Lumiere

Recently watching Beauty and the Beast, I discovered something I had never thought of before: Lumiere is awesome.
Now, obviously all Disney sidekicks are pretty awesome, but a lot of them tend to be a little flat, particularly in Beauty and the Beast.  There are just too many walking, talking everyday items to make them each a very deep character, and I get that.  However, I did notice a few very deep points about Lumiere:
1) No matter what Beast did, Lumiere was still himself.  Beast had been snarling about unexpected guests all day, and Lumiere still had the confidence to put on a dinner show, against Beast's strict orders.
2) Even when he was terrified of the repercussions that might have come with sticking up for Maurice, Lumiere tried to explain why he'd let him in.  That takes serious guts.  When Belle traded her life for her father's, Lumiere was the one to remind Beast that, when trying to woo a woman, gentleness was the best policy.  He was constantly sticking his metaphorical neck out for other people.
3) The more I watch the movie, the more I am convinced Lumiere was the closest thing Beast had to a friend.  I mean, Mrs. Potts was great, but she was more of a motherly figure for everyone in the film.  Cogsworth was always worrying about himself, and Chip, while adorable, was a little kid.  Lumiere was probably the closest to Beast's age, and he was the most encouraging when it came to Beast breaking the spell.  He was the one offering the most suggestions on how to win Belle's affections.  When Beast had a question, it was always presented with Lumiere in the room, and Lumiere was usually the one answering.  He had Beast's trust in a way none of the other servants did.
Lumiere is amazing.  If more proof is needed, look no further:

Oh, and he gets a bonus point because he actually slapped Cogsworth in the face with a glove when they fought at the end.  Fencing reference!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira