In Disney's The Little Mermaid we see a lot of Ariel's family. Her father, her six sisters (Attina, Alana, Adella, Aquata, Arista, and Andrina), Flounder (her best friend) and Sebastian (basically her Guardian). In the sequel we even get to see more her husband Eric and her daughter Melody. But there is one person who we didn't see and that someone is Ariel's Mom, Queen Athena.

In "The Little Mermaid III: Ariel's Beginning" we sea (haha, so clever! Um...... I'm ashamed of myself for that...) who Queen Athen was.

Athena was the wife of King Triton, and the mother of their 7 Daugters (listed above). She was the Queen of Atlantica, and beloved by her family and subjects. She was known for her singing talent and her love of music. She and Triton had been the best of friends ever since their childhood. She died as a result of a run-in with a big pirate ship when Ariel was 5 years old, resulting in Triton's hatred of humans. A statue of her dancing with him is seen in his courtyard.

She and Triton are very much in love. They to share a special song (known as "Endless Sky"). They share the song with their daughters and use it as a lullaby. One day, they are chillin' in a cove with the princesses and some other merpeople. They are celebrating their anniversary, and so Triton gives Athena a special music box that plays their song. However, pirates soon approach the cove and attack the merpeople. Most of the mermaids and mermen escape safely. Triton carries Ariel, Arista, Aquata, and Adella to safety while Andrina, and Alana dive into the water to swim to safety, but Attina, the oldest princess, gets her tail stuck between two rocks. Athena is able to free her in time, but she is crushed to death by the ship while trying to save the music box, and the ship sinks after hitting the rocks.

Athena's death leaves Triton completely devastated. As a result, he tosses the music box in the ocean, bans music from the kingdom, forbids contact with the land above, and raises his daughters very strictly. Ariel eventually convinces her father to unban music, saying that her mother wouldn't want him to ban something she loved so much.

Very, very sad. Now let's get into the theory. In The movie it is shown that Athena was crushed by a pirate ship, right? And who else would have a pirate ship AND wanna kill merpeople?! That's right! Of course it's the Captain Barbossa from Pirates of the Caribbean! Jkjk, it's Captain Hook form Disney's Peter Pan!

Let's look at the evidence, shall we?

This is Queen Athena |

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And this is a mermaid from Peter Pan

Like look very much alike, yes? Of course this would be Athena before she married Triton and WAY before she had kids. We even see in Peter Pan that the mermaids flee as quick as possible when the pirates come (much like in The Little Mermaid).

Now, this is were the Merpeople hang out -

And this is where the Mermaids hung out in Peter Pan -

Now, I know what you are thinking! "Wait, those two places look SO different! They couldn't be that same place!"

Well! You are kinda right. But maybe it changed over time? Or maybe it's a different part of Neverland.

Now this is the Pirate Ship that killed Queen Athena -

And this is Captain Hooks Ship -

Also, in The Littler Mermaid III, the captain of the ship has a large feather on his hat just like Captain Hook!