Sebastian, the beloved Jamaican-accented crab from Disney’s 1989 animated classic The Little Mermaid, is one of the most iconic and memorable animal sidekicks in Disney history. However, fans have often wondered – why did Disney choose to make him a crab in the first place?
The Origins of Sebastian’s Character
In Hans Christian Andersen’s original 1837 fairy tale, there is no Sebastian character. He was created specifically for Disney’s adaptation Early in development, Sebastian was conceived as an uptight, British-accented character named Clarence However, acclaimed lyricist Howard Ashman, who wrote the film’s iconic songs alongside composer Alan Menken, suggested reimagining Sebastian as a fun-loving, Caribbean crab. This allowed them to infuse the music with reggae and calypso styles, including the Oscar-winning “Under the Sea.”
Giving Sebastian a Jamaican accent and crab species was an unconventional choice, but it ultimately gave the character more heart, charm, and musicality. According to animator Duncan Marjoribanks, crab anatomy also provided opportunities for humor through Sebastian’s gangly legs and unique walk cycles.
Why a Crab and Not a Lobster?
Some fans have speculated whether Sebastian was actually meant to be a lobster While lobsters and crabs share biological similarities, there are distinct differences Lobsters have longer bodies, larger claws, and live primarily in cold, northern climates. Crabs have wider, flat bodies and smaller claws suited for defense and scuttling sideways.
Crabs were a wise creative choice for Sebastian’s physicality and mannerisms His sideways shuffle allows humorous staging and comedic visual gags His claws also suit his fussy personality, gesturing wildly when frustrated with Ariel’s antics. Additionally, Caribbean crabs match Sebastian’s warm, tropical habitat.
Sebastian’s Crab Species
Sebastian appears to be based on a red crab species, either a Red Rock Crab or a West Indian Red Crab. These crabs live in warm, tropical waters like those around Jamaica and the Caribbean islands where Sebastian hails from.
Red rock crabs are common around coral reefs, suiting Sebastian’s home in King Triton’s reef kingdom. West Indian red crabs are known for their bright, vivid shell color which animators replicated in Sebastian’s design.
Why a Crab Works for the Story
Most importantly, the crab adds to Sebastian’s character role as an unlikely hero and fish-out-of-water. As a small crab, Sebastian appears harmless and vulnerable against larger sea creatures and humans. This increases stakes and tension when Sebastian bravely chooses to follow Ariel to the surface. A larger lobster would lose that natural disadvantage.
Being a crab also highlights Sebastian’s internal contradictions. Though he has a tough shell, he’s softhearted inside. And while crabs move sideways, Sebastian struggles “going with the flow” versus following rules. This underscores his internal battle between loyalty to King Triton versus caring for Ariel.
Sebastian’s Lasting Popularity
While unconventional, the choice to make Sebastian a Caribbean crab was a masterstroke. The accent, music, and crab species blended into pure Disney magic.
Sebastian has remained one of Disney’s most iconic animals. He’s appeared in two sequel films, a Disney+ series, theme parks, and video games. Fans eagerly await his upcoming return in the live-action remake, proving that this unlikely crab has cemented his place in Disney history.
After 30+ years, Sebastian is still the “hot crustacean” audiences can’t get enough of. In a sea of Disney sidekicks, this clever crab stands out from the rest.
Other appearances
Sebastian also made a brief appearance in Aladdin. In the Royal Recipes book, the Genie is looking for the right “recipe” to turn Aladdin into a prince. He finds “Alaskan King Crab” and flicks Sebastian off while Sebastian is still attached to his finger. For a few seconds during his appearance, “Under the Sea” can be heard. (Genies response: “I hate it when they do that!”).
Sebastian briefly appeared in the movie version of “Dalmatian Vacation”, the series finale to 101 Dalmatians: The Series. During the “Surf Puppies” musical number, he pinches a puppys tail. However, the song sequence containing this cameo was often cut from televised broadcasts of the episode.
Sebastian briefly appears in the Hercules: The Animated Series episode “Hercules and the Big Sink”. However, hes only shown from behind.
Sebastian makes a cameo in the Darkwing Duck comic book. He can be seen on the last page of issue #7, hiding from the revived Paddywhack.
Sebastian and Flounder also starred in commercial bumpers for Disney Jr. along with an octopus, a karp, a snail, and a fluke who are Sebastians musicians. These shorts showcase Sebastian and Flounder engaging in activities, accompanied by a song from an off-screen singer.
Live-action appearances
Sebastian appears in the live-action remake of the film, where he is portrayed by Daveed Diggs. This version of Sebastian is not a composer or songwriter like the one in the original movie. Instead, he is King Tritons major-domo, which is similar to Zazu.
When King Triton sees that his daughter Ariel isn’t at the Coral Moon event, he tells Sebastian to keep an eye on her to make sure she is there. Unfortunately, because of Ariels absence, the event was a failure. Sebastian then approaches Ariel, who is talking to Scuttle underwater, and prompts her to return to her father. He is very upset that she didn’t go to the Coral Moon Event, which made Sebastian sad because he had to spend a lot of time watching over Ariel.
Ariel saves Eric from drowning and then meets Sebastian. Sebastian sings the song “Under the Sea” to Ariel and tells her that the ocean is her home and that living under the sea is better than living on land. Throughout the musical number he sings to Ariel how the fish are comfortable living underwater. Sebastian also dances with a large number of sea creatures who dance with Ariel. But all of a sudden, Ariel is gone, and Sebastian and the other sea creatures notice. This makes the other sea creatures leave, too, which makes Sebastian sad. Later, Triton gets angry with his other daughters when they talk about how Ariel saved a person from drowning in the ocean. He scolds Ariel for breaking the rule.
Triton destroys Ariel’s treasures in her grotto, and then Ariel decides to talk to Ursula, which worries Sebastian and Flounder. Just as Ariel makes a deal with Ursula, Sebastian and Flounder are shocked to see her come up as a human after giving up her mermaid tail, voice, and ability to breathe underwater. As Sebastian walks up to Ariel, she notices that she has legs. He is talking to her about what she did after making a deal with the sea witch with Flounder. Sebastian tries to help Ariel fall in love with Prince Eric during the first two days after Ariel’s plan to find true love kiss failed. After that, Sebastian sings in the musical number “Kiss the Girl” to try to get Ariel to kiss Eric, but Flotsam and Jetsam knock them off the boat, making them fail.
The next day, during the musical number “The Scuttlebutt,” Scuttle tells Sebastian that Ursula is worried about what she saw. Later, Sebastian was worried about what Scuttle and Flounder told him, so Ariel stopped Eric and “Vanessa” from getting married. Sebastian, Scuttle, and Flounder are scared when Vanessa is revealed to be Ursula in disguise. They run away. Sebastian suggests that Triton let Ariel live her own life so that she can fall in love with Prince Eric. Triton then turns his daughter into a human, which makes Ariel fall in love with Prince Eric while they are getting married. Sebastian, Scuttle, and Flounder are happy to watch Ariel and Eric as they are newlyweds.
Sebastian being ICONIC for 5 minutes straight (The Little Mermaid)
Is Sebastian a crab or a lobster?
Sebastian is a crab and not a lobster because his physical features like missing lobster tail and antennae, his small size and his red color make it impossible that he is a lobster. He, among others, even calls himself a crab in The Little Mermaid movie. There are actually a lot of indications that support the claim that Sebastian is a crab.
Is Sebastian a crab in the Little Mermaid?
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.
Is Sebastian a hermit crab?
Sebastian is not a Caribbean hermit crab because hermit crabs live in abandoned sea snail shells but Sebastian does not carry such a seashell on his back. When hermit crabs are outside of their shell they also look more like lobsters with a vulnerable tail but Sebastian has a normal crab body. So, what kind of crab is Sebastian?
Is Sebastian a king crab?
The Caribbean king crab, which is also called Caribbean spider crab, has legs that are way too long and the red land crab looks too dark. Another red terrestrial crab is the Caribbean hermit crab. Some people believe Sebastian could be one but there is a problem.