He doesn't have a last name. He barely has a back-story in the 1989 original. Yet, Prince Eric remains the blueprint for the Disney "Prince Charming" evolution that eventually gave us more fleshed-out leads like Flynn Rider or Naveen. If you grew up watching The Little Mermaid, you probably remember him as the guy with the flute and the giant dog. But looking back through a modern lens—and especially considering Jonah Hauer-King's portrayal in the 2023 live-action remake—Eric is actually a weirdly specific subversion of the "damsel in distress" trope, just gender-flipped.
Think about it.
In most 80s and 90s media, the guy is the one doing the saving, the questing, and the decision-making. Eric? He spends half the movie being rescued, confused, or literally hypnotized. He’s the catalyst for Ariel’s obsession, sure, but he’s also a character defined by a profound sense of isolation that mirrors hers.
The Problem With the "Bland" Prince Narrative
People love to call Eric boring. They say he’s just a chin dimple and a pair of boots. Honestly, that’s a bit of a surface-level take. In the 1989 Hans Christian Andersen adaptation by Disney, Eric was actually the first prince to feel like a person with hobbies. He plays the flute. He sails his own ships—not just sitting on a throne, but actually getting his hands dirty with the rigging. He has a best friend who is a dog, Max, which tells you everything you need to know about his personality. He’s an outdoorsman.
Most importantly, he wasn't looking for a "princess."
While King Triton is obsessed with keeping the worlds apart, Eric is looking toward the horizon. He’s bored by the royal expectations Grimsby sets for him. This is the crucial tether between him and Ariel. They are both outsiders in their own high-society cultures. When Ariel saves him from the shipwreck, she isn't just saving a random royal; she's saving the only human who shares her specific brand of wanderlust.
1989 vs. 2023: Giving Eric a Soul
If we’re being real, the 2023 live-action remake did a lot of heavy lifting for Eric’s character arc. In the original, he’s basically a handsome plot device. In the Rob Marshall-directed update, Eric gets a song—"Wild Uncharted Waters"—which finally externalizes his internal struggle. We find out he was a castaway himself, adopted into the royal family of a Caribbean island. This adds a layer of "imposter syndrome" that makes his attraction to the "mysterious girl from the sea" much more grounded.
He collects things.
Just like Ariel has her "thingamabobs," 2023 Eric has a study filled with maps, artifacts, and treasures from his travels. It’s a brilliant narrative mirror. It moves their romance away from "she’s pretty and he's a prince" to "we are both nerds who want to see the world."
The Vanessa Incident and the Hypnosis Loophole
One of the biggest gripes fans have is how easily Eric is fooled by Ursula (disguised as Vanessa). "How could he not tell it wasn't Ariel?" people ask.
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Well, he was literally under a magical spell.
It’s easy to forget that Eric spent days bonding with a silent Ariel. He was falling for her personality, her curiosity, and her spirit. He only turns to Vanessa because Ursula uses Ariel's literal voice—the one thing Eric was subconsciously searching for—as a weaponized magical hypnotic. It wasn't a choice; it was a magical hijacking. The moment the seashell breaks and the spell lifts, his immediate reaction isn't "Whoops," it's "Ariel!" He knew. The heart was there; the brain was just scrambled by sea-witch magic.
Why Eric Actually Matters for Disney’s Legacy
Before Eric, Disney princes were basically cardboard cutouts. The prince in Snow White doesn't even have a name in the credits. The prince in Cinderella (Prince Charming) has about five minutes of screen time. Eric was the first one to:
- Have a distinct personality and a specific animal companion.
- Engage in the final battle (he's the one who steers the ship into Ursula, which is a pretty metal way to end a movie).
- Show vulnerability by being the "saved" party multiple times.
He shifted the dynamic. He made it okay for the prince to be the one who is inspired by the heroine.
Actionable Takeaways for the Disney Fan
If you're revisiting the franchise or introducing it to a new generation, keep these nuances in mind to get the most out of the story:
- Watch for the Parallelism: In the 2023 version, pay attention to the "study scene" where Eric shows Ariel his collection. It’s the direct counterpart to "Part of Your World" and proves they are intellectual equals.
- Analyze the "Ship" Imagery: Eric is almost always associated with the sea, despite being a land-dweller. This symbolizes his refusal to be "boxed in" by his station, much like Ariel refuses to stay in the ocean.
- Value the Supporting Cast: To understand Eric, you have to look at Grimsby. Their relationship is the heart of the "land" side of the story, representing the pressure of duty versus the desire for true love.
The reality is that Prince Eric isn't just a trophy. He’s a character about the bridge between two worlds. He represents the idea that someone out there is looking for the exact same "impossible" thing you are. Whether it's the 1989 animation or the 2023 live-action, his role is to be the destination that justifies Ariel's massive leap of faith. He isn't perfect, but he’s exactly the kind of person who would steer a jagged shipwreck into a sea goddess to save the girl he loves. That's more than just a chin dimple.