Through the years, Disney has created characters that became few of our closest friends, giving us lessons on love, family, and dreams. They never fail in making us feel something. We’ve cried with Cinderella. We adored Belle. We laughed with/at Ariel and we rooted for every single one of them.

As we continue to celebrate women’s empowerment month, let’s take a look at the Disney princesses who don’t need Prince Charming to kickass.

Mulan

An ordinary girl in an ordinary village living an ordinary life. Sounds something we could relate to? Not if you count her saving China from the Huns. Mulan defied society’s expectations in saving her father. She let us know that through unconventional means, you know like battling the Hun’s leader and saving the Emperor, that there is nothing wrong in going to great heights to aspire for more - plus, she totally went drag! Yas, gurl!

Moana

She’s meant to not your typical Disney princess. Everyone on this list is not, actually, but Moana takes it to another level that even her creators call her a Disney heroine. If that is not a cause to love the movie then maybe you have to listen to Lin Manuel Miranda’s How Far I’ll Go. Yes, the song is that good. We all feel a little lost sometimes and that we’re drifting because we don’t know where we’re headed. Moana encourages us to look for the person within by having the strength to paddle away from the shore, away from the comfort zone. Every minute watching the movie showed us how beautiful the journey of self-discovery is. 

Judy Hoppes

Zootopia just won Best Animated Feature Film in the 2017 Academy Awards and us who have watched Judy defied stereotypes believe that this movie released in June of last year deserves the win. Zootopia is an amalgamation of believing in ourselves, of NOT believing in stereotype, and of fulfilling our dreams in spite of the odds stacked against us.

Princess Jasmine

How often do we talk ourselves out of leaving the place where we feel stuck? Very often that is. In Aladdin, Princess Jasmine let us in on a little secret. It only takes a little bravery to escape where we’re in, but it takes a whole lot of courage to trust other people. You know the scene where Aladdin, aboard his magic carpet asked the Princess, “Do you trust me?”, and off they went to a shining, shimmering, splendid adventure.

Belle

Tale as old as time. True as it can be. Barely even friends. Okay enough. I know you sang it. And we’re with you as our excitement builds for Disney’s remake of Beauty and the Beast. And who’s better to headline this classic tale of friendship and love than feminism’s modern-day heroine Emma Watson. When beauty’s definition has become limited to what the senses can perceive,  Belle taught us how important it is to look beyond the shallow and delve deeper.

Merida

She broke down unfair norms in her kingdom and stood strong for deciding on her own. She is probably also you who prefers to shoot arrows while aboard your loyal steed instead of getting wed to some prince. Rightful to her movie title, Merida always showed bravery in fighting her own battles.

Tiana

Tiana is every #GirlBoss in today's society. Her story does involve falling in love (which might be a norm for Disney for stories like this) but it is not the key factor in her story. She wants to start her own restaurant, following her passions and dreams. 'Damsel in distress' is not in her vocabulary

Should you find yourself in an untenable situation, remember that there’s always a Disney quote and song that might help you in getting out of it. Wisdom, after all, knows no platform.

*Post photo from The Odyssey Online.com