Some characters get happier endings than others. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the times “Once Upon a Time” did our favorite Disney characters justice and the moments when they should have left the characters we know and love alone.
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00:00He seems to have made it a rule that villains don't get happy endings,
00:03even if they change, even if they try. Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our
00:08picks for the times Once Upon a Time did our favorite Disney characters justice,
00:12and the moments when they should have left the characters we know and love alone.
00:18Sorry Diddy, do you think the dark one sings? OUAT had so many characters,
00:23so we'll be focusing only on those who crossed over with the Mouse House.
00:27If you haven't seen the series, there are some spoilers ahead.
00:30Number 5. Improved Robin Hood
00:34Look, we love a fox outlaw who steals from the rich and gives to the poor as much as the next
00:40Disney fan. Some folks might find his honor, charm, and courage downright foxy, no matter
00:46what form he takes. He's so handsome, just like his reward posters. Disney nailed his signature
00:53traits, but Once Upon a Time gave him a richer, more complex backstory. Sure, Robin aimed to be
00:59honorable, but it wasn't always easy. I broke in there once before.
01:03Why are we even listening to him? He's a thief, which means he's not to be trusted.
01:08What are you even still doing here? What I'm doing here is saving your ass.
01:12He showed us time and again that your past doesn't define you.
01:16He also helped Regina learn that lesson, opening her heart once more.
01:20What do you see in me?
01:23Preferably the same thing you see in me. A second chance. And you're quite a good kisser.
01:30Yet the course of true love never did run smooth.
01:34Robin's greatest heist wasn't just stealing Regina's heart. He stole ours, too.
01:39I mean, can you—
01:40Feel? Yes, I can. Just not fully. It's difficult to explain.
01:47Then don't. Use mine for the both of us.
01:54Number 5. Ruined. Aladdin.
01:57This diamond in the rough is a shadow of the character we knew.
02:01Jasmine seeks his help to free the Sultan from Jafar's control,
02:04and Aladdin discovers he has light magic, becoming the savior.
02:08Yeah, there's another savior, one that came before me, and Archie, he's alive.
02:15Wait, another savior?
02:17Yeah, Aladdin, you know, like a whole new world of magic carpets.
02:20But when the pressure gets to him, he severs those bonds.
02:24He also helps Belle and Zelina steal from Rumpelstiltskin.
02:27But when the magic lamp turns out to be empty,
02:30he becomes the genie and ends up in the wrong hands.
02:33Disney's Aladdin would never give up the chance to be a force of good for others.
02:38While we're on the subject, there's no way Jasmine would fall for Jafar's tricks.
02:42She's way too smart. We wish they'd left these characters alone.
02:46I have chosen a husband for you.
02:50What?
02:50You will wed Jafar.
02:54You're speechless, I see. They find quality in a wife.
02:57I will never marry you.
02:59Number 4. Improved. Belle.
03:02Belle is one of Disney's most headstrong and down-to-earth characters.
03:06But she can also be impulsive and a bit too forgiving of her captor.
03:10OUAT's Belle shares some of these traits,
03:13but she's more defined outside her relationship with her beast, aka Rumpelstiltskin.
03:19In fact, it's her strong sense of self that makes their relationship one to root for.
03:24Like most of Storybrooke's residents, Belle faces many trials and tribulations.
03:29But all curses aside, she never loses sight of who she is.
03:33Rumpelstiltskin, I command you to leave Storybrooke.
03:39Belle, no. Please. I won't be able to come back.
03:44I know.
03:44As kids, we might have wanted to grow up to be Disney's Belle.
03:48But as adults, we want to be this Belle.
03:51She's resilient, independent, and always true to herself.
03:55You can't be discouraged now, okay? We will find a way to do it.
04:00And you would go on that journey with me?
04:03There's nothing I'd rather do.
04:05Number 4. Ruined. Princess Aurora.
04:08Disney really did Aurora dirty with just 18 lines in her own film.
04:13So it's hard to imagine how anything could be more of a disservice.
04:18Snow and Emma meet Aurora in the Enchanted Forest,
04:21and she's got some beef with Snow at first.
04:23What happened to Filth was not her fault.
04:25So I suggest you find another way to channel your anger.
04:30Don't talk to her like that. She tried to kill me.
04:33I will deal with her.
04:34After they settle their differences, they team up.
04:36But Aurora mostly serves to advance the heroes' storyline.
04:40Who are you?
04:41My name is Aurora. I'm with your mom and your grandmother.
04:43Are they okay?
04:44Yes, they're fine. They just want to come home. And they need your help.
04:48There's not much depth to her character.
04:50So when Snow and Emma leave the forest, we hardly miss her.
04:54Her one redeeming quality is her loyalty to her new friends,
04:58even after being abducted and imprisoned.
05:00I hope you enjoy stew.
05:02I enjoy anything that masks the bitter aftertaste of poison.
05:07It's lucky. I like that.
05:10You might as well go.
05:11I'm not going to tell you anything.
05:13However, she does betray them later to save her unborn child.
05:17Come on, a real hero would have found another way.
05:20We both know if she ever found out we hid this, she would take it out on our child.
05:24We have no choice. She has to know.
05:26We have to trust that they can take care of themselves.
05:29It is not up to us to save them.
05:323. Improved – Captain Hook
05:35Who'd have thought Captain Hook would make a swashbuckle at the knees?
05:38This pirate has one of the most intriguing character arcs of them all.
05:42I arranged for transport with Korra.
05:44But seeing how resourceful you are, I'll offer you the same deal.
05:49I'll help you if you promise to take me along.
05:52When we first meet him, he's in cahoots with Korra,
05:56ready to double-cross our heroes in a revenge mission against the crocodile.
06:00Though it's not an actual crocodile.
06:03Excellent. You'll be able to see your daughter.
06:08And I can skin myself a crocodile.
06:10Killian Jones used to be a good guy, but life threw him one too many curveballs,
06:15sending him down a dark path.
06:17Emma's light magic ends up guiding him down the bumpy road back toward goodness.
06:22You traded your ship for me?
06:27No.
06:27He went from the villain we loved to hate to the hero we could cheer for.
06:32One thing's for sure, he's no codfish.
06:35Say you're a codfish.
06:38I'm a codfish.
06:40Louder!
06:41I'M A CODFISH!
06:443. Ruined – Cinderella
06:47In this fairy tale remix, we got two Cinderellas.
06:51But let's focus on Season 7's Ella, whose role was more prominent.
06:56Honestly, that final season felt like watching Cinderella's carriage
07:00turn into a pumpkin at midnight.
07:02And this character suffered a similar fate.
07:04In most versions, you leave him a sign, the glass slipper,
07:07which he uses to find the girl who fits it.
07:10And that is ridiculous.
07:12Do you know how many girls have the same size foot as me?
07:16The plot hole, for sure.
07:17She often felt boxed in and lacking depth.
07:20She's more like a damsel in distress, always relying on others to shape her destiny.
07:25Mom, why would you do this?
07:27Lucy, I know this is hard for you to understand, but I did it for us.
07:32No, a hero does the right thing.
07:34I'm not a hero, I am just your mother.
07:37Thank goodness for Sabine, Tiana.
07:39Instead of growing into a fully realized character,
07:42she mainly served as a plot device in her stepfamily's drama
07:46and as a link to the original cast.
07:48Jacinda, according to that, Lucy's been right this whole time.
07:55I am her father.
08:00If a dream is a wish your heart makes, we'll keep on dreaming for a better story arc.
08:04If you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true.
08:19Number 2.
08:20Improved Snow White
08:22Snow White may have been the pioneer of Disney princesses,
08:26but she often pales in comparison to her successors.
08:30In OUAT, Snow is kind, compassionate, and big-hearted, but she's also a total badass.
08:37After fleeing the castle when her stepmother takes over,
08:40Snow becomes a bandit who does whatever it takes to survive.
08:44Not the jewelry type.
08:45Indeed, I noticed.
08:47What is that supposed to mean?
08:48Are you insulting me?
08:50Quite right.
08:50My apologies.
08:51How dare I cast aspersions at the person who robbed me?
08:54She learns to fend for herself and becomes a strong woman
08:58who always stands up for what's right.
09:00When was the last time you shot an arrow?
09:0228 years ago.
09:03I guess it's like riding a bike.
09:05Yeah, but how did you know you could hit that?
09:08I didn't.
09:09Her romance with Prince Charming is deeper than a quick peck on the lips, too.
09:13This Snow White doesn't need anyone to rescue her.
09:16She and Charming make a formidable team,
09:18fighting for the greater good and striving to be strong leaders for their people.
09:23Let's take back the kingdom.
09:26How?
09:28Like we shall do everything together.
09:31Number 2.
09:32Ruined.
09:33Peter Pan.
09:34Growing up, we realized Peter Pan isn't the charming hero we thought he was.
09:39He's kind of bratty and selfish.
09:41Mr. Crocodile, do you like codfish?
09:45You do!
09:46Oh, Peter, no!
09:47We even start to feel a bit sorry for Captain Hook.
09:50Once Upon a Time took this to the extreme,
09:53turning Peter into a straight-up villain.
09:55You lied to me!
09:57You are a lost boy.
09:58You work for Pan.
09:59Not exactly.
10:03I am Peter Pan.
10:05Like a twisted Pied Piper, he lures kids to Neverland
10:09just because he's bored of being alone.
10:11He chose this lonely life.
10:13Peter also deceives Henry to steal the heart of the truest believer for immortality.
10:18Pan's dying.
10:20He needs the heart of the truest believer to absorb all the magic in Neverland.
10:25And once he does, he will be immortal.
10:29Plus, that father-son reveal is totally unhinged.
10:33We know the OUAT family tree is wild, but this was next level.
10:38We wish the gang had never landed in Neverland.
10:41What a complete train wreck.
10:43You see, the only way for you to die is if we both die.
10:48And now, now, I'm ready.
10:54Number 1 Improved
10:55The Evil Queen
10:57Few characters went on as big of a journey as Regina, aka The Evil Queen.
11:02Her vendetta against Snow White isn't as superficial as in the Disney classic,
11:06but it's her villain origin story.
11:09Did you tell her about me and Daniel?
11:13Yes.
11:14But I told you very specifically not to.
11:20After losing her true love, Regina's heart hardens,
11:24and her hatred for Snow White grows until she's willing to kill her own father for revenge.
11:29Once the curse is broken, Regina shows what it means to be human.
11:33Her baggage, her karma, call it what you want, will always be there.
11:43Just another useless wish.
11:45Sure, her dark side is extreme, but she proves people are flawed,
11:50and even good intentions can go awry.
11:53Despite everything, she strives to be her best self.
11:56Like you said, you're not the Evil Queen anymore.
12:00I won't tell that to the author because
12:04he seems to have made it a rule that villains don't get happy endings,
12:08even if they change, even if they try.
12:10We're still upset they took Robin away.
12:12Well, not everyone loved her ending.
12:15She'll always be the queen of our hearts.
12:17It's for you.
12:19All the realms have been united, and now we need someone to lead us.
12:24People have decided.
12:26Your Majesty.
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12:43Number 1 ruined
12:45Mulan
12:46Disney's Mulan broke the mold of what we expected from their female heroines.
12:51She taught us about being loyal, brave, and staying true to your heart,
12:55even when the odds are against you.
12:57Once Upon a Time tried to instill these values in their Mulan,
13:01but she ends up mainly as Aurora's protector, with her motives revolving around that role.
13:06A compass is not worth Aurora's life.
13:08We need a plan to get back Aurora and keep the compass.
13:11My vow to Philip was to protect Aurora.
13:13That promise is all that is left of him, so it shall be done.
13:16Mulan was also the series' first LGBTQIA plus character,
13:21which would have been great if her story had gone beyond unrequited love for Aurora.
13:41She later joins Red and Dorothy in Oz, and while those two get there happily ever after,
13:47we can't help but wonder about Mulan.
13:50They really did her dirty.
13:52As Mushu might say,
13:57Which character do you think had the best arc,
13:59and who do you wish they'd left in the Disney vault?
14:02Let us know in the comments.
14:07Do you agree with our picks?
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14:20Transcribed by https://otter.ai