Kaname Kuran

Kaname Kuran (玖蘭 枢 Kuran Kaname) was a Pureblood vampire and Head of the Kuran family, one of the seven remaining Pureblood families who was also one of the progenitors of the Vampires and the first Kuran, giving him an estimated age of 10,000 years old. Kaname is the fiancé of Yuki Cross and the biological father of Ai Kuran.

Appearance
Kaname has dark-brown hair that is grown up to his collar with his bangs falling onto his face, red-brown eyes and his face expressions are usually calm and tranquil, though with Yuki Cross, he is usually seen with a small smile. Kaname is one of the tallest vampires in the Night Class and he has a lean build. Almost all the girls in the Day Class (including a few Night Class vampires) find him attractive. Even Zero thinks that he's pretty attractive, but Matsuri Hino doesn't reveal it in the books, although she talks about it in one of her articles.

As Head of the Kuran Family, he also dresses formally most of the time. Kaname wears the standard Night Class uniform; a white blazer, black shirt, red tie, white pants, and black shoes. He also wears a tie pin over his tie.

Personality
Kaname is generally a calm, elegant, stoic and authoritative individual. However, he becomes a completely different person with Yuki Cross; to her, Kaname is very gentle and warm. This disposition bothers the Night Class vampires, who initially do not understand his favoritism towards her. Yuki herself feels confused about why Kaname lovingly cares for her. Kaname expresses occasional jealousy towards Zero Kiryu because of Yuki's connection to him and he is not afraid to show this to Yuki.

He is very strict and often imposes discipline in a fierce way as the Dorm President, yet he is indulgent and kinder towards Yuki. Kaname has acknowledged to Rido Kuran that he has a contradictory nature, which leads him to both desiring to lock Yuki up and keep her to himself, but alternatively to watch her protectively while encouraging her to be herself. Kaname never hides the fact that he is not interested in anything else but Yuki's welfare. Every action he makes is towards one goal, and that is Yuki's safety; his greatest fear is losing her. In the Vampire Knight Fanbook, his personality section says he is capable of using cold-blooded measures to protect Yuki, who is more important to him than anyone else.

He is very determined to have Yuki live for all of eternity by his side and not only deeply fears losing her because of the ten years she spent as a human, but also because he doesn't want to experience the same heartbreak as he did the past, when the Hooded Woman sacrificed herself in his place. His solitary nature makes him rather secretive. Kaname has the Pureblood power of controlling vampires, but he chooses not to exercise this power, thus earning the respect of the Noble vampires, as mentioned by Takuma Ichijo and Akatsuki Kain. At times when he is with other vampires, he acts particularly cold and domineering, though he usually seems to treat them with detached politeness.

When Kaname became a human, his personality and his love for Yuki remains unchanged. When Ren Kiryu told Kaname that Yuki exists inside of him, he became angry, even though he knows nothing of Yuki. With only a fragment of Yuki in his memories, Kaname also expresses a deep desire to see Yuki again, such as wanting to get a job to hear different stories about his past to close the gap between him and Yuki. Kaname seeing and thinking of Yuki in his memory a lot often, has made his desire even more stronger. When Kaname suggest that to take out his heart will it bring her back, Ai asked Kaname if he wanted to test to see if taking his heart out will bring Yuki back. Ai says that she didn't feel him "Surprise nor fear from his behavior just now. Nor eeriness or crisis. Nothing". He was shown smiling a little. While being with and looking at Ai and Ren, Kaname realizes and does not doubt that he loves Yuki. Kaname is also fully aware of Yuki's existence inside of him.

History
Kaname Kuran is the ancestor of the Kuran family and one of the progenitors of the vampire race. He lived alongside another mysterious ancestor known as The Hooded Woman. This woman tossed her heart into a blazing furnace in order to forge weapons that are capable of killing vampires. Artemis, The Bloody Rose, and all the other weapons used by the Hunter's Association were born from The Hooded Woman's sacrifice. Soon after, her body cracked and shattered into a million pieces. Having witnessed this, Kaname put himself into an eternal slumber, seeing no more reason to live until a few thousand years later, when he would be awakened to become the new parent.

Kaname was awoken by his descendant, Rido Kuran, who had sacrificed the life of an innocent baby (Yuki's biological brother, also named after Kaname). Rido had intended on devouring Kaname, however, this backfired, as a starved Kaname attacked and drained him. Rido was later held by the council for protection.

Revived Kaname


Due to his weakened state after being revived, Kaname transformed his body into that of a baby and suppressed his memories, entrusting his life in the hands of Haruka Kuran and Juri Kuran, who raised Kaname in place of the son that Rido Kuran had killed.

As children, Kaname and Yuki Kuran shared a very close relationship, even going so far as to promise they would marry and live a life like their parents. Kaname was not especially outgoing around children his own age. He first met Hanabusa Aido, Akatsuki Kain and Ruka Souen as children, but they did not form bonds until several years later after the deaths of Haruka and Juri. Kaname was willing to waive his original plan in order to live with Yuki for all eternity.

At the start of the story (but unbeknownst to Yuki), ten years ago, Rido had finally recovered from Kaname's initial attack. He trespassed into their home, intending to take the Kuran Princess, for his own personal gain. He failed in doing so, however he did manage to kill his brother Haruka. Kaname confronted Rido, who revealed that despite Kaname's desire to kill him, he was simply unable to because Rido was the one who had awoken Kaname from his slumber and was therefore his master. Instead, Kaname attacked Rido for a second time, severely wounding him by tearing his body into pieces, leaving him alone again to recover.

Their mother Juri's last wish was for Kaname to protect Yuki, whom she had given her life for in order to suppress Yuki's memories and vampire side in order for her to live a happy, normal life as a human.

Kaname left the now-human Yuki to Kaien Cross, while he himself was taken in by Asato Ichijo (Takuma Ichijo's grandfather), a man whom he distrusted. During Yuki's childhood, Kaname frequently visited her and remained a steady presence in her life. After Kaien Cross built the Academy, he agreed to let Kaname take over the Night Class, having ultimate rule over the vampires who attended, but only so that he could stay near Yuki and protect her from afar.

Powers and Abilities
Like all Pureblood vampires, Kaname has immortality and the ability to heal from anything excluding anti-vampire weapon wounds to the heart or head. Like all vampires, he can absorb the powers from vampires whose blood he drinks. Kaname's powers have been listed as immeasurable. However, in the manga, he has stated that when his mind wanders he "loses control," as seen when he accidentally burns a hole in the wall (in the manga) and a tree (in the anime), both barely missing Takuma Ichijo, and also shatters a window. Like all vampires, he also has enhanced strength and super speed. Kaname has demonstrated the following abilities:


 * Telekinesis.
 * Erasing memories.
 * Creation of a familiar in any form he chooses, such as a bat able to convey messages and a wolf from which he can receive information instantly, and used to watch over Yuki Kuran when she left the Kuran Mansion. His familiar is also strong enough to carry another person and wields his telekinetic powers.
 * Transformation of his body into a weapon.
 * Controlling Bloody Rose through his voice.
 * Control of multiple vampires by his command against their will.
 * Changing the physicality of his body i.e. changing his body into an infant.
 * Manipulate another Pureblood (hiding Toma inside his familiar).
 * Ability to turn a Pureblood vampire into a human.

Equipment
Kaname wields an anti-vampire sword and was the original wielder of the Bloody Rose and Artemis.

Relationships
Yuki Kuran=

Yuki and Kaname have a complicated past that goes back to when they were children. Kaname loves Yuki very much, though he often treats her like a child and is very overprotective of her. When she was reawakened as a vampire, she refuses to hunt for a prey and stubbornly rejects her vampire self for the past six months of living together. Her actions leaves Kaname worried. He has also tried to make her call him just Kaname instead of Onii-sama or Kaname-Senpai. Kaname takes a gamble and decides to reveal the truth of her real brother and also about his history. After learning the truth, Yuki begins to see Kaname as someone more than just a brother and admired savior, but as her fiancé. Yuki wishes to start over with Kaname after she knows his secret and Kaname agrees.

Kaname respects Yuki's decisions and puts her feelings as his top priority even before his own. She was his only exception to everything. However, Kaname knows that half of her heart is still with Zero, but despite this, she still chose to be with him which is clear to him that she truly loves him with her heart. Kaname reminds her that, because of her feelings for Zero, she might have to suffer forever. Kaname originally did not mind waiting until her heart changes for him, but it grew on him to think if the path of a vampire was right for her. During this time, Kaname works ridiculously hard to establish laws to maintain peace between the vampires and the hunters, in order to give Yuki the freedom to roam freely around in the outside world without putting her life in any danger. However with the reappearance of Zero, Yuki's heart wavered. Kaname decides to take a step back and puts them through a test. Kaname told her to wait at the Kuran Mansion for him until he returns to start anew together. However, Yuki defies him and it resulted in him to begin executing the original plan of the Ancestress to eliminate all Purebloods. He began doing the things that will make Yuki hate and doubt him even though he cherishes and loves her more than anything in the world. After Yuki has unfolded the truth behind the series of events and has successfully caught Kaname and confronts him once again, the two of them make up after he assures that he will not leave her, and they both make love in the 89th Night. At the end of the manga, Kaname's words greatly hinted that he never wanted her to revert back to a vampire. He just wanted to watch over her until the time came for him to depart from her. However, she who has lived as a human has became a radiant existence to him that gave him hope to keep living this timeless eternity with her.

Due to the fact that he never allowed her to go visit her friends, Zero or have any form of communication with the outside world as well as always drinking large amounts of blood from her, many of the fans consider their relationship to not be one of romance but one of abuse. Kaname even states that she's never smiled from her heart when she was with him, implying that she wasn't truly happy with him but that because she always felt like she should repay him for saving her life as well as always feeling inferior to him shows that although she loved him, she never felt like they were equals.

Kaname tears out his heart to the furnace, for the vampire hunter weapons to continue to be strong again. Yuki goes to him asking him in tear why he had to do that, and that she didn't want to be in a world where she could no longer hear his voice. In her moment of grieve as Kaname dies, she says that she wished she was never born, so that the Kaname of today wouldn't have to go through this. He tells her that he doesn't regret any of the mistakes that he has made, and that she mustn't say that, since it makes it sound like he didn't receive any happiness. He says "It's not that I didn't receive any happiness, because there's a light at the end of the journey." Before he "dies" he says he also has to atone for the mistakes that he has committed by his own choice alone.

Kaname tells both Yuki and Zero that he wants them to be together saying, "I've always been squinting my eyes at the radiance... That's why I've come to understand... You two should be together... I want you two to be together" as Zero and Yuki are shocked by his statement and he finally falls into a deep sleep, with Yuki cries. Yuki is in shock after his "death" and shows no emotion when Zero reveals his feelings for her. He tells her that she can take her time, years or even decades, but that she must say her feelings for him eventually when she has overcome her grief and guilt over the actions that Kaname decided to undertake. After Kaname "died", he was encased in ice by Hanabusa Aido.

A thousand years have passed, and Yuki reveals that she had a life full of happiness with Zero and her children (fulfilling Kaname's wishes at the time of his death). Yuki, in the last pages of the manga, reveals that although they found a method to turn a vampire into a human due to his research, he wouldn't be able to wake up from his eternal sleep nor endure the effect of the "treatment". Yuki, instead, decides to give her life to Kaname to turn him into a human.

In the final chapter, it was revealed that Yuki had a daughter with him, whom gives him a message with her half-sibling (child of Zero and Yuki) from Yuki (their mother) to Kaname that said, "I want to give to you, whom I love, the world that I saw when I was a human". As Yuki gives her life to turn Kaname human, she reflects, "The long and endless journey... You, who existed with that thirst, may your thirst be quenched." Kaname finally says after the message and looking into the light and touching a butterfly, "What a beautiful light..."


 * -|Zero Kiryu=

Kaname and Zero have disliked each other since their first meeting. One could say that they are arch nemesis of one another due to different perspectives and methods. They both show very strong feelings towards Yuki and envies each other from time to time. Due to this, they also share a limited amount of tolerance to one another when Yuki's safety is concerned.


 * -|The Hooded Woman=

The Hooded Woman, also known as the Ancestress, was a progenitor from Kaname's ancient past and was the leader of a resistance. She was also the very first significant person in Kaname's life who gave him an identity and has ever felt attachment towards. It was mentioned in Kaname's point of view - through Yuki- that she was a very important person to him and that he regrets losing her, despite mentioning that he never intended to have feelings or be involved with anyone. The two shared a really unique and special relationship. In most of Kaname's past, she was his reason to keep on living after being driven out of the village he lived in as the villagers saw him as a monster after realizing that despite many generations and decades has passed, he never aged.

The Hooded Woman was the one who gave him a name (with the same spelling of her hometown) and a purpose- to eradicate all Purebloods who harbors the intent of turning humans into submissive slaves. She shared her past and ideals with Kaname, telling him that she really liked humans. It was also shown in his memories that he was a scientist for a period of time as he researched for a way to kill Purebloods. In those memories, it was revealed that she had some kind of authority over Kaname, as he allowed her to push him around to get jobs done. She became the first parent of the anti-vampire weapons after she threw her heart into the furnace. Her death devastated Kaname silently, as he intended to be the sacrifice. In her name, Kaname fought the Purebloods for decades, slowly losing his will to live and emotions as he felt that the weapons only desired to kill more vampires. When the battles ceased, he decided to enter a slumber that he had no intention of ever awakening from.


 * -|Takuma Ichijo=

Kaname lived with Takuma after his "parents" death and since then they have become great friends. It would seem that Kaname trusts Takuma to a certain extent and seems not to worry about him, despite Takuma's affiliation with Sara. After Kaname was encased with ice, Takuma watches over his tomb for a thousand years.


 * -|Hanabusa Aido=

Hanabusa is Kaname's loyal friend and right-hand man. Their relationship is quite comedic and purely adoration in Aido's perspective. However, this relationship was shattered when Kaname murdered Hanabusa's father Nagamichi Aido in front of him. After this act, Hanabusa remained at Yuki's side as her guard and tutor, eventually renouncing Kaname as his leader when he sent Ruka and Akatsuki to suppress the Day Class. Hanabusa stated that he wouldn't let the Pureblood do as he wish and take advantage of Yuki's kind-hearted nature. However, later in the manga, it shows that Kaname never killed his father and he only went into a slumber. Hanabusa reconnected with his father and came back to Kaname's side after he understood Kaname's true intentions.


 * -|Ruka Souen=

Ruka both loves and admires Kaname, however he does not return her affections. Despite this, Kaname trusts and respects Ruka. Kaname described Ruka, Akatsuki, and Hanabusa as "pawns" to be used to protect Yuki, but even after he said that the three decided to follow Kaname and Yuki. Unlike Aido, Ruka has been respecting Kaname since the first time she laid her eyes on him. It is also explicit that Kaname and Akatsuki had an agreement that when the time comes, Ruka would leave Kaname's side by force if necessary.


 * -|Seiren=

Seiren is fiercely loyal to Kaname and serves him as his unofficial bodyguard. Kaname greatly trusts her and sometimes relies on her to obtain valuable information. To show her gratitude for him saving her life when she was a human child, she trained in martial arts. Seiren is known to be one of the only people (apart from Yuki) to be aware of Kaname's true nature.

About Kaname

 * Kaname Good at: All Subjects
 * Kaname Vampire Abilities: Almighty.
 * Kaname Special Ability: Aura of Supreme Ruler.
 * Kaname Hobbies: Reading, Chess, thinking about Yuki.
 * Kaname favorite food: Whatever Yuki Makes.
 * Kaname Taste in Women: "A Single-Minded girl who keeps waiting for me in the Snow."
 * Kaname On His Days Off: Deals with various work and sulks in bed on days he cannot see Yuki.
 * Kaname Favorite Fashion: Haute Couture (Tailored by a Purveyor to the Kuran Family)

Quotes

 * "Some things are better forgotten." (To Takuma Ichijo)
 * "You're so scary... Mr. Disciplinary Committee." (To Zero Kiryu)
 * "I've always been alone. The only one that can bring warmth into my life... is you." (To Yuki Kuran)
 * "You could never betray her because you are under her obligation. You are being allowed to live because of that, Zero. By me." (To Zero Kiryu)
 * "Aido, I think I would like to discuss our dorm's rules with you again." (To Hanabusa Aido)
 * "Yuki, the safest place is beside me." (To Yuki)
 * "No one can be a replacement for another person. That is why...farewells are always difficult." (To Yuki)
 * "Return to the world filled with light, Yuki. Even if you forget about me I will still continue to remember you... You're more suited to be under the sunlight." (To Yuki)
 * "Yuki... I'll say it once again.. It's not that I did not receive any happiness, it's because there is light at the end of the journey." (To Yuki)
 * "A vampire's regenerative power...I wonder if she will rebirth if I pull her out of me?" (Kaname to Ai Kuran about Yuki)
 * "What did I do...In order to protect..."  (Kaname trying to remember his past)
 * "Half of each of you comes from someone I loved, right? When I watch you two, I know that person was able to live a life that was also filled with warmth. And there's one more thing... My only memory...from what time, I don't know. The phantom girl who appeared  before me on the battlefield..."
 * "Why did that woman, even going as far to give me her heart, give me this peaceful time?" (Kaname thinking about Yuki)
 * "Lying here before me...Are traces of your existences...And you yourself...Are here". (Kaname knowing Yuki is inside of him)
 * "If Iisten carefully, I can hear the throbbing of my chest. If I close my eyes, I can see the traces of that person."
 * "I want to work so I can listen to the stories about various friends from different people. By collecting fragments of the past, in my own way, I want to try thinking about what happened during the time I was asleep. If I do that, I feel as I'll be able to close the gap in time between Her and me a bit." (Kaname wanting to remember his past).
 * "I wonder what kind of person I was, and what I felt for her. Did I love her? When I look at those children...I have no doubt that I did."
 * "Stay with me a little longer, just like this. I'm so tired." (Kaname to Yuki)
 * "I don't think of you as a child. I only wanted to protect you. I thought that it was the best thing to do." (Kaname to Yuki)
 * "I've never actually said it aloud to you, but you do know, Yuki. I love you more than anyone. If it were at all possible, I would take them away from you, all your fears and anxieties." (Kaname to Yuki)
 * "Sorry. I took this too far. I won't do anything." (Kaname to Yuki)
 * "I will always be with you, Yuki." (Kaname to Yuki)

Etymology
According to the Editor's Notes; Kaname means “hinge” or “door.” The kanji for his last name is a combination of the old-fashioned way of writing ku, meaning “nine,” and ran, meaning “orchid”: “nine orchids."

Kaname means "pivot"/"center." Kuran means "nine orchids" because ku means "nine" and ran means orchids. The kanji for Kaname is very similar to that of "hitsugi" (coffin), and even the Mangaka herself mixed up the two in some typos.

Trivia

 * Because Yuki Kuran gave Kaname her heart, her existence is inside of him.
 * Kaname shares the same English voice actor (Ezra Weisz) with Pannacotta Fugo, a member of Team Bucciarati in Hirohiko Araki's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind.

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