Cat Noir

**Adrien Agreste**, also known as **Cat Noi**r, is one of the main protagonists of *Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir* series.

A classmate of Marinette's, a boy who lives with his wealthy, distant father. Even at school, he's a bit aloof, although considerate. Adrien really opens up to his best bud, Nino. Adrien works part-time as a model, and is a Teen Idol in his own right. But he really comes into his own when he takes out his magical ring that turns him into the superhero Cat Noir. Cat Noir is quick with an insult, quicker with a pun, and as confident as - well, as the cat that got the cream. Cat Noir makes no secret of his big ol' crush on Ladybug; unfortunately for all parties, Adrien doesn't notice Marinette's humongous crush on him.

In the AWA fics, Adrien is set to appear in a future AWA storyline.

## **Appearance**

### **Physical Appearance**

Adrien is a handsome teenage boy with brushed-back blond hair and emerald green eyes. His skin tone is fair with a rosy tint, especially on his cheeks, nose and the tips of his ears. He is about a head taller than Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

### **Civilian Attire**

Adrien wears a white button-down shirt with an upturned collar and sleeves rolled up above his elbow, which he keeps unbuttoned. Underneath, he wears a black shirt with five horizontal stripes around the chest which are colored, from top to bottom, yellow, olive green, bright green, dark green, and periwinkle. He wears blue jeans and orange sneakers with white laces and a logo of a black butterfly in a circle on the sides. On the ring finger of his right hand, he wears the Cat Miraculous, which is silver when he's not transformed.

### **As Cat Noir**

Cat Noir wears a textured black skin-tight catsuit with metal details. He wears matching gloves that have claws on the fingertips and boots with a hidden wedge, silver toes, and paw-shaped treads. He has a golden bell on his neck, connected to a zipper on the front of his costume, and a long belt that wraps around his waist and hangs out from the back like a tail. He wears black cat ears and a black mask around his eyes. He has cat eyes with green sclerae, dark green irises and oval pupils. His hair becomes longer and untamed, covering his normal ears. His ring turns black and gains a bright green paw print on its face.

## **Personality**

Adrien is a charismatic, but shy, a bit reserved, and slightly innocent young boy — partially due to his unfamiliarity to much of the world beyond his father's reach. While liking to have fun, he is more serious, obedient, somewhat insecure, and less lively due to his strict upbringing. Wanting to change, make friends, and experience new things is one of his main motives to complement himself, but it's a bit of a struggle for Adrien and it worries him every now and then. He usually thinks reasonably and will express annoyance and frustration when someone is being difficult or something is going wrong. If something makes him sad, he tries to downplay his feelings on it, like his relationship with his father, but he will act on impulse if he is emotional enough, like lying to Théo Barbot out of jealousy about his relationship with Ladybug and going out into the night while unhappy on Christmas in "Santa Claws".

Even though he is not very openly emotional or affectionate to most people, Adrien is friendly, empathetic, and encouraging to others in hard times and he also has an easier time letting his feelings show to those whom he is close to. As seen in "Riposte", Adrien is a bit reckless going into a fight against an akumatized villain with a sprained ankle, but is dedicated to his duty as a superhero and protective towards Ladybug with or without the mask.

In some instances, he has acted rebelliously, like going places without informing anyone or taking things that don't belong to him. Also, his desire to be loved makes him vulnerable whenever disappointed. He is displeased with Ladybug for not showing up to a date he asked her on in "Glaciator", though she warned him she had previous plans, but he apologizes for overreacting when he realizes that she feels bad about it.

He is caring and supportive towards his family and friends as seen in "Simon Says", where Adrien supported Nino Lahiffe during The Challenge, and again in "Animan" where he supported Nino's crush on Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Despite Adrien's distant relationship with his father, he tries to be there for him, which he mentions in "Adrien's Double Life". He was supportive of Marinette on several occasions, praising her for her amazing artwork and winning the contest in "Mr. Pigeon." Also, in "Troublemaker" he watched the show "*Fill My Shoes*", being filmed at Marinette's house and checked on her afterwards at school. In "Style Queen" and "Queen Wasp", where he encouraged her to be proud of her derby hat design.

At times, Adrien can be persistent when wanting to figure something out, as seen in "Syren", where he continuously bribed Plagg with cheese until he spilled the truth about what Ladybug was hiding from him. This trait is also highly apparent in his romantic pursuit of her, to the point where Kagami Tsurugi believes he's stubborn. Like Alya Césaire, Adrien places extreme values on the mutual trust he has with Ladybug. In several episodes, while as himself Adrien is secretive to others about his love towards Ladybug, partly telling Kagami in "Frozer".

Sometimes, Adrien can act nervous or surprised in awkward situations as seen in "Guitar Villain," when he nervously asked Marinette to sign his copy of Jagged Stone's new album and "Gorizilla", when he came across Wayhem. This is also shown in "Frightningale," when he and Marinette posed as their alter-egos in Clara Nightingale's music video. Adrien also displayed insecurity in "Frozer", where he was shy about going to the ice rink alone with Kagami.

He is also shown to be understanding towards others on several occasions such as in "Troublemaker", when Adrien told Marinette that he's gotten used to having a lot of fans and photos of him everywhere even in the most unlikely places. In "Sandboy", when Plagg sneaked out without telling him. In "Queen Wasp", after Chloé Bourgeois was de-akumatized, he told her that he knew that she did what she did to impress her mother.

Through his time as Cat Noir and like Marinette, Adrien to has grown in confidence seen in "Simon Says" when he stood up to his father. In "Gorizilla", where he tried to him for a favor and attempted in "Frozer".

As Cat Noir, Adrien has the freedom to act however he wants outside of his normal life, letting his wilder side come out, and becoming cocky and outgoing. More optimistic and open, he says whatever comes to his mind and makes plenty of typically cat-related jokes and puns. In his attempts to get Ladybug's attention, along with other people, he brags and boasts about himself in a comedic way. Much of Cat Noir's exaggerated personality, especially his flirting with Ladybug, stems from entertainment such as anime, television, and movies due to his lack of experience with people his age beyond Chloé.

Adrien's change to his superhero status doesn't diminish his kindness and concern for others though, among many of his other personality traits, such as his reasonable character and deep loyalty. On certain occasions, as Cat Noir he can be hasty sometimes, such as when rushing to face Stormy Weather without a plan. Due to this rashness, in several episodes Cat Noir sometimes needs to be restrained or stopped by Ladybug. While more prone to goofing off, Cat Noir gets serious when needed, especially when fighting an akumatized villain. It is rare for him to reveal his vulnerable, sensitive side, but it does come through at times, as when he quietly comments that not all parents are loving in "The Bubbler," and tries in vain to tell Ladybug about his love for her before their transformations wore off in "Dark Cupid". Determined to help others and save the day, Cat Noir really cherishes being uninhibited by his civilian life as a superhero.

He also understands that it takes more than just superpowers to be a hero or useful, as seen in "Reflekta"; despite the fact that his powers were gone, with his quick thinking he was able to help Ladybug out of a tight spot. Cat Noir is also welcoming and friendly when it comes to accepting new additions to the team, having open arms for Lila in "Volpina" and Rena Rouge in "Sapotis". In "Reverser", Cat Noir is also open to accepting help from others like Alix and Nathaniel, as at the time he was reversed to being a complete coward.

According to Ladybug in "Copycat", Cat Noir does annoy her a lot, but he has never lied to her, meaning that he is honest. As well as in "Cat Noir as seen by Marinette", she also describes him as cocky, nosy and a show off. Also as Cat Noir, Adrien has the people's loyalty, respect, trust, and help when he needs it, as shown in "Reflekta" and "Gorizilla". According to him in "Plagg", being Cat Noir is the only time Adrien can be himself. But as Cat Noir, he is more expressive about his love towards Ladybug.

He is also protective when loved ones are in danger or put in harms way. Seen in "Simon Says", where he protected and saved his father as his alter ego.

## **Abilities**

### **As a Civilian**

In addition to being a fashion model and home-schooled, Adrien takes basketball, fencing, piano, and Chinese lessons. Thus, he is able to speak Chinese fluently and is able to communicate with Wang Cheng as seen in Kung Food. He is also quite good at video games, being able to beat Max Kanté in *Ultimate Mecha Strike III* and achieve one of the top scores in the entire school. Adrien, as Cat Noir, shows that he understands Morse code in “Robostus". In "Sapotis," it is revealed that he knows Kung-Fu.

As Cat Noir, Adrien is able to fight on equal grounds with Darkblade and fend off his knights effortlessly, showing great skill for offensive and defensive movements. Other than fencing, he also does karate, as revealed in "Simon Says", which enables him to fight in hand-to-hand combat as well with his bodyguard.

### **As Cat Noir**

Cat Noir has enhanced skills such as speed, agility, strength and near-invulnerability. In "Syren", he manages to outrun a pair of panthers meaning he is capable of running at least between 35-50 mph. Like a cat, he also has enhanced senses such as hearing, smell, night vision, and has super stealth.

Also like a cat, he can use his claws to climb up surfaces seen in "Dark Cupid" and several other episodes. As well as use them to cut through things like how he attempted to cut the sails in Captain Hardrock's ship. Cat Noir uses his staff efficiently, wielding it as a sword, throwing it with great precision and having it be deflected back to him, being able to spin it at high speeds to form a shield, and taking advantage of its duplication and length-changing features. To travel long distances, he uses his staff and its variety in length to vault over obstacles. He also has good hand-to-hand combat skills when needed.

In and out of "Aqua Mode", he can also use his staff as a breathing apparatus for those who can't breathe underwater like himself in "Reverser" and "Queen Wasp" and Ondine in "Mayura". Even out of "Aqua Mode" Cat Noir is a good swimmer.

His special power, Cataclysm, allows him to negatively affect anything that he touches with his ring hand. While it is usually used to destroy objects, it can be used for a variety of different effects, like causing a bus' controls to go haywire or creating a platform in a structure. However, using Cataclysm drains his Miraculous' power, causing him to revert back to Adrien typically five minutes afterwards, so he has to use it wisely.

#### **Aqua Form**

When accessing his aqua powers, Cat Noir has the ability to breathe underwater and enhanced swimming capabilities.

#### **Ice Form**

When accessing his ice powers, with his ice skates Cat Noir has the ability to move quickly and freely on the ice.

## **Trivia**

* The character of Adrien was created around 2012.
* The French name "Adrien" comes from the Roman cognomen "Hadrianus," which means "from Hadria." In the days of the Roman Empire, Hadria was a town in northern Italy and the namesake of the Adriatic Sea. The Adriatic Sea is known for the dark-colored sand on its beaches, and for this reason, the name is also commonly translated as "dark one."
	+ His last name, "Agreste," means "rural" in French. It is also the French name for the grayling butterfly. Hence, his full name may be taken as meaning "dark butterfly".
	+ Jokingly, Thomas Astruc said that his middle name is "Perfection."
* The name "Chat Noir" is French for "Black Cat." Some sources have called him "Black Cat" instead of Chat Noir or Cat Noir.
	+ In the Korean, Hebrew and Serbian versions, Adrien's superhero name is "Black Cat."
	+ In the Russian version, Adrien's superhero name is "Super Cat."
* The earliest known appearance of Cat Noir was on the fake cover of Issue #12 of *The Mini Menace Ladybug*.
* In Polish, the pronunciation of Adrien's surname "Agreste" means gooseberry
* Fans originally called him Félix, after a famous cartoon cat. For some time, this name appeared on the original French version of Zagtoon's official website, but later disappeared with newer, equally reliable sources calling him "Adrien."
	+ It was later revealed that the Ladybug PV version had in fact been called "Félix," and Félix and Adrien are not the same character. Adrien was made around 2012 to replace Félix.

* Adrien's appearance changed immensely from Félix's design (seen in the Ladybug PV) to his own design. Félix's design included more formal clothing with black and gray colors, desaturated green eyes, and a tidier hairstyle. As Cat Noir, Félix wears higher boots and doesn't have a staff for a weapon.
	+ Their personalities are also different. Félix is less social, not openly friendly, and unkind to Marinette.
	+ Unlike Félix, Adrien's ring can come off anytime. This is seen in "Lady Wifi" when he, as Cat Noir, gets locked into a freezer and the impact causes his ring to fall off his finger, which makes him revert back to normal.
* Because Félix was Cat Noir in the Ladybug PV, Adrien was never seen in 2D form until the *Miraculous: Tales from Paris* webisodes. He will be seen again in 2D in the Miraculous Ladybug OVA, as Adrien is confirmed to still be Cat Noir instead of Félix.
* Cat Noir's legacy is as old as ancient China, as revealed in "Volpina".
* His responsibilities as a superhero not only include fighting akumatized villains, but also patrolling among many other things.
* It shown in "Mr. Pigeon" that Adrien is allergic to feathers and also that he can whistle.
* In the French version of "Copycat", Cat Noir calls Ladybug "Buginette" (in French, adding "-nette" to the end of a word is a way of showing affection). In the English version, he calls her "Bugaboo."
	+ In the French and Korean versions of "The Evillustrator", Adrien as Cat Noir called Marinette "Princess". In the English version, he calls her "little lady".
* Adrien watches anime.
* According to Gabriel Agreste's voice actor, Adrien is not allowed to play *Pokémon Go*.
* Adrien doesn't appear to have as many issues juggling his normal life with his superhero work as Marinette does. However, he does struggle on occasion, as seen in "Princess Fragrance" when he misses his chemistry class.
	+ This is also seen in "Simon Says" and "Gorizilla", where he had to be in two places.

* He mentions in "The Pharaoh", "Lady Wifi", and "Ladybug as seen by Adrien" that he suspects he might know Ladybug in normal life without realizing it.
* In "Copycat", Adrien's phone number is shown to be +33635124.
* As he says in "Dark Cupid", he hates signing autographs.
* As he says in "Pixelator", he got to go to his first concert.
* According to Thomas Astruc in a joking matter, Cat Noir's suit is made of "boyfriend material".
	+ The suit is not made of leather but it is the closest material.
	+ The ears are made of the same material as the rest of the suit.
		- With that it could be possible that the suit is made of artificial leather or of an alternative for leather.
	+ The bell functions as a zipper and was added "because it looks cute."
		- The bell on Cat Noir's suit is a reference to a domestic kitten, conveying his inner desire for a loving home.
* Cat Noir's cat ears and tail are clearly fake. However, they respond to his mood and enhanced senses.
	+ Rena Rouge's ears and tail are also fake.
	+ During "Dark Cupid", when Cat Noir isn't able to confess to Ladybug because their transformations are about to run out, his ears move down.
	+ In "Animan", his cat ears move when he hears Animan coming.
	+ Again in "Troublemaker", where he heard the villain's incoming attack.
* Cat Noir has also done other catlike actions, Ladybug scratching his chin in "Animan", cleaning himself by licking water off in "Princess Fragrance", purring in "Prime Queen", growling at the villain, Audrey petting and cuddling him, licking his paw and chasing the toilet paper roll and the light of Ladybug's laser pointer, playing with Audrey's necklace and taking naps in "Malediktator", he also caressed his tail after Ladybug pulled it in "Stormy Weather" and in other episodes he runs on all fours like a cat.
* According to Gabriel, he's a lot like his mother, both physically and in terms of personality.
* He's been turned evil several times so far, having fallen under the influence of Dark Cupid's hate arrows, ending up under the control of The Puppeteer, being affected by Princess Fragrance's perfume, becoming controlled by Despair Bear, then being affected by Zombizou's kiss and lastly being affected by Malediktator's declaration bubbles.
	+ Unlike the others, Malediktator didn't use Cat Noir to fight against Ladybug.
* The “Collector” reveals that Cat Noir’s tail is detachable.
* In "Befana", Adrien reveals to Marinette that he always takes the bracelet she gave him everywhere he goes as a good lucky charm.
* During "Gigantitan," Adrien, as Cat Noir, reveals to Ladybug that he liked playing with cars when he was little.
* In "Gorizilla," Adrien's email address is revealed to be adrien@agreste.mode.
	+ Also according to Adrien, he says this is the first time he went to the theaters with a friend.
* In "Zombizou," Adrien as Cat Noir tells Ladybug that he played a lot of car racing games.
* In "Syren", it is revealed that Adrien has Ladybug and Cat Noir figurines.
	+ He also says he has always wanted a goldfish.
* In "Sandboy", as himself, Adrien's greatest fear is being trapped alone, and as Cat Noir, his greatest fear is Ladybug hating him.
* During a Q & A on January 15 2019, Jeremy Zag confirmed Ladybug and Cat Noir will reveal their identities and that it is already written.

## **External Links**

* Adrien Agreste at Miraculous Ladybug Wiki