The Little Mermaid remake gave new backstory to many beloved characters in the film, including the true story of what happened to Ariel’s mother.

As part of remaking Disney's animated hit, The Little Mermaid, the film added a variety of new backstories to characters like Prince Eric and Ursula, but another character who got a bit more screen time despite never physically appearing in the movie was Ariel's mother. 2023's The Little Mermaid is a live-action remake of the 1989 animated movie of the same name, based on the fairy tale by Hands Christian Andersen. The movie follows teenage mermaid Ariel whose curiosity about the human world leads her to a treacherous deal with a sea witch and an unlikely romance between her and a human prince.

The new information and details presented in The Little Mermaid offered some much-needed explanations about certain pre-existing and beloved characters. For example, Ursula's vendetta against King Triton makes more sense when it is revealed that she is his forgotten sister. Additionally, Eric and Ariel'sstory is made better when audiences learn that Eric loves exploration and adventure. In a similar way, The Little Mermaid remake gives a more fleshed-out story to Ariel's mother, who passed away before the start of the film.

Ariel's Mother Was Killed By Humans In The Little Mermaid

In The Little Mermaid remake, it is revealed that Ariel's mother was killed by humans. While the actual act isn't described in detail, Ariel mentions that there was only one man that killed her mother, and furthermore, the reason her murder occurred was because of her obsession with land and humans. Ultimately, this encounter ended with Ariel's mother's tragic death, which led to many changes to the underwater kingdom Ariel lives in.

Namely, Ariel's mother's death is a major reason why Ariel has never seen the surface, and also, why she is so curious about humans. In the film, it is implied that before the mother's death, the ocean and land were more connected, but after, Triton banned merpeople from going to the surface at all. So, while Ariel inherited her mother's love of knowledge, she cannot act on it because of her mother's death. Ariel attempts to argue that the murder doesn't mean that all humans are bad, but the event clearly had a significant impact on Triton's view of humans and his family.

Was Ariel's Mother Dead In The Original Little Mermaid Movie?

Although The Little Mermaid remake references Ariel's mother's death frequently, the original animated film doesn't offer much in the way of explanation. While it is known that her mother perished, there is no story attached to the event. However, much later, in 2008, an animated The Little Mermaid prequel revealed that Ariel's mother was crushed by a pirate ship during an altercation between humans and merpeople. Therefore, Disney did offer some explanation for Ariel's mother's death, however, it did not become a well-known story because it appeared many years after the original film was released.

Overall, The Little Mermaid remake succeeded in giving Ariel's mother a proper story. Although she does not physically appear in the film, the impact and explanation of her death is vital to the The Little Mermaid story. According to the remake, the event is actually a major factor in Ariel's story and personality. Therefore, the story of Ariel's mother is important to the rest of the film and fixes a plot hole from the original film.