The young Scottish princess Merida leads a free life at the court of her parents, King Fergus and Queen Elinor, spending her days riding out with her horse. One day her sheltered life is upended: to unite the clans of the Highlands, Merida must marry one of the sons of Lord MacGuffin, Lord Macintosh or Lord Dingwall. But she won't play by the rules so she sets out to change her fate, and when her actions threaten her entire family Merida is forced to face the consequences.

Brave is the first princess movie by Disney's Pixar subsidiary. But Merida is more Katniss than Cinderella, more the heroine of Snow White and the Huntsman than the Disney version of the 1930's. This princess doesn't care about pink ball gowns or clean kitchens and won't let anyone tell her what to do - not even her mother, who tries to prepare her daughter for her future duties as queen. Merida is the most emancipated princess in Disney's universe and her love of freedom is more in sync with today's girls than the passive domesticity of Sleeping Beauty & Co.