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{{pp-semi|small=yes}}
Belle
First appearance Beauty and the Beast
Created by Linda Woolverton
Voiced by Paige O'Hara (films/KHII)
Jodi Benson (House of Mouse)
Also known as Princess Belle, Beauty


{{Refimprove|date=May 2009}}
Belle is the heroine of the Disney animated film, Beauty and the Beast and its two direct-to-video sequels, Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas and Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World. She is also an official Disney Princess. She is voiced by Paige O'Hara in nearly every incarnation. The only time she has ever been voiced by anyone different is when she has appeared in the Disney Channel series House of Mouse, at which time she was voiced by Jodi Benson, who is commonly known for being the voice actress of fellow Disney Princess Princess Ariel from The Little Mermaid. Belle also appears at the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts as a meetable character, and made a cameo appearance in Disney's 1996 animated feature The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Belle was featured in Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse. For an unknown reason, all incarnations of Beauty & the Beast, all take place during the film, owning up to the fact that Beast is always in his beast form.


{{Infobox character
Contents
| colour = #4B89E6
•1 Personality
| name = Belle
•2 Beauty and the Beast
| image = [[Image:Princess Belle.jpg|200px]]
•3 Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas
| caption = Belle in her signature [[golden]] [[ball gown]], in which she dances with the Beast.
•4 Disney Princess Enchanted Tales
| first = ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)|Beauty and the Beast]]'' (1991)
•5 Kingdom Hearts Series
| creator = [[Linda Woolverton]]
| lbl1 = Voiced by
| data1 = [[Paige O'Hara]] (films, games and merchandise)
[[Jodi Benson]](House of Mouse TV Series)

| alias = Princess Belle
| noinfo = yes
}}
'''Belle''' is a [[fictional character]] and one of the two protagonists of the Disney animated film, ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)|Beauty and the Beast]]'' and its two [[direct-to-video]] sequels, ''[[Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas]]'' and its several spin-offs, including ''[[Belle's Magical World|Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World]]''. She is also an official [[Disney Princess]].

She also appears at the [[Walt Disney Parks and Resorts]] as a meetable character and in various shows and parades. She also makes a [[cameo appearance]] in Disney's 1996 animated feature ''[[The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film)|The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]''.

Belle also appears in many episodes of the ''[[Disney's House of Mouse]]'' television series and in the direct-to-video releases ''[[Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse]]'' and ''[[Mickey's House of Villains]]''. She also appears in the ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'' series of video games as one of the most important Disney characters.

==Profile==
{{or section|date=December 2009}}
===Personality===
Belle is a young woman living in the [[France|French]] countryside with her father, an inventor. She's a lovely free-thinker who likes to read and go on adventures within her own imagination. She is not shy and is not afraid to speak her mind, especially in tight situations, though she can be slightly hesitant when nervous. She is very compassionate and takes care of those in need. She can be stubborn and always tries to protect people she truly loves. She's also very patient towards others.

A true dreamer and a lover of fantasy and adventure, Belle is a shrewd nonconformist for her time in many ways. The most pronounced is her love of books, excitement and knowledge, which the townspeople find odd for a woman. Gaston says to her at one point, "It's not right for a woman to read. Soon she starts getting ideas and...thinking...". Belle also does not care about appearances, whether they pertain to herself or anyone else. This is highly ironic, considering she is seen as the most beautiful woman in her village. In the song Belle, a woman sings, "It's no wonder than her name means beauty. Her looks have got no parallel."

Through the film, though more apparent in the broadway musical in her solo song, [[A Change in Me]], Belle changes her view of the world. In the beginning she craves adventure and excitement, but after her days with the [[Beast (Disney character)|Beast]], she grows to see that she no longer needs her childhood dreams and she sees that she likes life how it is now that she's found her love.

===Physical appearance===
Belle is viewed as a stunningly attractive young woman, supposedly in her late teens or early twenties. She has long brown hair, most commonly tied in a low ponytail, and hazel eyes. She is average height for her supposed age and slender, and her outfit choices are modest, dutiful and homely, yet attractive.

Also, Belle is noted to be able to walk while reading, while subconsciously avoiding any collisions, and is forced to constantly remove a single strand of hair from her forehead. This tells audiences something about her personality.

===Wardrobe===
Belle's most common outfit is a blue and white peasant dress with a white apron which she wears throughout most of the movie. She wears a blue bow in her hair and brown shoes. Many fans{{Who|date=October 2009}} believe that this outfit is based upon [[Dorothy Gale]]'s dress in [[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]. But when actually, her outfit was based on Maria's dress in the film "The Sound of Music". Sometimes she is featured with her hair down such as when she is attacked by the wolves during the middle of the film.

When she is outdoors, she wears a dark blue cloak. During her time in the castle, she wears a pink-purple dress and a green dress. Her most famous and popular dress is a golden [[ball gown]]. In the ''Kingdom Hearts'' games she alternates between her ball gown and her blue peasant outfit.

According to [[Linda Woolverton]], one of Beauty and the Beast's writers, the animators wanted audiences to draw attention to the outfits Belle wears. For example, especially obvious in the film's opening scenes, it is noted that Belle is the only village inhabitant to wear a blue and white outfit, while all the other villagers wear rustic colors, such as brown, green and occasionally red. This makes Belle stand out more as the film's main protagonist, and cause viewers to further realize there his something special about her.

==Development==
Disney hired actress [[Sherri Stoner]] to portray the role of Belle during development. They filmed Stoner acting out various actions and mannerisms, and used the footage as inspiration for Belle's performance.<ref name=archive>{{cite web | work=Disney Archives | title=Belle Character History|url=http://disney.go.com/vault/archives/characters/belle/belle.html}}</ref>

When [[Beast (Disney character)|Beast]]'s key animator [[Glen Keane]] and one of Belle's animators, Mark Henn, were drawing their respective characters in the same scene, they had to coordinate their work across the country. Henn was at the Disney-MGM Studio in [[Florida]], and Keane was at the animation studio in [[Glendale, California]]. To keep the scenes harmonized, the animators had to exchange drawings daily by courier.<ref name="archive" />

==Appearances==
===Beauty and the Beast===
{{Main|Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)}}
Belle is a young woman living in a small [[France|French]] town. Her father, Maurice, on his way to a fair, goes missing while she was reading books and not wanting Gaston to marry her. Belle rides to a mysterious castle in possibility of finding him. She finds her father locked away in a dungeon, and begs the dungeon master to free him, offering her own freedom in exchange for her father's. On the condition that she stay with him forever, the dungeon master, a hideous beast, frees Maurice from the dungeon. However he is deeply moved by her beauty and affection towards her father, and can't help but feel attracted to her boldness and bravery. Belle is originally hesitant to interact with the Beast, but after he develops a more civil manner, aided by enchanted furnishings, a bond is formed. The Beast falls deeply in love with her, but is in denial that she will ever love him in return. Belle is soon granted right to leave on behalf of her sickly father, who tries to rescue her. But after denying Gaston (a conceited hunter) her hand in marriage for a third time, a mob of villagers, led by Gaston, plots against the Beast. After a grueling tussle between Gaston and Beast, the Beast is stabbed. Gaston laughs but slips and falls from the castle roof...Never to be seen again. Belle is able to lay the Beast on a balcony, and he dies in her arms. Belle confesses her love for the beast just as the last petal falls from the enchanted rose. Belle's love for the Beast revives him and releases him from the curse, and he, along with his furnishings, return to human beings.

===Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas===
{{Main|Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas}}
A [[midquel]] taking place during the winter segment of ''Beauty and the Beast'', this is the story of Belle's attempt to bring back to the castle the one ritual Beast hates most: Christmas, because it is the very day that the Enchantress cast a spell on him.

Unfortunately, a pipe organ called Forte is determined to do anything necessary to keep the spell from breaking, because he thinks that if the curse is broken then the Beast won't be nice to him anymore. Thus, he proves to be an obstacle in Belle's plans. After several attempts to get Beast to agree, Beast finally approves of the idea of Christmas and allows Belle to prepare festivities, though he still harbors resentment for the day.

With advice from Forte, Belle goes out into the woods to get a suitable tree for Christmas, but she falls into thin ice and almost drowns. Fortunately, she is rescued by Beast, but he is angry at her because of a lie that Forte told him: that she was trying to desert him. Belle is thrown into the dungeon as punishment, but Beast then finds a book in the West Wing that Belle had written for him earlier, and decides to set her free. They both continue to prepare for Christmas.

Persistent Forte attempts to bring the whole castle down with ''[[Symphony No. 5 (Beethoven)|Beethoven's Symphony No. 5]]'' in order to prevent the spell from ending, trying to end everyone's lives. Fortunately, Beast stops him in time by crashing his keyboard to pieces. Christmas finally comes, and the story goes back to the actual party, which is one year after these events. Belle is presented with a gift from the Prince: a [[rose]].

===Belle's Magical World===
{{Main|Belle's Magical World}}
In this movie, Belle is the only human. She meets her new three enchanted object friends Webster, Crane, and LePlume and is set out to solve problems in all four segments.

===Belle's Tales of Friendship===
{{Main|Belle's Tales of Friendship}}
In Belle's narration, Belle owns and works at her music and bookstore in France. A group of children walk into the store eager to hear Belle's stories, as she is noted to be a great storyteller. Belle agrees to tell a story, but the gang also play games and learn some simple lessons about life. Belle narrates two classic Disney cartoons, The Three Little Pigs and Babes in the Woods, while the children help Belle clean the bookstore. She also reads The Wise Little Hen and Morris the Midget Moose, but Shawn and Harmony will not help make chili for the group. Along the way, Belle adds music and interacts with the children.
[[Paige O'Hara]] reprises her voice cast as Belle, while Lyndsey McLeod portrays the character in the live-action sequences.

===Sing Me a Story with Belle===
{{Main|Sing Me a Story with Belle}}
In the live-action television series, Belle (portrayed by Lyndsey McLeod) lives in the country of France and owns her own music and bookshop. Helping her at the bookstore are Lewis and Carol, two magical bookworms. Also at the bookstore is Harmony the Cat. The bookstore is visited by local children to whom Belle will tell (and sing) stories, usually with a moral that fit a situation happening in the shop or with the children.

==Other appearances==
===Disney Princess Enchanted Tales===
{{Main|Disney Princess Enchanted Tales}}
Originally, when the first installment of Disney Princess Enchanted Tales was to be released, it was to feature a new Belle story and a brand new Aurora story. The First chapter was entitled "A Kingdom Of Kindness".
The plot of Belle's story featured [[Characters in Disney's Beauty and the Beast#Chip|Chip]] getting in trouble with the Beast after breaking some of his things. Terrified, Chip runs away. Belle finds him and convinces him to come back to the castle, and teaches Beast what it means to be kind. She also teaches Chip that even when people are mad with you, it still means they love you. All of the original ''Beauty and the Beast'' cast returned for "A Kingdom Of Kindness", with the exception to [[Jerry Orbach]].

Only one known song has been written for Belle, this song is called "You'll Never Lose This Love", and is available to watch on the Enchanted Tales Website.<ref>http://www.freewebs.com/disneyprincessenchantedtales/video.htm</ref>

===Kingdom Hearts Series===
{{Main|Kingdom Hearts}}
<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[Image:BelleKH.gif|thumb|right|200px|Belle in ''Kingdom Hearts II'']] -->


{{nihongo|'''Belle'''|ベル|Beru}} appears as an important Disney character in the renowned ''[[Kingdom Hearts (series)|Kingdom Hearts series]]''. Belle is portrayed as one of the seven [[Characters of Kingdom Hearts#Princesses of Heart|Princesses of Heart]], maidens who contain no darkness in their hearts. These Princesses hold the power to open the door to Kingdom Hearts, the heart of all worlds and a reservoir of untold wisdom. In the hopes of taking control of Kingdom Hearts to rule all worlds, [[Maleficent]] kidnaps her and has her world destroyed by the [[Universe of Kingdom Hearts#Heartless|Heartless]]. Belle is then taken to [[Universe of Kingdom Hearts#Hollow Bastion|Hollow Bastion]] where she is held hostage alongside the other Princesses. However, Belle is rescued by the Beast, who escaped their homeworld's destruction, and the adventurers [[Characters of Kingdom Hearts#Sora|Sora]], [[Characters of Kingdom Hearts#Donald Duck|Donald Duck]], and [[Characters of Kingdom Hearts#Goofy|Goofy]]. By speaking to Belle after rescuing her, she gives Sora a new weapon, the Divine Rose Keyblade. Belle returns to her homeworld with the Beast when it is restored at the end of the first game.
Personality
Belle is a smart and lovely free-thinker who likes to read and go on adventures within her own imagination. She is not shy and is not afraid to speak her mind, especially in tight situations. She is very compassionate and takes care of those in need. Belle can also be stubborn, and her curiosity often gets her into trouble. Belle is a nonconformist for her time in many ways. The most pronounced is her love of books and knowledge, which the townspeople find odd for a woman. Gaston says to her at one point, "It's not right for a woman to read. Soon she starts getting ideas, and thinking...". Belle also does not care about appearances, whether they pertain to herself or anyone else. This is highly ironic considering she is seen as the most beautiful woman in her village.


Belle appears again in ''[[Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories]]'', this time as a figment of Sora's memories of Hollow Bastion. In this scenario, she is once again captured by Maleficent, who hopes to steal her pure heart and use it to perfect her own dark powers. The Beast arrives to save her, but Belle, hoping to keep her heart out of Maleficent’s reach and to keep the Beast safe, coldly rejects her help. However, she is unable to hide her true feelings for long and sacrifices her heart to Maleficent when the witch tries to steal the Beast’s heart. After Sora defeats Maleficent, Belle is restored and reunites with the Beast.


Back in their world, Belle continues to live with the Beast in his castle, the Beast avidly protecting her and his home from Heartless attacks, as depicted in ''[[Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days]]''. However, in ''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]'', [[Organization XIII#Xaldin|Xaldin]], a member of [[Organization XIII]], sows seeds of distrust and rage in the Beast in an attempt to transform him into a powerful Heartless and Nobody for the Organization to control. While being manipulated by Xaldin, the Beast locks Belle in her room and his servants in the dungeons. Fortunately, Sora and his friends arrive and bring the Beast back to his senses. Later, Xaldin returns and holds Belle hostage with the Beast's enchanted rose. Xaldin forces the Beast to choose between the two, but Belle elbows him in the stomach and makes her escape with the rose, allowing Sora, the Beast and co. to defeat Xaldin. By the end of the game, Belle is shown to be with the Beast, who has transformed back into a prince.
Beauty and the Beast
Belle is a young woman living in a small French town with her eccentric inventor father, Maurice, though they have not always lived there. She feels out of place in her small village, longing for "something more than this (her) provincial life". Belle possesses a love for books, a hobby that the townspeople find odd for a woman. Much to her dismay, she is very sought after by the village hero, Gaston, a self-centered hunter who only wants to marry Belle because she is the most beautiful girl in town, which makes her the best in his eyes. He also wants to marry Belle only to prove his masculinity and to produce children (this is evident by him saying to Belle that they will be the parents of six or seven "strapping boys"). One day, Belle helps Maurice finish his latest invention (an automated log-chopper), and bids him farewell as he departs on his horse for a fair faraway from town. However, the next morning Belle receives a visit from Gaston, dressed in fancy attire. As Gaston tries to woo her, she is disgusted by his self-absorbed, male-supremist behavior. She is also appalled when he places his dirty boots on her new book. Belle ultimately is told by Gaston that he has proposed to her. As she tries to decline politely, Gaston moves in for a kiss. Through quick thinking, Belle manages to throw him out into a pigsty. Gaston leaves, angry and humiliated in front of the entire town (who had all gathered together to celebrate his "wedding"). Belle runs to a field behind her house to be alone, frustrated at Gaston's nerve to propose to her. She sings about how much more she wants from life than what others have planned or expect of her. Suddenly Phillipe, Maurice's horse, comes galloping up to her home without Maurice in the saddle. Belle wonders what happened to Maurice. Expecting the worse, she proclaims, "Oh, we have to find him. You have to take me to him!" Determined to find her father, Belle is taken by Philippe to a mysterious castle. She searches all over and ultimately finds her father locked away in a dungeon in a high tower. Maurice tries to tell Belle to leave quickly, although he won't say who has locked him in the dungeon. But Maurice's warnings fall on deaf ears as Belle demands, "Who's done this to you?" Yet it is too late for Belle to run, as a huge and strong figure emerges and turns Belle away, forcing her to drop her lighted torch. Frightened at the newfound darkness, Belle asks who the unseen figure is. He claims to be the master of the castle and that Maurice is his prisoner for trespassing. Belle begs the person to free Maurice, and offers her own freedom in exchange for that of her father. He accepts, on the condition that she stay with him forever. Belle is curious and asks, "Come into the light.". The figure obliges, and Belle is horrified that he is a hideous Beast. Yet Belle still gives him her word that she will not leave, and Beast frees Maurice from the dungeon without allowing him to say goodbye to his daughter. Belle, to her surprise, is then taken to a finely appointed guestroom by the Beast. He speaks in a civil tone to her, until he says that she must dine with him that very night (He follows with, "That's not a request!"). Feeling helpless and utterly alone, Belle throws herself onto the bed and weeps. She hears a knocking at the door, and goes to answer. To her surprise, Belle finds an enchanted teapot and cups with life of their own at the door. She soon finds that almost every object in the castle is alive, and that they are also the castle's servants. She meets Lumiere the candelabra, Cogsworth the clock, Mrs. Potts the teapot, Chip the teacup, and Madame de la Grande Bouché the wardrobe (although the wardrobe's name is never mentioned), who comfort and reassure her that everything will work out fine. Her spirit lifted, Belle finds the will to refuse to have dinner with the Beast. Outraged, he rushed upstairs and demands her presence. When it is clear that she will not concede, he states that she will not eat at all if not with him. However, later on, Belle goes down to sneak food while Beast is not in sight. Without hesitation, the enchanted ornaments serve her dinner and even entertain her with a great performance (to the song, "Be Our Guest") in a determined effort to make her feel at home in the castle. Lumiere and Cogsworth offer to give Belle a tour of the castle. Along the way, her eyes fall on the West Wing, a place Beast said she was never to enter. Her curiosity gets the better of her, and she slips away from Cogsworth and Lumiere into the West Wing. She is puzzled and a bit frightened at the destroyed furniture she finds inside. But what puzzles her most is a portrait she finds of a young man, with eyes of a stunning light blue. She squints at the eyes, as if she has seen someone with those eyes before. But she turns at the appearance of a light, and sees that it is an enchanted rose. Entranced, she removes its protective bell jar and reaches to touch it. Before she can, Beast appears as if from nowhere and, in a terrible rage, yells at her to get out. Afraid for her own safety and fed up with being a prisoner, Belle quickly bids farewell to Lumiere and Cogsworth and departs on Phillipe before anyone can protest. The moment she enters the woods, Belle is ambushed by a pack of hungry wolves. She defends herself by both riding strategically and wielding a thick stick as a weapon. But the wolves bite through the stick and throw her to the ground. As a wolf lunges for her, Beast grabs it and throws it away from her. He fights off the entire wolf pack, but is injured during the fight. Belle helps the unconscious Beast home to the castle. When he comes to, she attempts to nurse his wound. He argues and draws away, saying that it is her own fault that he is hurt. She retorts with saying that he was the one who frightened her, so in a way it is his own fault. They debate for a while until they both realize that they have each found their match. Belle reluctantly thanks Beast for saving her life, and Beast allows her to help him nurse his wound. Both of these concessions mark the start of their friendship. As the days go by, Beast begins to acquire a new attitude by being around the unselfish Belle. She notices this and begins to see him as a kind person with a gentle, childlike heart (as displayed in the famous "snowball" scene). He and Belle bond and eventually start to fall in love. After being advised by the staff of what would delight an avid reader like Belle, Beast presents her with his huge library as a gift for helping him, and even dares to ask her to dine with him once again. She accepts, and he hurriedly grooms himself to appear gentlemanly. They meet at a grand stairway in formal wear, and dine together. After they dance, Beast asks Belle if she is happy at the castle with him. Belle responds positively, but tells Beast that she would like to see her father again, only for a moment. Beast helps her with this by giving her his magic mirror. To her horror, Belle sees that her father is stranded in the woods and needs help. Beast, thinking of Belle's feelings before his own, releases Belle to help her father, giving her the magic mirror as a souvenir. After a tearful goodbye, Belle departs on Phillipe. Belle eventually finds Maurice, and takes him home. To her surprise, Chip the teacup emerges from Belle's bag to ensure they got home safely, but then, Belle and Maurice are visited by a lynch mob who have come to take Maurice to the madhouse. Belle is comforted by Gaston, who says that he will stop them if she marries him. Incensed at this despicable extortion, Belle rejects him, and proves her father's sanity to everyone by showing them all the Beast in the magic mirror. Despite Belle's denials, the enraged Gaston snatches the mirror and convinces the lynch mob that the Beast is a threat to the community that must be brought down immediately. Belle and Maurice are thrown into the cellar of their own house by Gaston, preventing them from warning Beast in time. However, Chip uses the log-chopper to free Belle and Maurice, who mount Philippe and race toward the castle. They arrive just as Beast and Gaston start their battle on the roof. By the time Belle makes it to the West Wing balcony, Beast has been mortally wounded by Gaston on the balcony, but Belle manages to pull Beast to safety just as Gaston loses his balance and falls from the castle. Belle tries to save the Beast, but Beast dies from his wound, leaving Belle brokenhearted. All she can say is "I love you." But then, a mysterious transformation occurs and the Beast's body turns into that of a handsome young man. The man wakes up, and reveals himself to be a Prince, a man on whom a dark spell was cast ten years ago and turned him into a Beast. At first Belle does not believe him, but she finally is convinced after she recognizes the blue eyes she saw in the portrait in the West Wing. Belle and the Prince kiss just as the enchanted ornaments turn back into humans.


===Kilala Princess===
Belle appears in the [[Kilala Princess]] manga as one of the group of Disney princesses.


== Actresses ==
Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas
=== Voice actresses ===
A midquel taking place during the winter segment of Beauty and the Beast, this is the story of Belle's attempt to bring back to the castle the one ceremony Beast hates most: Christmas. Unfortunately, a pipe organ called Forte is determined to do anything necessary to keep the spell from breaking, because the spell has brought him more use to the Beast than before. Thus, he proves to be a real obstacle for Belle's plan. After several attempts to get Beast to agree, Beast finally approves of the idea and allows Belle to prepare for Christmas, though he still bears a grudge for the day the Enchantress cast the spell on him. With advice from Forte, Belle goes out into the woods to get a suitable tree for Christmas, but she falls into thin ice and almost drowns. Fortunately, she is rescued by Beast, who is enraged at her because Forte told him that she was trying to desert him again. Belle is then thrown into the dungeon to rot, but Beast then finds a book that Belle had written for him earlier in the West Wing, and decides to set Belle free and they both continue to prepare for Christmas. But Forte doesn't give up there, even going as far as to bring the whole castle down with his musical powers in order to prevent the spell from ending, as it can't if everyone is dead. Fortunately, Beast stops him in time by crashing his keyboard to pieces. Christmas finally comes, and Belle is presented with a gift from the Beast: a rose.
*[[Paige O'Hara]] (films)
*[[Jodi Benson]] (''[[House of Mouse]]'')
*[[Diana Santos]] (official Spanish dub voice)
*[[Sofia Källgren]] (official Swedish dub voice)
*[[Bénédicte Lecroart]] (official French dub voice)


=== Musical Theater actresses ===
*[[Susan Egan]] (oOiginal cast star)
*[[Kerry Butler]]
*[[Debbie Gibson]]
*[[Toni Braxton]] (The first African American woman to play Belle on broadway)
*[[Andrea McArdle]]
*[[Jamie-Lynn Sigler]]
*[[Megan McGinnis]]
*[[Christy Carlson Romano]]
*[[Ashley Brown]]
*[[Sarah Litzsinger]] (Holds the record for playing the role of Belle longest on Broadway)
*[[Sarah Uriarte Berry]]
*[[Anneliese van der Pol]] (Final actress to play Belle on Broadway)


==References==
Disney Princess Enchanted Tales
{{reflist}}
Originally, when the first Installment of Disney Princess Enchanted Tales was to be released, it was to feature a new Belle story and a brand new Aurora story. The First chapter was entitled "A Kingdom Of Kindness". The plot of Belle's story featured Chip getting in trouble with the Beast after breaking some of his things. Terrified, Chip runs away, where Belle finds him and convinces him to come back to the castle, and teaches Beast what it means to be kind, and teaching Chip that even when people are mad with you, it still means they love you. All of the original Beauty and the Beast cast returned for "A Kingdom Of Kindness", with exception to the late Jerry Orbach. Only one known song has been written for Belle, this song is called "You'll never lose this Love", and is available to watch on the Enchanted Tales Website.[1]


==External links==
* {{imdb character|id=0006325|character=Belle}}


{{Beauty and the Beast}}
Kingdom Hearts Series
{{Disney Princess}}
Belle appears as an important Disney character in the renowned video game series of Kingdom Hearts, but her roles differ in each game.
[[Category:Disney's Beauty and the Beast characters]]
[[Category:Disney Princess characters]]
[[Category:Kingdom Hearts characters]]
[[Category:1991 fictional characters debuts]]
[[Category:Fictional French people]]


[[ar:بل (ديزني)]]
•Kingdom Hearts: At some point in her life, while she is living in Beast's Castle, Belle is kidnapped by Maleficent and her homeworld is destroyed. Belle is then taken to Hollow Bastion, where she finds that she is one of seven maidens of purest heart, namely the Princesses of Heart, along with Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Jasmine, Alice and Kairi, and is needed to open the door to the heart of all worlds, known as Kingdom Hearts. However, Belle is rescued by Beast, who escaped their homeworld's destruction, and Sora, but she refuses to return home, telling Sora and Beast that she has to hold the darkness back with the other princesses. To help Sora in his journey to destroy the darkness, Belle presents him with the Divine Rose Keyblade.
[[es:Bella (Disney)]]
•Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories: Here, Belle is merely a figment of Sora's memories. Once again, Beast and Belle are separated by Maleficent, and Beast must aid Sora in battle once again to rescue Belle.
[[fr:Belle (Disney)]]
•Kingdom Hearts II: After Sora defeated Xehanort's Heartless in the first game, all the destroyed worlds were restored, including that of Belle. Returning home, Belle and Beast go back to their normal lives, until a mysterious and blinded rage overcomes the Beast and changes his attitude, causing him to lock the entire staff in the tower and forbid Belle to free them. Belle is too frightened of Beast at the time, but fortunately, Sora, Donald and Goofy arrive in Belle's world to seal its keyhole and ensure its survival. Belle tells Sora that Beast is acting strangely, leading to Sora's offer of help. It is later revealed that Beast was being manipulated by a member of Organization XIII, Xaldin, who was hoping to turn Beast into a Heartless and a Nobody. Later on, Belle and the rose are held hostage by Xaldin. Xaldin attempts to force the Beast to choose what is truly important to him. While the Beast himself stands helpless, Belle demonstrates her courage-she elbows Xaldin in the stomach. As he reacts, she snatches the rose from his arms and dashes back into the castle, allowing a safe battle. After Xaldin's demise, Belle and Beast's life returns to normal, and by the end of the game, Beast has turned back into the Prince, embracing Belle once again.
[[it:Belle (Disney)]]
[[ja:ベル (美女と野獣)]]

Revision as of 13:25, 26 November 2010


Belle
File:Princess Belle.jpg
Belle in her signature golden ball gown, in which she dances with the Beast.
First appearanceBeauty and the Beast (1991)
Created byLinda Woolverton
Voiced byPaige O'Hara (films, games and merchandise) Jodi Benson(House of Mouse TV Series)
AliasPrincess Belle

Belle is a fictional character and one of the two protagonists of the Disney animated film, Beauty and the Beast and its two direct-to-video sequels, Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas and its several spin-offs, including Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World. She is also an official Disney Princess.

She also appears at the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts as a meetable character and in various shows and parades. She also makes a cameo appearance in Disney's 1996 animated feature The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Belle also appears in many episodes of the Disney's House of Mouse television series and in the direct-to-video releases Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse and Mickey's House of Villains. She also appears in the Kingdom Hearts series of video games as one of the most important Disney characters.

Profile

Personality

Belle is a young woman living in the French countryside with her father, an inventor. She's a lovely free-thinker who likes to read and go on adventures within her own imagination. She is not shy and is not afraid to speak her mind, especially in tight situations, though she can be slightly hesitant when nervous. She is very compassionate and takes care of those in need. She can be stubborn and always tries to protect people she truly loves. She's also very patient towards others.

A true dreamer and a lover of fantasy and adventure, Belle is a shrewd nonconformist for her time in many ways. The most pronounced is her love of books, excitement and knowledge, which the townspeople find odd for a woman. Gaston says to her at one point, "It's not right for a woman to read. Soon she starts getting ideas and...thinking...". Belle also does not care about appearances, whether they pertain to herself or anyone else. This is highly ironic, considering she is seen as the most beautiful woman in her village. In the song Belle, a woman sings, "It's no wonder than her name means beauty. Her looks have got no parallel."

Through the film, though more apparent in the broadway musical in her solo song, A Change in Me, Belle changes her view of the world. In the beginning she craves adventure and excitement, but after her days with the Beast, she grows to see that she no longer needs her childhood dreams and she sees that she likes life how it is now that she's found her love.

Physical appearance

Belle is viewed as a stunningly attractive young woman, supposedly in her late teens or early twenties. She has long brown hair, most commonly tied in a low ponytail, and hazel eyes. She is average height for her supposed age and slender, and her outfit choices are modest, dutiful and homely, yet attractive.

Also, Belle is noted to be able to walk while reading, while subconsciously avoiding any collisions, and is forced to constantly remove a single strand of hair from her forehead. This tells audiences something about her personality.

Wardrobe

Belle's most common outfit is a blue and white peasant dress with a white apron which she wears throughout most of the movie. She wears a blue bow in her hair and brown shoes. Many fans[who?] believe that this outfit is based upon Dorothy Gale's dress in The Wizard of Oz. But when actually, her outfit was based on Maria's dress in the film "The Sound of Music". Sometimes she is featured with her hair down such as when she is attacked by the wolves during the middle of the film.

When she is outdoors, she wears a dark blue cloak. During her time in the castle, she wears a pink-purple dress and a green dress. Her most famous and popular dress is a golden ball gown. In the Kingdom Hearts games she alternates between her ball gown and her blue peasant outfit.

According to Linda Woolverton, one of Beauty and the Beast's writers, the animators wanted audiences to draw attention to the outfits Belle wears. For example, especially obvious in the film's opening scenes, it is noted that Belle is the only village inhabitant to wear a blue and white outfit, while all the other villagers wear rustic colors, such as brown, green and occasionally red. This makes Belle stand out more as the film's main protagonist, and cause viewers to further realize there his something special about her.

Development

Disney hired actress Sherri Stoner to portray the role of Belle during development. They filmed Stoner acting out various actions and mannerisms, and used the footage as inspiration for Belle's performance.[1]

When Beast's key animator Glen Keane and one of Belle's animators, Mark Henn, were drawing their respective characters in the same scene, they had to coordinate their work across the country. Henn was at the Disney-MGM Studio in Florida, and Keane was at the animation studio in Glendale, California. To keep the scenes harmonized, the animators had to exchange drawings daily by courier.[1]

Appearances

Beauty and the Beast

Main article: Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)

Belle is a young woman living in a small French town. Her father, Maurice, on his way to a fair, goes missing while she was reading books and not wanting Gaston to marry her. Belle rides to a mysterious castle in possibility of finding him. She finds her father locked away in a dungeon, and begs the dungeon master to free him, offering her own freedom in exchange for her father's. On the condition that she stay with him forever, the dungeon master, a hideous beast, frees Maurice from the dungeon. However he is deeply moved by her beauty and affection towards her father, and can't help but feel attracted to her boldness and bravery. Belle is originally hesitant to interact with the Beast, but after he develops a more civil manner, aided by enchanted furnishings, a bond is formed. The Beast falls deeply in love with her, but is in denial that she will ever love him in return. Belle is soon granted right to leave on behalf of her sickly father, who tries to rescue her. But after denying Gaston (a conceited hunter) her hand in marriage for a third time, a mob of villagers, led by Gaston, plots against the Beast. After a grueling tussle between Gaston and Beast, the Beast is stabbed. Gaston laughs but slips and falls from the castle roof...Never to be seen again. Belle is able to lay the Beast on a balcony, and he dies in her arms. Belle confesses her love for the beast just as the last petal falls from the enchanted rose. Belle's love for the Beast revives him and releases him from the curse, and he, along with his furnishings, return to human beings.

Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas

Main article: Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas

A midquel taking place during the winter segment of Beauty and the Beast, this is the story of Belle's attempt to bring back to the castle the one ritual Beast hates most: Christmas, because it is the very day that the Enchantress cast a spell on him.

Unfortunately, a pipe organ called Forte is determined to do anything necessary to keep the spell from breaking, because he thinks that if the curse is broken then the Beast won't be nice to him anymore. Thus, he proves to be an obstacle in Belle's plans. After several attempts to get Beast to agree, Beast finally approves of the idea of Christmas and allows Belle to prepare festivities, though he still harbors resentment for the day.

With advice from Forte, Belle goes out into the woods to get a suitable tree for Christmas, but she falls into thin ice and almost drowns. Fortunately, she is rescued by Beast, but he is angry at her because of a lie that Forte told him: that she was trying to desert him. Belle is thrown into the dungeon as punishment, but Beast then finds a book in the West Wing that Belle had written for him earlier, and decides to set her free. They both continue to prepare for Christmas.

Persistent Forte attempts to bring the whole castle down with Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in order to prevent the spell from ending, trying to end everyone's lives. Fortunately, Beast stops him in time by crashing his keyboard to pieces. Christmas finally comes, and the story goes back to the actual party, which is one year after these events. Belle is presented with a gift from the Prince: a rose.

Belle's Magical World

Main article: Belle's Magical World

In this movie, Belle is the only human. She meets her new three enchanted object friends Webster, Crane, and LePlume and is set out to solve problems in all four segments.

Belle's Tales of Friendship

Main article: Belle's Tales of Friendship

In Belle's narration, Belle owns and works at her music and bookstore in France. A group of children walk into the store eager to hear Belle's stories, as she is noted to be a great storyteller. Belle agrees to tell a story, but the gang also play games and learn some simple lessons about life. Belle narrates two classic Disney cartoons, The Three Little Pigs and Babes in the Woods, while the children help Belle clean the bookstore. She also reads The Wise Little Hen and Morris the Midget Moose, but Shawn and Harmony will not help make chili for the group. Along the way, Belle adds music and interacts with the children.

Paige O'Hara reprises her voice cast as Belle, while Lyndsey McLeod portrays the character in the live-action sequences.

Sing Me a Story with Belle

Main article: Sing Me a Story with Belle

In the live-action television series, Belle (portrayed by Lyndsey McLeod) lives in the country of France and owns her own music and bookshop. Helping her at the bookstore are Lewis and Carol, two magical bookworms. Also at the bookstore is Harmony the Cat. The bookstore is visited by local children to whom Belle will tell (and sing) stories, usually with a moral that fit a situation happening in the shop or with the children.

Other appearances

Disney Princess Enchanted Tales

Main article: Disney Princess Enchanted Tales

Originally, when the first installment of Disney Princess Enchanted Tales was to be released, it was to feature a new Belle story and a brand new Aurora story. The First chapter was entitled "A Kingdom Of Kindness". The plot of Belle's story featured Chip getting in trouble with the Beast after breaking some of his things. Terrified, Chip runs away. Belle finds him and convinces him to come back to the castle, and teaches Beast what it means to be kind. She also teaches Chip that even when people are mad with you, it still means they love you. All of the original Beauty and the Beast cast returned for "A Kingdom Of Kindness", with the exception to Jerry Orbach.

Only one known song has been written for Belle, this song is called "You'll Never Lose This Love", and is available to watch on the Enchanted Tales Website.[2]

Kingdom Hearts Series

Main article: Kingdom Hearts

Belle (ベル, Beru) appears as an important Disney character in the renowned Kingdom Hearts series. Belle is portrayed as one of the seven Princesses of Heart, maidens who contain no darkness in their hearts. These Princesses hold the power to open the door to Kingdom Hearts, the heart of all worlds and a reservoir of untold wisdom. In the hopes of taking control of Kingdom Hearts to rule all worlds, Maleficent kidnaps her and has her world destroyed by the Heartless. Belle is then taken to Hollow Bastion where she is held hostage alongside the other Princesses. However, Belle is rescued by the Beast, who escaped their homeworld's destruction, and the adventurers Sora, Donald Duck, and Goofy. By speaking to Belle after rescuing her, she gives Sora a new weapon, the Divine Rose Keyblade. Belle returns to her homeworld with the Beast when it is restored at the end of the first game.

Belle appears again in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, this time as a figment of Sora's memories of Hollow Bastion. In this scenario, she is once again captured by Maleficent, who hopes to steal her pure heart and use it to perfect her own dark powers. The Beast arrives to save her, but Belle, hoping to keep her heart out of Maleficent’s reach and to keep the Beast safe, coldly rejects her help. However, she is unable to hide her true feelings for long and sacrifices her heart to Maleficent when the witch tries to steal the Beast’s heart. After Sora defeats Maleficent, Belle is restored and reunites with the Beast.

Back in their world, Belle continues to live with the Beast in his castle, the Beast avidly protecting her and his home from Heartless attacks, as depicted in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. However, in Kingdom Hearts II, Xaldin, a member of Organization XIII, sows seeds of distrust and rage in the Beast in an attempt to transform him into a powerful Heartless and Nobody for the Organization to control. While being manipulated by Xaldin, the Beast locks Belle in her room and his servants in the dungeons. Fortunately, Sora and his friends arrive and bring the Beast back to his senses. Later, Xaldin returns and holds Belle hostage with the Beast's enchanted rose. Xaldin forces the Beast to choose between the two, but Belle elbows him in the stomach and makes her escape with the rose, allowing Sora, the Beast and co. to defeat Xaldin. By the end of the game, Belle is shown to be with the Beast, who has transformed back into a prince.

Kilala Princess

Belle appears in the Kilala Princess manga as one of the group of Disney princesses.

Actresses

Voice actresses

Musical Theater actresses

References

  1. ^ a b "Belle Character History". Disney Archives.
  2. ^ http://www.freewebs.com/disneyprincessenchantedtales/video.htm
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