Rido Kuran

Rido Kuran (玖蘭 李土 Kuran Ridō), was a Pureblood vampire and one of the major antagonists of the Vampire Knight series. He was the eldest brother of Haruka and Juri Kuran, and was Shizuka Hio's fiancé. With his reappearance, it was revealed that he was the true head of the Kuran family, not Kaname. He was also the uncle of Kaname and Yuki and the illegitimate father of Senri Shiki.

Appearance
Rido had the typical Kuran features, which resembles his younger brother Haruka Kuran and his nephew Kaname Kuran. He was beautiful, with a youthful look, and a little taller than his brother and had red-brown curly hair that stop roughly at his shoulders. His most interesting characteristics are his eyes. With complete heterochromia iridium, his left eye is reddish-garnet color like the rest of the Kurans. However, his right eye is an icy blue.



Personality
Rido was a very entitled character who takes pleasure in antagonising others. He believes in indulging his desires and to have power is to crave for more and there is nothing wrong in simply taking more power. Lascivious, self-centered and cruel, Rido is powerful and not hesitant to use that for his own gain and the destruction of others. A good example of this is how unlike Kaname, he has no problems with using his Pureblood powers to control lower vampires, as seen with Hanabusa Aido.

History
Born over 3,000 years ago, he was in love with his sister, Juri Kuran, whom rejected him. Until his "death", he continued to desire her. He even drank Juri's blood at some point, but described that she cried out in pain for Haruka to save her, and he merely enjoyed it. He did, however, continue to have other lovers including Senri Shiki's mother, with whom he fathered Shiki, though not marrying her. He was engaged to Shizuka Hio, who did not love him.

Sometime during the past, he stole the Kuran's first child away (the original Kaname) and sacrificed the child's flesh and blood to awaken the ancestor Kaname, intending to devour the ancestor, instead he was attacked and drained by the starved ancestor and unconscious. Following that he was held by the council, more to protect him from Juri than the other way around.

Yuki is also shown to have nightmares of Rido's eyes staring at her as if he wanted to "eat" her, suggesting that he has the ability to enter and manipulate a person's subconsciousness. Ten years ago, he attacked the Kurans, attempting to take the Kuran Princess and managed to kill his brother, though he failed to take Yuki. Kaname confronted him and Rido revealed that despite Kaname's desire to kill him, he was unable to as Rido was his master who awoke him from his slumber. Instead, Kaname "obliterated" Rido's body, leaving him to slowly recover.

During the ten years that followed, his powers to transfer his soul was retained and he managed to continue interfering in other people's lives. In order to subdue Shizuka's spirit like Senri's mother, he was able to get her lover's name on the hunter's execution list and worked with Asato Ichijo.

Plot
Rido was introduced to the story in the disguise of a little vampire child who lures Yuki to a back alley and then steals some of her life essence, causing her to pass out. He reappears at the Vampire party held by Aido's father, causing Yuki to follow him to the main hall. He stays in this body until Senri returns home and Rido then transfers to his son's body.

Rido attends Cross Academy in Senri's body with Takuma Ichijo at his side, who is forced to protect him. Ichiru Kiryu also reveals he is working for Rido, attempting to engineer Rido's plan of giving his blood to Yuki to awaken her memories. He confronts his distasteful nephew, Kaname, and thanks him for getting rid of Shizuka for him. Rido then taunts him until Kaname runs off to Yuki's side.

Rido was not bothered by Yuki's awakening as a vampire. Rima Toya confronts him, trying to get Senri to take back the control of his body. Rido injures Rima and reveals that he could now engineer Ichijo's wish to dispatch the resistance to the Council. Senri fights against Rido's control and Rido retires. Kaname then uses his blood to fully revive Rido's body. The next day, Rido's body has recovered and his vampires start arriving at the school, finding victims for Rido to feed on. Following his awakening, Ichiru takes his sword and tries to kill Rido as revenge for Shizuka, despite knowing that his efforts are futile and Rido counters him easily, dealing him a mortal blow.

Once Rido was fully recovered, he goes to find prey.He spies on Aido and commands him. Aido, unable to disobey the Pureblood, obliges, until he is saved from Rido's clutches by Yuki. Seeing Yuki, he tries to lull her into his arms, but she is saved in turn by Aido. Yuki turns to face Rido in a fight, when he is simultaneously attacked by Zero. He reveals to Yuki that Zero has eaten his twin and calls Zero his prey. Both Yuki and Zero viciously attack Rido. Zero flings Yuki off the building and attempts to finish Rido himself. They destroy the building, as it comes down, and Rido spares one last glance for his son.

Back on the ground, Yuki and Zero once again fight against Rido together. Rido expresses one last desire for Yuki, in place of her mother before he is stabbed through the chest by Artemis.

After his death, Rido appears to exist in a shadow form that exists as a part of Kaname, currently seen only by Kaname and taunting him about his precious Yuki.

In the anime, Rido is confronted by all of the Night Class students, however they were unable to harm him since he was a Pureblood vampire. Rido attempted to feed on Yuki's blood to increase his power, but the Kuran Princess was able to push him back with her Artemis Scythe. When Zero interferes with Rido's thirst for Yuki, Rido witnesses Zero's Vampire Hunter power about to explode uncontrollably, but was suppressed and maintained by Yuki's Artemis. Upon controlling his unrivaled power, Zero goes to kill Rido, though the latter escapes from his death. While in the woods to recover, Rido is confronted by Kaname, yet he cannot deal the final blow. Zero arrives late, and Kaname and Zero face off against Rido. The battle ends with Rido's death by Zero's hands, and is left to dust by Bloody Rose.

Powers & Abilities
Rido possesses all the powers that Purebloods have, such as immortality and the ability to heal from any wound except an anti-vampire weapon to the head or heart. Like all vampires, he can absorb the powers of vampires whose blood he drinks and also has enhanced speed and strength.

His powers included morphing his body,  using his blood as a weapon (the 'Blood Whip')   along with the ability to transfer his soul into another's body (possession), , with the body retaining his eyes.

Juri Kuran
Juri was Rido's younger sister. Rido was in love with Juri to the point of obsession and his hobby was his "Juri Collection" .They appear to have an amicable relationship until Rido kills her firstborn child, an event that Juri holds a grudge against him for. Juri had since developed a hatred for her eldest brother and desires to kill him.

Kaname Kuran
Rido became Kaname's master after Rido awakened the ancestor from his eternal slumber. Rido found himself unable to control the ancestor who became too strong.

Haruka Kuran
Haruka was Rido's younger brother. They appeared to have an amicable relationship until Rido killed Haruka's first child. Rido killed Haruka ten years before the start of the story when Rido tried to take Yuki.

Rido had hated Haruka for taking Juri from him as both of them were in love with their sister though his love for her was more on obsession than on love. Haruka loved Juri more than Rido did. Haruka was devastated when his first born was sacrificed. Rido planned to take Yuki Kuran and sacrifice her as he did to Haruka and Juri's first child.

Senri Shiki
Senri was Rido's illegitimate son. Rido thought of Senri as more of a puppet than as his son. In Vampire Knight Guilty, he possessed Senri's body without any concern or guilt. After much struggling and help from Rima, Senri was able to regain control of his body.

Quotes

 * "Why won't you love me, Juri? Why? What do I lack? How can I make you love me...? I... love you... so much that I want to devour you, Juri..." (To Yuki)

Trivia
Rido can mean a feud between a family or clan.