In Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, Adrien Agreste has proven again and again that he can wield the destructive power of his Kwami, Plagg, for the greater good under his Cat Noir alias. A vital half of Paris's crime-fighting duo (the other half being Marinette Dupain-Cheng, aka Ladybug) and constant threat to the supervillain Hawk Moth (Adrien's father), Adrien has solidified himself as an impeccable Cat Noir.
This briefly changes, however, in Season 3, Episode 11, "Desperada" when Ladybug entrusts Adrien with the Snake Miraculous -- not knowing that it is in fact his second. And while Adrien utilizes the Cat Miraculous with precision and ease, his time with the Snake Miraculous only amounts to countless failures. Here's how Adrien's attempt to wield a second Miraculous completely flunks.
How Adrien Becomes Aspik With the Snake Miraculous
In this particular episode of Miraculous, the supervillain, Desperada pursues Adrien and his friends, leaving himself and classmate Luka Couffaine to hide in the sewers. While Adrien has trouble transforming into Cat Noir in Luka's presence, Ladybug is left to her own. Desperada proves dangerous by transforming anyone she encounters into a sticker with one hit from her magical trumpet. A power like this leaves no room for error, so Ladybug's Lucky Charm leads her to Master Fu, Guardian of the Miraculous, to select an ally. After choosing the Snake Miraculous, Ladybug rushes to find its wielder, eventually appointing Adrien with no hesitation.
The Snake Miraculous transforms its holder into a snake-themed hero and gives them a powerful support ability called 'Second Chance.' This ability allows the holder to reverse time back to a marked moment. Such a moment can be at most five minutes prior. The holder's memories remain intact while everyone around them is unaware that time is being rewritten. Second Chance can also be used an infinite number of times without the holder needing to transform back into their original form.
Adrien uses this Miraculous to become the superhero "Aspik" -- a terrible name that translates to an edible jelly. He teams up with Ladybug and activates Second Chance when she is defeated by Desperada in one shot. However, to do this, Adrien ends up going back 25,913 times, spending months fighting within these five minutes, yet failing to save Ladybug each time -- but why is that?
When Ladybug selects the Snake Miraculous, Master Fu warns her that it must not be used for personal gain. And yet Ladybug chooses Adrien for no reason other than she is hopelessly in love with him. Similarly, Adrien accepts the responsibility of bearing the Snake Miraculous simply to get closer to Ladybug. Despite their main goal being to defeat Desperada, Adrien takes this as an opportunity to flirt with Ladybug, even confessing during one attempt before he reverses time again. In fact, his advances constantly put Ladybug in danger as he prioritizes that over the mission. Though his desire to impress her is likely reinforced by a statement Ladybug makes earlier when she expresses that they can fight without Cat Noir present.
Adrien Gives Up The Snake Miraculous - to His Love Rival
After so many failed attempts, Adrien seizes the Miraculous and insists it is given to Luka (Marinette's other love interest) who accepts it merely to save his friends and family, which is a selfless reason. Adrien and Ladybug subconsciously place each other on a pedestal, which is their downfall in this episode of Miraculous. This is why neither considers that Luka might be a much better fit until Adrien grows exhausted from all of his failures. They're both blinded by their love for each other.
While some obtain their Miraculous by accident, like in the case of Chloe, most are chosen based on their personalities being compatible with the specific powers of a Miraculous. For example, the creations of the Ladybug Miraculous calls for creativity and intelligence while the destruction of the Cat Miraculous calls for mindfulness and mercy. Normally, Ladybug's decisions when deciding who to entrust a particular Miraculous to are made sensibly. Even in the case of Chloe, the powers of the Bee Miraculous are suited to her character. But in this circumstance with the Snake Miraculous, Ladybug acts hastily and with little logic.
Perhaps Adrien could have used the powers of the Snake Miraculous well under different conditions. After all, he has shown to be selfless on many counts. However, when it comes to Ladybug, he struggles to do so. Adrien may have failed as Aspik, but this only proves that the two main characters have a long way to go before a reveal of their secret identities or a confession can occur.
