Miraculous holders

Miraculous holders,^[1] also called Miraculous wielders,^[2] are people who own Miraculouses and use them to transform (with the help of kwamis) into animal-themed super-powered beings.

History

After the Miraculous jewels were made it was the job of the Order of the Guardians to protect and distribute them to the people for the good of mankind. For the next 4000 years, many people throughout the world and history were picked by the guardians to become a holder. These recipients would be chosen through passing a test that showed their best personal characteristics and qualities, such as Marinette and her willingness to help others as well as Adrien and his kindness. However, just as there are good people there are also bad people who sought the jewels' powers for their own gain, putting the world in danger or were never meant to have them, such as the present-day Hawk Moth. In such cases, it's been the task of some Miraculous holders to assist in helping the guardians retrieve the jewels and stop the people who misuse them, in addition to protecting the world from other dangers. Once their task was complete or when some of them couldn't continue their job as Miraculous holders, the jewels were returned to the guardians or new holders were chosen to act in their steed by the guardian's permission or if they can't intervene first.

During their adventures some Miraculous holders have experienced other powers and abilities with their jewels when needed or under great emergency like the Miraculous potion power ups used by Piao Chong and other holders as well as new fusion forms. In doing so, some wielders have made long lasting bonds with their kwamis receiving a kwagatama as a sign of friendship between them.

Abilities

In order for a Miraculous holder to transform, they need to be wearing the Miraculous and have the kwami connected to the Miraculous on hand to be absorbed.^[2] Through transformation, they change into an animal or insect/bug-themed superhero. In these forms, the Miraculous holder gains enhanced physical abilities, a tool (such as Ladybug's yo-yo), and a superpower (such as Cat Noir's Cataclysm).^[3]

Not only that the holders also gain the abilities of the animals or insects/bugs the Miraculous were based off of. Such as enhanced senses like Cat Noir's hearing, smell, night vision, and using his clawed gloves like actual claws to climb surfaces as well as Ladybug's ability to walk on walls like a bug.

Miraculous holders are almost invulnerable while transformed, but they are not exempt from everything such as drowning unless they're in Aqua Mode or using their weapons as breathing devices. While not transformed, the Miraculous has no effect. As seen in "Gorizilla", a Miraculous holder could not survive jumping off a high building while not transformed.

In "Miraculer", Miraculous holders do have some resistance to their own powers while transformed but it will leave them injured and possibly on the verge of death if struck, as with Cat Noir and his Cataclysm.

While they are almost invulnerable, they must be wise about how they use their superpower^[5] because after it is used, the kwami loses the energy needed to keep the transformation, and in about five minutes the Miraculous holder reverts back to normal as the kwami emerges from the Miraculous.^[6] If they want to transform back, they need to help their kwami regain energy back by feeding them. Not only that, some powers are strictly linked to a holder's weapons likes Ladybug's Lucky Charm and her yo-yo which is also a weakness, meaning that while a holder is using their weapons to summon their powers during the process they can't use them to attack or defend, leaving them vulnerable to an attack, seen with Ladybug in "Sandboy".

According to Plagg, the suit that the Miraculous transformation creates is "what you really want deep down". Upon transforming some holders with impairments like poor eyesight can modified or fixed completely like with Alya when she transforms into Rena Rouge and Nino when he transforms into Carapace.

Miraculous holders can use more than one Miraculous at the same time, which is why Hawk Moth desires both the Ladybug Miraculous and Cat Miraculous.^[7] Other than gaining more power, the result of doing this is unknown, like if the holder keeps one animal-themed form while still having access to the other power(s).

It is possible that Miraculous holders can restrict their kwamis to certain commands, as seen in "Sandboy". However, it is as of yet unknown whether this is some outside ability of Gabriel, a benefit of being a Miraculous wielder or personal choice. It could be possible for it to work the holder must be in possession of a jewel but must also know the kwami's name and seems they can undo their commands with just a simple word or snap of their fingers.

• When in Aqua Mode, the holder has the ability to swim and breathe underwater.
• When in Ice Mode, the holder has ice skating abilities.

In "Mayura", it is revealed that if a Miraculous holder is in any of their powered up forms like Aqua or Ice mode they'll detransform into their normal superhero forms.

It turns out that some Miraculous abilities don't reveal themselves to their holders until they become of age like with Ladybug and Cat Noir still being "too green" with their powers. One of the abilities an adult Miraculous holder can gain is the ability to can retain their transformations even after using their superpower and prolonged use of their powers revealed by Hawk Moth in "Mayura".

Miraculous holders can also use Miraculous jewels that are damaged or negatively impacted and yet they must tread with extreme caution. Because it can result in damaging a holder's powers or have negative effects on the holder. As seen with Nathalie in "Mayura", such as fatigue and possible health problems but they can overcome them or build a resistance over time. Just like a damaged or negatively impacted Miraculous, a holder can transform with a sick or hurt kwami however they too must tread with extreme caution. Because it's unknown what will happen to the holder or the kwami during and after the transformation.

"Silencer" shows how important a Miraculous holder's voice is while they're transformed. Since they use their voices to activate their powers and transformations, if a holder has their voice taken away they can't summon their powers as seen with Ladybug. By extension of that, they won't be able to detransform resulting in them being stuck in their superhero form unless they remove their jewels. Even so, if a Miraculous holder has their voice taken away before they transform they can't transform at all. All vocal commands of a holder's powers can only be done by the voice of the holder the jewel was assigned to meaning that a Miraculous holder can't activate the powers of another holder unless they switch their Miraculous, or when one holder comes into the possession of another holder's jewel like Ladybug with Cat Noir's ring in "Gamer 2.0".

In "Oblivio", it's revealed that a Miraculous holder can transform while under the effects of an akumatized villain if their affects are minor like amnesia.

List of Miraculous holders

Ladybug Miraculous

• Piáo Chóng (around 5,000 years ago)
• La Déesse Coccinelle (about 3,300 years ago)
• Hippolyta (around 3,000 to 2,000 years ago)
• Tentomushi (around 900 to 200 years ago)
• Micazoyolin (around 700 to 500 years ago)
• Jeanne d'Arc (about 600 years ago)
• Mudekudeku (around 500 years ago)
• La Coccinelle (around 400 to 200 years ago)
• La Mariquita (around 200 years ago)
• Bọ rùa (previously)
• Ancient Ladybug Miraculous holder (previously)
• Marinette Dupain-Cheng (currently)

Cat Miraculous

• Hēi Māo (around 5,000 years ago)
• Ancient European Cat Miraculous Holder (around 1200 to 600 years ago )
• Adrien Agreste (currently)

Butterfly Miraculous

• Ancient Chinese Butterfly Miraculous holder (around 5,000 years ago)
• Ancient Butterfly Miraculous holder (previously)
• Gabriel Agreste (currently)

Turtle Miraculous

• Wang Fu (formerly)
• Nino Lahiffe (temporarily)
• Currently inside the Miracle Box, being kept by Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Fox Miraculous

• Ancient Chinese Fox Miraculous holder (around 5,000 years ago)
• Pied Piper of Hamelin (about 730 years ago)
• Alya Césaire (temporarily)

• Currently inside the Miracle Box, being kept by Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Bee Miraculous

• Ancient Chinese Bee Miraculous holder (around 4,070 years ago)
• Chloé Bourgeois (formerly)

• Currently inside in the Miracle Box, being kept by Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Peacock Miraculous

• Ancient Chinese Peacock Miraculous holder (around 5,000 years ago)

• Emilie Agreste (formerly)
• Nathalie Sancoeur (temporarily)
• Currently being kept by Gabriel Agreste

Mouse Miraculous

• Currently inside the Miracle Box, being kept by Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Ox Miraculous

• Currently inside the Miracle Box, being kept by Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Tiger Miraculous

• Currently inside the Miracle Box, being kept by Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Rabbit Miraculous

• Currently inside the Miracle Box, being kept by Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Dragon Miraculous

• Hua Mulan (over 1500 years ago)

• Currently inside the Miracle Box, being kept by Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Snake Miraculous

• Luka Couffaine (temporarily)

• Currently inside the Miracle Box, being kept by Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Horse Miraculous

• Max Kanté (temporarily)

• Currently inside the Miracle Box, being kept by Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Goat Miraculous

• Currently inside the Miracle Box, being kept by Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Monkey Miraculous

• Sun Wukong (previously)
• Sasuke Sarutobi (previously)
• Lê Chiến Kim (temporarily)

• Currently inside the Miracle Box, being kept by Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Rooster Miraculous

• Currently inside the Miracle Box, being kept by Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Dog Miraculous

• Currently inside the Miracle Box, being kept by Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Pig Miraculous

• Currently inside the Miracle Box, being kept by Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Unspecified Miraculouses

• Ancient Egyptian Miraculous holder (around 3,300 years)
• Herakles (around 3,000 to 2,000 years ago)
• Cernunnos (previously)
• Tomoe Gozen (around 900-200 years ago)

Trivia

• The physical appearance of the Miraculous holders from their transformations seems to vary between the individual, the time, and the place.
  • And according to Plagg in "Frightningale", it is influenced by the holder's tastes and desires.
• The poses made by Miraculous holders when they transform are purely symbolic.^[8]
• The transformation sequences are about sixteen seconds.^[9]
• Each Miraculous holder is able to choose their own name/superhero identity.^[10]
• While transformed, holders cannot experience pain and have some level of invulnerability to physical damage, although the extent of this invulnerability is unclear.^[11][12]
  • However, if holders get hurt before they transform, they will still be hurt afterwards, like when Adrien hurts his ankle and retains the injury after becoming Cat Noir in "Riposte".
  • If their endurance and stamina is pushed to the limit they will experience some level of fatigue or pain, as seen in "Robostus" and "Mayura".
    • In "Weredad", Cat Noir briefly held his arm and also collapsed on Ladybug's shoulder out of exhaustion.
  • It turns out in "Miraculer" that the invulnerability of a Miraculous holder reaches its limit if they're on the receiving end of a Cataclysm or powers that can cause them harm, leaving them very weak afterwards and implying they'll be close to death if not healed by the Miraculous Ladybug (superpower) in time.
• Some elements of the costumes of transformed Miraculous holders (such as Ladybug's and Cat Noir's masks) cannot be removed.^[12]
  • According to Ladybug in "Lady Wifi", it's because of magic implying that they are magically glued to a holder's face.
  • However, on some superheroes, there are elements, such as Cat Noir's tail, that can be detached.
  • There are some elements, made to look like real animal parts such as Cat Noir's and Rena's ears and yet they are fake but can enhance a wielder's senses.
  • For some Miraculous holders if they don't have certain elements as apart of their costumes they can be replaced by Miraculous tools like how the shield acts like Carapace's shell when not in use or how the jump rope of the Mouse Miraculous was used as Multimouse's tail when not in use.

• In "Mayura", Hawk Moth reveals that Miraculous wielders can stay transformed even after using their superpower, however it isn't fully explained how.
  • As of "Timetagger", it's revealed that the ability to stay transformed after using their powers and multiple or prolonged use of said powers develops upon reaching adulthood.

• Wielders can voluntarily detransform, even if the time limit has not been reached.^[13]
• Although there are cases where Miraculouses end up with holders that Master Fu wasn't involved with, such as Hawk Moth, Fu mentions in "Ladybug & Cat Noir (Origins - Part 1)" that he has personally made one mistake in a choice for a Miraculous holder, whose identity is currently unknown.
  • However, in "Feast", Master Fu was referring to himself.

• Miraculous holders can continue owning their Miraculouses to any age as long as they're using them and their bodies are capable.^[14]
• There are upcoming special episodes that will explore past Miraculous holders, as confirmed by Jeremy Zag at a panel at the 2016 Los Angeles Comic Con.^[15]
  • The official Miraculous Ladybug Tumblr blog responded to a question that past Cat Miraculous holders will be heard about in the future, along with more history of Miraculouses and presumably some of their holders in the series, comic books, and webisodes.
• Miraculous holders can be akumatized, as revealed in "Queen Wasp".
• Thomas Astruc explained that the crew plans to keep expanding the universe by adding new characters and revealing more about all of the Miraculouses in the Miracle Box, though Ladybug and Cat Noir will always be the main focus.^[16]
• As of "Mayura" and future episodes, France holds the record for having the most Miraculous holders in one place with a total of seven, with the addition of past and future Miraculous holders making sixteen, followed by China with a total of nine.
  • Including future forms as a result of fusion, swapping or having different Miraculous jewels the total number of forms is 24.
    • On an interesting note, France is the third country in history to have a team of Miraculous holders followed by China and Japan.

References