How old is Ariel in ‘The Little Mermaid?’

The 2023 live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid has entered Disney Plus. This fairytale retelling stars Halle Bailey as Ariel, one of King Triton’s daughters who wish to be part of the human world. The 2023 remake has multiple similarities to the 1989 animated film, with some added details to give these characters more depth.

One thing that was revealed in the 2023 blockbuster, but was never mentioned in the late 80s film, is Prince Eric’s age. This avid explorer is said to be 21 years old, but we barely know how old this mermaid princess is. Was Ariel’s age ever revealed in this Disney Princess franchise?

How old is Ariel in The Little Mermaid?

Disney has given mixed messages when it comes to the lore of The Little Mermaid. For example, the live-action adaptation somewhat disregarded the canon that was told in the animated series when it comes to what kind of fish Flounder is. The same can be said for Ariel’s age as it remains inconsistent, despite it being the same story.

In the animated film, Ariel tells her father that she’s 16, making her old enough to visit the human world. If this age was canon in the live-action picture, then there would be a 5 year age difference between the human prince and mermaid princess. However, that is not the case in the 2023 adaptation. But don’t worry, the age gap isn’t that drastic.

According to Yahoo!, it was revealed that Bailey’s Ariel is 18 years old. It reported that Disney’s production notes described Ariel as a “spirited 18-year-old.” However, this age is not mentioned anywhere in the movie, and it doesn’t help at all when there are characters like Sebastian, who constantly calls Ariel a child.

While it’s unknown why the age was changed, it’s probably because of the relationship between her and Eric. Remember, the prince is 21 years old in this movie. So having Ariel’s age be somewhat closer to his rather than a 5-year age difference might be more appropriate, especially when the film went to great lengths to change some of the lyrics of its iconic songs to promote the message of consent.

The Little Mermaid is now available to stream on Disney Plus.