Esmeralda

Unreleased

Esmeralda is a character who appears in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. She originates from the 1996 Disney film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Development
Esmeralda's first appearance was in the TGS 2011 trailer, in which she is seen being held unconscious by Quasimodo, apparently having just been rescued from being burned at the stake. Magazine scans depict her interacting with Quasimodo and Riku, and later with Sora and Phoebus. In one trailer, she is shown being harassed by Frollo as Sora furiously rushes to her defence.

Appearance
Esmeralda's most distinguishing feature is the brilliant green of her eyes. She has jet black hair tied with a purple ribbon, and caramel skin. Esmeralda wears a white top with a blue midsection, along with a purple skirt. She is often barefoot, and wears a golden hoop earring on her left ear and a golden bangle on her right wrist.

The Sceptre and the Kingdom
When Frollo accuses Sora and Riku of being witches, Esmeralda is nearby and runs in to hide the boys from Frollo's guards. Once the newcomers are safe, Sora asks if Esmeralda is the world's princess, surprising Esmeralda with the thought of a gypsy being a princess. Afterward, Quasimodo and Esmeralda take the boys to the belltower to show off the town from above.

Origin
Esmeralda was originally the titular character and one of the main protagonists in the 1831 novel Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo, but this incarnation of the character appeared for the first time in the 1996 adaptation, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. She first makes herself known when she meets Quasimodo at the Festival of Fools and is the only one not repulsed by his deformed appearance, but she manages to land herself in trouble with the "law" by defending Quasimodo against a riot Judge Claude Frollo had deliberately refused to stop. When she openly defies Frollo, she becomes a fugitive and hides inside Notre Dame to avoid capture by Frollo's soldier-like thugs.

There, she befriends Quasimodo, who helps her escape and develops feelings for her, although she sees him as a dear friend. Later, she seeks his aid in order to shelter Phoebus, Frollo's former Captain of the Guard and who had rebelled against Frollo. Esmeralda falls in love with Phoebus but is forced to leave when Frollo returns. In the film's climactic scene, she is threatened with execution unless she becomes Frollo's mistress, but Esmeralda refuses and is saved from being burned by Quasimodo. Quasimodo protects the weakened Esmeralda from Frollo until Frollo is killed. In the aftermath, Esmeralda chooses Phoebus, and Quasimodo blesses their relationship.