This Lesser-Known Princess Redefined the Role Long Before the Disney Renaissance

Disney has released a number of princesses since the 1937 premiere of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’, from well-known figures to lesser-known or forgotten ones. Although some of the characters in the Disney Princess brand aren’t even royalty, the choice of which princesses to highlight is frequently determined by the box office success of their individual movie.

Princess Eilonwy from ‘The Black Cauldron’ (1985), a movie that was a huge box office bust but has since developed a cult following, is one example of a lesser-known princess. Eilonwy is a fascinating figure who serves as a link between the classic Disney princesses and the more contemporary ones that first appeared with ‘The Little Mermaid’ in 1989. ‘The Black Cauldron’ was released during the “Disney Dark Ages,” a difficult time for the company. 

Image Courtesy: IMDb

Although it was an economic failure, it set the stage for the subsequent films’ revival. Eilonwy represented a change toward more nuanced heroines because, in contrast to many other Disney princesses, she was a strong, independent woman.

Eilonwy’s combination of kindness and decisiveness made her stand out, even though she didn’t have a huge song or much screen time. She defied conventional princess clichés by actively participating in her story rather than only being a damsel in distress. Her character’s assertiveness and independence were revolutionary at the time, even though her position in the movie was more restrained than that of later Disney heroines.

Image Courtesy: IMDb

‘The Black Cauldron’ and its protagonist have remained an intriguing aspect of Disney’s history despite not being a huge commercial success. Princess Eilonwy might get the recognition she merits and possibly become one of the more famous princesses if Disney ever brought this character back in a live-action version.

–Farheen Ali