Disney's Top 5 Dragons

Once upon a time I felt like the blog was saturated by Disney posts. However, we’ve lately been short on Disney. I don’t know why; it’s not like Joe or I have stopped watching Disney movies. Though, to be fair, the Disney movies I watch tend to be the ones my older daughter is obsessed with (lately she just wants Cocomelon or Bebefin…). So since we’ve had a shortage of Disney posts and 2024 is the Year of the Dragon, I wanted to share five of my favorite Disney dragons (and one honorable mention).

1. Mushu (Mulan)

I think anyone that knew me in college would be surprised if Mushu weren’t first on this list. The reason why? My red Subaru was named Mushu. A wise-cracking dragon voiced by Eddie Murphy. What’s not to like? Mulan is one of the movies I continually get more and more out of and part of that is because of Mushu and his quotable lines. Plus, when it all comes down to it, Mushu was insecure and just wanted to stop feeling invisible. Who can’t empathize with that? Now his actions in the sequel... we tend to just forget that movie happened.

2. Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty)

A list of Disney dragons can’t be complete without this classic right? Talk about holding a grudge. Modern Disney movies might include themes of generational trauma and internal turmoil as their villains, but back in the day we had straight up pettiness and grudge-holding as a villain. While the live-action movies tried to make Maleficent more nuanced, I think there’s also something to be said for the contrast of black and white good/evil, like Maleficent.

3. Narissa (Enchanted)

Another wise-cracking dragon/witch. She was a hyperbolic representation of Maleficent, Lady Tremaine, and the Evil Queen rolled into one, but she had the sass of Queen Regina from Once Upon a Time. And despite how naive Edward and Giselle were, the Queen of Andalasia was as clever as they come. 

4. Sisu (Raya and the Last Dragon)

Raya and the Last Dragon wasn’t my favorite Disney movie by any stretch, but my toddler went through a phase when she only wanted to watch Raya. So I got plenty of exposure to Sisu. After seeing Shang Chi, I grew to love Awkwafina’s comedic timing. To get that again in animated form was adorable. Plus, even if I didn’t love the movie, I love Sisu’s mentality of trying to trust people. We can’t make the world a better place if we don’t try to trust each other, right?

5. Blazey (Onward)

So I know the pet dragon played a minor role in the movie, but come on guys. It’s a dragon that’s basically a puppy! This is exactly the kind of adorable fire-breather that Hagrid wanted when he watched Norbert(a). Obviously the more prominent dragon in the movie was the curse/rubble dragon at the end. But again, dragon puppy! The only reason Blazey is so low on the list is because he didn’t get the central role he deserved.

Honorable Mention: Figment (Walt Disney World)

I can’t say Figment is my favorite, but I feel I’d be doing a disservice to my brother’s boyfriend if I didn't mention him. I had never heard of Figment until we went to Disney World in 2019. Florida in the summer with a pregnant, nauseous wife is not fun for anyone. So all the indoor air-conditioned attractions were a much needed reprieve. Figment has appeared in iterations of “Journey into Imagination” at Epcot and he’s a dorky lovable dragon.

Obviously there are Disney dragons I didn't talk about, like Madame Mim's dragon form, Elliot, or Sisu's siblings to name a few. So make sure you let us know which Disney dragon is your favorite. Happy Year of the Dragon!