Romance is a core aspect of most Disney films. Almost all movies from the company include at least one romantic relationship and sometimes, the films revolve around the central couple. Many of these love stories have become cultural staples, with wholesome couples such as Anna and Kristoff, Rapunzel and Flynn, or Kovu and Kiara.
However, not all Disney couples are as adorable. Some of these romances have questionable origins, while others don't even have a proper development throughout the film. Thankfully, Disney is changing the way it portrays love stories, but it's impossible to ignore some odd or toxic romances in the most iconic Disney movies.
10 Mike Wazowski Gaslights Celia Mae
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
Monsters, Inc. barely includes romance. In fact, the film only has one couple and they are far from a good example. Mike Wazowski, who works at Monsters, Incorporated, dates Celia Mae, the receptionist of the office. Although Mike acts like a hopeless romantic, he doesn’t share things with Celia. After Sully interrupts their dinner, Mike stands her up.
Mike doesn’t have bad intentions, but he’s usually too all over the place to give Celia a good relationship. Monsters, Inc. barely explores their dynamic, but in the few scenes they get, he gaslights her way too much. This is definitely not one of Disney's best romances.
9 Bob Often Acts Like Helen’s Fourth Kid
The Incredibles (2004) & The Incredibles II (2018)
Originally two mighty superheroes, Bob and Helen retire their capes to start a family. However, Mr. Incredible never felt truly comfortable with his new life. In both The Incredibles films, Bob ignores Helen’s boundaries just to get a bit of what he considers his glory days. In the first movie, he puts his whole family at risk. In the sequel, he doesn’t support Helen when she becomes a full-time superhero.
For a while, Disney fans considered Bob an exemplary husband, but it only takes a re-watch to notice he’s incredibly immature. He often puts his interests before Helen and the kids and rarely helps her. He often acts like another child instead of a husband.
8 Ariel And Eric’s Relationship Doesn’t Have A Real Development
The Little Mermaid (1989)
The Little Mermaid follows the relationship between Ariel, a naive mermaid, and Eric, a prince from the surface. Although the villainous Ursula tries to separate them, in the end, their relationship prevails. Many fans believe they’re one of the most popular couples in Disney, but it’s difficult to see the romance nowadays.
By the moment they get married, Ariel and Eric are practically strangers. They have only spent a couple of days together at best, and Ariel didn’t even speak for most of that time. Although love at first sight is a common Disney trope, it would’ve been important for them to know each other before jumping the gun.
7 Phoebus And Esmeralda Hurt Quasimodo
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1996)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame tells the tragic story of Quasimodo, one of the best Disney protagonists. However, the movie also includes the romance of Esmeralda, a traveler, and Captain Phoebus, a soldier. Contrary to the events in the Victor Hugo book, Phoebus and Esmeralda actually love each other. However, it's difficult to accept their romance when it becomes obvious that Quasimodo is in love with Esmeralda too.
In most Disney films, the princess usually ends up with the male lead. However, this isn’t the case in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Instead, Quasimodo’s love is unrequited and the only reason for this is his physical appearance. The fact that he’s one of the few leads who doesn’t have a romantic happy ending doesn’t say a lot about body positivity.
6 Pocahontas And John Smith Had A Disturbing, Real-Life Story
Pocahontas (1995)
When Captain John Smith arrives from London to the New World searching for resources to exploit, he meets Pocahontas, the daughter of the Chief of the Powhatan tribe. With Pocahontas, Smith learns the true value of nature. They fall in love, despite being on two different sides of a war.
Pocahontas tells a beautiful story, but it has a very dark origin. The movie attempts to make the audience sympathize with John Smith, who in the end, is nothing but a colonizer. The real story about Pocahontas and John Smith isn’t as wholesome. In reality, Pocahontas was only 12 when she met John Smith, who was already an adult. As such, Pocahontas and its central romance is problematic.
5 Gaston Only Objectifies Belle
Beauty & The Beast (1991)
The main villain of Beauty and the Beast, Gaston, is an arrogant hunter who wants to ask Belle for her hand in marriage. Upset that the young woman prefers to be with the Beast, he coerces the whole village to kill the Beast. Logically, this shatters any opportunity he may have with Belle.
It’s a good thing that Gaston and Belle never really have a relationship. While Belle is an empathic, smart, woman, Gaston is violent, selfish, and emotionally unavailable. She would have been very unhappy with him. It’s kind of scary that Disney even portrays this kind of antagonist as a potential romantic interest.
4 Aurora Didn't Know Prince Philip Before He Kissed Her
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
When she was a baby, Princess Aurora was cursed by Maleficent to fall into a deep sleep. 16 years later, she pinches her hand with a spinning wheel, becoming the Sleeping Beauty. The only way to wake her up from her slumber is with a true love's kiss.
Like most Disney fairytales, Sleeping Beauty has aged poorly. For starters, the fact that Aurora's life depends on a man she doesn't know is quite controversial. Additionally, the lack of consent for their kiss is problematic. Contemporary audiences have a hard time empathizing with this romance.
3 Hans Only Wanted Anna’s Kingdom
Frozen (2013)
In Frozen, Prince Hans gets closer to Anna during Elsa’s coronation. After realizing how much they have a common, they sing a song together and, ultimately, he proposes. Thankfully, Elsa won’t allow it. By the end of Frozen, Hans's true intentions become obvious, he only wants to be the next Arendelle's king.
Contrary to most Disney princesses, Anna doesn’t make the mistake of getting married after love at first sight, one of Disney’s worst tropes. Hans and Anna’s relationship is a terrible romance because it’s very realistic. It’s impossible to know the true intentions of a person who is virtually a stranger.
2 Tarzan And Jane Can't Communicate
Tarzan (1999)
In Tarzan, the daughter of an explorer, Jane, meets a man who was raised by gorillas, Tarzan. Their friendship, which soon develops into a romance, saves Tarzan's pack and their home in the jungle from people who want to exploit the land. In the end, Jane and Tarzan start a relationship.
Although Tarzan is a very emotional movie, as time passes, it's more and more difficult to find the main romance believable. Jane and Tarzan have nothing in common, and they don't even share a language. It's difficult to believe their connection happened without communication. The fact that Jane falls for a man who acts like a mixture between a child and an animal is very questionable.
1 Robert Didn’t Deserve Giselle
Enchanted (2007)
When Giselle, a fairytale princess, arrives in New York City, she meets Robert, a cynical divorce lawyer who doesn't believe in happy ever afters. By the end of Enchanted, Giselle and Robert fall in love and prove that love conquers all sorts of barriers, even cultural ones.
Since Robert is portrayed by Patrick Dempsey, one of the most popular actors at the time, fans were rooting for this relationship. However, Robert was a terrible partner. Even ignoring the fact that he broke his five-year relationship to be with Giselle, he was really condescending to her and even rude. It makes no sense that Giselle falls for him.