Louis

"The world we live in is very complex. The animals in this world like to keep secrets. They try hard to preserve in something and face all kinds of conflict. But in the midst of that, everyone is living life to the fullest. For that, there is no right or wrong. But if someone were to have a certain conviction, they would surely shine like stars. Even if they happened to be rude or immature... that conviction would shine through. (.)"

- Louis's speech in Chapter 17 aimed towards Legoshi.

Louis (ルイ) is a main character in Beastars, being the deuteragonist to Legoshi. Louis was the head actor of the Cherryton Academy drama club and was the candidate for the title of Beastar. He also served as the boss of the Shishigumi for a time. Louis appears to be arrogant and self-righteous, but underneath him lies his insecurity about being physically weak.

Appearance
Louis is a young red deer with a slim build and fair face with handsome features. He commonly appears with a slightly intimidating expression. Louis is often able to maintain a certain level of control in a situation. He sports long, brown, elegant antlers, and is usually seen wearing his Cherryton Academy school uniform and a green jacket. Louis is physically weaker than the average red deer as a result of neglect and is very conscientious of his appearance.

Outside of school grounds and after school hours, he can be seen wearing his casual clothes, which usually consists of a T-shirt or jacket and dress pants.

Once he joins the Shishigumi as their new boss, he sports a black leather jacket, pants, and dress boots.

Because of Louis's intended purpose to be sold as livestock in the Black Market, he has a permanent "4" tattooed on the underside of his right foot.

During Legoshi's fight with Riz, Louis offers Legoshi his right foot as a source of energy. After losing his foot, his adoptive father Ogma pays for a prosthetic, so he can walk properly again.

Personality
"Right now, I think Louis is the most difficult character to draw (not because of his intricate design, but because of his character). He's very different from Legoshi in that there's practically nothing I can sympathize about him, which makes me anxious whenever I draw him. However, when I draw him in a more humane and vulnerable light, I find him easier to draw and my apathy for him decreasing. For me, he is a character that must be treated with special care. Sometime, I'd like to continue drawing him the way I always have and then reveal his true nature out of the blue. *smirk*"

- Paru's description of Louis in the tankōbon of Volume 3.

Louis attempts to hide his faults through the use of his lead acting role; feeling that if he shows weakness, he will be seen as inferior. Like Haru, Louis dislikes being treated as "fragile", but these feelings of dislike are much more intense. For instance, Louis pushes through the first performance as Adler on stage with a broken leg to avoid being seen as weak. After collapsing during the curtain call and ending up the infirmary, he felt that he was being treated like a child and lashed out in anger for being treated that way.

Being a third-year student and a model candidate for the title of Beastar, he feels the need to uphold his status in the school hierarchy. He has an arrogant demeanor, but underneath lies a mask of insecurity where he feels that he can't be a good leader. Though he puts up a stoic and firm facade, Louis feels an enormous amount of pressure from his father to be the heir to his Conglomerate, as the head of the drama club, and Cherryton's candidate for the Sublime Beastar. Louis desperately tries to hide his weaknesses and will go to any length to stop others from discovering them, such as bribing Haru not to tell anyone he shed his antlers. At times, his reserved demeanor cracks, and he vents his built-up frustration inappropriately, particularly when he's under stress and feels that he has failed and let others down, as seen in Chapter 95. Although Louis is quite frail, he can be extremely intimidating and forceful when he feels it's necessary. During his interactions with individuals such as Legoshi and Zoe in Chapter 2, Louis uses physical force to get what he wants, often making them highly uncomfortable.

Louis is a person who believes in not only the physical strength of an individual, but their character as well. Hence, why he dislikes Legoshi at first, as he makes punctual efforts to appear as approachable as possible because of his large size and frightening appearance, choosing not to take advantage of his natural strength (strength Louis is envious of). Louis feels that he cannot surpass the carnivores and is quite aware of his own physical strength. He finds it difficult to trust "friendly" carnivores and is willing to push Legoshi and other carnivores to get them to show their strengths and/or weaknesses. This changes in Chapter 91, when Louis realized he likes carnivores, implied to be a result of his relationship with Legoshi.

Despite his aloof and hostile air, Louis is actually quite a kind and considerate individual, as a result of maturing throughout the series and growing empathy for others. In Chapter 144, Louis was kind enough to offer mints to a meat-drunk carnivore struggling with their addiction. He also has a strong sense of justice and is determined to right the wrongs of the world he lives in, being the model candidate for the title of Beastar at his school.

Equipment

 * Handgun: Louis carries a handgun for self-defense. He uses it to kill Chief Lion in defense of an unaware and injured Legoshi. It is unknown if he still carries one.

Skills

 * Leadership: Louis has demonstrated numerous skills of a leader. He was the drama club officer and head of the actors' pool, and he was able to lead the Shishigumi for a time, increasing their reputation and changing the Black Market situation.

Spoilers

 * Paru Itagaki named Louis after the fashion line Louis Vuitton and the numerous French kings.
 * In Japanese media, Louis is spelled as Rouis. This is most likely to ease pronunciation for native Japanese speakers who have difficulty distinguishing between l/r sounds.
 * In Japanese culture, the number 4 (四 pronounced "shi") is a superstition for death as it has the same pronunciation as the kanji for "death" (死 pronounced "shi") and is considered to be an unlucky number in the Sinosphere. This is likely why Louis considers his tattooed foot to be cursed.
 * In the Beastars Otaquest Connect 15/08/2020, Paru revealed that Louis was originally going to be killed off after two volumes.
 * The cover page of Chapter 95 indicates that Legoshi and Louis have known each other before the events of Beastars took place. However, it's unknown if they have properly interacted with each other.
 * In Chapter 2, Louis unintentionally predicts the events of Chapter 95 by taunting Legoshi that he would offer one of his legs in favor for his protection as a stagehand.
 * Louis is confirmed to have a carnivore fetish, much like how Legoshi has a herbivore fetish.
 * Despite his worries about being "weak", Louis has consistently shown fairly impressive feats of strength and durability.
 * He punched Legoshi strong enough to cause a bit of an impact in Chapter 36/Episode 9.
 * He was able to forcibly push Legoshi into a wall while confronting him in Chapter 2.
 * He survived a large amount of blood loss after Legoshi ate his leg in Chapter 95.
 * Legoshi's punch in the aforementioned Chapter 36 left him predominantly undamaged (excluding a temporary black eye).
 * Louis is shown to place flowers at the scene of Tem's murder multiple times.
 * Just as any typical red deer, Louis's antlers have fallen off various times. They have been shown falling off twice in the series.
 * Louis owns multiple handguns that he keeps within his person/leader's room at all times. He has successfully demonstrated his skill with them on numerous occasions as means of both deterrence and self-defense.
 * As of now, Louis is the only main character in the series who's committed a murder.
 * In Chapter 157, Ogma asks Louis if he dislikes females, implying he is questioning Louis's sexuality after he learns that Louis vomited trying to have sex with Azuki. Louis does not answer.
 * In Chapter 165, Louis is declared the new leader of the Horns Conglomerate after his father dies due to injuries sustained in a car crash.