Megara

Megara, better known as Meg, is the tritagonist from Disney's 1997 film Hercules and a character in its television series. She is Hercules' romantic love interest /sweetheart and a heroine. She is voiced by Susan Egan.

Personality
Megara is about eighteen years old, beautiful, seductive, independent and quick-witted, but also cynical and world-weary, making her atypical among Disney's lead females. She 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 at first sight, far from falling for him on the spot, she dismisses him as putting on an 'innocent farm-boy routine', and it is not until they spend real quality time together that she begins to romantically fall head-over-heels for him.

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.

Meg is afraid of heights, but overcomes her fear by the end of the movie.

In their first meeting in the episode Hercules and the Aetolian Amphora, Meg wants to forget all about her ex-boyfriend (later shown to be Prince Adonis) and shows very little remorse in using her sexuality to manipulate the young Hercules into helping her steal a jar of Lethe water. Her atire is almost identical in this episode, except that her skirt is much shorter. At the end of the episode her memory is wiped, explaining how she and Hercules met 'for the first time' in the movie.

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 woman, 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, and when Hades offers her freedom in return for Hercules' weakness, she willingly accepts the deal, but as she gets to know the demi-god she finds herself falling deeply romantically in love with him, though she loathes to admit it. She decides that she would rather serve Hades unwillingly, than betray Hercules.

Unfortunately, through this, Hades realizes that Meg is Hercules' weakness. Hades arrives, interrupting Hercules' training, talks a lot then snaps his fingers, making Meg appear. Before she can finish her sentence, Hades snaps his fingers and she disappears, tied up and gagged then reappears with another snap of Hades fingers. He uses Meg to try to get Hercules to give up his God-like superhuman strength for twenty-four hours, under Hercules condition that Meg doesn't get hurt. While Meg from aside shakes her head but Hercules does not listen. Then Hades sets Meg free then, spitefully reveals that she was working for him all along. His heartbroken, Hercules loses the will to fight the Cyclops Hades turns upon him. Meg finds and unties Pegasus and battles her fear of heights to find Phil, persuading him to come back and help Hercules regain his confidence.

After Hercules manages to defeat the Cyclops using his wits, 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 internal injuries, but not having a visible scratch on her. This breaks Hades' contract, meaning that Hercules regains his strength. When he asks her why she would do something so dangerous, she finally admits that she loves him, "People always do crazy things when they're in love". Touched by her love for him, Hercules promises Meg she will make it and leaves her in Phil's care while he goes to stop Hades from taking over Olympus.

After saving Olympus, Hercules races back to be with Meg rather than chasing Hades, but arrives seconds after she has passed away from her injuries. He then travels to the Underworld and rescues her soul, which brings her back to life (and makes him a True Hero). Meg and Hercules are then brought to enter Olympus on a cloud, 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. Then goes on to have a happy ending life with her.

Hercules: The Series
Due to the fact that the television series is set back before Hercules met Meg, she only appears in the series twice.

Her first appearance is in "Hercules and the Aetolian Amphora" in which she meets Hercules, offering a chance to prove himself as a hero. Having him retrieve her the amphora so she can use it to forget about Adonis who she had a blind date with that went badly. They do retrieve it from Ares' sons, but Meg leaves Hercules to escape. She is immediately taken to the Underworld by Pain and Panic; Hercules, despite her betrayal, goes after her. During a fight for the amphora, Meg tells Hercules that she liked him from the start. They almost kiss, but the amphora's water is dropped on them, causing them to forget how they met, and reinforcing the fact that Hercules and Meg never established any relationship until the film.

Her second appearance is in "Hercules and the Yearbook", a clip show episode which shows she, now married to Hercules, finds his old yearbook and looks back on some of his school misadventures. At the end of the episode, Hermes grabbed hold of Meg's own yearbook and it was revealed that she was a cheerleader.

House of Mouse
Meg is a frequent guest at the House of Mouse, always appearing beside Hercules. In the episode Everybody Loves Mickey, Meg was seen commenting to Hercules on one of Mickey's cartoons by stating: "Did you see Mickey in that cartoon? Now that, is a hero.". In the episode Ladies' Night, Mortimer Mouse planned on flirting with who he thought was Megara, but it instead turned out to be Clarabelle Cow in a Megara costume.

First Visit
Megara starts off on a mission to tell Hades to give Hercules a break from the monsters but is chased by dog-like heartless, to which Sora offers to do for her.

In the meantime she tries to convince Hercules to stop fighting (to avoid him from getting hurt). But he tells her that he'll be fine, Meg only hopes Sora won't let her down. Later Meg is kidnapped by Hades and trapped in the Underdrome. Hercules sends Sora and company to rescue her only to walk into Hades's trap with Pete and the heartless. Then after the fight Hercules arrives and makes sure Meg's ok, then tells Sora that he'll meet them back at the Coliseum after he shows Pete what happens when you you mess with a hero.

On the way out Meg tells Sora that she doesn't want to leave Hercules. And they go help while Pegasus gets Meg out of there.

But back at the coliseum the Hydra trashed the place and Hercules can't fight because he feels he let everyone down. So Sora, Donald, and Goofy fight the hydra and during the battle Meg and Phil offer useful things to throw at the hydra. After hydra's done Meg thanks Sora and friends for everything and promises to look after Hercules.

Second Visit
She and Hercules are at the underworld's entrance as Sora, Donald, Goofy arrive. Then Hades tells them about the openings of "The Ultimate Games" in the underdrome, and tells Hercules to be there unless he never wants to see Meg again.

Meg watches sadly as Hercules fights Auron worrying about him. Then Sora, Donald, and Goofy comes and Hades who is furious that Hercules didn't lose, dumps Meg in the pit of souls with Hercules diving after her. He comes out alive with Meg in his arms.

Then she and Hercules thank Sora again and asks where they're heading next. When Sora tells them that the "love-birds" would do fine without them around, Herc and Meg act embarrassed. Then Meg sees in the sky constellations in the shape of Sora, Donald, and Goofy proving that they are True Heroes.

Disney Parks
Megara appears as a walkaround character at the Disney parks, though she is semi-rare. She was also a playable character in the now-removed Hercules attraction/game at DisneyQuest. In Fantasmic!, Meg appears in the Walt Disney World on Steamboat Willie, sometimes accompanied by Hercules.

She currently makes a few appearances in Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris. In Disney's Hollywood Studios, Meg was seen in Disney Stars and Motorcars Parade.

Songs
Songs performed by Megara
 * 1) I Won't Say (I'm in Love)
 * 2) I Can't Believe My Heart
 * 3) The Man That I Love

Quotes

 * "Megara. My friends call me Meg, at least they would if I had any friends."


 * "Did they give you a name along with all those 'rippling pectorals?"


 * "Are you always this articulate?"


 * "Get yourself another girl, I'm through!"


 * "Then read my lips! Forget it!"


 * "Well thanks for everything, Herc. It's been a real slice."


 * "Get out of there ya big lug while you still can."


 * "People always do crazy things...when they're in love."


 * "Ya big ox! I don't need statues to remind me how great you are, I've got the real thing."


 * "Aw, ya big lug! So you went through an 'awkward phase'."


 * "You haven't got much time...you can still stop Hades."


 * "I'm a damsel, I'm in distress, I can handle this. Have a nice day."

Trivia

 * Meg is recognized for her unusually colored purple eyes. Originally, they were intended to be blue, but were changed to purple as film production progressed.
 * Meg is known for her unique appearance, which differs from the "traditional" Disney style of animation. She has thick hair, a very slender waist, lengthy eyebrows, and a more angular stature.
 * At the end of Hercules' end credits, a thank you to the entire team is slotted in, which includes one of Meg's signature lines, "It's been a real slice".
 * Meg's official hair color has been debated for a while. In some scenes, it appears to brown, but depending on the lighting, it appears to have a red glow. Therefore, her hair might just be a shade of auburn.
 * Meg is one of the few Disney heroines to not change her outfit during her film. However, her purple dress is once accompanied by a transparent lavender shawl which she drapes over her shoulders.
 * Meg is the only Disney heroine to have sold her soul. With Ariel, it was her voice.
 * Meg is also the only Disney heroine to really belong to the bad side (or rather, to be caught between two opposite camps after her feelings for Hercules), because of her agreement with Hades. All other Disney heroines were still in the good side. Two cases are particular: Tinkerbell and Ariel. The first didn't hesitate to "help" Captain Hook by simplicity, revealing him where Peter Pan and his friends were hidden and because of her jealously toward Wendy. But Tinkerbell was aware of Hook's nasty personality when she confessed these information. Ariel from The Little Mermaid executed an agreement with the antagonist Ursula, but it can't be considered as a partership, since Ariel was too much naive to be aware Ursula's machiavellianism, she made it for Prince Eric's love and she didn't know her revenge plans. In Tinkerbell and Ariel's negociations, their respective antagonist finally betray them (Tinkerbell by being locked by Hook and Ariel by Ursula's manipulations), which isn't Megara's case, where the main protagonist is ironically betrayed besides (as soon as Phil learns the truth about Meg's filiation with Hades and he warns Hercules in vain, and when this last one discovers too lately this collaboration), but not the villain.
 * She is also the first female heroine that has had a boyfriend beforehand. Due to being cheated on, & then left, she doesn't want to fall in love.
 * Though Megara is not an official Disney Princess, she is somewhat of a "guest" Disney princess; as she is featured in in the "Princess Collection 2" CD and is also featured Disney Princess Sing Along Songs - Once Upon a Dream, with her song I Won't Say(I'm in Love).
 * In Hercules: The Animated Series, we find out in highschool that she was a cheerleader; which she is very embarrassed about.
 * Meg also has some "girl power moments" in the film one example is when she says to Hades, "Well, read my lips forget it". She also denies Hades several times.

Gallery
Megara