Ariel (Character)

"You come from a world that's all water. And here you are, in the desert, being so incredibly strong. You deserve whatever your heart is set on."

- Jasmine to Ariel

Ariel, also known as the Little Mermaid, is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. She débuts in the sixth episode of the third season. She is portrayed by guest star JoAnna Garcia Swisher, and does not have a Storybrooke counterpart.

Ariel is based on the titular character from the fairy tale, "The Little Mermaid"; and the character of the same name from the Disney film The Little Mermaid.

Magical Abilities

 * Mermaid Magic - Abilities possessed by mermaids.

Trivia

 * -|Character Notes=

Character Notes

 * Ariel is featured in the title card for "Ariel".


 * -|Production Notes=

Production Notes

 * Ariel was already rumored to be introduced back in Season One. At that time, producers were after JoAnna Garcia Swisher to guest star during the season.
 * Ariel was first announced at the 2013 San Diego Comic Con with a teaser featuring her stealing a fork from Leroy's lunchbox.
 * Adam Horowitz describes Ariel as "Adventurous. Spitfire. Romantic."
 * Despite playing the role of a mermaid, JoAnna cannot swim in real life. Her stunt double was used to do the scenes where Ariel is swimming.


 * -|Cultural References=

Disney

 * While in the Mr. Gold's shop, Ariel says, "Look at this stuff", which are the first words to the Disney song "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid.


 * -|Set Notes=

Costume Notes

 * Ariel's purple bag which she uses for her collection is the same one she used to keep the seashell Mr. Gold gave her.
 * Ariel's bracelet was made by Vancouver-based accessories designer Medicina Designs.


 * -|Other Notes=

Other Notes

 * Ariel is alluded to in the Season Two DVD extra non-canon "Good Morning Storybrooke", when Eric writes a letter to Dr. Whale saying, "Dear Doctor, I recently found out that my girlfriend is a mermaid. My problem—I'm a leg man. Can we ever be happy?"

Appearances
Note: "Archive" denotes archive footage.