Princess Lei-Lani (simply known as Princess Lani or just Lani) is the native princess of the tropical island Kingdom of Hakalo, who appears in the Disney Jr. animated series Sofia the First.
Despite being born a Princess, Lani exhibits behavior not normally seen in most Princesses. Contrary to the image of a pampered little Princess, Lani is very self-sufficient, likes snails, and is very outgoing. She has the virtues of Royalty: She's responsible, kind, brave, and polite. These traits helped Sofia see that she is the Real Princess of Hakalo. However, Lani is also a little impatient and has a slightly bad temper.
Powers and abilities[]
She is described as having "weather powers", but more accurately, she can control the elements. The most common usage is creating ice from her breath, while she can also control lava. But more dangerously she can create a storm, which could potentially sink an entire island.
Role in the series[]
While heading home on a stormy sea, an evil sorceress known as Mamanu tried to steal the Emerald Key. She tried to stop her, but the two fell overboard and Lani washed up on the shores of Enchancia. She showed up at the castle, claiming that she was the owner of the Key when Mamanu, disguised as a princess claiming to be the owner, showed up as well. In order to determine who the real princess was, both girls were challenged to a series of tests.
As Lani was not a typical type of princess, she did things a lot differently than a graceful and elegant princess that is commonly seen. She does native dancing and has a fondness for all animals and she offered to help Violet clean up a mess.
Mamanu succeeded in claiming the Emerald Key only because she cheated by making Lani unable to sleep peacefully the night before. When the Royal Family found this out, they went after her. With help from Sofia's animal friends, they were able to corner Mamanu and Lani was able to get the Key back moments before she disappeared. Lani was soon reunited with her parents and bid her new friends farewell before heading home.
In "Stormy Lani", it's revealed that Lani and her whole family have the ability to manipulate the weather around the island. Unfortunately, Lani hasn't learned to control her temper and can cause dangerous storms with her powers. The next day, she and Sofia set out on a quest for the fire pearl, a ritual test to prove Lani is ready to enter the Circle of Leadership. Throughout the quest, Lani's temper and frustrations, due to Mamanu interference, cause several incidences of bad weather that threaten the island. Sofia helps her learn to control her temper and calm down by singing about happy, sunny thoughts. Using this technique Lani is able to retrieve the fire pearl that Mamanu dropped in the volcano and send her flying into the ocean. Once she is accepted into the Circle of Leadership, Lani states that she could never have succeeded without her good friend Sofia.
