Nova, more commonly known as Nova the Cat, is a prominent fictional character conceived and developed by the animator and indie game developer Sinclair Ukiri.[1] She is consistently portrayed as a goofy, somewhat chubby, orange cat, notable for her simple yet expressive design and distinct lack of a tail.[1] Nova has transitioned from a companion character in the now-concluded Wumpus web series[1][3] to a central figure in her own right. She stars as a main playable character in the indie platformer video game Nova's Starbound Journey[2] and is a key character in the Nyahata web series, where the protagonist is her daughter, also named Nova.[1][4] Across her appearances, Nova is frequently defined by her intense craving for fish, her love for adventure, and her generally cheerful, albeit goofy, disposition.[1]

The character's official conception date is documented as August 18, 2023.[1] However, her precise first appearance online remains ambiguous due to conflicting information regarding her debut episode in the Wumpus series. Sources suggest either Season 1, Episode 2 (aired November 27, 2023) or the later Season 1, Episode 11, titled "Nova and the Mouse", as her introduction point.[1] Online searches have not yet clarified this discrepancy.[5] In the Nyahata continuity, this original Nova resides in a distinctively named house called "Nova's House of Awesomeness", which was shown in the second episode of the first season.[1] She shares her universe with characters like her best friend Dori the Dog and the spectral antagonist Bood the Ghost.[1][2]

Personality

Nova's personality is characterized by her prominent goofiness; she is described as a cat who "always acts accordingly," suggesting a nature that is perhaps silly, unpredictable, or prone to humorous situations.[1] Despite this lightheartedness, she possesses a strong sense of adventure, actively enjoying and seeking out "fun adventures" and "great journeys."[1] This adventurous spirit translates into a heroic role in Nova's Starbound Journey, where she actively works with Dori the Dog to combat Bood the Ghost and save their world.[2]

A defining trait is her powerful love for fish, which borders on an obsession. This is highlighted as a simple 'like' in some contexts but is explicitly portrayed as an "addiction" in the first episode of the Nyahata series, suggesting it heavily motivates her actions and thoughts.[1] She also finds pleasure in mundane activities like watching television, indicating a capacity for relaxation and simple enjoyments alongside her grander adventures.[1] Her interactions with Dori imply she values friendship and cooperation, especially when facing challenges.[2] Conversely, her dislike of mice and armadillos, along with her implied aversion to environmental hazards like spikes, rounds out her character with specific fears or annoyances.[1][2]

 

Appearance

Nova is visually defined as a chubby or plump orange [[1]] cat, meaning she walks upright on two legs.[1] Her art style is typically simplistic, featuring stubby limbs which contribute to her cartoonish and endearing look. Her fur is a distinct orange hue, though early designs featured different coloration for her feet.[1] She possesses two brown paws on her back legs. A key facial feature is her whiskers – typically two on each side of her face – although Sinclair has occasionally drawn her without them in some animations.[1]

Her eyes are rendered in a minimalist style, often appearing as just two short, straight vertical lines. However, they are sometimes depicted as small, simple dots, offering variability in expression despite the simplicity.[1] A particularly unique physical trait is the complete absence of a tail, distinguishing her from many other feline characters.[1] Fox's Agony, a Discord user reportedly connected to Sinclair, has their own interpretation, drawing Nova with round, oval-shaped eyes, which contrasts with Sinclair's usual depiction.[1] An image file featuring Nova exists on Wikimedia Commons.[6]

Design History

Nova's design has undergone noticeable evolution since her initial conception in mid-2023.[1]

• Mid-2023 (Initial Concept): Early drawings presented a significantly different silhouette. Nova was depicted with very long ears compared to her current design. Additionally, her feet had a distinct brown-greenish hue, which differs from the later established brown back paws.[1] The first known drawing from this period showcases these early features (see Gallery).
• Simplification and Refinement: Later iterations, as seen in promotional material like "Virus Alert" (Late 2024), show the more familiar chubby build, shorter ears, purely brown back paws, vertical line eyes, and lack of a tail that define her current appearance.[1] This suggests a streamlining process towards a simpler, possibly more animation-friendly design.
• Gender Identity: An interesting aspect of her development is that Nova was reportedly considered or portrayed as a male character for a significant period before February 2025, after which she was firmly established as female.[1] This change might reflect evolving narrative plans or creator preference.

Media Appearances

Wumpus (Web Series)

Nova's existence originated in this YouTube web series, where she was initially created to serve as a companion or sidekick character for the titular Wumpus.[1] The series itself, created by Sinclair Ukiri, ran for a period before concluding. According to information hosted on the Nova Wiki (Miraheze), production ceased after Season 3, Episode 6, primarily because the creator, Sinclair Ukiri, reportedly lost interest in continuing the project.[3] Nova's precise debut within the Wumpus series remains uncertain, with conflicting source information pointing to either Season 1, Episode 2 (November 27, 2023) or Season 1, Episode 11 ("Nova and the Mouse").[1] Searches for independent verification of the series or debut date have been inconclusive.[7] The title of the latter potential debut episode suggests a storyline potentially focusing on Nova's established dislike for mice.

Animated Memes and Music Videos

(2023-Present for memes, 2024-Present for music videos)[1]

Beyond structured series, Nova is a recurring figure in shorter animated content produced by Sinclair Ukiri. She features in various animated "memes" – likely short, humorous animations riffing on internet trends – starting from 2023. Since 2024, she has also appeared in Sinclair's animated music videos, expanding her presence across different formats on platforms where Sinclair shares their work.[1] These appearances likely reinforce her established personality traits and visual gags.

Nova's Starbound Journey (Video Game)

(2024 - Present)[2]

Nova takes center stage as one of the two main playable characters in Nova's Starbound Journey, a 2D indie platformer developed by Sinclair Ukiri using Piskel for graphics and the GDevelop game engine. The game is distributed via the Itch.io platform on a "Name your own price" model.[2]

• Style and Presentation: The game utilizes an 8-bit graphical style, evoking retro platformers. It falls under the Platformer and Adventure genres, tagged with 2D, 8-Bit, Arcade, Cats, and Indie.[2]
• Plot and Objective: The core narrative involves Nova, alongside her friend Dori the Dog (who is also playable, suggesting cooperative elements or character selection), embarking on a quest to save their world. Their primary adversary is the villainous Bood the Ghost. The main objective within levels is to navigate side-scrolling environments and collect Stars. The presence of hidden Stars in "secret, unexpected areas" suggests an emphasis on exploration and replayability.[2]
• Gameplay Mechanics: As a platformer hero, Nova can run and jump using Keyboard, Mouse, or Touchscreen inputs.[2] Players must overcome obstacles and enemies. Standard enemies include Mice, which align with Nova's established dislike and can be dispatched by jumping on them in classic platformer fashion. Environmental hazards, such as spikes, pose a threat. Players typically start with one hit point (HP), making the game potentially challenging ("simple or tricky levels"). However, collecting a Yarn Ball power-up grants a temporary second HP (indicated by the character glowing), offering a brief buffer against damage. The game includes an interactive tutorial in the first level to explain controls and mechanics.[2] Notably, it features server-based networked multiplayer.[2] The average play session is estimated to be "a few minutes".[2]
• Development Status and Availability: As of early April 2025, Nova's Starbound Journey is listed as "In development" on Itch.io.[2] It has received several updates:

   ** Version 0.6.3 (released approx. late December 2024 / early January 2025)[2]     ** Version 0.4.4 (released November 14, 2024)[2]     ** Version 0.4.3 (released November 11, 2024)[2]     ** Version 0.2.2 (released November 3, 2024)[2]  

This indicates ongoing work through late 2024 and into 2025. The game is accessible across multiple platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux (via downloadable files like .zip or .AppImage), and directly in web browsers via HTML5.[2]

Nyahata (Web Series)

(2025-Present)[4]

In this newer web series, the original Nova transitions into a supporting role, while her daughter, also named Nova, takes the lead as the protagonist.[1] Sinclair Ukiri is confirmed via IMDb as the series' Director, Writer, and Animator, with the series listed for a 2025 debut.[4] This series further explores the world Nova inhabits. The original Nova's residence, the humorously named "Nova's House of Awesomeness," is a featured location, appearing as early as the second episode of the first season.[1] Her defining characteristic, the intense love for fish, is not only present but emphasized, being depicted explicitly as an "addiction" in the series' first episode, potentially serving as a source of conflict or comedy.[1]

Abilities (Implied from Gameplay)

Based primarily on her role and actions within Nova's Starbound Journey, Nova possesses several abilities typical of a platform game character:[2]

• Enhanced Agility/Jumping: She can jump significant distances relative to her size, essential for navigating platforming challenges and reaching higher areas.
• Enemy Stomp Attack: Nova can defeat certain enemies, specifically Mice, by jumping directly onto them. This is a common and effective offensive maneuver in many platformers.
• Power-Up Utilization: Nova can interact with and benefit from in-game items. The Yarn Ball power-up grants her temporary invincibility or an extra hit point, indicated by a glowing effect, suggesting an ability to harness temporary enhancements.
• Problem Solving: Successfully navigating levels filled with hazards, enemies, and collectibles (including hidden ones) implies a degree of environmental problem-solving ability.
• Durability (Limited): While vulnerable (starting with 1 HP), the ability to gain an extra hit point suggests she can withstand at least one instance of damage when powered up.
• Cooperation: The playable nature of Dori the Dog alongside Nova in Nova's Starbound Journey implies Nova can work effectively as part of a team towards a common goal.[2]

Creation and Concept

Nova's creation was driven by specific needs and creative decisions by Sinclair Ukiri:[1]

• Initial Purpose: She was first conceived to serve as a companion character for Wumpus in the Wumpus web series, filling a need for another character in that show's dynamic.[1]
• Species Choice: Sinclair Ukiri considered making Nova a [panda]. However, the decision was made to make her a cat instead. The reasoning provided suggests that a cat was perceived as having broader appeal or being more universally recognizable/relatable to audiences.[1]
• Inspiration: The character design or concept was reportedly inspired by [[2]], though the specific aspects of inspiration (e.g., art style, personality, abilities) are not detailed in the provided sources.[1]
• Naming: The name "Nova" itself was apparently chosen somewhat randomly. According to the source material, an internet poll was conducted to gather name suggestions, but it received no votes. Consequently, "Nova" was selected without specific input or thematic reasoning detailed in the sources.[1]

Relationships

While not extensively detailed, Nova's key relationships shape her character and narrative roles:

• Dori the Dog: Portrayed as a close friend and partner in adventure, particularly in Nova's Starbound Journey where they team up against Bood. Their ability to work together highlights themes of friendship and cooperation.[1][2]
• Bood the Ghost: The primary antagonist Nova faces in Nova's Starbound Journey. This establishes a classic hero-villain dynamic, driving the conflict of that game.[1][2]
• Nova (Daughter): In the Nyahata series, the original Nova is the mother of the protagonist. This relationship likely forms a core element of the series, exploring family dynamics within their quirky world.[1]
• Wumpus: Nova's original co-star. While the Wumpus series ended, their initial relationship was foundational to Nova's creation as a companion character.[1][3]
• Mice: Consistently positioned as adversaries, whether as disliked creatures or literal enemies to be stomped on in her game.[1][2]

Trivia

• Despite being a cat, Nova distinctly lacks a tail in her standard design.[1]
• There is ambiguity surrounding her first official appearance, with conflicting sources citing two different episodes of the Wumpus series. This remains unconfirmed by external searches.[1][5]
• Nova's gender was considered male before being finalized as female sometime before February 2025.[1]
• Her intense love for fish is sometimes portrayed as a comical addiction, particularly in the Nyahata series.[1]
• The character Fox's Agony, a Discord user associated with the creator, draws Nova with a different eye style (round ovals) compared to Sinclair Ukiri's typical vertical lines or dots.[1]
• Nova's name was reportedly chosen randomly after an online poll failed to yield results.[1]
• The decision to make her a cat rather than a red panda was based on perceived audience appeal.[1]
• Her creator, Sinclair Ukiri, maintains profiles on platforms like IMDb[4] and Itch.io[2], where Nova features prominently in their listed projects. The Itch.io profile includes a link to a Twitter/X account, though direct links to active social media were not readily found in broader searches.[2][8]
• The game Nova's Starbound Journey includes networked multiplayer functionality and supports touchscreen input alongside keyboard/mouse.[2]