Why Moana Isn't A Disney Princess

Warning: This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Moana 2!

Because of a Moana 2 line, the question of Moana’s status as a Disney princess has once again come up, bringing to light the contradictory answers. Eight years after the original movie, the cast of Moana has come together once again to offer audiences a new, exciting story centered on the eponymous Polynesian main character. Rather than taking on Te Kā, Moana is braving the seas with new friends in order to bring back the mysterious lost island of Motufetū, which will somehow connect all the people across the islands.

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Though Moana has changed in many ways since the first movie, the character has remained steadfast in one regard. In the original film, the character insists to Maui that she isn’t a princess after he calls her one. In Moana 2, the cheeky demigod calls her a princess again, and she once again refuses the title, saying it’s inaccurate. Though the joke is amusing, it’s also potentially confusing since the term “princess” can refer to the royal title or the Disney Princess movie and merchandise brand. The ambiguity creates a space where more than one answer can be accurate simultaneously.

What Makes A Disney Princess Official: Rules Explained

Moana Qualifies For The Disney Princess Title Based On The Rules

Even though Moana insists she isn’t a princess, the character is still officially considered a Disney princess based on the rules. In order to be a Disney princess, a character must check off these three basic boxes:

She must be a female.
She must be a human.
She must be a main character in a movie that isn’t a sequel.

These criteria cast a wide net, and not all the characters who check those boxes are considered official Disney princesses. This is where unofficial rules come into play. The movie has to perform well, and the character must be marketable. While the character was initially only given to princesses by title, a character no longer needs to be royalty in order to be dubbed a Disney princess. Like Mulan, she can qualify based on heroic actions, which is an important factor in the Moana Disney princess debate.

The Official Disney Princesses As Of 2024
Name	Movie
Tiana	The Princess and the Frog
Ariel	The Little Mermaid
Rapunzel	Tangled
Moana	Moana
Snow White	Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Aurora	Sleeping Beauty
Jasmine	Aladdin
Cinderella	Cinderella
Mulan	Mulan
Merida	Brave
Belle	Beauty and the Beast
Pocahontas	Pocahontas
Raya	Raya and the Last Dragon

There are also the hilarious unwritten rules that Maui points out in the first Moana movie: “If you wear a dress and have an animal sidekick, you’re a princess.” Though the line is tongue-in-cheek, Maui isn’t entirely wrong about these being trends for Disney princesses

Moreover, some royal women who check the three boxes still aren’t given the title, such as Anna and Elsa. This is because franchises under the Disney umbrella can’t be too successful if they hope for a character to receive the coveted title. As a franchise, Frozen can stand on its own, meaning the main characters don’t need the Disney princess label to sell branded products.

Why Moana Says She Isn’t A Disney Princess

Moana Is Set In A Time Period Before Kingdoms In Polynesia

If Moana is part of the Disney princess branding, the question naturally arises as to why she insists in both the original movie and the sequel that the title isn’t right. The answer lies in the expansive, well-developed world of Moana. The first movie takes place at the end of The Long Pause – a one-thousand to two-thousand-year historical period after the settlement of West Polynesia, where Polynesians stopped migrating. At this time in history, Polynesian islands were governed by chiefdoms, not kingdoms. The latter form of monarchy wouldn’t exist in this region until the 18th century.

Based on this historical context, Moana wouldn’t have been considered a princess but a village chief’s daughter.

While the terms chiefdom and kingdom are often used interchangeably, the two types of government have minor but significant differences. For instance, Chiefdoms are typically community-oriented and less centralized. Chiefs also generally possess less power than kings and queens.

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Based on this historical context, Moana wouldn’t have been considered a princess but a village chief’s daughter. This isn’t to say she wouldn’t have honor, prestige, and respect from that role; she absolutely would. She just wouldn’t have the same experience as a princess because of the differences in governmental structures. Ultimately, the character denying that she’s a princess in Moana and Moana 2 feels like respect for the Polynesian cultures of that time period.

Disney & Moana Disagree About Whether She’s A Princess

Neither Party Is Technically Incorrect With Their Position

Moana and her crew look shocked and scared in Moana 2 — Image via Disney

The confusion about Moana being a Disney princess comes from the fact that Disney, as a company, and Moana, as a character, cannot agree about whether she’s a princess. Moana’s repeated insistence that she isn’t a princess directly contradicts Moana’s inclusion in the brand. The heroine appears in the “characters” section on the official Disney Princesses website, which lists all the characters in the current lineup. They even offer Moana-themed activities, wallpaper, and videos, solidifying their stance on the matter. Even Auli’i Cravalho, who plays the titular main character, has weighed in on the debate with her own opinion. She told Entertainment Weekly this:

“Films are always representative of their times. For today’s day and age, we want to see a young woman being the hero of her own story. So, yeah, she is a princess, but she’s also a hero. I like that those two words are now interchangeable.”

Ultimately, the piece to go back to is the fact that a leading lady in a Disney animated movie need not be royalty in order to be considered a princess. Both parties can be correct in their statements even without invalidating the other. The character can not technically be a Disney princess due to her chieftain roots but still appear in the Disney princess lineup. Moreover, Moana’s status as a demigod at the end of Moana 2 won’t preclude her from continuing to be in the group.

Sources: Disney Princesses and Entertainment Weekly