When Merida was younger, she was a very small, cute little child and had a close relationship with both her mother and her father. However, she also does resemble her mother in terms of stubbornness and inability to listen to others. In terms of personality, she greatly parallels and resembles her father, as the two both tend to be unruly, impulsive and loud. She tends to be ungraceful and has bad manners, and is extremely tomboyish. She also seems to be skilled in sword fighting, as shown in the Brave featurette 'Cutting the Class'. She is very athletic and enjoys nothing more than riding her horse Angus and practicing her archery, of which she is the best in the kingdom.

Rather than being a damsel in distress who is subservient to the customs, traditions, and social restrictions her society places on her and expects her to follow, Merida openly rebels and defies her heritage as a princess and would like for nothing more than to be a normal girl. Merida is a very brave, bold, daring, courageous, stubborn, rebellious and headstrong girl who does not fit the stereotypical princess role. She is also skilled in sword-fighting and racing across the countryside on her horse, Angus. Despite her outgoing, forceful, headstrong and willful personality, Merida does have a playful softness of heart particularly when it comes to her younger triplet brothers. Merida has honed her skill in archery and is one of the most skilled archers ever seen.

Despite Elinor's desire to see Merida as a proper royal lady, Merida is an impetuous girl who wants to take control of her own destiny. Queen Elinor's expectations of her daughter cause Merida to see Elinor as being distant while also causing friction between the two. Princess Merida is the headstrong and free-spirited 16-year-old tomboyish, willful daughter of Queen Elinor who rules the kingdom alongside her husband, King Fergus.

Merida brave cast