The fifth season of Thomas Astruc’s Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir is currently in the works and will begin airing in 2022, though a specific release date has yet to be announced. According to speculation, we could see Ladybug and Cat Noir return as soon as September. Ever since its debut episode, “Stormy Weather,” Miraculous Ladybug has aired annually from 2015 onwards, finishing off its fourth season with “Strikeback (Shadow Moth’s Final Attack – Part 2)” on March 13, 2022. Miraculous Ladybug fans are biased when it comes to favorite characters. It all boils down to personal preference, but Thomas Astruc made some characters more likable than others (we’re looking at you, Chloé) and, therefore, made it easier to compare them. Since there isn’t much time left (supposedly) before Miraculous Ladybug continues airing, there’s no better time for a good, old-fashioned ranking.
In the finale, we saw Marinette mistakingly hand over the Dog Miraculous to Félix, Adrien’s twin, believing him to be Adrien. With the Dog Miraculous, which grants the power to fetch any object, Félix retrieves Ladybug’s yo-yo, which contains all of the other Miraculouses. Then, he strikes a deal with Gabriel Agreste, AKA Hawkmoth, to exchange Ladybug’s yo-yo for the Peacock Miraculous. Meanwhile, Marinette / Ladybug is distraught, comforted by Adrien and the rest of Paris. Miraculous Ladybug Season 5’s debut episode, “Evolution,” sees Ladybug attempt to remedy her mistake — assisted by Bunnyx and Cat Noir — and retrieve the stolen Miraculouses.
Everyone hates Félix, Chloé, and Lyla, who (spoiler alert!), don’t make it on the list. We know, shocking isn’t it? However, with so many redeemable and loveable Miraculous characters to choose from, a decision that should be straightforward suddenly becomes more difficult. Superheroes, supervillains and kwamis alike, here are the best Miraculous Ladybug characters.
10. Nooroo / Kwami of Transmission
Connected to the Butterfly Miraculous and owned by Gabriel Agreste / Hawkmoth, Nooroo is the kwami of Transmission, able to grant the wearer of the butterfly brooch the power of Akumatization, which corrupts and transforms others into villainous servants. Although we don’t get to see much of Nooroo in Miraculous Ladybug, the short scenes featuring the youngest kwami (as per “Sandboy”) are significant to revealing his personality as a docile, well-mannered magical creature that seeks to promote nothing but goodness and generosity, but has been forced to relinquish these beliefs to assist Gabriel Agreste. Working against his fellow kwamis, Nooroo unwillingly Akumatizes others to do Hawkmoth’s bidding and the internal battle that Nooroo suffers makes his presence infinitely more important than his limited screen time suggests.
9. Juleka Couffaine / Purple Tigress
Luka Couffaine’s younger twin sister, Juleka, received the Tiger Miraculous in “Crocoduel,” which allows her to transform — with the help of Roaar — into Purple Tigress. When we first meet Juleka, she’s timid and nervous but exceedingly kind and considerate. Like many of her classmates, Juleka has a stereotypical high schooler personality as an emo/goth. She is often seen wearing black/purple clothing and is notably skilled as a makeup artist. As Purple Tigress, Juleka becomes more confident, fearless and outspoken, her turn as a superhero changes her outlook on life from then on and she finds an inner voice. Many Miraculous fans can relate to Juleka, a self-deprecating teenager who views herself as an outcast. We all have a hateful critic inside of us, which Juleka battles every single day. Not only is Juleka iconic for her alternative fashion, battles with self-esteem and caring disposition, she is also canonically lesbian and in a relationship with Rose — making her an LGBTQ+ icon as well.
8. Gabriel Agreste / Hawkmoth
Every fairytale needs a good, old-fashioned villain. James Moriarty said that famous line in BBC’s Sherlock — and it still rings true over 10 years later. Although he might not win the popularity contest, Gabriel Agreste / Hawkmoth is one of Miraculous Ladybug‘s most essential assets. Whether it’s Thomas Astruc’s intriguing characterization or Keith Silverstein’s chilling vocals that make Hawkmoth so compelling, it doesn’t matter; he’s bad to the bone and we love him for it. However, despite his sinister presence, Gabriel has a tragic backstory and sincere motivation, which adds multiple layers to an already multifaceted character. He wants to seize Ladybug and Cat Noir’s Miraculouses to obtain ultimate power and undo the mistakes of the past involving himself and his comatose wife, Emilie. Now, this isn’t to say that Gabriel’s choices are justified, but he does get a tad power-hungry while paving a road of pure intentions.
7. Luka Couffaine / Viperion
There’s something in the water for the Couffaine twins — whose father happens to be none other than renowned musician Jagged Stone — because both of them are irresistible. Although there has been some hatred for Luka in the past — since he interferes with the Marinette / Adrien love square — and he might not appeal to everyone, there are several reasons to name him one of Miraculous Ladybug‘s best characters. Luka is a captivating mixture of flirtatious, charming, playful, and mature. He is an empath whose musical talents resonate with listeners and encourage them to express intense emotions. Like Kagami, who falls in love with Adrien, Luke is not limited to his role as an alternative love interest; he is engaging, handsome, and personable all on his own. Feri González, a colorist for ZAG Inc, knew exactly what she was doing when crafting Luka; she even said that audiences were going to “fall in love with him” — and she was right. As Viperion, the true Snake Miraculous holder, Luka outshines Adrien and proves to be a more suited fit to wield Sass’ Intuition superpowers.
6. Zoé Lee / Vesperia
Even though Chloé Bourgeois and Zoé Lee were cut from the same cloth, you never would have guessed it. Zoé is the polar opposite of her snotty half-sister. Whereas Chloé is brash, bossy and selfish, Zoé is helpful, kind and forgiving. Although the Bee Miraculous originally belonged to Chloé, who used it to transform into Queen Bee, complications in “Queen Banana,” in which Chloé is Akumatized into the titular villain, force Ladybug to bestow the Bee Miraculous onto Zoé — who uses it to become Vesperia. Zoé is another relatable character, expressing herself through her clothing and hairstyle; she dreams of becoming and actress and — like Juleka — only wants to fit in, especially since she came from a boarding school in New York. She, unlike Chloé, keeps her identity as Vesperia completely secret, proving to be a more suited holder for the Bee Miraculous. Zoé came bustling into Miraculous Ladybug like a cool breeze out of seemingly nowhere, and suddenly, a character who was initially though to have a minor role has become a fan-favorite and light parralel to Chloé, whom most of the Miraculous fandom strongly dislike.
5. Plagg / Kwami of Destruction
It should have been obvious that Plagg would make the list. Connected to the Cat Miraculous, Plagg is the kwami of Destruction, wielding the devastating superpower known as Cataclysm. Plagg can be described as easygoing and confident, but also negligent, overindulgent and exceedingly lazy. He isn’t always helpful and approaches serious situation with a very light-hearted attitude. Although he makes mistakes incessantly, Plagg provides some much-needed comic relief to Miraculous Ladybug that balances out some of the hard-hitting episodes. Plagg can be reckless and rebellious, but that’s precisely what makes him such a joy to watch. Again, some credit is due to Max Mittelman, Plagg’s English voice actor, because he brings out the best in Adrien’s kwami and makes him so much more than just a means to an end.
4. Alya Césaire / Rena Rouge
Marinette’s best friend was bound to make the list. Besides Marinette and Adrien, Alya Césaire was the first character to become a permanent Miraculous holder and is one of the few people to know Ladybug’s identity. She is the sole admin of the Ladyblog, an online blog for documenting Ladybug and Cat Noir’s adventures. In short, Alya is the BFF that everyone should have; she is energetic, passionate and down-to-earth, never takes nonsense from anyone, and always stands up for what she believes in. After becoming Rena Rouge, a fox-themed superhero that assist Ladybug and Cat Noir, Alya becomes less of a sensationalist as she begins to understand the consequences of exposing secrets. What makes Alya so relatable is her humanity; she makes countless mistakes, learns from them, and tries to improve her faults. She can be a bit of a scatterbrain (can’t we all?) and she’s probably the most realistic portrayal of a high school student in the whole series, which encourages a lot of Miraculous fans to identify with her. Plus, as Rena Rouge, Alya really does have one of the coolest costumes.
3. Alix Kubdel / Bunnyx
Our third place contender might be controversial, but especially in later seasons, Alix / Bunnyx has become a hugely significant character in the Miraculous canon. Although she’s severely underrated, Alix actually has more development and depth than any other Miraculous character, as proven by several references denoting her conception. Alix, which means “Alice” in Medieval French, refers to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland novel, in which Alice chases the White Rabbit. Coincidentally, the White Rabbit has a pocket watch, which happens to be the Rabbit Miraculous, owned by Alix. Originally, Alix was supposedly to be in a trio with Chloé and Sabrina in reference to Totally Spies!, but the decision was expunged. Additionally, Alix’s future self as Bunnyx plays a vital role in restoring Paris to its former glory multiple times over, starting with “Chat Blanc.” Ladybug and Cat Noir repeatedly seek guidance and wisdom from Bunnyx regarding time travel and dimensional crises, making her infinitely more important to the protection of Paris than even Ladybug and Cat Noir. Plus, Alix represents all the tomboys out there.
2. Marinette Dupain-Cheng / Ladybug
Here she is, our leading lady, as expected. Any self-respecting Miraculous fan should have seen this coming. Marinette, along with Adrien, are the main protagonists, whom Thomas Astruc sought to make endlessly lovable. Needless to say, he succeeded. As the undisputed leader of the French Miraculous superhero team, Ladybug, alongside Cat Noir, is essentially the backbone of Miraculous. She was Astruc’s inspiration and mascot for the beloved series, which wouldn’t exist without her. Marinette / Ladybug is notably unique, hence Master Fu choosing her to become the new Guardian of the Miraculous. Marinette is relatable in that she’s clumsy, absent-minded and obsessive over teenage boys, just like many high schoolers can be. It’s self-explanatory as to why Ladybug ranks to highly: she’s been a fan-favorite since the beginning and acts as the steady heartbeat that keeps Miraculous Ladybug alive.
1. Adrien Agreste / Cat Noir
Again, he needs no introduction. You knew that if it wasn’t Ladybug in the top spot, it would be Cat Noir. It might seem criminal to place anyone above Marinette / Ladybug, but if it were going to be anyone, it would have to be Adrien / Cat Noir. As Adrien, he can be innocent, naive, reserved and charismatic, but as Cat Noir, he allows his wilder side to take over and acts in an opposite manner to how he normally would. As Cat Noir, he incessantly cracks cat-themed jokes, flirts with Ladybug and acts more like himself than he ever could as Adrien. Ladybug might be the face of Miraculous Ladybug, but Cat Noir is adored by many, whether it be for his humor, his dashing good looks or his amiable and changeable personality. Astruc even joked that Cat Noir’s suit was made out of “boyfriend material.” Although the series centers on Marinette, Adrien is the hunky boy toy that reels in the hungry teenagers — and everyone else.
