The Little Mermaid opens in theaters this weekend and we're so excited to watch the remake. But before anything, we'd like to put an end to the debate: is Ursula a squid or an Octopus in The Little Mermaid?
Surprisingly, there are many people who continue to debate on this topic. If you were born in the 90s and saw the classic Disney animation, you'd probably memorize all of the lines and songs by heart.
And this also means you're more than familiar with the different characters in the story. But apparently, there are still ongoing discussions on what kind of creature Ursula, the Sea Witch, is.
Here's what we found out.
Who Is Ursula, the Sea Witch?
Everyone knows who Ursula is since she has been the villain in the classic The Little Mermaid animation. But just for the sake of things, let's talk about who and what she really is.
Ursula is a half-human, half-cephalopod with tentacles for a tail. Known as the Sea Witch, Ursula has magical powers, which make her one of the feared creatures in the underwater kingdom of Atlantica.
Other than being called the Sea Witch, Ursula goes by the name Vanessa. Her appearance was largely inspired by a famous drag queen called Divine, who popularized a high hairline with white hair, bold eyeshadow, and thinly drawn eyebrows.
Even Melissa McCarthy, who plays Ursula in The Little Mermaid remake, knows it:
“I’ve watched The Little Mermaid more times than any other movie. I was a nanny, and we used to watch it every night. And I always was like, I know for a fact—but I couldn’t prove it—that she had to be based on Divine. She just had to be. I was like, ‘the makeup, the look, the attitude.’ And now we know that yes, she was of course based on Divine.”
Is Ursula Included in the Original Book?
In the original fairy tale written by Hans Christian Anderson, The Little Mermaid, Ursula is included in the book.
She is described as a sea witch who waves over the little fish girl. Ursula tempts the girl by trading her voice and tongue to achieve her dreams.
Fortunately, the book's ending is not as tragic as the animation. The book details that her decision to make a deal with Ursula is what leads to her death at the end.
Is Ursula More Powerful Than King Triton?
Even though Ursula is a powerful magician, she is not more powerful than King Triton.
Unfortunately, the magical deals that she obtains from her victims are binding. So even if King Triton is more powerful than her, he cannot undo these deals; not even to save his own daughter.
And Ursula knows this, which is why she is confident enough to entrap her victims. She is crazy enough to go after King Triton's own daughter because of her tricky contracts.
Since Ursula lives alone in her lair and doesn't have any friends, she has a couple of moray eels that spy on behalf of her. She manages to do this by casting a spell over their eyes so she can see whatever they see.
What Kind of Creature Is Ursula?
Here comes the tricky part: Is Ursula a squid or an octopus? This has long been a debate among avid fans of the cartoon.
Even though Ursula looks like an octopus, she is actually a squid. There have even been some versions of her having less tentacles, which is why some believe she is an octopus.
The truth is, the original character design of Ursula was inspired by various sea creatures. She was also patterned after manta rays and scorpion fish. But thanks to director Ron Clements' decision, Ursula was based on an octopus.
Now this is where the fun begins. In order to make the animation process faster and cheaper, Ursula's tentacles were reduced. Instead of having eight tentacles, she only had six.
However, there are some fans who argue that Ursula's arms count as two extra tentacles, which make her an octopus.
The original voice actor for the 1989 animation, Pat Carroll, has put the debate to rest shortly before she passed away in July 2022. The actress said:
"People call her an octopus and I'm so knowledgeable that I have to correct them and say: 'No, she is not an octopus, she is a squid. She has six tentacles instead of eight.'"
In the 2023 remake, however, Ursula gains two extra tentacles so she is now an octopus.
What Is Ursula’s Relation to Ariel?
In early drafts of the story, Ursula was said to be Triton's sister. This makes her Ariel's aunt.
This narrative has been followed in stage musicals and movie novelization plots. But it's important to note that the classic Disney movie never pointed to any relationship between them.
The only hint we got that she ever met King Triton was that Ursula claimed to have lived at the palace and even helped organize events. But after making several attempts at "elevating her station in life," Ursula got exiled.
“Bah! In my day, we had fantastical feasts when I lived in the palace. And now, look at me - wasted away to practically nothing - banished, and exiled, and practically starving, while he and his flimsy fish-folk celebrate.”
It also makes sense why the idea of her relationship with King Triton was scraped since she is an "octomaid" instead of a mermaid
Does That Mean Ursula Is a Mermaid?
Then again, there is an article on Writeups that give a good point on what kind of creature Ursula really is.
Following the idea that she is the sister of King Triton, Ursula is an overweight mermaid with a mutation. Instead of a tail, she has six tentacles. She also has blue skin instead of fair skin and has a mole on her right chin.
But then again, there is no other evidence that Ursula is a mutated mermaid. So we can leave this theory out as just that-- a theory.
If you're watching The Little Mermaid on its opening weekend, here is a clip of Melissa McCarthy singing as Ursula, the sea witch.
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