Tiana

Tiana is the main protagonist of Disney's 2009 animated feature film, The Princess and the Frog.

Tiana, the daughter of Eudora and the late James, is an aspiring cook and restaurant owner whose life is turned upside down when she's magically transformed into a frog and forced to partner up with the arrogant Prince Naveen, also a human-turned-frog, in order to turn human again.

Both Tiana's speaking and singing voices were provided by American actress and singer, Anika Noni Rose as an adult and by - as a little girl.

Appearance and Personality

Physical Appearance

Tiana is a very beautiful young woman of African-American heritage with medium-length, wavy blackish/brown hair, large, light brown eyes, thin, beautifully-shaped eyebrows, and two trademark dimples on her cheeks.

Personality

Despite her beauty, Tiana is a hardworking, determined, authoritative, and dutiful young woman of independence. She is a strong believer in doing things to the best of her ability, and for the majority of the film, cares little for relaxing or having fun. She is easily irritated with people who seem to have never lifted a finger in their life (especially Prince Naveen), and finds joy in success and doing things by herself.

Role in the film

Tiana was born in New Orleans, Louisiana to James and Eudora. They lived in an all-black neighborhood. Tiana has been a talented cook since she was younger, when she made food in her father's gumbo pot. She shared the dream of opening a resturaunt with her father, which her father called 'Tiana's Place'. Tiana's father told her that in order to achieve her dream, wishing on a star would only take her part of the way through, and that she needed hard work. 15 years later, when James died, she worked hard to earn enough money to achieve her goal, working two jobs, just to save up enough money to secure the ideal building for her restaurant. Despite her mother's worries, Tiana remains single minded in opening "Tiana's Place", and she tells her mother how it will all be worth, as she sings, Almost There.

Meanwhile, Prince Naveen of Maldonia has arrived in New Orleans, determined to better his financial situation. After being cut off by his parents, Naveen is forced to either marry a rich girl or get a job. It soon becomes obvious that Tiana's lovely rich best friend, Charlotte La Bouff, is the perfect choice instead of getting a job. However, lurking in the shadows is voodoo master, Dr. Facilier. Angry at the neglect he receives from the rich and powerful, Facilier ropes the money-hungry Naveen and his emotionally abused side-kick, Lawrence, into a terrible scheme that involves turning Naveen into a frog. Lawrence adopts the prince's likeness and sets out to marry Charlotte with plans to split the money with Facilier, who has some shady plans of his own.

Later that night, Tiana loses the bid to her dream restaurant. She goes to her room upset, and meets Naveen, in frog form. Naveen, thinking that Tiana is a princess, begs her to kiss him, which would brake the spell, and turn him human. Tiana eventually does, because Naveen promised that if she does, he would give her enough money to buy a resturant. However, since Tiana isn't really a princess, the kiss doesn't work, and Tiana is transformed into a frog.

At first, Tiana and Naveen are both annoyed with each other, when Tiana finds out that he was not really planning on giving her money. However, in a moment of desperation, she strikes a deal with Naveen, which demands that after he marries Charlotte, he shall buy her restaurant.

Tiana and Naveen meet a trumpet playing aligator named Louis, and a firefly named Ray, who both agree to take them to Mama Odie, a nice voodoo master, who might be able to change them back. At first, they just wish to turn human, and then part ways, but things begin to change, however, as the two mismatched frogs start to fall in love after oustmarting three frog hunters. When Tiana, Naveen, Louis, and Ray arrive to Mama Odie, who tells them that the way to turn human again, is for Naveen to kiss Tiana's friend Charlotte (who is a princess of the parade for the day), and both Tiana and Naveen would turn back to human.

On the way to find Charlotte, Tiana discovers how Naveen feels for her, and decides to stay with Naveen as a frog. However, she becomes very upset when she sees, who she thinks is Naveen, marrying Charlotte. However, it is soon revealed that it was really Lawrence in disguised.

Ray hands Tiana a talisman, which Facilier is planning on using to take over New Orleans with, and tells Tiana to make sure Facilier doesn't get it. Tiana tries to make sure that he doesn't get it, but Facilier tried to make a deal with Tiana, and tells her that he will give her the resturant if she gives him the talisman. Tiana was about to give into Facilier, but changed her mind at the last second, and destroys the talisman which kills Facilier.

Tiana then finds Naveen, who is about to kiss Charlotte, but Tiana stops him and tells him that she would rather be with him as a frog, than be without him as a human, because she loves him. Charlotte realizes that Tiana and Naveen have found tue love, and agrees to kiss Naveen with no marriage required. Unfortunately, before Charlotte can kiss him, the clock strikes midnight, making Charlotte no longer a princess, so the kiss doesn't work. Tiana is upset that she cannot be human again, but is happy that she can be with Naveen.

At the end, Tiana and Naveen marry each other and kiss. Now that Tiana and Naveen are married, she is a real princess, so the kiss does work, and she and Naveen return to human form, and Tiana gets her restaurant.

Songs

• Almost There
• When We're Human
• Dig a Little Deeper
• Down in New Orleans

Gallery

Tiana kissing Prince Naveen

Tiana in frog form

Tiana with Doctor Facilier

Tiana with Naveen in frog form

Tiana with Naveen in human form

Undefined

undefined

Trivia

• Tiana is the first, and so far only, Disney Princess to have only a mother... sure, she had a father at first, but he died in World War I.
• Tiana is the first Disney Princess whose voice actress does both of her voices since Belle in 1991.
• Tiana is by far the only Disney Princess whose film takes place in the modern age (1920s).
• Tiana is the third Disney Princess to be shown as a child, the first being Cinderella, the second being Aurora, the fourth being Rapunzel and the fifth being Merida.
• Tiana is the third Disney Princess to be tempted by the villain's offer (the first two being Snow White and Ariel), and yet, the first (and so far only) to manage to resist.
• Tiana is the second Disney Princess to have a human best friend, the first being Pocahontas.
• Tiana is left-handed or south-pawed because her voice actress is.
• Tiana is the second Disney Princess to kill the villain of her film, the first being Fa Mulan.
• Tiana was inspired by the New Orleans chef Leah Chase.
• Tiana is the third Princess to star in a film directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, the first being Ariel and second being Jasmine.