Editing Gaston

'''Gaston''' is an antagonist in ''[[Kingdom Hearts χ]]''. He originally appeared in the animated film ''{{w|Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)|Beauty and the Beast}}''. He is a skilled hunter pushing for [[Belle]]'s affections despite her disinterest, and he eventually becomes the source of the [[Enraged Elk]] Heartless.

After learning of [[Belle]]'s love for the [[Beast]], Gaston, wreathed in darkness due to the jealousy he harbors between the "monster" and Belle, sets out to [[Beast's Castle]] to eliminate him. He approaches the castle with a huge swarm of [[Heartless]] after [[Chirithy]] tells {{c|Player|KHχ}} that "someone" with an immense darkness in the heart was getting close to the castle. While his army attacks the castle and Player and the enchanted furniture repel the attacks, Gaston manages to sneak up to the West Wing and discovers the Beast as Belle heads back to Beast's Castle to stop Gaston. Gaston attacks the Beast and pushes his enemy to the balcony of his room and on rooftops nearby. When Belle returns to the castle with her father, [[Maurice]], Player watches as Gaston attacks the Beast at the top balcony, who is not fighting back, and is on the verge of rushing to aid him. Gaston notices Player and unleashes an [[Enraged Elk]] Heartless to attack them.   

After Player defeats the Heartless, Beast, fights Gaston back, having been reinvigorated after Belle's return. Beast strikes Gaston when he least expects it and turns the battle around, holding him over the edge and threatening to drop him. Gaston begs for mercy, and Beast lets him down and tells him to leave and never return. Belle calls to Beast and reaches her hand out climbs up to her, but Gaston stabs Beast as soon as his back is turned. As Beast flails in pain, Gaston stumbles back and falls from the balcony to his death.

==Appearance==

Gaston is presented with neck-long black hair and blue eyes, normally tying his hair into a ponytail until his final showdown with the Beast. He usually sports a red shirt with grey trousers, along with yellow gloves and brown boots. Occasionally, he also wears a dark cape, and has a rifle tied around his back while hunting the [[Beast]].

Gaston initially happens to be a handsome and muscular hunter who certainly likes to brag off his abilities the [[Heartless]] for pleasure; however, beneath his charming looks is an extremely rude, impatient, manipulative, and narcissistic person who is willing to appeal to his own ego by any means necessary. In addition, he is depicted as cowardly and unscrupulous, as after all his boasting and threats towards the Beast, he pleads for the Beast not to hurt or kill him when he is losing the fight that he himself started with the Beast, and opts to stab the Beast in the back when the opportunity presents itself.

==Trivia==

*Despite Gaston's role in ''Kingdom Hearts χ'' being intended as a projection of future events, Gaston does not appear in ''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]'' or ''[[Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days]]''. He was originally planned to appear as a boss in Beast's Castle in ''Kingdom Hearts II'',{{fact}} playing out a similar role to ''Kingdom Hearts χ'', but his place in the story was largely given to [[Xaldin]] of [[Organization XIII]], making Beast's Castle the first and only world in the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series that did not feature its corresponding film's antagonist in its debut appearance.

*Gaston is the third Disney antagonist to control an army of Heartless despite not being associated with [[Maleficent]] or [[Pete]], the first two being [[Clayton]] and [[Shan-Yu]].

Gaston first appears as the main antagonist of Walt Disney's Academy Award-winning film, {{w|Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)|''Beauty and the Beast''}}, voiced by Richard White. A popular and arrogant hunter, he has an intense crush on Belle and seeks to win her affection through various schemes. On one such occasion, he attempts to propose to her, complete with a faux-wedding arrangement, but she kicks him out of her father's house. He sulks in the village tavern, but when Maurice arrives and rants about Belle's capture courtesy of the Beast, Gaston makes another plan to "win" Belle.