Jasmine is a fictional character in Walt Disney Pictures' 31st animated film Aladdin (1992). She is voiced by Linda Larkin, with her singing voice performed by Lea Salonga. Jasmine is the energetic daughter of the Sultan, who feels tired of living in the palace. Although a long-standing rule requires her to marry a prince before her birthday, Jasmine wants to marry someone she loves, not someone with wealth. Jasmine was created by screenwriters and directors Ron Clements and John Musker, along with co-screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. Her character is inspired by Badroulbadour, a princess from the story Aladdin and the Magical Lamp in One Thousand and One Nights.
Jasmine was first imagined as a spoiled and materialistic princess, but the writers changed her into a stronger and more important heroine after removing Aladdin's mother from the script. They also borrowed ideas from the movie Roman Holiday (1953). After joining the project, Linda Larkin nearly lost her role because Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg believed her voice was not right for a princess. However, Clements and Musker convinced him otherwise. Lea Salonga was chosen as Jasmine's singing voice after her performance in the musical Miss Saigon. This was the first time a Disney Princess had different actresses for her speaking and singing voices. Jasmine's design, created by Mark Henn, combined influences from an unknown theme park guest, Henn's sister, and actress Jennifer Connelly.
Jasmine received mixed reviews. Some people compared her character development to earlier Disney Princesses, Ariel from The Little Mermaid (1989) and Belle from Beauty and the Beast (1991), but others praised her personality and relationship with Aladdin. She is the sixth Disney Princess and the first non-European and West Asian princess in the franchise. Because of this, Jasmine is recognized for adding racial diversity to Disney's Princess stories. Unlike most Disney Princesses, Jasmine is a supporting character in her film, taking the role of the love interest. She later appeared in Aladdin sequels The Return of Jafar (1994) and Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996), as well as the film's television series and a Broadway musical adaptation. Both Larkin and Salonga have been honored as Disney Legends for their work on the role.
Development
Jasmine is based on a princess from a Middle Eastern story called One Thousand and One Nights, specifically the tale "Aladdin and the Magical Lamp." Lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken first started working on Aladdin while they were writing songs for The Little Mermaid (1989), but they paused the project to focus on Beauty and the Beast (1991). Later, Aladdin was revived as Beauty and the Beast neared completion. The princess in the original story was named Badroulbadour, but the studio changed her name to "Jasmine" after actress Jasmine Guy. The name was also popular during that time. In Ashman’s early plans for the film, Aladdin had two possible love interests: Jasmine and a "Judy Garland-style tomboy," but the tomboy’s feelings for Aladdin were not returned. Screenwriter Linda Woolverton later based her screenplay on the 1940 film The Thief of Baghdad, which included a handmaiden for Jasmine (an idea later used in the 2019 live-action version). This character was eventually replaced by a pet tiger.
Directors and writers Ron Clements and John Musker later chose to ignore Woolverton’s script and instead developed a version closer to Ashman’s ideas, though with changes. They reimagined Jasmine’s character slightly but kept the goal of making her a princess who could be loved by Aladdin. After removing Aladdin’s mother from the story, the filmmakers focused more on Jasmine and Aladdin’s relationship, giving Jasmine more screen time. Unlike earlier Disney princess films, Jasmine is not the main character of Aladdin, and the story does not center on her. Instead, the film was designed as an Arabian adventure, not a traditional fairy tale like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) or Beauty and the Beast. The decision to make Aladdin a comedy reduced the focus on Jasmine’s deeper character development.
Although many details from the original story were changed, Jasmine’s main plot—being forced into marriage—remained the same. In the original tale, the princess resents Aladdin, but Jasmine is immediately charmed by him. Screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio made Jasmine a stronger character who longs for freedom from her royal life. According to Disney Archives, Jasmine’s goal was to escape her current lifestyle. The idea of Jasmine sneaking out of her palace at night was inspired by the 1953 film Roman Holiday, where a princess, played by Audrey Hepburn, disguises herself to explore Rome.
The casting of Robin Williams as the Genie led the studio to look for voice actors who could match his energy. Originally, Jasmine’s voice was meant to sound like actress Lauren Bacall. Instead, American actress Linda Larkin provided Jasmine’s speaking voice. Larkin had auditioned for other roles that week and thought Aladdin would be a small project, joking it might be "like DuckTales." She was drawn to Jasmine’s "spirit of activism" and how the character was both similar to and different from earlier Disney princesses like Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora. Larkin’s first audition was in a California studio, where she performed a scene where Jasmine meets Aladdin in the marketplace. Her line, "It’s all so magical," convinced her she was right for the role.
Larkin returned to the studio multiple times for callbacks. As the audition process continued, fewer actresses competed for the role. Her final audition lasted four hours, during which she read the entire script for the first time. Animators also began working with her voice for the first time. Larkin was cast months later and nearly forgot she had auditioned. Six months into recording, Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg asked her to re-audition, believing her voice lacked the authority to suit a princess. However, directors Ron Clements and John Musker convinced Katzenberg not to fire her by staging a fake session where Larkin spoke softly and then returned to her natural voice. Larkin recorded only one scene with her co-stars, Robin Williams and Scott Weinger, and did not see much of her character until the film was shown at the Museum of Modern Art.
Before casting Larkin, Disney wanted actors who could both act and sing. After hiring Robin Williams, the studio instead focused on finding strong actors. When Larkin first auditioned, Jasmine’s only song, "A Whole New World," had not yet been written. She admitted she would not have auditioned if a song had been required from the start. After the song was written, the filmmakers asked Larkin if she would record it. She declined, joking, "I do [sing]… but not like a princess!" Disney then hired Filipina singer Lea Salonga to mimic Larkin’s voice for singing. Salonga, known for her Tony Award-winning role in Miss Saigon, was cast after auditioning with "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid. Salonga recorded "A Whole New World" shortly after. This marked the first time Disney separated a princess’s speaking and singing voices, with Larkin providing the speaking voice and Salonga the singing voice. Larkin was surprised by how well Salonga’s voice matched Jasmine’s character.
Themes
Jasmine is a character who shares some traits with earlier Disney heroines but also has unique qualities. Like other Disney Princesses, she is graceful and beautiful. However, Disney marketed her as a "heroine of the 1990s," making her more modern and independent compared to older princesses. Her intelligence and ambitions are similar to Belle, a later Disney character. Some critics, like Brian Lowry of Variety, said Jasmine’s strong personality is like Belle’s, calling her "anachronistically liberated." Others, such as Rob Burch of The Hollywood News, noted Jasmine’s independence and desire to live her own life, which is also true of Ariel. Jasmine is part of a group of "spunky heroines" inspired by feminism and the girl power movement. Timothy B. Cargal, an author, said Jasmine helped Disney create stronger, more feminist heroines for young girls to admire. At 15 years old, Jasmine is more resourceful than earlier princesses like Belle and Ariel, who are more passive. She is also feistier than Belle and less naïve than Ariel.
In Aladdin, Jasmine is not the main character. The film’s protagonist is Aladdin, while Jasmine plays a secondary role as the love interest, which limits her character development. Some sources refer to her as the "female protagonist" of the film. The First Novels Club noted that Jasmine remains the same person at the end of the story as she was at the beginning. Little is known about her hobbies or goals. Jeff Kurrti, an author, wrote that Jasmine makes decisions and shows strength, even though she is not the main focus. Samantha Rullo of Bustle agreed, saying Jasmine is determined to live her life on her own terms, making her one of Disney’s most rebellious princesses. Jasmine does not care about wealth or social class, even though she grew up in luxury. She prefers excitement and companionship over marrying someone who already has everything she wants.
Jasmine’s story reflects the film’s theme of longing for freedom. Her choices influence the story, and she shows agency by deciding who she falls in love with, even though she does not choose who she marries. Jasmine wants to explore her kingdom but only goes as far as the marketplace before returning home. Her journey highlights how being confined can make someone more vulnerable. A scene where she frees birds from a cage symbolizes her own desire for freedom. Her bedroom is shaped like a birdcage, showing her confinement. The film also explores themes like civil rights, racial tolerance, social hierarchy, and the pursuit of happiness.
Jasmine shows traits linked to feminism, though not as clearly as Belle. She still follows traditional romance themes but is less focused on them. Steve Daly of Entertainment Weekly called her a "sexually aware, proto-feminist princess." Isabel Santaolalla, an author, said Jasmine reflects the influence of the 1960s Women’s Movement. Desson Howe of The Washington Post noted Jasmine’s defiance of the "glass ceiling," or barriers faced by women. She challenges arranged marriages and inspires changes in her kingdom’s laws. According to Larkin, Jasmine’s actions led to her father changing the constitution. John Musker, a filmmaker, said Jasmine rebels against social structures by choosing to marry someone of her own free will. Singer Brad Kane, who voices Aladdin, said the film is "stealth feminist" because Jasmine is willing to give up her royal status to avoid an unwanted marriage.
Jasmine is the only named, speaking female character in a film dominated by male characters. She lacks female companions or a mother figure, as men make up 90% of the film’s dialogue. She resents the patriarchal society she lives in. William Indick, an author, said Jasmine rejects her father’s control, showing a strong, assertive heroine who fights against her father’s authority. Her life is shaped by men, but she refuses to follow their rules, rejecting suitors and challenging male authority. Her father, the Sultan, comments that her mother was more obedient, suggesting Jasmine’s mother belonged to a less empowered generation. Jasmine can be judgmental at times, initially disliking all princes until meeting Aladdin. Ulrich Marzolph, an author, described Jasmine as a symbol of resistance against outdated Middle Eastern traditions and authoritarianism.
Appearances
Jasmine first appeared in the movie Aladdin (1992) as the Princess of Agrabah, the daughter of the Sultan. She was unhappy with being controlled by others and forced to marry a prince by law. To escape, she disguised herself as a peasant and left the palace. In the marketplace, she met Aladdin, a street thief, after he saved her from a dangerous vendor. They bonded because they both felt trapped and wanted better lives. When Aladdin was arrested by palace guards, Jasmine demanded his release, but her request was ignored by Jafar, the Sultan’s dishonest advisor. Jafar lied to Jasmine, saying Aladdin had been killed, which made her very sad. In reality, Jafar was using Aladdin to find a magical lamp with a genie inside. The genie, who became Aladdin’s friend, granted a wish for Aladdin to become a prince so he could win Jasmine’s heart. Aladdin introduced himself as "Prince Ali," and Jasmine was charmed after a magic carpet ride, where she learned he was actually the same peasant she had met earlier. Aladdin convinced her he was a prince who sometimes disguised himself as a commoner. When Jafar discovered the truth, he stole the lamp, became the genie’s master, and forced the genie to make him Sultan. He also enslaved Jasmine and her father. After refusing to marry Jafar, Jasmine kissed him to distract him while Aladdin tricked Jafar into trapping himself in the lamp. Jasmine and the Sultan were freed, and Jasmine and Aladdin became engaged after the Sultan changed the law to allow Jasmine to marry whoever she chose.
After the success of Aladdin, Jasmine appeared in two direct-to-video sequels. In The Return of Jafar (1994), Jasmine questioned her trust in Aladdin after he defended Jafar’s pet parrot, Iago, who helped mend her and Aladdin’s relationship. In Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996), Jasmine’s wedding to Aladdin was interrupted by the Forty Thieves. The Oracle revealed that Aladdin’s father, Cassim, was alive and the thieves’ leader. Jasmine agreed to delay the wedding while Aladdin searched for his father. After Cassim was imprisoned, Jasmine convinced the Sultan to forgive Aladdin. Later, Jasmine helped rescue Cassim and attended the wedding with him in the shadows.
Jasmine also appeared in a TV series based on the film, which aired from 1994 to 1995. In the series, she proved her bravery and fighting skills, such as rescuing Aladdin from a sorcerer and sacrificing herself to save a boy. Her relationship with Aladdin continued to grow, and they faced challenges together. In one episode, a villain turned Jasmine into a snake to test her relationship with Aladdin, but Aladdin transformed himself into a snake to prove his love for her. Jasmine also dealt with romantic rivals like Sadira and Saleen.
Jasmine appeared in the movie Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018), as announced at the 2017 D23 Expo. In the live-action Aladdin (2019), Naomi Scott played Jasmine. The film showed her mother came from a neighboring kingdom and wanted to help her people despite traditions. At the end, Jasmine became Agrabah’s first sultana, with the right to marry whoever she chose. Critics praised Scott’s performance and the new song "Speechless."
In the Indian TV series Aladdin – Naam Toh Suna Hoga (2018–2021), Avneet Kaur played Jasmine, renamed Yasmine, the crown princess of Baghdad. The story changed some details, including her meeting Aladdin and facing challenges from a villain named Zafar. After the pandemic, Ashi Singh took over the role.
Jasmine also appears in the Broadway musical Aladdin, which opened in 2014. Courtney Reed first played the role. She grew up loving Disney princesses and said Jasmine was her favorite because she looked like her, helping Reed feel represented.
Reception
Critical opinions about Jasmine from the movie Aladdin are divided. Some critics praised her for being more independent than earlier Disney princesses. Ty Burr from Entertainment Weekly called Jasmine the most well-developed of the new Disney heroines. Desson Howe from The Washington Post said she gave the film a sense of awareness about gender equality. David Sterrit from The Christian Science Monitor noted that Jasmine was not as carefully designed as Aladdin but was still likeable. Contactmusic.com said Jasmine had a clever and sarcastic side, even though some found her personality unexciting. Jasmine’s strong personality was compared to Ariel and Belle, with some critics saying she was more confident than Belle but not as clearly feminist. James Berardinelli from ReelViews said Jasmine showed the same independence as Ariel and Belle but criticized her role as only being Aladdin’s love interest. Mari Ness from Tor.com said Jasmine was similar to Ariel and Belle in wanting more freedom but was not the main focus of the story. Nathan Cone from Texas Public Radio praised Jasmine’s boldness and intelligence, preferring her over Belle.
Other critics were less positive, calling Jasmine spoiled, unoriginal, and overly sexualized. Common Sense Media said Jasmine lacked a unique story, and Creative Loafing’s Matt Brunson described her as a “liberated” but “stiff” character. The New York Times’ Janet Maslin said Jasmine used simple words to express unremarkable ideas. Time Out and TV Guide called her unexciting. Roger Ebert said Jasmine’s relationship with Aladdin was weak compared to Belle and the Beast. He also said the characters seemed unreal. Slant Magazine’s Ed Gonzalez called Jasmine a “free-spirited” character who seemed to support feminism but was not truly independent. Orange Coast’s Henry A. Giroux said Jasmine was only important because Aladdin wanted her.
The original home video of Aladdin highlighted Jasmine as a 1990s heroine. However, Karen Sternheimer, author of It’s Not the Media, disagreed, saying Jasmine still waited for a prince to rescue her. Feminist critics continue to discuss Jasmine. Bustle listed her first meeting with Aladdin as a feminist moment, saying she showed strength and independence. In another ranking, Bustle’s Chelsea Maze said Jasmine refused to be controlled by men and ranked her eighth for choosing her own partner.
Some feminist and Muslim critics said Jasmine was a poor role model for young girls. Meghan O’Keefe from Overthinking It said Jasmine had potential but lacked interests like reading or learning, making her seem spoiled. Charles I. Schuster said Jasmine only showed feminism by breaking one rule. Bust’s Sholeh Hajmiragha said Jasmine challenged her role as a princess but was overly sexualized. Feminist Fiction said Jasmine’s strength was only in dialogue, not in the story itself. Cynthia Carter from The Routledge Companion to Media & Gender said Jasmine became her husband’s possession by the end of the film.
The scene where Jasmine kisses Jafar to distract him is often debated. Meredith Ancret from The Snark Who Hunts Back said Jasmine was brave and acted on her own, even though others were also controlled by Jafar. Mari Rogers from The Daily Dot said Jasmine was strong and made her own decisions. Fanny Pack from Fanny Pack said Jasmine’s strength helped balance the film’s feminism.
Impact and legacy
According to The Fiscal Times, Aladdin is Disney's fourth most profitable princess film based on box office returns. Jasmine became a popular character and joined the original Disney Princess franchise. She is the only princess in the lineup who is not the main character of her film. Because of this, Aladdin is the only Disney Princess film where the princess is not the main character. Jasmine is also the first Disney Princess to marry someone who is not a prince by birth. Chronologically, Jasmine is the sixth member of the Disney Princess franchise and is considered one of the "classic" princesses. The film Aladdin and Jasmine helped expand Disney's princess characters. Before Jasmine, all Disney princesses were white or European in appearance. As Disney's first non-white and Arab princess, Jasmine helped introduce racial and ethnic diversity to Disney's animated fairy tales. Jasmine was followed by four other princesses of color: Pocahontas from the 1995 film, Mulan from the 1998 film, Tiana from The Princess and the Frog (2009), and Moana from the 2016 film. These princesses helped show that anyone, regardless of race, could be a princess. Jasmine is also one of only two Disney Princesses who wear pants (the other is Mulan). Her official costume is not a gown or dress. According to Vanity Fair, Jasmine was the first feminist Disney Princess, though some say this claim has been exaggerated.
Jasmine and Aladdin share a strong connection. The song "A Whole New World," which they perform together, is still considered one of the most romantic moments in movie history. As they fly over Agrabah on the magic carpet, audiences fell in love with Jasmine, just like Aladdin did.
The song "A Whole New World" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 65th Academy Awards in 1993. Six years later, Lea Salonga was cast as the singing voice of Mulan in 1998. Salonga joked that she had to audition again even though she had already voiced a Disney Princess. Larkin, who voiced Jasmine, returned to perform the role in later films, TV shows, and video games. Both Larkin and Salonga were honored with Disney Legends Awards in 2011 for their work. Salonga became the first Filipina recipient of the Disney Legend Award, and her handprint is displayed at the Walt Disney headquarters in Burbank, California.
Jasmine is now considered an iconic character. Teen Vogue listed her as one of the "10 Best Disney Princesses of All Time." BuzzFeed ranked her second on their "Definitive Ranking Of Disney Princesses" list, while E! placed her at number four. PureWow ranked her