Overall, Belle, the leading lady in Beauty & the Beast, is one of the most beloved and celebrated princesses from the magical world of Disney. Like her royal peers, she is beautiful, inspiring, caring and strong, but she is also a reader, a loner, and a free thinker who can be bold and even a bit brash.
Yes, Belle is made up of positive and negative quirks, and these characteristics made her story even more exciting. And while she is a fan favorite Disney princess, she is flawed; perhaps that is what makes her even more popular, though! That being said, look below for her five best and five worst personality traits.
She Is Intelligent
Belle seems to be one of the smartest Disney princesses and Disney characters, period; she has a love for literature, and her years of reading have given her a large vocabulary, a vivid imagination, a cultured soul, and a way to think about things critically and creatively.
Belle definitely has amazing smarts.
She Can Sometimes Be Distracted, In Her Own World
Since she has read about so many amazing places, she is often in her own little world, dreaming. While this is common and is a good way to stretch that creativeness, it can make her a bit distracted, too.
In fact, at the beginning of her movie, she is walking and reading… and not noticing anything that is going on around her. She could have missed something important, and, worse, she could have gotten hurt!
She Is A Free Thinker
Along the same lines, Belle is a free thinker. She mentions, in the famous song Belle, that she lives in a provincial town, full of little people. This, once again, shows that she must be more cultured than her neighbors or at least bored with them.
Why? Well, while they are baking bread and buying eggs and raising children, she is gathering up even more knowledge, on an array of topics and from so many different books.
This Has Left Her As A Bit Of A Loner Who Wants Friends
This could be viewed as a negative aspect, too, though, since she is wrapped up in fantasy lands.
First of all, she may look down on those around her, considering them to be too simple for her. Secondly, as mentioned, she is not the best at being truly present; she was a loner, which she enjoyed, but everyone wants friends and conversation and love. Even though she was meant to be with The Beast, she really may have missed something wonderful at home.
She Finds Beauty All Around Her
Another positive trait seen in Belle is that she finds beauty all around her.
For instance, there were things she admired about her little town, and then, she was able to look past The Beast’s rude and unruly behavior, giving him the chance he needed and wanted. How beautiful!
She Is Judgmental At Times
Belle is bright, but the way she delivered lines could sometimes come out as judgmental. It has already been discussed that she was well-read and maybe did not appreciate the fact that no one else shared her love of learning.
But from the townspeople and Gaston (who, yes, deserved a little judgment and being put in his place) to The Beast, she seemed to make assumptions, boldly share her thoughts and feel superior when speaking with them in certain scenes.
She Is Kind-Hearted
Like any and all Disney princesses, this character is also kind-hearted. She has a gentle warmth to her, she spreads cheer wherever she goes, and she is open to helping those in need.
This is a must-have trait for these types, and Belle wears this trait well!
She Is Not Always Obedient
For being so sweet, she sure could be disobedient. This goes along with her knowledge and her judging, which may have caused her to think that she knew best.
But if The Beast said—no, growled—to not go into the West Wing, then it seems like she could have exercised restraint and respected his wishes.
She Is Bold
A final wonderful characteristic is that Belle is bold. All of the main characters in Disney films display a shining strength and a beautiful bravery, and Belle is definitely one of the more feisty characters.
She speaks up and out, she faces challenges head-on, and she stands up against injustices and unfairness.
She Can Be Snarky
That boldness can, at times, be a bit snarky, too. So if a final not-so-great quirk had to be listed, it would be that. Just as she moved forward with exploring the West Wing, even after being asked to stay out, she has been known to move forward with sarcastic and cynical comebacks.
These may have been understandable and possibly warranted (cough, cough, Gaston), but some may consider it a negative, seeing a princess act out in this way.