Pluto

Pluto’s character is based off of the short story titled “The Black Cat” which was published in 1843. The story follows a confession made by a convict on death row. He describes how his alcoholism led to him brutalizing and killing his cat Pluto, as well as the impulsive murder of his wife. The story has a clear influence on Pluto’s backstory. While much of his backstory is still yet to be shown, the one flashback that has been shown so far informs that, like the narrator of “The Black Cat”, Pluto’s father is an abusive alcoholic. In one of the earlier flashbacks in “The Black Cat”, the narrator returns from drinking late one night and is pestered by his cat. He gets angry, and this anger quickly turns to violence as he cuts out his cat Pluto’s eye. During Pluto’s flashback in episode 83 of Nevermore, Pluto’s father is shown returning home after a late night of drinking. He quickly finds out about Pluto’s plans to leave for Paris, which infuriates him. Just like in “The Black Cat", his rage turns to violence, and he attacks Pluto’s eye with the hook replacing his hand.

Pluto’s spectre takes the form of a skinny, anthropomorphic black cat with bright orange features. His only pieces of clothing are a bright orange collar with a bell and a worn, light brown overcoat. His eyes seem to radiate light, and his sclera is orange. The insides of his hands, mouth, and ears are all orange as well. Similar to his usual school appearance, a tuft of black fur completely covers his left eye. His tail is long and skinny, with an orange spot at the end.

From the second he is introduced, Pluto is clearly shown to be extremely introverted and reserved. Alongside this, he is also incredibly anxious, especially when being stared at. This is revealed in episodes 16 and 17 during the agoraphobia trial. Further along in the series, he is shown to be extremely loyal, and is willing to resort to violence for his friends in the most extreme of scenarios. He’s often very irritable, especially around people he doesn’t like. He doesn’t enjoy being teased by Duke and Lenore, and gets frustrated at the two because of it. He is presumably very literate and intelligent based on his interest in etymology. He’s very clingy towards Duke and Lenore, as they are his closest friends at Nevermore Academy.

Pluto first appears in episode 14 of Nevermore, however, he doesn’t speak until the following episode. He is shown to be travelling with Annabel’s group during the maze trials before he is swapped with Morella, proceeding to travel with Lenore and Duke instead. He’s distant from the two at first, but he gradually begins to warm up to the two throughout their time in the trials. He can even be seen giving Lenore and Duke advice on how to advance through the acrophobia trial, as well as explaining what the word “thalassophobia” means, and showing extreme relief when Duke and Lenore return from the water safely.