Moana's list is another interesting one because unlike Anna and Snow White I really don't think Moana would care much for the Disney Princesses save for her favorites. Tiana, Jasmine, and Ariel were particularly tough to place and if you have suggestions on how Moana would feel about them, please feel free to share.

11. Aurora

I actually originally was going to group all the classic princesses together in one picture because frankly I don't think Moana would give them the time of day. Aurora and Moana have nothing in common and wouldn't even be remotely interested in each other.

10. Cinderella

I put Cinderella slightly above Aurora because of Cinderella's connection to her father.

9. Snow White

And I put Snow White above the bottom two purely because of her fondness for animals, her take-charge attitude, and that Snow might remind Moana of her mother.

8. Belle

Moana would like how Belle defends herself against Gaston's brutish come-ons and vindicates the Beast, but I think it may really irk Moana the way in which Belle looks down her nose at the townspeople. Moana embraces her people and focuses on addressing each person's concern and getting to know them. Belle is only preoccupied with herself and her desire to be out of such a rube town, as she deems it. I think Moana would feel that Belle would consider her island inconsequential. Belle shares a close relationship with her father and is often his caretaker; Moana often feels her ideas are suppressed by her fathers' overbearingness.

7. Jasmine

At first glance these two may seem similar but upon revisiting their characters they really lead very different lives. I feel like they have loose connections. I do think that Moana would like that Jasmine has strong morals about being treated as a human being. Jasmine's focus is on not wanting to marry without romance, but more centrally, not being treated as a prize to be won. Although I don't see Moana feeling one way or the other about romance it's not really a concern for her in her current mindset and Moana is really never objectified. They're both somewhat "trapped" under royal expectations, I guess, and I think Moana would feel badly that Jasmine never gets to leave the palace. On the other hand I think it would bother Moana how uninvolved Jasmine is with the people of Agrabah. While some of that isn't Jasmine's fault, Jasmine doesn't really show any active concern for her people in a city with clear unrest; of course she may be clueless about it. She wants to leave the palace to escape the pressures of palace life, not because she feels so strongly about interacting with her people. Moana is being groomed to take over her tribe, Jasmine is being prepared to be essentially sold off into marriage. Jasmine is grappling for independence and control, Moana is struggling with being loyal to her culture while still being true to who she is.

6. Tiana

Tiana carries on the tradition of cooking passed down from her father and now wants to turn it into a restaurant so she can share her fathers' recipes with others. I think that would be important to Moana, that Tiana took something passed down to her and made it her own while still keep true to the heart of what it means-- to bring folks together from all walks of life. Moana would certainly understand Tiana's drive and passion to go after a goal. But Tiana fights through obstacles to obtain what she wants; Moana conquers obstacles to find out what it is that she wants and to find her identity without sacrificing the traditions she loves. Tiana already knows how to do that; the plot her striving to obtain it. Tiana is a (relatively) modern american working girl and Moana is the daughter of a chief carrying on with a lifestyle that's been passed down for centuries.

5. Ariel

I think Moana would love the idea of mermaids and love Ariel's drive, journey and determination. She would also connect over Ariel feeling like she is called to by the human world the same way Moana is called to the ocean. Merida would really understand Ariel's deep-rooted desire for a world that calls to her and empathize with her need to keep it as a secret part of her. But I'm not too sure she would be happy with Ariel abandoning her way of life and her culture for a completely new one, especially without notifying anyone. Moana only left without warning to save her people but she did attempt to try to reason with her father first. Moana was going to stay at her island (albeit unhappily) until they couldn't find fish -that is why she left- because she is willing to disobey orders if she thinks it will save her island. Moana realizes that to save her people she must discover who she is and revisit her roots and bring this back to her island. Ariel, on the other hand, forgoes everything she ever knew in one instant for the human world without ever looking back.

4. Merida

Originally I thought Moana wouldn't like Merida because Mer actively snubs certain parts of her culture... but then I realized Moana isn't against rejection of culture if it doesn't make sense or if it's more harmful than hurtful. Moana wants to venture past the reef because keep with tradition isn't working; it's actually harming her tribe. She is willing to break cusoms if it benfits her people in the long run. I don't think she would be against Merida avoiding being married for politcial alliance because she would realize there are other ways to form that bond. Merida also believes in fate and being guided by the wisps, just as Moana has let other wiser spirits and elements guide her. Moana would also empathize with Merida not fitting into her expectations as a princess as well as appreciate her athletic inclinations and adventurous personality.

3. Rapunzel

Rapunzel is my least favorite Disney Princess because she suffers from lack of flaws and adorable marketability, and I find this to also be true of Moana. So this may taint my view. I think Moana would find Rapunzel cute at first but then grow to love her more. Rapunzel is a girl searching desperately to find herself and responds to her own calling- the lanterns- just as Moana feels the ocean seduce her. Moana would understand what it's like to see something every day and understand that it means more but not have the means to solve the mystery. I think the scene where Rapunzel captures and blackmails Flynn would remind Moana of her fledgling days as a sailor and her unsteady confidence in forcing Maui along with her. Moana would enjoy Rapunzel's realization that she is the lost princess because it brings Rapunzel back to her roots to give her her answer on who she is. Small note, but I think she would really love the scene where Rapunzel gets all the townspeople to dance.

2. Pocahontas

This is a girl who has all the freedoms in the world at the beginning but has to come to terms with taking responsibility for her tribe (like Moana does) and cares about bringing happiness to her land. Although I think Moana may be faintly nettled by Pocahontas' seeming indifference to her people; we really don't see Pocahontas' interact with them much. While Pocahontas does defend her way of life against John Smith and the settlers, her final act of saving John in the end is more of an attempt to prevent war and save John's life than it is to preserve her culture. Like Moana, Pocahontas is drawn to something inside of her (in Poca's case, a dream). Moana doesn't have much of a this vs. that dichotomy that Poca does -Moana's struggle is more internal- but she woupld still definitely understand Pocahontas' pain. I think Moana would also cherish Pocahontas' affinity for nature and her reliance on spirits.

1. Mulan

Mulan is all about trying to make her family happy even if it compromises who she is inside, and that's what Moana also struggles with. Mulan also ends up breaking tradition and leaving her village because she thinks it's the right thing to do, just as Moana does. Moana would think it's amazing how Mulan saves her whole country through sheer resolve; this is what it took for Moana to rescue her island. Moana I think would like the nice touch of Mulan returing home instead of taking the war council job showing what Mulan truly found the most important was to be with her family.