Artist explores the ‘evil’ side of Disney’s famous princesses

There’s something about our Disney princesses that seems to remain sacrosanct. We love our princesses just the way they are, thank you very much. So whenever Disney rolls out an ill-advised “makeover,” like the subtle sexualizing of Merida from Pixar’s Brave earlier this year, the move tends to be met with considerable backlash.

It’s as though fans are fighting against anyone, including the company that created them, who wants to rearrange their childhood memories.

But what if an artist reimagined these saccharine sweethearts as evil badasses?

Also see: Here's how Snow White would have really dressed

Character designer and story artist Jeffrey Thomas decided to tackle that “what if” and the results are impressive. While his menacing sea creature with the seafood fork for a hand formerly known as Ariel from The Little Mermaid is certainly not for everyone, you have to admire the creativity and skill involved in making the sweet, red-haired songstress look downright scary.

Though the portraits were first published in 2009, they’ve gone viral again thanks to a recent mention in Mashable.

The popular website notes that Burbank, Calif.-based Thomas honed in on one recognizable characteristic about each princess – Rapunzel’s hair, Maid Marian’s archery skill, Cinderella’s pumpkin – and flipped these details to make them a key component of the chaos.

For those who prefer their fictional characters with a little more complexity, Thomas’s evil princess portraits showcase the duality in human nature and how easy it can be to flit between light and dark impulses.

Also see: 'Sexist' Disney princess still making waves

Other notable portraits in this band of misfits include a fierce-eyed huntress Mulan and a creepy Alice in Wonderland that does Tim Burton proud.

Zombie Esmeralda should be a favourite for fans of the undead.

Thomas, who is not professionally linked to Disney, also has some terrific work in his online portfolio that’s worth a peek.

Game of Thrones fans may appreciate his skillful rendering of the Mother of Dragons herself, Daenerys Targaryen, while those who love Japanese anime style will find a catalogue of portraits from Nickelodeon’s Legend of Korra series, as well as some original work from the artist’s fertile imagination.