariel to Mulan, we dress up as them for Halloween and we know every song they sing. Besides the princesses’ strengths and individuality, it’s their love interests — the princes — that keep so many romantics wanting more.
While some of the princes on this list have married into their position, others were princes long before matching with our favorite princesses. But who’s the most powerful? Some princes are physically strong, but others have a larger reign. So which prince comes out on top? Take a look at who made our list.
Updated On April 26, 2020 By Amanda Bruce: Technically, there are a lot less Disney princes than there are princesses. Most of the heroes in the princess films are more like honorary royalty. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up even more of the heroes who have proven themselves worthy of a princely title in Disney’s animated movies.
TARZAN
Tarzan might not have been actual royalty, but he was certainly a prince when it came to the animal kingdom. He knew exactly how to survive with his gorilla family, and managed to get them to accept other humans into their midst.
Tarzan’s power lies in his understanding and compassion. He not only understands and protects animals, but does the same for those humans who aren’t out to destroy anyone.
PRINCE NAVEEN
He’s a bit of a selfish schemer to start, but Prince Naveen learns the value of honesty and hard work over the course of The Princess And The Frog.
Naveen’s power lies in his perseverance. Despite the seemingly impossible odds when he’s turned into a frog, he finds love and a whole new appreciation for life that can inspire those around him.
EUGENE FITZHERBERT
Most Disney fans know this Tangled character as Flynn Rider. He didn’t exactly love his real name, so he made himself a more adventurous one.
He doesn’t always inspire confidence early in the events of his story, but he learns that there’s more to life than his next big stash of loot. In fact, in Disney’s sequel series, he finds out he didn’t just marry into royalty, but that he was royalty all along.
KRISTOFF
Like many Disney princes, Kristoff isn’t born royal. That’s actually where his strengths lie. He understands that the real world isn’t always going to be a fairy tale, and that’s why he’s a great match for the long-isolated Anna.
Kristoff inspires trust from those who meet him. He’s straightforward and honest, which is definitely valued in a place like Arendelle, which has seen its fair share of royal secrets.
ROBIN HOOD
Robin is an outlaw when his story begins, but he might as well have been the prince of Nottingham all along. There wasn’t a citizen in town that didn’t love him for trying to keep them fed and housed.
Robin had his own band of followers to help him go behind the back of the actual prince. As the old story goes, he robbed the rich to provide for the poor. Of course, Robin did end up marrying Marian, a ward of the king, so he’s royalty-adjacent himself.
JOHN SMITH
Let’s be real, John Smith is considered a Disney prince because of his fictional relationship with Native American princess Pocahontas. But in reality, he wasn’t a prince at all. He and Pocahontas never married in the 1995 movie.
He simply set sail back to England after he was practically murdered in front of his warriors. John Smith did lead an entire army and was very much a leader, but he didn’t have the kind of reign other princes on this list did.
LI SHANG
As the son of an iconic army general, Li Shang means business when he’s teaching his soldiers how to prepare for war. He’s one of China’s greatest fighters and the love interest of Hua Mulan. As the story goes, Mulan took her father’s place in the army and acted as a man to prove she could fight for her country. Once Mulan practically saves the country and heads home to rest, Li Shang comes to terms with the fact that he’s been lied to for months by a woman pretending to be a man.
Li Shang has incredible physical strength and can out-lift everyone in his army, but when you really think about it, he wasn’t a traditional prince and Mulan was an actual princess. And yet, Disney (and its fans) like to think of both as prince and princess.
PRINCE FLORIAN
Snow White’s Prince Florian was kind of a mystery. He popped up at the beginning of the movie to woo Snow and then where did he go? The next time we see him isn’t until after Snow was poisoned. After he kisses her and awakes her from her slumber, they ride off into the sunset. But we never hear much about his kingdom and what he can offer Snow White besides the role of a princess.
PRINCE ADAM (BEAST)
It’s hard to believe that Beast’s real name is Prince Adam. Nevertheless, he is a prince to a small area in France. Due to his selfishness at a young age, he was transformed from a handsome prince into a hideous beast.
Once he became a beast, his kingdom was essentially shut down and he refused to be seen by his town’s people. This could only mean that he had less power when he was turned into a beast since he had a lower profile. And considering he was a beast for years on end, it’s safe to say he had little power over his kingdom.
SIMBA
Oh, Simba. He could have been so great. After the death of his father, King Mufasa, Simba was threatened by his uncle. If Simba didn’t run far, far away, he would be killed by Scar’s team of hyenas. Simba listened to his crooked uncle and took off until he ran into Nala years later.
Without Simba’s strength and presence, his kingdom suffered tremendously. If it wasn’t for Nala, Simba may have never returned to Pride Rock. However, once he did return and throw his own uncle to the hyenas, we saw Pride Rock flourish once more. This could only mean that Simba had enough of an impact on his kingdom to make it grow again.
PRINCE ERIC
In addition to being a royal, Prince Eric is also a very skilled mariner. We first see him on a ship and he appears to be very knowledgeable when it comes to sailing. Most royals don’t have the luxury to harness their hobbies due to having too many duties but Prince Eric appears to be able to make it work.
After Ariel saves Prince Eric from drowning, we see his kingdom and his personal assistant, Grimsby. Everyone caters to Eric and he can have anything his heart desires. It’s clear this he has a strong pull on his kingdom due to his wealth and how people treat him. Not to mention his kingdom broadens after marrying a former mermaid who is also a princess.
ALADDIN
Without Princess Jasmine, Aladdin would have remained a street rat. He would probably be in jail with Abu for stealing from the wealthy. Had it not been for Princess Jasmine’s desire for a simpler life, these two would have never met and Aladdin would have never become a prince.
However, since Aladdin did become a prince after marrying Princess Jasmine, he now gets to put in his two cents on how Princess Jasmine reigns Agrabah and the Middle East. A very large role to take on.
PRINCE PHILLIP
Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora truly were destined to be together from the start. In fact, if she was never taken away by her fairy godmothers, she and Phillip would have had an arranged marriage anyway. As fate would have it, Phillip and Aurora did run into each other in the forest and fell for each other instantly.
Unlike some of the other princes on this list, Phillip didn’t need Aurora to make a difference in his kingdom. After seeing his and Aurora’s father come to terms about combining their kingdoms, it was clear Phillip was quite powerful. And when Aurora needed help, Phillip fought a fire-breathing dragon and rode through thorns to get to her. Prince Philip had both the physical strength and a strong reign to make a difference in his kingdom.
PRINCE CHARMING
Prince Charming may be viewed as a pretty boy — his name is Charming, after all — but he is one of the most powerful princes on this list. He had enough influence to summon all the single ladies in the area to come to his grand ball (in hopes of finding a princess) and once he met Cinderella (“the one”), he was powerful enough to have his kingdom look in every nook and cranny for her. Charming is much more than a pretty face — he’s also an excellent swordsman, proving he can fight for his kingdom.
HERCULES
Hercules is quite literally a god. However, for the point of this article, he is defined by Disney’s Wiki page as a prince. After becoming mortal by his uncle, Hercules left Mount Olympus and tried fitting in with the family who saved him. His god-like powers were too obvious, though, and he caused more problems whenever he tried to help. The moment Hercules found out who he truly was, the more everything made sense to him. With his real father being Zeus, Hercules is one of the most powerful (and most underrated) princes Disney has yet.
