Tangled was a unique Disney Princess movie in that it turned its original story, the classic fairytale of Rapunzel, on its head. While most tellings revolve around a dashing prince arriving at Rapunzel's towers and saving the day, Tangled tells how Rapunzel saves not only herself but her not-so-princely male ing character.
This retelling makes Rapunzel a hero and arguably the most heroic of all the Disney princesses. She overcomes the odds of her traumatic upbringing, stands up for herself, remains comionate for those around her, and saves the day for herself and others. While she finds love in her sidekick Eugene, it is not the focal point of the plot or her characters. Various quotes throughout the film this, showing that Rapunzel is a hero to be reckoned with.
She Will Make Her Dreams Come True
"I want to see the floating lights!"
Mother Gothel kept Rapunzel hidden away in a tower, under the guise that it was for her good and protection. Rapunzel was often treated as if she was dumb, sloppy, and ugly. Her wants and needs were disregarded, which is enough to make anyone shrink away and feel too uncomfortable to communicate their dreams.
However, Rapunzel always managed to maintain her dreamer spirit, leaving Tangled fans with the question, how did she maintain her positive attitude? It took a lot of encouragement, but she still managed to work up the courage to ask her mother to allow her to go see the floating lights. It may not seem like much, but this is the earliest sign of Rapunzel's strength.
She Can Hold Her Own
"Too weak to handle myself out there, huh Mother? Well, tell that to my frying pan!"
When the dashing Flynn Ryder climbs her tower, Rapunzel is confronted for the first time in her life with a human other than her mother. She had been led to believe that anyone outside of their secluded home was evil and dangerous. Despite this, Rapunzel was able to step into action to protect herself from what she perceived to be a threat.
She knocked Flynn unconscious with a frying pan, and locked him away in a cabinet, preparing to use him as proof that she could handle herself. When she realized that this would not be enough for her mother, she perceived that she would have to take matters into her own hands.
She Fakes It 'Till She Makes It
"Struggling...struggling is pointless. I know why you're here. And I'm not afraid of you."
Being heroic requires bravery, and being brave does not always mean a lack of fear. Rapunzel could not help but be terrified of Flynn, and this can be heard in the quiver of her voice. However, stating that she was not afraid was the first step in gaining control of the situation for herself.
Flynn may not have been completely convinced of her bravery, but Rapunzel demonstrated that she would not back down, despite her fear.
She Holds A Strong Bargain
"But trust me, when I tell you this. You can tear this tower apart, brick by brick, but without my help, you will never find your precious satchel."
As soon as she realizes that Flynn is not a threat to her hair, she recognizes the situation as an opportunity to fulfill her dreams. She knows immediately that her possession of the crown gave her leverage over her prisoner, and despite her fear, she let him know the power she had.
This bargain is impressive enough already, but when audiences take into consideration how much her confidence has been cut down over her lifetime, it makes Rapunzel all the more worthy of respect.
She Can Appeal To People's Softer Side
"Find your humanity! Haven't any of you ever had a dream?"
When her goals are threatened by the ruffian and thugs at The Snuggly Duckling, Rapunzel stands up against a whole group of big terrifying men and uses the best tool that she had at her disposal: her pure heart.
Through this, Rapunzel was able to connect with people that no one would have ever expected her to have a connection with. She very quickly made life-long friends, while if she had taken a more violent approach (that she is certainly capable of), she may not have been as successful. This showed that Rapunzel is not only heroic but diplomatic and wise.
She Has Been Through Trauma
"A gift like that, it has to be protected. That's why Mother never let me...That's why I...I never left the..."
Rapunzel's bubbly personality can make it easy to forget that she has withstood a great deal of trauma in her life (another example of surprisingly adult messages in Disney movies). She pretended to be okay with it but being held prisoner in a tower with a mother who only ever loved her magical hair created a great many complicated feelings for her.
When telling Flynn her story, she tries and fails to justify the situation, because she knows in her heart that it was wrong. However, opening her heart to Flynn shows that she had the strength to come back from such traumas and do amazing things with her life.
She Gives People Chances
Flynn: "There's just something I have to take care of."
Rapunzel: "...okay."
Rapunzel and Flynn make a connection during one of the Tangled and after, Rapunzel decides that she trusts him to stick around, even if she gives him back the crown she had been holding for ransom. When Flynn says that he must take the crown and leave for a moment, a flicker of doubt runs across Rapunzel's face, but she still gives consent for him to leave.
She could have become angry with Flynn and accused him of trying to take off with the crown. But despite her doubts, she decided to trust him. This demonstrates her surprising maturity and emotional control, qualities that make her the hero she is.
She Is Brave
"Did I mumble, Mother? Or should I even call you that?"
Confronting someone that you know has done wrong takes a lot of bravery, but it takes even more to confront someone that you love. Despite Gothel's treatment of her, Rapunzel still cared deeply for the woman she thought was her mother.
Mother Gothel is one of the most underrated Disney villains and would have been terrifying to stand up to. Rapunzel was able to, yet again, display her strength and courage by confronting her mother about her realization that she was the lost princess, and that Gothel was not her mother - a confrontation that would have been difficult for anyone.
She Will Stand Up For Herself
"No! You were wrong about the world, and you were wrong about me! And I will never let you use my hair again!"
Not only did Rapunzel confront the woman she had always known as her mother, but she denied her the one this Mother Gothel had wanted: the use of her hair. Rapunzel may not have realized the extent that her mother would go to to get what she wanted, but she still stood up to her, physically grabbing her hand to keep her from touching her hair.
This ownership of her autonomy, despite the way she had been used her whole life, is yet another impressive representation of Rapunzel's strength.
She Will Sacrifice Herself When Needed
"I won't stop! For every minute of the rest of my life, I will fight. I will never stop trying to get away from you. But, if you let me save him...I will go with you."
Throughout the film, Rapunzel frequently displays her ability to bargain. She is astutely aware of what people want and can use that to achieve what she wants, even if her only bargaining chip is her own life. She sacrifices her freedom to save Flynn, which is the single greatest example of heroism that there could be.
This characteristic is what ultimately saved Flynn's life, and her own, and what would make her a remarkable queen and hero to her people.
