Adrien Agreste (French pronunciation: [adʁijɛ̃ aɡʁɛst]) is a fictional character and 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 that 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 damaged relationship.

After passing the test of Master Fu, 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.

Cat Noir and Ladybug's aim is to protect Paris and reclaim the Butterfly Miraculous from the villain Hawk Moth (French: Papillon, lit.

[3] When asked how Adrien and Marinette Dupain-Cheng had been developed, Astruc commented that he had wanted to "present sunny characters who could inspire people all around the world in this new century".

[2] Astruc commented that Cat Noir's civilian identity had initially been a character named Félix, describing him as "an early love interest for Marinette" who would have had a distant attitude toward her and would have been included in the "typical cold-and-snobbish-guy anime trope".

[10] Astruc said that managing the situation created by Cat Noir's two identities alongside Ladybug's two selves in terms of romance was "a lot of fun".

[3] He stated that pairs of superheroes like the one Cat Noir forms with Ladybug are rare in television series, adding that people enjoy the love game between the two characters.

[13] Jeremy Zag, the producer of Miraculous, stated that the love situation Adrien created alongside Marinette, their superhero alter egos, and their secrets are some of the main parts of the show.

[16] Fred Lenoir, a writer of the series, commented that Adrien's relationship with Marinette, depicted as both civilians and superheroes, and the misunderstanding resulted from it represent the central part of the story.

[18][19] Nicole D'Andria, who contributed to the writing of a Miraculous comic book, described Cat Noir as a "fantastic" character "that everyone can look up to".

She commented that while Adrien could have been a typically unlikable character since he comes from a fine family and is a model, he instead is depicted as innocent, caring, and kind.

[26][27] Papenbrook commented that he was "excited to see more bad guys" in the next seasons of the series, stating that the writers are "creative" with the people depicted in the show.

[47] Even though he has been homeschooled for most of his life, one day Adrien decides to start attending school because he wants to meet people, make friends, and be like everyone else.

Unknown to Adrien at the time, the man is Master Fu,[49] the guardian of the magical objects named the Miraculouses,[43][50] and this has been just a test to show who would deserve to become a superhero.

[35][51] After realizing he is in possession of the box that contains the ring, Adrien opens it and suddenly a black cat-like creature who presents himself as Plagg appears; he is a magical being known as a kwami.

[49][67] When he is Cat Noir, Adrien becomes more uninhibited and flirtatious compared to his self-restrained and modest usual personality,[38][68] and he makes a lot of cat-themed puns.

Kirichanskaya stated that Cat Noir had been created following the "superhero logic", on account of which heroes wearing masks "must combat superpowered foes".

[50] He stated that "the male hero wears a catsuit, cat ears and a sort of tail", which "may seem a surprisingly foreign and/or feminine touch" to the American audience.

[50] Le Figaro's Damien Mercereau described Adrien as a sensitive and unassuming character, commenting that he becomes resourceful and self-assured as Cat Noir.

[12] ComicsAlliance writer Elle Collins praised that Cat Noir's costume "makes him look like Selina Kyle's boy sidekick".

[113] Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media characterized Adrien in his civilian form as a normal child "facing typical tween troubles", such as "keeping up with school, making friends, and dealing with difficult peers".

[38] Auten characterized Cat Noir as one of the "best" parts of the series, and she stated that his "lengthy transformation" sequence never seems overly extended and is "fun to see".

[120] When an episode depicted him in a stadium, Cat Noir was stated to win alongside Ladybug against his opponent as easily as the professional football club Paris Saint-Germain F.C.

[5] She said Adrien's "romantic dynamic" with Marinette "contributes much" to the show's "drama and comedy", adding that the series "creates a love quadrangle by only using two individuals".

[5] Emily Ashby stated that Cat Noir makes "a charming crime-fighting duo" with Ladybug and said "their relationship easily eclipses the show's action in entertainment value".

[114] Ashby stated that the viewers "have to forgive the characters' naivety" and accept "that merely an eye mask and some cat ears" prevent Adrien and Marinette from recognizing one another.

[122] Emily Auten thought that the "romantic subplot" is made "even more interesting" by Cat Noir's crush on Ladybug, with "the chemistry between both of them being one of the many highlights" in the show.

[38] The love situation Adrien created alongside Marinette was stated to bring "a fun dynamic" into the series,[123] and was regarded as sweet;[124] it was described as one of the "old clichés on the genre",[125] and was viewed as similar to "the classic Clark-Lois-Superman triangle".

[50] Paul Marciano, the chairman and chief creative officer of Guess, said that the viewers' understanding of Adrien's relationship with Marinette and their superhero alter egos make this series "intriguing".