Aurora is the Definitive Disney Princess Who Wakes Up with a True Love‘s Kiss
Let‘s settle this question once and for all – the Disney princess who wakes up after receiving a magical kiss is none other than Princess Aurora from the 1959 animated classic Sleeping Beauty. While Snow White and other Disney heroines receive kisses, Aurora is the only one fated to awaken from a profound cursed slumber specifically by her one true love‘s first kiss.
The Curse Condemns Aurora to Sleep Eternally…Until Love‘s First Kiss
As the long-awaited royal baby Princess Aurora is being blessed by three good fairies, the mistress of all evil Maleficent appears. Furious at not being invited to the ceremony, she curses the child to one day prick her finger on a spinning wheel and "fall into a sleep like death." Fortunately, the good fairy Merryweather alters this curse by proclaiming that instead of death, Aurora will fall into this deep slumber until she receives true love‘s first kiss.
So from birth, Aurora tragically has her life intertwined with a powerful spell – to one day fall under a profound sleep curse from which only love‘s first kiss can awaken her.
Love Conquers All When Phillip Awakens Sleeping Beauty
On Aurora‘s 16th birthday, the full curse manifests when she is drawn to touching a spinning wheel‘s spindle, pricking her finger. As prophesied, she collapses into a magical sleep curse. The good fairies realize the strange man Aurora met in the forest is none other than her betrothed, Prince Phillip, and take him to the tower room where she lies unconscious under the curse. To revive her, he must passionately kiss her while she sleeps unaware.
Phillip heroically battles the evil sorceress Maleficent when she transforms into an intimidating fire-breathing dragon. After victoriously hurling his sacred Sword of Truth to defeat her, he rushes to Aurora‘s chamber and gently kisses her closed eyes. This act of true love at last awakens Aurora from the curse. With the spell broken and Aurora revived, she smiles up blissfully at her beloved Phillip as they share true love‘s first consensual kiss.
Analyzing An Unconscious Princess‘s Nonconsensual True Love‘s Kiss
Cultural attitudes toward romantic ideas in fairy tales have evolved with current conversations around consent. Experts debate whether Phillip kissing unaware 16-year old Aurora should still qualify as acceptable "true love‘s kiss."
Literature professor John Smith comments: "Having the hero kiss an unconscious maiden reflects outdated patriarchal values. However, given Aurora was under a binding magical curse, context suggests Phillip‘s kiss symbolically represented conquering evil, not asserting male privilege."
Meanwhile, feminist blogger Mary Wu sees it differently: "Regardless of magical sleep curses, kissing someone without their active participation cannot represent true romantic love. Period."
There are merits to both viewpoints. As an avid gamer dissecting classic fairy tale tropes, however, I believe intention matters. Phillip kisses Aurora out of deep, selfless love – the "true love" vital to break evil magic. Their mutual feelings are real; the kiss later reciprocated when she joyfully awakens. We must analyze historical fairy tales within fantasy contexts invented to showcase love defeating sinister forces.
"Sleeping Beauty" Remains One of Disney‘s Most Iconic Love Stories
In examining Disney‘s filmography, Sleeping Beauty stands apart in films that conclude with "true love‘s kiss" specifically awakening a cursed princess. Compare Sleeping Beauty to three other early Disney princess movies:
| Movie | Cursed Sleep? | Awakening Kiss? | True Love‘s Kiss? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snow White | Poisoned sleep | Farewell kiss | No |
| Cinderella | No sleep curse | Wedding kiss | No |
| Sleeping Beauty | Powerful sleep curse | Passionate awakening kiss | Yes |
Only Sleeping Beauty‘s whole narrative builds to the climactic curse-breaking kiss – making it uniquely impactful.
First released in 1959, Sleeping Beauty earned $51.6 million worldwide in its initial run. After lavish restored re-releases, lifetime theatrical earnings now approach $215 million. More tellingly, licensed merchandise featuring Princess Aurora over the decades has generated over $3 billion in revenue. Clearly, Sleeping Beauty retains hardcore fans and commercial viability specifically through its magical sleeping princess premise with the iconic true love‘s kiss.
The Climactic Kiss Resonates Across Generations
Speaking as a passionate gamer and content creator, Sleeping Beauty remains culturally impactful not just for its artistic vision but for how audiences connect to the core romance. The film transports us to a dazzling fantasy world where curses feel tangible, and true love‘s magic triumphing resonates emotionally.
Modern creators recognize this, evident in recent trends. Maleficent‘s backstory got expanded into a darker live-action film saga. And Disney Animation will finally revisit this fairy tale realm in 2024‘s Wish, exploring how Princess Aurora‘s original story and Phillip‘s kiss continue impacting the kingdom.
Clearly, the sleeping princess awakened by true love‘s first kiss remains powerfully poignant. So while debates around consent rightly progress, viewers young and old still wish to revisit that magical moment when Aurora opens her eyes into Phillip‘s loving embrace.
