High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Ariel is a fictional character and the lead protagonist of Walt Disney Pictures` twenty-eighth animated film The Little Mermaid (1989). She subsequently appears in the film`s prequel television series, direct-to-video sequel The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (where her daughter takes over as the protagonist, while Ariel is a secondary character instead) and direct-to-video prequel The Little Mermaid: Ariel`s Beginning. Ariel is voiced by Jodi Benson in all animated appearances and merchandise. She is the fourth Disney Princess and the only one to become a mother.