Maybe he isn't the white knight upon his fiery steed but maybe, technically the new idea of a prince isn't a bad thing.
From the very first Disney Prince, Prince Charming of Snow White, to the last known prince, Flynn Rider (it should be Kristoff but he is not officially a prince), the title of "Disney Prince" and the respective role the male main character plays has changed; and in my opinion for the better.
Prince Charming est. 1937: "Snow White" Edition
"There's nobody like him...anywhere at all."
Has anyone ever noticed that "The Prince" often referred to as "Prince Charming" only has two scenes during the entire movie? He sings to Snow White while she's at her wishing well at the very beginning of the film only to vanish into thin air until his presence is requested by the dwarfs to give her true love's first kiss. Maybe Snow White should have gotten to know this prince well enough even to know his first name. It's actually Florian.
Prince Charming est. 1950: "Cinderella" Edition
"So this is love. So this is what makes life divine. I'm all aglow."
Cinderella may have had to clean her stepmother's house for years after her father and mother died and this may have called for extreme circumstances but maybe, just maybe she didn't have to go after the very first guy she met. The lyrics above are to the very first dance she had with the prince. And I understand that he also brought her the shoe that she lost at the ball, but even a new pair of Louis Vuitton's shouldn't make a girl believe in true love that quickly. Cinderella was also bad when it came to first names. His name was Henri.
Prince Phillip est. 1959: "Sleeping Beauty"
"It's only in my dreams. But they say if you dream a thing more than once, it's sure to come true, and I've seen him so many times."
Finally, Disney decided to let a princess know her suitor's first name...after she had already dropped the L-word. They also decided to make his role a semi-major part of the overall film. Prince Phillip is not only a babe, he is also fighting for Aurora's life, literally. It is also a plus that he was her betrothed the moment she was born so one could say they were made for each other.
Prince Eric est. 1989: "The Little Mermaid"
"Oh, she's got it bad. Isn't it obvious, Daddy? Ariel's in love."
Ariel may not have given up her looks or her pretty face to win her man but she gave up her one real way of communicating who she was: Her voice. He's a dreamy eyed prince with a niche for sailing and finding women he's attracted to based on their singing abilities. However, he does care about Ariel enough to figure out her name with a lot of help from Sebastian and knows that he loves her until Ursula/Vanessa puts him under an evil spell. He also helped save Ariel when she broke the spell and they were able to have an inter (species?) wedding reception before the credits rolled. This seemed to be a highly controversial thing at the time.
The Beast/Prince Adam est. 1991: "Beauty and the Beast"
"If I didn't know better I'd think you had feelings for this monster."
Belle may have had her chance with "everyone's favorite guy" according to Lefou, but she chose the Beast. Prince Adam was not generous or kind to an old woman looking for a warm place to stay during a storm. Little did he know that old woman was disguised as a witch who would later trap him in the form of a hideous beast until he found someone who could love him for who he was. This is the first Disney princess movie to give a male character real depth with true emotions, sometimes a little too much of a temper, but still. The intentions were there and after he realized that Belle truly loved him back he was able to save the day. He also turned into a handsome prince on the outside and the inside.
Aladdin est. 1992: "Aladdin"
"Hey, it's only an eternity of servitude. This is love! Al, you're not gonna find another girl like her in a million years. Believe me, I know. I've looked."
This is the one and only prince that has had a Disney movie named after him. That being said, Hercules did not make the list because he is a god. However, Aladdin has all the qualifications to have this prestigious honor. He's good looking, smart, athletic enough to run away from any guard in Agrabah. On top of all this, he has a monkey! And don't even get me started on how he talks with Genie about her on the deserted island after they escape the Cave of Wonders. Mind you, this is all established before he even officially meets her and after he saves her from getting her arm chopped off by a guard at the marketplace. He may have lied about who he was but that's only because he thought it was the only way they could be together.
Li Shang est. 1998: "Mulan"
"You don't meet a girl like that every dynasty."
Yes, i'm including Mulan. If you have the guts to save your entire country from the Huns, you can call yourself a princess anytime you want. I'll be blunt. General Shang is sort of a hard ass. It was almost impossible to find any quotes about his feelings for Mulan. Just a few, quick stares and maybe a blush or two. I guess you can't blame him because he thought Mulan was actually a guy and was also her boss. In the end though, they knew each other pretty well if you don't count their genders. They also made it to the alter in their sequel!
Flynn Rider est. 2010: "Tangled"
"Here comes the smolder."
He may be a thief and he may have only wanted Rapunzel in order to get the crown back after she found it in her tower, but Flynn (Eugene) really has his princess' best interest at heart. He is helping her find her dreams and in the process they fall in love. She, however, is the one to save him. (All hail this independent woman). Personally, Eugene is my favorite Disney prince because of his charm and sarcasm. And the boat scene is definitely a pull at the heart strings.
Prince Naveen est. 2009: "The Princess and the Frog"
"I'm not sure I want to be a prince anymore, cause then we would have to go our separate ways. I don't want that, I want to stay close to you, no matter what. Because... I love you."
Prince Naveen seems like the snobby, rich prince from the very beginning and he may have you fooled by mid-movie because he is trying to get his old lifestyle back by marrying Tiana's best friend. However, after falling head over heels for Tiana he decides he would rather give up his crown to be happy with her. He plans his life around her happiness and helps her make her dreams come true, which wouldn't be complete without them being together. *Cue turning back into humans and living happily ever after.*
Kristoff est. 2013: "Frozen"
"You mean to tell me you got engaged to someone you just met that day? Didn't your parents ever warn you about strangers?"
Finally someone said it! Kristoff moved mountains for Disney with this statement and it wasn't the only one he made throughout the movie. He also mentioned getting to know your partner's habits. Even the disgusting habits like picking your nose. Hopefully, in the upcoming sequel he'll be able to acquire his princehood by marrying Ana.
