Is Raya From “Raya and the Last Dragon” an *Official* Disney Princess?

Photo credit: DISNEY – Hearst Owned

“Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.”

If you’ve recently watched Raya and the Last Dragon or are already a big fan of the flick, you might be wondering if Raya is an official Disney princess. With her headstrong attitude, caring nature, and witty sense of humor, it’s not surprising that many consider her a part of the royal crew. Here’s what we know so far about Disney’s stance on whether Raya is a Disney princess.

Raya and the Last Dragon — which premiered on Friday, March 5, 2021—follows Raya (Kelly Marie Tran), a warrior who hails from the fictional land of Kumandra. Raya is tasked with saving the world from the Druun, a species of monsters that threatened her homeland 500 years ago but were defeated by dragons, who sacrificed themselves to save humanity. The warrior and her pet pill bug, Tuk Tuk, must find the last dragon, Sisu, to save Kumandra from the Druun once again. With its whimsical sequences and outstanding graphics, Raya and the Last Dragon certainly has the ingredients to become an impactful, Disney classic.

Raya, who is described as a warrior princess from Kumandra’s Heart Land, recently earned her crown in the Disney universe. According to an August 19, 2022 Disney Parks blog post about World Princess Week, Raya has *officially* been inducted as a Disney princess (!!). The fierce girl has finally gotten the crown she deserves. Before the entertainment giant named Raya a Disney princess, Tran who voices the character of Raya had described her role as a princess and the first Southeast Asian princess in the history of Disney.

“I’m so excited to be part of a movie that’s broadening the narrative when it comes to, what do people think when it comes to the word ‘Princess?’ What do people think when it comes to the word ‘Hero?’” Tran said during an interview on The Drew Barrymore Show in March 2021. “I think we’ve had a very narrow perception of what those words mean.”

Story continues

For a quick refresher, Disney has 12 official princesses not including Raya: Snow White (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs), Cinderella (Cinderella), Jasmine (Aladdin), Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Ariel (The Little Mermaid), Pocahontas (Pocahontas), Mulan (Mulan), Tiana (The Princess and the Frog), Belle (Beauty and the Beast), Rapunzel (Tangled), Moana (Moana), and Merida (Brave). Most of the past Disney princesses have been white, with Euro-centric features. But in recent years, Disney has branched out to be more inclusive and representative. During Tran’s appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, also opened up about her relationship with the 1998 Disney princess film, Mulan, saying it was “such a huge part of my childhood.”

“I think I was 9 when that movie came out, and it was the first time I felt like I saw someone who looked at me living in these sort of spaces on that sort of scale,” Tran said of the princess Mulan, who was Disney’s first Asian princess. Tran went on to add that Ming Na Wen, the actress who voiced Mulan, has been “such an inspiration” in her career and life.

During the Zoom call interview, Drew Barrymore had Wen surprise Tran by joining the video chat. “I feel like I’m looking in a mirror at the younger me,” Wen said, “Because I followed Kelly’s footsteps and became part of the Star Wars family and now she’s following my footsteps in being a Disney princess. I feel like we have this whole mirror thing going on and I love it. I’m so proud of you.”

Wen went on to compare how Raya and the Last Dragon and Mulan impacted young viewers. “Your film, Raya—as Mulan has done—it crosses all barriers. It [is] about finding the hero and the heroine in all of us. It’s about believing in yourself. It’s also about compassion and sharing the love to fight for humanity and fight for what’s right,” Wen said. “So all those messages are really, really important.”

Watch Raya and the Last Dragon on Disney+

You Might Also Like