- “I'm trying to reach out to new cultures so we don't fall behind!”
- ―Prince Eric to Queen Selina
Prince Eric is a character who appears in the 2023 live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.
He is based on both the character from the Danish fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen and the 1989 animated film.
Background[]
Eric was adopted by the king and queen after he survived a shipwreck that killed his biological family twenty-one years prior to the story. Despite this, Eric developed an interest in seeing the world while his parents became isolated from the rest of the world.
Personality[]
Eric is an adventurous, caring young man who feels isolated from the rest of the world, so seeks the thrill of adventures. He cares very much about those around him and when he first meets Ariel, this side of him is shown straight away, because although she can't speak, Eric shows compassion and concern about her having nowhere to live, allowing her to stay in his palace as long as she needs.
When Eric begins to fall in love with Ariel, he falls hard and it becomes a deep love, not wanting to let her go, even when he learns the truth about her background. He is a headstrong, loving man who wants to follow Ariel when she is taken by Ursula and fight alongside the woman he loves to defeat the sea witch.
Physical appearance[]
Eric is a very handsome, young man who has average dark brown hair and green eyes. As a royal, Eric tends to wear a smart suit, but is more casual when he and Ariel explore the town.
Role in the film[]
During one such voyage, Eric's ship falls victim to a storm and it sinks. Eric saves his dog Max but fails to jump off the ship when it flips over, causing him to fall in the other direction. Ariel manages to save him and bring him to shore. During recovery, his mother Selina insists he stay at the palace but he is adamant about finding the girl who saved his life.
When Ariel arrives at the castle, Eric shows her his collection from his adventures and she immediately shares his interests. She even impresses him by smashing one of his rocks to reveal the gems hidden inside and blowing a conch shell. The next day, the two sneak out to have a fun-filled day that ends with them nearly kissing before Flotsam and Jetsam turned their boat over. That night, Eric is alone on the beach when he hears a seductive siren song that controls him. Eric finds himself torn between Ariel and Vanessa. After Ariel reclaims her voice and temporarily thwarts Ursula's plan, Eric realizes she is the girl who rescued him. When they fail to kiss before the sun sets, Ursula takes Ariel back to the sea after she transforms back into a mermaid. The queen attempts to stop Eric from going after them after she told him that she warned him about the mermaids, but he is adamant about going after Ariel, not caring if she is a mermaid or human.
Together, they manage to defeat Ursula. Eric then swims back to shore but is heartbroken to realize he and Ariel can never be. A few days later, Ariel returns to the castle in full human form after her father turned her into a human. Eric emotionally hugs Ariel and kisses her, overjoyed to finally be with her. At the start of their marriage, they decide to travel the world together on one of their voyage ships. King Triton and the rest of the merfolk come to see them off.
Trivia[]
- This version of Eric has an English accent to match his actor Jonah Hauer-King, unlike his animated counterpart who has an American accent.
- There are some key differences between this version of Prince Eric to his animated counterpart.
- This Eric gets his own solo song; "Wild Uncharted Waters".
- The animated character is the one who makes the final blow and kills Ursula, while it is Ariel in the remake.
- This Eric was adopted while the original was born into royalty.
- This version of Prince Eric is 21 in the film, while his animated counterpart is 18 years old.
- "Fathoms Below" plays during his birthday instead of being the opening number.
- Unlike his animated counterpart, it is known what happened to Eric's biological parents, while his parents are not mentioned in the original film.
- Eric is the one who nicknames Ariel the "Little Mermaid".
- Eric went after Ariel even after she turned back into a mermaid in both versions. Urusla also called Eric lover boy in both versions.
Gallery[]
See also[]
- Prince Eric
- Prince Eric (Once Upon a Time)
External links[]
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