Dark Cupid

"Dark Cupid" is the tenth episode of the first season of Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug &amp; Cat Noir. It will premiere on February 7, 2016.

Synopsis
Cat Noir and Ladybug must put everything else aside to save the day when Kim becomes akumatized as Dark Cupid on Valentine's Day.

Plot
Click here to see spoilers for an unaired episode plot.

In class, Miss Bustier reviews how most fairy tales end, with the prince kissing the princess, due to love being the only thing that can defeat hate. According to Max, this is only true 87% of the time. During this discussion, Adrien is distractedly writing on a paper. Miss Bustier, believing he isn't paying attention, asks Adrien what she just said, and he does, word for word, without looking up. The bell then rings, prompting Miss Bustier to remind the class to read Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault. She dismisses them, wishing them a happy Valentine's Day.

Adrien remains at his desk, pondering what else to write on the paper, before he becomes frustrated, crumples it into a ball, and throws it away. Marinette stayed behind, rifling through the trashcan for the paper. During this, Chloé and Sabrina stop Adrien from leaving. Chloé asks Adrien to sign a poster, and Adrien declines as he does not enjoy giving autographs. Chloé reassures Adrien that he isn't signing a poster, but a petition against hamsters' cruelty--based on the fact that hamsters' coats are horrible things we force hamsters to wear. Annoyed, he signs it, walking away. At that moment, Chloé spots Marinette searching through the trashcan. She and Sabrina make a rude jokes about Marinette being too poor for food and new clothes, then run away, laughing.

Marinette, however, finds the note. Translated from French, it states, "Your hair is jet black, your eyes as blue a the heavens, I want to ask who you are behind your mysterious mask. I see you every day and I would like you to give me a sign, I shall love you 'til the end of my days, will you be my Valentine?"

Tikki is surprised by the fact that it was a love letter, but assures Marinette that it is about her, even when Marinette states that there are many other girls with black hair and blue eyes. Tikki also mentions that the "mysterious mask" is about Marinette's inner self. Marinette jumps up and down excitedly, telling Tikki to pinch her as she must be dreaming. Tikki is confused by this but pinches Marinette anyway, causing Marinette to shout.

After the school day ends, Max hands Kim a box, stating that inside the box was the piece of jewelry girls loved most. Kim opens the heart-shaped box, revealing a yellow brooch with large blue gems and 10 pearls of varying size. Alya sees this and drags Marinette over, wondering whom it is for. Max almost reveals whom, but Kim shushes him, stating, "The walls have ears." Alya, the reporter that she is, begins recording, asking Kim who the lucky lady is, but Marinette stops her, excited for Kim. Kim then begins to despair because he hasn't yet asked the girl to be his Valentine and doubts that she would accept. Marinette reassures him that the girl will love Kim's gift and that Kim should have no regrets.

Max gives Kim a map with red and yellow highlights on it. The yellow markings are the girl's route, and the red ones are Kim's. He has to get to the Pont des Arts within two minutes in order to cross her path. Thanking Marinette, Kim sprints to the bridge, jewelry box in hand. Alya then nudges Marinette, claiming Marinette should take her own advice. This leads to Marinette deciding to write Adrien a letter.

Chloé and Sabrina stand outside the school next to a pillar with one of Adrien's new posters on it and with several girls, including Mireille Jattee and Aurore Borell, standing around it. Chloé tells the girls to stop gushing over Adrien as he is now hers. She then has Sabrina unroll the poster that Adrien unwittingly signed earlier. It is a copy of the one on the pillar, only it says, "To Chloé, the most wonderful girl of the universe and the love of my life," signed by Adrien. This causes the girls to burst out crying. If they aren't crying hard enough, then Chloé makes Sabrina rub the poster in their faces.

Back in Marinette's room, Marinette is at her desk, writing words then scratching them out on a piece of paper. She complains to Tikki that writing love letters is difficult. Tikki suggests that Marinette just write a response to Adrien's letter. Marinette wonders why she didn't think of that earlier, then Alya enters, holding a pink heart-shaped card. Marinette immediately gets to work, her words coming easier as she writes. When she's finished, Alya reminds her to sign the card, but both of them become distracted when a ladybug enters the room, landing on the card. Alya mentions ladybugs bring good luck, "especially to cute lovers," referring to a recent post she made about ladybugs on the Ladyblog.

In Adrien's room, Adrien and Plagg view Ladyblog's article on ladybugs. Adrien is still trying to figure out who Ladybug is, and Plagg could care less and would rather eat cheese. Plagg points out that Adrien knows nothing about Ladybug, but Adrien counters that Plagg knows nothing about love. This causes Plagg to list his favorite cheeses, making Adrien more dejected. In that moment, Adrien decides to tell Ladybug that he loves her. Plagg makes an adorable noise in abject horror before returning to his Camembert.

On the Pont des Arts, Kim waits nervously for his girl to arrive. He hears her speaking on the phone and gasps. ''Kim has a crush on Chloé! ''Chloé is discussing an expensive frame for Adrien's signed poster, ignoring Kim. Kim steps in her way, stuttering before he gains his composure. He drops to one knee, landing in a puddle. Holding out the box and asking if she would be his Valentine, a man on a bike rides past, splashing Kim with more water. Then, the wind blows an empty chips bag in his face. Chloé spots this and commands him not to move. She then takes a humiliating picture of him, sending it to the rest of the school. Chloé leaves, laughing, telling Kim that her heart belongs to someone far more interesting than him. Kim falls to the ground, crying.

Hawk Moth senses Kim's misery from his lair. He releases an akuma, claiming a feast awaits it due to the heartbreak and illusions on Valentine's Day. The akuma flies to Kim, infecting the brooch. Hawk Moth gives Kim the name Dark Cupid and the power to break apart lovers and friendships. Kim transforms into a red and black villain with wings,an open-heart bow, arrows shaped like roses, and the insignia of a broken heart across his chest. The brooch remains on the strap holding the quiver of arrows in place. Dark Cupid takes to the air, shooting arrows at people left and right, breaking apart relationships. The lips of people affected by his arrows turn black.

Marinette and Alya head out of the bakery. Tom offers the two girls freshly made love apples, which they take. They run to a nearby mailbox to send the letter off. Marinette hesitates, her hand shaking, as she shoves the letter in the box. It is this moment when they receive a text message from Chloé, a picture of Kim. Marinette immediately feels guilty, as it was her advice that led Kim to asking Chloé to be his valentine. Alya offhandedly mentions that she hopes Adrien won't act like Chloé, causing Marinette to freak out and attempt to get the letter back. Alya calms Marinette down, saying she was only joking. Alya spots Dark Cupid in the sky.

Dark Cupid spots the love apples Alya holds, shooting an arrow at Alya, claiming that every heart must be broken. This turns Alya against Marinette. Alya shoves the sticky love apples on Marinette, announcing that the two were never friends and that Marinette's letter to Adrien was stupid. She runs off, cackling. Marinette glares at Dark Cupid, discovering the brooch. She makes the connection that Kim was akumatized and turns into Ladybug.

Chasing after Dark Cupid, she spots him taking aim at Chloé, who is angry over the lack of karats in the frame of Adrien's portrait. Ladybug knocks off Kim's aim, causing the arrow to miss. Ladybug attempts to talk Dark Cupid out of attacking the rest of Paris due to Chloé's meanness, but Dark Cupid believes that he is justified in breaking hearts. He says he'll only stop when he breaks every heart in Paris, then takes aim at Ladybug. She knocks away his shots with her yo-yo. Using it as a shield, Ladybug skirts across Paris' rooftops before falling off a steep incline, holding onto the eave of a building. Dark Cupid loses her. Hawk Moth threatens to take Dark Cupid's power away if he doesn't find the Miraculous. Dark Cupid searches for her vigorously.

Ladybug watches Dark Cupid fly by. Cat Noir then appears, holding out a hand to Ladybug while he's standing on his staff, which is wedged into a wall. She takes it and stands on his baton. He pulls her close, shushing her when she tries to tell him about Dark Cupid. Just as he is about to say, "I love you," Dark Cupid arrives. Cat Noir swings Ladybug around, protecting her with his body and taking the shot meant for her. He hugs her, his lips turning black, and he squeezes her, stating that he hates her and that she means nothing to him. To get free, Ladybug steps on Cat Noir's foot, backs up, then uses the end of the baton as a spring board, flinging herself into the air. She yoyos away, landing in the lobby of Chloé's hotel.

Cat Noir retracts his staff, returning it to its normal length. He climbs up the side of the building and finds Dark Cupid at the top, agreeing to assist him in taking Ladybug's Miraculous.

Ladybug finds Chloé and Sabrina and tells them to run away, that Dark Cupid is after them. Chloé can't believe that Kim holds a grudge against her and thinks he's jealous because Chloé has Adrien, "a very cute boy from [her] class...[who's] super rich and obviously madly in love" with Chloé. She points to the poster outside and it begins to move, Dark Cupid appearing from behind it. Ladybug protects the girls from Dark Cupid's arrows, wraps Chloé up in her yoyo string, and pulls Chloé outside, telling her to run.

Cat Noir jumps out in front of Ladybug, halting her pursuit as Dark Cupid chases after Chloé and Sabrina. At this moment, Ladybug really doesn't want to fight Cat Noir, so she gets out of his reach, leading him up Paris' rooftops. She stops his advance with her yoyo and questions him as to where he gained all this anger. He states that the hates triumph, and Ladybug counters that by stating what wins, love. From this, she realizes that only love can save him, and for that to happen, she has to kiss him. Ladybug chases after Cat Noir, trying to kiss him, but he runs away, the tables having been turned.

Dark Cupid corners Chloé, but after seeing how pathetic and petty she is, he decides not to waste an arrow on her nonexistent heart. Chloé, covered in dirt, is approached by Sabrina, who was turned dark. Sabrina takes a photograph of Chloé, sending it out to the rest of the school.

Ladybug catches Cat Noir by the ankle, tying him around a lamppost. Hanging upside down, she tries to kiss him three times, but he squirms and Dark Cupid arrives. Freed, Cat Noir fist-bumps Dark Cupid. Activating his Cataclysm, he comments on how he always wondered what would happen if he used his Cataclysm powers on a person. Hiding behind a tree, Ladybug uses Lucky Charm, and a love apple appearing. Using her Lucky Vision, Ladybug spots the water fountain, Cat Noir's Cataclysm, and Dark Cupid's quiver's strap. Sliding from behind the tree, Ladybug has her yoyo swinging. She tells the boys she has a Valentine's gift for them, spurring them into action. Ladybug defends herself from Dark Cupid's arrows with her yoyo and ducks under Cat Noir's arm, his hand far too close to her face for comfort. She then pulls on his tail, making him stagger as she bounces on his head. In the air, she flings the love apple at Dark Cupid's head, where it sticks. Dark Cupid pries it off, but due to its stickiness, he is unable to notch an arrow properly. He leaves Cat Noir to fight Ladybug while he washes his hands.

Cat Noir chases Ladybug around the fountain until he pins her on the ground. While he is monologuing, he releases her arms. This allows Ladybug to reach up and pull down Cat Noir's face, kissing him. When Cat Noir snaps out of it, he has no memory of what previously happened or where he is. Ignoring his confusion, Ladybug swings him up onto her shoulders and throws him at Dark Cupid. He lands on Dark Cupid, and the unused Cataclysm dissolves the quiver's strap.

Taking the brooch, he tosses it to Ladybug, jokingly pretending it's a Valentine's Day present. Ladybug goes along with it, gushing over how he shouldn't have gotten it for her, before she "accidentally" drops it. She smashes the brooch under her heel, revealing the akuma. Opening her yoyo, Ladybug captures the akuma, setting it free after she cleanses it. Throwing the love apple into the air, Ladybug cleanses the rest of Paris. This act stops Alya from cutting a picture of her and Marinette in half. This also stops Sabrina from defacing the poster of Adrien, but the damage was already done there, causing Sabrina and Chloé to cry. Kim returns to normal, and Ladybug and Cat Noir fist-bump.

Ladybug's Miraculous beeps, sending her running off. Cat Noir stops her, wanting to tell her something, but he is unable to. Ladybug tries to explain the kiss, but as Cat Noir has no idea what she's talking about, she stops. He tries speaking again, but his Miraculous begins beeping, stopping him. Since Ladybug does not wish to see his civilian form nor reveal hers, the two depart in opposite directions.

Back at the mailbox, Marinette watches as the mailman opens the box, letters cascading out of it. Tikki mentions that this is Marinette's chance to take the letter back, but Marinette has changed. Marinette learned that in order for Adrien to love her back, he must first know that she loves him.

Adrien returns home, dismal. He collapses on his bed as Plagg tries to discuss the day. Plagg can remember everything that happened, whereas Adrien cannot. All Adrien knows is that he was extremely mean, rude, and fought against his Lady. Plagg tries cheering him up by handing him one of the dozens of letters and gifts on Adrien's desk. He ends up pulling out a pink, heart-shaped letter. It floats next to Adrien and he reads it, surprised that someone answered his letter. The response was, "Your hair is golden, your eyes, green iridescent. When I look at you I would like to share your dreams and thoughts. Yes, I'll be your Valentine, we'll be good together. I will love you forever, my heart is yours." Plagg believes that with something so lovey-dovey that it has to have been written by Adrien's soul mate. However, it isn't signed. A ladybug flies into the room onto the letter, making Adrien believe the letter came from Ladybug. He gets up and follows it to the window where it flies away.

Meanwhile, Marinette can't remember if she signed the letter or not, recalling a ladybug distracted both her and Alya. Alya laughs at the fact that Marinette forgot to sign something to Adrien again. The ladybug flies into the shot again and the endcard appears.

Major characters

 * Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Ladybug
 * Adrien Agreste/Cat Noir
 * Tikki
 * Plagg
 * Kim/Dark Cupid
 * Chloé Bourgeois
 * Hawk Moth
 * Akuma

Minor characters

 * Max
 * Sabrina
 * Alya
 * Tom
 * Aurore
 * Mireille
 * Miss Bustier
 * Theo
 * Civilians

Trivia

 * According to Thomas Astruc, the "internet will break because of [this episode]."
 * This is the first time where a superhero becomes a villain, Cat Noir getting hit with an arrow by Dark Cupid and turning against Ladybug.
 * This episode is called "Le Dislocoeur" in French, intending to be a pun with "-coeur" meaning "heart" and "dis-" alluding to "disjoncteur," potentially meaning "Heart breaker."
 * Theo makes a cameo in this episode by holding the framed Adrien poster when delivering it to Chloé.
 * The fountain at the end of the episode is in front of the Agreste mansion.

Errors

 * Before Cat Noir attacks Ladybug, she holds her yo-yo in her hand while it's still attached to her waist.
 * When Cat Noir jumps after Ladybug on the roof, his lips aren't black.