Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora, as the original Disney Princesses, were kind-hearted heroines with big, bright dreams. Yet they are also overwhelmingly passive, and they largely bide their time wishing, waiting, and snoozing as their princes pursue them. The "Disney Renaissance," kicked off by 1989's The Little Mermaid, established a firm break with this tradition. Ariel, Jasmine, and Belle want more than their lives currently offer them, and their signature songs are all about. Belle, for instance, sings about "adventure in the great wide somewhere."

It's pretty vague beyond that, though, and their lives are often tied up in their love interests. But Mulan is different, as she has a specific goal and she achieves it. She saves her dad, her unit, and her country and then goes home as a national hero. Shang ends up part of the deal too, but he's not the goal — he's more of a perk. After Mulan, princesses started to want with specificity, from Tiana's desire to run her own restaurant to Rapunzel's longing to see the floating lanterns. Magic and romance come along for the ride too, but, nowadays, they're not the point of the entire journey.