‘Brave’s’ Merida and other animated heroines

Mulan bent traditional gender roles when she took her father's place in the Chinese army in 1998's "Mulan."

Elsa is the star of 2013's "Frozen," based on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen." It's the highest-grossing animated film of all time and it's being made into a Broadway show.

Disney is making another movie with a notable female protagonist. "Moana," coming in late 2016, is about a Polynesian girl from Oceania who goes in search of adventure.

So what if "Tangled's" Rapunzel defends herself with a frying pan and holds prisoners captive with her long, magical hair? In June, Disney announced plans for an animated series based on the 2010 movie.

Disney says Princess Elena of Avalor will draw from Latino culture. She's described as the "bold, caring, funny and clever ascendant to the throne in the fairytale kingdom of Avalor" and is set to debut in Disney Junior's "Sofia the First" series before getting her own spinoff in 2016.

Merida, a Scottish princess, sets out to break her family's curse in Disney-Pixar's 2012 film "Brave." She's a skilled archer, a good swordfighter and a pretty good horsewoman, too.

She might have traded her voice in for a pair of stems, but "The Little Mermaid's" Ariel (from the 1989 film) was still one tough chick. Would you disobey your pop if he carried a trident that granted him unlimited power? Didn't think so.

Helen "Elastigirl" Parr and her daughter, Violet, fight alongside the rest of the Incredible family to defeat Syndrome in 2004's "The Incredibles."

Belle is literate and brave. She takes care of her father, fends off an arrogant hunk and teaches table manners to an enchanted prince in 1991's "Beauty and the Beast."

"Finding Nemo's" Dory, who starred in the 2003 Pixar film, might suffer from short-term memory loss, but the brave little regal tang wasn't afraid to stand up to sharks, jellyfish and whales on the way to P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney.

Despite being abandoned by her former owner, "Toy Story's" Jessie -- a central character in "Toy Story 2" (1999) and "Toy Story 3" (2010) -- is upbeat and ready for action. She even gives Woody and Buzz Lightyear a run for their money.

From "The Princess and the Frog": Frog Prince Naveen and Princess Tiana. The ninth Disney princess and the first of African-American heritage, Tiana dreams of opening her own restaurant, but an adventure in the New Orleans bayou awaits.