Yuki Kuran

Yuki Cross (黒主 優姫, Kurosu Yūki) was born as Yuki Kuran (玖蘭 優姫, Kuran Yūki) on March 29th. She is the main protagonist of the series and the adopted daughter of Kaien Cross, the headmaster of Cross Academy. Yuki is 15 years-old at the beginning of the series and a first-year student at Cross Academy, where she also acts as a school Prefect/Guardian. Yuki has the unique ability to wield anti-vampire weapons and carries the Artemis rod, which later transforms into a scythe during the second arc. Towards the climax of the second arc, Yuki is revealed to not only be a Pureblood Vampire, but also a member of the Kuran family and Kaname's younger sister. Currently, Yuki is known as the youngest among the Purebloods.

Personality
Yuki is generally a cheerful and comedic girl. She is considered as a poor student because she dislikes studying and falls asleep in class, reason being she stays up all night monitoring the school grounds and night students. She exhibits a strong attachment to her close friends. Her indecisive nature and reticence can be attributed to her insecurity regarding her missing history. Prior to becoming a vampire, she had a fear of vampires which meant she rarely left the Cross Academy grounds on her own, because of the attack. She always maintained that Kaname was different to the other vampires until she witnessed him biting Ruka, but she refused to allow it to change her love for him. It did however, cause a distance between the two and revive her old fear of vampires. Yuki doesn't like to reveal her fears and disguises it with a smile over her face.

Following her re-awakening as a pureblood, Yuki shed the fears she once retained, but her personality has not changed much and when a situation asks, she can put in an authoritative face as is expected for a pureblood princess. Yuki's overwhelming fault is the tendency to burden herself with guilt over her ignorance when she learns the sufferings of other characters that they have kept secret.

Hino Matsuri described Yuki as the character who possesses her justice side and that Yuki is the healing and soothing character in the story. Her favorite subject is Physical Education.

Appearance
152cm (4'11"). She was described by the Day Class boys as being stupid; but one who eats well and considered ugly by a few. When she was human, she had shoulder length hair, Yuki transformed when she re-awakened, her hair growing hair and possessing a more mature look. She closely resembles her mother, Juri Kuran, so much so that Rido Kuran confuses Yuki with her mother.

Background
Yuki was approximately 5 years old when Rido Kuran attacked the Kuran family seeking to take Yuuki. To protect her daughter, Juri sacrificed herself to seal Yuki's vampire side and erased her daughter's memory. Yuki's first memory is that of Kaname saving her from a vampire. Yuki grew up as a human in the care of Kaien Cross, who also adopted her. Kaname stayed as a presence in Yuki's life whom she constantly looked forward to seeing and missed leaving, falling in love with him.

Yuki, as a child, had troubled nightmares nightly until Zero Kiryuu joined their household and Yuki formed a strong attachment to the boy. Yuki's relationship with Kaname became distant after she witnessed his vampire nature as he fed on a vampire classmate (Ruka) and also as a human, Yuki believed she had no chance with Kaname and began to distance herself from him, but her admiration and longing for him remained and chose to believe that his interest in her was the result of seeing her as a pet or similar.

Powers
Yuuki posseses uncontrolled telekinetic powers, breaking windows on a few occasions when experiencing strong emotions. In 68th Night, she expresses such a strong desire to pursue Kaname that she grows a pair of wings on her back made of blood that resemble butterfly wings. In 69th Night, Yuuki appears to exhibit the ability to interfere with memory blocking through touch as she absorbs memories from a catatonic girl and awakens her from a state of shock.

Zero Kiryu

 * See Main Article: Yuki & Zero

Zero becomes Yuki's childhood friend when he goes to live with Kaien at age 13, Yuuki aged 12. Yuki pledges to always be Zero's ally even after they part ways.

Kaname Kuran

 * See Main Article: Yuki & Kaname

Kaname has been Yuki's admired savior since he saved her from a Level E after she lost her memories. Since her awakening, she remembered him as her brother and that they pledged to marry like their parents, however Kaname reveals that he is not actually her brother, but her ancestor born thousands of years earlier.

Sayori Wakaba
Sayori Wakaba is Yuki's best friend and Yuki often calls her Yori-chan. Yori often worries about Yuki and her duties, telling her she needs to rest and jokes about her being a vampire. Yori knows that Zero has feelings for Yuki and ask her about them, but Yuki most of the time has no idea what she's talking about. When Yuki is reawakened as a vampire and vanishes, Yori is worried and tells Yuki that no matter what they will always be best friends.

Plot Summary

 * Main Article: Plot Summary for Yuki Cross

Trivia

 * Yuki's last name, Kurosu is the Japanese pronounciation of the English word "cross." However, kanji has a different meaning, kuro meas "black" and su means "master": "black master." The kanji of her real surname Kuran, is a combination of the old fashioned way of writing ku, meaning "nine," and ran, meaning "orchid": "nine orchids". Yūūki is a combination of yuu, meaning "tender" or "kind", and ki, meaning "princess". Interestingly enough another meaning of yuuki ( 勇気, yūki) is "courage", whereas Yuki can also mean (雪, yuki) "snow" as well.
 * Officially romanized as "Yuki" in Viz media publications and Chuang yi publications. Fan translations usually use "Yuuki".
 * Kaien knows Yuki's name beforehand, he says to Yuki that Kaname told him that all girls are princesses and thus will name her Yuki and she is Kaien's 'gentle princess.'
 * Yuki's favorite foods are ginger stir fry set and parfaits.