In the magical world of Disney, anyone can be a hero. As cliche as that sounds, there are more than a few cases of evidence that rule in its favor. But not everyone needs to fit the standard mode set forth by the likes of Merida or Hercules to fit that description.
On the contrary, there are plenty of Disney characters who are far from heroic material. Aladdin, Simba, and Buzz Lightyear might be the most equipped for the job, but there are plenty of characters with a never-say-die attitude that can hold their own with the best of them in of animated heroics. No matter where they come from.
Alice (Alice In Wonderland)
There have been many adaptations of Alice in Wonderland, but Disney's version always wins a special place in many viewers' hearts. However, when compared to some of the rest of her contemporaries, Alice really doesn't do anything heroic or dynamic throughout her trip down the rabbit hole.
While she's an adorably wide-eyed innocent, Alice is a bit of a blank slate in of character, but that's what makes her such a standout. Alice is meant to represent the audience's perspective as the colorful world of Wonderland unfolds before her. In her own way, she's probably one of the most relatable of Disney's many movie heroines.
Wreck-It Ralph (Wreck-It Ralph)
To take a cue from Zangief, "Just because you are bad-guy, does not mean you are a bad guy." Ralph is a character designed and destined to be the villain, just as Fix-It Felix and Calhoun are designed to be the heroes. So the fact that he's the movie's titular protagonist definitely qualifies him as unconventional.
Being the bad guy is the only role Ralph has ever known, but he gets a chance to flip the script around to become a hero, even if that's in someone else's eyes. While his movie might be a video-game-themed Disney adventure, Ralph himself is a character who overcomes the enemy inside, as well as an army of mutant bugs.
Donald Duck (Various)
Nine times out of ten, Donald Duck is the object of ridicule in his animated outings. That being said, the foul-tempered fowl has truly stepped up to the plate in recent years, having taken on a more heroic role in shows like the Ducktales reboot and The Legend of the Three Caballeros.
Donald isn't exactly known for his daring sense of courage, his wit, or his cool head and keen eyes, but Donald's more recent adventures have had him as both a source of slapstick and some serious action, especially when his nephews are in danger. When that notorious temper is directed the right way, he's capable of some pretty heroic deeds.
Remy (Ratatouille)
Remy, and Linguini by extent, earn a special mention in the hall of Pixar heroes. It's one thing to have a rat that can be a professional chef, that's well within the realms of Disney possibilities, but to be a chef by working his human friend like a giant puppet is a walk on the wild side.
As strange as the concept sounds, Remy uses both his ingenuity and cooking abilities to crawl from the depths of obscurity to one of the finest chefs in . Next to Cinderella, it's perhaps one of the strongest rags-to-riches stories.
Lilo (Lilo And Stitch)
Taking her blue alien buddy out of the picture, Lilo really isn't the average Disney kid character. When compared to the likes of Alice, Bambi, or other young characters meant to draw viewers of a similar age, Lilo is perhaps one of the select few who feel the most realistic.
She's weird, she's annoying, she's emotional, and she's full of energy, just like a normal girl her age would be. She's neither a good kid nor a bad kid, she's just a kid who's dealing with finding her place in the world and dealing with the struggles she and her sister go through. Not that Stitch makes it much of a cakewalk.
Tiana (The Princess And The Frog)
Tiana is a fan favorite Disney princess, but when put next to her peers like Elsa, Jasmine, or Belle, she doesn't exactly meet the princess criteria. She doesn't spend most of her movie pining after a prince, a castle, or adventure in the great wide somewhere, and she certainly doesn't have an entourage of singing critters following her around the house, but that's the beauty of it.
The reason Tiana is so beloved amongst fans is that she steps away from the standard-issue Disney Princess movie mold. She's a workaholic, she's concerned more with lifting herself than finding love, and she's also one of the few Disney princesses who are directly responsible for taking out their villain. That's quite an impressive resume.
Mirabel Madrigal (Encanto)
the true star of the show is Mirabel, the bespectacled blacksheep of the Madrigal family. Mirabel is a prime example of an unconventional lead due to what should be considered a genetic mutation in a fantasy world.
In a family that all inherit some form of magic, it's bizarre that Mirabel doesn't receive her enchantment. It's also something that the film neglects to explain. Despite this, she is able to commune with La Casita and reunite the family. Disney underdogs never go out of style.
Dumbo (Dumbo)
Of course, no one could ever forget Disney's original unconventional hero, Dumbo. Considering the films that came before it, Dumbo was a different twist from the fairytale narrative that the studio was cultivating beforehand. The mega-eared elephant only has two jobs in the entire movie, look cute and fly, but he still managed to become one of Walt Disney's most recognizable characters.
For audiences in the '40s, Dumbo was a novel and marvelous idea, and his adorableness-factor was definitely a high selling point. It was certainly enough for him to get his own theme park ride.
Milo Thatch (Atlantis The Lost Empire)
Atlantis: The Lost Empire was Disney's forgotten masterpiece as well as an underrated sci-fi gem, and one of its shining features apart from the famous sunken city was its lead explorer, Milo Thatch. Milo, along with characters like Tiana, breaks the mold set forth by other characters in his genre. Instead of the stubbled, handsome, Indiana-Jones-type, fans were treated to a geeky, bespectacled linguist who could decode all the answers the rest of the explorers could not.
What Milo lacked in muscle and mechanical skills, he more than made up for in methods of communication, negotiation, and quick thinking. He might not be everyone's first choice for an action hero, but he definitely did the job well for this expedition.
Quasimodo (The Hunchback Of Notre Dame)
With so many people complaining about Disney relying on too many tropes, it's shocking how often they forget about The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Not only does the film not follow the traditional fairytale formula, but it deals with heavy imagery and messages, has a bittersweet story where the protagonist doesn't win the love interest in the end, and tries to tell a more adult story with beautiful animation.
Quasimodo is a lovable character and one the audience can both identify and sympathize with, but as he states, he's no knight in shining armor. Even so, he has one of the most beautiful souls ever given to an animated character. And he doesn't need much more.
