Most Memorable Quotes In The Little Mermaid (2024)

Disney's The Little Mermaid is a movie for all generations, becoming an instant classic upon its release in 1989. With the new live-action remake finally arriving for streaming audiences Disney+, the iconic movie is now accessible to a whole new generation, reviving the original's magic.

Both the original Little Mermaid and its 2023 remake are filled with iconic moments, songs, and characters. Likewise, each film features several memorable quotes, whether hilarious, emotional, or deeply philosophical, that will stay with viewers for a long time.

Updated by Fawzia Khan on May 31st, 2024: The Little Mermaid found new life on Disney+, with a large number of viewers tuning in to see the greatness that is Halle Bailey's Princess Ariel. The chemistry between Prince Eric and Ariel was legendary, as was the dark comedy by Ursula. This list has been updated with even more of the best quotes from The Little Mermaid.

20 "...That's a Beautiful Name Written In The Stars."

Prince Eric, The Little Mermaid (2023)

When Ariel went to the above world, she was without a voice. The Prince and her became familiar quickly, but there was no way she could tell him her name. Or so people thought. In a heartwarming, and clever, moment, Ariel pointed to the constellation Aries in the sky, and shaped Eric's lips so that he could guess her name.

The Disney remake of The Little Mermaid managed to capture the romance between Eric and Ariel better than the originals could. Viewers were obviously rooting for the two from the start, which was why this bit of communication between them felt like a victory.

19 "This Obsession With Humans Has To Stop!"

King Triton, The Little Mermaid (2023)

As much as King Triton despised humans, was how curious his youngest daughter was about them. He had set strict rules after his wife's death: that his daughters were to never go above the surface of water. Not one for arbitrary rules, Ariel decided to slither onto land when she saw Eric's boat capsizing and the Prince almost drowning when he went overboard.

This exchange between father and daughter brings out the innate humanity and kindness in Ariel, who couldn't bear to see someone drown, even if they weren't like her. At the same time, it reflected the King's grief and anger at a race that had taken so much from him, and threatened to take his daughter away too.

18 "You Belong To Me."

Ursula, The Little Mermaid (2023)

Love and adventure blended seamlessly in The Little Mermaid's fantasy, as Ursula acted as an agent of evil and also played a sinister cupid to Ariel and Eric. In her naivete, Ariel readily gave away her beautiful voice to the Sea Witch, who had only bad intentions for the mermaid.

Even if Ursula brought the two lovers together, she also tried to pry them apart later. Her agenda was to always use Ariel as a pawn to defeat King Triton, which she almost managed to to by entrapping the little mermaid. She wanted total control over her, and consequently, her father. This quote brings out the truly wicked nature of the Sea Witch very well.

17 "He's A Human, You're A Mermaid"

King Triton, The Little Mermaid (2023)

More than a tale of love and yearning, The Little Mermaid is a story where people overcome their own prejudices to view the world differently. In this dialogue by King Triton, it's plain to see how much he hates humans, and with good reason -- pirates had killed his wife, Queen Athena, for no good reason.

Due to this mishap, Triton had decided that all humans were bad, which was what he tried to pass down to Ariel. He feared that as a mermaid, Ariel would be treated poorly by humans again, because of how fundamentally different they were. This quote really summed up a large part of the story quite succinctly.

16 "She Got Legs, Ya Idiot!"

Sebastian, The Little Mermaid (2023)

Scuttle and Sebastian's sense of humor came through beautifully in The Little Mermaid. Their pockets of light humor, like this one, added a lot of levity to a story where a young girl gets tricked by an older, evil witch. Ursula granted Ariel legs but took away her voice, which was a big change, but somehow Scuttle was unable to see that Ariel's beautiful mermaid's tail was missing.

Sebastian, ever the wisest and cleverest, made sure to educate Scuttle about the not-so-subtle change that Ariel had gone through so that she could go to the above world. It was heartening to see that Ariel's friends from the ocean never left her side, even when she walked on land.

15 "Think Of Only What Is."

Sir Grimsby, The Little Mermaid (2023)

Sir Grimsby was a sound advisor to Prince Eric throughout The Little Mermaid, even giving him tidbits of wisdom about his romantic life. Grimsby knew that Eric had been enchanted by the unknown woman who had saved his life but could also see his affection for Ariel, who was a real person and not a fantasy.

Since this was before they found out that Ariel had saved Eric, Grimsby wanted Eric to stop chasing a mirage and see what was in front of him instead. Eric, who was a walking green flag, had found true love, and his advisor didn't want him to waste it waiting for an imaginary future with someone else.

14 "My Little Mermaid, Isn't She Beautiful?"

Eric, The Little Mermaid (2023)

When Ariel reached land, she didn't have a voice to actually speak to Eric. The prince still showed her kindness, showing her around the castle and the island, waiting patiently as she responded only with her expressions and body language. As they pored over Eric's treasure trove of souvenirs from his travels, Ariel's attention was on a little blue mermaid figurine.

In an adorable callback to the title of the mermaid movie, Eric called the little souvenir his little mermaid, which he then gifted to Ariel. At the same time, The Little Mermaid saying foreshadowed the future of their relationship: Ariel was indeed his little mermaid and would be for the rest of their lives.

13 "That Doesn't Make Us Enemies."

Ariel, The Little Mermaid (2023)

King Triton's differing opinions on humans were a bone of contention between him and Ariel in The Little Mermaid. After his wife was tragically murdered by humans, Triton was justifiably angry and fearful of the race. His aim was to keep his seven daughters away from the surface to keep them safe, but his hatred blinded him.

Ariel wanted her father to see that just because a few members of the human race had harmed them didn't make all of them bad. As a young girl, she had a better understanding of the world than her world-weary father.

12 "Getting Cold Fins?"

Ariel, The Little Mermaid (2023)

Ariel was always different from her siblings, with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge about the human world and their lives. In her free time, she would swim into the shipwrecks and forage for souvenirs from the human world, taking her best friend Flounder with her. Sweet little Flounder was a little tamer than Ariel, which was why he constantly cautioned her against going too far or too deep into shark territory.

Ariel's quick quip to the fish about getting cold fins was as funny as it was meaningful in the movie. It proved that humans and mermaids weren't all that different, and Ariel's funnier, wittier side also came through.

11 "We Got A Deal?"

Ursula, The Little Mermaid (2023)

The sea witch, Ursula appeared in The Little Mermaid as a vicious but also comical character. While it was clear that Ursula wanted to harm and trap Ariel in every way possible, it went without saying that she had flair. Along with song and dance, Ursula managed to insert some memorable one-liners while she struck a deal with the young mermaid.

She tried every trick in the book, including enticing Ariel by telling her she was giving her the deal of a lifetime. The comic relief in The Little Mermaid came through in the dialogue, and Ursula was the source of mayhem and amusem*nt.

10 "...Too Many Words And Have Nothing To Say."

Eric, The Little Mermaid (2023)

When Ariel first meets Prince Eric, she is worried that she won't be able to get closer to him because of her missing voice. However, Eric surprises her with his response, claiming that too many people in his life talk without end, yet never really say anything worthwhile.

This moment marks the first instance of genuine bonding between Ariel and Eric, whose relationship is fleshed out further in the live-action remake than in the animated film. Eric is portrayed as someone frustrated with the people around him and, at this moment, has finally found someone who is genuine and complex.

9 "Teenagers... Give Them An Inch..."

Sebastian, The Little Mermaid (1989)

Sebastian the crab is one of the most popular Disney animal sidekicks of all time, who spends much of The Little Mermaid trying to keep up with Ariel on her many adventures. At one point, the exhausted crustacean sighs and mutters about teenagers, complaining that they always "swim all over you."

Sebastian's grumblings help set up a major conflict in the film as Ariel rebels against the authority figures in her life to follow her dream. Ultimately, Sebastian would come to see the beauty of Ariel's eccentricities and even help her follow her dream of joining the humans on the surface world.

8 "Gravity Feels Like An Undertow Pulling Me Down."

Ariel, The Little Mermaid (2023)

During one of the brand-new songs in the 2023 remake of The Little Mermaid, entitled "For the First Time," Ariel experiences the human world with wonder and excitement. However, she also sees the price she paid, trading her voice for legs, and finally remarks that she can feel the gravity pulling her down.

This moment is a brilliant addition to the film, as Ariel realizes the great cost of finally achieving her dream. While not everything in the human world was as bad as King Triton had warned, not everything was good. The feeling of gravity pulling Ariel down beautifully illustrates this point.

7 "If Only I Could Make Him Understand..."

Ariel, The Little Mermaid (1989)

After a heated argument with her father, King Triton, Ariel can't help but vent about their different opinions of the human world. Complaining to Flounder, Ariel wishes that her father could see humans as she does just before singing one of the most emotional Disney songs of all time.

Ariel is a character filled with passion for little things and their big stories. While she finds great joy in trinkets from the human world, no one around Ariel seems to share her fascination. This love for anything from the surface world drives the entire plot of The Little Mermaid and sets Ariel apart from her peers.

6 "Now It Has Your Heart."

Ursula, The Little Mermaid (2023)

Melissa McCarthy's sea witch Ursula is even more menacing in The Little Mermaid, manipulating Ariel to do her bidding. Ursula makes a very poignant observation about Ariel after she meets Eric, recognizing that the little mermaid is no longer just curious about humans, but in love with one.

Ursula's keen understanding of her niece quickly proves to be an issue, as she sets a snare for Ariel that nearly costs her everything. Nevertheless, Ursula was absolutely correct in her assessment: the human world really had stolen Ariel's heart.

5 "...Better Than Any Dream Girl Is One Of Flesh And Blood."

Grimsby, The Little Mermaid (1989)

Prince Eric's loyal advisor, Grimsby, drops some much-needed wisdom in the original The Little Mermaid. Fed up with Eric's constant search for a dream girl, Grimsby reminds the prince that he'll never really find love if he keeps his head in the clouds, unwilling to look at who's standing right in front of him.

While his relentless imagination makes Eric one of Disney's most likable princes, Grimsby has an excellent point. Ultimately, it was when Eric stopped fantasizing about dream girls and took a moment to actually fall in love that he connected with Ariel, ending his interminable dreaming.

4 "Time May Change The Shoreline..."

Prince Eric, The Little Mermaid (2023)

Prince Eric finally gets his own ballad in 2023's The Little Mermaid. At the end of "Wild Uncharted Waters," Eric remarks that while time may change the land and shoreline, it will not change him, emphasizing just how much he longs to explore those vast and uncharted oceans ahead of him.

This new song, punctuated by a meaningful quote, greatly expands Prince Eric's character, setting him up as the perfect match for Ariel. Both characters longed to explore a world other than their own and, eventually, were able to embark on such a journey together.

3 "...The Importance Of Body Language."

Ursula, The Little Mermaid (1989)

Ursula is one of Disney's scariest villains, but she is also far more world-wise than many other characters in The Little Mermaid. Demonstrating this fact, Ursula convinces Ariel to give up her voice and win over the prince with her good looks.

Ursula's pessimistic view of romance contends that romance is purely based on aesthetics, so she eventually tries to undermine Ariel as Vanessa. While Ursula's philosophies are quite clear, they are also proven wrong, as Eric eventually does fall in love with Ariel, not for her looks but for her personality.

2 "You Shouldn't Have Had To Give Up Your Voice..."

King Triton, The Little Mermaid (2023)

During the final scene of The Little Mermaid, Javier Bardem's King Triton bids a final goodbye to his daughter before she goes off to explore the world with her new husband. When Ariel thanks her father for finally hearing her, he apologizes, remarking that she should never have had to give up her voice in order to be heard.

This is a truly beautiful moment shared between father and daughter as they mend their broken relationship. Triton has finally come to understand that his daughter is a free spirit that cannot be contained. Rather than attempting to keep her under his watch, Triton learns to let go and trust her to decide what is best for herself.

1 "...Someday I'll Be Part Of Your World."

Ariel, The Little Mermaid (1989 and 2023)

After rescuing Prince Eric and experiencing her first true encounter with the human world, Ariel resolutely proclaims that she will find a way to be a part of his world. Perched atop a rock near the shore, Ariel sings a beautiful reprise of "Part of Your World" as she makes this bold promise.

Ariel's promise is hopeful and resolute, characterizing her with the beauty of a young person's bright way of looking at the world. This moment is further punctuated by the wave crashing into a rock behind Ariel, making for one of the most iconic shots in Disney's long and celebrated history.

The Little Mermaid (2023)

PG

Fantasy

Musical

Adventure

7

10

A young mermaid makes a deal with a sea witch to trade her beautiful voice for human legs so she can discover the world above water and impress a prince.

Release Date

May 26, 2023

Director

Rob Marshall

Cast

Halle Bailey , Jonah Hauer-King , Melissa McCarthy , Javier Bardem

Runtime

2 hours 15 minutes

Main Genre

Animation

Writers

David Magee , Hans Christian Andersen , John Musker

Production Company

Walt Disney Pictures, Lucamar Productions, Marc Platt Productions, The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney Studios