Belle

"No one chooses my fate but me!"

Belle is one of the main characters of Once Upon a Time. Formerly a beloved princess in a disgraced kingdom, Belle was chosen by Rumplestiltskin to pose as his caretaker in exchange for her family's well-being during the Ogre wars. Eventually, Rumple and Belle fell in love, but their romance was cut short when he learn of the Queen's involvement in it. Regina then kidnapped Belle before she enacted the Dark Curse, and the beauty's memory of her days in the fairytale land came back after she was set free from her cell and the curse was broken. From then on, she vowed to devote herself to making Rumple's new persona a better man.

Before the Curse
Belle grew up as a princess with her father, King Maurice. During some point in her life, she met a man named Gaston and they eventually became engaged. However, Belle didn't truly love him.

Belle’s father requests the assistance of Rumplestiltskin when he is losing in the Ogre’s war. Rumplestlitskin offers to protect his town in exchange for Belle, who would become his servant. Defying her father and fiance, she agrees. While working for him, she accidentally chips a cup. After working for Rumplestiltskin over the course of a few months, he and Belle begin to bond, and he even lets her redecorate some rooms. When Belle asks Rumple about some small clothing that belonged to his son, he in return asks why she accepted the deal. She tells him there is little opportunity for women in her kingdom to show bravery. She then admits to never being in love with her fiance, Gaston. With Rumple seemingly falling in love with Belle, he allows her to leave the castle to go into town. On the way, she meets Queen Regina and they talk. Regina exploits Belle and tries to get her to break Rumple’s curse, thus making him lose his powers, but when Rumple finds out about Regina’s interventions, he locks her away in a cell. He soon after lets Belle go, choosing his powers over her. Belle calls Rumple a coward, saying he’s afraid to believe someone could love him. Later, Queen Regina visits Rumple and falsely tells him that when Belle returned to her father she was locked away in an asylum, where she eventually killed herself. Believing Belle was actually dead, Rumple puts the chipped cup on a statue holder in the middle of the room to commemorate her. ("Skin Deep")

Belle later visits a pub as the eight dwarves are celebrating. One of the dwarves, Dreamy, tells the others that he's feeling strange. While the others scoff, because dwarves didn't get sick, Belle figures out that Dreamy is in love. After being prompted, Dreamy tells her about how his love, a fairy named Nova, had been talking about going to Firefly Hill. When Dreamy asks her what love is like, she replies that it is the most wonderful and amazing thing in the world—but also that it doesn't always last forever. She adds that she's already had her heart broken enough to know when someone is reaching out (refering to Dreamy's account of Nova's description of Firefly Hill). She tells him to seize the opportunity and to be with Nova the one he loves while he still has a chance. ("Dreamy")

After Queen Regina releases the Dark Curse, Belle is sent to the real world to live in the small town of Storybrooke in Maine. There, she is a psychiatric patient in Storybrooke's Hospital, locked away underground.

Season 1
Belle's counterpart is checked into Storybrooke Hospital's psychiatric ward at some point in her life and she has stayed there since.

When Mr. Gold kidnaps and beats up Belle's father, Moe French, for stealing the chipped from his home, Regina visits Belle and gives the residing nurse a rose to give her, as she enjoys roses. Regina heads down to the basement of the hospital in Storybrooke and finds the door belonging to Belle. She opens a little flap in the door that shows the room of Belle's curse counterpart, prompting her to look up. Regina looks at her and smiles. ("Skin Deep")

Jefferson pretends to be a doctor and sneaks down to the psychiatric ward to free Belle's counterpart. When he finds her, he tells her to go and find Mr. Gold and to tell him that Regina had locked her up, promising she will be protected by him. Belle understands this task and she later visits Mr. Gold's shop. She finds Mr. Gold, who is shocked to see her. She tells him that she was told to say Regina had locked her up and then asks if that means anything to him. As Gold struggles to believe Belle is alive, she tells him she was told he'd protect her. Gold breaks down crying and says he will protect her. Failing to recognize him, Belle asks if she knows him. Gold tells her she doesn't, but she will. Later, he leads her out into the woods, and, due to Emma Swan successfully breaking the curse, she remembers her life, and tells Rumpelstiltskin that she loves him. She then witnesses him creating the purple smoke that spreads across Storybrooke. ("A Land Without Magic")

Season 2
At the well, moments after Rumplestiltskin had brought magic to Storybrooke, he asks Belle to tell him what happened to her. Belle tells him that she was abducted and locked away for twenty-eight years by Regina. Rumple swears to get revenge, but Belle begs him to promise he won't kill Regina; which he does and they both kiss. Rumple takes Belle back to his store and gives her some new clothes to change into. As he gets her the clothes, he also gets a pendent which he uses to mark Regina so a Wraith, a magical soul sucking creature from the fairytale land can come and kill her for him, this not breaking his promise to Belle. When the creature arrives, Rumple tells Emma, Snow and Charming that he brought it to take care of Regina. Belle overhears this conversation and leaves, upset with Rumple's betrayal. However, after having a change of heart, Belle realizes that she needs to help Rumple become a better person. She returns to his shop and is touched to see that he kept the tea cup she had chipped whilst working for him.

Gallery
Gallery of photographic stills released to promote the character.