updates | May 17, 2026

What is the true story behind The Little Mermaid?

One of the darkest fairytales is The Little Mermaid, which features suicide and murder. Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 story follows the 14-year-old mythical creature on her quest to find true love. The mermaid shuns her life in the sea in search of a Prince – a plot-line that we know well from the original movie.

Why did The Little Mermaid kill herself?

The little mermaid wanted to become human so that she could be with the prince and so that she could have an eternal soul like humans. Mermaids, on the other hand, live longer than humans but lack a soul. When they die, they turn into sea foam and cease to exist.

Who was The Little Mermaid based on?

During film production in the late 1980s, animators used actress Alyssa Milano as the main inspiration for Ariel’s look. During The Little Mermaid release, both Alyssa and Ariel shared the same age of 17, but Milano didn’t know that she was a model for Ariel while the movie was being made.

How does the original Little mermaid end?

In the end, when she cannot bring herself to kill the prince with the dagger, she prepares to throw herself into the sea. Neptune himself intervenes and says that for her selfless act, she has earned the right to become a mermaid again and rejoin her family, giving the story a happy ending.

Did Ariel die in the original Little mermaid?

How well do you think you know the tale of the Little Mermaid? Well, like the many of other stories we have mentioned before, the original story of the Little Mermaid is much more harrowing than the Disney version. To be precise, The original Little Mermaid Ariel dies, and that isn’t even her real name.

How did Queen Athena die?

Athena is able to free her, but she is crushed to death by the ship while trying to save the music box, and the ship sinks after hitting the rocks. Athena’s death leaves Triton completely devastated.

What is the little mermaids real name?

Ariel
Ariel. Ariel is the title character of the franchise. She is voiced by Jodi Benson and was designed by Glen Keane. Auli’i Cravalho plays her in The Little Mermaid Live!.

What did Ursula turns mermaids into?

However, Ursula is determined to sabotage Ariel’s and Eric’s budding romance at any cost; when she realizes that Ariel and Eric are falling in love, Ursula transforms herself into a beautiful young woman named “Vanessa” and hypnotizes Eric, tricking him into agreeing to marry her instead.

How did Snow White die?

In movie and in folklore, Snow White and the Prince fall in love and get married (never mind that in the original tale, Snow is only 7 years old). In the movie, the seven dwarfs chase the Evil Queen into the forest, where she tumbles off a cliff—with a push from a convenient lightning strike—and falls to her death.

How did Ariel die Disney?

Unfortunately, she died as a result of a run-in with a big pirate ship when Ariel was very young, fueling Triton’s hatred of humans and music as a result.

Why does Ariel dad hate humans?

The television series, set before the events of the original film, shows Triton to be a wise ruler. He is prejudiced towards humans (possibly due to the death of his wife, even though Athena’s death was an accident and despite evidence that merpeople are half-human).

What is Belle’s real name?

The short answer appears to be no, Belle does not know the Beast’s real name. Throughout Beauty and the Beast, the Beast is referred to as a Prince, a Master, and a Beast, but he is never given a real name. In fact, on the film’s official IMDB page, the character is listed simply as “Beast” — no other name included.

Did Ariel die in the original Little Mermaid?