Miraculous: Why Chloé Bourgeois Deserves To Keep The Bee Miraculous

Set in Paris, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir revolves around average Parisian teenagers who inherit superpowers from mystical jewels known as Miraculous. Small creatures called Kwamis inhabit the Miraculous, all resembling different animals. When the jewels are worn, the Kwamis appear and grant the wearer superhuman abilities. While Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste are the titular characters as Ladybug and Cat Noir respectively among their companions is Chloé Bourgeois, who possesses the Bee Miraculous for a short period.

Chloé Bourgeois, along with Marinette, Adrien and others, is a student in Miss Bustier's class at Collège Françoise Dupont. She and Marinette are considered rivals. Chloé often refers to Marinette by her last name with snotty contempt, but her bitter and callous exterior hides the fact that Chloé is jealous of Marinette's popularity. Chloé thinks highly of herself, especially when it comes to competing against others, whether it be in terms of appearance or social status. The main reason why she acts this way is to impress her mom, who cares little for her.

In "Style Queen," after Ladybug loses the Bee Miraculous when trying to entrust it to Alya Césaire, Chloé finds it and discovers the Miraculous to be inhabited by Pollen, who can transform Chloé into Queen Bee. However, as of "Miraculer," Ladybug will no longer call upon Chloé to be Queen Bee, as Chloé boasts about her "secret" identity, placing both herself and her family at risk. Still, despite making a handful of mistakes, certain redeeming qualities within Chloé make her worthy of being the permanent owner of the Bee Miraculous.

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In Season Three, Chloé has the Bee Miraculous confiscated due to reckless endangerment. Queen Bee ceases to exist and her half-sister Zoé Lee becomes the new Bee Miraculous holder, transforming into Vesperia. While Chloé can be mean, selfish and arrogant, despite all these traits, she can also be exceedingly courageous. Moreover, she is willingly helpful when asked by those she admires, such as when she helps Ladybug defeat the villain and assists in saving Adrien from her akumatized mother.

Chloé has a hot-headed personality, and Hawk Moth makes quick handiwork of her emotions on several occasions. As of Season Four, she has been akumatized four times. When saving Paris as a super-heroine, some of the villains have called her out for her nasty behavior, but she disagrees with them, believing she is a force for good. After the events of  "Queen Wasp," she sincerely apologizes to Ladybug and Cat Noir for selfishly using her superpowers, proving that Chloé has a strong sense of morality, even if this is rarely seen.

Suffering neglect from her mother as a child, Chloé's misbehavior stems from an inferiority complex. However, she receives the Bee Miraculous, she finally begins to feel as though she has true worth, and after a few missteps, begins to show a true desire to help those around her. In "Stormy Weather 2," she tearfully reveals to Ladybug as Queen Bee that she is aware that no one in her class likes her and feels useless. Chloé shows an admirable inner strength and self-discipline at times -- both marks of a true hero.

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In "Heart Hunter," Chloé grows resentful toward Ladybug. When Hawk Moth steals the Miracle Box, he gives Chloé the Bee Miraculous and manipulates her anger to turn her against Ladybug -- all without akumatizing her. She betrays Ladybug's trust, which makes her seem less of a favorable prospect for a permanent Queen Bee. However, possibly because of how she was raised, she fails to fully understand that one of the main responsibilities of being a true hero is selflessness.

Nonetheless, Chloé has been a valuable asset as Queen Bee on several occasions. Although her foolish narcissism causes a plethora of issues, she has her reasons for acting out. When the going gets tough, her willingness to help Ladybug and Cat Noir and the pride she takes in honoring the superhero code (as best as she can) far outweigh her past mistakes that were generated merely from discontentment and a deep sense of self-consciousness. Deep down, Chloé wants validation.

Rather than shunning her, Ladybug and Cat Noir could be more open to the idea of teaching and training her, since she more than Zoé cherishes the superhero title and the opportunity to show kindness and compassion -- perhaps more so than she cares to admit.

Stream all seasons of Miraculous Ladybug on Disney+.

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