The Case for Vanellope von Schweetz as Most Revolutionary Disney Princess

In 2012, the feminist blogosphere lit up with news of a revolutionary Disney princess. Merida, a Scottish princess and protagonist of Brave, had all of the qualities that a traditional Disney princess lacked. She was independent. She was physically strong. She takes control of her own destiny without being bound by traditional expectations. Sure, there may have been princesses in the past that had these qualities (Mulan, anyone?), but the most revolutionary aspect of Merida's story was that she had no love interest that influenced her path. Yes, there were suitors, but they were equally bound by traditions and their parents' expectations and barely play any role in Merida's destiny.

Basically, Merida is an awesome role model for young girls, and she is one of my favorite fictional characters of all time. But Disney released another film in 2012 that had an even more revolutionary princess. I'm talking about Vanellope von Schweetz from Wreck-It-Ralph.