In Despicable Me 4, Maxime Le Mal’s villain design is defined by a cockroach theme.
Maxime is a former school rival of Gru who has transformed himself with cockroach body parts. His appearance, powers, inventions, and criminal plans all extend the same insect motif, making the design more specific than a general “bug” aesthetic.
The cockroach concept also drives the film’s plot. Maxime commands cockroach-like minions and uses a ray gun that can turn people into human-cockroach hybrids. He targets Gru’s infant son, Gru Jr., as part of his revenge scheme.
A common mix-up is to choose another creature associated with classic supervillains, such as a spider or scorpion. Those animals are not the defining inspiration for Maxime. The character is explicitly presented as a French-accented, cockroach-themed supervillain, while his girlfriend Valentina and the Mega Minions belong to separate visual concepts.