You would have to be under a rock to have never heard of The Little Mermaid. It was the movie that started what is known as “The Golden Age of Disney” in the 1990s. As a result of the success of this movie, we got Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King. You could argue that without The Little Mermaid we could have missed out on those other amazing Disney classics. It showed what the creative minds at Disney studio were capable of. Expertly animated at its time, this movie even won a couple of Oscars.

You cannot deny that you have caught yourself humming the tune to “Under The Sea” or “Kiss The Girl” throughout your lifetime. This film’s impact on pop culture cannot be overstated. The voice acting is superb, and it is a love story even the most stoic person can see some enjoyment in. However, we cannot deny that even the most pristine movies have a few blemishes. The Little Mermaid is filled with unanswered questions and plot holes. In no way does this mean the film is terrible or that the Disney studio failed in bringing this story to life, quite the contrary. It just shows that even classics can mess up, which in a way makes them even more endearing. So, buckle up, pull out your theory and critic hat, and let’s walk through 25 unresolved mysteries and plot holes The Little Mermaid left hanging.

25 An Easy Fix

So, this may be one of the most famous plot holes of all time. A couple of years ago, a few fans noticed that Ariel’s “no voice” problem could have been solved with a simple fix. Honestly, this hole is actually what the whole movie rests on, so buckle up for this one.

A plothole for the Disney ages.

When Ariel lost her voice, many fans have noticed that she would have just written a note to the prince to let him know that she saved him and what Ursula did to her. Some may then say, “well she is a mermaid, so there is a good chance she did not know how to read to write.” This would be true, but Ariel signs a contract with her name (in perfectly executed cursive we might add).

24 Sun In The Ocean?

This movie continues to defy logic when it comes to science. Remember those deep diving documentaries they had on the Discovery Channel? Manned submarines would dive right under the surface of oceans, and as soon as they submerged a few feet down all light would seem to disappear.

This movie regularly defies science.

The Little Mermaid seems to have figured out how to bring the light of the sun down to the ocean floor. During a scene in the movie where everyone is sitting together in a banquet hall, there seems to be a light shining down on everyone. How in the world can the sun reach that deep? We know that Triton is an underwater god, but the movie never explains how he would have been able to do this.

23 What’s Going On Between Triton And Ursula?

This brings us to our next point, what is up with Triton and Ursula? Triton also has a significant beef with Ursula. This emotion is probably warranted considering how awful she is, but this too is never explained. Did she hurt his wife? Was she someone he had feelings for in the past, and she took advantage of the situation? Is she related to an ancient enemy of the family? Why does he hate her so much? Clearly, this confirms that she has some serious ties to the royal family, and Disney could have pulled a “Lion King” and created an even more epic story of betrayal in a royal family. To be honest, this sounds way more interesting than Ariel’s teenage crush on Prince Eric.

22 Sooo Mermaids Are Cool With This?

The Little Mermaid is known for showing the harmony between mermaids and fish. Everyone is happily singing and swimming through the brightly lit ocean (more on this later). Unfortunately, this is not the case for everyone in the kingdom. There are some fish that are treated better than others. In certain scenes, some fish are made to play instruments, serve others, and ride Sebastian as well as Triton around the area. Why are some fish in a higher hierarchy than others? Why are some conscious and others not? Some of the other mermaids in metropolis even use the fish for their purposes. Is there a fish slave class that no one knew about? If this changes your view of the film…just wait…because it gets worse.

21 Eating Sea Food!? Check!

Nothing like a little cannibalism to turn your Disney dreams into a nightmare. Ariel and her mermaid kin are part human and part fish. Even though they have human attributes, they are still considered partially fish.

That is what makes this potential observation so disheartening.

This would make their eating of other fish cannibalism. We know that Ursula is evil, but she is seen other fish earlier on in the film. This makes her seem even more of an evil villain than initially thought. Sad as it is to admit, if mermaids are treating fish as slaves…are they also eating them? To be honest, do we ever really find out what eat? Ugh…this is getting so complicated. Unfortunately, it is not going to get any better from here. You have been warned.

20 Did A Human Hurt Triton?

Regardless of how you feel about them, Disney movies are experts at storytelling. They do an excellent job of bringing out emotion in their characters that come out as relatable. Most of the time they explain the origin of this emotion, but they fail to do this in this film.

Who broke Triton's heart?

For some reason, Triton hates humans. He goes so far as to destroy all of Ariel’s “human” items that she has. There is no explanation for why he hates humans this much except for the fact that he does not want Ariel to get hurt by them. Was he hurt by a human? Was he in love with one and they broke his heart? There is more to this story than Disney lets on, and we would have liked to be let in on the mystery.

19 Here’s To Knowing You Sebastian

The odd eating habits of the mermaids continue here. Okay, so imagine that you have an excellent dinner with your date only to find out that they eat something you do not agree with. Maybe you are Vegan, and they prepare foods that use animals. Hopefully, you would politely decline and stand up for what you believe in. Ariel sells out in this regard. When Ariel gets her legs and meets with the prince, he serves her crab. This wouldn’t be a big deal except for the fact that her best friend is a crab. Why would she not be offended by this? Why would she not have indicated her displeasure with this in some way? Even if she could not speak, she could have still written a note or something (see above). Way to play for the fish team Ariel!

18 Flounder’s “Magical” Strength

It turns out that each character in this movie has a powerful secret. Now, the topic is on Mr. Flounder. He is lovable, clumsy, and loyal to Ariel. Bet you didn’t know that Flounder also has superhuman strength. Flounder said he was responsible for bringing Prince Eric’s statue to Ariel’s grotto. However, this fish is incredibly small.

Does Flounder have a secret?

How in the world would he have gotten a statue that is larger than Eric himself to Ariel? Either is friends with a shark, or he is not revealing his true identity. Some may want to chalk this up to magic, but this is too crazy to chalk this up as pure sorcery. Maybe Flounder could have taken Ursula down a lot sooner if he had of revealed his “secret power.”

17 You’re An Awful One…Ms. Ursula!

Ursula is pretty cruel and insane. She is crazy with jealousy and resents Ariel for her voice and beauty. However, people may not realize how crazy she is. Ursula took away Ariel’s voice and her ability to breathe underwater. If Flounder and Sebastian had not gotten her to the surface, she would have drowned. Did Ursula know this and intentionally try to eliminate Ariel? Ursula is one of those villains who is not only evil but charming. She tries to act like a fairy godmother but is really a demonic nightmare. If you are frightened by Ursula, know that you have even more reason to fear her. She will do anything she can to get what she wants, even if that means destroying someone.

16 Sebastian To The Rescue?

Remember that fairytale moment in the film when Eric is in a boat swirling in a circle with Ariel? He looks into her eyes and knows that she is the one, even if he has never heard her speak. It is a pivotal moment in the movie that is capped off by Sebastian leading the musical interlude of "Kiss The Girl."

Is Eric related to Dr. Dolittle?

He is trying to help his friend out by encouraging Eric to break the spell by kissing Ariel. During the song, Sebastian whispers to Eric to kiss Ariel, and Eric could clearly understand Sebastian. Why couldn’t he have talked to Eric to help tell him about what happened to Ariel, and the fact that she saved him earlier on? If animals can speak in this movie, why are they not being used for more valuable purposes?

15 Underwater Messages

If a marine biologist is trying to figure out how certain things are going down under water, they need to take a look at The Little Mermaid. Even in man’s great power, there are many things we still cannot do. Breathing underwater is one of those things. However, the community of Metropole has figured out how to accomplish this feat. Knowing the physics of water, it would seem impossible for fish and mermaids to talk deep inside the ocean. How can these characters even talk under water? There should be air bubbles if our thinking about this is correct. When Flounder coughs air bubbles show up, but the same should happen when he talks…right? Maybe this version of the ocean is devoid of oxygen. Some have even suggested this is a different planet. What’s up Disney?

14 What Is Ursula Backstory?

There are so many Disney villains that it is easy for some to get ushered into the background. Ursula does not always get the credit she is due for how evil she is. She tried to take out a teenager and trick her much older (more on that later) boyfriend into marrying her. She is the epitome of vile.

Ursula is an intriguing character...more than what Disney lets on.

This little tidbit actually adds to her mystique and attaches another layer to her character. In one of Ursula’s dialogues, she mentions that she used to live in the palace. Put the brakes on! Was she living in the castle? Who was she? Was she a royal subject? Why was she made to leave? How did Disney not examine this? Again, this was a missed opportunity for a viable spinoff of some kind.

13 Who Is Prince Eric?

Many people regard plot holes as annoying and lazy on the part of the director. This opinion is not always a fair assessment. Plot holes can create opportunities for creative theories by fans. Sometimes, not knowing is better than being told every single detail in the movie. Some eagle-eyed viewers caught this detail during the film. It is a quick scene and one that can easily be overlooked if you are not paying attention. In Eric’s palace, there is a picture of Prince Philip and Princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty. Is he related to them? Are they his parents? This detail is never further examined. This information is too deliberate to be a fluke. Prince Eric has some secrets that could have been explored. Disney should just come right out and confess that everyone is related in these movies.

12 One Crab’s Long Voyage

Okay, so word on the street is that Sebastian was initially supposed to be British. However, this voicing choice did not work with the songs that were chosen for the movie. A Caribbean accent would give the character more range to do songs like “Under The Sea.”

Sebastian sounds a bit different from everyone else around him...

You probably never noticed how absurd this was as a child, but there is a bit of a location discrepancy with where Sebastian is from and where the events of this film happened. The Little Mermaid takes place in the waters of Denmark. However, Sebastian has a Jamaican accent. Jamaica is thousands of miles away. How did he get to Denmark? Knowing how slow his species is, he probably could not have swum that distance. What is up with this?

11 Are Sharks Outlawed?

This entry goes back to the “every animal can talk except for a few” observation. Sharks cannot speak, and they are insanely vicious in the film. Everyone lives with fish in harmony, except for these creatures. Mermaids are afraid of sharks, and with good reason after seeing how they attack the fish of the kingdom.

According to this movie, sharks are the buffoons of the ocean.

But if Triton really has control of the area, why are these guys so free in tormenting everyone? So, does Triton have total control or are there some fish who have their own agenda? It also does not make sense that some fish seem to have cognitive reasoning, while sharks are only rabid animals looking to get their next meal. Why do they seem so unintelligent compared to others?

10 Underwater Relative Temperatures…

If mermaids can figure out how to get sunlight down to the surface of the ocean, then heating the area should be a no-brainer right? However, if the city can be heated, shouldn’t the king’s daughter be aware of fire and heat? Why would she not know about this? This detail is a significant scientific contribution and discovery that everyone in the kingdom should celebrate, right? Underwater the drinks are even heated, but Ariel has no idea about what fire is. How are they warming drinks? Marine biologist and scientists probably had a field day with this movie, and we could understand why. We know that it is for children, but Disney also has to think about those parents who had to sit there with their kids and wonder how drinks were heated at a party underwater.

9 The Bermuda Triangle Is In Denmark

You’ve heard the stories. The infamous Bermuda Triangle is a place that most captains are likely afraid to go through, and with good reason. Ships mysteriously have a history of disappearing in the boundaries of this location. However, maybe people should have been looking in Denmark instead. When Ursula is found out for trying to trick Eric, she turns into a massive octopus and brings up sunken ships of the past. The number seems to be numerous. If this was a problem, why were there no villagers in the nearby town expressing concern for the weird “happenings” of the sea? How many of these has she destroyed? Has she been responsible for numerous deaths? Was anyone doing anything about this? This could have been an interesting plot point for a spinoff.

8 Cat Got Your Tongue?

So, this is a common thing that happens in a lot of movies featuring animals. It happened in The Lion King and Aladdin. If an animal is not a primary character, there is a high chance they will not be allowed to speak in the film. This is weird if a large number of the animals do have speaking parts in the movie.

As a kid, we never thought twice about this.

In our childhood brains, this all made sense, but as an adult…this is absurd. Why would Sebastian and Flounder be allowed to wail and sing all through the movie, while poor ole Max has to settle for barking? Most the animals in the film can talk except for Eric’s dog, Max. Why is this? Is something wrong with him?

7 A Wasted Day

At this point, you are probably thinking that we are overthinking this movie. You are likely right, but you cannot deny there are some questionable details that this movie leaves out or glosses over. Hey, if we are going to watch a mermaid defy logic and get human legs…shouldn’t it be done right? Well as you know, Ariel had three days to get Eric to kiss her. However, we only see the first two. For some reason, we never find out what Ariel did on the third day. Did she just sleep in? Did she decide not to do anything? Where was she on this third day? If this is true, Ariel clearly didn’t have the fight in her that we thought. If the love of our life were getting tricked into marrying another…we would have been on it up until the clock struck midnight.

6 Okay…So Let’s Throw Physics And Laws Of Nature To The Wind!

Everyone knows that a party isn’t jumping unless the Disney trio, Mickey, Goofy, and Donald are there. They have shown up in other films, but their inclusion in this one seemed a bit impossible because of where it is set. When Triton arrives at the arena in the beginning of the movie, viewers can see Mickey, Goofy, and Donald in the audience.

No Disney movie is complete without an appearance from one of the original trio. 

They are mammals…how in the world are they able to breathe underwater without some assistance? This movie has allowed people to speak underwater without air bubbles, experience the light of the sun while deep in the ocean, and magically move fish from one continent to another without explanation. Why should we be surprised about this development at this point?