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Don't be scared. We represent someone who can help you... someone who can make all your dreams come true.
„
~ Flotsam and Jetsam convincing Ariel to turn to Ursula for help.
Flotsam and Jetsam are the secondary antagonists from Disney's 28th full-length animated feature film The Little Mermaid, which is based on the 1837 Danish fairytale of the same name by the late Hans Christian Andersen. They are a pair of green morays who serve as loyal minions of the Sea Witch named Ursula.
Unlike Disney henchmen in some films, who are depicted as incompetent and abused by their masters and mistresses, Flotsam and Jetsam are very competent in their work for Ursula, who treats them lovingly as pets, despite ordering them so much.
They were ordered by Ursula to persuade miserable and desperate merpeople to visit the Sea Witch and ask her to help them for a price, allowing her to make deals with them and potentially transform them into polyps if they fail to uphold their end of their bargain.
They were both voiced by the late Paddi Edwards, who also voiced Gozer in Ghostbusters and Atropos in Hercules. In all other appearances, they were both voiced by Corey Burton and by Jeffin Kunjumon in the 2023 live action remake.
The eels are excessively beloved by Ursula, who refers to them as her own children. The eels serve as Ursula's minions and spies, often sneaking around Atlantica, spotting out Ursula's next potential victim.
Unlike most other Disney villains' henchmen who are portrayed as rather comical and bubbly compared to their superiors, Flotsam and Jetsam are portrayed as dark and mysterious lackeys who are surprisingly competent at bringing merfolk to Ursula's lair, matching well with Ursula's wickedness.
They are also incredibly intelligent and known for their efficiency at completing Ursula's tasks successfully (a departure from typical Disney movies where the henchmen are clumsy and botch up every plan), successfully preventing Ariel from kissing Eric. However, Ursula decides to “take matters into her own tentacles” (in her words).
Oddly enough, in the TV series that preceded the film chronologically, the eels are incompetent and meek creatures. It is unknown how they became evil and efficient beings.
Appearances[]
The Little Mermaid[]
When Ursula learned of the disobedient princess of the merpeople kingdom, Ariel, she sent Flotsam and Jetsam to watch over Ariel as she became more desperate to achieve her dream of becoming a human and being part of the world on land, knowing that if her obsession continued it would not be difficult to make Ariel sign a contract with her.
When Ariel's father, King Triton, destroyed her collection of human items (including a statue of the human prince Eric), Flotsam and Jetsam arrived to talk to her, and found her crying her heart out. They persuaded her that Ursula could help her with her problems even if her father would not.
At first, Ariel did not trust the eels, but when Flotsam and Jetsam reminded the princess of her love for Eric, she changed her mind and accepted their invitation to Ursula's home in the belly of a deceased Leviathan. Ursula was able to turn Ariel into a human, at the cost of her voice.
The deal was that if Ariel could get Eric to kiss her within three days, she could remain human forever, at the price of not being able to speak and not getting to see her father or her sisters. If she could not, she would turn back into a mermaid, as well as be bound to Ursula forever. When Ariel's friends, Sebastian and Flounder, attempted to stop her, Flotsam and Jetsam wrapped themselves around them to keep them quiet. However, they let them go after Ariel is finally turned into a human, allowing both Sebastian and Flounder to take her up to the surface.
After Ariel had become human with some of Ursula's dark magic, the now-human princess met Prince Eric in person, and they fell in love, though Eric did not recognize her as the woman that had rescued him earlier due to Ariel being unable to speak. While the two were in a swamp, they attempted to kiss. Ursula, attempting to keep the two from kissing, sent Flotsam and Jetsam to sabotage the couple's time together by tipping their boat over. They are successful in doing so, and Ursula praises them for a job well done. However, she decides that it is too risky to let Ariel and Eric's relationship continue to blossom, and she transforms herself into a human.
Durring the climax of the film when Ursula succeeds in becoming ruler of the ocean, Flotsam and Jetsam chase after Prince Eric when he headed back up to the surface, and dragged him back underwater. However, Sebastian pinches Flotsam's tail with his pincer claw, while Flounder repeatedly and senslessly slaps Jetsam, letting Eric escape. When Ursula attempted to kill Eric by shooting him with Triton's magic trident, Ariel pulled the Sea Witch's hair back, causing her to accidentally kill them instead.
Before they died, Flotsam and Jetsam are known to succeed in the tasks Ursula has given to them. Because of that, Ursula is completely shocked that she accidentally killed her eels and mourns for them out of remorse for a moment, and then turns her rage on Eric and Ariel in retaliation. She would meet her demise shortly afterwards.
The Little Mermaid (TV series)[]
Flotsam and Jetsam appear in The Little Mermaid TV series which is set a year or so before the first film. Their relationship with Ursula in this series differs from the film as she treats them harshly in the series rather than kindly in the film.
Part of Your World: A Twisted Tale[]
Main article: Flotsam and Jetsam (Part of Your World)
Gallery[]
Flotsam and Jetsam's first appearances as they watch Ariel and Flounder.
Flotsam and Jetsam lurking in the shadows.
Flotsam and Jetsam using their magical eyes so their mistress, Ursula can see what they're seeing.
Flotsam and Jetsam being ordered by Ursula to keep a watch on Ariel.
Flotsam and Jetsam watching Ariel where their mistress discovers the mermaid has fallen in love with a human prince named Eric.
After King Triton destroys Ariel's secret grotto in a fit of rage, Flotsam and Jetsam see their chance to get Ariel to meet with Ursula.
"Poor child. Poor sweet child. She has a very serious problem."
"If only there was something we could do, but there is something."
Flotsam (left) and Jetsam (right).
"Don't be scared."
"We represent someone who could help. Someone who could help make all of your dreams come true. Just imagine you and your prince..."
"Together and forever."
"Ursula has great powers."
"Suit yourself."
"It was only a suggestion."
(Ariel: "Wait.") "Yes?"
Flotsam and Jetsam leading Ariel to Ursula's lair after she agrees to see the Sea Witch.
Flotsam and Jetsam smirking when Sebastian questions Ariel what she's doing with them.
"This way."
Flotsam and Jetsam arriving at Ursula's lair.
Flotsam and Jetsam with Ursula.
Flotsam and Jetsam hearing Ursula calling merfolk pathetic.
Flotsam and Jetsam during "Poor Unfortunate Souls".
Flotsam and Jetsam listening to Ursula sing how she lures and tricks merfolk to making deals with her.
Flotsam and Jetsam silencing Flounder and Sebastian to keep them from convincing Ariel to object Ursula's deal.
Flotsam and Jetsam satisfied when Ursula informs them she's got Ariel in her grasp.
Later, Flotsam and Jetsam sabotage Ariel and Eric's moment to kiss on Ursula's orders.
Flotsam and Jetsam restraining Ariel.
Flotsam and Jetsam watching Ariel start to turn into a polyp as Ursula bargains with King Triton.
Flotsam and Jetsam ordered by Ursula to attack Eric after he throws a harpoon at her.
Flotsam and Jetsam restraining Eric.
Flotsam and Jetsam drowning Eric.
Flotsam shrieking in pain when Sebastian pinches him.
Jetsam getting smacked by Flounder.
Flotsam and Jetsam releasing their grip on Eric after Flounder and Sebastian attack them.
Flotsam and Jetsam vaporized to their deaths after being accidentally struck by Triton's trident.
Flotsam and Jetsam's remains held by Ursula as she mourns for them out of remorse.
Flotsam and Jetsam as they appear in the musical
Flotasam and Jetsam in Kingdom Heats II
Trivia[]
Althought there has been common confusion as to which eel is which, their identities are confirmed by various Disney merchandise: Flotsam is the eel with the grey left eye (which is the magic eye) and the yellow right eye, while Jetsam is the one with vice versa.
To this date, the eels are often cited as Disney's darkest henchmen.
In one scene of the movie, when Ursula is telling them to keep an eye out on Ariel, one of them hits his head on the top, causing the other to look at him for a little bit. This might be known that they might be twins, in which it is unknown which of them is the older of the two.
Flotsam and Jetsam were briefly mentioned by Captain Hook in the Jake and the Never Land Pirates episode "The Sword and the Stone".
Flotsam and Jetsam are apparently the only henchmen from The Little Mermaid franchise to be actually killed off at the end of their film.
Flotsam and Jetsam are unique among most Disney villain minions, as they seem to be competent at everything they do (though in the TV show, they are considerably less competent).
Flotsam and Jetsam were voiced by the late Paddi Edwards, who was also the voice of Gozer, the main antagonist of the first Ghostbusters film, who is portrayed as an evil and blasphemous Sumerian god who in that film's climax, becomes a giant Stay Puft Marshmallow Man to attack the titular Ghostbusters.
Ursula's reaction to Flotsam and Jetsam's deaths, prompting her to attack Ariel and Eric, was probably inspired by a similar scene near the end of Sleeping Beauty where Maleficent attacks Prince Philip and the Three Good Fairies after the latter turns Diablo, her pet raven, to stone.
Movies The Little Mermaid (1989): Ursula | Flotsam & Jetsam | Glut The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea: Morgana | Undertow | Cloak & Dagger The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning: Marina Del Rey The Little Mermaid (2018): Locke | Sid The Little Mermaid (2023): Ursula | Flotsam & Jetsam | Glut The Little Mermaid (The Asylum 2023): Revina The Little Mermaid (2024): Aurora Bey
Villains
