The Most Heroic Disney Characters, Ranked By Their Songs
When it comes to Disney movies, every fan has their favorite main character for various reasons. Between the characters' bravery and kindness and their willingness to take risks, Disney heroes are often admirable characters for young children, and even adults, to look up to.
While there are plenty of obvious heroes in the Disney world, not all of them have heroic songs that show off their top-tier bravery and skills. Out of the most iconic movie soundtracks ever Disney fan knows and loves, let's rank some of the best protagonist songs that showcase the characteristics it takes to form a true leader.
10 Ariel - "Part Of Your World"
The Little Mermaid (1989)
While The Little Mermaid is filled with catchy tunes, "Part Of Your World" is iconic for a reason, as it's very telling of Ariel's personality. Despite her father's wishes to not wander too far, Ariel never lacked bravery when it came to exploring other worlds.
With lyrical dialogue like "I just don't see how a world that makes such wonderful things could be bad," it's clear the Disney princess' optimism was always through the roof, which turned out to be a blessing and a curse. While her father turned out to be right about the dangers of the other world, to an extent, Ariel found her footing, literally, in the on-land world, so her bravery worked out for the better.
9 Rapunzel - "When Will My Life Begin"
Tangled (2010)
Though the song doesn't fully showcase Rapunzel's bravery, it does show her inner conflict, which is important in proving that even the most confident people can question their life path sometimes. It's clear that she has made the most of being locked up in a tower, but luckily, her inner bravery provokes her to consider other options.
Rapunzel's conflict between what could be and what is currently is apparent with lyrics like "Stuck in the same place I've always been and I'll keep wondering... when will my life begin?" If it weren't for this epiphany, she probably would have never considered leaving the tower and exploring the world in order to grow and find her real parents, which clearly needed to happen for her.
8 Quasimoto - "Out There"
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1996)
Quasimoto is an admirable hero for many fans, largely due to his endless optimism, despite all he has to be depressed about. Between his caretaker being borderline abusive and manipulative toward him and the uneducated people that make fun of him for being different, he always rose above in a respectful manner.
The song "Out There" is an integral part of Quasimoto's self-discovery, as he shows his true wishes with lyrics like "All my life, I wonder how it feels to pass a day, not above them, but part of them." All he wanted was to freely roam the world and be free of the clock tower, and his wholesome intentions luckily granted him that wish after many trials and tribulations.
7 Anna And Elsa - "For The First Time In Forever"
Frozen (2013)
Though fans grew quite frustrated with some of Anna and Elsa's decisions made in the Frozen movies, there's no doubt that these Disney princesses proved to be true heroes on multiple occasions. From Elsa finally breaking out of her comfort zone to Anna pushing others to be the best versions of themselves, it's clear the sisters have grown immensely since the first Frozen movie.
In "For The First Time In Forever," Anna expresses her excitement to finally leave the castle, while Elsa goes through the motions of her anxiety as she fears people finding out about her deadly ice powers. However, Elsa was open to giving it a try though it was scary, as she sang "But it's only for today, it's agony to wait, tell the guards to open the gate!"
6 Maui - "You’re Welcome"
Moana (2016)
Even though he definitely wasn't shy about his accomplishments, Maui kind of had a right to brag. Considering he is an all-powerful demi-god, he doesn't necessarily have to be humble about being able to literally lasso the sun.
Though Moana was the one to prove herself as a hero by the end of the movie, Maui displays an immense amount of confidence, which is often necessary in order for any hero to step up and help others. He's also the first powerful character to have a humorous song recalling his best traits, with lyrics like "There's no need to pray, it's okay, you're welcome! I guess it's just my way of being me."
5 Tiana - "Almost There"
The Princess And The Frog (2009)
Between upbeat songs and truly creepy villain anthems, The Princess And The Frog has some of the best songs to come out of Disney in years. However, "Almost There" is a song that perfectly describes Tiana and her ambitious attitude.
One common trait many Disney heroes share is a good work ethic, which is clear in lyrics like "Trials and tribulations, I've had my share. There ain't nothing gonna stop me now 'cause I'm almost there!" While fans do wish she would've balanced fun and work a little better, it's obvious that Tiana's hard-working nature is an attribute that many wish they had.
4 Pocahontas - "Just Around The Riverbend"
Pocahontas (1995)
Realistically, Pocahontas had a lot to worry about between the English invading their land and even threatening their lives if they resisted. However, she remained quite optimistic and strong for her family, which makes her a natural hero and true leader.
With lyrics like "What I love most about rivers is you can't step in the same river twice. The water's always changing, always flowing, but people, I guess, can't live like that," it's not hard to understand that she has more of a grasp on humanity than anyone. Though the two groups had obvious differences, she was always willing to fight for what was right and teach everyone that people are not as different as they seem.
3 Hercules - "Go The Distance"
Hercules (1997)
By far one of the best classic Disney heroes, Hercules went through a series of trials and tribulations to get to where he was at the end of the movie. Between his bravery and his undying diligence, he did the work to defeat even the toughest mythical creatures.
In "Go The Distance," Hercules is open about his dreams to become a hero, and some may even say he manifested that dream with his faith and his hard work. True heroes always believe in themselves and never back down from a good challenge, as proven by lyrics like "It's an uphill slope, but I won't lose hope til' I go the distance and my journey is complete."
2 Simba - "I Just Can’t Wait To Be King"
The Lion King (1994)
Simba is every fan's favorite Disney character for many reasons, including his humor and his friendly nature. He also had a great understanding of his family's influence on the kingdom and he did not hesitate to step up when necessary.
Between lyrics like "I'm gonna be a mighty king, so enemies beware" and "I'm gonna be the main event like no king was before," it's easy to see how Simba's confidence has grown. He not only believes in himself, but he uses his life's travesties for good, as a way to motivate himself and carry on Mufasa's legacy.
1 Shang - "I’ll Make A Man Out Of You"
Mulan (1998)
It's no secret that Shang was a tough cookie to initially crack and his song is evidence of that. He was intimidating, yet he knew what he was doing and was not going to back down from the challenge of building the ultimate army.
However, the mildly-demeaning song was proven effective as the team gradually got better during training, with motivating lyrics like "You can bet before we're through somehow I'll make a man out of you."