Reimagining Disney Characters With Realistic Bodies

Disney princesses have always looked like they stepped out of a perfect, airbrushed dream. But lately, that dream has gotten a reality check, and it starts with the most iconic bodies in animation. Ariel, Mulan, Cinderella, Jasmine, Rapunzel, Aurora, Tiana, and even villains like Elsa, Meg, Maleficent, and Ursula are getting “reimagined” in a way that makes you stop scrolling.

The complicated part is that this is not just about outfits or hair, it is about proportions. Researchers Toe Aung and Leah Williams point out that Disney characters are drawn with waist-to-hip ratios most people cannot naturally achieve, averaging around 53% waist-to-hip. That is far from the commonly cited ideal ratio of 0.7, and it is even tighter than Barbie’s 0.56, which means the visual message is doing more than just decorating.

So when those measured proportions get turned into art, the question becomes: what happens when the “happily ever after” look finally matches real bodies?

1. Ariel

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2. Mulan

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3. Princess Aurora

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4. Jasmine

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5. Rapunzel

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6. Jasmine

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7. Cinderella

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8. Jasmine

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9. Princess Tiana

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10. Mulan

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11. Jasmine

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12. Princess Aurora

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13. Princess Tiana

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14. Princess Tiana

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15. Rapunzel

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It’s the same “equality vs tradition” fight as the debate over splitting a fancy dinner bill by what each person ordered.

16. Elsa

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17. Ariel

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18. Cinderella

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19. Rapunzel

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20. Belle

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21. Meg

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22. Princess Aurora

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23. Meg

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24. Princess Aurora

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That tiny waist-to-hip math is what makes Ariel and Jasmine feel less like characters and more like a template.

Then the list gets wider, from Mulan and Princess Aurora to Princess Tiana, and it is the consistency that hits hardest.

When the analysis includes villains like Maleficent and Ursula, it becomes clear this is not one-off, it is a whole visual language.

Old Disney movies are often criticized for giving young girls negative messages, such as needing a man to be happy, waiting for the perfect partner, and believing that marrying a prince means living happily ever after.

However, these movies also receive criticism for portraying unrealistic body images. For example, researchers Toe Aung and Leah Williams point out that Disney princesses are drawn with extremely small waist-to-hip ratios that most people cannot achieve naturally.

This can harm girls' self-esteem in the long run. However, since beauty is subjective, Aung and Williams measured something specific: the waist-to-hip ratio of female Disney characters.

They analyzed screenshots and calculated the waist and hip sizes of 11 Disney princesses and characters from the hugely popular movie Frozen, as well as seven villains like Maleficent and Ursula. They found that, on average, these characters' waists are only about 53% the size of their hips.

This is much smaller than the widely accepted ideal ratio of 0.7 and even smaller than the Barbie doll's ratio of 0.56.

The researchers emphasize that such an exaggerated hourglass figure is almost impossible to achieve naturally.

25. Princess Tiana

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26. Belle And Adam

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27. Meg

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28. Prince Eric

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29. Cinderella

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30. Ariel

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31. Rapunzel

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32. Belle

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And that is where Smallish’s art steps in, flipping the script so the “ideal” figure is no longer the rule.

As we go through life, we often feel pressure to look a certain way because of what society tells us is beautiful. However, Smallish's art shows us that we don't have to follow those rules. We can set our own standards and celebrate how different everyone is.

Smallish is changing how we see the world. She envisions a world where everyone feels included and valued for who they are. So, as we continue with our lives, let's remember what her art teaches us: that everyone is beautiful in their own way, and we should celebrate that.

The next time you see Ariel or Tiana, you might notice the body first, and the story second.

For another group blowup, read about the AITA poster refusing an unequal restaurant bill split.