Debating Hawk Moth’s personality type, (Myers-Briggs) has kept me on the edge for quite some time, and I’ve recently settled on a type that I firmly believe best suits him, and I’ve decided it’s time to share it.

Please note this is a personal headcanon, based on bits and pieces I’ve taken and interpreted from Miraculous Ladybug.

**Friendly reminder this is a re-post of an old headcanon, with some new information added, for organizational purposes.

INFJ, THE ADVOCATE. (X), (X), (X), (X)

[ Most INFJs ] are protective of their inner selves, sharing only what they choose to share when they choose to share it. They are deep, complex individuals, whom are quite private and typically difficult to understand. INFJs hold back parts of themselves, and can be secretive.

This is my main basis for choosing this personality type. From every scene that Gabriel Agreste has appeared in, we can see that he holds back much of himself. He is not sociable, mostly speaking in blunt terms that chop any conversations he holds to unfinished terms. His personal life stays his personal life, nobody else should know what goes beyond his mansion doors besides him and the others that live there. A quick study of body language shows that arms folded behind the back connotes hidden intent and concealing what may be otherwise a threatening signal (i.e. his identity as Hawk Moth.)

Try putting yourself in Gabriel’s shoes for a few minutes, he’s suffered the loss/disappearance of his beloved wife, leading him susceptible to a crushing depressive state. He wishes not for anyone else to know, for it will lead to a lot of (unwanted, mind you) attention. As stated before, Gabriel has never been a public person, despite his career choice, even when his wife was still around. It only exacerbated when his wife was no longer in the picture.

(1) When someone challenges or criticizes INFJs’ principles or values, they are likely to receive an alarmingly strong response. People with the INFJ personality type are highly vulnerable to criticism and conflict, and questioning their motives is the quickest way to their bad side.

(2) They are very sensitive to conflict, and cannot tolerate it very well. Situations which are charged with conflict may drive the normally peaceful INFJ into a state of agitation or charged anger. They may tend to internalize conflict into their bodies, and experience health problems when under a lot of stress.

A minor example, seen rather frequently, would be the end of each and every episode, in which we see Hawk Moth brood over getting defeated, once again, and yelling out into the void about destroying Ladybug and Chat Noir next time. We can safely assume, at his age, that he could suffer a few minor health problems from all the stress he puts himself through to chase his ideals and snatch the Miraculouses.

Let’s go back to the episode “The Bubbler,” particularly the scene when Nino visits the mansion and tries to convince Gabriel to let Adrien have a birthday party. Gabriel attempts to be blunt and concise when he declines the request, but eventually, Nino continues to prod and prod until Gabriel becomes outspoken, as told by this particular quote.

“Listen, young man. I decide what’s best for my son. In fact, I’ve just decided you’re a bad influence and you’re not welcome in my house ever again. Leave now!”

You see now? Gabriel’s motives and choices are not to be questioned by anyone, especially those that only see him for what he is on the outside: strict, harsh, stubborn. INFJs aren’t easily talked into something they don’t want, and if someone doesn’t pick up on that, it’s a trespass that is unlikely to be forgiven. If someone tries to resort to manipulation or lying, INFJs will see right through it, and if there’s anything they have a poor tolerance for, it is inauthenticity. This scene also provides more proof that even in charged conflict situations, Gabriel holds back much of his emotions. Part of this can be blamed on his depressive mindset. Should Nino have refused to listen and continue to argue with Gabriel, he very well could have been driven into a full blown state of agitation or charged anger. Believe me, that is the very last thing we all want to see happen to Gabriel/Hawk Moth.

(3) INFJs indeed share a very unique combination of traits: though soft-spoken, they have very strong opinions and will fight tirelessly for an idea they believe in. They are decisive and strong-willed, but will rarely use that energy for personal gain - INFJs will act with creativity, imagination, conviction and sensitivity not to create advantage, but to create balance.

(4) This may result in an INFJ stubbornness and tendency to ignore other people’s opinions. They believe that they’re right. On the other hand, INFJ is a perfectionist who doubts that they are living up to their full potential. INFJs are rarely at complete peace with themselves.

Another episode we’ll now focus on is the ML Origins Episode, particularly Part 1. This episode is the debut of Nooroo and the person behind Hawk Moth (i.e. Gabriel.) Hawk Moth delivers his monologue on desiring the Ladybug and Cat Miraculouses for absolute power. This is a good nod to his introverted intuition, the main function for the INFJ personality type. Hawk Moth has a vision, he knows what to accomplish, the concrete steps needed to achieve said vision/goal. He will tirelessly fight for the idea/cause he believes in. Nooroo attempts to question Hawk Moth’s ideas, saying that he shouldn’t be using the Miraculouses for evil, and what does Hawk Moth do? He gets angry, outspoken, overtly stubborn. Once again, do not question Hawk Moth’s motives, for it will earn you a one way ticket to his bad side.

Gabriel/Hawk Moth’s intense need for perfectionism is clearly evident in the way he raises Adrien, planning his schedule from day to day, signing Adrien up for a bunch of extracurricular activities, placing him on a strict diet, and pushing him to have a career in modeling regardless of Adrien’s protests. INFJs have high expectations of themselves, and frequently of their families. They don’t believe in compromising their ideals. When he’s Hawk Moth, however, he easily loses patience when his akumatized victims fail to do what they’re supposed to do. He threatens to take away their powers because he is beginning to deem them as incompetent. Does Hawk Moth want someone incompetent to snatch the Miraculouses for him? Absolutely not.

(5) But the INFJ is as genuinely warm as they are complex. INFJs hold a special place in the heart of people who they are close to, who are able to see their special gifts and depth of caring. INFJs are concerned for people’s feelings, and try to be gentle to avoid hurting anyone.

But Haley! Gabriel doesn’t spend time with his son at all! Hawk Moth is so cold, detached from his emotions, and uncaring of what his akumatized victims go through! You’ve picked the wrong personality type!

Yes, the first two are true, but the third is not. Yes, Thinkers are known for their logical approach to everyday situations. Yes, they come across as cold and uncaring, and yes, they do not care what others are feeling sometimes. But this does not make Gabriel Agreste/Hawk Moth a Thinking type, and here is why.

His motives for snatching the Miraculouses are influenced by personal feelings. The loss of his wife has greatly devastated Gabriel, making him resort to any means necessary to snatch them and use them for his own benefit. This is a perfect example of a Feeling type when they have to resort to chaotic tendencies. Why else would he feed off of the negative emotions of others and flawlessly decipher what they are feeling telepathically? He’s not using logic at all when he does this.

Try to recall Hawk Moth’s eloquence and persuasiveness when he introduces himself to his victims. He’s got a talent for speaking in human terms, rather than with pure logic and fact, a talent of the INFJ personality type. He promises them an easy way to fix their problems if they do what he says. Yes, it’s very sick and twisted, but it works. INFJs easily see past facades and the obvious to understand other’s thoughts and feelings. Hawk Moth gets to the heart of the issue so his victims need not be rescued at all.

The next episode we’ll focus on is “The Puppeteer.” Hawk Moth chooses someone younger than his target age for his akumatized victims: Manon, a child. While many of us, myself included, more than likely thought “OMG, HAWK MOTH, WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?! YOU AKUMATIZED A FREAKING CHILD!!!! HOW LOW CAN YOU GET?!, I saw this a little differently than most. I saw it in two ways. The first way was the rather obvious one, and the second one is a little more hidden. I saw Hawk Moth with the opportunity to actually be nice to one of his victims rather than harsh and cold, to be able to nurture said victim to their fullest potential so they could get the Miraculouses for him. It worked, henceforth why Puppeteer was, arguably, his most powerful akumatized victim yet, next to Simon Says and Stormy Weather. It’s human nature; when someone is nurtured, encouraged, and supported in their pursuit of whatever, they will more than likely be successful; when the opposite is performed, that same someone won’t produce the same results. Encourage people, don’t be harsh and lose patience, more often than not, they’ll crack under the pressure because they’re human.

The final episode we will focus on is “Jackady.” When he was interacting with Ladybug, Gabriel was warm, cordial, and polite, although in his own creepy way. He spoke proudly of his son and how perfect he was, clearly showing that Gabriel, to some degree, is satisfied with the way his ideals are playing out. However, this does not mean he is at complete peace with himself, far from it.

Another example is the ever-famous hug he gives to his son at the end of the episode. Gabriel Agreste still loves his son deeply even when he is not spending time with him. Yes, he does not have a strong bond with Adrien, a typical trait of INFJ parents, but can you blame him when he’s not dealing with his wife’s disappearance well? I can tell you that if Adrien’s mother was still around, the bond between Gabriel and Adrien would be a lot stronger than it is now. Yes, Gabriel will still be the strict, harsh man that he is, but he only wants what’s best for Adrien. Adrien’s a good kid, he does well in school, stays out of trouble, has supportive friends, etc. Gabriel’s done a damn good job with teaching Adrien right from wrong. If that’s not love to you guys, then I don’t know what to say to you.

(6) They have a natural affinity for art, and many excel in the sciences, where they make use of their intuition. INFJs can also be found in service-oriented professions.

Anyone remember Gabriel’s career in fashion design? How he’s one of the world’s most famous and talented fashion designers? He has a creative spirit, and it shows in the outfits of most of his akumatized villains. Yes, I’m fully aware The Bubbler’s costume fucking sucked, but not everyone is perfect, and even the most creative of the creative people out there fail. Again, he has visions in his mind of what he wants his fashion brands to look like, and sets out to achieve it.

A couple minor, though important INFJ facts:

1. They are the most logical of the Feeling types.

2. They are ranked as the MBTI type most likely to sense when people are having problems.

#RANT OVER. END OF STORY. MIC DROP.