Nermal (Garfield) (2024)

Nermal is the main antagonist of the Garfield franchise. He is a small grey tabby cat, whom Jon first called "The World's Cutest Kitten" and of whom Garfield is jealous.

Since The Garfield Show, he is currently voiced by Jason Marsden, who also voices Max Goof.

Personality[]

Nermal is a cute grey tabby cat whom Garfield is jealous of. Although he can be nice on occasion, Nermal regularly and often intentionally annoys Garfield and sometimes Odie, which usually results in Garfield trying to ship him to Abu Dhabi. Nermal often comes in unannounced (and usually on Garfield's birthday), much to Garfield's dismay. Nermal acts as a smart-aleck towards Garfield (much like Arlene). Nermal can be almost as arrogant as Garfield, sometimes even more so.

When he first appeared, it was stated that he was owned by Jon's parents, which was never mentioned again (nor is he shown on Jon's parents' farm). When he appears, it is usually because Jon has to babysit him. According to "Change of Mind", Nermal's owners leave him at Jon's house "every so often."

Nermal revels in his cuteness and proudly proclaims himself as the cutest kitten in the world. Nermal can be quite devious at times like when he tricked Garfield into thinking there was a shark in his water bowl by swimming in it with a shark fin. Nermal also takes great pleasure in irritating Garfield in spite of Garfield being bigger and stronger than him (Garfield told the audience that Nermal might not live to see his next birthday on one such occasion). Nermal is shown to secretly look up to Garfield and sees him as his best friend, despite Garfield mistreating him.

In The Garfield Show, Nermal often acts smug to Garfield and sometimes blackmails him into being nice to him, playing with him or punishing him and Odie when they are mean to him. Differently than the other incarnations, he occasionally wins against Garfield. In "Out on a Limb" while normally calm, he can go into uncontrollable fits of rage if anyone calls him mangy.

In Garfield Originals, Nermal is the mean one between him and Garfield and he is more mischievous, selfish and obnoxious. This time he is the main antagonist as he is shown constantly trying to annoy or harass Garfield in many ways, including putting a bomb behind him. All of Nermal's attempts fail by Garfield's awareness, and he ends up getting hurt or humiliated in the end.

Biography[]

Nermal called himself this from then on. He frequently made unannounced visits into Garfield's home, where he flaunted his cuteness and became the focus of Jon's attention for the entire duration of his visit, much to Garfield's exasperation. In frustration, Garfield frequently expressed his desire to send Nermal to Abu Dhabi.

The Garfield Show[]

He also frequently hurled Nermal through the door, leaving a hole in the shape of his body. This was never shown in either show, most likely because it was considered inappropriate for a children's show. Nermal especially did this on Garfield's birthdays to remind him of his advancing age. Although Nermal was introduced as belonging to Jon's parents (09-03-1979), the connection was later dropped. He is one of the two tritagonists (alongside Jon) of The Garfield Show.

Although Garfield once ceased attacking Nermal after having a nightmare where a hulking cat introduces himself as a full-grown Nermal and proceeds to brutalize Garfield, this has not actually happened. Nermal once mentioned that he is going to stay cute and small forever because he is a midget; "I think small," he once quipped, "and the coffee and cigarettes don't hurt." Another time Garfield caught Nermal "in the act" was when he sneaked up on a mortified Nermal wearing a facial mask and said "I knew it!" His first television appearance was on the Garfield and Friends episode "School Daze", and his last was on "The Feline Philosopher"; on the show, he became a recurring cast member.

Desirée Goyette regularly provided Nermal's voice on the series, which confused viewers to think that he was a female due to the feminine voice. A running gag on the show featured Garfield mailing (or trying to mail) Nermal to Abu Dhabi, which once resulted in himself getting mailed instead. Garfield even had his own song called "Abu Dhabi", which he uses to tell Nermal all about the United Arab Emirates and how he will love it there (or rather, Garfield will love it for having Nermal on the other side of the world). When Garfield is spared a trip to Abu Dhabi himself (a stuffed cat was sent to the UAE instead) Jon demands Garfield stop threatening to send Nermal to Abu Dhabi. Garfield promises this, then makes attempts to mail Nermal to the North Pole after that.

Garfield: The Movie[]

In Garfield: The Movie, Nermal is portrayed by an adult Siamese cat in the neighborhood and Garfield's friend and is voiced by David Eigenberg. Nermal is voiced by Jason Marsden in The Garfield Show, and the movies Garfield Gets Real, Garfield's Fun Fest, and Garfield's Pet Force. Here, he sounds more like a young male cat and less feminine.

It was also revealed in several strips (published next to each other) that Nermal has had cosmetic surgery, which is undoubtedly related to his cuteness. The first strip in those involved a conversation between Nermal and Garfield starting with Garfield asking Nermal if he has ever had cosmetic surgery. It goes as follows: Nermal: You see this eyelash? Garfield: Yeah... Nermal: That's real.

Villainous Acts[]

The Garfield Show[]

• King Nermal: he lied about his leg being broken making Garfield and Odie's lives a living hell and when Garfield knew that he faked his injury he used the bell to get Jon's attention and got Garfield and Odie sent to the kitchen and grounded. When Garfield and Odie got him in the trash can, they were turning on the music and dancing to it and when Jon finds him in the trash can, he kicks Garfield and Odie out of the house. When Garfield made his bell not work anymore he and Odie get revenge on him for what he did but they get wrapped in toilet paper and fall down the stairs, which got them in full body casts. Also because of this, Jon forces him to stay for another month.
• Nice to Nermal: He blackmails Garfield to be nice to him for the rest of the day in order to get Pooky back. As a result, Garfield lets Nermal sleep in his bed and eat his snacks, as well as tell him that he is the cutest kitten in the world. When Nermal eats Garfield's lasanga, Garfield finally has had enough and decides to strike back.