In our little fantasy stories, we always have that particular character who disguises to be a good person but is a shadow of the main villain. Vanessa Little Mermaid is one such character from the cult classic The Little Mermaid, released in 1989 film.
If you are wondering who Vanessa from The Little Mermaid is, let us jump into this discussion and know all about her. Interestingly, since the latest movie of the classic just released, there has been a lot of talks regarding this character.
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Vanessa Little Mermaid
As I earlier said, we all have that character who is not the villain herself but a shadow or a tentacle of the main body. The Little Mermaid Vanessa is one such character. The name may rhyme with Medusa, but both have little in common.
Vanessa Little Mermaid is a character in the 1989 film The Little Mermaid. She is the human form to which Ursula, the main villainess, got transformed in the second act of the film. This transformation and the activities emanating from that led to the climax in the second act. Hence this followed in the third act, where everyone encountered “The Final Problem,” whereby the plot restricted.
As part of the disguise, she also acted to become the fiancée of Prince Eric for a day. Thus, for a day at least, she happened to occupy the center of the plot for a while.
Vanessa’s origin story
If you are interested in Vanessa Little Mermaid, who inspired its creation might be a very pertinent question for you to ask. Hans Christian Andersen, more popularly known as Hans Andersen, is the most important authority in fairy tales. It might surprise you a little, but Little Mermaid Vanessa was an inspiration for the character of the Temple Princess from Anderson’s original Danish version of the story.
In this version, after Little Mermaid left the Prince on the shore, a shrine maiden finds him. He mistook her as the rescuer as she was the only one near him when he gained consciousness. Eventually, and unfortunately for Little Mermaid, he also married her. Hence, you might find some similarities in the evil nature of Vanessa Little Mermaid and this Shrine Mermaid.
Vanessa was not conceived as she was produced, at least not in the original draft. In the original version, Eric proposed to her voluntarily because she possessed the voice he longed for. However, he later had second thoughts about her, which didn’t change anything.
Originally it was planned that she would wear a scarf to hide her identity as Ursula. Moreover, the entire attack on Vanessa differed from the original version.
The time of Scuttle’s attack was later and not before the priest consummated the marriage. Thus, for Eric to see who Vanessa was, he had to see her reflection in the waters. Moreover, Vanessa also kept Ariel’s voice in the original version even if she couldn’t use it any further.
Vanessa is introduced into the main plot of The Little Mermaid to increase dramatic tension and conflict. Hence, she is portrayed as a more evil and strong incarnation of the Shrine Maiden.
What does Vanessa from The Little Mermaid look like?
Often people who look the most innocent are the most dangerous. However, one can have some liberty in animation. Hence, Vanessa The Little Mermaid is a meaner version of any Disney princess.
Physique
It is also imperative to say that she has certain facial similarities with Ariel, the main protagonist of The Little Mermaid. According to some, this similarity was also intentional, as it needed to match Eric’s recollections while lying on the beach. Apart from that, Vanessa is slender and has an hourglass physique.
Hair
Vanessa and Ariel’s hairstyles are also the same. But Vanessa’s hair is wavier, and her hair color is dark brown. It scarcely reaches her back while contrasting with the long straight hair of Ariel. Vanessa’s complexion is also paler when compared to that of Ariel. While Ariel’s eye color is blue, Vanessa’s is violet.
Eyes
Unlike the other three characters, Vanessa is the fourth to possess violet eyes. The other three characters are Doctor Facilier, Megara, and Aurora. Moreover, Vanessa is the only villain to have purple eyes. Dr. Facilier, however, later succeeded her.
Eyebrows
They even have differences in their eyebrows. While Vanessa has a more arched and perfectly plucked eyebrow, the same is not true for Ariel. Her lipstick is of a dark red shade. Thus, all of these, taken together, perfectly place her as a very mysterious and evil woman. However, Eric obviously cannot recognize that.
Clothing
If you are interested in her outfits, here is a list. Make-up and camera can marvelously change subjectivities. The same is true for Vanessa Little Mermaid. In her first outfit, she wears a sleeveless blue dress covered by a blue corset. The black cloak and shoe add to her mysterious appeal when she hypnotizes Eric on the beach.
Her second outfit is more simple. It is a vanilla-colored slip that will again feature when she wears the wedding dress.
So, you can guess what the last outfit is. It is a beautiful wedding dress with ruffles covering the front and a split skirt. Apart from that, she wears what is mandatory for any wedding dress, and that is the wedding veil. However, even if she adorns herself in a seemingly innocent wedding dress, the makeup doesn’t stop revealing her wicked nature.
Along with all these outfits, she has apparel that is constant, and that is a necklace. However, there is a reason why this always accompanies her. This particular necklace was used to hold Ariel’s voice hostage. But, Scuttle destroys the necklace towards the end of the movie.
Personality
In an actor’s dictionary, no word exists to describe a short role. Each and every role is impactful, no matter how long it exists on screen. Thus, even if Vanessa’s screen time is less, that doesn’t stop her from impacting the viewers.
Vanessa has been portrayed as a person who can enact very well. Thus, in front of others, she acts out to be very modest. But, when she is to herself, she introspects in weird ways. She talks to herself often, but that conversation is often interrupted when she stops to admire herself and her features. Thus, she is a narcissist.
Moreover, she also is not very intelligent. Often, she appears pretty dumb. Apart from that, Venessa Little Mermaid is also very vicious and vengeful.
Abilities
Vanessa from Little Mermaid, however, has a special power. One might fight over the fact of whether she is the rightful owner of that power or not. This is because Venessa could hypnotize anyone using the stolen voice of Ariel that she had captured in her necklace.
She might also possibly be a good swimmer, or she possesses the ability to teleport herself.
However, most of her strength, beauty, and power are derived from the shell necklace. Hence, the moment it degenerates, her beauty also disintegrates. However, she is not a defenseless person. Rather, Vanessa has much strength, which is very much visible when she transforms into Ursula.
Who plays Vanessa?
We talked a great deal about the character. Let’s now focus a little on the person who always stayed behind the screen – the person who played the role of Vanessa. She also plays the role of Ariel. If you go back a little, you will know why. Vanessa stole Ariel’s voice, remember?
Thus, in the live-action remake, Jessica Alexander played their roles. So, Jessica Alexander is a newbie with many feathers in her crown. She is an English actress whose turning point was when she acted in the BBC series Get Even. Jessica portrays the villainy of Vanessa with the utmost skill. Moreover, she also looks similar to the animated Vanessa.
Trivia
We have certain very interesting trivia relating to Vanessa Little Mermaid. Keep an eye out to learn more about this person.
- Did you know what Vanessa meant? The word derives its etymological origin from the Latin World “Vanitas,” which means nothingness or emptiness or worthlessness. Thus, one can very well find some similarities with Vanessa is character.
- If you are a fan of The Simpsons, this won’t miss your attention. This is a scene of a fight between Scuttle and Vanessa, which matches with a similar scene between Bart and Homer in The Simpsons.
- The name we are so obsessing over right now is not even revealed in the initial half of the film. It’s not until the marriage that we get to know the name. In the book, she is often called “The Maiden.”
- Apart from having short screen time, Vanessa speaks less in Ariel’s voice. She only uses her voice three times. After she loses the necklace, the voice of Vanessa is done by Pat Carrol, who portrays the role of Ursula.
- Did you know who her namesake is? It is Vanessa Vanjie Meteo, the famous drag queen.
- Venessa is a first in many things. One of them we have earlier listed. But did you know she is also the first to be attacked by animals? Can you guess who the first one was? Madam Medusa from The Rescuers. Also, not surprisingly, Medusa has a lot in common with Ursula, the original form of Vanessa.
- We all love Disney merchandise, don’t we? So, even if Vanessa is not a very likable character, Disney has released a doll for Vanessa which is in line with Ariel, Ursula, Eric, and King Triton.
- This film is filled with cross-references. One such is a song where Vanessa sings in her song. Some believe the song behind its inspiration is “This Day Aria.” This song is from the movie “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.” Here also, the villain sings this song before she was to marry a hypnotized man.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Why did Ursula turn in Vanessa?
Ursula transformed herself into a beautiful young woman to lure Eric into falling for her in the 1989 classic tale. She hypnotized him and made him marry her while breaking off the relationship between Eric and Ariel.
2. Who is Vanessa in The Little Mermaid Live Action?
The antagonist character is played by the gorgeous Jessica Alexander.
3. How did Ursula become Vanessa?
Ursula used her tentacles to transform herself. She went from looking ugly to becoming a beautiful young woman. She also magically imbibed the voice that Ariel has to sabotage the lead characters from uniting.
Final Thoughts
Thus, if all of these excite you about Vanessa Little Mermaid, you should not miss your chance. Hop into the sea world and face the demon yourself.
