Alya Césaire

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Character
Name: Alya Césaire; Rena Rouge; Rena Rage; Rena Furtive
Occupation: Student; Ladyblog blogger
Relationships: in a relationship with Nino Lahiffe; best friend of Marinette Dupain-Cheng; friends with Adrien Agreste
Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug
Other:
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Alya Césaire is a supporting character in Miraculous Ladybug. She is the best friend of Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Canon

Alya is in the same class as Marinette. She runs a fansite known as the Ladyblog, where she documents superhero activity in Paris and uploads her theories about Miraculous lore. She's akumatized several times throughout the seasons, turning into Lady Wifi and Oblivio (along with Nino). Alya eventually receives the Fox Miraculous and adopts Rena Rouge as her superhero alter-ego. In season 4, she finds out that Marinette is the Guardian and starts helping her friends with the Miraculous Box and other Guardian duties.

Alya is dating Nino Lahiffe, a fellow classmate and Miraculous holder.

She is a Doctor Who fan.

Reception and popularity

As one of the main characters of the show, Alya remains fairly popular; she's one of the most common characters in fanworks about the show. Most of the fandom considers her a good friend, a good reporter, and a good superhero. Generally speaking, fanworks portray her as competent and an important part in her friends' lives.

ML Salt

Alya is often subject to character bashing for her treatment of Marinette in season 3. The core of fan's dislike stems from the fact that Alya aspires to be a reporter - but doesn't check her sources and blindly believes Lila over her best friend. Some people are also frustrated that she received a Miraculous despite shortcomings as a reporter. Many people choose to bash Alya for all of this, which may appear in fanworks as:

  • Alya being villanised, going from Marinette's best friend to the antagonist of fan stories, often using her insight as Mari's former friend to hurt her as much as possible
    • In more sympathetic portrayals, Alya's eyes are opened to Lila's true nature and she realises exactly what she has done. However, in other characterisations Alya simply denies that she is in the wrong
  • The Ladyblog going from a well-respected source to a trashy, barely-respected gossip column/tabloid, following the deterioration of Alya's journalistic integrity
    • Many salt fics feature Alya's parents confiscating the Ladyblog, Alya getting into legal trouble due to what she's posted there, or Alya being unable to become a real reporter due to her actions getting her blacklisted by the industry and figures she admires
  • Fannish critique of Alya's tendency to rush into a dangerous situation to get prime footage (expecting Ladybug to save her), with family and friends expressing discomfort with this behaviour and/or Ladybug and the other heroes calling her out
  • Alya displaying entitlement to Marinette's identity as Ladybug, demanding to know why Marinette never told her the truth
  • Alya acting entitled due to her status as Marinette's "bestie", even after explicitly disowning her and breaking off the friendship
  • Alya's relationship with Nino suffering as he is more aware of his mistakes and switches sides, breaking things off with her
  • In fics that deal with Cat Noir's entitled behaviour, Alya may be portrayed as shipping the two and pushing Marinette to confess to Andrien, regardless of Marinette's feelings on the matter
  • Alya being prime bait for one of Hawk Moth's butterflies, especially when the inevitable consequences of her actions hit her. She may even want to be akumatized in order to "punish" those she believes have wronged her.

In some salt fanworks, Alya is redeemed. Her redemption may include or be due to checking her sources and realising that Lila lied about everything, or witnessing something that turns her understanding of the situation on its head. Sometimes the demise of the Ladyblog's reputation is enough to jolt her into realising her errors, or a confrontation with Trixx.[1]

Tropes & Fanon

Miraculous holder

Fanworks often depicted Alya gaining the Fox Miraculous, even before she gained it in canon. With the Fox Miraculous holder, she's Rena Rouge, and later she becomes Rena Furtive when she has to go into hiding with the Miraculous.

Wingwoman

Alya helps Marinette, especially in her romantic life.

Ladyblogger

Alya is sometimes called the Ladyblogger because she runs the Ladyblog, a blog devoted to cataloguing what Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Hawkmoth do to and for the city. She's often depicted as a helpful journalist, helping Ladybug and Chat Noir by writing blog posts in their favor or concealing important information, even if it would technically be unethical or she has a conflict of interests. In aged-up fanfics, she's often portrayed as a journalism student or a journalist early in her career.

Relationships

Example fan works

Fanfic

  • Heroes of the day [1] [Archive.org archive] by mirawohoo (metawohoo)Date: Oct 21, 2015–April 23, 2016Length: 125,345Status: CompleteGenre: Gen, canon-divergence AU
Alya tries to reconnect with other Akuma victims, and discovers the whole "supervillain" business caused some lingering issues. In the meantime, Marinette misplaces Tikki, and Adrien's relationship with his father grows tense.
  • These Things Don't Just Happen Overnight [2] [Archive.org archive] by PitViperofDoomDate: March 28, 2016Length: 1,618Status: CompleteGenre: outsider POV, identity reveal
Adrien and Marinette have a meaningful conversation. Alya is floundering.(Adrien/Marinette)
I asked for Alya salt prompts on Tumblr, my followers delivered, among other prompts as well. Enjoy.
  • œuf ouch owie [4] [Archive.org archive] by miraculousunflower (ominousunflower)Date: April 2, 2020Length: 3,342Status: CompleteGenre: crack
Chat Noir enlists Rena Rouge's help to create an Aspik illusion. Absolutely nothing goes wrong. (background Adrien/Marinette)
  • When Rena Rouge Tries to Flirt... [5] [Archive.org archive] by chatnoiristhebest5Date: July 2, 2021Length: 3,342Status: CompleteGenre: romance
You’re pretty cute, you know,” she drawled. Rena smirked when he blushed. (Nino/Alya)

Fanart

Fanvids

Meta

Cosplay

Links & Resources

References

Related Concepts, Fandoms, Terms, Fanworks
See also