Asset ID: 72196942 / Dorling Kindersley / Blonde mermaid sitting on sea rock, side view.

Ariel is a fictional character and the lead protagonist of Walt Disney Pictures ' twenty-eighth animated film The Little Mermaid (1989). She subsequently appears in the film's prequel television series , direct-to-video sequel The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (where her daughter takes over as the protagonist, while Ariel is a secondary character instead) and direct-to-video prequel The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning . Ariel is voiced by Jodi Benson in all animated appearances and merchandise. She is the fourth Disney Princess and the only one to become a mother.
Ariel has a very distinctive appearance, with her long, flowing red hair, blue eyes, greenish-blue tail, and a purple seashell bikini top. In the films and television series she is the youngest daughter of King Triton and Queen Athena . She is often rebellious, and in the first film longs to be a part of the human world. She marries Prince Eric , whom she rescued from a shipwreck, and together they have a daughter, Melody .
The character is based on the protagonist of Hans Christian Andersen 's "The Little Mermaid " story, but was developed into a different personality for the 1989 animated film adaptation. Ariel has received a mixed reception from critics; some publications such as Time criticise her for being too devoted to her man whereas others, such as Empire , praise the character for her rebellious personality, a departure from previous Disney Princesses.

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