The classic fairy tale The Frog Prince has many variations of the lore in many languages. So, it is undeniable that many of us have grown up listening to this story. Thus, when Disney made the film The Princess and The Frog, it helped us visualize the story that we had heard for so long. So, you might have always wanted to meet Prince Naveen hidden beneath the layer of the frog, but you didn’t get the chance.
Hence, this is the place where you can get the opportunity to meet the prince of your dreams. So, get ready to meet and greet the princess and the frog prince Naveen.
In retrospection, you might even get a similarity with the story Beauty and the Beast. There also, the princess falls in love with a beast, that is a non-human, and then discovers that the beast is a cursed prince. Thus, this might be a popular Disney trope again used in the Prince Naveen story. Anyway, let’s avoid detouring again and get the train back to the station that will take us to the stories of Tiana and Prince Naveen.
The Princess and The Frog is a Disney film released in 2009, and Prince Naveen is its main protagonist.
Being the eldest prince of Maldonia, he didn’t have any megalomania. He was a charming young man, but his charm succumbed to a tragic fate when a wicked doctor turned him into a frog. Only a princess’s kiss could release him and transform him back into being a human.
Fate again takes a tragic turn when he meets Tiana, a beautiful girl he mistook for a princess due to her attire. Upon kissing her, Tiana transformed. Thus began the journey of the two frogs, the ending of which I am not revealing.
Background of Prince Naveen
Let’s take a look at the background story of Prince Naveen in detail.
Prince Naveen is born as the eldest prince of Maldonia, and Prince Ralphie is his younger brother. Being a part of the royal family, he never had to do anything for himself. Also, he belonged to something other than a warring kingdom. Thus the art of warfare was also yet to be discovered to him. Even though his parents were busy running the kingdom and couldn’t pay attention to him, they knew about his laziness.
Thus, one day they ousted him from the family, forcing Prince Naveen to find ways for his sustenance. However, if he could marry a rich woman, all his problems would be solved. But, if that opportunity was lost, he would finally have to search for a job.
So, if any of my readers earn their means of working too hard, it’s apparent that you will despise Prince Naveen. But, he was not a wrong person from the heart. It was his privilege that blinded him.
Personality
Unlike other spoiled royal kids, Prince Naveen was not malicious. Instead, he was a person who had an innocent heart and a closed eye that couldn’t tolerate the blinding light of reality. Did he understand his privileges when he finally faced that light?
He arrived in New Orleans because he planned to marry Charlotte la Bouff, owing to her wealth. One can surmise from this planning that Prince Naveen was totally against labor of any kind.
Even if he was not a megalomaniac about his powers and possessions, he was narcissistic about his looks. Prince Naveen thought every woman would be delighted to get his company. Moreover, he also ill-treated Lawrence, his valet, not because he intended to do so but because he was unaware of Lawrence’s circumstances.
Naveen was someone who couldn’t face his faults. This, he even continued with Tiana. When both of them transformed into a frog, Prince Naveen blamed Tiana that she lied to him. But Naveen misinterpreted, and Tiana never said she was a princess.
It was also hard for him to accept that he so easily trusted Dr. Facilier, the shady character who cursed him. Thus, in many of these instances, it was Naveen who actually made a mistake but always tended to put the blame on those surrounding him.
Naveen’s original disposition
Till now, how do you imagine Naveen? Is he an over-confident snob messing around in his own world? That is likely the image you have conceived reading till here.
But, the reality is quite the contrary. Despite all these flaws, Naveen has a gentle disposition which can also be quite romantic. The readers and the spectators get acquainted with this when Prince Naveen falls in love with Tiana.
As is popularly said, love doesn’t pull you back, it helps you be a better version of yourself. Similarly, with Tiana, in his frog-hood, Prince Naveen got to introspect a lot and she motivated him to have a vision of his life.
Thus, he didn’t long for his party anymore. Instead, now, he wanted to make himself better as well as help Tiana achieve her dream. In the process, he became selfless and cared for everyone’s happiness.
On the positive side, Prince Naveen always had a charming character that brought joy to others. Even though he behaved badly with Tiana initially, later, her face cheered up whenever he was around. Naveen also made good friendships with the citizens of New Orleans and Ray and Louis.
More interestingly, he is not someone who gets upset easily. Upon being transformed into a frog, he didn’t go into mourning. Instead, he started to think of it as a new challenge and experience. Moreover, Naveen also had an interest in music, especially jazz music, with New Orleans, being its birthplace.
So, this is how the character of Prince Naveen is sketched in this movie. The witty and fun-loving prince who is not above all flaws gradually captures the hearts of his viewers and readers. No human is perfect, one can only strive to undo the misgivings. Prince Naveen’s journey thus is also relatable to many of us in its own way.
Physical appearance
One of the predominant questions that fans seem to ask is about Prince Naveen race. If you know how he looks, it will not be difficult for you to understand. He is obviously not white, adding another film to the list of films that house racially diverse characters under the aegis of Disney.
Prince Naveen’s animator is Randy Haycock who also animated Pocahontas and Simba. He created his looks in both his frog and human form. He is not very tall but is muscular with dark brown and wavy hair. His amber eyes always attract women who fall for his charm, as he believes. His skin tone is lighter than Tiana and doesn’t always wear princely attire.
Prince Naveen voice actor is Bruno Campos. Many say, that his physicality matches that of Bruno who is a Brazillian.
In the first scene of the film, you can spot Prince Naveeb wearing a white shirt with a dark cream-colored vest. He also had an orange ascot that gives him a New Orleans look.
But, at the end of the film, he finally appears in a fresh formal attire with different shades of green matching the attire of Tiana.
In his froghood days, Naveen possessed olive green skin while the front portions of his body had a lighter tone of green. Each of his legs had two dark green stripes. Also, his back had 6 green spots along with a dark green skin tone. He had a larger body than Tiana and his skin tone was also dark. He retained some human features as well, namely, his amber eyes, teeth, and voice. While originally, he was conceived to be more toad-like. But, as it was unappealing, his creators reworked his looks.
If you are curious to know the answer to the question of how old is Prince Naveen, well, he is a charming young lad, 20 years old. If you have read till now, you surely know where is Prince Naveen from. And I can hear my readers cry out in unison saying, he is from Maldonia!
Various appearances of Prince Naveen across the media
Screen appearances
We all know about Prince Naveen as he is in the film The Princess and the Frog. But, did you know, he has also appeared in many other features? Let’s have a look at those appearances.
Prince Naveen features in Oh My Disney’s Ralph Breaks the Internet. When Ralph is put to sleep in the Snow White manner, Tiana brings Naveen to kiss Ralph to break his rest. When she wakes up, she smiles at Naveen as she thinks she is the one from the arcade game. After that, however, no one can spot Naveen leaving the arms of Tiana. So, if your mischievous mind is trying to spot some affair here, that’s just not it.
In Drawing Naveen, a YouTube video, we again see Prince Naveen come to life. This is a comic relief where the frog price tries to make a perfect animated image while Randy Haycock, role-playing as a joking animator, constantly tweaks the froggy image.
Prince Naveen Frog can also be spotted in a GEICO commercial while promoting the film. Here, he is seen asking the gecko mascot to help him as he is transformed into a frog. The gecko asks him to find a princess who can kiss him and break his curse.
There are also other appearances, such as in Once Upon a Time we see Naveen along with Cinderella, Henry, and Tiana on the day of Tiana’s coronation. Here we see, he tells about the death of his brother and confesses it has been hard on him to rule the kingdom all by himself.
Video Games
If you are a keen video game player, it’s pretty pertinent that you have by now spotted Prince Naveen on your screen. If not, here is a clue about how you can meet him.
Kinect: Disneyland Adventures is a video game where Naveen is a meet-and-greet character in New Orleans Square. You will also need to do a few tasks by him. He also has a feature in the mini-game called Mickey’s Soundsational Parade.
When he decides to decorate Tiana’s palace to surprise her, he also asks the player to collect some things such as flowers and Magnolia blossoms. Moreover, he also plans on making a Maldonian dish for Tiana. In this part, he asks the player to give the dish to Tiana. Also, as he didn’t clean after cooking, it is the player’s responsibility to collect all that is scattered.
Prince Naveen is also mentioned in the game Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion. Tiana mentions here that Naveen has been captured by Dr. Fecilier and is surely relying upon her to rescue him.
Books
Naveen also appears in printed media named A Hidden Gem. In this book, Tiana’s 20th birthday is celebrated and we can again see Naveen. Here, he wants to find the best gift for Tiana but is clueless about it. It is here when he overhears Tiana reminisce about the swamp amber that was so dear to her. Finally, he places that amber on a necklace and ties it around Tiana’s neck.
In other books namely, Something Old, Something New; A Princess Easter, and Tiana and Her Loyal Friend, Prince Naveen is written about.
Final Thoughts
So, this is how Naveen popularized through his different shades in the media. If you are in love with Prince Naveen, here are the different ways in which you can interact with him. Get out of the bounds of the film and the fairy tale, and open the door of fan fiction. You will get many hidden gems there, and in games, you will get numerous chances to interact with Prince Naveen.
So, on this happy note, let’s bid adios to Prince Naveen, and cheers to your exploration of meeting him in different ventures!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is Princess Naveen Indian?
Since Naveen is an Indian name, there are speculations that suggest Prince Naveen might be Indian. The fictional place of Maldonia can be of Eurasian influence. But the name seems to be an amalgamation of Maldives and Macedonia. Since the character could speak languages like French, Italian, and English we can assume that Prince Naveen could be Mediterranean.
2. What’s Prince Naveen’s race?
Prince Naveen has dark skin but his character representation is not African American. In fact, many parents protested against the association of the character with black men. Since Naveen comes from a fictional place, there is no definitive answer to what race he belongs to.
3. Why was Naveen cut off?
Prince Naveen had an extravagant lifestyle and didn’t work due to his lazy approach to life. His parents cut him off from their fortune and that’s when he resort to finding a wealthy mate.
