Top 20 Disney Love Interests, Ranked from Worst to Best

This classic movie is the first full-length animated feature from Walt Disney Productions. While it’s still a pretty gorgeous feat of animation all these years later, they were definitely working out some kinks in the prince department. As far as Disney love interests go, Prince Florian is a real dud. In fact, he’s such a dud that we’re willing to bet you didn’t even know his name was Florian. Besides his forgetful name, Florian has literally next to nothing to do with the plot of this movie. He interacts with Snow White singing once, and then becomes the ninth most important man in the story – behind the dwarfs and the Huntsman. Tough look for our guy.

The story of “Cinderella” is the quintessential fairytale. It’s the original movie that taught little kids everywhere that anyone could be a princess and nab a prince. Too bad that said prince is sort of blah, when you think about it. Prince Charming isn’t completely offensive, but he sure doesn’t live up to his name. After spending the entire night with Cinderella, he doesn’t even have the good graces to remember what she looks like. We have to say, a guy who can only remember who we are via shoe size doesn’t exactly sound like a catch. Literally learn anything else about us.

#18: John Smith “Pocahontas” (1995)

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Listen. The only reason John Smith even made it this high on the list is because he’s a hunk-a-lunk. Even we cannot deny that the animated version of John Smith is quite the hottie. The hair, the bod, the eyes – he’s got it all. When it comes down to it, though, the romance in “Pocahontas” leaves us… a little uncomfortable, to say the least. The whole concept of the story – Indigenous woman falls for colonizer – wasn’t great in ‘95, and has only continued to age poorly. In one of the movie’s first songs, John Smith calls America “a land [he] can tame,” so you know he’s got the wrong ideas on his mind. Plus, Kocoum was right there! Strong and silent type for the win.

#17: Hans “Frozen” (2013)

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For the majority of “Frozen,” Hans is actually quite a viable option! He’s handsome, he’s charming, he knows how to finish Anna’s sandwiches. What else could you want in a man? If you don’t know the turn is coming, throughout the majority of the film it’s sort of tough to pick between Hans and Kristoff. Hans’ seeming kindness and thoughtfulness is exactly what makes his changeup so surprising. The fact that he’s actually a demented monster definitely knocks him down a few pegs in our estimation. At the same time, even knowing that, you can’t deny the guy has style and loves a flourish.

Prince Phillip is probably the greatest of the classic Disney princes. By 1959, the animators had certainly nailed down what an attractive cartoon man looks like, so he’s got that going for him. He’s got a fun animal sidekick, he’s willing to battle a dragon for Aurora, and he doesn’t care about her apparent peasant status. Just a real sweetie, honestly. Still, Prince Phillip doesn’t really get enough screen time for us to make a comprehensive assessment of him. Sure, he seems great on paper but, beyond the dragon battle, we’re not afforded the time to get a sense of his true character. Plus, he does kiss a girl when she’s asleep. Red flag.

You probably mostly remember the 1973 “Robin Hood” for how hot the titular character – an animated fox – turned out to be. There’s a lot of other fun characters, like Little John and Friar Tuck. And there’s also Robin Hood’s love interest, Maid Marian, who is… fine? We don’t know what else to say. Maid Marian might be one of the most boring love interests that Disney has ever created, and certainly she has the least amount of agency. All she gets to do in the movie is moon over Robin. The tale of “Robin Hood” is a fun story about thieves, and we could have let Maid Marian get in a lot more of that action.

Now that’s one cool cat! Albeit, possibly not the greatest choice for a husband. In “The Aristocats,” Thomas O’Malley is a saving grace for Duchess and her kittens when they find themselves out on the street. He saves baby Marie from drowning, he introduces Duchess to a slew of new friends, and he helps take out the evil Edgar. He ends up moving in with Duchess and her family at the end of the film, but can we really say these two will live happily ever after? O’Malley is the definition of a roving soul, and we just have a hard time believing he can clean it up for his lady and those kittens.

What can we say? The lady loves a tramp – and we totally get it. Tramp has an infectious personality. But, sometimes, we think Lady might have deserved better. Every bad thing that happens to Lady in the movie is sort of Tramp’s fault. To start with, he makes her feel self-conscious about Darling and Jim Dear having a baby. And his distracted nature leads to her capture by the dog catcher. At the end of the movie, it seems he’s learned a few lessons. But we wonder if that will be enough to really change him. After all, they say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

So, okay, yeah, the Beast does learn to be a little less abrasive as the film goes on. But, honestly? Emphasis on little. It’s totally understandable that if a wicked enchantress put a curse on you, you might be a tad grumpy. But the way the Beast treats Belle is often inexcusable. He deliberately tries to frighten her, he forces her to do things she doesn’t want to do, and he literally imprisons her in his house. Sure, he grows a lot and the two end up falling in love... which brings us to his transformation into Prince Adam. Which, for some, is…underwhelming to say the least. But we can all agree that those eyes are very striking.

Prince Eric is, without a doubt, one of the hottest Disney princes to ever grace our screens. But, sometimes, looks aren’t everything. In the brains department, Eric was certainly a little lacking. We get it, he was a little out of it when Ariel saved him from that shipwreck. But you’re telling us he didn’t remember her face at all? He wasn’t a little confused when this girl showed up out of the blue, miming that she lost her voice? A lot of these questions are a product of the plot of the film, so we don’t want to belabor it too much. However, it does make us question our dear Prince Eric’s critical thinking skills. He is a dog-lover, though, so maybe that evens things out.

#10: Princess Kida “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” (2001)

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This early 2000s Disney movie wasn’t very popular in its time, but has gained traction as a cult classic in the years since its release. Milo, the film’s protagonist, has earned a lot of love as an underrated hunk; however, Princess Kida might just be true star of this film. Kida is definitely one of the hotter love interests in Disney history, but she’s also just plain cool. If anything, we wish she just had a smidge more agency in the film. She spends a lot of the runtime merged with a magic crystal, and Milo is tasked with saving her. Overall, her bright personality, and take charge nature push her ahead.

#9: Jane Porter “Tarzan” (1999)

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We stan an intellectual queen! “Tarzan” is probably best remembered for its stellar Phil Collins soundtrack – seriously, he didn’t have to go that hard. Today, though, we want to honor one of the more clever, quirky love interests in our Disney canon. Jane Porter is one of the few female Disney women not fully defined by her looks or her feistiness, but by her wits. She is genuinely interested in Tarzan outside of his capacity as an object of study, and their love story feels fully formed. Her one flaw is probably not realizing that Clayton wasn’t to be trusted early on, but hey – nobody’s perfect.

Even if we didn’t love Nala as much as we did, she would have to go down in Disney history for her inclusion in not one, but two Disney musical classics. “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” are two of the best in the company’s canon, point blank. Besides those impressive bonafides, Nala is a catch all on her own. We’ll admit, she’s not in the movie a whole lot, and many of her scenes serve only to push the narrative and Simba along. Nevertheless, she’s such a strong, wise character all on her own, in a way we didn’t often get to see female Disney characters in the ‘90s.

#7: David Kawena “Lilo & Stitch” (2002)

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Perhaps the most underrated love interest on this list, David Kawena is one of the high points in “Lilo & Stitch.” The movie is already a gem, with a great friendship story and wonderful things to say about sisterhood. These two themes would have been enough for us, but the creators thankfully gave us David as well. David is the love interest for Nani, Lilo’s older sister, and is probably the most helpful man Disney has ever created. He helps Nani find jobs, he helps her deal with raising Lilo, and he’s a pretty amazing surrogate brother to Lilo herself while he’s at it! Plus, we’ve never seen a guy catch a wave or sling a flame quite like David Kawena can.

Naveen might start out more than a little conceited. But, you would be hard-pressed to find a Disney love interest who goes through a bigger transformation than he does – and in more ways than one! While he and Tiana are both frogs, they search desperately for a way to return to human form. Even though Naveen doesn’t want to kiss Charlotte, he knows that Tiana will never achieve her dream of opening her own restaurant if she stays an amphibian. This selflessness is something we’re not sure he had at the beginning of the movie. Prince Naveen is a fun, jubilant soul and there’s nothing we love more than character development!

#5: Princess Jasmine “Aladdin” (1992)

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Aladdin and Princess Jasmine might be the hottest couple Disney has ever produced. A princess with a strong will of her own, Jasmine knows exactly what she wants – which is nothing but her independence. She hilariously rejects any and all princes that her father pushes her way. Sure, she ends up falling in love with Aladdin disguised as Prince Ali, but her affection for him comes from who he is as a person, not his apparent status. Jasmine’s got a generous soul, a sharp mind, and an adventurous spirit that makes her a perfect match for Aladdin. Plus, her best friend is a tiger. It takes one cool chick to hang out with a literal jungle cat.

Megara might not want to say she’s in love with Hercules, but we’re happy to tell her just how in love we are with her! In this 1997 classic, Meg makes her mark as one of Disney’s greatest – and maybe only? – femme fatales. We learn early on that she’s working with Hades because she’s in debt to him. This complicates her character in a way we rarely see. She’s also one of the only Disney heroines to have a real snarky cynicism to her, which further sets her apart. As the film goes on, we learn just how brave and cunning Meg is. Hercules might save her in the end, but she is certainly no damsel in distress. (Well, she might be, but she can handle it!)

#3: Li Shang “Mulan” (1998)

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We think it’s time we get down to business and talk about Li Shang! We love a man in charge, and Li Shang embodies that role better than anyone. He doesn’t really take to Mulan – ahem, Ping – right away, but he gains respect for her after she repeatedly proves herself. Even when he finds out she’s lying about her identity, his anger doesn’t seem to come from the fact that she’s a woman. Moreso, he’s angry because he feels betrayed. Even while he’s dealing with those heavy and dark feelings, Li Shang comes through for Mulan in the end. He’s able to trust her knowledge and power, and there’s nothing more attractive than trust.

Reindeers are better than people, and Kristoff is better than (almost) every other Disney love interest we can think of! Sure, Hans might start off as the most handsome and charming man in all the Southern Isles, but the minute Kristoff steps on screen, all of that is forgotten. He's a big, lovable teddy bear, and even though he and Anna don’t get along right away, the spark is so obviously there from the getgo. Kristoff has so many great qualities, it’s hard to list them all. He has a steady job, he loves his family, and he’s a handsome goof. He might be a bit of a fixer-upper, but we can deal with that.

Or should we say, Eugene Fitzherbert? You can’t have one without the other, and we adore them both. Flynn Rider has so many things going for him. He’s a bit of a bad boy, which we all love no matter how hard we try to deny it. Adorably, underneath that roguish smolder is a heart of gold that seldom exists in real life. He tries to pretend like he doesn’t care about Rapunzel, but right from the jump he’s all in on protecting her. When he falls in love with her, it’s with all her quirks and eccentricities. Should we even mention that he was dead set on sacrificing his life to free her from Gothel? Like, we’re swooning over here.