Adrien Agreste (French pronunciation: [adʁijɛ̃ aɡʁɛst]) is the male protagonist of the animated television series Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, created by Thomas Astruc. He is portrayed as a French teenage student who has been homeschooled for most of his life and is also a model for his father, Gabriel Agreste, a famous fashion designer with whom Adrien has a distant and emotionally abusive relationship. After passing the test of Master Fu, who is later revealed as the guardian of the magical objects called the Miraculouses, by helping him, Adrien is chosen as one of the two soon-to-be superheroes alongside Ladybug, for whom he quickly develops feelings and whose secret civilian identity is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Consequently, Adrien receives a ring named the Cat Miraculous, which when worn grants him the ability to transform into his superhero alias, Cat Noir. Cat Noir and Ladybug's aim is to protect Paris from the villain Hawk Moth. Every Miraculous is accompanied by a small magical creature known as a kwami, with Adrien's kwami being Plagg, a black cat-like being. As Cat Noir, Adrien's signature ability is destruction. Adrien appears in most Miraculous media, including the main series, the comic books, and the mobile running game.
Adrien was conceptualized as a character who would appeal to everyone, having many good characteristics and being able to inspire the viewers. Regarding Adrien's superhero identity, since Ladybug's power was connected to good luck, Astruc concluded that her partner would have powers related to bad luck, which resulted in him thinking of a black cat. The writers describe him as a great, interesting, and relatable character. His relationship with Marinette has been praised, both when they are depicted as civilians and as superheroes.
Adrien has served as inspiration for cosplays as many people have taken interest in him after the show has released. Merchandise inspired by him has been produced, such as action figures, accessories, and clothing items.
