Meg (Hercules)

Megara, also known as Meg, is a fictional character in Disney's Hercules franchise. Meg first appears in the animated film Hercules (1997) as a young woman enslaved by Hades, god of the underworld. Hades forces Meg to seduce Hercules and uncover his weaknesses in exchange for her own freedom, only to develop genuine feelings for the demigod instead. Loosely based on Megara and Deianira, Heracles' first and third wives in Greek mythology, directors Ron Clements and John Musker adapted Meg into a morally conflicted con artist, and based her role on 1940s screwball comediennes, particularly actress Barbara Stanwyck's performance in The Lady Eve (1941).

Meg is voiced by actress Susan Egan, who had been playing Belle in the Broadway adaptation of Disney's Beauty and the Beast (1994) when she learned of auditions for Hercules. Despite campaigning heavily for the role of Meg, Disney initially prevented Egan from auditioning because the studio felt Meg and Belle's personalities were too different. To prepare for the role, Egan drew inspiration from several classical Hollywood actresses, including Stanwyck, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, and Lauren Bacall. After opting not to draw the character realistically, supervising animator Ken Duncan decided to input elements of Greek pottery into Meg's hair, body, and clothing, while borrowing some of Egan's own mannerisms.

Reception towards Meg has been positive, with critics citing her independence, wit, and moral ambiguity as welcome departures from previous Disney heroines, as well as praising Egan's performance. Retrospectively, the character is regarded as underappreciated by critics, with several media publications ranking her among Disney's most underrated heroines. Meg has made subsequent appearances in the film's sequel, television spin-off, and video game adaptations, as well as a live-action iteration in Once Upon a Time, portrayed by actress Kacey Rohl.