Why do Disney princesses always have an animal companion?

Have you ever noticed that most Disney princesses always have an animal friend by their side? Known as sidekicks, these beloved characters are responsible for accompanying the protagonists, transmitting advice and fun during the animation’s adventures.

Furthermore, thanks to their striking personalities and super cute characteristics, sidekicks end up winning thousands of fans around the world, being as loved as their protagonists. But why are they always present in Disney stories?

Best friends

The official reason for the constant presence of animals as the princesses’ companions has never been explained by Disney, however, fans have developed some theories that could perhaps explain this curious fact.

One of the most popular hypotheses relates the presence of the animals to the message that the studio wants to convey in its productions. According to this theory, in addition to representing princesses as compassionate and kind, Disney also seeks to convey the message that children should also be good and respect animals.

Still, another theory took science into consideration, and explains that the presence of the characters is due to the sense of morality that animals transmit, as pointed out by research carried out by the professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado, Marc Bekoff. In this way, with their presence alongside the protagonists, they are able to differentiate right from wrong within the plot.

But the assumptions don’t stop there! A third hypothesis was raised by fans, providing a much simpler answer than the previous ones. According to this theory, the princesses who gained animal companions had been isolated in some way, or simply did not fit into society, as happened with Snow White, Cinderella and Rapunzel.

On the other hand, Ariel, for example, ended up winning Sebastião and Flounder, because, until her transformation, she didn’t feel like she fit in among humans and mermaids, while Moana won Pua because she felt like she didn’t fit in with the rules of her village.