8 Dark Origins Behind Everyone's Favourite Disney Films
6. Mulan
Disney's Mulan was released in 1998, with a live action version set to come out later this year. There are many origins the narrative is based on, most famously from the Chinese short folk story the Ballad of Mulan.
Both plots follow a young girl in China who joins the army disguised as a man, replacing her ageing father as she has no older brothers to take his place.
The original text dates back to the Northern Wei Dynasty 386-534 AD, describing the invasions of the Hun within Han China. It is comprised of 392 Chinese characters encouraging young girls to seek bravery in themselves.
Other versions of the story have commented on the original context of the time, including some dramatic moments in which the protagonist bounds her feet and is forced to marry a man her parents have chosen for her.
In a 17th century adaptation of the ballad, Mulan's father is dead when she returns home, and so she commits suicide to be with him and not live in a forced marriage. It is not confirmed whether the original character did exist, or is fiction.