Akuma

This article is related to the Butterfly Miraculous.

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An **akuma** is a black lepidopteran creature responsible for transforming people into supervillains. An army of akumas is created and led by Hawk Moth while Ladybug and Cat Noir are tasked with capturing and purifying them.

## Appearance

Before it is turned into an akuma by Hawk Moth, the butterfly is pure white and bluish. However, once it becomes an akuma, it turns black with translucent purple highlights.

In "Catalyst (Heroes' Day - Part 1)", when infused with extra power by Scarlet Moth they're crimson with bright red edges and white markings.

In "Party Crasher", the butterfly in it's chrysalis form is the same color when it's purified by Ladybug or Hawk Moth and before being turned into an akuma pure white.

## Creation and abilities

Hawk Moth creates an akuma by charging a butterfly with his dark energy. The purpose of an akuma is to possess an important object of a person, forming a telepathic connection between the person and Hawk Moth. Once the deal is made, the akuma in the object releases a black and purple substance that transforms the person into a supervillain. They also can squeeze through impossibly small spaces, even being able to move through the seal of a windowpane.

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If an akuma is removed from one's object but goes uncaptured and unpurified, it will duplicate itself exponentially before returning to Hawk Moth and entering his cane. The copies of the akuma will subsequently fly around and indiscriminately seek out other humans. Any humans that make contact with the akuma clones will turn into exact physical copies of the original host's villain form and be petrified in this state. Should the akuma's former host manage to regain the negative emotions that transformed them, to begin with, the original akuma will leave the cane and return to corrupt them once again, and the aforementioned duplicates will awaken and be under their full control, becoming a massive clone army.

When multiple akumas are in existence, they can form a giant swarm shaped like Hawk Moth's head, which he can speak through.

In "Catalyst (Heroes' Day - Part 1)", when they're infused with extra power they can transform anyone that still has negative emotion will be akumatized into a scarlet version of the previous akumatized villains.

As seen in Party Crasher the akumas are grown in Emilie Agreste 's Unknown repository.

## Fate

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The akuma leaves the object it inhabits after it is destroyed. From there, Ladybug can catch it with her yo-yo in order to "de-evilize" it by removing the dark energy from it. Afterward, once the akuma reverts back to being a normal butterfly, she releases it, and the butterfly is free, possibly returning to the countryside rather than to Hawk Moth's lair.

Victims either has little or no memory of the event, or are able to aware that they are being akumatized. However, volunteers like Lila Rossi are exceptions in this case.

In "Catalyst (Heroes' Day - Part 1)", it shows that Hawk Moth can revert the akuma into a normal butterfly when he remove someone's powers without Ladybug destroying an object or purifying the akuma. As a result, the affected has not shown signs of confusion or fatigue.

If the akuma is released without being purified, it will multiply and infect other people. But when it is defeated and purified, its duplicates will vanish, regressing the original victim and the other people affected back to normal.

## Trivia

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* In Japanese, "akuma" (悪魔) means "demon" or "devil".
	+ Akumas are not evil by nature. The black color just means they're charged with power.
	+ The word "evilize" was created by Thomas Astruc.
* In most Asian lore, butterflies symbolize change, however, they are a sign of bad luck when in large numbers.
	+ In some animistic beliefs, the sight of butterflies or moths approaching or entering one's house means that an unexpected guest or intruder will arrive in the near future.
* Akumas are similar to kwamis, both being able to inhabit an object and transform a person into a super-being.
* Whilst under Hawk Moth's power, they are similar in appearance and function to the Jigokuchō from *Bleach*.
* An akuma will not corrupt someone if they recover from their negative emotions. Examples include:
	+ In "Stoneheart (Origins - Part 2)", as Marinette manages to cheer Ivan up before Hawk Moth akumatizes him again.
	+ In "Despair Bear", when Hawk Moth tries to akumatize the guests at Chloé's party before she remedies her behavior.
	+ In "Gigantitan", when Hawk Moth tries to akumatize Adrien's bodyguard. He calms down upon seeing Adrien, which causes his negative emotions to disappear.
	+ In "Zombizou", where the akuma was meant for Marinette. Her negative emotions fade away after Caline Bustier tells her she's not being punished.
* On occasions, an akuma will be attracted to the person whose negative emotions resonate the strongest.
	+ Seen in "Gigantitan", when August got akumatized instead of Adrien's bodyguard.
	+ Also in "Zombizou", where the akuma was intended for Marinette but was drawn to Miss Bustier due to her fear being more intense than Marinette's rage.
* Mayura is the first episode in which a regular (black and purple) akuma does not make an appearance.
* In "Party Crasher", it's shown that akumas are produced by butterfly farming from Hawk Moth’s repository.
	+ As of this episode an akuma is yet to be seen in it's larvae stage and it's also unknown what they eat when in that stage.
		- Since they grow into white butterflies it could be possible that they start out as white caterpillars.

## References

1. ↑ Unofficial Miraculous LadyBug Facebook fanpage. Retrieved 2015-03-16.
2. ↑ https://twitter.com/thomas\_astruc/status/673631408494133248
3. ↑ https://twitter.com/Thomas\_Astruc/status/872028028783792129
4. ↑ https://twitter.com/thomas\_astruc/status/673993702101094401

Adrien Agreste/Cat Noir • Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Ladybug

Reoccurring Miraculous holders
Chloé Bourgeois/Queen Bee • Alya Césaire/Rena Rouge • Luka Couffaine/Viperion • Max Kanté/Pegasus • Nino Lahiffe/Carapace • Lê Chiến Kim/King Monkey

Villains
Gabriel Agreste/Hawk Moth • Nathalie Sancoeur/Mayura

Guardians
Wang Fu

Kwamis
Barkk • Daizzi • Duusu • Fluff • Kaalki • Longg • Mullo • Nooroo • Orikko • Plagg • Pollen • Roaar • Sass • Stompp • Tikki • Trixx • Wayzz • Xuppu • Ziggy

Previous Miraculous holders
Ancient Chinese Bee Miraculous holder • Ancient Chinese Butterfly Miraculous holder • Ancient Chinese Fox Miraculous holder • Ancient Chinese Ox Miraculous holder • Ancient Chinese Peacock Miraculous holder • Ancient Egyptian Ladybug • Ancient Egyptian Miraculous holder • Bọ rùa • Cernunnos • La Coccinelle • Herakles • Hēi Māo • Hippolyta • Jeanne d'Arc • La Mariquita • Micazoyolin • Mudekudeku • Piáo Chóng • Pied Piper of Hamelin • Sasuke Sarutobi • Sun Wukong • Tentomushi • Tomoe Gozen

Future Miraculous holders
Aspik • Brazilian Miraculous holder • Dragon Bug • Future Queen Bee • Future Butterfly Miraculous holder • Jade Turtle • Alix Kubdel/Bunnyx • Lady Noir • Mister Bug • Multimouse • Multimouse with Fox Miraculous • Snake Noir • Kagami Tsurugi/Ryuko

Gabriel Agreste/Hawk Moth • **Akuma** • Nathalie Sancoeur/Mayura

Akumatized villains
Anansi • Animaestro • Animan • Antibug • Backwarder • Bakerix • Befana • The Bubbler • Captain Hardrock • Catalyst • Chameleon • Christmaster • The Collector • Copycat • Darkblade • Dark Cupid • Dark Owl • Despair Bear • Desperada • Destroyer • The Evillustrator • Frightningale • Frozer • Gamer • Gigantitan • Glaciator • Gorizilla • Guitar Villain • Horrificator • Ikari Gozen • Kung Food • Lady Wifi • Magician of Misfortune • Malediktator • The Mime • Miraculer • Oblivio • Party Crasher • The Pharaoh • Mr. Pigeon • Pixelator • Prime Queen • Princess Fragrance • The Puppeteer • Oni-Chan • Queen Wasp • Reflekta • Rena Rage • Replay • Reverser • Riposte • Robostus • Rogercop • Sandboy • Santa Claws • Sapotis • Shell Shock • Silencer • Silurus • Simon Says • Stoneheart • Stormy Weather • Style Queen • Syren • Timebreaker • Troublemaker • Vanisher • Volpina • Weredad • Zombizou

Other villains
Trash Krakken

Unknown and/or future villains
Apkli • Cat Blanc • Dr. Sadness • Hawk Moth (future) • Ignoblia • Kwamibuster • Loveater • Miracle Queen • Pain and Tears • Monsieur Rat • Startrain • Timetagger • Trio of Punishers

Miss Bustier's class (Ivan Bruel • Juleka Couffaine • Mylène Haprèle • Alix Kubdel • Nathaniel Kurtzberg • Rose Lavillant • Sabrina Raincomprix • Lila Rossi)Adam • Ali • Marc Anciel • Aurore Beauréal • Mireille Caquet • Jean Duparc • Ondine • Kagami Tsurugi • Wayhem

Children
August • Boy • Ella Césaire • Etta Césaire • Manon Chamack • Kenya • Chris Lahiffe • Mrs. Michelle's son • Quentin

Adults
Adrien's bodyguard • Emilie Agreste • Arlette • Art teacher • Thomas Astruc • August's mother • Vincent Aza • Banana Man • Théo Barbot • André Bourgeois • Audrey Bourgeois • Breaker • Caline Bustier • Butler Jean • Alec Cataldi • Marlena Césaire • Nora Césaire • Otis Césaire • Nadja Chamack • Sabine Cheng • Wang Cheng • Chris (performer) • Clara Contard • Anarka Couffaine • Mr. Damocles • Armand D'Argencourt • Doorman • Gina Dupain • Rolland Dupain • Tom Dupain • Fire captain • Fisherman • Ghetto Blaster • André Glacier • Simon Grimault • Fred Haprèle • Howard • Jørgen • Kenya's father • Killabee • Mr. Kubdel • Jalil Kubdel • Marianne Lenoir • Lila's mother • Maid • Ms. Mendeleiev • Metal Face D • Mrs. Michelle • Clara Nightingale • Philippe • Prince Ali's chaperone • Public Enemy • Roger Raincomprix • Xavier Ramier • Penny Rolling • Bob Roth • Santa Claus • Sarah • Shaolin Soul • Jagged Stone • Jean Tretiens • Tomoe Tsurugi • Véronique • Vincent (Adrien's photographer) • Wealthy woman • XY

Animals
Fang • Minor animals • Whiskers

Groups
Kitty Section

Characters from the past
Darkblade (ancestor) • Mage • Order of the Guardians

Miscellaneous
Albert • Markov

Future characters
Lindalee Rose • Sabine's mother • Vivica

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