Dahlia is a major supporting character, who appears in Disney's 2023 animated feature film Wish. She is Asha's best friend, who is a baker and the unofficial leader of the "Seven Teens".
Background[]
Being an accomplished baker, Dahlia creates her own kind of magic of the culinary variety, including cookies in the image of the king himself.[3]
A Recipe for Adventure further establishes her background; Dahlia is Taiwanese and got her love of cooking from her beloved deceased grandmother, who made ji dan gao sponge cakes. Queen Amaya got her the job at the bakery after seeing how much love she put into her craft, and Dahlia and Asha met six years before the start of the film while chasing a mischievous goat that stole cookies Dahlia had personally baked for the queen. Upon rescuing the cookies, Dahlia and Asha shared a broken extra one and vowed to be best friends forever.
Personality[]
Dahlia is a caring, thoughtful girl, who cares very deeply about her friends, especially her best friend Asha. Dahlia acts a voice of support to Asha, giving her friend advice when it comes to doing things such as an interview with the royal family. She is also able to comfort and show empathy to Asha whenever her friend was feeling sad or upset. As a royal servant, Dahlia showed great admiration for King Magnifico, like everyone else in the kingdom of Rosas, where she baked cookies of the king in his honor and spoke of him in a high manner and similar to someone to having a crush on a celebrity.
When Asha discovered Magnifico's true malevolent nature, Dahlia's loyalties became conflicted with her having to choose between being loyal to her friend or to her king. Though Dahlia was conflicted, she agreed to keep Star a secret and help Asha retrieve her family's wishes and unlike Simon, who ultimately betrayed Asha out of fear and insecurity over not knowing his wish, Dahlia remained loyal to Asha even when she was conflicted. However, when Asha finally revealed Magnifico's lies and deception, Dahlia lost all admiration for her king and chose to help her best friend free Rosas' subjects and their wishes from his tyranny, becoming the first individual to openly defy Magnifico during the battle against the evil sorcerer.
A Recipe for Adventure reveals her wish was to be the best baker in Rosas and find the secret ingredient that made her grandmother's recipes taste so great, which turned out to be love. Dahlia lives by the rule of mise en place, or knowing where things will be before you need it. She is initially fearful and hesitant of trying new things even when it has potential to be delicious, preferring to follow recipes to the letter, but Bazeema trying a "mistake" with an orange cake helped her be more flexible.
Physical appearance[]
Dahlia is a chubby 16-year-old girl with medium skin, dark brown eyes, pink lips, and short black hair with bangs. She wears a short-sleeved ruby dress with a drop-shaped keyhole and a brownish pink flowers and dark purple diamonds pattern on the bottom of the skirt over a lilac long-sleeved top with golden sparkles and yellow trims. She also wears a pair of overall spectacles with gold framing, a yellow headband tied into a bunny knot, a pink apron with a ruby pocket on her waist, and brown ankle boots with golden buckles.
Due to a disability, Dahlia relies on a wooden crutch with two gold-trimmed purple bandages to help her walk.
Trivia[]
- Dahlia is based on Doc from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and much like the character she is the unofficial leader of her and Asha's friend group.[3]
- Dahlia is a year younger than Asha according to A Recipe for Adventure. They met when Asha was 11 and Dahlia 10.
- It is unknown what disability Dahlia has, but given she has to use a crutch it is possible she has a muscle weakness in her leg.
- Dahlia's use of a crutch is a reference to her voice actress, Jennifer Kumiyama's, real life disability. She has arthrogryposis (joint stiffness) and uses a wheelchair.
- Dahlia is similar to Nakoma from Pocahontas and Charlotte La Bouff from The Princess and the Frog in the fact that all three are the best friend and confidant of the main heroine.
- Dahlia was originally named Dishen as heard in the deleted scenes of the film.
Gallery
Screenshots
Wish (9)
Wish (19)
Wish (20)
Wish (61)
Wish teaser (22)
Wish (50)
Wish (62)
Wish (66)
Wish (77)
Wish (42)
Wish (88)
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Miscellaneous
Asha and her friends
The Seven Kids
Asha and her friends in 4K
Asha and Dahlia Artwork
Asha and her friends Artwork2
Disney Wish The Teens Mini Doll 8-Pack
Disney Wish Dahlia Fashion Doll
Wish Dahlia Petite 6-Inch Doll
Wish Asha and Dahlia Best Friends Large Doll
Disney Wish official Puzzle Asha and the teens
Disney Wish Asha and Dahlia official dolls
Wish LEGO figures (2)
Funko POP! vinyl figure #1391 (2023)
Funko POP! vinyl figure #1391 (2023)
Wish Merchandise (5)
Wish Merchandise (6)
Wish Merchandise (7)
Asha and Dahlia Artwork2
Asha and Dahlia Artwork3
Cardboard stand - Dahlia WISH
DisneyWishNecklacekit
References
"Wish - Official Trailer". IGN (September 27, 2023).
"Walt Disney Animation Studios Unveils ‘Wish’ Trailer". The Walt Disney Company (September 27, 2023).
Tessa, Smith (September 27, 2023). "Disney’s Wish Characters Explained". Mama's Geeky.
External links
16 Dahlia on Wish Wiki