Megara

Megara is a main protagonist from Disney's 1997 hit Hercules. She is Hercules' love interest and a heroine.

Personality
She is beauitful, independent, quick-witted, cynical, and world-weary, making her atypical among Disney's lead females, and plays enough of a heroic part in the movie to be classed as a heroine, rather than just a romantic interest. She has a very low opinion of men in general, since her experiences with them are mostly negative. While Hercules falls for her almost at first sight, far from falling for him on the spot, she dismisses him as putting on an 'innocent farm-boy routine'.

Megara is aware of her own sexuality, and is perfectly capable of using it to persuade men to do whatever she wants. But this is just another reason she has a low opinion of men, since it is a thing she is usually unwilling to do.

In their first meeting in the episode Hercules and the Aetolian Amphora, Meg wants to forget all about her ex-boyfriend and shows very little remorse in using her sexuality to manipulate the young Hercules into helping her steal a jar of Leathe water.

Hercules
In the film, Megara sold her soul to Hades in order to save her boyfriend's life, but shortly afterwards he had dumped her for some other 'babe', abandoning her. This leaves Megara feeling heartbroken and determined to never fall in love again. At first, Megara is simply used as a pawn in Hades' plot to defeat Hercules, but as she gets to know the demi-god she finds herself falling in love with him, though she is loath to admit it. She loves him so much that she would rather serve Hades unwillingly, than help him defeat Hercules.

Just as Hercules' love for Megara continues to deepen, he learns that Megara's been working for Hades and loses the will to fight the Cyclops Hades turns upon him. Meg then releases Pegasus from his bonds, and flies off to find Phil, persuading him to come back and help Hercules regain his confidence.

After Hercules manages to defeat the Cyclops, Meg sees a pillar collapsing onto him, and in a moment of emotion, leaps to push him out of the way. Unfortunately, this means she is crushed by the pillar instead, sustaining huge injuries, but not having a visible scratch on her. As he asks her why she did it, she finally admits she loves him. Hercules leaves her in Phil's care while he goes to stop Hades taking over Olympus. However, she dies from her injuries while he is away.

Hercules travels to the Underworld, and rescues her soul, which brings her back to life. Meg and Hercules then travel to the gates of Olympus, where Meg watches Hercules ready to enter Olympus, where she, being mortal, cannot follow. However, Hercules realizes that he wants to be with Meg, and gives up his chance to be a god on Mount Olympus in order to live a mortal life on Earth with her.

Trivia

 * Megara's eyes were originally blue, but were changed to purple late in production.


 * In Greek mythology, Megara was the name of a Princess of Thebes who became Hercules' first wife. Despite this, she is not part of the Disney Princesses line (in contrast, Mulan is part of the line even though she has never been a Princess).


 * Megara is only referred to as 'Megara' once in the film, as she prefers to be called Meg.


 * Megara also appeared in 2 episodes of the Hercules T.V. series: Hercules and the Aetolian Amphora (Which culminated in her and Hercules's memories of their meeting being erased) and Hercules and the Yearbook (Which featured Meg finding Hercules's old yearbook and looking back on some of his school misadventures).