Naruto Characters & Their Disney Counterparts

The world of Naruto isn’t populated by fairy tale princesses, but it still has a lot in common with Disney’s animated properties. In Naruto, the main characters face off against larger than life villains, have skills that might as well be based in magic, and find their happy endings in the face of tragedy.

All of those circumstances could be pulled straight out of a Disney princess movie. Disney princesses, and some of the princes, have to face a lot of the same obstacles, though they get to do it while singing a song. While not every Naruto character could be a Disney princess, quite a few of them have a nearly perfect Disney counterpart.

10 Sasuke – Cinderella

One of the original Disney princesses might seem like a strange fit for Sasuke Uchiha. They have a lot more in common than fans might think, though.

Cinderella is left with no family – and in the care of a woman who takes advantage of her. While Sasuke seemingly fends for himself in Konoha, he does seek out Orochimaru, who has plans to take advantage of Sasuke’s bloodline to increase his own power. Likewise, Cinderella never stops working hard to please everyone, but she keeps her own goals in mind, like going to the ball. Sasuke works incredibly hard to learn different shinobi skills, but he never takes his eyes off the prize either – getting justice for the family he lost. Cinderella is just more of a romantic than he is.

9 Neji – Elsa

In Frozen, Elsa is carefully controlled, shutting out her sister as a result of family tragedy until she just can’t take it anymore. Neji might not have control over ice, but he does the same thing. Instead of carefully controlling his emotions, however, Neji focuses all of his energy on his anger.

For Elsa, it’s Anna’s love that allows her to open herself back up to the world. For Neji, it’s an explanation of the truth from Hyashi Hyuga that does the trick. Elsa becomes her sister’s biggest supporter just as Neji becomes someone who would do anything for Hyashi’s daughter Hinata.

8 Sakura – Tiana

Sakura by no means faces the kind of hardship that Tiana would have, but that doesn’t mean they don’t both have a similar approach to their lives. Neither of them have the patience for the men in their lives being selfish. Sakura takes Naruto to task as often as Tiana does Naveen (as a frog).

They also share an incredible work ethic and desire to learn more. While Tiana’s passion is food, Sakura’s becomes healthcare. Tiana has to go on a long journey as a frog to make her dreams come true, but she also spends time perfecting her recipes. Sakura fights in a war for hers and studies until she’s the most capable medical shinobi in the world, starting clinics for children after the war.

7 Lee – Anna

If Neji is Elsa, holding back from those around him, then Rock Lee is his perfect foil in Anna. It’s perfect that they’re on the same shinobi team as teenagers.

Lee is a bit naive, just like Anna, jumping to conclusions about what’s going on around him without having the whole story. He’s also willing to just jump right into any situation for the greater good at huge personal risk. He doesn’t have the same “magical” shinobi abilities as his peers, but he doesn’t let that stop him from becoming one of the best fighters. That’s not unlike Anna’s enthusiastic pursuit of her own sister.

6 Tenten – Mulan

Tenten doesn’t get nearly enough screen time in the Naruto franchise. Most of her development comes courtesy of filler episodes that manga purists don’t consider canon. That’s okay, because what the audience does see of Tenten is her ability to keep a level head in incredibly stressful situations, and her strong combat skills with literally any weapon while she’s surrounded by boys who think they know better than her.

Those traits make her nearly exactly in the same boat as Disney’s Mulan. Tenten just doesn’t have to disguise herself to become a part of the fight.

5 Kakashi – Phil

Kakashi doesn’t want to be a teacher. When he’s given the role of Team 7’s sensei, he’s pretty harsh with them, not even allowing them meals until they figure out how to work together as a unit. That’s all part of his bigger plan though.

Like Phil, the truth is that Kakashi believes in the kids he’s teaching. He knows that tough love is necessary to get them all on the same page. Phil has a little more anger in him at first, and a little more pull towards the glory than Kakashi does, but their role as mentors is very similar.

4 Ino – Tinkerbell

The original Peter Pan story points out that fairies like Tinker Bell only have enough room for one emotion at a time, which is why she acts out on her jealousy with Wendy before deeply regretting it. That’s a pretty good assessment of some of Ino’s actions in the Naruto franchise as well; she gets so caught up in one emotion that she tunes the others out.

Like Tinkerbell, Ino is an extremely loyal friend, but also like the fairy, she’s quick to feel betrayed by others. When Ino discovers that she and Sakura have feelings for the same guy, she cuts Sakura off from her friendship completely, lashing out at her for years before she admits how much she misses their friendship. That’s a stark contrast to her being willing to do anything for her Ino-Shika-Cho teammates despite their differences.

3 Shikamaru – Simba

Shikamaru as Simba is pretty counterintuitive. Simba, after all, isn’t the sharpest of lion cubs when his journey begins and Shikamaru is essentially a genius. Their similarities, however, aren’t in their ability to solve complex problems, but in their approach to life.

Shikamaru begins his time in the franchise wanting to just skate by and do whatever he wants without adhering to any rules. He doesn’t have time for romance or complications. Simba is the same. While he certainly knows he’s set to be king, it’s not the responsibility that interests him, but the freedom that comes with it. They also both realize, after losing someone important in their lives, how much their lives will change, and go on to save their communities. Shikamaru just does it by becoming an advisor to a group of highly skilled shinobi instead of battling his evil uncle.

2 Hinata – Ariel

Ariel longs to get out from under her father’s controlling thumb. Despite how much he loves her, he keeps her on a tight leash, and she wants to see the world and prove that she’s strong enough to do that while falling for a handsome prince.

Hinata isn’t as big on adventure as Ariel, but they share the same heart. That’s because Hinata is effectively disowned by her father when she doesn’t live up to his standards, but that doesn’t stop her from desiring to prove that she’s more than her father’s daughter. She masters her skills without his help and becomes an integral part of the war effort. Hinata also gets her own happy ending when it comes to romance; just like Ariel, it’s with the same boy whose life she saves and who saves her.

1 Naruto – Hercules

Naruto isn’t a demigod, but he is so powerful that some of the Naruto fandom regard him as one. He has pretty humble beginnings, however, as a village outcast. Hercules, in the Disney version of the story, is a “zero” before he finds his inner hero.

Though both characters start off being made fun of by others, they continually prove themselves to those around them, saving the people they care about and even whole villages. Naruto might be immature and a “knucklehead ninja,” but like Hercules, he’s determined to do the right thing.

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