Mulan is the story of how a young girl living in Imperial China took the place of her father in the army, and risking her own life, fought in a dangerous war, while pretending to be a man named “Ping.” Mulan single highhandedly saved China, and yet she is a severely under-appreciated figure in the world of Disney.

What is more impressive than a young woman who saved her own country from the quickly approaching Hun army? In most people’s eyes, not much, but there must be something more attractive to little girls about the actual “princesses” of Disney.

We all know the story of Cinderella; she went to the ball, fell in love, and married her Prince Charming. In fact, all of the other beloved Disney princess movies end in with the damsel being swept off her feet by the man of her dreams.

All these girls did was put on a dress, flutter their eyelashes, and attract a man who happened to be of royal lineage, which is not half as brave or inspirational as what Mulan did.

And yet, every Halloween, there are hundreds of little Snow Whites and Belles running around, impersonating their role models.

But what did these princesses do to win the hearts of these little girls?

Well, Ariel from The Little Mermaid traded her voice and tail for a pair of legs, so she could follow a man who she barely knew around. And Aurora from Sleeping Beauty slept. That’s it. She was getting her beauty sleep when she was awoken by her “true love,” whom she also had only just met.

Obviously, these women were not at all independent or self-sufficient, unlike Mulan, who was able to make her own decisions, and obviously was perfectly able to survive without a prince to hold her hand.

So girls, if you want to grow up to be a strong and independent person, take a peek at Disney’s Mulan. You will definitely learn something useful from her, rather than the other subservient princesses.