Merida DunBroch

Merida DunBroch is one of The Big Four, originally from Brave (2012). She is a fiery Scottish teenager who wants to break free of her mom and the traditions of the past, and takes life into her own hands. Princess Merida is the 16-year-old tomboyish daughter of a queen who rules the kingdom alongside her husband. Despite the Queen's desire to see Merida as a proper royal lady, Merida is an impetuous girl who wants to take control of her own destiny. Merida has honed her skill in archery, and is one of the most skilled archers ever seen. She is also skilled in sword-fighting and racing across the countryside on her horse, Angus.

Physical Appearance
Merida has bright red hair, blue eyes, and light freckles. She has a round face and an athletic figure, with slightly pale skin. She can be seen wearing her royal gown (dark blue with golden silk around the elbows) or her woolen covering (sky blue with a golden belt). She carries around her bow, and almost always has her quiver around her hips. She can also, at times, be seen with a sword in hand. She has a sturdier build than the daintier Rapunzel due to her more physical nature, though she is still considered beautiful.

Personality
'Fiery' is the one word to describe our Disney princess. Despite being a princess, she is more of a tomboy and a rebel, seeing how much she loves riding her horse and shooting arrows. She even excels in it as well, once describing herself as 'the best archer in the land'. She is fearless and something of a daredevil, seeing how she has climbed the Crone's Tooth and drank from the Fire Falls. Due to her wild nature, unlike most other Disney princesses (or princesses in general), Merida feels at home in the wilderness, sometimes more than in the castle. She has no trouble living off the land, being able to catch and cook fish and knowing which types of berries are safe to eat.

Her rebellious attitude may be developed because of her responsibilities and obligations as a princess, also because of her mother's domineering attitude. Sometimes, she acts without thinking the consequences, just like when she "battled for her own hand", which leads to a disaster within the kingdom. She takes more after her father Fergus in her impulsiveness and warrior-like nature, but begins to learn how to be more diplomatic and thoughful like her mother.

She is also a believer in magic, most probably because she had seen the will-o'-the-wisp when she was little as well as dealing with the witch that turned her mother into a bear.

Powers and Abilities
Merida is well-known for her superb archery skills. In the opening scene of the film, it is shown that Merida developed her interest in archery when she was very young, and she received her first bow as a birthday present from her father. Even though her mother never approved of this hobby, Merida was passionate about it and practiced often. She never misses, and has the ability to split an arrow, which takes a lot of skill.

Merida is also an accomplished horse rider, and is physically strong. This is shown when she hoists herself to the top of the Crone's Tooth. When she protects her mother from her confused father, it is also revealed that she can handle also a sword quite well.

Merida is also an experienced ranger and forester, being able to adeptly live off the land with hardly more than her bow and arrow. She can shoot a swimming fish as well as cook it and knows which berry's are safe to eat. At times she feels more at home out in the wild than cooped up in her castle home.

Role in the Crossover
Merida is fiercely loyal to her friends and will stand up for them in any situation, no matter how dangerous. Many fans pair her with Hiccup, even though, in the film, she shows no interest in romance. Her archery and swordfighting skills are a big help when needed, as is her strong personality and fearless attitude. She is the warrior of the group.

Relationships
Jack Frost - Because they are both quite strongly opinionated, Jack and Merida's personalities can sometimes clash, but that does not mean they aren't great friends. They two share a taste for adventure and a desire and passion for freedom, and neither are afraid of a fight. Original concept art from Brave appeared to be set in the wintertime with snow in every outdoor scene, which proves that DunBroch has a somewhat harsh winter. This could be because Jack is a frequent visitor to the Scottish kingdom. Their romantic pairing has been dubbed "Jarida " and though it is not as popular as other ships in the crossover, it has many loyal fans.

Rapunzel - With Rapunzel being the only other female in the crossover, the two have a very special relationship. Even though Merida is a tomboy and Rapunzel is girlier, they get along wonderfully...most of the time at least. Because Merida is so outspoken and Rapunzel is much more sensitive at heart, Merida's blunt honest remarks can sometimes hurt Rapunzel's feelings, but they stand by each other no matter what. "Meripunzel " is a ship that some fans prefer, because they believe that Rapunzel can bring out the softer side of Merida. Because Rapunzel spent her entire life isolated, it seems unlikely that the two met before she left home, however, some fans argue that Merida could have come across the tower in one of her thrill-seeking adventures. The fact that both are heirs and princesses is also a point to bond over. Merida can learn how to be softer and more empathetic with her subjects from Rapunzel, and she can learn how to be more firm and steadfast from Merida.

Hiccup - Hiccup is well-rounded and mellow, Merida is passionate and aggressive, but as they say–opposites attract. Because of their very different yet similar personalities, fans have also grown to favor "Mericcup" as a popular ship without the big four. Merida's film, Brave, hints a feud between her kingdom of DunBroch and the Vikings ("invaders from the sea"), leading fans to believe that it could be possible for Hiccup and Merida to meet and possibly become friends or star-crossed lovers. They both have some troubles in the parent department (Merida with her mother and Hiccup with his father) and are misunderstood in their society (Hiccup is expected to be more manly, Merida is expected to be more lady-like), so they can relate to each other on that level. Finally they are also the heirs to their respective realms (Merida is the heir to a kingdom, and Hiccup is the heir to a tribe of Vikings) which means they can share with each other the troubles and weight of the responsiblity of inhertied leadership. Even without romance, Hiccup and Merida are shown to have a close bond. Merricup also forms the basis of "The Knights of the Epic Brave Dragons", an "equal and opposite fandom" of Frozen Tangled Guardians, with Merricup being the parents of Justin and Mary Katherine.