- "Some day, Abu, things are gonna change. We'll be rich, live in a palace, and never have any problems at all."
- ―Aladdin on his dreams[src]
Aladdin is the titular protagonist of Disney's 1992 animated feature film of the same name. A former street rat from the city of Agrabah, Aladdin spent much of his youth scraping for food and ducking guards with his monkey sidekick Abu. Though sanguine, Aladdin's poor upbringing left him with severe insecurity, making him feel worthless and undeserving of love, specifically that of Princess Jasmine.
Background[]
Aladdin was born to Cassim and Zena, citizens of the kingdom of Agrabah. Due to their struggling background, Cassim left Agrabah shortly after Aladdin was born in hopes of finding a better way to provide for his family. Due to this, Aladdin never met or knew his father, believing he was dead and was given a dagger as his only memento. A few years later, Aladdin's mother passed away, leaving him an orphan and forcing him to fend for himself. By the time Cassim returned, he couldn't find his family, believing them to be dead, resulting in him leaving Agrabah out of despair, where he'd eventually become a leader of the infamous Forty Thieves, though this would remain unknown to Aladdin for an extended number of years. Due to being orphaned so early, Aladdin never received a formal education, nor had a positive role model to guide him through life. With no form of income, he was forced to learn to survive on the streets of Agrabah. Lacking other means, he steals only to survive, but his good heart often moves him to donate his stolen goods to those who are as poor, if not poorer than him, making him a Robin Hood-like figure.
When Aladdin was seven, he had his first encounter with Razoul, the new captain of the Sultan's guard, after stealing an apple from a fruit stand. Initially, the boy managed to outmaneuver the guards, but was eventually apprehended and sentenced to detention within the palace dungeon; however, he managed to escape by picking the locks to his chains. While in his mid-teen years, he stole a vest, a pair of pants, and a fez from a clothesline, which would form his signature outfit. At the age of ten, Aladdin was best friends with a fellow street rat and thief, Amal, but unlike Aladdin, he stole money and valuables for his own selfish greed, which Aladdin was strongly against. Aladdin was present when Amal disappeared, unaware that he was taken and became an El Khatib, serving one of his future adversaries, Mirage. When he was sixteen, Aladdin fell in with a group of circus performers and con artists: Aziz, Fatima, Minos, and their pet monkey, Abu. Aladdin and Abu would form a brotherly relationship throughout this endeavor, and would eventually leave the circus, but remain together as both partners and best friends.
Appearances[]
Aladdin[]
In the deserts outside Agrabah, Jafar—the Sultan's royal vizier—seeks access to the mysterious Cave of Wonders to accomplish a nefarious scheme. He sends a shady thief to carry out this bidding, but the cave's guardian warns them that only the "diamond and the rough" may enter the cave. Jafar sends his lackey within, nevertheless, and the thief is buried alive for his attempts. With no other choice, Jafar is forced to utilize his resources to uncover the individual capable of entering the cave: Aladdin.
When Aladdin first appears, he has stolen a loaf of bread but after outwitting and escaping the royal guards with the help from Abu, the two generously hand their earned food to two young orphans. Later, Aladdin spots other citizens watching a snooty prince heading for the castle as a suitor for the beautiful Princess Jasmine and defends the orphans as they are nearly whipped for running in front of his horse. Aladdin is kicked into the mud and insulted by the prince, whom he insults back as well, but the prince blows it off, still thinking Aladdin as nothing more than a mere street rat. Discouraged, Aladdin and Abu head for home as night falls. All the same, Aladdin keeps the faith that he will someday be rich and live in a palace.
The next morning Aladdin and Abu are having breakfast when he spots a beautiful girl whom he is instantly smitten with. The girl has just given an apple to a young boy and the peddler spots this and threatens to chop her arm off if she refuses to pay. Aladdin rescues the girl claiming that she is his sister and "a little crazy". She plays along and the two escape right on time. As Aladdin leads the girl to his home, they both start to display feelings for each other. Once they reach Aladdin's home, he and the girl become more comfortable with each over, even revealing their true desires in life. When Aladdin tries asking the girl where she is from, she reveals that she ran away because her father is forcing her to get married, surprising Aladdin. He then tries to cheer her up, which works so well that the two nearly kiss. Unfortunately, the guards burst in to arrest Aladdin; he and the girl attempt to escape, but Aladdin runs into the lead guard, Captain Razoul, who captures him. The girl reveals herself to be Princess Jasmine and demands Aladdin's freedom. Razoul apologizes and explains he is doing his job under the orders of Jafar, not Jasmine's father, the Sultan of Agrabah, so Jasmine will have to speak to him to gain Aladdin's release, before taking Aladdin away while Jasmine returns to the palace to furiously confront Jafar on the matter.
In the dungeon, Aladdin laments how foolish he feels for revealing so much about himself to a princess. Abu arrives and frees Aladdin of his chains, though he also berates Aladdin for letting his guard down for Jasmine, but Aladdin doesn't care since the law says that she has to be married to a prince and that "she deserves a prince." Suddenly, the two meet an old beggar (who is actually Jafar in disguise) that informs Aladdin of the Cave of Wonders, claiming they will be greatly rewarded for retrieving the legendary magic lamp for him. Though hesitant, Aladdin agrees, hoping the riches will impress Jasmine. At the cave's entrance, Aladdin and Abu are warned by the guardian not to touch anything but the lamp. Inside the cave, the two meet a magic flying carpet who leads them to the lamp. Just as Aladdin retrieves the lamp, Abu, overcome with greed, seizes one of the forbidden treasures, causing the cave to shake violently and burst into flames since Abu had violated the guardian's warning, infuriating it. Aladdin and Abu hop on the Magic Carpet and try to make their escape, but Carpet is pinned by a falling boulder, leaving Aladdin to dangle from a ledge in front of the exit. He tries to escape, but needs help from the beggar, who demands the lamp first. After handing the lamp to him, the beggar nearly kills Aladdin, only to be stopped when Abu bites him, causing him to drop Aladdin. The cave then dissolves, trapping Abu, Aladdin, and Carpet inside.
Inside, Abu reveals he has stolen the lamp back. Aladdin rubs the lamp and unleashes an all-powerful, chaotic Genie, who introduces himself as a friend unlike any other. Genie tells Aladdin that he can grant three wishes, with the exceptions of killing, making love, wishing for more wishes, and bringing back the dead. Aladdin tricks the Genie into having them escape the cave without using up one of his three wishes. They rest at an oasis and Aladdin takes the time to think of what to wish for. He asks the Genie what he wishes for, to which the Genie tells Aladdin his dreams of freedom. Aladdin promises to use his third wish to free the Genie. For his first wish, he wishes to become a prince to win the heart of Jasmine, whom he has met earlier. As part of the wish, the Genie creates an entourage of servants, swordsmen, dancers, etc. and transforms Abu into an elephant. All the while, Aladdin was about to change from a once poor street rat into a cultured, sophisticated man about town. After a flashy parade in the streets of Agrabah approaching the palace while riding Abu, Aladdin meets the Sultan and Jafar. During a discussion of winning her heart, Jasmine overhears their plot and instantly berates the three for treating her like a prize to be won.
That night, a crestfallen Aladdin contemplates on how to earn Jasmine's love, ignoring Genie's advice, to tell the truth, out of insecurity. Aladdin flies up to the balcony as Ali and calls to Jasmine. She initially refuses to see Ali but finds him familiar upon closer inspection. Ali debunks the suspicion and tries to change the subject by complimenting the princess, only to find himself insulting her instead. Realizing he's been treating Jasmine as a prize, Aladdin apologizes and takes his leave on Carpet, though the appearance of the sentient rug captures Jasmine's attention and curiosity. Ali introduces Jasmine to his companion and humbly offers her a ride as a chance to get out of the palace and see the world. Starting to see past his facade and realizing he may be the boy she met in the marketplace, Jasmine accepts, and the two embark on a magic carpet ride around the world. They eventually stop to rest and watch fireworks in China, during which Jasmine exposes Aladdin as the boy from the market, having noticed the same mannerisms between Aladdin and Prince Ali. Aladdin desperately lies by claiming that he sometimes dresses as a commoner to escape the pressures of palace life, though he truly is a prince. Relating to the notion, Jasmine forgives Ali and their night continues.
After Aladdin escorts Jasmine back to the palace, they share their first kiss, proclaiming their love. An exuberant Aladdin celebrates as he and Carpet return to the palace gardens, where he is ambushed and kidnapped by Jafar and the guards. He is shackled to a ball and chain by the legs and thrown from a cliff into the sea, where he is left to drown. As he passes out, Aladdin's hand rubs the lamp, releasing the Genie, who uses Aladdin's second wish to free him from his binds and carry him to the surface. Touched by Genie's act, the two warmly embrace before returning to the palace to reveal Jafar's evil ways to Jasmine and the Sultan. The latter doesn't seem to believe Aladdin's accusations, but the street rat notices peculiar lighting from Jafar's snake staff and destroys it. As it turns out, Jafar had been using the staff to control the Sultan, confirming his treachery and having him warranted for arrest, though he escapes. As Aladdin and Jasmine comfort one another, the Sultan realizes the two have fallen in love, with Jasmine confirming that she has chosen Ali as her suitor. The Sultan declares that the two will be wed at once and appoints Ali as the heir to his throne. Though initially excited, Aladdin quickly finds himself struck with extreme guilt, feeling unworthy of such an honor, as well as Jasmine's love, due to his lies.
The next day, Aladdin is notably downhearted. The Genie happily appears from the lamp and congratulates Aladdin on winning the heart of the princess, expecting Aladdin to wish for his freedom. Aladdin explains that the Sultan wishes to dub him as the heir to the throne, though he feels unworthy of such an honor due to the fact that he's been living a lie. He also expresses ill confidence in being able to maintain the facade without Genie's assistance, ultimately confessing that he won't be able to wish the latter free. Genie, feeling betrayed, retires to his lamp in a huff. Aladdin angrily berates Genie's lack of support, but soon comes to his senses and realizes how selfish he's been acting after unintentionally taking his anger at Genie out on Abu and Carpet, who had been watching the argument. After a moment of thought, he decides to tell Jasmine the truth but is lured away from Genie's lamp by Iago, imitating Jasmine's voice. During his absence, Iago steals the lamp.
Aladdin manages to find Jasmine near the main gate and tries to reveal the truth but is interrupted and thrown in front of a crowd of joyous subjects who have gathered to celebrate his engagement to Jasmine. Just then, Agrabah comes under attack due to Jafar becoming the Genie's new master. When the Genie uproots the palace, Aladdin signals to the Carpet so that he can fly over to the Genie to try to stop him, but to no avail, as Genie apologizes to Aladdin, saying he serves a new master now. When Jafar confronts Jasmine, Aladdin rushes to her defense, but Jafar exposes Aladdin's true identity as a street rat, undoing Genie's spell and turning Aladdin's prince disguise back into his street clothes. Aladdin is then separated from Jasmine by Jafar, who traps him and Abu (who has been transformed back into a monkey by Jafar) into a tower that is sent flying to the ends of the earth, with Genie watching them depart before looking away with remorse and guilt. Aladdin and Abu end up near an arctic wasteland and are almost killed, but with the help of Carpet (who followed them as they were cast away), they return to Agrabah to stop Jafar.
Aladdin infiltrates the palace, where he is reunited with Genie. Though Genie warns Aladdin that he is unable to help, Aladdin closes in on the lamp, nevertheless. Jasmine, meanwhile, seduces and distracts Jafar to buy Aladdin time, though the evil sorcerer catches onto the scheme soon enough when he spots Aladdin via the reflection in Jasmine's crown. Jasmine is imprisoned in an hourglass that is rapidly filling with sand, while Abu and Carpet are also rendered immobile during the fight. Aladdin struggles to grab hold of the lamp, but it is ultimately retrieved by Jafar, who transforms into a giant cobra to battle him. As Jafar lunges to kill, Aladdin tries to save Jasmine, but is eventually trapped within Jafar's coils. As Jafar mocks Aladdin's lack of power without the Genie, an idea comes to mind; Aladdin declares that Jafar isn't as powerful as he wants to believe, as it is Genie who is truly the most powerful being in the universe, as he gave Jafar his power in the first place and can take it away as well. Mad for more power upon hearing this, Jafar uses his final wish to become a genie himself, though Aladdin soon reveals that he had tricked him, as the sorcerer is now forced to spend all eternity within a lamp prison with "itty bitty living space". With Jafar trapped with Iago whom he pulled into the lamp with him, Aladdin hands the lamp over to Genie, who flings it to the Cave of Wonders for a minimum of 10,000 years of imprisonment.
Aladdin apologizes to Jasmine for lying about being a prince, though she quickly forgives him out of understanding. Aladdin then prepares to bid farewell, even though Jasmine declares that she loves him. The Genie, now willing to sacrifice his freedom, offers to make Aladdin a prince again; Aladdin instead declares that he must stop pretending to be something other than himself and wishes for the Genie's freedom, much to the latter's shock. Genie warmly thanks Aladdin for his compassion, stating that the latter will always be a prince in his eyes due to his selfless heart. The Sultan, having also witnessed Aladdin's bravery, agrees with Genie and subsequently decrees that Jasmine may marry whomever she deems worthy. The overjoyed princess ecstatically chooses Aladdin, and their engagement is set. With their fates tied, Aladdin, with Jasmine in tow, waves goodbye to Genie as he takes advantage of his newfound freedom by journeying to see the world.
Aladdin and Jasmine are last seen during a celebration honoring their engagement, singing a reprise of "A Whole New World" as they ride off into the night upon the Magic Carpet with the Genie in the moon gleefully watching over them.
The Return of Jafar[]
After saving Agrabah from Jafar and being hailed as a hero, Aladdin is now engaged to Jasmine and spends most of his time taking back jewels and riches from sinister thieves and giving them to the unfortunate inhabitants of Agrabah, despite Abu's objections. One is a gift for Jasmine, and their love is stronger than ever.
During a stroll in the city, Aladdin and Abu encounter Iago, Jafar's parrot, who tortured the Sultan during Jafar's reign. He lies to Aladdin, claiming he was mesmerized by Jafar's snake staff. Aladdin ignores these claims and chases Iago right before he was attacked by Abis Mal, the thief, for his earlier theft of Abis Mal's loot. Iago accidentally saves Aladdin by dropping barrels on the villains. Aladdin now feels like he owes Iago for saving his life, so as a reward, Aladdin must try to convince the Sultan to pardon Iago and his stay with them.
That night, Genie returns, and Aladdin is given the opportunity to become the Royal Vizier, Jafar's old position. Aladdin tries to explain Iago's situation, but instead, Iago fumbles in being pursued by Rajah, having the Sultan and Jasmine believe Aladdin was hiding a villain from them, possibly as a sign of switching sides. Sultan commands Aladdin to watch over the parrot, and Jasmine becomes furious as she was hoping Aladdin wouldn't lie to her again. Iago uses reverse psychology on Jasmine to remind her why she fell in love with Aladdin in the first place, reuniting the two.
Meanwhile, Jafar has been freed from his lamp, courtesy of Abis Mal, and forces a reluctant Iago to use his newfound friendship with Aladdin to his advantage as part of his revenge against the street rat. After Iago persuades the Sultan and Aladdin to go for a flight with him, Jafar kidnaps the Sultan and leaves Aladdin unconscious. When he wakes up, he trudges all the way back to Agrabah.
When he returns, Aladdin finds himself under arrest for the murder of the Sultan. Jafar, in the disguise of Jasmine, had tricked Razoul and the other guards into believing Aladdin murdered him, resulting in his imprisonment and death sentence, much to his surprise. While all this is happening, Jasmine, Genie, Abu, and Magic Carpet have all been captured and imprisoned.
The next day as Aladdin is led to the place of beheading, he sees Jasmine again, thinking that she has changed her mind. But to his horror, he sees it is really Jafar mocking him one last time. He tries to tell the guards what is going on but is gagged with a head covering.
However, in the nick of time, a guilt-ridden Iago frees Genie, saving Aladdin from being beheaded and releasing the others. Though furious with Iago's apparent betrayal, Jasmine explains how he rescued them, and Aladdin is grateful. Knowing that Jafar has been behind all these misfortunes, Aladdin decides that they have to stop him once and for all. Genie mentions that Jafar's main weakness is his lamp; if the lamp was destroyed, Jafar would be destroyed with it. Iago fearing for his own life decides not to participate, and Aladdin kindly lets him go.
The group then battles Jafar, trying to get his lamp, but to no avail. Jafar then traps Aladdin in a pit of lava and gloats on how he will get rid of him for good. When it seems that he is succeeding, Iago unexpectedly comes to the rescue. Though Jafar fatally wounds the parrot, Iago manages to kick his lamp into the lava, which results in Jafar violently imploding into a cloud of dust, destroying him for good. Agrabah is saved once more, and Iago is welcomed by Aladdin and his friends into their family.
Aladdin turns down the Sultan's offer of becoming his Royal Vizier, saying that he wants to go off to see the world. Jasmine takes his hand and agrees to go with him, much to the disappointment of Iago, who had hoped to be given a special position in the palace.
Aladdin: The Series[]
An animated series was created for The Disney Afternoon which aired from 1994 to 1995, based on the original 1992 feature. The series picked up where The Return of Jafar left off, with Aladdin still living on the streets of Agrabah, engaged to Jasmine.
Aladdin spends most of his days battling monsters, searching for treasure, and keeping the city safe. Now that the greedy Iago is a friend, Aladdin is often persuaded to go hunt for treasure by the parrot. Along with Abis Mal, Aladdin meets new enemies, most notably evil sorcerer Mozenrath, diabolical Egyptian Cat Witch Mirage, and mad Grecian scientist Mechanicles. He serves as a laid back, loyal hero although he can sometimes be coincided into believing he is the best at being a hero and can get the group out of any situation (although this is all true). Sometimes he can be self-absorbed. A perfect example of this is in the episode "Getting the Bugs Out" where there was trouble several times and instead of battling himself, Genie and Carpet did all the work and Aladdin took all the credit.
At one point in the series, Aladdin rescues a local street-rat named Sadira. Unfortunately, Sadira falls in love with Aladdin upon being rescued by him. This leads Sadira to concoct a few villainous schemes in an attempt to break apart Aladdin and Jasmine and gain Aladdin's love. After her schemes fail, however, Sadira ultimately reforms, joining Aladdin and friends' team. Another episode showcases a similar incident where a conniving mermaid named Saleen falls in love with Aladdin and attempts to imprison Jasmine undersea or making Aladdin her slave. Unlike Sadira however, Saleen does not reform.
Some of Aladdin's past is revealed throughout the series. It is revealed that he met Abu when the monkey was working for a corrupt group of circus performers. It is also learned that Aladdin had a childhood friend named Amal who mysteriously vanished. Years after his disappearance, Aladdin learns that Amal was kidnapped and turned into a ferocious beast via the dark magic of Mirage. Aladdin rescues his friend, and Amal decides to leave Agrabah to make something of himself.
Aladdin appears in every episode of the series except for "Rain of Terror" (albeit mentioned only).
Aladdin and the King of Thieves[]
Aladdin and Jasmine are finally getting married. Everyone is flocking to Agrabah to be part of the "wedding of the century" but while Jasmine, Genie, and Agrabah's inhabitants are all excited, Aladdin is downhearted. Genie, Abu, and Iago find him at his former hideaway in the streets where he takes out a dagger that belonged to his father whom he believes has died long ago. Aladdin explains to Genie that he never had a father to prepare him for a family and feels that after all that has happened, he still isn't prepared. Genie gives Aladdin confidence and they head to the ceremony. The ceremony proceeds flawlessly at first, but just at the finale, a band of thieves antagonizes a herd of elephants to stampede the palace. Jasmine, Genie, Carpet, and Iago battle the intruders, and Aladdin grapples with their leader. Aladdin learns he is fighting the legendary King of Thieves, and they are trying to steal one particular gift given to Aladdin and Jasmine. The villains retreated after Genie gets the upper hand and the gift is still in Aladdin's possessions. The gift is a scepter that unleashes a magical Oracle. The Oracle has seen "all that has been and all that will be" and knows the answer to any question that could be asked and reveals that Aladdin's father, Cassim, is alive.
Upon hearing this, Aladdin falls into uncertainty before finally deciding to know why his father abandoned him as a child. After being told where his father is by the Oracle, he, Carpet, Abu, and Iago ride off to the lair of the Forty Thieves to meet his father. Once inside, he is shocked to learn that his father is the King of Thieves before being captured and forced to face execution. The only way to save himself and his friends was to battle one of the thieves. Aladdin battles Sa'Luk and is nearly killed, but he kicks Sa'Luk off a cliff into the ocean and Sa'Luk is pronounced dead. Aladdin is praised and becomes a member of the gang, but Aladdin cares nothing about this and instead presses on in his pursuit to know the story of his father. He learns that Cassim left to find a means to provide a better life for Aladdin and his mother after which, Aladdin decides to bring his father into the palace and introduces him to Genie and the others.
Overnight Iago convinces Cassim to rob the royal treasury and is arrested when discovered. Aladdin is just as furious as the Sultan and Cassim and Iago are sent to prison for life. That same night Aladdin breaks his father and Iago free and although Cassim implores him to flee the city with him, Aladdin instead returns to Agrabah to face the consequences. The Sultan understands why Aladdin did what he did and forgives him but Aladdin is still ashamed of his father's ways. Back at the lair, Sa'Luk is revealed to be alive and taken control of the thieves during Cassim's absence. Iago and Cassim are captured but Iago breaks free to warn Aladdin.
At first, Aladdin doesn't care about Cassim's fate, but Genie suggests to him that just because his father made bad decisions, doesn't mean Aladdin needs to as well. After Jasmine backs up Genie's words, Aladdin decides not to be as stubborn as his father and decides to go to his rescue. Aladdin and company follow the Forty Thieves out across the ocean in their quest for the Hand of Midas. With the help of the Oracle, now in possession of the thieves, they discover the Vanishing Isle where the treasure lies. Jasmine and the others battle the brigands, while Aladdin reunites with his father, and they both hurry inside to look for the treasure. As they arrive in an enormous cavern where the treasure is, the giant turtle on which the island rests starts to dive and they climb to higher ground. Aladdin leaps out to the floating platform and retrieves the Hand of Midas, but just as he tosses it to Cassim, Sa'luk appears and threatens to kill Aladdin if Cassim does not give him the Hand of Midas. Cassim tosses it to Sa'luk, but not knowing about its powers, Sa'luk is turned to gold by the hand. Aladdin and Cassim escape to the roof where Cassim states his regret that the Hand of Midas nearly cost him his son, his real treasure. Cassim chucks the hand out to sea, where it lands on the thieves' boat, causing it to sink. With everyone accounted for, Aladdin and company return to the palace for the wedding. Aladdin and Jasmine finally marry, bid Cassim and his new travel sidekick Iago farewell, and leave for their honeymoon.
Hercules: The Series[]
Aladdin appears in the crossover episode "Hercules and the Arabian Night". In the episode, Jafar is revived by Hades and the villains' plot to use each other's abilities to eliminate their enemies. Hades sends his lackeys: Pain and Panic, to battle Aladdin. During a carpet ride, Pain and Panic arrive and morph into beasts to battle Aladdin and anger his wife Jasmine. Confused by the unknown creatures, Aladdin tricks them into rubbing Genie's lamp, having Genie punch the villains out of the Arabian parallel world and back to the Underworld.
Later on, Abu goes missing, and Hercules is said to be the kidnapper. After leaving Greece parallel to the Arabian town, Hercules himself arrives in Agrabah to battle Aladdin. After a rampage through the city, Hercules blames Aladdin for the kidnapping of his friend Icarus. Aladdin denies the claim, and the heroes begin to rethink their anger towards one another. Hercules believes it was Jafar who is behind the scheme, but Aladdin thinks not since he and Jasmine still believe Jafar is dead. However, Hercules and his trainer Phil explain that Jafar attacked them earlier that day. The heroes then realize that Jafar had to have teamed up with Hades and the two travel to the Underworld to save their friends.
In the Underworld, Jafar attacks Aladdin, who reveals to be Hercules in disguise, while Aladdin was disguised as Hercules. This gives Aladdin a chance to grab Jafar's staff and passes it to Herc, who destroys it, thus killing Jafar once more. Once the villains were defeated, Aladdin and Hercules bid farewell, and Aladdin assures Hercules that he will become a great hero someday.