Disney Re-Renders Princess Tiana's Skin Color in “Wreck-It Ralph 2” Sequel after Anti-Racism Criticism

Nagini Shree |Sep 25, 2018

Disney has been forced to change the first black princess’s skin after being faced complaints that the skin tone of the black Disney princess Tiana had been lighter as well as a narrower nose, Elsa-like nose.

After the release of the teaser for Wreck-It Ralph 2, fans noticed that the black Princess Tina’s appearance looked lighter-skinned and more Euro-centric than she did in previous promotional material from the movie. Her skin was lighter; her nose appeared slimmer, and her corkscrew curls became gentle waves. Some people required Disney animators to go back to the drawing board.

*The noticeable changes in Princess Tiana's representation in Wreck-It Ralph 2 (left) and the original Tiana in 2009's The Princess and the Frog (right)*

A large number of people including Color of Change, an anti-racism charity accused Disney of whitewashing the character. Colour of Change also called on Disney to "stop whitewashing." They confirmed that Disney Animation needed to commit "restoring Tiana to her original form to ensure authenticity.”

Disney had arranged a meeting with Anika Noni Rose, who is the voice of Tiana and Color of Change. They decided to redesign in Tiana’s appearance together. Wreck-It Ralph is going to hit theatres in November. But the initial trailers in August unquestionably left fans majorly disappointed with substantial changes in the beloved character of Princess Tiana’s appearance. Tina appeared in a trailer for “Wreck-It Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet” along with Cinderella, Snow White, and Moana…

Princess Tiana has been the only black Disney princess since debuted in 2008. The Princess and The Frog follow Tiana - a brave girl who aspires to open her restaurant in New Orleans. Her journey started when she encountered Prince Naveen, who has been morphed into a frog. Following the criticism, Disney has darkened Disney Princess Tiana’s completion and changed some features on her face, so she looks more like the original animated character.

Viewers considered Disney’s decision to restore Princess Tiana to her original depiction as a “victory” for the black community.