1. She’s the head of the household

Belle, unlike other heroines, is the head of her household. She doesn’t have the patriarchal father dictating her every move, nor does she rely on him to look after her. Her relationship with her father is one of the sweetest throughout Disney, as she never tries to defy or upset him; she simply looks after him and shows him respect as her elder.

2. She’s an intelligent role model

As a young girl watching Disney, Belle is the perfect princess to aspire to be. She loves to learn and read and is one of the few princesses who use their intelligence instead of their looks.

3. She doesn’t fall for a stereotypical guy

It’s easy to fall in love with a good-looking, charming man of royalty but Belle goes beyond that and falls for someone who isn’t the best looking, choosing to look beneath the surface. Getting to know the man before marrying them is rare in Disney, so good on Belle.

4. She fights her own battles

Who saved her father when he got imprisoned? Belle did. Who tried to fight off the wolves when escaping the castle? Belle did. Alright, so the Beast helped her on that last one, but she still managed to look after him in his injuries, choosing to return to a place she had escaped. She even holds her own against the Beast’s temper. This gal needs no protecting.

5. She doesn’t try and change to fit in

Try having a whole town think you’re weird; think you could handle it? Belle understands she’s different to everyone else, but she’s strong enough to not care and realise that she’s happy with who she is #goals

6. She’s selfless

Belle’s happy to stay at home looking after her father, sacrifices her freedom to allow him to escape and then spends time getting to know the guy instead of marrying him the first time she sees.

7. She’s a normal girl

Everyone loves a Disney princess for a bit of escapism but the beauty of Belle is that she’s just a normal girl from a small town. No riches or royalty from her family, but an inventor’s daughter, making her all the more relatable.

8. She has the best wardrobe

Does anyone else get sick of Disney princesses wearing the same clothes? Shallow maybe, but from her stylish snow-robes to her array of dresses within the castle; this girl has style.

9. She isn’t phased by much

Seven foot beasts and talking crockery might be too much for some, but not this gal. Sure, she’s shocked but she very quickly gets over it and gets on with it. If your fork ever starts talking to you, ignore the madness, and just be a Belle. Embrace it.

9 She was based on a feisty heroine

Word is Belle was originally based on Katharine Hepburn’s Jo in Little Women because she was a strong, independent character

10 … and Emma Watson is about to play her

If only proving how kickass she can be, the Harry Potter star picked the role in the new adaption of Beauty and the Beast because she is an inspiring female lead.

GIF source: Giphy, Tumblr