Aladdin (character)

"Some day, Abu, things are gonna change. We'll be rich, live in a palace, and never have any problems at all."

- Aladdin on his dreams

Aladdin is the protagonist of the 1992 Disney animated feature film of the same name. Also known as the "diamond in the rough", Aladdin was born a street rat and lived most of his youth in poverty, though he maintained a warm heart and selfless nature in spite of his struggles. He would become a prince after marrying Princess Jasmine, with whom he fell deeply in love with.

Aladdin is based on the eponymous character of the Aladdin folk tales featured in the Middle Eastern and South Asian One Thousand and One Nights stories.

Background
Aladdin was born to Cassim and his wife. Even then, Aladdin's background was one of struggle, prompting his father to leave Agrabah in hopes of finding a way to better provide for his family. After his leave, Aladdin's mother fell ill and she passed away, and Aladdin was left to fend for himself. By the time Cassim returned, he couldn't find his family, believing them to be dead, resulting in him leaving Agrabah out of despair, where he'd eventually become a leader of the infamous Forty Thieves, though this would remain unknown to Aladdin for an extended number of years.

Due to being orphaned so early, Aladdin never received a formal education, nor had a positive role model to guide him through life. With no form of income, he was forced to learn to survive on the streets of Agrabah. Lacking other means, he steals only to survive, but his good heart often moves him to donate his stolen goods to those who are as poor, if not poorer than him, making him a Robin Hood-esque figure.

When Aladdin was seven, he had his first encounter with Razoul, the new captain of the Sultan's guard, after stealing an apple from a fruit stand. Initially, the boy managed to outmaneuver the guards, but was eventually apprehended and sentenced to detention within the palace dungeon; however, he managed to escape by picking the locks to his chains.

While in his mid-teen years, he stole a vest, a pair of pants, and a fez from a clothes line, which would form his signature outfit.

When he was sixteen, Aladdin fell in with a group of circus performers: Aziz, Fatima, Minos, and their pet, Abu the Monkey. Aladdin and Abu would form a brotherly relationship throughout this endeavor, and would eventually leave the circus, but remain together as life partners.

Development
In the earliest stages of the story, Aladdin was portrayed as a much younger character—a boy, as opposed to a young man. The idea was brought upon by animator Glen Keane, who believed Aladdin, the lead of an underdog story should have a more meager, vulnerable appearance to match his role in the film's narrative. In addition, he claimed that typical Disney films have a sort of class system with their characters, such as the cartoonish sidekicks, the dramatic villains, the beautiful heroines, and the boring "Prince Charming"-type heroes that "nobody ever wanted to animate". Though directors Ron Clements and John Musker enjoyed the idea, executive producer, Jeffrey Katzenberg did not, feeling the romantic relationship between a meek Aladdin and the beautiful Princess Jasmine would come off as unrealistic, as Jasmine wouldn't find herself physically attracted to that portrayal of Aladdin. Katzenberg saw the early versions of Aladdin to be along the lines of a Michael J. Fox, but should instead be along the lines of a Tom Cruise, in terms of appearance.

Glen Keane rectified the issue, making Aladdin a tad more muscular, with broader shoulders, and more defined features. However, to keep in touch with the original concept, Keane, Musker, and Clements worked to retain a sense of youth and innocence to Aladdin through his facial design and character portrayal, prominent during the film's more comedic scenes.

An integral part of Aladdin's story during the early stages of the film was the role of his mother. Initially, Aladdin was not an orphan, but instead, a young boy living alongside his single mother in the lowest part of Agrabah. Throughout the story, Aladdin's quest to find something greater than himself, and prove his worth, was driven by a desire to make his mother proud, famously vocalized through the deleted song "Proud Of Your Boy", written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. When the film underwent a rewrite, from start to finish, writers and consultants, Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio suggested the mother and concept surrounding her to be scrapped from the film, which the filmmakers agreed to, having discussed the deletion beforehand.

Personality
"...a young man who, like this lamp, was more than what he seemed: a diamond in the rough."

- Peddler

Despite his upbringing, at the start of the film, Aladdin was a generally optimistic, fun-loving, and charming character. Though he was forced to steal for survival, he showed joy in escaping the brutish guards, alongside his sidekick Abu, and showed an attempt to find enjoyment in the struggles of his day-to-day life. Nevertheless, though he didn't mind stealing from the marketplace denizens, albeit forcibly so, Aladdin was, in no way, a selfish character. Not only were the thefts for survival, as mentioned before, Aladdin was never above sacrificing his food for the less fortunate of Agrabah, such as starving children. This is an example of Aladdin's selflessness, which was showcased several times throughout the film, specifically for the sake of Jasmine, and most notably, during the finale, Genie. This trait was also carried over to the further stories of the franchise, such as Return to Jafar, where the street rat is shown to commonly rob lairs of thieves, and donate the stolen jewels and riches to Agrabah's less fortunate citizens.

While harboring a modest amount of physical prowess, Aladdin's true strength lies within his intelligence and wit. He utilizes these aspects to best his enemies, and such practices have proven effective in various situations throughout the franchise. He is a quick-thinker, with the ability to formulate a scheme (usually varying in scale, making him rather versatile) that ends in his favor. He also takes advantage of his societal stereotype to further his schemes, as most wouldn't expect a meager street urchin to have the intellect to outwit others.

Although generally cheery and fun-loving in nature, Aladdin was also shown to be insecure throughout the events of the original film. Being a street rat, Aladdin normally faced discrimination in the city of Agrabah and was seen as a worthless member of society. This cruelty eventually led Aladdin to believe such claims; he saw himself as unworthy of Princess Jasmine's affections, believing she deserved someone of higher class and, by extension, someone who can provide for her. These insecurities would prompt Aladdin to perform negative acts such as compulsively lying, going back on promises, and hiding his true self under the guise of "Prince Ali".

Once the climax of the original film arrives, however, Aladdin is stripped of his aid (including magic and the help of his allies) forcing him to act on his own in order to save the city. He does so by putting his wit to use and successfully ends the battle victorious. Following these events, Aladdin became more accepting of his status, refusing to continue living a lie, and embracing who he is as a person.

As seen throughout episodes of the television series, however, Aladdin's insecurities haven't diminished completely. Although more accepting of his status as a "street rat", Aladdin remained somewhat self-conscious when given important tasks to complete, as seen in the episode "Mudder's Day", where the Sultan was confident enough to place Aladdin in charge of an expedition, though the latter would continuously doubt his own leadership out of anxiousness. In "My Fair Aladdin", Aladdin made an attempt to reform his image to better conform with Jasmine's dinner guests, consisting of haughty, high-classed royalty. This would only result in his downfall as the most important person in his life, Jasmine, was unamused by Aladdin's attempts in concealing his true nature. In spite of this, Aladdin's allies, and more specifically Jasmine, would continuously provide support and a catalyst that would aid Aladdin in regaining his confidence.

Physical appearance
Animated and designed by Glen Keane, Aladdin is a traditionally handsome, slender, slightly muscular young man with broad shoulders, black, messy hair, thick matching eyebrows, and brown eyes.

As a street rat, his clothing is, unsurprisingly, rather limited. He is barefoot, donning a purple, sleeveless vest, red fez, and baggy, cream pants with a single patch covering a hole within them.

As Prince Ali, however, Aladdin's attire is lavish to coincide with his princely facade. The colors resemble the primary colors of Jasmine's father, the Sultan, consisting mostly of cream, gold, white, and purple. The outfit's appearance, itself, also resembles the Sultan's, consisting of a large turban (with what appears to resemble neck shade coming down on opposite sides) complete with a ruby gem and bluish, deep purple feather, cream undergarments, and a matching top, with a cape flowing down, just below his calves. The outfit is finished with golden brown shoes, with swirled tips.

Abilities

 * Expert Strategist: Aladdin has demonstrated amazing cleverness, as he has shown feats of being able to outsmart enemies multiple times. During the first film, he showed that he was capable of evading capture from the guards despite being greatly outnumbered and overpowered.
 * Speed, Agility & Reflexes: Aladdin is also very fast and agile, and he possesses good reflexes.
 * Swordsmanship: Aladdin has demonstrated some swordsmanship abilities, despite it not being known whether he had any training. His primary weapon in the video games and the films is the scimitar which was the main weapon of the royal guards including Razoul's. Aladdin demonstrates using a weapon when he fought Jafar in his king cobra form and later in the third film where he was tested by his father.
 * Animal Communication: Aladdin also seems to be an animal whisperer, as he was able to understand Abu, his pet monkey, when to a normal person, he simply speaks gibberish.
 * Expert Thief: Aladdin became a skilled thief, gaining a lot of experience since the age of 7.
 * Strength: Though not as strong as Genie and Jafar, Aladdin does have a certain degree of strength as he was strong enough to dig Carpet out from being stuck under a broken palace tower in a snowy wasteland in the original movie. With two of his fists, he was also able to knock out Sa'Luk, who was at least twice his size.

Aladdin
In the deserts outside of Agrabah, Jafar—the Sultan's royal vizier—seeks access to the mysterious Cave of Wonders to accomplish a nefarious scheme. He sends a shady thief to carry out this bidding, but the cave's guardian warns them that only the "diamond and the rough" may enter the cave. Jafar sends his lackey within, nevertheless, and the thief is buried alive for his attempts. With no other choice, Jafar is forced to utilize his resources to uncover the individual capable of entering the cave: Aladdin.

When Aladdin first appears, he has stolen a loaf of bread, and after outwitting and escaping the royal guards with the help from Abu, the two generously hand their earned food to two young orphans. Later, Aladdin spots other citizens watching a snooty prince heading for the castle as a suitor for the beautiful Princess Jasmine and defends the orphans as they are nearly whipped for running in front of his horse. Aladdin is kicked into the mud and insulted by the prince, whom he insults back as well. Discouraged, Aladdin and Abu head for home as night falls. All the same, Aladdin keeps the faith that he will someday be rich and live in a palace.

The next morning Aladdin and Abu are having breakfast when he spots a beautiful girl. The girl has just given an apple to a young boy and the peddler spots this and threatens to chop her arm off if she refuses to pay. Aladdin rescues the girl claiming that she is his sister and "a little crazy". She plays along and the two escape right on time. As Aladdin leads the girl to his home, they both start to display feelings for each other. Once they reach Aladdin's home, he and the girl become more comfortable with each over, even revealing their true desires in life. When Aladdin tries asking the girl where she's from, she reveals that she ran away because her father is forcing her to get married, surprising Aladdin. He then tries to cheer her up, which works so well that the two nearly kiss. Unfortunately, the guards burst in to arrest Aladdin; he and the girl attempt to escape, but Aladdin runs into the lead guard, Captain Razoul, who captures him. The girl reveals herself to be Princess Jasmine and demands Aladdin's freedom. Razoul explains he is doing his job under the orders of Jafar, so Jasmine will have to speak to him to gain Aladdin's release, before taking Aladdin away while Jasmine returns to the palace to furiously confronts Jafar on the matter.

In the dungeon, Aladdin laments how foolish he feels for revealing so much about himself to a princess. Abu arrives and frees Aladdin of his chains, though he also berates Aladdin for letting his guard down for Jasmine, but Aladdin doesn't care since the law says that she has to be married to a prince. Suddenly, the two meet an old beggar (who is actually Jafar in disguise) that informs Aladdin of the Cave of Wonders, claiming they will be greatly rewarded for retrieving the legendary magic lamp for him. Though hesitant, Aladdin agrees, hoping the riches will impress Jasmine. At the cave's entrance, Aladdin and Abu are warned by the guardian to not to touch anything but the lamp. Inside the cave, the two meet a magic flying carpet who leads them to the lamp. Just as Aladdin obtains the lamp, Abu grabs one of the forbidden treasures, causing the cave to shake violently as Abu had violated the guardian's warning. Aladdin and Abu hop on the Magic Carpet and try to make their escape, but Carpet is taken down by a falling boulder, leaving Aladdin to dangle from a ledge in front of the exit. He tries to escape, but needs help from the beggar, who demands the lamp first. After handing the lamp to him, the beggar nearly kills Aladdin, only to be stopped when Abu bites him, causing him to drop Aladdin. The cave then dissolves, trapping Aladdin inside.

Inside, Abu reveals he has stolen the lamp back. Aladdin rubs the lamp and unleashes an all-powerful Genie, who introduces himself as a friend unlike any other. Genie tells Aladdin that he can grant three wishes, with the exceptions of killing, making love, and bringing back the dead. Aladdin tricks the Genie into having them escape the cave without using up one of his three wishes. They rest at an oasis and Aladdin takes the time to think of what to wish for. He asks the Genie what he wishes for, to which the Genie tells Aladdin his dreams of freedom. Aladdin promises to use his third wish to free the Genie. For his first wish, he wishes to become a prince to win the heart of Jasmine, whom he has met earlier. As part of the wish, the Genie creates an entourage of servants, swordsmen, dancers, etc. and transforms Abu into an elephant. All the while, Aladdin was about to change from a once poor street rat into a cultured, sophisticated man about town. After a flashy parade in the streets of Agrabah approaching the palace while riding Abu, Aladdin meets the Sultan and Jafar. During a discussion of winning her heart, Jasmine overhears their plot and instantly berates the three for treating her like a prize.

That night, a crestfallen Aladdin contemplates on how to earn Jasmine's love, ignoring Genie's advice, to tell the truth, out of insecurity. Aladdin flies up to the balcony as Ali and calls to Jasmine. She initially refuses to see Ali, but finds him familiar upon closer inspection. Ali debunks the suspicion and tries to change the subject by complimenting the princess, only to find himself insulting her instead. Realizing he's been treating Jasmine as a prize, Aladdin apologizes and takes his leave on Carpet, though the appearance of the sentient rug captures Jasmine's attention and curiosity. Ali introduces Jasmine to his companion and humbly offers her a ride as a chance to get out of the palace and see the world. Starting to see pass his facade and realizing he may be the boy she met in the marketplace, Jasmine accepts, and the two embark on a magic carpet ride around the world. They eventually stop to rest and watch fireworks in China, and in during which, Jasmine exposes Aladdin as the boy from the market, having noticed the same mannerisms between Aladdin and Prince Ali. Aladdin desperately lies by claiming that he sometimes dresses as a commoner to escape the pressures of palace life, though he truly is a prince. Relating to the notion, Jasmine forgives Ali and their night continues.

After Aladdin escorts Jasmine back to the palace, they share their first kiss, proclaiming their love. An exuberant Aladdin celebrates as he and Carpet return to the palace gardens, where he is ambushed and kidnapped by Jafar and the guards. He is tied to a rock and thrown from a cliff into the sea, where he is left to drown. As he passes out, Aladdin's hand rubs the lamp, releasing the Genie, who uses Aladdin's second wish to free him from his binds and carry him to the surface. Touched by Genie's act, the two warmly embrace before returning to the palace to reveal Jafar's evil ways to Jasmine and the Sultan. The latter doesn't seem to believe Aladdin's accusations, but the street rat notices peculiar lighting from Jafar's snake staff and destroys it. As it turns out, Jafar had been using the staff to control the Sultan, confirming his treachery and having him warranted for arrest, though he escapes. As Aladdin and Jasmine comfort one another, the Sultan realizes the two have fallen in love, with Jasmine confirming that she has chosen Ali as her suitor. The Sultan declares that the two will be wed at once, and appoints Ali as the heir to his throne. Though initially excited, Aladdin quickly finds himself struck with extreme guilt, feeling unworthy of such an honor, as well as Jasmine's love, due to his lies.

The next day, Aladdin is notably downhearted. The Genie happily appears from the lamp and congratulates Aladdin on winning the heart of the princess, expecting Aladdin to wish for his freedom. Aladdin explains that the Sultan wishes to dub him as the heir to the throne, though he feels unworthy of such an honor due to the fact that he's been living a lie. He also expresses ill confidence in being able to maintain the facade without Genie's assistance, ultimately confessing that he won't be able to wish the latter free. Genie, feeling betrayed, retires to his lamp in a huff. Aladdin angrily berates Genie's lack of support, but soon comes to his senses and realizes how selfish he's been acting after unintentionally taking his anger at Genie out on Abu and Carpet. After a moment of thought, he decides to tell Jasmine the truth and leaves to find her. During his absence, Jafar's parrot accomplice Iago, steals the lamp.

Aladdin manages to find Jasmine near the main gate and tries to reveal the truth, but is interrupted and thrown in front of a crowd of joyous subjects who have gathered to celebrate his engagement to Jasmine. Just then, Agrabah comes under attack due to Jafar becoming the Genie's new master. When the Genie uproots the palace, Aladdin signals to the Carpet so that he can fly over to the Genie to try to stop him, but to no avail, as Genie apologizes to Aladdin, saying he serves a new master now. When Jafar confronts Jasmine, Aladdin rushes in to her defense, but Jafar exposes Aladdin's true identity as a street rat. Aladdin is then separated from Jasmine by Jafar, who traps him, Abu (who has been transformed back into a monkey by Jafar), and the Carpet into a tower that Jafar blasts to the ends of the earth. There, Aladdin rescues Abu and the Carpet, and they fly back to Agrabah.

Aladdin infiltrates the palace, where he is reunited with Genie. Though Genie warns Aladdin that he is unable to help, Aladdin closes in on the lamp nevertheless. Jasmine, meanwhile, distracts Jafar to buy Aladdin time, though the evil sorcerer catches onto the scheme soon enough. Jasmine is imprisoned in an hourglass that is rapidly filling with sand, while Abu and Carpet are also eliminated. Aladdin struggles to grab hold of the lamp, but it is ultimately retrieved by Jafar, who transforms into a giant cobra to battle him. As Jafar lunges to kill, Aladdin tries to save Jasmine, but is eventually trapped within Jafar's coils. As Jafar mocks Aladdin's lack of power without the Genie, an idea comes to mind; Aladdin declares that Jafar isn't as powerful as he wants to believe, as it is Genie who is truly the most powerful being in the universe, as he gave Jafar his power in the first place. Mad for more power, Jafar uses his final wish to become a genie himself, though Aladdin reveals this to be a horrible decision, as the sorcerer is now forced to spend all eternity within a lamp prison. With Jafar trapped, Aladdin hands the lamp over to Genie, who flings it to the Cave of Wonders for a minimum 10,000 years of imprisonment.

Aladdin apologizes to Jasmine for lying about being a prince, though she quickly forgives him out of understanding. Aladdin then prepares to bid farewell, even though Jasmine declares that she loves him. The Genie, now willing to sacrifice his freedom, offers to make Aladdin a prince again; Aladdin instead declares that he must stop pretending to be something other than himself and wishes for the Genie's freedom, much to the latter's shock. Genie warmly thanks Aladdin for his compassion, stating that the latter will always be a prince in his eyes, due to his selfless heart. The Sultan, having also witnessed Aladdin's bravery, agrees with Genie, and subsequently decrees that Jasmine may marry whomever she deems worthy. The overjoyed princess ecstatically chooses Aladdin, and their engagement is set. With their fates tied, Aladdin, with Jasmine in tow, waves goodbye to the Genie as he takes advantage of freedom by journeying to see the world.

Aladdin and Jasmine are last seen during a celebration honoring their engagement, singing a reprise of "A Whole New World" as they ride off into the night upon the Magic Carpet—Genie gleefully watching over them.

The Return of Jafar
Aladdin is now engaged to Jasmine and spends most of his time taking back jewels and riches from sinister thieves and giving them to the unfortunate inhabitants of Agrabah, despite Abu's objections. One is a gift for Jasmine and their love is stronger than ever.

During a stroll in the city, Aladdin and Abu encounter Iago, Jafar's parrot who tortured the Sultan during Jafar's reign. He lies to Aladdin, claiming he was under a spell. Aladdin ignores these claims and chases Iago, right before he was attacked by Abis Mal the thief for his earlier theft of Abis Mal's loot. Iago accidentally saves Aladdin by dropping barrels on the villains. Aladdin now feels like he owes Iago for saving his life, so as a reward, Aladdin must try to convince the Sultan to have Iago stay with them.

That night, Genie returns as well and Aladdin is given the opportunity to become the Royal Vizier, Jafar's old position. Aladdin tries to explain Iago's situation, but instead, Iago fumbles in being pursued by Rajah, having the Sultan and Jasmine believe Aladdin was hiding a villain from them possibly as a sign of switching sides. Sultan commands Aladdin to watch over the parrot and Jasmine becomes furious as she was hoping Aladdin wouldn't lie to her again. Iago uses reverse psychology on Jasmine to remind her why she fell in love with Aladdin in the first place, reuniting the two.

Meanwhile, Jafar has returned and kidnapped the Sultan, having everyone believe him dead as his first act as revenge on Aladdin. Aladdin is imprisoned for the "murder" of the Sultan and sentenced to death. Jasmine, Genie, Abu and the magic Carpet are all abducted by Jafar, but before Aladdin is killed, Iago frees Genie, saving Aladdin from being beheaded by Razoul, who Jafar tricked into believing that Aladdin murdered the Sultan. The group battles Jafar and a wounded Iago kicks his lamp into a lava trap that had been set for Aladdin, which results in Jafar violently imploding into a cloud of dust, destroying him for good. The city is saved, and Iago is welcomed by Aladdin and his friends into their family. Aladdin turns down the Sultan's offer of becoming his royal vizier saying that he wants to go off to see the world, Jasmine takes his hand and agrees much to the disappointment of Iago who had hoped to be given a special position in the palace.

Aladdin: The Series
An animated series was created for The Disney Afternoon which aired from 1994 to 1995, based on the original 1992 feature. The series picked up where The Return of Jafar left off, with Aladdin still living on the streets of Agrabah, engaged to Jasmine. Aladdin spends most of his days battling monsters, searching for treasure and keeping the city safe. Now that the greedy Iago is a friend, Aladdin is often persuaded to go hunt for treasure by the parrot. Along with Abis Mal, Aladdin meets new enemies, most notably evil sorcerer Mozenrath, diabolical Egyptian Cat Witch Mirage and mad Grecian scientist Mechanicles. He serves as a laid back, loyal hero although he can sometimes be coincided into believing he is the best at being a hero and can get the group out of any situation (although this is all true). Sometimes he can be self-absorbed. A perfect example of this is in the episode "Getting the Bugs Out" where there was trouble several times and instead of battling himself, Genie and Carpet did all the work and Aladdin took all the credit.

At one point in the series, Aladdin rescues a local street-rat named Sadira. Unfortunately, Sadira falls in love with Aladdin upon being rescued by him. This leads Sadira to concoct a few villainous schemes in an attempt to break apart Aladdin and Jasmine and gain Aladdin's love. After her schemes fail, however, Sadira ultimately reforms, joining Aladdin and friends' team. Another episode showcases a similar incident where a conniving mermaid named Saleen falls in love with Aladdin and attempts to imprison Jasmine undersea or making Aladdin her slave. Unlike Sadira however, Saleen does not reform.

Some of Aladdin's past is revealed throughout the series. It is revealed that he met Abu when the monkey was working for a corrupt group of circus performers. It is also learned that Aladdin had a childhood friend named Amal who mysteriously vanished. Years after his disappearance, Aladdin learns that Amal was kidnapped and turned into a ferocious beast via the dark magic of Mirage. Aladdin rescues his friend, and Amal decides to leave Agrabah to make something of himself.

Aladdin and the King of Thieves
At the opening, Aladdin and Jasmine are finally getting married. Everyone is flocking to Agrabah to be part of the "wedding of the century" but while Jasmine, Genie, and Agrabah's inhabitants are all excited, Aladdin is downhearted. Genie, Abu, and Iago find him at his former hideaway in the streets where he takes out a dagger which belonged to his father whom he believes has died long ago. Aladdin explains to Genie that he never had a father to prepare him for a family and feels that after all that has happened, he still isn't prepared. Genie gives Aladdin confidence and they head to the ceremony. The ceremony proceeds flawlessly at first, but just at the finale, a band of thieves antagonizes a herd of elephants to stampede the palace. Jasmine, Genie, Carpet, and Iago battle the intruders and Aladdin grapples with their leader. Aladdin learns he is fighting the legendary King of Thieves and they are trying to steal one particular gift given to Aladdin and Jasmine. The villains retreat after Genie gets the upper hand and the gift is still in Aladdin's possessions. The gift is a scepter that unleashes a magical Oracle. The Oracle has seen "all that has been and all that will be" and knows the answer to any question that could be asked and reveals that Aladdin's father, Cassim, is alive.

Upon hearing this, Aladdin falls into uncertainty before finally deciding to know why his father abandoned him as a child. After being told where his father is by the Oracle, he, Carpet, Abu, and Iago ride off to the lair of the Forty Thieves to meet his father. Once inside, he is shocked to learn that his father is the King of Thieves before being captured and forced to face execution. With the only way to save himself and his friends was to battle one of the thieves. Aladdin battles Sa'Luk and is nearly killed, but he kicks Sa'Luk off a cliff into the ocean and Sa'Luk is pronounced dead. Aladdin is praised and becomes a member of the gang, but Aladdin cares nothing about this and instead presses on in his pursuit to know the story of his father. He learns that Cassim left to find a means to provide a better life for Aladdin and his mother after which, Aladdin decides to bring his father into the palace and introduces him to Genie and the others.

Overnight Iago convinces Cassim to rob the royal treasury and is arrested when discovered. Aladdin is just as furious as the Sultan and Cassim and Iago are sent to prison for life. That same night Aladdin breaks his father and Iago free and although Cassim implores him to flee the city with him, Aladdin instead returns to Agrabah to face the consequences. The Sultan understands why Aladdin did what he did and forgives him but Aladdin is still ashamed by his father's ways. Back at the lair, Sa'Luk is revealed to be alive and taken control of the thieves during Cassim's absence. Iago and Cassim are captured but Iago breaks free to warn Aladdin.

At first, Aladdin doesn't care about Cassim's fate but decides not to be as stubborn as his father and decides to go to his rescue. Aladdin and company follow the Forty Thieves out across the ocean in their quest for the Hand of Midas. With the help of the Oracle, now in possession of the thieves, they discover the Vanishing Isle where the treasure lies. Jasmine and the others battle the brigands, while Aladdin reunites with his father and they both hurry inside to look for the treasure. As they arrive in an enormous cavern where the treasure is, the giant turtle on which the island rests starts to dive and they climb to higher ground. Aladdin leaps out to the floating platform and retrieves the Hand of Midas, but just as he tosses it to Cassim, Sa'luk appears and threatens to kill Aladdin if Cassim does not give him the Hand of Midas. Cassim tosses it to Sa'luk, but not knowing about its powers, Sa'luk is turned to gold by the hand. Aladdin and Cassim escape to the roof where Cassim states his regret that the Hand of Midas nearly cost him his son, his real treasure. Cassim chucks the hand out to sea, where it lands on the thieves' boat, causing it to sink. With everyone accounted for, Aladdin and company return to the palace. Aladdin and Jasmine finally marry, bid Cassim and his new travel sidekick Iago farewell, and leave for their honeymoon.

Hercules: The Animated Series
Aladdin appears in the episode "Hercules and the Arabian Night". In the episode, Jafar is revived by Hades and the villains plot to use each other's abilities to eliminate their enemies. Hades sends his lackeys Pain and Panic, to battle Aladdin. During a carpet ride, Pain and Panic arrive and morph into beasts to battle Aladdin and anger his wife Jasmine. Confused by the unknown creatures, Aladdin tricks them into rubbing Genie's lamp, having Genie punch the villains out of the Arabian parallel world and back to the Underworld.

Later on, Abu goes missing, and Hercules is said to be the kidnapper. After leaving Greece parallel to the Arabian town, Hercules himself arrives in Agrabah to battle Aladdin. After a rampage through the city, Hercules blames Aladdin for the kidnapping of his friend Icarus. Aladdin denies the claim, and the heroes begin to rethink their anger towards one another. Hercules believes it was Jafar who is behind the scheme, but Aladdin thinks not since he and Jasmine still believe Jafar is dead. However, Hercules and his trainer Phil explain that Jafar attacked them earlier that day. The heroes then realize that Jafar had to have teamed up with Hades and the two travel to the Underworld to save their friends.

In the Underworld, Jafar attacks Aladdin, who reveals to be Hercules in disguise while Aladdin was disguised as Hercules. This gives Aladdin a chance to grab Jafar's staff and passes it to Herc who destroys it, thus killing Jafar once more. Once the villains were defeated, Aladdin and Hercules bid farewell and Aladdin assures Hercules that he will become a great hero someday.

House of Mouse
He is featured as a guest in House of Mouse. A recurring gag in the series involves Aladdin stealing one of the guests' loaf of bread, notably Jafar's.

In the episode "Jiminy Cricket", Aladdin wanted to deem Jiminy Cricket his new monkey, replacing Abu. In "Ask Von Drake", Aladdin briefly assisted Mickey in his attempt to prove that Ludwig Von Drake can't possibly know everything.

Aladdin can also be seen with Jasmine and Genie during the headcount of all the Disney character guests in that same episode.

In "Rent Day", Aladdin was part of Mickey's borrow and exchange trade, telling him he'd give Cinderella a ride home on Carpet if Mickey manages to find a red rose for Jasmine.

He is briefly seen kissing Jasmine in "Goofy's Valentine Date".

Aladdin is also one of the many guests to be snowed in the club on Christmas Eve night in Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse, and can be seen singing with Jasmine during the finale song. He notably makes a prominent cameo at the end of Mickey's House of Villains, in which he helps Mickey defeat Jafar by tossing him the genie's lamp.

Cameos
In the 101 Dalmatians: The Series episode "Home is Where the Bark Is", Aladdin's silhouette can be seen as one of the passengers of a subway train the Dalmatians ride on.

Aladdin and Jasmine appeared in a promotional trailer (or "Inter-Stitch-al") for the film Lilo & Stitch. In it, they are interrupted in the middle of the "A Whole New World" sequence by the protagonist Stitch. Stitch flirts with Jasmine, and she drives off with him in his spaceship, leaving Aladdin sitting alone on the carpet, yelling at Stitch to "get his own movie".

In The Lion King 1½, silhouettes of Aladdin and Jasmine make cameo appearances riding Carpet alongside Genie over to one of the theater's seats at the finale of the movie, joining Timon, Pumbaa, and a wide cast of other Disney character cameos. This was a non-speaking role.

An emoticon version of Aladdin appeared in the Aladdn entry of the As Told by Emoji short series.

Once Upon a Time
Aladdin first appears in the sixth season premiere of the ABC drama Once Upon a Time, played by Deniz Akdeniz.

Aladdin is a former thief and was known as the Savior before Emma Swan became it. In Agrabah as a thief, Aladdin is hired by Princess Jasmine to obtain the Diamond in the Rough from the Cave of Wonders. After helping her, he is told by Princess Jasmine that he is to be the Savior of Agrabah by defeating Jafar. After Princess Jasmine leaves, he is confronted by Jafar who tells him that in the end, he will die as the Savior. Jafar gives Aladdin a pair of scissors as a way to remove himself as the Savior, but Aladdin chooses to not do so. Instead, he saves Princess Jasmine and the Sultan of Agrabah from Jafar by breaking Jafar's staff.

At some point, Aladdin befriended a genie and was able to free him from his lamp.

Sometime later, Aladdin takes refuge in a hideout cottage somewhere in the desert following a hand tremor and is taken care by the Oracle. One day, he is visited by a man from a kingdom in Agrabah, seeking help from Aladdin to defeat a great evil. Moments later, Jafar walks into the cottage where he kills the man and knocks out the Oracle. After he mocks Aladdin on his role as the Savior, Aladdin asks Jafar to kill him. Jafar, however, refuses to do so and wishes to see him without a happy ending as Jafar claims that saviors do not get happy endings. Using the scissors given to him by Jafar in the past, he strips himself from being the Savior and relocates to the Enchanted Forest. When the Evil Queen cast the Dark Curse, Aladdin is sent to the Land Without Magic.

Years later, Emma finds Aladdin in an underground cemetery. He gives her the scissors as a backup plan for her as she is the current Savior. He later reunites with Princess Jasmine. He is later informed by Princess Jasmine that Agrabah and everyone in it vanished.

Aladdin later finds the vacant genie lamp where the genie he befriended is not there. In order to make the genie lamp active, Aladdin puts on the genie bracelets in order to become one. After the Evil Queen captures Princess Jasmine, Aladdin ends up granting the Evil Queen her wish to have Emma's wish of not being a savior to be granted which sends Emma to an alternate timeline where the Evil Queen was defeated. He also tells the Evil Queen that every wish has a price. In her confrontation with the Evil Queen, Regina used the genie wish to go to the alternate timeline. When David deals with the Evil Queen, he manages to get the genie lamp so that Aladdin will see to it that the Evil Queen gets what she deserves. While the wish happened, Regina stated that she already got what she deserved and later escapes when Hook, Henry, and Princess Jasmine arrive. Upon David giving her the genie lamp, Princess Jasmine gets Aladdin to grant her wish of finding where Agrabah went as both of them disappear.

With Jasmine's first wish granted, she and Aladdin are taken to the Enchanted Forest, with the ring containing Agrabah appearing in Jasmine's pocket, although neither of them notices this. After days of fruitlessly searching for Agrabah, Aladdin suspects the wish didn't work as intended and suggests to Jasmine that she can make a new home in Storybrooke. He hints that perhaps they can be together there as well, and Jasmine is momentarily drawn in by the idea before she rebuffs him by walking away to continue her search. Frustrated, Aladdin questions how many times she is going to reject him and even asks what she is so afraid of, to which Jasmine denies she is afraid and accuses him of having an inflated ego. When Aladdin tries to convince her otherwise, Jasmine pulls away, causing the ring to drop from her pocket. Jasmine believes the wish returned the ring to her as a reminder of how she failed her people, and as she wipes away her tears, she spots a rowboat, which prompts her into deciding to be rid of the lamp for good. As Aladdin rows out to sea, Jasmine tells him to paddle further before she wishes him free and disposes of the lamp. He stops rowing to caution her about the rough waters and the possibility they may both drown if the boat goes overboard since they can't swim, while Jasmine thinks he is making excuses and then asks him to hand her the oars so she can row instead. Before Aladdin can do this, he sees a kraken's tentacle reaching for Jasmine and pushes her out of its way.

After they fend off the kraken, the Nautilus surfaces from underwater and Hook invites them aboard. Having lost the chance to get kraken's blood to use for returning to Emma in Storybrooke, Hook asks if Jasmine can wish him home, but Aladdin objects, explaining that it likely won't work since the wish to find Agrabah did nothing for them. Aladdin is stunned by Jasmine's admission that Jafar is responsible for Agrabah's disappearance, but accepts her reasons when she reveals she is terrified of the sorcerer, who took everything from her. Later, Jasmine secretly confesses to Hook that she feels she doesn't deserve Aladdin's love because of her failings with Agrabah. Aladdin, curious about Jasmine's chat with the pirate, asks Hook if the princess mentioned him. In response, Hook notes that Aladdin and Jasmine are obviously in love with each other and are terrible at communicating. When the Nautilus begins flooding with water, Jasmine uses her second wish to take all of them to a nearby island, where she, Aladdin and Hook part ways from Nemo's crew, before finding Ariel, who possesses the lamp housing Jafar. Confident that she can defeat Jafar with three heroes by her side, Jasmine summons out Jafar, but this allows the sorcerer to break his genie curse. Aladdin, along with Ariel and Hook, is knocked out by Jafar's magic, but Jasmine defeats the sorcerer by turning him into a staff. Rather than using the third wish to restore Agrabah or free Aladdin, Jasmine kisses Aladdin to evoke the power of true love, causing Agrabah's revival and the undoing of Aladdin's genie curse.

Later, when Emma, the Savior, loses her belief in magic, Agrabah is destroyed. Aladdin, Jasmine, and some other people of Agrabah are able to escape in time through one of the Mad Hatter's hats and are reunited with Regina, Snow White, David, Hook and Zelena. As the Enchanted Forest begins collapsing because of Emma's fading belief, Regina teleports everyone out of the hat and to her palace, where she works on finding a way back to Storybrooke. Hook, with David's help, procures a magic bean, but by the time he returns with it, the magic it is gone. As the depletion of the Enchanted Forest nears the palace, Aladdin and the rest of the survivors gather with Regina, who attempts and fails to rejuvenate the bean. Everyone prepares to be wiped out of existence, but suddenly everything goes still, in part to Emma regaining a small bit of her belief, which leaves the survivors on a small chunk of the palace surrounded by nothingness.

When the Black Fairy is killed by Mr. Gold, the Dark Curse ends, causing those trapped on the remnants of Regina's palace to be transported back to their homes. Presumably, Aladdin and Jasmine are returned to Agrabah. Sometime after the forces of good win the final battle, the couple stand together on a balcony as they smile and look out towards their kingdom.

Aladdin (2019)
Aladdin is set to appear in the upcoming live-action remake, played by Mena Massoud.

Tales from Agrabah
The chapter book highlights several significant moments throughout Aladdin's early life; from his childhood following being orphaned, up until his first meeting with Jasmine during adulthood.

The second chapter, Monkeying Around, shows an alternate matter of circumstances regarding how Aladdin and Abu met. Here, Abu was the pet of a wealthy woman; the woman treats Abu more as her possession rather than her companion, and she regularly forces him to perform acts for her friends. Abu one day escapes into the marketplace, where he and Aladdin clash for the first time. Aladdin's sympathy for Abu's desire to be free ultimately leads the two to become friends and life partners.

In the fourth chapter, Prince for a Day, Aladdin saves the son of a privileged merchant, who rewards Aladdin with a generous share of his wealth. Aladdin, however, warmly shares his wealth with his unfortunate friends in Agrabah, which leads to his eventual state of poverty, once again.

In the sixth chapter, Fortunate and Fame, Aladdin and Abu assume the role of fortunate tellers as a means to help out their elderly friend.

The final chapter, A Whole New World, retells Aladdin and Jasmine's first meeting in the marketplace.

Disney's Aladdin in Nasira's Revenge
Taking place before the events of Aladdin and the King of Thieves, the evil sorceress Nasira is out to avenge the death of her brother, the nefarious wizard Jafar. She begins her vengeful plot by taking over the palace with a spell and kidnapping Princess Jasmine and the Sultan; she then commands the guards to bring Aladdin to her. The treacherous Nasira believes that if she collects a set of ancient relics that are spread all over Agrabah she might be able to revive Jafar and take over the world, and so she uses her captives to force Aladdin into doing this job for her. The story is told in the cutscenes using the game engine.

Kingdom Hearts series
Aladdin appears in the games as a party member and ally to Sora when the player goes to Agrabah.

In Kingdom Hearts, Aladdin was helping Jasmine, a Princess of Heart, escape the palace from Jafar (a member of Maleficent's council) and the Heartless. With Abu, he went off to the Cave of Wonders to become a prince. It is there he meets Sora, Donald, and Goofy and obtains both the Magic Carpet and the lamp containing Genie. After using one wish to save the group from Heartless, Aladdin tries to use his second to save Jasmine but is interrupted when Iago steals the lamp, forcing Genie to obey Jafar. In the Cave of Wonders, Jafar gives Jasmine to Riku just as the vizier is defeated by the group. Although Genie offers to help find Jasmine with the use of the third wish, Aladdin keeps his promise and wishes for Genie to be free. Glad that he made his friend happy, Aladdin asks Genie to aid Sora as a Summon. At the end of the game, Jasmine returns and reunites with Aladdin.

Aladdin also appears in Chain of Memories as a figment of Sora's memories, which follows a similar pattern to the first game.

In 358/2 Days, Aladdin's appearance is the only game in the series not to feature him as an ally or party member. He appears briefly in Agrabah, recent sandstorms have occurred along with the reappearance of Heartless.

Aladdin returns in Kingdom Hearts II, set one year after the events of the first game. By this time, Aladdin has moved into the palace but has been in boredom since Genie and Carpet had departed. He headed off into the city to find excitement until Abu had stolen a lamp from the Peddler. Chasing after Abu, he bumps into Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Iago, the latter realizing that the lamp was Jafar's lamp, and try to get it from the Peddler. However, the Peddler will only give it in exchange for treasure, forcing the group to go to the Cave of Wonders and run into Pete there with Heartless. After defeating the Heartless, Sora and Aladdin rush back to Agrabah to prevent Pete from getting the lamp, following with the return of Jafar. Ultimately, they are successful and re-obtain the lamp. Unfortunately, after the lamp was hidden, the Peddler accidentally releases Jafar. Aladdin joins Sora in searching the desert ruins, but realize that Iago had misled them because of Jafar. When they return to Agrabah, Jafar challenges the group but is defeated. Aladdin then rejoices with his friends, now joined by Iago, and encourages Sora to find Riku.

A data version of Aladdin appears in Coded as an ally. Here, Aladdin asks Sora to help him find Jasmine, who was kidnapped by Jafar.

Kinect Disneyland Adventures
Aladdin can be found as a meet-and-greet character outside Aladdin's Oasis in Adventureland. He is also featured in the Mickey's Soundsational Parade mini-game. He gives several tasks to the player throughout the game, including cheering up Genie to get him to come out of hiding. Another task involves Aladdin asking the player to find dates for Jasmine and then to deliver them to her. At one point, Genie tells Aladdin about magical scarabs that lead to a hidden treasure, so he asks the player to find the pieces and take them to Genie to fix. After Genie repairs the scarabs, Aladdin uses them to make a necklace for Jasmine. At another point in the game, he gives you a magical spyglass that is said to "see that which no eye can see."

Disney INFINITY
Aladdin appears in the popular game series, debuting in the 2.0 edition as a playable character alongside Jasmine.

He notably plays a part in the game's opening/tutorial where the objective is to follow a star that leads to a mysterious treasure. After evading a greedy Donald Duck, Aladdin follows the star through an evolving Agrabah, which eventually leads him to Big Ben in London, England, transitioning into the stage and tutorial gameplay for Tinker Bell from Peter Pan.

Some of Aladdin's weapons include the power of Genie's lamp and an Arabic blade. Using the Power Disc "Rags to Riches", players can unlock Aladdin's Prince Ali attire. Another Power Disc has the ability to summon a magic carpet for travel and racing purposes.

Disney Magic Kingdoms
When Maleficent curses the Kingdom with powerful sandstorms, Merlin calls upon Aladdin to help solve the problem. He later explains that he came to the Kingdom to find a gift for Genie (who will soon return to Agrabah from his world travels). He ultimately decides to throw a party, and in during which, Jafar returns and threatens to curse Aladdin in an act of revenge. With his friends by his side, Aladdin defeats Jafar and prevents his curse from destroying the kingdom. Genie's party is held to celebrate, and afterward, Aladdin and Jasmine go out on a date. In during which, Aladdin takes Jasmine to a part of the kingdom that reminds him of his home, where they spent their first evening together.

Musical
Aladdin serves as the protagonist of the Broadway musical adaptation of the film, with Adam Jacobs originating the role.

Like all Disney musical adaptations, there are a few key differences in terms of Aladdin's role in the story, in contrast to the original animated version. For instance, here, instead of having Abu, Aladdin has three human best friends by the names of Babkak, Omar, and Kassim, who, like Aladdin, are thieves making constant attempts to turn their lives around by becoming street performers.

A few added musical numbers also appear; such as the moderately famous "Proud Of Your Boy". Though Aladdin's mother is still deceased in this version, the song is still prominently featured, being sung by the street rat. Other songs include "A Million Miles Away" (a duet with Jasmine), "Diamond in the Rough" with Jafar and Iago, and more.

Aside from these differences, though, Aladdin's role stays truthful to the source material, for the most part.

Disney Parks
Aladdin appears at the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts as a meet-able character. He is one of the most frequently-seen characters and is usually accompanied by Jasmine and occasionally Genie.

He originally alternated between his "street rat" outfit during the summer and his "Prince Ali" outfit during the winter. In 2016, Aladdin's new costume was unveiled, resembling that of his "Prince Ali" garb, while still unique and original.

Disneyland
Aladdin can be seen in It's a Small World at Disneyland park. In Disneyland's Fantasmic!, Aladdin and Jasmine have a brief segment, where they sing "A Whole New World". They are later seen during the finale on board the Mark Twain Riverboat. Aladdin also appears in the daily Mickey's Soundsational Parade, starring in his own float as Prince Ali.

Along Main Street, U.S.A., Aladdin is featured in the Enchanted Window display based on his film.

Aladdin makes notable appearances in the original version of World of Color in Disney California Adventure. He first appears in the middle of the show singing "A Whole New World" with Jasmine, followed by a performance by Genie.

Walt Disney World Resort
In Florida, Aladdin appears alongside Jasmine, singing "A Whole New World" towards the end of the Mickey's PhilharMagic. He also has a spell card known as "Aladdin's Lamp" in the attraction Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, and appears several times throughout the Happily Ever After fireworks show.

Aladdin also appears on the water projectors during the princess-themed medley, and makes a live appearance aboard the Steamboat Willie riverboat in the Disney's Hollywood Studios version of Fantasmic!

For meet-and-greets, Aladdin makes appearances in Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom, and the Morocco Pavilion in Epcot.

In 1995, Aladdin also appeared with Jasmine in the end of the sing-along video Beach Party at Walt Disney World, where they perform "Slicin' Sand".

Tokyo Disney Resort
In Tokyo DisneySea's version of Fantasmic!, Aladdin appears on screen during the princess-themed medley, and again during the finale, along with Jasmine and Abu. In Sindbad Storybook Voyage, Aladdin appears alongside Jasmine on Sindbad's map. For meet-and-greets in the park, he can sometimes be found at the Arabian Coast.

Aladdin also appears in the opening and closing segments of Once Upon a Time at Tokyo Disneyland, unleashing Genie from the lamp in the former and riding Carpet with Jasmine in the latter. He and Jasmine also appear on the Aladdin-themed floats in the Happiness is Here parade and Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade: DreamLights.

Disneyland Paris
In Adventureland, Aladdin is prominently featured in the walkthrough attraction Le Passage Enchanté d'Aladdin.

Hong Kong Disneyland
Aladdin appears alongside Jasmine and Genie during the latter's performance of "Friend Like Me" in Mickey and the Wondrous Book. Aladdin is also featured prominently alongside Jasmine and Carpet in Disney in the Stars.

Shanghai Disneyland
In Shanghai, Prince Ali appears in the Golden Fairytale Fanfare show in front of Enchanted Storybook Castle. Aladdin is also featured in the Aladdin display in Voyage to the Crystal Grotto.

Disney Cruise Line
Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular continues to be performed aboard the Disney Fantasy cruise ship.

Trivia

 * "Aladdin" means "devout of the faith" in Arabic.
 * Aladdin is one of the few princes in Disney history who married into royalty, as the majority of them are born into royalty.
 * Whenever Aladdin tells a lie, the feather on his turban falls flat.
 * Aladdin's voice actor was Scott Weinger from the hit TV show Full House. In the two-part story "The House Meets the Mouse", the Tanner family goes to Disney World. While there, DJ (Candace Cameron Bure) begins to see Steve's face on different guys, portraying Disney characters. The first and most notable among them was Aladdin.
 * Glen Keane was inspired by M.C. Hammer when it came to designing Aladdin's signature outfit.
 * The younger-looking model for Aladdin's design can still be seen in the film, during "Friend Like Me", which was animated earlier in the film's development.
 * The scene where Aladdin donates his food to the poor children was added to show that Aladdin was a good person in spite of his thefts, as they feared the lighthearted tone of "One Jump Ahead" could have sent off a message along the lines of "stealing is fun", otherwise.
 * Lyricist Tim Rice further emphasized that Aladdin's thefts were purely for survival rather than fun with the lyrics in "One Jump Ahead", "Gotta eat to live, gotta steal to eat".
 * Before Brad Kane took the role of Aladdin's singing voice, Scott Weinger auditioned for the singing part as well but was rejected.
 * In earlier drafts, Aladdin had three human friends named Babkak, Omar, and Kassim. Though they were cut from the animated film, they later appeared in the stage version.
 * Aladdin was originally scheduled to appear in the second season of the ABC drama series Once Upon a Time., though he would not make an appearance until season six.
 * As a tribute to John Musker and Ron Clements, Aladdin's apple trick was done by Maui in Moana.
 * In the episode "Elemental, My Dear Jasmine", Aladdin claims that he had "tons" of girlfriends before meeting Jasmine, although it is unknown if he was actually being serious as the movie and television series make it clear that with the exception of Amal and Abu, he was alone most of his life. It's also worth noting that Aladdin is shown to be deeply insecure about himself and constantly works to earn the affections and approval of many other characters, most notably Princess Jasmine.
 * The Broadway musical has Aladdin confide to his friends Babkak, Omar and Kassim that he's working to give up thieving not only due to a vow he made to his mother prior to her death, but also because he doesn't want the first impression people have on him to be 'thief'.