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** It's unclear how Marina found the Catfish Club.
** It's also unclear how Sebastian knew the position of the music box, considering that it's a bit improbable that in ten years it remained in the exact same place.

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** It's unclear how Ariel's first visit to the Catfish Club shows that the hideout has a carefully planned out entrance procedure with multiple security checkpoints. Later, after Marina comes into the girls' room to find Ariel and her sisters missing, she's next shown having somehow tracked them to the club. How Marina found the Catfish Club.
club, or managed to get through or avoid the various security measures in order to enter it, is never shown or explained.
** It's also unclear how Sebastian knew leads Ariel to the position location of the her late mother's music box, considering that it's a bit improbable that implied to be where it landed when Triton threw it in ten years it remained in anger after her death. How and when Sebastian found the exact same place.box, or how it somehow managed to stay in this one position under the sea for an entire decade, is never made clear.



* ArtisticLicenseBiology: There are some... ...''problems'' with how Marina's pet electric eels are portrayed. Not only do they look more monstrous and threatening than the real deal, they clearly are oversized and live in the ocean, whereas they actually inhabit freshwater habitats.

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* ArtisticLicenseBiology: There are some... ...''problems'' with how Marina's Marina has a swarm of pet electric eels. These eels are portrayed. Not not only do they look larger and much more monstrous and threatening looking than the their real deal, they clearly are oversized and live in the ocean, whereas they counterparts, but real electric eels actually inhabit freshwater habitats.habitats, rather than the deeper ocean where the film takes place.



* CallBack: Flounder closes Ariel's JawDrop in reaction to seeing Sebastian sing the same way Scuttle closes Sebastian's in the first film.

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* CallBack: CallForward:
** The prologue shows Ariel's mother Athena being killed by human pirates. In addition to setting up this film's conflict with his ban on music, this is also heavily implied to be the cause of Triton's [[FantasticRacism hatred of humans]], and why he forbids Ariel from going to the surface in the first film.
**
Flounder closes Ariel's JawDrop in reaction to seeing Sebastian sing sing, the same way Scuttle closes Sebastian's in the first film.


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* CoversAlwaysLie: The film's main poster depicts a teenage Ariel and her sisters alongside Athena and a younger, darker-haired Triton. Ariel's parents are only depicted this way in the prologue when Ariel and her sisters are still children, as Athena dies in the DownerBeginning while Triton has his more iconic older design for the main narrative.


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* SavedByCanon: Ariel has a DisneyDeath in the film's climax. Given that the movie is a prequel, it's inevitable that she survives.

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* AdaptationalPersonalityChange: Prior to this film, some of Ariel's sisters were previously [[ADayInTheLimelight given some spotlight]] in the 1992 ''Little Mermaid'' TV show. Due to this film ignoring the show, the sisters are completely different from how they were presented there. In particular, Arista goes from a JerkWithAHeartOfGold who [[BigSisterBully bosses Ariel around]] to an exciteable, naive GeniusDitz.



* AlliterativeFamily: Athena and her daughters Alana, Adella, Aquata, Attina, Arista, Andrina, and Ariel.

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* AlliterativeFamily: Athena In addition to Ariel and her daughters six sisters - Alana, Adella, Aquata, Attina, Arista, Andrina, Arista and Ariel.Andrina - this film also reveals that her mother's name was Athena. This is PlayedForLaughs early on, when Aquata gets into a squabble with Arista over the latter taking her things, arguing that they clearly have her initials on them.
-->'''Attina:''' ''(annoyed)'' All of our names start with A, Aquata.


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* AlternateContinuity: {{ZigZagged}}. While it still maintains continuity with [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid the original film]], ''Ariel's Beginning'' has no connection to [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1992 the previous prequel series]], and gives the characters completely different backstories to the ones shown there.


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* DarkerAndEdgier: While it has its share of humor and music, the film's plot primarily revolves around Ariel's family grieving for her late mother, and the depressive state that Triton in particular fell into because of it, making it by far the heaviest and most sombre instalment of the franchise.
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Corrected oversight.


* AmbiguousSituaton:

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* AmbiguousSituaton:AmbiguousSituation:

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For Want Of A Nail is no longer a trope and Ariel's Beginning is actually a prequel to The Little Mermaid and Return to the Sea.


!Spoilers for this film will be marked as usual. However, due to its nature as the sequel to both ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaidIIReturnToTheSea'', ''THOSE'' film's spoilers are unmarked here. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned!



* AmbiguousSituation:

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* AmbiguousSituation:AmbiguousSituaton:



* ForWantOfANail: If Athena hadn't tried to save the music box when the pirate ship attacks, or if she would've taken the music box with her before escaping underwater, she wouldn't have been killed and music wouldn't have been banned in the first place.

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!Spoilers for this film will be marked as usual. However, due to its nature as the sequel to both ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaidIIReturnToTheSea'', ''THOSE'' film's spoilers are unmarked here. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned!



''The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning'' is the 2008 DirectToVideo {{Prequel}} to Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}}'' and, as of 2023, the last of a very long chain of DTV Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon sequels, prequels, and midquels after Creator/JohnLasseter took charge of Disney's animation department and killed any future films of this nature. (The rise of 3D animation no doubt played no small part in this as well.) [[note]]Ironically, the only movie in said chain with a story set entirely before its predecessor (predecessors, in this case).[[/note]] This film reveals the cause of King Triton's fear and hatred of humans to be the death of his beloved Queen Athena, Ariel's mother.

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''The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning'' is the 2008 DirectToVideo {{Prequel}} to Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}}'' ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989'' and, as of 2023, the last of a very long chain of DTV Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon sequels, prequels, and midquels after Creator/JohnLasseter took charge of Disney's animation department and killed any future films of this nature. (The rise of 3D animation no doubt played no small part in this as well.) [[note]]Ironically, the only movie in said chain with a story set entirely before its predecessor (predecessors, in this case).[[/note]] This film reveals the cause of King Triton's fear and hatred of humans to be the death of his beloved Queen Athena, Ariel's mother.
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Tweaked wording.


''The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning'' is the 2008 DirectToVideo {{Prequel}} to Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}}'', and currently the last of a very long chain of DTV Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon sequels, prequels, and midquels after Creator/JohnLasseter took charge of Disney's animation department and killed any future films of this nature. (The rise of 3D animation no doubt played no small part in this as well.) [[note]]Ironically, the only movie in said chain with a story set entirely before its predecessor (predecessors, in this case).[[/note]] This film reveals the cause of King Triton's fear and hatred of humans to be the death of his beloved Queen Athena, Ariel's mother.

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''The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning'' is the 2008 DirectToVideo {{Prequel}} to Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}}'', and currently Mermaid|1989}}'' and, as of 2023, the last of a very long chain of DTV Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon sequels, prequels, and midquels after Creator/JohnLasseter took charge of Disney's animation department and killed any future films of this nature. (The rise of 3D animation no doubt played no small part in this as well.) [[note]]Ironically, the only movie in said chain with a story set entirely before its predecessor (predecessors, in this case).[[/note]] This film reveals the cause of King Triton's fear and hatred of humans to be the death of his beloved Queen Athena, Ariel's mother.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


''The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning'' is the 2008 DirectToVideo {{Prequel}} to Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}}'', and the last of a very long chain of DTV Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon sequels, prequels, and midquels after Creator/JohnLasseter took charge of Disney's animation department and killed any future films of this nature.[[note]]Ironically, the only movie in said chain with a story set entirely before its predecessor (predecessors, in this case).[[/note]] This film reveals the cause of King Triton's fear and hatred of humans to be the death of his beloved Queen Athena, Ariel's mother.

to:

''The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning'' is the 2008 DirectToVideo {{Prequel}} to Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}}'', and currently the last of a very long chain of DTV Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon sequels, prequels, and midquels after Creator/JohnLasseter took charge of Disney's animation department and killed any future films of this nature.nature. (The rise of 3D animation no doubt played no small part in this as well.) [[note]]Ironically, the only movie in said chain with a story set entirely before its predecessor (predecessors, in this case).[[/note]] This film reveals the cause of King Triton's fear and hatred of humans to be the death of his beloved Queen Athena, Ariel's mother.
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* CallBack: Flounder closes Ariel's JawDrop in reaction to seeing Sebastian sing the same way Scuttle closes Sebastian's in the first film.
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''The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning'' is the 2008 DirectToVideo {{Prequel}} to Disney's ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid'', and the last of a very long chain of DTV Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon sequels, prequels, and midquels after Creator/JohnLasseter took charge of Disney's animation department and killed any future films of this nature.[[note]]Ironically, the only movie in said chain with a story set entirely before its predecessor (predecessors, in this case).[[/note]] This film reveals the cause of King Triton's fear and hatred of humans to be the death of his beloved Queen Athena, Ariel's mother.

During a family excursion on the surface, Triton (Creator/JimCummings) gives his queen Athena (Lorelei Hill Butters) a music box. A pirate ship appears, and Athena is killed while attempting to save the music box. Heartbroken, Triton bans all music from Atlantica.

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''The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning'' is the 2008 DirectToVideo {{Prequel}} to Disney's ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid'', ''WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}}'', and the last of a very long chain of DTV Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon sequels, prequels, and midquels after Creator/JohnLasseter took charge of Disney's animation department and killed any future films of this nature.[[note]]Ironically, the only movie in said chain with a story set entirely before its predecessor (predecessors, in this case).[[/note]] This film reveals the cause of King Triton's fear and hatred of humans to be the death of his beloved Queen Athena, Ariel's mother.

During a family excursion on the surface, Triton (Creator/JimCummings) (Creator/{{Jim Cummings|1952}}) gives his queen Athena (Lorelei Hill Butters) a music box. A pirate ship appears, and Athena is killed while attempting to save the music box. Heartbroken, Triton bans all music from Atlantica.



Followed in chronological order by ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid''.

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Followed in chronological order by ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid''.
''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989''.

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* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Seeing how Ariel run from home because of his actions, Triton realizes how badly he screwed up after seeing Ariel took a hit for Sebastian and thinking she died, unconsciously letting go of the music box.

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* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Seeing how Ariel run from home because of his actions, Triton realizes how badly he screwed up after seeing [[spoiler:seeing Ariel took take a hit for Sebastian and thinking she died, unconsciously letting go of the music box.box]].


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* NoMusicAllowed: Triton creates the music ban because Queen Athena died going back for the music box he had given her. He is consumed by grief for the next ten years and subjects the kingdom to misery with him. It’s not until [[spoiler:Ariel runs away and rediscovers the music box that Triton sees the error of his ways and finally resolves his grief by letting music flourish in Atlantica again]].
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* BareYourMidriff: Seems to be the standard for mermaids, due to the {{Seashell Bra}}s.

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* BareYourMidriff: Seems to be the standard for mermaids, due to the BareMidriffsAreFeminine: As always, mermaids are dressed in {{Seashell Bra}}s.Bra}}s (except for the older, uglier mermaid Marina), whereas mermen go around bare-chested.
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Expanding.


''The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning'' is a 2008 DirectToVideo {{Prequel}} to Disney's ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid'', and the last of a very long chain of DTV Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon sequels, prequels, and midquels after Creator/JohnLasseter took charge of Disney's animation department and killed any future films of this nature.[[note]]Ironically, the only movie in said chain with a story set entirely before its predecessor (predecessors, in this case).[[/note]] This film reveals the cause of King Triton's fear and hatred of humans to be the death of his beloved Queen Athena, Ariel's mother.

During a family excursion on the surface, Triton gives his queen a music box. A pirate ship appears, and Athena is killed while attempting to save the music box. Heartbroken, Triton bans all music from Atlantica.

Years later, a now teenage Ariel, dissatisfied with life, joins an illicit music club. Meanwhile, the princesses' governess Marina Del Ray, with the help of her manatee assistant Benjamin, is plotting to get Sebastian's job as Triton's right-hand man.

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''The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning'' is a the 2008 DirectToVideo {{Prequel}} to Disney's ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid'', and the last of a very long chain of DTV Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon sequels, prequels, and midquels after Creator/JohnLasseter took charge of Disney's animation department and killed any future films of this nature.[[note]]Ironically, the only movie in said chain with a story set entirely before its predecessor (predecessors, in this case).[[/note]] This film reveals the cause of King Triton's fear and hatred of humans to be the death of his beloved Queen Athena, Ariel's mother.

During a family excursion on the surface, Triton (Creator/JimCummings) gives his queen Athena (Lorelei Hill Butters) a music box. A pirate ship appears, and Athena is killed while attempting to save the music box. Heartbroken, Triton bans all music from Atlantica.

Years later, a now teenage Ariel, Ariel (Creator/JodiBenson), dissatisfied with life, joins an illicit music club. Meanwhile, the princesses' governess Marina Del Ray, Ray (Creator/SallyField), with the help of her manatee assistant Benjamin, Benjamin (Creator/JeffBennett), is plotting to get Sebastian's (Creator/SamuelEWright, in his final film appearance) job as Triton's right-hand man.

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A 2008 DirectToVideo {{Prequel}} to Disney's ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid'', and the last of a very long chain of DTV Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon sequels, prequels, and midquels after Creator/JohnLasseter took charge of Disney's animation department and killed any future films of this nature.[[note]]Ironically, the only movie in said chain with a story set entirely before its predecessor (predecessors, in this case).[[/note]] This film reveals the cause of King Triton's fear and hatred of humans to be the death of his beloved Queen Athena, Ariel's mother.

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A ''The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning'' is a 2008 DirectToVideo {{Prequel}} to Disney's ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid'', and the last of a very long chain of DTV Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon sequels, prequels, and midquels after Creator/JohnLasseter took charge of Disney's animation department and killed any future films of this nature.[[note]]Ironically, the only movie in said chain with a story set entirely before its predecessor (predecessors, in this case).[[/note]] This film reveals the cause of King Triton's fear and hatred of humans to be the death of his beloved Queen Athena, Ariel's mother.



!!''The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning'' contains examples of:

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!!''The Little Mermaid: Ariel's !!''Ariel's Beginning'' contains examples of:
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* AndStarring: The cast roll here ends with "and Creator/SallyField as Marina Del Rey".
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* DystopianEdict: "All music is forbidden in the kingdom!"
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* OminousClouds: While the merfolk were playing amongst a rocky shore of a seaside pool, dark clouds begin rolling across the sky just before a pirate ship appears to steal their treasures. Even [[TheNarrator Sebastian]] points out the change in both the sky and the [[TroubledBackstoryFlashback mood of the flashback]] before the real tragedy hits with the ship crashing into both the rocks and Queen Athena:
-> '''Sebastian''': ''"But even the brightest days can be darkened by an unseen tempest."''

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* AmbiguousSituation: It's unclear how Marina found the Catfish Club.

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* AmbiguousSituation: AmbiguousSituation:
**
It's unclear how Marina found the Catfish Club.
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* AmbiguousSituation: It's unclear how Marina found the Catfish Club.
** It's also unclear how Sebastian knew the position of the music box, considering that it's a bit improbable that in ten years it remained in the exact same place.


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* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Seeing how Ariel run from home because of his actions, Triton realizes how badly he screwed up after seeing Ariel took a hit for Sebastian and thinking she died, unconsciously letting go of the music box.


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* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Marina is tipped off by the seven sisters being up early. That cause her to find out that they left during the night.
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* TakingTheBullet: Ariel dives right in front of Sebastian, taking the blow meant for him by Marina, causing her to fall into a trench with her unconscious.
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Trope deprecated per TRS


* FamousLastWords: Athena just moments before her tragic sacrifice.
-->'''Athena:''' Our song.
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A 2008 DirectToVideo {{Prequel}} to Disney's ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid'', and the last of a very long chain of DTV Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon sequels, prequels, and midquels after [[Creator/PixarRegulars John Lasseter]] took charge of Disney's animation department and killed any future films of this nature.[[note]]Ironically, the only movie in said chain with a story set entirely before its predecessor (predecessors, in this case).[[/note]] This film reveals the cause of King Triton's fear and hatred of humans to be the death of his beloved Queen Athena, Ariel's mother.

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A 2008 DirectToVideo {{Prequel}} to Disney's ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid'', and the last of a very long chain of DTV Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon sequels, prequels, and midquels after [[Creator/PixarRegulars John Lasseter]] Creator/JohnLasseter took charge of Disney's animation department and killed any future films of this nature.[[note]]Ironically, the only movie in said chain with a story set entirely before its predecessor (predecessors, in this case).[[/note]] This film reveals the cause of King Triton's fear and hatred of humans to be the death of his beloved Queen Athena, Ariel's mother.
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Removing redundant mention of the character sheets.


'''Character tropes go on the [[Characters/TheLittleMermaid series' character page]]'''.
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Adding character trope note

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'''Character tropes go on the [[Characters/TheLittleMermaid series' character page]]'''.

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'''Please move any character tropes to the appropriate [[Characters/TheLittleMermaid character page]]'''.
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* TwoDVisualsThreeDEffects: The pirate ship in the beginning is made with computer 3-D animation.

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* LittleSisterHeroine: Ariel herself, the youngest of the seven.
* MassiveNumberedSiblings: Ariel has six older sisters: Aquata, Andrina, Arista, Attina, Adella, and Alana.

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* LittleSisterHeroine: Ariel herself, the youngest of the seven.
* MassiveNumberedSiblings: Ariel has Ariel's a LittleSisterHeroine with six older sisters: sisters named (from oldest to youngest): Attina, Alana, Adella, Aquata, Andrina, Arista, Attina, Adella, Arista and Alana.Adrina.



* TheReveal: The facts that Athena [[StrongFamilyResemblance looks exactly like Ariel]] [[spoiler:aside from the eye color]] and lost her life to pirates explain why Triton hated humans so much and why he was so protective of his baby.

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* TheReveal: The facts that Athena [[StrongFamilyResemblance looks exactly like Ariel]] [[spoiler:aside from the (except for their eye color]] colors) and lost her life to pirates explain explains why Triton hated humans so much and why he was so protective of his baby.youngest daughter.



* StrongFamilyResemblance: Ariel strongly resembles her mother, only Athena has green eyes.

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* StrongFamilyResemblance: Ariel strongly resembles her mother, Out all seven Princesses of Atlantica, Ariel's the one who looks the most like Athena--in fact, the only real physical difference between being their eye colors (Ariel has blue eyes while Athena has green eyes.eyes).
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* JawDrop: After discovering the secret underground music club, Ariel has this reaction when she sees Sebastian singing.
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* OhCrap: Athena's final moments as she realizes she's too late to escape the pirate ship. Triton has the same just before she gets hit.

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* OhCrap: [[https://2.gall-img.com/tdgall/files/attach/images/82/670/661/118/995d61c6a8a241201f8f77a51db3291f.jpg Athena's final moments as she realizes she's too late late]] to escape the pirate ship. Triton has the same just before she gets hit.
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Is there really a "III" in the title? Also, quality upgrade.


[[quoteright:374:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bde7cc93c8ca12278acdccd6ef9a429f.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:374:Every tale has a beginning, but only one begins ''Under the Sea''.]]

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[[quoteright:374:https://static.[[quoteright:299:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bde7cc93c8ca12278acdccd6ef9a429f.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:374:Every
org/pmwiki/pub/images/ariels_beginning.png]]
[[caption-width-right:299:Every
tale has a beginning, but only one begins ''Under the Sea''.]]



!!The Little Mermaid III: Ariel's Beginning contains examples of:

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!!The !!''The Little Mermaid III: Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning Beginning'' contains examples of:

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