Marinette Dupain-Cheng

M**arinette Dupin-Cheng** is one of the main protagonists of *Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir*. Marinette is a student in Miss Bustier's this uglyclass at Collège Françoise Dupont in Paris, France. She is also a budding fashion designer. With the Ladybug Miraculous, when inhabited by Tikki, Marinette transforms into the superhero **Ladybug**, gaining the power of good luck and creation.

## Appearance

Marinette is half-French and half-Chinese. She has bluebell eyes, and dark hair with blue reflections that she usually wears back in two pigtails with red hair ties. Yuppppp how’s life going??

She wears a dark gray blazer with rolled up sleeves. The inside of the blazer is lined in white with pink polka dots, and it has black trimming. Underneath, Marinette wears a white t-shirt with black stitching and a design below the collar. The design itself has pink flowers and black leaves. She wears rolled up pink pants with the inside lined in white with pink polka dots as well. Light pink ballet shoes with dark red soles adorn her feet. She also wears her earrings, which are black when not holding Tikki. Often, she wears a light pink purse with a thin black strap over her right shoulder, a golden clasp, white spots, and a light pink, white, and black flower design on the outward-facing side.

As Ladybug, she wears a red skintight bodysuit with a black collar and black spots. She keeps her yo-yo is around her hips with its string. On her face is a red mask with five black spots that are in a symmetrical design. Her earrings are red with five black spots in a quincunx pattern, the bands holding her hair back become red ribbons, resembling a ladybug's antennae, and her hair color is slightly different.

## Personality

A kind and clumsy girl, Marinette is also happy, cheerful, and generous. She loves fashion, her friends and family, and her crush Adrien. Despite her outgoing personality, she struggles with self-confidence and self-esteem. In a situation she deems dangerous, like doing something for Adrien or losing a book that will expose her secret identity, she becomes very nervous and awkward, failing to keep calm and being quick to panic. She cares deeply for other people, and she usually puts their feelings and interests before her own, in some cases at a personal cost. Despite being genuinely kind, she does have her limits, such as in "The Evillustrator", when she gets irritated with Chloé to the point that, as Ladybug, she refuses to continue watching her to protect her. She can also act impulsively and irrationally at times, as shown when she tries to deflect the false accusation of "stealing" Chloé's bracelet onto others who are also innocent. Although she is absent-minded and acts before thinking at times, she is clever, a trait shown by the fact that she hid her signature in her bowler hat design; when Chloé steals her design, this exposes her. Furthermore, she is willing to do a number of risky tasks in order to protect her identity and image, such as stealing Adrien's phone in "Copycat".

As Ladybug, she retains many of her alter ego's characteristics, but she is much stronger and her confidence, cleverness, and bravery are more prominent. Her quick-thinking, resourcefulness, and wit are more obvious, especially when she is figuring out how to utilize her Lucky Charm. As Ladybug, she strives to rescue everyone, including those akumatized by Hawk Moth. No matter the difficulty of her tasks, she does everything in her power to set things right while keeping up with her everyday responsibilities, like designing Jagged Stone's cover album. Like Cat Noir, she is also clever with her words and occasionally enjoys making puns.

## Relationships

### Adrien Agrest/Cat (Chat) Noir

Marinette first meets Adrien when both are their alter egos in "Ladybug & Cat Noir". She gets a bit frustrated with him a few times, like when he carelessly uses his Cataclysm, but she likes him as a partner and works well with him. In the next episode, when she admits it's her fault for not purifying the akuma the first time, she is surprised and grateful for Cat Noir's encouragement. After saving the day, she doesn't react to Cat Noir's flirting and bids him farewell.

In the same episodes, she first hears about Adrien from Chloé, but she doesn't know who he is. The next day, she meets Adrien at school, but she immediately becomes disgusted of him when it looks like he put a piece of gum on her chair, unaware that Chloé placed it there and he was trying to remove it. She also learns that he is a model from Alya, but it doesn't change her dislike of him. After school the following day, she becomes attracted to Adrien after he explains the situation with the gum and gives her his umbrella.

Marinette has a "secret" crush on Adrien. On the walls of her room and in several photo frames are pictures of him from various magazines. She often daydreams about him and longs to win his heart, but her awkwardness around him makes it a great challenge for her. However, Marinette has prioritized Adrien's happiness over her own. On Adrien's birthday in "The Bubbler", she accepts that he thinks that her gift is from his father because Adrien is so pleased to have gotten such a gift from him.

Gradually, in later episodes such as "Kung Food" and "Gamer", she becomes more comfortable and confident around him, being able to speak normally with him and express herself.

Marinette never heard of Adrien before the events of "Ladybug and Cat Noir (Origins - Part 1)", and first meets him in his civilian form in the next episode. They start off with the wrong foot: Marinette enters the class just as Adrien tries to detach the chewing gum Chloé stuck on her seat, resulting in Marinette quickly believing that he was sticking the gum for Chloé. She is very offended by that gesture, and refuses to speak with Adrien until after school, not even letting him explain his side of the story. That rainy afternoon, Adrien manages to speak with her, explaining what really happened. He then offers his umbrella to her, and she's so impressed by his kindness that she starts to develop a crush on him, even stuttering when bidding him goodbye.

Her feelings for him can cause her issues. In "Volpina", she, much harsher than necessary, lashes out at Lila and her deceitful nature as Ladybug and in front of Adrien, due to being jealous that Lila is trying to get Adrien's attention. Later, when she and Cat Noir are fighting Lila's akumatized form, Volpina, she nearly gives up her Miraculous when she believes that Lila has taken Adrien hostage and plans to drop him off the Eiffel Tower, not realizing that it's an illusion.

When it comes to Cat Noir, Ladybug sees him as a worthy partner in fighting crime and cares deeply for him. While Cat Noir constantly flirts with her, Ladybug mostly sidesteps his romantic gestures, and often gets annoyed with him if the moment is inappropriate (like when they're fighting a villain); however, she does display affection for him occasionally. She also praises him at times, thinking that he is amazing.

In "The Evillustrator", when Cat Noir arrives to discuss stopping the villain with Marinette, she mocks him by "mouthing" words with her hands as he shows off, but she does smile and giggle to herself after he leaves. In a webisode, Marinette says that she would possibly give Cat Noir a chance if Adrien did not exist, though she immediately dismisses the thought because she doesn't want to think of a world without Adrien. Despite their teasing relationship, the two are a team: they have a lot of faith and trust in the other. Additionally, they support each other and are willing to risk their lives for the other. She is aware that he wants to know her secret identity but thinks it's better if no one knows hers for the sake of protecting humanity.

### Tikki

Marinette's kwami, Tikki, allows her to transform into Ladybug. When she sees her for the first time in "Ladybug & Cat Noir", though, Marinette is terrified, thinking Tikki is a "bug-mouse" and trying to scare her off. Eventually, Marinette listens to Tikki's information and reluctantly transforms with her for the first time. After defeating Stoneheart, she learns that she failed to purify the akuma and made the situation worse, and despite Tikki encouraging her to keep going, Marinette apologizes to her and puts her away with the Miraculous. It isn't until Stoneheart's next attack that Marinette decides to be Ladybug again, and she puts on the Miraculous again, telling a delighted Tikki that she won't sit back and do nothing when others are in trouble.

They have a good relationship as partners and friends, and Marinette appreciates Tikki's attempts to cheer her up after she has "failed" with Adrien or displayed "incompetence" as Ladybug. Tikki also helps Marinette when she doesn't feel confident in herself and often gives her advice. In "Princess Fragrance", when Tikki gets sick and taken by Chloé, Marinette is desperate to find her and take her to the healer. Once she finds her, Marinette rejects Tikki's suggestion that they transform to stop the titular villain, saying she won't make the same mistake twice to see the healer right away. She tells Tikki after she is healed that she is more than a kwami to her.

### Hawk Moth

Marinette is fully aware that Hawk Moth is the culprit for the akumas and supervillains. She always works hard to stop him, not wanting him to win by taking her Miraculous.

In "Stoneheart (Origins - Part 2)", Ladybug and Cat Noir are introduced to Hawk Moth when akumas form a large version of Hawk Moth's head while the two heroes are fighting Stoneheart at the Eiffel Tower. Ladybug, rather than being intimidated, confidently warns Hawk Moth that she and Cat Noir will find him, and he'll be the one giving them his Miraculous.

### Alya Césaire

Marinette is forced to sit by Alya by Chloé on the first day of school in "Ladybug & Cat Noir", but after Alya stands up for her, Marinette befriends her quickly. When she decides to not be Ladybug, in "Stoneheart", she plans to give it to Alya by slipping it into Alya's bag at school. However, when Alya is pinned to a wall by a car and cries out for help, Marinette, who was taking Alya's bag to her after she left it to watch the fight, becomes determined to save her and takes out the Miraculous to use again. The next day at school, Alya reveals her plans to find out Ladybug's secret identity, while Marinette knowingly tells her, "Good luck with that."

Marinette enjoys spending time with Alya, her best friend. Although often frozen with fear whenever Alya assists her with doing something with or for Adrien, Marinette is thankful for her pushing her forward. Alya's desire to find out more about Ladybug and her secret identity has caused many problems for Marinette, who wants to let Alya know that she is Ladybug but can't. She panics when Alya finds the history book she dropped as Ladybug in "The Pharaoh", and she is utterly astounded when Alya leaves her a note saying she knows who Ladybug is in "Lady Wifi". Alya's attempts to find the truth about Ladybug can be exasperating for Marinette, but she does her best to conceal her identity from her. Both find Chloé awful, and both support each other in any way that they can.

### Tom Dupain and Sabine Cheng

Whenever she is with her parents, Marinette is shown to love them and support them, just like they do. When the Bubbler's bubbles take her parents away, Marinette deeply desires to save them and all of the parents. She often plays video games with her father.

### Chloé Bourgeois

Marinette has been in the same class with Chloé for four years, and she was always being bullied by her. On the first day, Marinette is frustrated that Chloé and Sabrina force her out of her seat, but she doesn't determinedly argue back. Alya encourages her to stand up against her, but it isn't until the end of "Stoneheart" that Marinette, now full of confidence, calls out Chloé for her awful actions and tells her to take her attitude and sit somewhere else.

Marinette despises Chloé. She hates how Chloé mistreats everyone, including her "best friend," Sabrina. As Chloé's main target, she constantly deals with Chloé's despicable attitude towards her. Chloé's love for Ladybug doesn't change Marinette's attitude -- it only makes watching or protecting her more annoying. Considering Chloé to be her rival for Adrien's affection, she doesn't like how she is always throwing herself at him, at one time using her Lucky Charm out of jealousy to prevent her from kissing Adrien while slow dancing. Nevertheless, Marinette deals with Chloé with occasional thrilling success, like when she reveals that Chloé stole her bowler hat design by revealing a special design on that hat that is actually hers.

### Sabrina Raincomprix

Marinette isn't close to Sabrina, but she feels bad that Chloé abuses her so unfairly. In "The Evillustrator", when she stands up for Sabrina, she is surprised that Sabrina immediately tries to befriend her, including doing her geography homework for her, much to her discomfort. Because she agrees to go to a party with the Evillustrator in order to defeat him, she sadly tells Sabrina that working on the presentation later at night won't work, which greatly upsets Sabrina, and she is hurt when Sabrina accuses her of being just like Chloé.

### Nathaniel Kurtzberg

Marinette likes Nathaniel and thinks he is an excellent artist, but she never expected him to have a crush on her until Chloé reveals it to everyone in "The Evillustrator". She agrees with him (while he is Evillustrator) that Chloé is egotistical and nasty, and she gets frustrated when he accuses her of being just like Chloé after she reveals that she teamed up with Cat Noir to stop him.

### Manon

Manon, being a child with an energetic personality is tiring for Marinette, who doesn't have experience with having siblings or skill with bonding with younger children. No matter how exhausting it is to take care of Manon, Marinette does care for her and her safety, promising to her as Ladybug that she'll save her and Alya from the ice dome they're trapped in and trying to change her back to normal when she is turned into the Puppeteer by Hawk Moth.

## How she Became a Legendblood *(Legendary Pureblood)*

Andrea came in the picture just as Marinette and Adrien were stopping another akuma attack (as Ladybug and Chat Noir). Suddenly, Marinette was hit in the chest right after she cleared the Akuma, cured the butterfly, and repaired everything as Ladybug said 'Miraculous Ladybug'. When Marinette came home to talk to Tikki, she fainted after she felt her chest began to hurt badly; this resulted to her parents checking up on her, until they found their daughter on the floor and turning pale.

She was taken to the hospital to get cured soon, and that caused everyone to worry, all except Chloe, who wanted Marinette to die and be out of the way. But the most important one who was making them worry for her the most is Adrien Agreste, her crush and best friend, well second best friend close to Alya, Marinette's first best friend. He was worried about Marinette ever since he heard that she was infected by the Akuma's virus.

When Andrea found out that Marinette can't be cured and that there is no other way for her to live, she didn't want for this girl's friends and family to see that she is gone. So in order for Marinette to live, Andrea snuck into Marinette's medical room and extracted some of her Legendblood from inside of her to Marinette's IV, where she is given liquid from a packet and transferred inside Marinette.

Once Andrea extracted her blood and into Marinette, as it was beginning to transfer into her blood through the IV, she left a Mark of Legends to know that Marinette will live for an eternity and be powerful than anything that could try to hurt or penetrate her. With the Mark of Legends, she will never die, get sick, ill, diseased, or anything that could try to kill her in such a way.

As Andrea left Marinette's room, the doctors came in and saw that Marinette was starting to heal and beginning to breathe again; this result indicated that they believed that a miracle came and saved another life from the death, which was indeed true, thanks to Andrea.

After that, Marinette was breathing and everyone, except Chloe, were celebrating a party that Marinette was alive and breathing once again, and the one who threw the party was Andre Bourgeois, Chloe's father and the Mayor. Everyone was happy that Marinette is healthy and safe again, but ever since she came back, she was feeling different and weirder than normal.

Now that Marinette was alive again, she was also labeled as a full-blooded Legendblood, one of the most powerful and richest people in the world, one that the Bourgeois family and the Agreste family can't control or overpower. And since Marinette is labeled as one, she is also the Princess of Fantasia, Andrea's new sister in blood.