Art by Rackun

The Beast is the titular male protagonist of Disney's 1991 animated feature film Beauty and the Beast. A once spoiled and selfish prince without love in his heart, he was transformed into a hideous beast by an Enchantress as a punishment for his cruel ways. To break the spell she placed upon him and his castle, the Beast must learn to love another, and earn their love in return, before the last petal falls from an Enchanted Rose.

The Beast is based on the titular creature from the 1740 folklore on which the film is based. In contrast to the original fairytale, Disney's iteration of the character was developed as a callous and almost villainous force who steadily redeems himself throughout the story. To that end, the Beast's narrative arc emphasizes the film's moral that "true beauty comes from within".