Ursula debuted as the primary antagonist in Walt Disney Pictures' 1989 animated feature film The Little Mermaid, with her voice provided by Pat Carroll. She is depicted as a formidable cecaelia—a hybrid of human and octopus—with lavender skin, white hair styled in a dramatic flair, heavy blue eyeshadow, and a voluptuous upper body contrasting her six black tentacles. Banished from King Triton's court in Atlantica for her dark practices, Ursula resides in a skeletal lair surrounded by her garden of trapped souls, accompanied by her moray eel minions, Flotsam and Jetsam. Her design draws inspiration from drag performer Divine, emphasizing theatricality and exaggeration.
Ursula is characterized by her cunning manipulation, flamboyant confidence, and vengeful ambition to usurp Triton's throne. Exploiting the misfortunes of merfolk, she offers deceptive contracts that promise fulfillment of desires while ensuring their failure, transforming victims into polyps for her collection. Sensing Ariel's longing for the human world, Ursula strikes a deal: granting temporary human legs in exchange for Ariel's voice, with the condition that Ariel must earn true love's kiss from Prince Eric within three days or belong to Ursula forever. To sabotage this, Ursula disguises herself as the human Vanessa, using Ariel's voice to hypnotize Eric.
In the film's climax, Ursula seizes Triton's trident after Ariel's contract expires, growing to enormous size and unleashing chaos on the ocean. Her reign is short-lived, however, as Prince Eric impales her with a ship's prow, leading to her demise and the restoration of peace. Though she meets her end in the original narrative, Ursula has endured as a prominent Disney villain in subsequent media, including the Kingdom Hearts series as a recurring antagonist, House of Mouse appearances, and the 2023 live-action remake portrayed by Melissa McCarthy, where additional backstory establishes her as Triton's estranged sister, further enriching her motivations for power and revenge.