Merida

Princess Merida is the main protagonist of Disney/Pixar's 2012 upcoming film Brave. She is a Scottish Princess with a love of archery and ends up unleashing trouble on her kingdom, leading her to set out and make things right. She is voiced by Kelly Macdonald.

Role in Film
In Brave, Princess Merida is the 16-year old daughter of a ruling queen who rules with supremacy and her expectations of her daughter made her to be distant and frictious. Merida is the most skilled archer ever seen and relishes in her ability wishing to retreat to a quiet life to pursue her dreams. She later learns how much her family cares and how much she can care for them. Merida is impetuous and tangle haired in both royalty and wilderness.

Passionate and fiery, Merida is a headstrong teenager of royal upbringing who is struggling to take control of her own destiny. She feels most at home in the outdoors honing her impressive athletic skills as an archer and swordfighter, and racing across the magnificent Highland countryside with her faithful horse, Angus. With a spirit as vibrant as her untamed hair, Merida also has a softness of heart, especially when it comes to her wee triplet brothers.

Trivia

 * She is expected to join the Disney Princess franchise, making her the first ever Disney Princess to come from Pixar and the 11th Disney Princess in the franchise.
 * If Mérida joins the Disney Princess franchise, she will be be the second Disney Princess with red hair (the first being Ariel from The Little Mermaid) and the third Disney Princess with blue eyes (the other 2 being Cinderella and Ariel).
 * If she joins the Disney Princess franchise, she will be the second Disney Princess with freckles, the first being Rapunzel.
 * If she joins the Disney Princess franchise, she will be the 2nd computer animated princess the first being Rapunzel.
 * If she joins the Disney Princess franchise, she will be the first never to sing, unless "Brave" becomes the first Pixar film to be musical.
 * If she joins the Disney Princess franchise, she will be the second princess to have biological siblings. (Ariel being the first)
 * If she joins the Disney Princess franchise, Mérida would be the first Disney/Pixar Princess to have siblings of the opposite gender (three triplet brothers to be exact), since the other Disney Princesses have sisters, stepsisters, or are an only child.
 * If she joins the Disney Princess franchise, she will be the fourth princess to have some form of a "rebelious princess syndrome". Ariel being the first, Jasmine being the second, and Pocahontas being the third.
 * If she joins the Disney Princess franchise, she will be the third princess to use a weapon(bow and arrow) in her feature film. Fa Mulan being the first in using a sword and fan and Rapunzel being the second in using a frying pan.
 * If she joins the Disney Princess Franchise, she will be the second princess to be trained with a bow and arrow, Fa Mulan being the first.
 * If she joins the Disney Princess Franchise, she will be the second princess to be raised by both of her biological parents for her entire current life, Fa Mulan being the first.
 * Arrow-550x386.jpg she joins the Disney Princess franchise, she will be the only princess who isn't a Spell Card character in Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom.
 * If she joins the Disney Princess franchise, she will be the third princess to be wearing a cape. Snow White being the first and Aurora being the second.
 * If she joins the Disney Princess franchise, she will be the fourth princess to have a horse companion. The others being Cinderella, Belle, and Fa Mulan.
 * If she joins the Disney Princess franchise, she will be the the first one to not have a corresponding love interest, as it is her desire to not get married and live a free life.
 * If she joins the Disney Princess franchise, Merida will be the fourth to be shown physically as a child in her feature film. Cinderella being the first, Tiana the second, and Rapunzel the third.
 * Mérida is the first main protagonist to be a female in Pixar history.
 * Mérida is the third heroine/main protagonist to have a talent in a sport. Pocahontas being the first, since she is able to canoe down rapids, and Mulan being the second with martial arts.
 * The setting location for Mérida's story is the fifth specified after Belle (France), Pocahontas (Virginia, USA), Fa Mulan (China), and Tiana (Lousiana, USA). Jasmine is the exception, since though the setting is of Middle Eastern influence and architecture, there is no country name ever mentioned for the location of the Agrabah Kingdom.
 * Mérida is the third Pixar Princess after Atta and Dot in 1998 from A Bug's Life.
 * Mérida was originally to be voiced by Reese Witherspoon, but due to scheduling conflicts she was replaced by Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald.
 * Merida is the second main character to have a talent for archery and compete in archery tournaments, the first being Robin Hood, but the third character to do so.
 * Merida has more than 1500 individually sculpted, curly red strands that generate about 111,700 total hairs.
 * If Merida’s curls were straightened, her hair would be four feet long and reach the middle of her calf.
 * With five dresses, plus a cloak, quiver, hand wrap and necklace, as well as torn dresses, Merida has a total of 22 different costumes. She also has five different hairstyles.
 * Brenda Chapman came up with the concept of the Merida character as a combination of a daughter and a friend.
 * Reese Witherspoon was originally casted to voice Princess Merida, but was replaced due to scheduling issues.
 * Princess Merida is the first female protagonist in a Pixar feature film.

Gallery
Merida