Is Ursula Related To Ariel? The Little Mermaid Twist That Changed Everything

When Walt Disney was looking for inspiration to create some of his earliest animated features, the Hans Christian Anderson fairytale "The Little Mermaid" caught his attention. The project was ultimately shelved but was revived decades later in a move that helped revitalize the fortunes of Disney's animated division.

In the original 1989 animated film, Ursula acts as the main antagonist. Portrayed by Pat Carroll, she plays a major role in the story by tricking Ariel and transforming her into a human. Although the character seemingly acts as a sympathetic shoulder for the young mermaid at first, Ursula has ulterior motives and is secretly working to overthrow King Triton and rule over the Kingdom of Atlantica herself.

While twisted, this version of "The Little Mermaid" story is not as dark as the original fairytale and, like many other elements of the narrative, Ursula was significantly changed in the on-screen adaptation. With the various television shows, the Broadway musical, and the live-action adaption of "The Little Mermaid," Ursula has continued to evolve, as has her relationship to Ariel and King Triton.

The Hans Christian Andersen fairytale makes no mention of any character called Ursula, although a mysterious and magical figure known only as the Sea Witch is present. However, this character doesn't act as a villain and isn't central to the story in the same way as her Disney counterpart. Instead, she acts as nothing other than a plot device to allow the Little Mermaid to transform into a human and the deed is entirely transactional — with the Sea Witch cutting out the protagonist's tongue as payment for her work.

Hans Christian Andersen's Sea Witch simply has no evil intentions and carries out the magical transformation as a service. In fact, she even warns the mermaid about the dangers of becoming human and the extraordinary pain she will experience by living on the surface. This left the original fairytale without a proper villain, making it difficult to adapt into a Disney animated film.

Ron Clements and John Musker took the Sea Witch character and developed her backstory and motivations to become more of a traditional antagonist. This would give the audience someone to cheer against and help make it easier to change "The Little Mermaid" story so it wasn't as dark and sad as the fairytale it's based on.

In the original 1989 animated version of "The Little Mermaid," there's no direct familial relationship mentioned between Ursula, Ariel, and King Triton. It is clear that the Sea Witch lives in exile, away from the mermaids, but the exact reason for her banishment isn't given. Complicating matters even further is the fact that Ursula is seemingly visited fairly frequently by merpeople for magical help, so she must be a well-known figure within the kingdom where Ariel lives. Her targeting of Ariel is simply a way of getting to King Triton so she can overthrow him and rule the ocean.

This was not always the case, though, and the initial script for the 1989 release did link Ursula and King Triton together as siblings. In a behind-the-scenes video, "The Little Mermaid" co-director Roy Clemens explained that a longer version of the opening song "Fathoms Below" explained how Ursula was King Triton's sister but was cut for time. There is a hint towards this left in the movie as, when viewers first encounter Ursula, she tells Flotsam and Jetsam that "we had fantastical feasts when I lived in the palace," suggesting she has some sort of connection to the royal family.

While the 1989 animated film didn't explicitly say that Ursula is related to Ariel and King Triton, other adaptations have confirmed a relationship. A 2016 novel by Serena Valentino called "Poor Unfortunate Soul: A Tale of the Sea Witch," reveals that Ursula is King Triton's long-lost sister. The Broadway musical adaptation of the story by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, and Glenn Slater also features a song called "I Want the Good Times Back," which details how Ursula and King Triton equally ruled as brother and sister until she was exiled after becoming greedy for power and using black magic.

The 2023 live-action reimagining of "The Little Mermaid" changes Ariel and Ursula's relationship to confirm that they are related. When Ariel travels to meet with the individual she knows only as the Sea Witch, Ursula reveals that she and King Triton are estranged siblings, making her Ariel's aunt. She also refers to King Triton as Big Brother during an earlier monologue before explaining that he banished Ursula from Atlantica 15 years earlier. This gives Ursula's motivations a more personal touch and makes her actions all the more evil.