College Years: 25 Of Our Favorite Disney Characters Reimagined In School
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These fan artists have taken Disney characters and put them in school — and it’s too amazing for words.
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Millennials and Generation Z grew up living in the magical world Walt Disney’s company helped create. Stunning animation sparked imaginations everywhere, inspiring the next wave of artists, dancers, and poets as well as helping science geeks realize that they held a powerful place in the world too. Unfortunately, Disney has moved away from classical 2D animation for recreating and inventing fairy tales, but at the same time has allowed for 3D animation to rocket forward and make waves on the big screen.
Our point is is that Disney has and always will have a deep seated place in our hearts. Because we grew up with it though, that means that we can’t help but wonder what our favourite characters would look like if they’d grown up with us. The age range of all our heroines and heroes is varied, with many characters grown adults or at least almost when their story begins. On top of that, they almost invariably take place in a time period different than ours. Sometimes these stories take place in the future, but for the most part, they take place far in the past.
That has never stopped artists from around the world from sitting down and thinking up incredible designs around the question of just what their favourite Disney characters would look like if they’d gone to college with us. What would they wear to class? What sorts of things would they carry around with them? Would we recognize them at all? Well today, we’re going to take a look at 25 of these re-imagined characters as they would appear if they decided to come with us to college.
25 Chic Ariel
Ariel has always been a tremendous sweetheart in the world of Disney. She was always kind and curious, and a bit naive to boot. We know for a fact that no one told her that she should always read the fine print when signing a contract with someone and fell into the pitfall of essentially saying “I Agree” to the terms and conditions. This rendition of Ariel in college shows us the nerdier and more socially awkward side of Princesses that you don’t usually see.
Art by Anoosha Syed.
24 Nerdy Rapunzel
Rapunzel had hardly any characterization in the original Brothers Grimm tale. She mostly just let down her hair when called, and married the prince at the end of the story. Disney’s Tangled rightfully decided to explore just what a woman with nothing to do in the whole world except sit in her room all day with some paints, three books, and a chameleon would do. Rapunzel quickly proves herself to be an accomplished artist by way of her extravagant murals that she paints on the walls. It’s no wonder that she’d go right into art school given the chance.
23 A Cute Belle
Would Belle really be a bigger nerd than Ariel? Yes, yes she would. For a gal who spends her days reading every book she can get her hands on, there’s no doubt that in this modern college age she’d be just as into Doctor Who and even Sailor Moon, as well as reading The Phantom of the Opera. Even with Belle’s introverted nature, she’d probably be dragged into every book, anime, and comic book club in school.
Art by Anoosha Syed.
22 Quiet Hour Visit
It’s funny that older generations always wonder where the next generations got all their “bad behaviour” from, because it doesn’t take much for people to realize that our role models were troublemaker and rule breakers who set out to change the world. This classic and adorable scene this artist has made imagines what college-aged Disney and DreamWorks characters would do with their freedom, and probably nailed it by having characters from a completely different studio come over for a visit. The look on Hiccup’s face cements the fact that they probably are going to get a visit from a Resident Advisor if they don’t keep it down.
Art by AquaAngel91.
21 Not Every Princess Needs A Dress
Princesses are almost always presented in either some kind of dress or at least a skirt. Even recent heroes such as Ana and Elsa from Frozen, Merida from Brave, and even Moana from the movie the same name share this bit of fashion. This artist has decided to defy that fashion choice for all but a few of the Princesses here, and instead has them all in pants and a nice shirt. While certainly not the first artist to interpret these Princesses in this way, these college gals still look ready to study up a storm.
20 Ke$ha Turned Rapunzel
Ke$ha was as much of a fashion icon as any pop celebrity back in her heyday (which we all hope will return soon). With her casual yet hip look, looking both ready to party the night away and rock out on stage, one of her defining physical features was her long platinum blonde hair. This photoshop of Rapunzel’s face on the pop icon’s body is actually perfect for her, considering that her movie is all about breaking free of what’s expected of her and explore both her inner rebel and the outside world.
19 Adorable Ana
Some artists like to reimagine a character with a completely different style of outfit. This artist decided to refine and modernize Ana’s look. Looking ready to head to her first class, Ana sports her signature pigtail braids while wearing a gorgeous short yet conservative skirt. She looks ready to make friends with anybody she happens to meet, and is probably how any Disney college freshman would on their first day at school. Here’s hoping that her clumsiness won’t get in the way of her academic career.
18 Jasmine Is Off To Poli-Sci 101
As Agrabah’s next in line for the throne, it’s no surprise to see Jasmine on her way to a college education. Considering the smarts this woman packs already, though, there’s no reason to think that she wouldn’t just anyway for the fun of it. Dressed with a gorgeous headscarf, Jasmine rocks a beautiful tan jacket and turquoise pants, and looks like she’s ready to get down to some hardcore studying and a coffee break with friends afterwards. No doubt she’s ready to be valedictorian with that outfit!
Art by Anoosha Syed.
17 Elegant Elsa
Elsa is and always will be the mature and grown-up student. As much as she learns to let it go (we’re so sorry) and let loose by the end of Frozen, it’s obvious that Elsa will never be quite as carefree as her little sister. This makes sense, considering that even in her isolation, Elsa was being groomed to become the next queen and also encouraged to look after her little sister. So its no surprise that her beautiful blue dress is still very much all business, and her expression says that she’s going to excel at her studies or burn out trying.
16 The Ultimate Wild Child
Everyone who goes to college dreams of being the campus “wild child”: the rule breaker, or at least the one who isn’t afraid to dress loudly and casually, and probably gets invited to all the coolest parties. Well, no one could ever have Tarzan beat when it comes to being wild. When you have literally been raised in the jungle by a family of gorillas, you can’t exactly help it, after all. And there’s not doubt that Tarzan’s acrobatic skill would serve him well on that skateboard.
Art by Hyung86.
15 Preppy Prince And Princess
This looks like every generic (yet gorgeous) Instagram-couples-photo that everyone knows well. With Aurora and Prince Philip posing for the camera, however, I think we can give it a pass! This happy couple looks like they’re having too much fun to be judged too harshly. Considering that this picture is set in 2013 though, there’s a solid chance that they may have started a trend. Everyone loves royals and their quirks after all. Especially when they decide to goof off on film.
Art by NikkiBelle18.
14 Tough Girl Merida
Merida is always an interesting character to imagine in a modern setting. One of the most prominent things about her is her amazing skill with a bow. And yet, unless you manage to dig yourself into the right niche, you’d never see a bow and arrow outside of movies, the Olympics, or the local wildlife store. Still, knowing her natural spirit, Merida probably found some way to finagle a legal reason why she can carry her bow everywhere. Perhaps she only allowed to bring around during practice and competition days, which she’d obviously stretch the definition of.
13 Esmeralda Is Ready To March
Esmeralda is one of the original social crusaders. Not only was she an advocate for women’s rights, but she also fought for her friend’s rights to a safe home without persecution. Esmeralda might not be a traditional Disney princess as we know them, but she acts just like any other of the heroines we grew up with. Even if she was technically a supporting character to Quasimodo, this warm illustration goes to show that she cemented a way into our hearts.
Art by Anoosha Syed.
12 Snow White And The Semester Of Curvy High Fashion
Snow White was always famed in her homeland for extreme beauty. With skin as white as snow, hair as dark as a raven’s wing, and lips as red as blood, she gave the former queen such a run for her money when it came to looks that she planned to end Snow White over it. Considering how beautiful this college-aged Snow White looks, you really can’t blame the magic mirror for naming Snow the most beautiful woman in the kingdom in comparison to the queen. Is she aware that she’s rocking her outfit? Who knows, but a little birdy might have told her that already.
Art by Anoosha Syed.
11 A Unique Take On Fashion
Disney has always been praised for its amazing character design. It’s well known for blending in the nationality’s culture as well as the personal quirks of their character to create a stunning stand out design. Well, this imaginative take gives them a run for their money, as this artist considers every unique aspect of each princess as well as their personality and incorporates it in. Mulan sports a very modern Chinese take on urban wear, while Belle looks the part for a high-end art school in France!
Art by CarmenFoolHeart.
10 Ariel In Freshmen Year
This illustration is an adorable one, because it focuses on that transitory period between high school and one’s first year at college. Ariel certainly looks grown up, but she clearly hasn’t quite grown out of what most would think are “childish” decorations. With a flounder plush, a random fork stuck to the wall like a keepsake, nautical-themed socks, and even a ship’s wheel, only time will tell if Ariel will decide to head in a different style direction. Until then, rock on, girl!
Art by CreativeCarrah.
9 College Bros
Oh boy, who let those onion-cutting ninjas in here? The idea of Tadashi and Hiro actually getting to enjoy college together is enough for any fan Big Hero 6 to tear up a little. Hiro was an upcoming genius who was, and still is, destined for great things. By the time his story starts, he’s gearing up to perhaps start attending college early. It’s too bad that aside from introducing Hiro to his friends, Tadashi won’t be there to really show his little brother the ropes of college life. I think my pain meter just went up to ten, Baymax.
Art by Hyung86.
8 Doll Inspired Fashion
Dolls have been stand-ins for princesses in many little girl’s imaginary games since the dawn of toys. As the modern age began and Mattel and other doll companies took to the stage, dolls began to look less like Raggedy Ann and closer to curvy models. This, of course, has sparked the important debate on whether doll’s anatomical proportions have ruined a little girls idea of how different physiques can be beautiful too. Of course, while this illustration uses doll-like proportions for our budding college students, you can’t deny that their fashion sense is on point.
7 Nature-Based Fashion To The Max
Kenai is well on his way to becoming a man as he begins college. In fact, these days it’s a rite of passage for most millennials and Generation Z to at least do some kind of post-secondary learning before going out into the world (though definitely not required!). College always has a wonderful way of expanding minds and horizons, and often helps people to see new perspectives to view the world from. If anything, college is a perfect stand in for Kenai’s own heroes journey.
Art by Hyung86.
6 Merida The Nerd-Jock
We all know that Merida would be a sporty student in college. No doubt she would dominate in any archery or climbing competition with little effort. What other people might not realize at first glance is that she’s also a bit of a conspiracy geek. Even if in a playful way in this modern college equivalent, we shouldn’t forget that Merida was ready to follow a trail of spirit fire in order to see if she could in fact change the course of her fate. If that isn’t proof that modern Merida would be into the paranormal at all, then we don’t know what is.
Art by Hyung86.
Link Source : https://www.thegamer.com/disney-characters-reimagined-college-school/