Is Sebastian a lobster or a crab in The Little Mermaid, and how has Disney itself confused the matter? The Little Mermaid is based on the classic Hans Christian Andersen story of the same name, though the original fairy tale was darker than Disney’s retelling. The story follows mermaid Ariel, a princess who wishes to leave her underwater kingdom and become human, and she rebels against her overprotective father King Triton, making a deal with sea witch Ursula so that she can walk on land. The Little Mermaid was released to instant acclaim for its fantastic animation, great musical numbers, and entertaining story. It would also win two Academy Awards, including Best Original Score for composer Alan Menken.
The 2023 live-action Little Mermaid spiritually carries the torch of the original, as The Little Mermaid featured several great musical numbers, including the toe-tapping “Under The Sea,” which earned the movie its other Oscar. This is performed by Sebastian, Tritons’ advisor, and court composer. Sebastian is one of Disney’s most entertaining sidekicks, but over the years, the question of whether Sebastian is a crab or lobster has created needless confusion. The original The Little Mermaid featured very cartoonized undersea life, which made working out the kind of crustacean Sebastian is difficult for some. So, is Sebastian a lobster or a crab?
Sebastian Is A Crab
While some of Sebastian’s features resemble a lobster, Sebastian is definitely a crab, as is stated in The Little Mermaid itself a few times. This includes the scene where the obsessed Chef Louis refers to Sebastian as a crab, and since he’s a professional, he really should know. Nonetheless, Disney merchandise has muddied the waters of the debate. Many have mislabeled Sebastian, such as an official plush toy referring to the character as “Sebastian the Lobster.”
In addition to The Little Mermaid (which definitively changed Disney forever), Sebastian returned for the 2000 sequel Return To The Sea and 2008 prequel The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning. He also had a brief cameo in Aladdin and has shown up in the Kingdom Hearts games. The late Samuel E. Wright voiced the crab in the 1989 movie and most of his subsequent appearances, but Hamilton star Daveed Diggs inherits the role for Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. Rob Marshall directed the project and Grown-ish star Halle Bailey plays Ariel, while Javier Bardem voices King Triton and Awkwafina voices Scuttle. In every single one of these The Little Mermaid movies Sebastian is a crab.
The Live-Action Little Mermaid Has Cleared Up The Sebastian Species Confusion
The excitement for the live-action Little Mermaid movie has mostly surrounded seeing the mermaid and human characters brought to life. The other sea creatures, like the crab Sebastian or the fish Flounder, are also brought to life, but with CGI. As in previous live-action Disney movies, the animals in The Little Mermaid have been made to appear more realistic than a Disney cartoon. As a result, the live-action movie is clearing up some of the confusion surrounding whether Sebastian is a crab or a lobster as well.
Thanks to the live action The Little Mermaid basing its sealife on their real-world counterparts, it’s now clear that Sebastian is a crab. More accurately, the design for Sebastian in the live-action movie is based on that of a tropical ghost crab. Interestingly, ghost crabs are actually land-dwelling crabs in reality. They would drown in the ocean, but Sebastian is a crab that clearly does not since he still has his iconic “Under The Sea” performance from Daveed Diggs. Animators weren’t the only ones doing research for the Little Mermaid live-action crab either. Diggs told Collider in 2021 that accepting the role of Sebastian meant that he did more research for the role than he ever had for any role before – but not about crabs.
Instead, Diggs did a deep dive into the voice of Sebastian. Diggs told Collider that although he’s “not of Caribbean descent… [he] spent a lot of time in Trinidad and [he] went to Jamaica to research.” Diggs wanted to make sure his vocals were consistent and recognizable for kids who might see a bit of their own culture in the movie, even in a crab like Sebastian. Diggs went on to explain, “Your speech pattern is based on culture, and that was the thing I didn’t wanna let down.” Daveed Diggs showed great commitment to the role of Sebastian in The Little Mermaid.
