Gilbert Blythe

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Gilbert Blythe is the acquaintance and eventual husband of Anne Shirley in Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series of novels. Anne and Gilbert had seven children: Joyce (also called Joy; died as an infant), James Matthew (also called Jem), Walter Cuthbert (who died during the First World War), Anne and Diana (twins; also called Nan and Di), Shirley, and Bertha Marilla (also called Rilla, an abbreviation for her middle name).

Gilbert Blythe was in the same class as Anne Shirley and Diana Barry, despite being a couple years older. In his youth he had a bit of an ego. When Anne ignored him, he gave her the nickname "Carrots" because of her red hair (about which she was very touchy). This caused her to smash her slate over his head in rebuttal. He tried to apologize, but Anne's childish pride would not allow her to forgive him. Years passed and the two continually tried to one-up each other in academic circle. Gilbert studied to prove himself worthy of her, and Anne studied to ensure that Gilbert could never be judged superior to her. Eventually they became friends after he gave up a teaching job at the Avonlea school for her so that she could be near her adoptive parent, Marilla, whose brother Matthew had just died.

For those 2 years Anne taught in Avonlea, Gilbert became her best friend. Then they left for college together where she tried to shun his romantic advances in fear of completely ending their friendship. In their second year, he proposed but Anne refused him for the same reasons. She then began liking a Roy Gardner who was perfect in everyway but in the end, Anne realized she could never "really" love him because he was not a kindred spirit. Upon returning home after graduation Gilbert contracted typhus and remained weak for months, narrowly escaping death.

This episode convinced Anne that she did love him after all. "She finally realized in that moment that he belonged to her and she to him!" Soon after, Gilbert who still hadn't given up, proposed and this time the answer was 'yes'! Gilbert intended to become a doctor, so three years of engagement followed as he finished his medical course. Their married life was very happy, and as the series ended Gilbert was fifty-five and still in love with Anne Shirley.

In the CBC Television film adaptations, Gilbert Blythe was played by Jonathan Crombie.

In the anime adaptation, he was voiced by Kazuhiko Inoue.

In Riverwalk Theatre's production of the play version, Gilbert Blythe was played by Alex Freeman.