As part of remaking Disney's cartoon success, The Little Mermaid, the film introduced a variety of new backstories to characters like Prince Eric and Ursula, but Ariel's mother received a bit more screen time despite never physically appearing in the picture.
The Little Mermaid is a live-action version of the 1989 animated film of the same name, based on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale.
The film follows Ariel, a young mermaid whose curiosity about the human world leads her to a perilous agreement with a sea witch and an odd relationship with a human prince.
The Little Mermaid's fresh knowledge and details provided some much-needed explanations regarding certain pre-existing and adored characters.
Ursula's animosity towards King Triton, for example, makes more sense when it is discovered that she is his neglected sister.
Furthermore, Eric and Ariel's story is enhanced when viewers understand that Eric enjoys exploration and adventure.
Similarly, The Little Mermaid remake fleshes out the story of Ariel's mother, who died before the start of the film.
How Did Ariel's Mother Die In The Little Mermaid?
In the remake of The Little Mermaid, it is revealed that Ariel's mother was murdered by humans.
While the exact crime isn't recounted in detail, Ariel mentions that her mother was murdered by only one man and that her mother was murdered because of her fixation with land and humans.
This encounter ended tragically with Ariel's mother's death, which caused numerous changes to the undersea kingdom in which Ariel lives.
Ariel's mother's death, in particular, is a big reason why she has never seen the surface, as well as why she is so fascinated by mankind.
The video implies that before the mother's death, the ocean and land were more connected, but after that, Triton forbade merpeople from ever going to the surface.
As a result, while Ariel inherited her mother's love of knowledge, she is unable to act on it due to her mother's death.
Ariel tries to clarify that the murder does not imply that all humans are evil, but the event certainly had an impact on Triton's perception of humans and his family.
Was Ariel's Mother Dead in the Original Little Mermaid Movie?
Although The Little Mermaid remake repeatedly mentions Ariel's mother's death, the original animated film doesn't provide much explanation.
While it is known that her mother died, there is no story to go with it. Ariel's mother was crushed by a pirate ship during an altercation between humans and merpeople, according to an animated The Little Mermaid prequel released in 2008.
As a result, while Disney did provide an explanation for Ariel's mother's death, the story did not become well-known because it occurred several years after the original picture was broadcast.
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Overall, The Little Mermaid remake was successful in providing a proper story for Ariel's mother. Although she does not appear in the film, the significance and explanation for her death are critical to the plot of The Little Mermaid.
According to the adaptation, the event plays a significant role in Ariel's story and personality. As a result, Ariel's mother's tale is vital to the rest of the film and fills a storyline hole from the original film.
