I love that there’s no love triangle that pits two women against each other in Princess Tutu. The show even subverts, and I think, criticises this trope. Ahiru never thought of Rue as a rival for Mytho’s affections. Rue acted hostile to Ahiru out of deep insecurity from years of emotional abuse, and being cast into the role of “the vamp” by Drosselmeyer’s story. Ahiru and Rue eventually overcame expectations of what they’re told they should be to become close friends.
Ahiru began to dance with people as Princess Tutu after dancing a pas de deux with Rue. Even though she’s awkward, clumsy and feels like a failure as a ballerina, dancing a pas de deux with Rue gives Ahiru a sense of joy. So from then she dances with others to help express who they are and work through their problems. It becomes a way for her to give people hope. And Ahiru eventually realises that she can give people hope through dance, even as “just a duck.” Without knowing it, Rue taught Ahiru a way to give herself and others hope.
Ahiru adores and admires Rue so much. After years of emotional abuse from the Raven, Rue spent her life feeling like was undeserving of love. And her insecurities eventually cause her repressed memories to come to the surface, and she becomes Kraehe again. So Rue is perplexed by Ahiru’s earnest adoration and declarations of friendship. Even during Rue’s time as Kraehe, when she hurt Mytho and others, Ahiru never stopped thinking of her as a friend. Ahiru always insisted that “Rue was Rue,” and not the role forced on her by the Raven and Drosselmeyer. Ahiru always gave Rue love, even when Rue didn’t feel she deserved it.
Princess Tutu is a subversion of stories where women undermine one another out of jealousy. Instead, two girls who were supposed to be rivals ended up helping each other to be more than they were told they could be, and they thought they could be.