Talk:Merida/@comment-5634526-20130228020215/@comment-1416077-20130306224923

"More than any other princess in the line-up?" No. I don't think so.

We have not seen any of the princesses actually ruling, but saying that Cinderella would be better than any other Princess is pure fan-based speculation on your part.

Let's look at it from an objective point of view: Cinderella wants to go to the ball, but is told that she must finish her chores before she can get to work on her dress... then is given extra work so she has no time to sew.

Her animal friends make the dress for her. She can't do it herself.

Her stepsisters rip her mouse-made dress to tatters. She cries. Fairy Godmother comes in and makes her THE most beautiful gown at the ball, a grade-A makeover and a magnificent carriage with fabulous horses, chauffeur and valet, worthy of the super-rich social elite.

Gave her. Cinderella does not lift a finger.

She goes to the ball, dazzles everyone there; even her stepfamily does not recognize her... do you think the reaction would have been the same had she showed up in her last-minute dress made from scraps by rats? Without a grand entrance and awesome gown/makeover, she would've blended into the crowd.

So the Prince sees her. She manages to make a good impression on him, then runs off, leaving one of her extremely expensive-looking slippers behind (how convenient it didn't poof away with the rest of the dress!).

So the Prince decrees that he'll marry the girl whose foot fits the slipper... sight unseen. This is important: he does NOT have enough recollection of her face to find her in a lineup!

So the Grand Duke shows up at her house; Stepmom locks her away... and her animal friends get her out.

She puts on the magic slipper and her gown AND makeover return magically, leaving zero doubt that she is THE ONE... but this was unexpected; all she really needed was to have the slipper fit... so that means that the one thing that qualifies her to be a princess is that she has eensy-teensy feet. What if the Grand Duke had found another girl with teensy feet first? She'd be the Princess; "if the shoe fits", remember?

Resourceful? Not by a long shot.

Let's look at Snow White: age 13/14, her stepmom wants her killed; she runs away and on her own, befriends the animals and the dwarves, making a new life for herself.

Aurora? Highly educated and independent, her prince falls in love with her believing her a peasant, then fights a DRAGON to rescue the woman she loves (Cinderella's prince doesn't even go out to fit shoes to feet!).

Ariel? Poor decision-making skills, but makes great personal sacrifices to achieve her dream.

Belle? highly educated and kind, she sacrifices herself for her father and for the betterment of a literal beast.

Jasmine? Independent and skilled, she chooses her own path regardless of the consequences.

Mulan? May not be a princess, but has truly princess-like qualities in spades.

I can go on. Simply put, of all the Disney Princesses, Cinderella is the one whom "fate" has blesses more than any other: without her fairy godmother, she would not have achieved anything noteworthy.