She’s loud. She’s purple. She has more confidence in one tentacle than most of us have in our entire bodies. When we talk about the Little Mermaid witch Ursula, we’re usually talking about a villain, but honestly? She’s a masterpiece of character design that changed how Disney looked at "bad guys" forever.
Think back to 1989. Most Disney villains were spindly, cold, or just plain creepy—think Maleficent or Lady Tremaine. Then Ursula slithers onto the screen, voiced by the legendary Pat Carroll, and suddenly being bad looks like a total blast. She’s not just some random sorceress living in a cave; she’s a business mogul with a flair for the dramatic and a very specific set of legal contracts.
The Drag Queen Inspiration Nobody Mentions Enough
You can't talk about the Little Mermaid witch Ursula without talking about Divine. If you aren't familiar with the 1970s and 80s underground film scene, Divine was a drag icon and a frequent collaborator with director John Waters.
The animators, specifically Rob Minkoff, drew direct inspiration from Divine’s physique, eye makeup, and larger-than-life persona. It’s why Ursula feels so grounded in a specific type of performance art. She isn't just a monster. She is a performer. Every gesture she makes, from the way she shimmies her shoulders to how she uses her lipstick (which is actually a sea urchin), screams "center stage."
The Power of the Voice
Pat Carroll wasn't even the first choice for the role. Can you imagine? They originally wanted Bea Arthur from The Golden Girls, but she turned it down (or her agent did, depending on which industry rumor you believe). Carroll eventually stepped in and gave us that deep, gravelly chuckle that defines the character. She treated Ursula like an ex-Shakespearean actress who had fallen on hard times and was now selling "insurance" to desperate merfolk. It’s that theatricality that makes her terrifying and weirdly magnetic at the same time.
Why Ursula’s Contract is Actually a Masterclass in Manipulation
Usually, villains just use magic to get what they want. Ursula is different. She uses the law.
When Ariel walks into that grotto, Ursula doesn’t force her to do anything. She presents a deal. A very sketchy, ethically bankrupt deal, but a deal nonetheless. The Little Mermaid witch Ursula understands human (or mer-human) nature better than King Triton ever could. She knows Ariel is impulsive, young, and hormonal.
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- She identifies the "pain point" (Ariel's crush on Eric).
- She offers a solution with a clear timeline (three days).
- She outlines the cost (her voice).
- She includes a "failure clause" (Ariel belongs to her forever).
It's basically a predatory loan. The brilliance of her villainy isn't that she’s "evil" in a vacuum; it’s that she exploits the weaknesses of others through their own consent. She’s a "Poor Unfortunate Soul" specialist.
The Visual Evolution: From Lionfish to Cecaelia
In the early concept stages, Ursula looked nothing like the octopus-woman we know today. Early sketches show her as a manta ray, a heavy-set mermaid, and even a "burlesque" version of a deep-sea fish.
The decision to make her a Cecaelia—a human-octopus hybrid—was a stroke of genius. It allowed the animators to give her more movement than any other character in the film. While Ariel is mostly stationary or swimming in a straight line, Ursula’s tentacles are constantly doing six different things. They’re grabbing potions, primping her hair, and corralling her "babies," Flotsam and Jetsam.
Those Eels, Though
Flotsam and Jetsam aren't just pets. They are her eyes and ears. In the original Hans Christian Andersen tale, the sea witch is a much more minor character. She doesn't have a name, and she doesn't have henchmen. Disney’s decision to give the Little Mermaid witch Ursula these glowing-eyed spies made her feel like a mob boss. She has a reach that spans the entire ocean, which makes Ariel’s attempt to escape feel even more hopeless.
The Problem with the "Body Image" Discourse
Over the years, people have debated whether Ursula is a negative trope—the "fat villain."
It’s a valid conversation. For a long time, Disney coded "good" characters as thin and "bad" characters as... not. But if you look at how Ursula carries herself, she is the most body-confident character in the movie. She loves herself. She loves her curves. She loves her power. Unlike Ariel, who is constantly trying to change her body to fit in elsewhere, Ursula is perfectly content in her own skin—until she has to transform into "Vanessa" to trick the prince.
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That transformation is actually the ultimate insult to Eric. She assumes he’s so shallow that he’ll only love a girl who looks a certain way and has a specific voice. And for a minute, she’s right.
What Most Fans Miss About Her Backstory
In the Broadway musical and some deleted scenes from the 1989 film, we get a bit more tea on why she’s so bitter.
Ursula is actually King Triton’s sister.
Yep. They were both children of Poseidon, and they were supposed to rule the ocean together. Triton got the trident, and Ursula got the "trash" (the outskirts of the kingdom). This reframes her entire motivation. She isn't just a random witch who hates teenagers; she’s a displaced royal trying to stage a coup. She wants her inheritance back. When you realize she’s Ariel’s aunt, the way she manipulates the girl feels way more personal and way more twisted.
How the 2023 Live-Action Version Changed the Game
When Melissa McCarthy took on the role of the Little Mermaid witch Ursula in the live-action remake, people were skeptical. How do you top Pat Carroll?
McCarthy leaned into the "disgruntled aunt" energy. The 2023 version explicitly confirms the sibling relationship between her and Triton (played by Javier Bardem). It makes her isolation feel more tangible. You see the grime, the solitude, and the genuine resentment she feels for being banished to a literal graveyard of shipwrecks.
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While the CGI was hit-or-miss for some, McCarthy’s performance captured that essential "drag" spirit—the over-the-top movements and the biting sarcasm. It reminded everyone that Ursula isn't just a phase of Disney history; she’s a permanent archetype of the "fabulous outcast."
The Legacy of "Poor Unfortunate Souls"
If you want to understand why this character works, just look at her big musical number.
Howard Ashman, the lyricist, wrote "Poor Unfortunate Souls" as a sort of "Borscht Belt" comedy routine. It’s upbeat, it’s funny, and it’s deeply manipulative. She uses "body language" (hah!) to distract Ariel from the fact that she’s literally signing her life away.
The song doesn't sound like a villain song. It sounds like a sales pitch. That’s the core of the Little Mermaid witch Ursula. She isn't trying to destroy the world; she’s trying to close a deal. She’s the ultimate personification of "read the fine print."
Why She Fails
Ultimately, Ursula loses because of her own ego. She thinks she’s smarter than everyone, including the ancient "rules" of the ocean. When she grows to a massive size at the end of the film—a scene that terrified an entire generation of kids—she loses the subtlety that made her dangerous. She becomes a big, easy target for a shipwrecked boat.
Actionable Takeaways from the Sea Witch
We can actually learn a lot from how this character was built and how she operates. If you're a writer, a creator, or just a fan, here is the "Ursula Method" for being memorable:
- Own your space. Ursula never apologizes for being loud or taking up room. In your own life, there's a lesson there about self-assuredness (minus the soul-stealing).
- Know the details. She won because she knew the law and the loopholes. Whether it's a job contract or a lease, always read the fine print. Don't be an Ariel.
- Develop a signature style. From her white hair to her gold shell necklace, Ursula’s "branding" is impeccable. People remember her because she doesn't look like anyone else.
- Understand motivation. If you're creating a story, remember that the best villains believe they are the heroes of their own journey. Ursula didn't think she was "evil"; she thought she was taking back what was hers.
The Little Mermaid witch Ursula remains the gold standard for Disney villains because she represents a very human desire: the urge to take a shortcut to get what we want. She’s the mirror held up to our own desperation, wrapped in purple skin and a whole lot of sequins. Next time you watch the movie, don't just look at her as the "bad guy." Look at her as the ultimate survivor of the deep sea who just happened to meet the wrong end of a ship’s bow.