10 Reasons Why Moana Should Be Everyone's Favorite Princess
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10 Reasons Why Moana Should Be Everyone's Favorite Princess

I've already seen the movie at least eight times; don't fight me on this.

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10 Reasons Why Moana Should Be Everyone's Favorite Princess
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Unless you live under a rock, you've probably at least heard of the Disney's newest princess, Moana. She's Disney's first true badass since Mulan hit theaters in 1998. If you're anything like me, you've seen Moana way too many times considering it's only been out for a few months. You probably spend way too much time reading Buzzfeed articles about Moana, taking quizzes to see which character you are, or listening to the critically acclaimed and absolutely incredible soundtrack until your roommate's ears bleed. Moana is a groundbreaking princess for Disney and is my new favorite of the bunch. Here are 10 reasons why she should be your favorite too.

1. She gives princesses a new image.

Traditionally, the Snow White's, Sleeping Beauty's, and Cinderella's of the world are portrayed with anatomically disproportionate body types: big eyes, minuscule waists, thigh gaps, and fresh out of the salon hair. These body types teach girls to strive to meet these standards if they want to be a "princess", causing a multitude of unhealthy attitudes towards food, bodies, and sexuality. Moana was the first Disney princess created to portray a real-life, proportionate body type. She was made to be more realistic and athletic, giving her a positive message to spread to the thousands of girls in today's society.


2. She doesn't need a man.

Probably my favorite part about Moana is the fact that she is not given a love interest and she doesn't need one. She isn't the typical damsel in distress, she is able to fight her own battles without Prince Charming coming to the rescue. Instead, it is her relationships with her friends, her family, and herself that are highlighted which I think is truly important.

3. She can take care of herself and her people.

Moana defies the role of a traditional Disney princess. Many were born into royalty but never actually assumed the throne/ any power at all. Some weren't even royal. Moana was being primed to become the chief of her own island. She took her power with grace and lead her people as well as any man could. Once the darkness began to spread and her island began to deteriorate, she took it upon herself to go beyond the reef and restore the heart to save her people. It's also important to consider that she had no sailing experience and no map to rely on and she single handedly got a Demi-God on her side to help her out.

4. The lovable sidekicks

Every Disney movie has its own animal sidekicks. The animals are used to provide comic relief and, of course, to display each princesses inherent talent to communicate with animals (because why not?). Moana is flanked by Pua, a pig, and Heihei, a rooster.


HeiHei was the main animal in the film who, though portrayed as dumb, was actually used as a symbol of the people on the island, unaware of what was beyond the reef and going on with their lives, blind to the resources around them. Read more about his role here.

5. Auli'i Cravalho will be your goals.

Can we take a moment to talk about 16 year old Auli'i Cravalho because she's quite literally perfect. She's the youngest person to ever voice a princess and she is a Hawaiian native. And her singing voice is incredible, Oscar nominated even. Check out her performance on Ellen below and you'll see why she's so incredible and why I want her to be my best friend.


6. She doesn't want to be seen as a princess.

In one particular scene, Maui makes a comment that because Moana is in a dress and with an animal sidekick, that automatically makes her a princess. She instantly denies this status. She knows she's a warrior, not just a pretty girl waiting to be saved. More importantly, she knows that she is Moana and that that is enough.

7. The M=music

Let's just take a moment to appreciate the fact that this album gives us the gift we never knew we needed: Dwayne Johnson singing. Lin-Manuel Miranda lent his talents to write the iconic "How Far I'll Go" (and many other songs on the album) which I'll never stop singing. It's a motivational power ballad that will change your life. Listen to it in 24 languages down below and fall in love with it all over again. And "Shiny", sung by Jemaine Clement gives you "Poor Unfortunate Soul" vibes but revamped and it's honestly 10 times better (sorry Ursula). The music is filled with Polynesian beats, stand out lyrics, and songs that will get stuck in your head for years. Give it a listen (or 10,000).


8. She's not afraid to second guess herself.

One thing I loved about Moana is how relatable she is. No, I'm not a Polynesian chief who goes out on a journey with a Demi-God. It's her journey of self-discovery that connects with people worldwide. Sure, she's going out on a journey to save her people, but she's also on a journey to save herself. She discovers her courage and what she is capable of. However, her discovery didn't come easy. She had many moments where she questioned whether or not she truly was able to complete the task at hand. She almost gave up a few times, but she was able to get back on board (see what I did there) and finish out what she started.

9. The film is ~aesthetically pleasing.~

This film is probably the most beautiful Disney movie I've ever seen. Disney did its research and it translated well. If you are unsure whether or not to watch it, at least watch it for the landscapes and stunning visuals, it's worth it I swear.


10. She's a badass.

At just 16 years old, this Polynesian Chief-in-training is able to put a Demi-god in his place, make it out alive from the realm of monsters, defeat the wild Kakamora, learn how to sail, save her entire island of people, and calmly approach the biggest monster of them all to restore the heart of Te Fiti. At 16, I was binge watching Netflix on the weekend, learning how to drive and struggling to get through high school.


So, stop everything you're doing right now and go watch Moana. You won't regret it.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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