While I was growing up, my family never got that involved in the discussion over whether the idolization of Disney princesses is a healthy thing or not. With three boys and no girls in the family, most of my parents’ time was instead channeled towards more immediate topics like telling their sons not to aim for the face during their regular battles in the backyard with their stockpiled arsenal of plastic battleaxes and broadswords.

As an adult, I can sort of understand both sides of the debate. On one hand, a little fantasizing seems harmless, and in and of itself, there’s nothing inherently wrong with little girls being drawn to such trappings of the princess lifestyle as a luxurious home and elegant clothes. On the other hand, criticisms about overemphasizing the value of comfort and beauty have some validity too, as if left unchecked those desires can turn into sloth and vanity.

As a matter of fact, one talented artist thinks Disney’s leading ladies make excellent stand-ins for all of the seven deadly sins.

Canadian illustrator and animator-in-training Christopher Hill draws inspiration from a number of sources, creating artwork based on characters from Sailor Moon, DC Comics, and even Greek mythology. But while all of his designs are colorful and eye-catching, his most impressive of all might be this series highlighting the negative personality traits of some of animation’s most famous female characters.

▼ Tinker Bell: Envy

 

While the Peter Pan movie sidesteps the issue of whether Tink’s attempts to sell Wendy out are simple cartoon mischief or legitimate attempted homicide, it’s pretty clear that the fairy isn’t happy about the human girl’s burgeoning relationship with Pan.

▼ Ariel: Greed

 

Even if a lot of it is just junk that’s drifted down to the ocean floor, it is a little covetous how the daughter of the Sea King is hording a stash of artifacts from the surface world.

▼ Jasmine: Wrath

 

You’d be angry too, if an evil sorcerer took over your kingdom.

▼ Cinderella: Lust

 

While Cinderella’s carnal desires are never explicitly mentioned during the film she stars in, as a healthy 19-year-old, we suppose it’s natural that her fervent wish to be reunited with Prince Charming includes a desire to physically consummate their relationship.

However, we can’t help but feel the remaining Disney ladies are getting kind of a bum rap as poster girls for the last three sins.

▼ Belle: Vanity

 

Yes, her name means “beauty,” and she’s also the more attractive half of the Beauty and the Beast duo. That said, you can’t really blame her for the name her parents picked or the well-balanced facial features their DNA gave her, and seeing how Belle spends more time staring at the pages of her favorite books than checking her reflection in the mirror, we say she deserves a pass on the “vain” label.

▼ Snow White: Gluttony

 

We imagine there’s a certain number of apples that gorging yourself on will trigger a coma, but the fairest of them all didn’t collapse because of her big appetite, but from the generous portion of poison in that one particular piece of fruit.

▼ Aurora: Sloth

 

Finally, while it’s true that Sleeping Beauty does absolutely nothing for a large portion of the film named after her, people who’ve never pricked their fingers on cursed, slumber-inducing spinning wheels really shouldn’t point them at others for being lazy.

It’s also worth noting that these one-dimensional portrayals of famous 2-D characters don’t address the characters’ many virtues, such as Ariel’s inquisitiveness, Cinderella’s humility, Belle’s intellectualism, and Aurora’s…patience. So are the Disney princesses truly sinful? That’s still up for debate, even if there’s no argument about how cool Hill’s renditions of them are.

Related: Christopher Hill Deviant Art page