About “The Little Mermaid” in a few words:

“The Little Mermaid” is an animated classic that tells the tale of Ariel, a young mermaid princess who dreams of living on land. She’s willing to make a dangerous deal with the sea witch Ursula for a chance to be with Prince Eric, whom she’s fallen in love with. As Ariel embarks on this daring adventure, the story unfolds with themes of love, sacrifice, and discovering one’s true self, all set against a backdrop of catchy songs and vibrant animations.

Meet the characters from The Little Mermaid

Ariel

Ariel is the restless, sparkly heart of her story — curious to a fault and always three steps away from getting into actual trouble. She hoards human junk like it’s treasure (I swear she has an entire drawer of forks she calls “dinglehoppers”) and will trade anything for a new mystery, including, apparently, her voice — which is dramatic, reckless, and also very very brave. She’s naive and romantic but not dumb, and has this fierce stubbornness that makes her both maddening and impossible to stop liking. She loves the ocean but also likes sneaking up to the surface to complain about the weather, which… is oddly relatable.

Prince Eric

Prince Eric is the quietly heroic, kind-of-boy-next-door prince who absolutely melts when someone sails into his life (aww, yes). Brave on land and sea when it counts, a little broody, and oddly humble for royalty — he fixes things, listens, and probably rescues puppies on weekends. He’s romantic without being syrupy, stubborn in a charming way, and has that “I will stare at the horizon until destiny happens” vibe. Also he has an inexplicable soft spot for lighthouse-style hats and dramatic hair flips, which I may or may not have noticed in every scene.

Ursula

Ursula is a deliciously theatrical villain who feeds on ambition and bad bargains, and honestly she’s the kind of chaotic energy you secretly admire. She’s loud, whip-smart, and wears her rage like couture — tentacles and all — which is terrifying and kind of fabulous at the same time. Manipulator extraordinaire, she loves contracts, loopholes, and dramatic exits, and will absolutely monologue if you give her the chance. Deep down there’s this messy, maybe-sad backstory vibe (sometimes I feel like she collects broken dreams along with shells) and that makes her both terrifying and oddly sympathetic.

Sebastian

Sebastian is the little red guy who is basically responsibility incarnate but with rhythm, like if a strict professor secretly loved ska. He panics, he schemes, he scolds Ariel like a parent and then bops along to the music five seconds later. Loyal to a fault and a master of etiquette (and panic-control, sort of), he carries the weight of the kingdom while humming under his breath. Also he has surprisingly impeccable taste in shell accessories and will low-key judge your swim technique, but in a protective way.

Flounder

Flounder is the adorable anxious sidekick who is basically made of nerves and golden-hearted courage — tiny, nervous, brave in the exact moments that count. He follows Ariel into trouble even though he’s terrified of, like, everything (waves, seagulls, dramatic music cues), which is both ridiculous and heroic. He’s sweet, clumsy, and sometimes suspiciously strong when it matters, like a marshmallow with muscles. Also he hoards shiny pebbles and possibly kisses them goodnight (this may be a fan theory), so there’s that.