Redemption Denied: Chloé’s True Story

Part 2 of Chloé's analysis

Welcome back to the second part of this mega-analysis of Chloé Bourgeois's character: a very detailed analysis, to which I dedicated a lot of time. We saw in Part 1 how Chloé's character began as a secondary antagonist, the classic bully whose job was to annoy the protagonist, and then unexpectedly developed and made interesting, eventually fighting alongside Ladybug as Queen Bee. After an uncertain start, Chloé proved she could mature, breaking out of her original role and becoming a heroine in her own right. Some fans even loved her more than Marinette at the time, partly because she broke the mean girl stereotype. Now we'll see how those premises evolve in a completely unexpected way, and not in a positive way, with the third season. Let's make one thing clear: my analysis isn't intended to absolve Chloé of her sins, but to show how her reactions are understandable in various contexts.

Season 3 Animaestro

There's nothing to say about the first episode; her first major role will be in the second, "Animaestro," famous for being the episode in which Thomas Astruc's second animated alter ego debuted in the franchise: himself. It's not a megalomaniac to include a character who represents us in your cartoons; authors, even in literature, put a bit of themselves into their stories and characters. It's inevitable for inspiration and to appeal to fans. Tinella Nosa is Dana Terrace's alter ego in "The Owl House," or some characters from "Helluva Boss," inspired by the authors' avatars.

What's truly megalomaniacal is putting TWO characters as alter egos in the story. If you haven't figured it out yet, I'll tell you: Thomas Astruc's first alter ego is Tom Dupain, Marinette's father, while his mother, Sabine Cheng, represents his girlfriend at the time they invented the Ladybug character together (invented, so to speak, Ladybug remains a reimagining, or narrative reflection, if you prefer, of Spider-Man and more). I won't begin to discuss the reason for this second alter ego, otherwise the analysis will be endless. And it's not that megalomaniac who's the protagonist of this analysis, but Chloé.

After Catalyst and Mayura, all fans' expectations were very high at this point. I was dying to finally see Chloé complete her evolution and change her daily life. It was so close, and Queen Bee was everywhere in the merchandise and promotional materials. It couldn't be fake if the marketing had invested so much in it, after all the episodes that made Chloé a three-dimensional character and worked towards so much for her redemption, right? RIGHT?!

This season, the writers will suggest between the lines that she hasn't changed and never will, but personally, I find this only becomes clear in hindsight, after seasons 4 and 5. Viewers watching the series in 2018-2019, however, received mixed signals. It's right, when making these analyses, to look at the viewer's point of view at the time.

For example, while it's true that in this episode the blonde girl behaves decidedly obnoxious, explicitly acting classist toward Marinette and almost revealing to Adrien the protagonist's crush on him, which she ultimately doesn't, it's also true that the fragile alliance the two girls form will reveal some common ground: both desire Adrien, both fear he might leave for Japan and get engaged to Kagami.

It almost seemed as if the writers wanted to start bringing them closer together, and when Chloé ultimately chooses not to tell Adrien, of her own free will and without coercion, it's clear she's not doing it out of kindness or altruism, but she does it, managing to keep her dark side in check. It's not much, I won't deny it, I wouldn't even call it an example of maturity, given that, in its intentions, it clearly remains a spiteful one toward Marinette. But at the same time, I understand those who saw it as a sign of maturity. I repeat, at the time, a good portion of fans were convinced she was changing, that such was the authors' intention. Or perhaps Chloé didn't feel threatened by Marinette's love for Adrien and therefore decided to keep the secret.

In any case, such passive acceptance on her part had the effect of softening the historic rivalry between her and the protagonist. Chloé had a secret about Marinette but chose to keep it to herself without any sign of intending to use it as a blackmail tool in the future: thus giving hope to fans who dreamed of her redemption. An example of the mixed signals I was talking about.

At the time, I began to have some doubts about Chloé's exact feelings for Adrien. Up until that point, I think we'd all assumed she was in love, but later I noticed a tiny detail that many might have overlooked: Chloé never spoke of him in romantic terms. Yes, I know, she'd throw herself at him, hug him, and try to kiss him, but maybe they were just close friends and that was just an affectionate gesture she made even when they were little. Maybe she was simply possessive of him because he was her only childhood friend.

I wasn't even too far off the mark, though the Astruc canon would obviously take a much more cynical, not to mention sadistic, turn on the subject. But even if Chloé couldn't have been interested in Adrien romantically, it was another element that gave me hope for a future new friendship with Marinette. At the beginning of the episode, Chloé also makes a surprisingly accurate quote, albeit one applied to the wrong situation: a phrase Alya taught Marinette in the origin episode, the first in chronological order.

Chloé: All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing.

Not bad for someone who, in two seasons, won't even be able to pronounce the word democracy properly (Revolution, one of the worst episodes of the series). But a question arises: how could Chloé be surprised that Marinette had a crush on Adrien? Shouldn't she have realized it in the season two finale when Marinette kissed Adrien in the park?

Astruc's handling of Chloé seems to completely ignore previous developments, as if consistency were optional. Sometimes it makes you wonder if the writers revise what they've written.

Season 3 Bakerix

After the duet seen in Animaestro, it would have been logical to expect Marinette and Chloé to interact again and perhaps witness a gradual evolution of their relationship. Of the 26 episodes that make up the third season of Miraculous, the blonde will appear in 14, but those in which she will have a significant role are only 6, maybe 7, after Bakerix Chloé will disappear for 5 episodes.

Someone on Twitter pointed out the problem to Astruc, and you can imagine how that ended (Astruc blocked him). But for goodness' sake, if your stated intent with this subplot was to tell the story of this young girl who misses out on a chance at redemption, whether you like it or not, you need to dedicate a few more episodes to her to show her "slow fall" toward the dark side in this downward spiral.

That's all the space Chloé has in this episode.

Chat Noir: (escorts citizens off the train) Go on!
Chloé: (exiting the train) You should ask Queen Bee for some help.
Chat Noir: (takes her hands) We’re doing okay for now, but I’ll remember that. Thanks, Chloé.

The girl is practically ignored by Ladybug, who perhaps doesn’t even notice her, while Chat Noir offers her a vague, half-hearted reassurance. On the subject, Astruc would point to that scene as something that was meant to convey the fact that Chloé was just a leading lady, and as I said before, in hindsight, all of this seems… concrete? But the viewer of 2018-2019 didn’t have such knowledge of the future and of how Astruc had made very questionable choices about the “evolution of the story.” Therefore, many of us were left… dumbfounded by the heroes’ reaction?

I mean, they'd parted ways on fairly good terms after the events of Catalyst and Mayura: they'd fought side by side, she'd put in as much effort as, if not more than, Alya and Nino, and in the end, she'd returned the Miraculous without a problem. Why did they now seem to be avoiding her like one of those weird friends you don't want to be seen with in public? Besides, Chloé's insistence could easily be interpreted in a positive light. In Part 1, we saw how, already in Season 2, she'd been portrayed as someone who, behind the unpleasant mask of a snobbish rich girl, hid a great deal of insecurity and low self-esteem, which could justify her need for external approval.

But above all, after the subway incident in Queen Wasp, it was natural to conclude that Chloé was desperately seeking opportunities to prove herself trustworthy and thus wash away the shame of that mistake (like when baptism washes away sins).

Season 3 Miraculer

Chloé finally returns to a central role in episode 9, Miraculer. This is undoubtedly one of the best episodes of the series, not only because it shows Chloé's true evolution, but it also contains an important historical event for the series as a whole. An event that in the future Astruc will try to trivialize, degrade, belittle, ridicule, suppress the uniqueness, deface, corrupt, distort, minimize, obscure... (sorry for the excess of expressions but I had to vent) How? Astruc will allow even the most mediocre characters to succeed. Who knows what the reason is, I really don't know (I said with a sarcastic tone).

The episode begins with the two heroes engaged in battle while Sabrina and Chloé follow the events on the news. The blonde waits patiently with the Bee Signal turned on, hoping to be summoned, but only Rena Rouge and Carapace are recruited. We also discover that Mayura has been spying on Chloé for Gabriel for some time, also waiting for Chat Noir and Ladybug to show up to recruit Queen Bee.

I remember there was a theory circulating in the fandom at the time to explain Hawk Moth's sudden interest in Chloé: according to this theory, Gabriel wanted the bee miraculous so he could use its paralyzing power and take her earrings and ring undisturbed. It didn't make sense to me simply because akumas and amoks can grant any power, even copying the powers of miraculous creatures, sometimes without the five-minute limit. (In fact, Orikko's speech in season 5 leaves me perplexed.)

If you're still in doubt about whether it's possible, let me refresh your memory: in 4x01, Lighteye is a sentimonster capable of paralyzing targets with his light; Style Queen, as we've already seen, paralyzes targets, turning them into glitter statues; The Pupetter can control, and even paralyze, enemies with dolls; Lady Wifi paralyzes targets with pause icons; Simon Says can do anything, including paralyze anyone hit by his cards, regardless of whether they feel it or not.

Returning to the episode, Gabriel himself openly declares that he's not only interested in the Miraculous; his stated goal is to undermine Chloé's trust in Ladybug so that the blonde will betray her heroine and turn to the dark side. He doesn't want the miraculous, he wants Queen Bee, he wants to have the trust that the girl has in Ladybug.

Gabriel: Chloé Bourgeois must become Queen Bee again!
Nathalie: Are you still considering making her an ally? I’m afraid Ladybug has grown reluctant to giving Chloé the Bee Miraculous. She’s being very careful.
Gabriel: Then I will get Chloé to force Ladybug to give it to her. All I need is for her to lose all hope in Ladybug. To become angry enough so I can akumatize her. (smirks evilly)

Chloé, at this point, has done nothing wrong except wanting to help Ladybug, yet she continues to be snubbed. Not only have the heroes been neglecting her for a long time, according to what Mayura tells us, but even Nadja has completely forgotten about her existence, declaring the group of heroes complete, WITHOUT HER. If you think about it, it's absurd; it's true that Chloé previously had a bad reputation, being the rich and spoiled daughter of the mayor who facilitates akumatizations. But precisely in light of this, once someone like her becomes the only member of the superhero team without a secret identity, newspapers and mainstream media, especially those that thrive on trash and gossip, shouldn't forget about a goldmine of gossip like Chloé. I'd expect clickbait headlines about the blonde girl every day.

Returning to the episode, Ladybug explains why she doesn't want to give Chloé the Miraculous: Ladybug fears that Chloé's public identity could pose a serious risk, perhaps even an invitation for Hawk Moth to use her against the other heroes, and Mayura's presence spying on the blonde seems to prove her right. From the way the two heroes talk, it seems like they'd already discussed the matter and agreed that Ladybug should explain the problem to Chloé. Marinette isn't up to it and so she keeps putting it off, leaving her classmate wondering why her heroine is neglecting her.

And then I wonder why Chat Noir doesn't tell her? She's his childhood friend; in Maledikteur, he showed he cares a lot about her. Why doesn't he take the initiative when his Mylady keeps procrastinating? I'll explain, because Chat Noir has the narrative weight of a two of spades.

In any case, the scene establishes that Marinette is in the wrong, not for deciding to exclude Queen Bee, but for failing to explain to her partner how things stand, implicitly leading her to believe she can be summoned again. The blonde behaves immaturely and capriciously, as if she were entitled to the Miraculous, and this is in line with Astruc's interpretation: he describes Chloé as someone who only wants to be a celebrity and therefore doesn't truly deserve the Miraculous. This event, however, will be repeatedly disproved by the main events of the episode, which undermine this canonical interpretation by Astruc. Let's see how.

Faced with Ladybug's reluctance to summon Queen Bee, Gabriel and Nathalie devise the following intricate plan, as ingenious as the one devised in the Catalyst and Mayura episodes: make Lila jealous of Chloé, thus prompting the former to play some random prank on the latter, in the hope that this will ultimately lead Chloé to lose faith in her heroine.

I won't comment on the scene between Gabriel and Lila as it was shown; the point is that the tactic, somehow, works. Lila, already annoyed by Chloé and her constant boasting about being Queen Bee, goes to tease her on that very raw nerve by lying about knowing a secret formula to meet Ladybug whenever she wants, arousing her envy and curiosity.

At this point follows one of those moments I like to call "Marinette schizophrenia": if a few scenes earlier, our protagonist seemed to want to avoid Chloé at all costs, now she suddenly worries about her: she realizes that Lila has bad intentions towards her and tries to talk to her.

And here, faced with Chloé's reaction, some might defend Thomas Astruc, saying he's right: people try to help her, but she rejects them. However, Chloé's reaction, in this context, is justified. Aside from the fragile truce seen in Animaestro, the two girls have never spoken except to snipe each other. Marinette is probably the last person in the world Chloé would want to open up to. It was obvious that, faced with the protagonist's pathetic and impulsive attempt to get closer to her, she would react with complete closure. Even Tikki points this out to Marinette, and if Tikki say it... The Kwami specifies that Marinette must speak to Chloé as Ladybug because she's the only one Chloé listens to. Too bad she's been procrastinating so far when she was Ladybug.

Marinette finally makes up her mind, but it's too late: Hawk Moth and Mayura's plan is put into motion, and Ladybug's tension is heightened by yet another emergency, which serves precisely to tease Chloé, making her believe she'll finally be summoned, only to frustrate her expectations after Ladybug inevitably ignores her for the umpteenth time. And Ladybug, unknowingly, will play Hawk Moth's game, scrupulously following his script. And this is a beautiful narrative plot: the villain makes his move, toys with others' feelings, manipulates them, and the protagonist unknowingly makes things worse, partly due to inexperience, partly because she can't possibly be aware of everything that's happening. In any case, she proves she's not a perfect Mary Sue.

Too bad that if we consider Astruc's interpretation of events to be good, all of this turns out to be completely coincidental. Because according to him, it's not the protagonist who somehow pushed Chloé to the dark side; she did it all alone, because she's evil and selfish. Moreover, still speaking of the imaginary crowd of people who helped Chloé only to be disdainfully rejected, faced with the blonde's frustration, the butler returns with the teddy bear, which Chloé refuses.

And this is supposed to be the famous help that was offered to her?! If in Doudou Vilain it might have seemed tender and touching, an excuse to introduce Chloé's backstory, to begin to outline her relationship with the butler; now this tactic to appease the blonde becomes stupid and ridiculous, utterly ridiculous, and in fact, between slapstick humor and the voice actress's acting, the director presents it as a comic sketch.

Furthermore, Chloé may be as childish as you want in some of her behavior, but she's still 14. The butler no longer seems like a loving surrogate father figure who cares about Chloé and wants to teach her how to behave, but rather a poor idiot who insists on infantilizing someone who desperately needs to grow up and mature. What in season two seemed like the guy who secretly knows Chloé so well that he always knows how to take her the right way, the one who could have taught her to be a better person, becomes a moron who knows that trick and nothing else: the equivalent of a babysitter who, by placing the child in front of a tablet with a few cartoons, can get some peace.

Between the Bee Signal turned on and ignored, Lila taunting her, Nadja forgetting her, Ladybug not speaking to her, and the butler infantilizing her. All these elements converge, creating an emotional bomb ready to explode, and this makes Miraculer one of the most tragic episodes of Miraculous.

Returning to Hawk Moth and Mayura's plan, whether it's a path of redemption or damnation, the plot works for now. In the first case, Chloé could allow herself to be led astray by Papillon, only to open her eyes, realize she's been manipulated, and finally achieve the redemption she's longed for by doing the right thing and siding with Ladybug. In the second case, faced with the choice of immediately getting what she wants from Hawk Moth or remaining loyal to her heroine for the sake of her ideals, Chloé could confirm herself as the vapid and superficial person described by Astruc, choosing the easy way out and betraying Ladybug without a second thought. But neither will happen, and the story will take an unexpected turn, far exceeding the expectations of any Chloé fan.

The sentimonster is easily defeated, much to Chloé's chagrin, as she even attempted Lila's supposed magical dance to summon Ladybug. Lila had told her that if it doesn't work out, it means she's not truly her friend, but despite the facts seeming to prove Lila right, Chloé holds on and desperately clings to the last reserves of hope in her heart, concluding that Lila must have been fooling her, and that's the truth.

Typical behavior of a selfish person who only cares about fame and glory, right, Astruc? But Chloé is at her limit, clinging with all her strength to that last glimmer of light, trying to convince herself that Ladybug hasn't forgotten her, but she starts to cry. Tears of a capricious little girl, Astruc might say, but let's put ourselves in Chloé's shoes for a moment: someone you think is your friend and admire, and with whom you left on good terms, doesn't hear from you anymore, doesn't invite you out anymore, and doesn't even deign to explain what kind of problem she has with you. What should you think? The only detail that matches Astruc's interpretation is the line with which Chloé assails poor Sabrina.

Sabrina: (approaches Chloé) That’s okay. We can still play Ladybug and Chat Noir!
Chloé: PLAY? With you!? Who are you anyway? You don’t have any powers! You’re a nobody! I’m a superheroine, okay? I’m Queen Bee! You and I have NOTHING in common! Go away!

That tells me she's only interested in power and status, the idea of ​​being part of an elite group, rather than helping others. Unfortunately, this detail is inconsistent with everything else because, aside from that line, I see a person who feels abandoned and forgotten by the heroine she admires and would like to emulate, and no one explains why. Also, let's be honest, guys, have you ever said, written, or done something in a moment of anger that you wouldn't normally think?

In fact, this is precisely the moment Hawk Moth was waiting for to strike. When his akuma reaches Chloé, he tries to win her over to his side, offering her unlimited power and the possibility to use the Bee Miraculous whenever she wants. And since Chloé is selfish, superficial, devoid of noble ideals and only interested in her own personal gain, she immediately accepts... OH NO WAIT! THE OPPOSITE HAPPENS. CHLOÉ BOUGEOIS BECOMES THE FIRST PERSON EVER IN THE HISTORY OF MIRACULOUS TO REJECT AN AKUMA!

Hawk Moth: (The akuma goes inside the photo) My dear Chloé Bourgeois, this is Hawk Moth, Ladybug wants to strip you up your superpowers? Well, I can empower you, come with me and we will recover the Bee Miraculous together, we will be a team and your powers will know no limits.
Chloé: (Growls and moans, resisting tenaciously) NO HAWK MOTH! I am a superheroine, I am Queen Bee! Ladybug will come and get me when she needs me! I WILL NEVER JOIN YOU. (She throws away the photo, breathing heavily from the effort of resisting).

(Well done Chloé, you were amazing. My words will never give this epic moment enough justice).

The scene is stunning, it leaves you with an indescribable stirring: Chloé is in tears, clutching at her last reserves of trust, but she is seriously doubting Ladybug's friendship. She seems on the verge of giving in, but when the villain arrives to take advantage of this moment of weakness, in a series where one of the main themes is canonically how people let themselves be dominated by emotions, giving power to the villain, Chloé becomes the first to manage to master those emotions and reject Hawk Moth's blandishments. Remember that true heroes are not those who have everyone's support at all times like Marinette, but those who, like Chloé, persevere despite adversity, especially when they are alone.

Thomas Astruc: in case you missed it, the whole point of the show is that everyone is emotional can be lead to do bad things because of it. Girls. Boys. Robots. Marinette hasn’t so far. Which tells a lot about her streght, don’t you think?

And that piece of shit Astruc wants to convince us that in that scene, Chloé doesn't reject the akuma out of loyalty to Ladybug; according to him, even at that moment, she had nothing more in mind than her own personal gain. What a huge, gigantic, incredible bullshit!

It doesn't make the slightest sense if you think about it. Professor Bustier, one of the kindest and most saccharine characters in the series, is akumatized at a moment when she wasn't even emotionally vulnerable, try to resist, but ultimately give in, showing how Hawk Moth is a skilled manipulator and can corrupt even the kindest people. Or Luka, the one who remains impassive when he sees the girl he has a crush on, is in love with someone else; in fact, Luka invites her to open up, because to him, Marinette's happiness is more important than his own happiness.

These people, strong in their good feelings, were unable to say no to the villain, while the supposedly superficial selfish person who only wants fame and power, attached to her privileges, manages to say no to Hawk Moth's flattery thanks to the magical power of... selfishness!? Astuc, are you kidding us all?

Moreover, the scene of the failed akumatization ends with a panting Chloé, as if exhausted by the mental effort it cost her, which leads us to empathize further, as the scene suggests how difficult it must have been to reject the akuma. What can the viewer think? That she was tempted to give in, but that her ideals prevailed? Or that her selfishness allowed her not to make the choice... selfish!?

Ladybug decides to grant the Miraculous to Chloé one last time and clarify the situation once the mission is complete. While Chloé is still on the roof, Sabrina arrives, transformed into Miraculer, offering her Ladybug's power. Will Chloé, the most selfish character in the series, agree to stop being Ladybug's subordinate and take her place, as Lucifer wanted to do with God? NO, she doesn't want to be Ladybug. She specifically says there's only one Ladybug, and it's not her, she's Queen Bee. When Chat Noir arrives with the Miraculous, her frustration is understandable after everything she's been through just today.

Mayura, who's long been waiting for a similar ambush, seizes the opportunity. Once in possession of the Miraculous, Mayura tries to tempt her, offering the magical jewel in exchange for her loyalty. And indeed, at this point, Chloé DOESN'T ACCEPT. She doesn't even explicitly refuse, but her body language doesn't at all seem like someone weighing her options to choose the most convenient one. Judging by her face, she seems mostly scared and continues to turn her back on Chat Noir, never losing sight of the two villains, because he's the one Chloé trusts, and they're the ones she needs to keep an eye on. Not for a moment does she turn her back on Mayura or show any intention of distancing herself from Chat Noir.

Remember at the beginning of this episode's analysis that Hawk Moth isn't interested in the Miraculous, but rather Chloé's loyalty? Mayura could easily go away with the Miraculous, but instead she stays to convince Chloé to join her. And let's not forget that the Peacock Miraculous is damaged, so the longer she stays transformed, the worse it gets. It's curious, though, that everyone is going to such great lengths to recruit someone who, according to Astruc, is the dumbest and most selfish character on the show.

Astruc: Chloé is one of the dumbest character of the show. And she doesn’t care about commoners problems.

While Chat Noir is in trouble, Chloé doesn't seem the slightest bit inclined to accept Mayura's offer, despite the good guys being in trouble. You'd expect a selfish, cowardly, and unheroic character to quickly sell herself to the highest bidder, seeing the situation. Instead, the blonde prefers to stay on the good guys' side, even though she laments not having received her Miraculous earlier. As in Season 2, Chloé undoubtedly displays some negative traits, such as now acting cocky, but when it comes to making important decisions, she continues to do the right thing.

When the heroes recover the Miraculous and Queen Bee chases Mayura, she's tempted for the fourth time: Nathalie stops her and offers her the chance to be a superhero again whenever she wants. This time, Chloé seems even more confident; not only does she not appear the slightest bit tempted, but she even allows herself to tease Mayura.

Mayura: (pins Queen Bee down) Let me ask you just one question. Do you enjoy being Ladybug’s servant? Having to wait for her to loan you a Miraculous? Wouldn’t you rather have boundless powers of your own?
Queen Bee: (raises eyebrow) Uh, that’s 3 questions.

And then she adds another very important sentence.

Mayura: Come with us, Chloé. You can be Queen Bee whenever you want.
Queen Bee: Ladybug gave me a new chance. So I’ll give her one, too.

Then she frees herself from Mayura's grip, pins her down, and almost reaches for the pin and exposes Nathalie and Gabriel, because at that point the only thing that would have prevented Ladybug from connecting the dots would have been the writers' habit of only advancing the plot at the beginning and end of the season.

In the Bible, St. Peter denied Jesus three times before the rooster crowed. In Miraculer, Chloé literally rejected the devil's temptations four times only in this episode. She rejected the akuma, she rejected Ladybug's power from Miraculer, and she rejected Mayura's offer twice. Chloé succeeded where St. Peter failed. She could have had her Miraculous forever if she'd given in to the temptations, but she was loyal: not only does she resist the darkness, but she proves herself more heroic than the series would admit. And if this isn’t redemption, then what is?

In her confrontation with Mayura, she took the situation very seriously; she didn't hold back, not only to impress the heroine and prove herself worthy of the Miraculous, but also to end this war once and for all. The fact that she forgot to use her paralyzing power is, in my opinion, one of the franchise's many script errors. When Mayura manages to escape, Chloé appears genuinely sorry and returns to help the heroes defeat Miraculer. Once she arrives, she reveals to Ladybug Miraculer's weakness: tickling. She also utters a very important line when Sabrina accuses her of betraying their friendship.

Miraculer: (to Queen Bee) I thought we were friends!
Queen Bee: Well, you were wrong. SABRINA IS MY FRIEND, NOT MIRACULER.

Astruc has always maintained that the big difference between Marinette and Chloé is that although they both make mistakes, Marinette usually understands her own mistakes and tries to make amends. So why make Chloé say that sentence which can only communicate 2 things: 1. Chloé deep down considers Sabrina a friend, 2. She may have finally understood her mistake in treating her badly. All this while helping defeat Miraculer, so she's trying to make up for her own mistakes. On that note, I'd like to ask you a question: in the episodes where someone was akumatized because of Marinette/Ladybug, did she ever apologize to them?

It's true that Chloé doesn't explicitly apologize to Sabrina, but as I said at the beginning, the viewer receives contradictory signals: Chloé continues to be a snob and treats others badly, so some people think she hasn't changed; At the same time, however, when it comes to making important choices like proving her loyalty to Ladybug, the blonde does the right thing. Chloé isn't a perfect character, but she's consistent in her evolution. And that makes her real.

Ladybug explains why she had ignored Chloé until then and why she might never be able to give her the Miraculous again. It can't be an easy time for the blonde, who has resisted temptation four times, proving her loyalty. She was so close to exposing Mayura, but at least she was crucial in defeating Miraculer.

Ladybug has a good reason for excluding Chloé from the team, and the events of the episode prove her right. And Chloé shows she understands this. The initial surprise, followed by anger, almost immediately gives way to acceptance on her face, a demonstration of great maturity: she doesn't protest, she doesn't stamp her feet, she doesn't throw tantrums. She doesn't agree with the decision, but she understands the reasons and accepts the situation.

Marinette herself, in the final scene with Tikki, will acknowledge that Chloé had worked hard up until that point and hopes she hadn't hurt her. I don't know what Astruc was trying to convey when the blonde tears up Ladybug's photo. At the time, it just made me think of further character development: she was still loyal to Ladybug but had lost the admiration she once had for her. Or perhaps, again in my opinion, she realized that in that photo, it was only her who was smiling; Ladybug was showing a mixture of surprise and annoyance.

Perhaps Chloé, after her victory against Hawk Moth and Ladybug's permission to bring Queen Bee back, again in my opinion, would have started acting like a hero again, not to impress Ladybug or gain her approval, but perhaps instead she would have done it for herself, to become a better person, to show that she had matured. Doing the right thing because it was the right thing to do, not to impress anyone else. A sensible evolution in thought for a character who in the past had shown a desperate need for approval from others.

The scene in the photo will never cease to remind me of a fan art piece made by Yahooberries on Tumblr where Chloé asks Ladybug for a new photo where her heroine is genuinely smiling, because she's noticed she's the only one smiling in the photo.

Many people think there are tons of fan fiction on the internet written much better than Miraculous. Some have argued that it's disrespectful to address such remarks to Astruc and other writers, but it's truly difficult to disagree with that opinion when even a simple, unpretentious comic strip can tell a better story.

Season 3 Oblivion and Startrain

Chloé appears briefly in the episode Oblivion, where she silences Sabrina because she's ashamed to reveal that the two of them play a penguin game the whole class plays, but not everyone admits it because they're embarrassed. This reminds me of the early 2000s, when Winx Club, Pretty Cure, and Mermaid Melody came out. Back then, guys watched these cartoons, but no one admitted it because they were embarrassed. It's strange, isn't it?

Before moving on to the next episode, I'd like to focus on a very important detail: the reason the writers didn't want to redeem Chloé is the same reason why Ladybug and Chat Noir's identities aren't revealed even though it would make them stronger, because they were meant to be together from the start, and this episode proves it. However, Astruc is a greedy asshole and wants to prolong the series as long as possible to make easy money. In his mind, the redemption or defeat of the villains, as well as the revelation of their secret identities, would make the viewer lose interest in the story. But in my opinion, it's exactly the opposite: continuing to drag out the story only increases the viewer's frustration, as they wait for a fateful moment that never arrives. This shows that the writers lack the imagination or courage to pursue a new path, or both.

To quote a line from The Dark Knight: "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." This doesn't just apply to fictional characters or real-life people, it also applies to TV series. How many times has a TV series lost its initial appeal because the writers wanted to prolong it too long to make easy money? SpongeBob SquarePants, Fairly Oddparents? The Simpsons? The Family Guy? Pirates of the Caribbean? The Walking Dead? Grey's Anathomy? Supernatural? HIMYM? I'd stop there because the examples are endless.

In the episode Startrain, Chloé's relationship with Ladybug seems to ignore the events of Miraculer, as if this episode had happened first. But before we talk about that, I want to talk about the relationship between Chloé and Sabrina.

Sabrina is introduced to us as someone who believes she must care for and take care of Chloé as if she were terminally ill, fulfilling her every whim. For some strange reason, Sabrina's father witnesses his daughter's sick behavior and her obsession with Chloé, but doesn't show the slightest hint of perplexity or concern. I mean, your daughter's phone notification is Chloé's authoritative voice, she's telling you she's exhausting herself just to satisfy Chloé's whims, and what will her father's reaction be? He'll tell his daughter he's proud of her. Yes, I know, Officer Roger is an idiot. If Sabrina did all this for an elderly invalid, her father's response would make sense; in this case, it doesn't. However, as I explained before, if the characters had logical and human reactions, they would risk evolving, and Astruc prefers to stay in his comfort zone.

The episode thus becomes an opportunity to show Chloé taking advantage of Sabrina, to show that she hasn't changed. And we return to the mixed messages. Is this the same person who succeeded in Miraculer where Saint Peter failed? Still on the subject of mixed messages, when the akuma later emerges from the suitcase, Chloé immediately springs into action, encouraging the passengers to leave the carriage and then closing the doors behind her in an attempt to stop the akuma. She's undoubtedly showing off and showing that she's doing it to be the center of attention, but at the same time, she's making a concrete effort to protect others.

Remember earlier when I said that in Miraculer, Nadja forgot about Queen Bee? It seemed like a prank the writers were trying to do to the character. The same thing happens on the train: although the characters had recognized the akuma, a few moments later they suddenly question its presence on the train, insinuating that Chloé lied just to make herself look good. Alya and Nino look at the carriage through the glass door, don't see the akuma, and confirm the "passengers with Alzheimer's" version. It's as if the characters themselves were trying to confirm Astruc's interpretation, but in the scene, the opposite is happening. Only the former akumatized Simon Says believes Chloé and takes her side. And do you know what Astruc will do with him? After Party Crasher, we'll never see him again.

The main problem is that there's no sign of the events of episode 9 ever having taken place. When Chloé goes to Ladybug and asks her if she brought the Bee Miraculous with her, I was confused. The two heroes also react inconsistently: instead of reminding her of the events of Miraculer, they come up with an excuse. Startrain, but also other subsequent episodes must necessarily take place before Miraculer, otherwise this scene makes no sense. This is to say that the episode production code, which is supposed to establish the chronological order, is incorrect in some cases. In season 2 Anansi is the last episode before Catalyst and Mayura, but in Maledikteur Carapace is mentioned along with Rena Rouge during the party at the end, so Style Queen, Queen Wasp and Maledikteur happened after Anansi.

Actually, the episode doesn't make sense anyway, because if you notice, at the beginning of the episode, when Marinette explains to Fu that she can't go on the trip due to her responsibilities as Ladybug, an image representing her thoughts appears, featuring Queen Bee alongside them. Another inconsistency.

Season 3 Stormy Weather 2

After a brief appearance in Kwami Buster and Gamer 2.0, Chloé returns in a more significant role in one of the worst episodes of the season, where the animators saved money by recycling old scenes: cartoon episodes where they recap are the worst ever.

This is episode 17, even though it was the fifth to be released. Broadcasting episodes in neither chronological nor logical order has always been a flaw of Miraculous. Chloé doesn't appear in any episodes, except for Chameleon, so viewers saw Chloé for the first time since Mayura in this episode. I don't know how you experienced this episode on your first viewing, but for me it was a disappointment. It felt like someone had pressed the reset button and set Chloé back two seasons. She was mean and pointless, especially towards a character she had no interaction with. But why? Why does the person who was offered a second chance in Season 2 after making a mistake turn against this minor character, denying her the same right? What happened to everyone, why isn't anyone saying anything about it?

The writers have Chloé paraphrase an old line she uttered in Stoneheart: The Origins. After Ivan returned to normal in Season 1, she dismissively commented, "Once a monster, always a monster." Instead, she says to Aurore: "Once a villain, always a villain." In an episode dedicated to highlighting the changes the characters have experienced so far, even where there isn't any, Chloé stands out as the one who doesn't change and doesn't believe in change.

We're therefore beginning to glimpse the seeds of what will become the official interpretation starting in Season 4: that Chloé is the Antichrist. If we want to take Astruc's interpretation at face value, this supposed arc of damnation or betrayal continues to be told with a bad ass. Why is it that none of the other characters seem to notice the blatant inconsistency in Chloé's words and behavior? Why doesn't Marinette respond with something like, "Sorry, but what about you? Didn't Ladybug give you a second chance? Is that how a superhero speaks?" Not only does she not say any of this, but she comes out with this sentence.

Marinette: (crosses her arms) Unlike you, Chloé; people do change for the better!

Sorry, Marinette, weren't you the one who said that in Miraculer? "I hope I didn't hurt Chloé's feelings too much, she worked so hard." Maybe she's showing right now that she hasn't really changed, but you should be as confused as I am. This episode, too, logically, must have happened before Miraculer, given that Chloé turns on her Bee Signal and Chloé criticizes Sabrina for criticizing Ladybug for not giving Chloé the Miraculous yet.

Sabrina: You really are the best of the best, and Ladybug such a laney for being a no-show.
Chloé: Hey, stop it! Don’t talk about Ladybug like that.

But the point about the episode, strictly speaking, taking place before Miraculer, still holds true. Marinette had already had the opportunity to see Chloé's commitment as Queen Bee in season 2 and had already expressed her faith in the blonde's potential change.

Marinette: (Season 2 Maledikteur) If she feels like she can be useful, I’m sure she’ll change her attitude. Well… baby steps… baby steps.

Just as the point about the contradictory messages sent by the writers remains valid. A series of flashbacks, containing Chloé's worst moments, seems deliberately placed out of spite, like in Startrain, but then they show her best moments. Are you telling me she's never changed, or that there's still hope? Make up your mind once and for all. Also note that, aside from Chris Masters, no flashbacks from season 3 are shown, strange isn't it?

Season 3 Felix

Despite the episodes analyzed so far, where improvements are shown contradicted by senseless regressions, the other characters' reactions always include something against her, be it a comment or an action. It's almost as if there's a need to despise her a priori, even when she's done nothing wrong. The "Felix" episode is a good example. Adrien's cousin, Felix, arrives, makes his debut, and for reasons I still don't quite understand, tries to make him fight with his friends. Consider that, given the way Felix was presented at the time, there were fan fictions online where he and Lila teamed up against the good guys.

On the anniversary of Emilie's disappearance, his classmates, including Chloé, sent him comforting video messages to let him know they were there. Chloé's message, or at least the part we see, is very touching: she tries to empathize with her friend, remembering how she felt when Audrey abandoned her as a child, and how happy she is to have her back in her life. She concludes by telling Adrien, honestly and sincerely, that he can count on her.

Felix dismisses this message by simply commenting that Chloé is annoying as always. Annoying? A little girl who remembers being sad about her mother's absence and wants to be close to her friend is annoying? Who is the idiot who wrote this stuff? Oh, yeah, Astruc.

I'd also like to add that the series doesn't specify how well Felix knew Chloé or exactly how many times he's been to Paris. But I wonder, didn't Adrien keep in touch with Felix? Didn't he comment on the changes in his childhood friend? Let's leave it at that, Miraculous's plot has more holes than a forgotten road.

When Felix pretends to be Adrien and sends a negative response to everyone, he reserves a special one just for Chloé, and the viewer begins to get the feeling that someone, behind the scenes, is trying to insult the girl at all costs, even when it's unnecessary. This all seems contradictory. Why, after Doudou Vilain, Zombizou, Maledikteur, Catalyst, Mayura, and Miraculer, would she still despise all her classmates for no apparent reason, to the point of rejoicing when she believes Adrien is insulting them? Why attend the picnic with the others? And why did she send a video message with them? (I know she sent her video in her room, but the videos arrived all toghether, that means she sent it to the others and let them see what she said).

Astruc argues that Chloé isn't worthy of the Miraculous and isn't becoming a better person because she can't give up her privileges. But what privileges would you ever have to give up to be a little kind to your classmates or to treat Sabrina a little better? It's not like you lose any social status points for cultivating friendships. Kindness costs nothing.

The writers are regressing Chloé to the way she was in the first season for no particular reason. In season 1, her behavior was understandable, because back then she was more of a plot device to cause akumatization than a real character with a story. But now that she's been given a little depth and, most importantly, some motivation to try to improve herself and be better, the old version of Chloé is no longer good enough for the story.

Up until season 5, Felix behaved despicably: he stole a Miraculous, allied himself with the villain, betrayed his heroine, revealed his identity, committing a massacre, and finally, worst of all, handed all the Miraculouses over to Gabriel. However, he achieved redemption, a very quick and forced one, unlike Chloé, who dedicated entire episodes to deepening her, humanizing her, and showing that with the right people, she could redeem herself.

He too regretted his mistakes, albeit much more quickly and less obviously, too quickly and forced to be believable, and he wasn't even remotely motivated by self-fulfillment in anyone's eyes. He ONLY wanted REVENGE. And despite these despicable actions, which could have potentially led to Gabriel's victory. By redeeming Felix too quickly, they made the same mistake they made of regressing Chloé after so much work to develop her. In fact, in Felix's case, it was even worse, given that he was deliberately intent on doing what he did. I'm amazed that so few fans in the international Miraculous community noticed all this.

The logic in Miraculous: if you pull a stunt driven by the desire to impress your mother and gain the family affection you've always denied, you deserve to be labeled the worst Miraculous owner in history, practically becoming the laughing stock of all of Paris. But if you're a double-crosser, a fraud, a traitor, a genocidal villain, but also with some defects, you deserve not only the beautiful Kagami and redemption, but also an honored place among the heroes. A little justice for Chloé, for heaven's sake!

Season 3 Ladybug

The apotheosis of Astruc's lies comes here. Chloé doesn't have a major role here, she doesn't even speak, yet there is a crucial scene about her. After Lila has managed to frame Marinette with her lies, leading the entire class, parents, and teachers to believe that Marinette has committed several crimes, including pushing her down the stairs and stealing her necklace, the school is invaded by scarlet akumas, and several people, except Alya, Chloé, and Sabrina, are Akumized. The attack is called off because Nathalie is ill, and Gabriel reverses the transformation.

But in the confusion of the akuma invasion, we can see Chloé stand in front of Sabrina, clearly intent on protecting her with her own body, whereas in the past Chloé used others, including Sabrina, as human shields. Now tell me what that shot tells you. Especially if you've never seen Miraculous. I'll leave you the link: try looking at the image while I describe it.

https://www.reddit.com/r/miraculousladybug/comments/gfghu9/did_anyone_else_notic...

Let's analyze the body language: Chloé stands completely in front of her friend, with one arm outstretched to the side to cover and reassure her, and the other raised in a fist in front of her, as the other Akuma approach threateningly. Her gaze challenges the one closest to her, her expression is serious, and whoever drew it didn't seem to be trying for comic relief; there's no sign of exaggeration or caricature.

In Catalyst, we learned that you can resist the Akumas if you focus on positive thoughts or show that you're not afraid. In fact, Chloé was the first to resist them, and she's still doing so now. We also see Alya protecting her ball, but obviously it's not the same.

Sabrina appears reassured on Chloé's side, staring defiantly at the other akumas. Astruc, when questioned about it, with a Poker Face to rival Lady Gaga, nevertheless tried to give a negative interpretation of the scene, attributing Chloé with anything but heroic intentions. Astruc said that Chloé's intention was to defend what was her property.

If you're thinking that makes sense, prepare yourselves, because now I'm about to blaspheme. This action is out of character for Astruc's interpretation of Chloé; that false version of the character would be cowardly and would never risk it herself, especially if she has no powers. If Chloé were so evil that she couldn't be redeemed even by the intervention of the Pope or Saint Rita, she would never do such a thing.

If Sabrina were her property, she would have used her as a shield, like in Zombizou, and then immediately retreated when faced with danger. But if you still don't believe me, let's talk about other episodes with similar situations. In Princess Fragrance, she has no problem leaving her father and butler behind to save herself when they're hypnotized: her father is the source of her "privileges," the ones she would never abandon. In Dark Cupid, she uses Sabrina as a human shield; in season 4, Optigami, she hides first behind Adrien and then Zoé. In short, Astruc claims that in this scene Chloé is only protecting her property: a bigger lie than the explanation for how Chloé resisted the akuma in Miraculer. Have you ever met people who, no matter what you say or do, can manipulate reality and turn it to their advantage, like Lila Rossi? Astruc is one of them.

But another question arises naturally. In Migration 5x13, Gabriel, when he was akumatizing Luka, heard his thoughts, especially the fact that Luka knew Ladybug and Chat Noir's secret identities, why in the episodes where Marinette was almost akumatized, including this one, Gabriel didn't hear her thoughts?

Season 3 Heart Hunter and Miracle Queen

And we finally come to the season finale, which aired earlier than expected: some episodes hadn't even aired yet. The fandom was still divided; some believed Chloé would remain an antagonist, while others, like me, hoped for a final twist, a moment of glory like in Miraculer, in which Chloé would triumph, returning to being Queen Bee and proving once and for all that she had what it took to become a superhero, fight alongside Ladybug, and maybe stop imitating her mother.

I won't recap everything that's happened so far; I hope you've read everything carefully and thoroughly. I know I'm asking a lot: I'm about 30 pages in. Everything we've covered so far will lead us here; what we'll see and hear in this finale will constitute the culmination of this subplot. All the clues scattered throughout the episodes will fit together perfectly like pieces of a puzzle. (I'm being sarcastic, obviously).

The episode begins with a Marinette voiceover speaking of hope. In a scene where Chloé sadly turns off the Bee Signal, Marinette says, "Some people lose hope." The fact that she's only now turning off the Bee Signal suggests that Chloé is still loyal to Ladybug, losing hope, but still wants to be Queen Bee and fight alongside her. Even imagining Astruc's interpretation, of a Chloé who wants to be a superhero for the wrong reasons, the fact remains that she still had hope. She could have learned the right ways and reasons, if Ladybug and others had dedicated more time and opportunity to teaching her the right path.

According to Astruc, Chloé has received help from many, but being selfish, she hasn't been able to improve. I, on the other hand, see a character abandoned to herself since Miraculer. No one is close to her in this fateful moment when she will be tempted by the villain for the umpteenth time: her parents have been akumatized; Bustier and Sabrina, for some strange reason, will not be in these two episodes; Adrien never tried to talk to her privately about her feelings; in Queen Wasp, Marinette pushed her into the arms of her toxic mother; and Ladybug, whom Chloé blindly admired, first avoided speaking to her and then excluded her from the team. And it is precisely from Ladybug that the final push towards the dark side will come: not from a desire to be the center of attention, the reputation of power, or her inability to break free from her privileges, but rather as a consequence of the protagonist's actions.

Hawk Moth and Mayura will reveal their third plan, carefully planned and divided into several phases, with the goal of making Chloé give in once and for all. Gabriel manipulates Audrey and André to akumatize them, while Mayura sabotages the Bee Signal to decrease the blonde's chances of attracting Ladybug's attention and increase her discontent. This detail, however, will prove completely unnecessary: ​​Chloé will manage to get noticed simply by shouting, and Ladybug will decide to ignore her, following again Hawk Moth's script.

By the way, when Chloé sees her akumatized parents, the writers, those who want to tell us how selfish and spoiled she is and that she wants to be a heroine for the wrong reasons, what will they make her say?

Chloé: Oh, my bee signal! I’ve got to let Ladybug know.

Pay attention, they don't make her say: "I need my Miraculous." Or "How wonderful, Queen Bee is finally coming back." No, she said the most altruistic sentence they could write, congratulations authors, you are really good at describing a negative character.

Meanwhile, Marinette makes one of the biggest mistakes of the series: she leads Hawk Moth to Master Fu, forgetting to return to normal. As a result, the villain steals the Miracle Box, but that wasn't his plan for that day: he couldn't have foreseen such a turn of events. But Marinette also makes a second mistake that Astruc's official interpretation obviously doesn't want to acknowledge, and yet it's there, right in front of everyone's eyes.

In order to distance Kagami from Adrien and prevent a possible kiss between the two, Marinette deliberately decides to ignore Queen Bee in order to summon Ryuko. And this is UNDENIABLE; it's not my personal interpretation, one I'm using to validate what I would have liked to see.

If you watch the scene, Ladybug is in the act of choosing a Miraculous. She reaches out, then hesitates. She first thinks of Chloé, who, when she asked for the Miraculous, didn't have an expression of annoyance or caprice, but rather of desperation. Chloé still has a shred of hope, and this time it's her parents. She has good reasons for demanding to be chosen: she has nothing to lose. How many times has Ladybug entrusted Miraculouss to her friends to save a relative or a friend? Almost always, as the episodes before and after this one confirm. Why didn’t she choose the bee and the dragon together?

But the memory of Chloé is immediately swept away by another, more overbearing one that arouses a much stronger emotion in the protagonist: Adrien and Kagami sitting lovingly on the river Seine. Suddenly, all hesitation vanishes; now she knows what she wants: the dragon Miraculous. Even Master Fu expresses his perplexity at this choice. Marinette's choice is driven by jealousy; it's not my interpretation, it's exactly what the screen shows. And it will be this choice that will provide Hawk Moth with the right arguments to crumble the last grain of trust that Chloé has left towards Ladybug.

Even today, I wonder what the point was of recruiting Chloé now that Gabriel had the entire Miracle Box? The blonde's reaction isn't long in coming: she's still on the hotel roof when she sees Ladybug and Ryuko and blurts out.

Chloé: What about me?! You were supposed to give me a Miraculous! This is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous! They’re my parents, you know. So I should be the one to save them!

She doesn't complain about not being the center of attention or being denied the Miraculous; Chloé mentions her parents and the need to save them. What superhero wouldn't want to step in and save their friends and family?

Kagami: I’m honored that you’ve chosen me Ladybug, but I thought you coundn’t give me this Miraculous again since Hawk Moth knows my identity.
Ladybug: There’s no time. I need (contemplating what to say) your exceptional talents.

There's no reason why Chloé should have been left on the bench this time, any more than Kagami. Chloé doesn't know it, but Ryuko also shouldn't have been called up again, having revealed her identity to her mother and Hawk Moth in Ikari Gozen. So we come to the fateful moment of Chloé's fall. The point of no return, the one that should represent the culmination of this fall to the dark side. When, according to Astruc, the blonde turns her back on the superheroine out of selfishness and a thirst for power. The moment when she can't say no to her privileges.

When Hawk Moth shows up with the Miracle Box, Chloé doesn't immediately side with him, disowning Ladybug. Faced with the villain's umpteenth offer to be Queen Bee whenever she wants, the girl reacts by verbally attacking him. Her first impulse, which often determines a person's true personality, is to challenge him.

Hawk Moth: Chloé Bourgeois, rejections hurt! (Chloé turns to face him) Your talents deserve to be recognized! Ladybug and Cat Noir’s reign has gone on long enough. It’s time for Paris to have a new queen, and the Queen Bee on my Chessboard is you.
Chloé: You’ve akumatized my parents! If I had my Miraculous, I’d…

But the villain interrupts her and tells her he did it only to make her open her eyes, to show her that Ladybug would never give her the Miraculous back, while he is willing to please her.

Hawk Moth: (puts up his hand and interrups) You’re right, but I did it for one reason only. So that you would finally realize that Ladybug will never give you the Bee Miraculous again. I, however, always keep my promises. (shows her the Bee Miraculous in his hand as a surprise of darkness)
Chloé: This isn’t real! How do you have it?
Hawk Moth: Try it and see for yourself. You’re Ladybug greatest fan. You’ve helped her, you’ve trusted her. And what has she done for you in return?

Hawk Moth responds not with threats, but with flattery and twisted logic. He tries to convince her that Ladybug has abandoned her, that he's the only one who keeps his promises. It's a devious strategy, designed to strike precisely where Chloé is most vulnerable: her need for recognition, trust, and belonging. This isn't a seduction of power. It's a response to pain. It's a plea to be heard that Ladybug has never given (except in Maledikteur and Miraculer). This is where Chloé finally gives in, and it's very important to pay attention to the words they choose to let her say.

Chloé: Nothing! She couldn’t care less about me! I’m done with her. She’s irrelevant, utterly irrelevant (reaches out to grap the Miraculous, stops) I want you to de-akumatize my parents first!

Why make Hawk Moth conditional on freeing her parents? But wasn't she the one who cared about no one but herself? So why did she demand that Hawk Moth free his parents as a condition of allying with him? Wasn't she only interested in the Miraculous, power, and status?

And if you're thinking that she did it so she could get the akuma, that doesn't work. Hawk Moth didn't express any intention to empower her, and she couldn't have known he could produce one akuma at a time. Or, if she did, she didn't know how Hawk Moth obtained his scarlet form to release a swarm of akumas. In any case, if she had selfish intentions, she wouldn't have said that phrase but rather something like: "I want more power, get rid of them and give it to me."

Chloé's downfall is sealed in Miracle Queen. After the battle, Ladybug seems inclined to give her one last chance, reminding her that the real enemy is Hawk Moth, inviting her to return to his side. Chloé rejects Ladybug's offer, as I've shown myself in previous episodes, especially Miraculer: she truly had a lot of trust and patience with Ladybug, emotions that were never repaid. Her reaction is the culmination of a long series of rejections, silences, and closed doors. The ending was supposed to make Chloé hate her, but it brought her even closer to me; she suffered an injustice from someone she adored. I know free will exists, but after reading all this, be honest: was it only Chloé's fault if she fell back into darkness? Her fall is a reaction, not an active choice.

Ladybug: Hawk Moth is our enemy, Chloé! He can’t get ahold the Miracle box!
Chloé: I’m not on your side anymore! How many times have I asked to fight alongside you? And how many times have you refused to give me back my Miraculous? HOW MANY, huh? Hawk Moth isn’t my enemy, he’s yours!

From here on, she will always behave according to Astruc's interpretation, being flanderized and transformed into a shadow of the profound character she once was. But the path that has led us here tells a very different story: that of a character who, from flat and two-dimensional, acquires a depth and substance that makes her interesting. She embarks on a long, slow, and arduous journey of redemption, and then... she sees the door slam in her face. And the question arises spontaneously, what the hell happened?!

What the hell happened?

What were the motivations for such a change of direction? No one knows the truth except Astruc and the other writers, unless one of the many people who worked on this series comes forward with firsthand confidential information. I'm afraid we'll have to settle for Astruc's words and our theories. Some theories suggest that: 1. Chloé was becoming more popular than Ladybug. If this theory is true, why scuttle Queen Bee? They simply needed to do fewer episodes with her, or have Chloé leave for New York without making her evil. This is what TV tropes call "Put on a Bus." That is, when a character is eliminated from the cast by being sent off on a random pretext. Like The Simpsons did with Poochie. Or like what will happen to Luka in season 5. 2. Chloé represents a person from Astruc's past whom he hates. Someone spread this theory on Tumblr or Twitter, and many believe it to be true. While I've lost almost all respect for Astruc, I can't confirm this theory without concrete evidence.

But there's another theory: Melodie. She was one of the characters in Astruc's original concept, later replaced by Miraculous. Astruc had envisioned this small group of young superheroes who received superpowers from the Kwamis, without magical jewels. Among them were Marinette Cheng and Felix Agreste; the others are known only by their nicknames: Melodie, Mercury, Sparrow, and Kid Mime. (Mercury and Sparrow aren't in the image I sent.) The dark-skinned boy is Gavroche, who inspired Nino.

https://miraculousladybug.fandom.com/wiki/Melodie?file=Quantic_Kids_Universe_ear...

Mercury and Sparrow were later introduced as heroes in New York. Kid Mime was scrapped or shelved—Miraculous isn't finished yet, after all—while Melodie was split in two.

https://miraculousladybug.fandom.com/wiki/Melodie?file=Original_Quantic_Team_Lin...

https://miraculousladybug.fandom.com/wiki/Melodie?file=Melodie_concept_art.png

Some elements of Melodie were used to create Alya, while her civilian appearance was used as the basis for Chloé. So the original concept was for her to be a hero. It seems unlikely to me that Astruc would take a positive character he invented and then make her the avatar of someone who had treated him badly as a child just to get revenge.

https://miraculousladybug.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:TheClydesdalePegasus149/Conc...

This isn't fan art, but concept art. Even after Alya's creation, they show Proto-Chloé being close to Marinette. In the concept art, we see Proto-Chloé drawn with a rather sweet expression, not at all unpleasant, and she's shown touching Marinette's arm, while both are excited watching the model pass by.

At the time of season 3, I was convinced that someone, probably Astruc, had decided to backtrack midway through. A line Chat Noir said to Mayura, after the new team was defeated in its debut, might support this theory.

Marinette: But our team crumbled.
Adrien: Then let’s go back to what’s always worked. A duo. You and me against the world m’lady.

When I heard it for the first time, I thought I was hearing someone from the Miraculous marketing team rather than Adrien himself. Congratulations to Adrien: his companions have been akumatized, and instead of saying, "Let's find a way to save them," he says that line. In fact, in season 3, Rena Rouge and Carapace appear only a few times.

Another possibility is that the story originally involved Chat Noir betraying Ladybug, perhaps because he discovered his father's secret, or because his father discovered that his son was Chat Noir and was controlling him because, according to some theories, Adrien is a sentimonster.

https://miraculousladybug.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000000159694/r/44000000000019468...

In the image I sent you, featured in the opening of seasons 2 and 3 (even though here the heroes aren't in black like in the opening), Chat Noir's silhouette is curiously placed on the opposite side from Ladybug, next to the two villains, as if to suggest that he could join the villains' side.

Conclusions

As I explained at the beginning of Part 1, the writers wanted to write an Azula, but unintentionally ended up with a Zuko. If they wanted to write the story of a girl who throws away the possibility of redemption out of selfishness or a desire for power, they shouldn't have included moments where Marinette pushed her into the arms of that toxic mother, highlighting their similarities, and when she chooses Kagami in an act of jealousy. What I saw was a subplot in which Marinette's mistakes and Gabriel's cunning machinations cause Chloé's final downfall.

Chloé certainly retains her share of responsibility, free will, and all that, but the protagonist's actions undeniably have a direct impact on her decision. Should we remember that in Miraculer, Chloé rejected her enemy's advances four times in a row, demonstrating absolute loyalty?

On September 25, 2016, two years before season 3, a certain Kenya da Nino posted two images on Twitter depicting a girl very similar to Chloé but with a more radiant smile and in the company of Pollen. She called her Amber Bourgeois. The Proto-Zoé. Even if the design is slightly different, you can't deny it's still her.

Queen Bee wasn't yet present in the series, but she was featured in the publicity materials, and everyone knew Chloé would become a new carrier. The girl's tweet shocked the fandom, with rumors of a supposed good twin of Chloé swirling around, some believing it, and others like me saying, "Oh no, it's impossible. Do you really think that genius Astruc would make such a banal move?" Spoiler: yes, he did it with Zoé (how disappointing).

This Kenya, as far as we know, has never worked on Miraculous Ladybug. She's a designer and illustrator, and rumors confirm she's a friend of Thomas Astruc. She must have had some privileged connections, though, because on August 6, 2016, she posted a photo of her hand-drawn work featuring Trixx. The design hadn't yet been made public, and her name would only be revealed two days later, during a conference at New York Comic-Con. So it wasn't a fake or an unauthorized leak. Kenya had access to confidential information and even permission to share some of them.

And that was all I had to say about Miraculous, about Chloé and her strange evolution. Analyzing the subsequent seasons is not worth it, since the season 3 finale, her character is dead, her personality has returned to season 1, flat and without facets, a real process of flanderization, any nuance or depth she had has been erased, her point of view is no longer shown, where Chloé expresses her thoughts and feelings. Its negative aspects have been exaggerated to the point of exasperation, creating the most clumsy attempt at character assassination in history. Chloé's fall is undeniably linked to the decline of the Miraculous series; season 4 is recognized by many as the worst. The magic we saw at the beginning of Miraculous has begun to fade, leaving a void that no element of the series could fill. If only Astruc & Co. had understood that the revelation of secret identities and Chloé's redemption were the only thing fans wanted, if they had understood that this wouldn't be the end of Miraculous, but a new beginning, the show didn't suffer the same fate as the programs I mentioned earlier in Oblivion.

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