21 Kick-Ass Disney Princesses

A Bugs Life (1998)

The Princess: Princess Atta, pompous, snooty and scarily aware of her responsibility as the royal daughter of the ant kingdom.

Coolest Moment: When evil grasshopper, uh, Hopper kidnaps young Flik, Atta is the one who rescues him, and lures the mean bully to his bird’s nest doom.

If She Was In An Action Flick: She’d be Ant-Man's sidekick, so strong that she can bring down grown men with a single kick. Considering her miniscule size, she quickly becomes known as an expert assassin.

Tarzan (1999)

The Princess: Jane, the inquisitive daughter of a professor. When she travels with him to the rainforests of West Africa, she discovers a feral man living there and befriends him.

Coolest Moment: She may not be as physically capable as Tarzan, but Jane manages not to vom when he’s flipping her through the trees with him, which must count for something.

If She Was In An Action Flick:
She’d intimidate her enemies with her considerable knowledge, hurling massive words at them until they back away in terror.

Hercules (1997)

The Princess: Megara, who bargained with Hades to get her dead lover back. In the deal, she sold Hades her soul. Now she works for him trying to bring down Hercules, but secretly falling for the demi-God.

Coolest Moment: Meg sacrifices herself to save Hercules, pushing him out of the path of a collapsing column and instead getting crushed herself.

If She Was In An Action Flick: She'd be dead in 10 minutes - there's heroic, and then there's just plain suicidal.

The Princess Diaries (2001)

The Princess: Unwittingly the heir to Genovia, Mia Thermopolis has been brought up just like any other American teen – until fate comes calling in the form of her grandmother, Queen dowager Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews).

Coolest Moment: Mia gets given a makeover that transforms her from a bushy-haired freakazoid into a stylish lady with all the elegance of a member of the royal house.

If She Was In An Action Flick: She’d be in an action comedy as an adorably klutzy heroine who gets herself into tight squeezes, but through sheer chance (and clumsiness) always comes out on top.

The Princess And The Frog (2009)

The Princess: Tiana is a waitress who dreams of one day opening her own restaurant in New Orleans. When she dresses up as a princess at a ball, Tiana kisses a frog and is turned into one herself.

Coolest Moment: Sassy and independent, Tiana saves the day by smashing evil Facilier’s charm, ensuring his doom as he’s dragged by voodoo spirits into their world.

If She Was In An Action Flick: Tiana would be known as Frog-Girrrl (finger click), a sassy, sexy scientist who's versed in all things amphibian, and uses their deadly poisons to ward off enemies. She hates toads, though.

The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1996)

The Princess: Esmeralda is a beautiful gypsy girl who likes nothing better than to perform a good jig. Headstrong and wilful, she befriends Quasimodo, a hunchback who lives in Notre Dame.

Coolest Moment: Esmeralda proves she’s not just all talk when she saves Captain Phoebus from the evil Judge Frollo.

If She Was In An Action Flick: Esmeralda would lure her prey in by performing a seductive dance routine before going in for the kill. In other words, she's perfect for Bond 23 .

Pocahontas (1995)

The Princess: Daughter of the Chieg Powhatan, Pocahontas is a Native American woman who possesses an adventurous spirit, and an uncommonly open mind when it comes to the foreign white man.

Coolest Moment: Pocahontas shows just how fearless she is by launching herself off the top of a waterfall and diving perfectly into the water way below.

If She Was In An Action Flick: She’d work with Greenpeace in order to protect the wildlife of the world - no matter what it takes. Greenpeace: The Movie . It could work...

Tangled (2010)

The Princess: Rapunzel, the daughter of a queen, is kidnapped by wise woman Gothel and incarcerated in a tower. Her hair has healing properties, see, and greedy Gothel wants them for herself.

Coolest Moment: When the dashing Flynn Rider discovers Rapunzel in her tower, she shows him who’s boss by knocking him unconscious and hiding him in her wardrobe.

If She Was In An Action Flick: She’d be feared as a deadly hair-artist - get within ten paces of Rapunzel's lovely locks, and she'll use them against you in completely unexpected ways. She's a nightmare to share a flat with, though - ew, drain hair.

Alice In Wonderland (2010)

The Princess: Alice, faced with the prospect of marrying a man she does not love, escapes into the land she once visited as a child, learning its real name – Underland – and finding it's now under the rule of the Red Queen.

Coolest Moment: Alice confronts the fearsome Jabberwocky and emerges victorious.

If She Was In An Action Flick: She’d be an armour-wearing, living ode to Joan d’Arc, picking up where that doomed saint left off to fight devil worshippers and end their sickening ways.

Peter Pan (1953)

The Princess: Tiger Lily, the daughter of an Indian Chief and good friends with Peter Pan. When she's kidnapped by the evil Captain Hook, Pan comes to her rescue.

Coolest Moment: When Pan saves Tiger Lily and returns her to her tribe, he's celebrated as a hero - and she gives him a charming nose kiss.

If She Was In An Action Flick: She'd have to grow up a bit first (do Indian children grow up in Never Never Land?), but then she'd become the formidable leader of her father's Indian tribe after his death. Indians vs Aliens anyone?

Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.