Disney’s animated movies aren’t part of a wide connected universe as happens with certain superhero franchises, but some of them do have some sneaky connections between them. Such is the case of The Little Mermaid and Hercules, as viewers have pointed out that the main heroes are (or should be) cousins – here’s why. Walt Disney Pictures has explored a variety of styles in its movies for decades, and while it has brought a bit of everything, appealing to different audiences, the studio continues to be best-known for its animated movies.

Disney’s history in animation began in 1937 with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first full-length cel-animated movie and which gave the studio its first Academy Award (an honorary one, accompanied by seven miniature statuettes). Since then, Disney has produced a long list of animated movies, all of them with its peculiar touch of magic and most of them accompanied by very catchy songs, and the studio has become known for taking inspiration from folk tales, legends, and even different mythologies, but also for its inaccurate portrayals of these. Such is the case of the 1997 movie Hercules, which has a secret link to one of Disney’s most popular and beloved stories from the Disney Princess franchise: The Little Mermaid.

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Released in 1989, The Little Mermaid is loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 tale of the same name and tells the story of the mermaid Princess Ariel (voiced by Jodie Benson), who dreams of becoming human and ends up making a deal with Ursula (Pat Carroll), a powerful but evil witch who turns her into a human but takes her voice away, making it difficult for her to communicate with Prince Eric (Christopher Daniel Barnes), the man she fell in love with. Hercules, on the other hand, tells the story of the title character (voiced by Tate Donovan), the Greek God who is turned into a half-God half-mortal by Hades (James Woods), and so is forced to live on Earth and earn his return to Mount Olympus.

Although Ariel and Hercules don’t seem to have much in common except for both being part of powerful and “royal” families, there is a mythological connection between them that makes them cousins. Over the years, fans have pointed out that, in Greek mythology, Ariel’s father, Triton, is Poseidon’s son, and Poseidon is Zeus’ brother, and Zeus is Hercules’ father. This makes Hercules and King Triton first cousins, and so Ariel and Hercules are second cousins (though there’s still some debate among fans over the exact relation between them, but the point is that they are related). Of course, with this comes the never-ending discussion on how inaccurate Hercules’ portrayal of Greek mythology is, which combined with how The Little Mermaid makes no allusion to Greek mythology at all, focusing solely on Ariel’s journey, has made way for countless discussions on whether they are actually related within Disney’s universe or not.

This is ultimately up to every viewer’s interpretation and knowledge of Greek mythology, as Disney hasn’t (and probably won’t ever) talked about it nor offered a definitive answer, but it might be one detail worth keeping in mind the next time you watch The Little Mermaid and Hercules, even if each has its flaws and aren’t that loyal to the mythology they are based on.

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Adrienne Tyler
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Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

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