, Mérida has become a free-spirited teenager and an older sister of identical triplets: Hamish, Harris and Hubert. Elinor informs her that she is to be betrothed to one of her father's allied clans. Reminding Merida of a legend about a prince who ruined his own kingdom, Elinor warns her that failure to marry could harm Dunbroch, but Merida is dissatisfied with the arrangement. The clans of Macintosh, MacGuffin and Dingwall arrive with their first-born sons to compete in Highland Games for Mérida's hand. Mérida announces she is eligible to compete for her own hand as the first-born of Clan Dunbroch and defeats each of her suitors in an archery contest. After a brief falling out with Elinor, Mérida runs into the forest and comes across the will-o'-the-wisps. They lead her to the hut of an elderly witch posing as a wood carver. After some bargaining, the witch agrees to give Mérida a spell to change her mother in the form of a cake. Mérida returns to the castle and gives Elinor the cake, not knowing Elinor had realized her own mistake of burning Mérida's bow in the falling out, causing her mother to transform into a large black bear. With the help of her brothers, Mérida and Elinor return to the witch's now deserted cottage where they discover that the spell will be permanent unless undone by the second sunrise. The witch leaves Mérida a riddle, mentioning that she must "mend the bond torn by pride." Merida and Elinor begin to reconcile their relationship while Mérida observes that the spell is slowly becoming permanent, as Elinor often loses control and acts more like a wild bear. After encountering the wisps again, the two follow them to ancient ruins and encounter Mor'du, who they discover was once the prince in Elinor's legend who received a similar spell from the witch. Mérida promises her mother that she will not become a wild animal like Mor'du. She theorizes that she can reverse the spell by repairing her family tapestry since Mérida had torn a hole between herself and her mother on the tapestry. At the castle, the clans are on the verge of war, but the princess quells their fighting. With the encouragement of her mother who, unseen by the others, uses charades to guide Mérida through a speech, the princess declares that the children should be allowed to get married in their own time to whomever they choose. Mérida then sneaks into the tapestry room with Elinor, who is losing control of her human self. Fergus enters the bed chamber and is attacked by Elinor until she regains human consciousness and races out of the castle in desperation. Fergus gives chase. With the help of her brothers, who have transformed into bear cubs by eating the cake, Mérida rides after her father while sewing up the tapestry. The clan members and Fergus capture Elinor, but Mérida intervenes just before Mor'du attacks. Just as Mor'du is about to swallow Mérida whole, Elinor saves her and a menhir crashes down on Mor'du, flattening the monster and releasing the prince's spirit. When Mérida places the tapestry over Elinor, nothing happens. After Mérida tearfully reconciles with Elinor, which is the true meaning of the witch's riddle, the queen is transformed back along with the triplets, and the family is reunited. A few days later, the clans depart for their respective lands, and Mérida and Elinor ride their horses together, their bond finally restored. In a post-credits scene, the witch's crow asks a castle guard to sign for a delivery of wooden carvings that Mérida bought simultaneously with the spell.

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