An In-Depth Analysis of Prince Eric’s Gentle Soul 

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An In-Depth Analysis of Prince Eric’s Gentle Soul

Prince Eric is the hipster Disney Prince, and if you all don’t believe us on this one, you’re about to. While all the Disney Princes are noble and good, Eric’s got a sensitive side that makes us suspect he’s the kind of guy who’s constantly on a quest for good vibes. Here are seven reasons why he has the most beautiful soul:

As prince, Eric could easily conduct his business from a plush throne somewhere. But instead he chooses to spend as much time as he can sailing around. The man’s very first lines in the movie are, “Isn’t this great? The salty sea air, the wind blowing in your face. Ah, the perfect day to be at sea!” Imagine if you’d gone to high school with this guy—he’d probably be the prom king who was friends with all the teachers and always cheerfully reminding everyone to recycle.

Prince Eric is the definition of dog person. His love for Max is so strong that when his ship wrecks, he risks his life to save his pup. The way they dance around and play together throughout the entire course of the movie is just the sweetest, most endearing thing in the world. If they lived in modern times, we bet Eric and Max would spend every weekend hiking and camping and chilling at the dog park.

Prince Eric is the most low-key royal we’ve ever seen. In addition to the sailing and chilling with his dog, he eschews the trappings of luxury and rocks a white tunic and some cuffed pants for most of the movie. When Grimsby gives Eric a statue of himself for his birthday, Eric responds graciously with, “Uh, gee Grim. It’s, it’s really something!” This guy is the opposite of egotistical. He probably meditates.

Prince Eric is always looking out for others and never demanding any glory for it. When he finds Ariel washed up on the beach with newly-minted legs and no voice to speak of (ha!), he empathizes with her despite having no context for what’s going on: “Gee, you must have really been through something.” Did we see a single unhappy resident of his kingdom in

? No, and it’s probably because he’s a super benevolent, generous leader.

Prince Eric passes no judgment on anyone, ever, and that’s saying something considering the amount of seemingly bizarre things Ariel does (the dinglehopper, Grimsby’s pipe, etc.). He keeps the most open of minds and genuinely accepts everyone for who they are. We’re willing to bet he also does yoga from time to time.

Eric’s commitment to marching to the beat of his own drum means he’s resistant to the idea of finding love just for the sake of it. But at the same time, he has some very strong opinions about romance. Like this one: “Believe me, Grim, when I find the right girl, I’ll know. Without a doubt, it’ll just, bam, hit me. Like lightning.” *cue lightning crash*

Whenever he needs to clear his mind, Eric finds a quiet corner and plays the flute. We repeat:

Whenever he needs to clear his mind, Eric finds a quiet corner and plays the flute.

He is a flautist. He. Plays. The. Flute. Nothing is more sensitive than that. Nothing.

What’s your favorite thing about Prince Eric? Sound off below!

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