Protagonist

Character Role Analysis

Belle

Many stories have just one protagonist, but romances usually have two. And, while we're pretty sure Belle's shaggy paramour can give her a run for her money in the protagonist department, there's no doubt in our minds who's more important. Belle is the instigator of change, after all. The Beast is trapped in his castle and basically stagnating, while Belle longs for adventure and new things beyond the horizon. Her arrival is what allows the curse to be broken; her kindness and open heart give her the power to make everything right. It may be Beauty and the Beast, but the Beauty gets top billing.

The Beast

As the second half of our romantic duo, the Beast has to do the most changing. He doesn't travel like Belle does—his Hero's Journey is purely emotional—but he has to do the most soul-searching and grow the most as a person. Belle is still the same woman she was at the beginning. The Beast has to realize what a jerk he's been and be willing to sacrifice himself completely for the sake of someone else. Only then can he make the final leap and become the hero he's supposed to be. That gives the two of them a pretty nice yin-yang thing in the protagonist department, letting them both be heroes without stealing each other's thunder.