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@desendantsconfessions
🌟 Welcome to Descendants Confessions!
This is your space to share anonymous thoughts, hot takes, and guilty pleasures about Disney’s Descendants.
Submit your confessions, headcanons, or drama anonymously or not and we’ll post them for the fandom to see.
i wish we had more Pinocchio 1940 representation in descendants ...especially when it comes to Lampwick and the other pleasure island victims!
That is a great point! Given the sheer size of the Auradon universe and the focus on the original Disney animated classics, it's definitely surprising that the 1940 Pinocchio film and the darker elements of Pleasure Island haven't received more significant representation in the Descendants franchise.
The fate of Lampwick and the other boys perfectly fits the narrative style of the Isle of the Lost:
These characters, while starting as naughty kids, were victims of the Coachman and Monstro. They were transformed and banished, which is essentially the same fate as the VK parents, but with an even more sympathetic, and perhaps horrifying, twist.
Unlike many villains who are simply imprisoned, the Pleasure Island victims are living under a magical curse/transformation. This adds a unique layer of drama and potential for a cure storyline.
The villains from Pinocchio; The Coachman, Honest John, and Gideon are some of the most purely evil and morally corrupt characters in Disney history.
The Coachman: A genuinely terrifying figure who traffics in children. A child of his could be one of the most compelling and conflicted VKs, dealing with a parent who is pure evil and literally exploited the greed of children.
Lampwick's Descendant: The child of one of the donkey-boys could offer a powerful narrative about overcoming a lineage of shame and literal beastly transformation, potentially dealing with lingering physical or psychological effects of their parent's curse.
It raises a big question about the organization of the Auradon/Isle split: Where did the transformed boys go when King Beast rounded up all the villains? Are the donkey-boys on the Isle of the Lost, or were they considered victims and given a separate land? The lack of their presence is a significant logical gap in the world-building!
I can already feel that I'm going to get hate from some people about this, but I can't stand Rise of Red. And not in a "you don't like it because none of the OGs came back" type of way, but in the way that the story doesn't really make sense to me (because honestly, I couldn’t really care less that 99% of the OG cast didn’t return, that’s their right).
It isn't even really an issue with the present day characters (although I would've loved to have seen more Wonderland kids, especially since this movie introduced Wonderland so it would've been cool to have them present/mentioned, or even if we got the daughter of Alice teaming up with Red over the daughter of Cinderella), it's more of an issue with how they handled the past.
Having all the parents go to school with one another at Merlin Academy (which has no possible way of existing in the canon without retconning Ben's line in D1 about how Beast turned the building into a school after he became King) made little to no sense, and it honestly left me with more questions than answers at the end. Questions which will most likely never get answered now that Wicked Wonderland isn't going to take us back to the past like the original D5 plot was meant to.
On top of that, Rise of Red basically retcons the entire premise set up in the first three movies that all the fairy tales happened the same way they do in the OG animated movies. None of that could be possible by Rise of Red's standards because everyone already knew one another or were in relationships with each other before their stories even took place. If we're to believe all the stories still happen in the same exact way here, then Aladdin and Jasmine wouldn't be together yet, and Charming and Ella would never interact until the Ball (among other things).
All-in-all, for what it’s worth, I do think that if Rise of Red had been the first ever installment in the Descendants franchise, I might’ve actually enjoyed the story it was trying to tell, but I just sadly wasn’t able to. And don’t get me wrong, I have issues with the other movies as well, but there’s just something about Rise of Red that I just can’t get behind.
Again, I can feel I'll probably get some hate from some people in the fandom over this, but I've been wanting to vent about this for way too long so I figured why not.
Your observation about the Merlin Academy being a retcon of an iconic line from the first movie is spot on.
In Descendants, Ben explicitly tells Mal and the VKs that the school building they are attending, Auradon Prep, was created by his father: "My dad, he spent all of his time focused on turning the old castle into Auradon Prep." This line firmly established that King Beast founded Auradon Prep using an old structure, implying it wasn't a pre-existing institution for royal children.
The shift in the Descendants 5 (now Wicked Wonderland) plot further emphasizes the disappointment of this retcon, as it leaves many crucial questions about the past unanswered:
Why did Merlin Academy close? If it was the primary school for Auradon's heroes, what caused its closure, and why did it stand empty as an "old castle" until Beast reopened it?
The Villain Kids (VKs): Were all the future VK parents present at Merlin Academy? Did they all interact before the Isle was created? The film offers a glimpse, but a comprehensive history is missing.
Beast's Motive: Why did Beast completely remove the name "Merlin Academy" if it was a prestigious school? The original line suggested a creation rather than a revival.
I didn't feel bad for Mal when Ben brought Uma to Cotillion under a love spell when she cast the same spell to him months ago and even if he wasn't under a spell, he has every right to bring Uma to Auradon as High King. Like maybe she should actually apologize to Uma, someone she bullied and treated horribly?
(YEAH THIS IS A TWO MONTH LATE RESPONSE MY BAD 🤣)
Mals reaction to the Cotillion serves less as a moment of pure sympathy and more as a catalyst for her to confront her own flaws and past behavior. It was a key part of her journey to becoming a better person and a better leader, highlighting the fact that even the protagonists have significant mistakes to atone for.
And ya, Ben absolutely has the right and authority to extend an invitation, even to someone like Uma. His decision to include a villain kid (VK) to the Cotillion, regardless of the love spell, aligns with his core belief in giving others a chance, which is exactly why he brought Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos over in the first place.
ngl i feel like the fandom's view of mal is better than the writers bc they put her on a pedestal in a comical way and make the others especially uma seem villainized (it's even worse considering she bullied uma). like she's flawed and a mess and that's what makes her more interesting than being given way too much credit that what she got
The way the official story handled Mal's evolution felt less like growth and more like coronation, and it ultimately flattens her character as well as the others.
The writers tried to position her as a flawless hero by the end, especially in D3, and in doing so, they had to diminish or outright villainize other strong characters like Uma. It's cheap writing that avoids confronting the complexities of Mal's own history.
The fact that Mal was a bully a detail that made her original arc so compelling is conveniently glossed over or swept away in favor of a squeaky-clean, royal protagonist who gets too much credit and not enough accountability.
The fandom often understands that Mal is far more interesting when she's acknowledged as a flawed mess trying to do the right thing, not a perfect heroine on a pedestal. Her mistakes and her past history with Uma are what give the drama its real weight. By ignoring them, the official story weakens the narrative and makes the "villains" feel unfairly targeted.
Ben's parents are so fake.
Belle with the comment about Audrey, a girl her son has been friends with for years and a girl he was dating.
Beast and Belle pretending to support Ben's proclamation but fighting him at every turn on things.
It's frustrating.
I know it's mostly the writing but it annoys me so bad.
Ben deserved supportive parents.
I totally agree. The way they handle major decisions, especially about the Isle, is baffling.
Belle's comment about Audrey is jarring and completely out of character for the diplomatic person she's supposed to be it feels like cheap dramatic fodder rather than genuine parenting.
And Beast and Belle's pushback on virtually every one of Ben's progressive ideas, despite their initial blessing of his Proclamation, makes them look like they're only interested in the idea of change, not the reality of it. They constantly undermine him, forcing him to fight his own battles alone.
It's a huge failing of the writing that they turned two of Disney's most iconic characters into such unnecessarily antagonistic figures toward their own son.
Ben deserved better. He's the one trying to break cycles, and the people who should be his greatest allies are the ones creating the most friction.
If you think about it, Lonnie is a victim of poor writing in Descendants. Like, sure all of the kids in the og trilogy are badly written, but Lonnie gets the crappy end of the stick. It’s clear from the writers that they really don’t know what to do with her. In the first descendants, they made her into a girly girl and in D2, they made her into a watered down girl boss. I didn’t like how she was blackmailing Jay and Carlos either and was completely non existent in d3 and beyond. All in all, Lonnie deserved better.
I agree that Lonnie deserved better, but I don’t think she was written quite as inconsistently as you’re making it sound.
In the first movie she was girly, yes, but she was also portrayed as clever and assertive (like calling out Jay when he tried to dismiss her).
By D2, her “girl boss” moment with the sword-fighting team actually felt like a natural extension of that she wanted respect, and she was willing to challenge rules to get it.
The blackmailing thing wasn’t her best look, but honestly a lot of the characters pulled morally grey moves, especially since VKs were constantly bending rules.
Where I do agree is that dropping her entirely by D3 was a huge mistake. With her skills, personality, and family legacy, she could have had a strong arc alongside the others.
Lonnie had the potential to bridge Auradon royalty with VK struggles in a way that no one else really did. Disney sidelining her was the real crime not the fact that she shifted a little between movies.
Evie should've been Hades' daughter instead of Mal. She's blue and her mom's a witch queen who is all about power and vanity so ofc a god would be her go to to have an offspring.
I can totally see why that idea is tempting Evie’s aesthetic and her mom’s whole ‘power and glamour’ vibe would fit a godly backstory.
But part of what makes Mal’s story interesting is that contrast: her dad being Hades adds layers to her struggle with identity and expectation.
Evie’s arc is more about proving her worth beyond looks and status, so her current parentage really fuels that.
It’s fun to imagine alternate pairings though!
Malvie and Jaylos being two of the most popular ships in the fandom is extra disappointing to me, who views each pair as having more sibling energy than romantic energy
I agree with this here, I do ship Mevie but I've never seen them as romantic pare. I absolutely adore their sisterly friendship, same thing with Jaylos. They seem more like Bros than a couple.
The Mal hate train is out of control sometimes. I understand her not being your favorite, but how are you willing to extend grace and understanding to literally every single other character and their traumatic upbringing but not her? It's so hypocritical
Exactly! It’s totally fair if she’s not someone’s favorite, but the double standard is wild. People can empathize with every other VK’s rough childhood, yet when it comes to Mal it suddenly doesn’t count? You don’t have to like her to admit her upbringing was just as traumatic and complicated as the rest. Critique the writing choices all you want, but dismissing her trauma while giving everyone else grace really is hypocritical.
I feel like Ben shouldn’t get back together with Mal after Uma’s love spell on him was broken. Yeah, true love’s kiss broke it, but considering it’s the second time this has happened—and that Mal put him under a love spell not long ago and even tried to erase his memory—putting her at arm’s length is necessary. Two love spells within the span of a few months is messed up and damaging to a 16-year-old’s mental state.
I get where you’re coming from two love spells in such a short time would absolutely be damaging, especially for someone Ben’s age. It’s not just about “true love’s kiss” fixing it; it’s about trust and emotional safety.
Even if the intent behind each spell was different, the repeated violation of his free will is a huge red flag.
At the very least, Ben would need time and space to process everything before deciding if getting back together is even healthy for him.