Belle (Disney character)
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 | This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. (August 2007) |
Template:Film-in-universe Template:DisneyChar 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 its several spin-offs, including Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World. She is also an official Disney Princess.
Belle 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.
For an unknown reason, all incarnations of Beauty & the Beast take place during the film, owing up to the fact that the Beast is always in his Beast form.
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, but she tries to protect people she truly loves.
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. In the song Belle, a woman sings, "It's no wonder than her name means beauty. Her looks have got no parallel."
Beauty and the Beast: Plot
Belle is a young woman living in a small French town. Her father, Maurice, on his way to a fair, goes missing. 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 guns man) 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 falls to his death when he loses balance. Belle is able to lay the Beast on a balcony, and he dies in her arms. 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
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 Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 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.
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 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.[1]
Kingdom Hearts Series
Belle appears as an important Disney character in the renowned video game series of Kingdom Hearts, but her roles differ in each game.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.