Makkachin

General Plot Gallery

Makkachin (Japanese: マッカチン, Makkachin) is Victor Nikiforov's pet poodle and constant companion.

Background

Makkachin has been Victor's poodle for many years, even while Yuuri Katsuki was still a child.^[1] Makkachin was the inspiration for Yuuri Katsuki to obtain Vicchan.

Appearance

Makkachin is a large, silver-beige poodle, with curly fur representative of the breed. Makkachin's nose and paw pads are black.^[2] Makkachin has an un-docked tail and an easy-to-maintain teddy bear fur clip.

Makkachin is a standard poodle^[3], being large enough to knock Yuuri over.^[1] Like all poodles, Makkachin is very light despite being large, making it easy for Victor to carry Makkachin around.

Personality

Like most poodles, Makkachin is lively outdoors, lazy indoors, and rarely barks. Makkachin is well-trained, capable of following Victor or Yuuri Katsuki unleashed^[4], and waiting at an airport without causing disruption.^[2] Makkachin is very loyal to Victor, usually sleeping by Victor's side.^[4] Makkachin also enjoys playing with water.^[5] Like most dogs, Makkachin is unable to resist the allure of food left unguarded.

Makkachin possesses an unusual trait of not being very alert while asleep.^[6][4] This could be due to Makkachin's old age, or a result of being pampered, or maybe an entirely different reason altogether.

Relationships

Victor Nikiforov

Victor is Makkachin's owner. The two of them have been together for over a decade. Victor carries a tissue box that resembles Makkachin to every competition, or whenever he heads to an ice rink. Before moving to Hasetsu, Victor had not been able to spend as much time as he liked with Makkachin.^[7] Victor is shown to love Makkachin very much, the two of them often sleeping side by side, and Makkachin accompanying Victor wherever possible. Victor was even willing to return to Japan to take care of Makkachin when Makkachin choked on manjū, despite Yuuri Katsuki facing his free skate at the Rostelecom Cup the next day.

Yuuri Katsuki

Makkachin bonds with Yuuri almost immediately after their first meeting. Yuuri is often accompanied by Makkachin during morning runs. Occasionally, Makkachin sleeps with Yuuri. Yuuri cares very much for Makkachin, sometimes seeing his own Vicchan in Makkachin. Yuuri insists that Victor cares for Makkachin the way Yuuri had wanted but was not able to do for Vicchan.

Trivia

• In the original Japanese version, Makkachin's gender is not explicitly stated. The English dub chose to translate Makkachin's gender as male.
• Victor's phone wallpaper is a close-up of Makkachin, and has over a thousand pictures of Makkachin within a dedicated folder in his phone's gallery.^[7]
• Yuuri Katsuki owns a poodle soft-toy that resembles Makkachin.^[8]
• One of the reasons Victor took a break from competitive skating is because he had the feeling that it was close to the last years of Makkachin's life, and thus decided to prioritize spending as much time with Makkachin as possible.^[9]
• Makkachin is around or at least 15 years old. ^[10]
• While Makkachin's name is usually romanized as such, there is also official merchandise that romanizes the poodle's name as Maccachin. ^[11]
• Makkachin has the same voice actor as its owner, Victor Nikiforov.

References