What Is the Name of Gargamel's Cat?

Who Is Gargamel — and What's His Cat's Real Name?

The sinister wizard Gargamel from the comic and cartoon world of The Smurfs is infamous: he's constantly trying to catch the little blue creatures — with magic, cunning schemes, and his furry sidekick. The cat that accompanies him is widely known by the name Azrael.

Azrael has accompanied Gargamel since the early comics and appears in nearly every medium of the Smurfs franchise: comics, animated series, and films.

But was Azrael always female? That changes depending on the version and medium — in the older comics, Azrael was a female cat, while in animated series and films, Azrael has usually been portrayed as a tomcat.

Interestingly, there are conflicting accounts about the identity and naming of Gargamel's cat — and that still sparks debate among fans today.

• Some sources claim the cat never received an official name — every attribution, they say, comes down to myth or fan speculation.
  
• The name most commonly accepted today is Azrael — across comics, series, and films alike.
  
• In the original comic version, Azrael was accordingly a female cat; in animated versions and films, that became a tomcat.
  

Why these differences? Animation and translation teams have made adjustments over the decades — partly due to dubbing, partly due to storytelling traditions. As a result, Azrael is sometimes female, sometimes male, depending on the era and medium — and in some old editions, even nameless.

One fact remains: in the majority of current and well-known portrayals, Gargamel's cat (or tomcat) is named Azrael — and faithfully accompanies him in his relentless schemes against the Smurfs.

Fun Fact: Choupette Voices Azrael — Celebrities in the Smurf Universe?

A wild piece of “fan news” made the rounds in 2025: supposedly, our cooperation partner Choupette — the famous cat of the late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld — was set to voice Azrael in a new Smurfs movie (2025). Some reports claim Choupette “voices Azrael”.

Whether it was a PR stunt or whether Choupette really meowed into the mic for the dubbing role in the new Smurfs movie, we won't confirm or deny it. Either way, we had a lot of fun when Choupette's team told us about it over dinner in Paris.

Cat or tomcat — Azrael remains Gargamel's classic companion, cultivated across literature and film. The blending of Choupette with Azrael is sure to further boost this cat's fame.