Crafting 12 Disney Princesses With Unique Powers, Inspired By "My Hero Academia"

Disney princesses as superheroes.

Damjan

• Published in Disney
• April 25, 2024

In the world of children's entertainment, Disney princesses have long stood as icons of beauty and grace, embodying ideals of kindness and resilience. Yet, they often seem bound by the limits of their fairy-tale worlds.

For French illustrator Mokoya, this portrayal sparked a creative challenge: What if these beloved characters could step out of their gowns and into superhero capes? Mokoya, a talented storyteller and founder of the website "Le Café des Récits," grew up enchanted by Disney films and manga series.

As a young girl, she admired the princesses but couldn't fully relate to them. They were admirable, yes, but also a bit too pristine and passive for her taste. "Is she like me? Could I wish to be like her?"

These questions lingered in her mind, but with a twist. She envisioned the princesses not just as figures of royal elegance but as badass superheroes, bursting with potential and power.

Her idea was revolutionary yet simple: What if each princess possessed a unique "magic" power, not just in the context of their stories, but as modern-day heroines who didn't need to wait for rescue?

This concept was partly inspired by the popular manga "My Hero Academia," where characters train at a hero academy to refine their innate powers. Mokoya imagined a similar path for Disney's princesses, transforming them into figures who could influence and inspire far beyond their animated realms.

Driven by this vision, Mokoya dedicated herself to a demanding project. She decided to recreate twelve Disney princesses as superheroes, each endowed with a natural superpower that could define her as a champion in her own right.

The task was immense. Mokoya spent between five to eight hours on each illustration, meticulously crafting images that blended the familiar charm of Disney art with the dynamic flair of superhero comics.

Through her artwork, Mokoya redefines what it means to be a princess in today's world. For instance, imagine Cinderella with the power of telekinesis, controlling objects around her as she races against the midnight clock, or Ariel, the Little Mermaid, commanding water and weather as she fights to protect her undersea kingdom.

Each illustration is a picture but a story waiting to unfold, a tale of empowerment and independence. Mokoya's reinterpretations have resonated with a wide audience.

Fans of Disney and manga alike find something uniquely compelling in her illustrations—a blend of nostalgia and novelty that sparks the imagination. Children and adults are drawn to this new vision of princesses who are not only beautiful and kind but also strong, proactive, and capable of saving the day themselves.

Snow White

Mulan

Tiana

Rapunzel

Jasmine

Pocahontas

Moana

Ariel

Elsa

Merida

Cinderella

Vanellope

As more and more people visit "Le Café des Récits," Mokoya's artwork shows us a new way to look at old fairy tales. Her version of Disney princesses as superheroes shakes up the usual stories and shows that anyone can be a hero, no matter where they come from or what they're supposed to be. This change makes children's stories better and makes people think differently about what they can achieve. It tells us that everyone, just like the characters in these stories, has great strength inside that's ready to come out.

Damjan