Yuki Kuran

Yuki Cross or Yuki Kuran is the adoptive daughter of the headmaster of Cross Academy. Yuki is a first year student at Cross Academy and is a member of the school's disciplinary committee, which is a Guardian for Cross Academy. In her capacity as a Guardian, she is responsible for the nightly duties of monitoring and protecting the Day Class. Yuki carries the anti-vampire weapon, the Artemis Rod.

Name

 * Officially published as "Yuki" in Viz media publications and Chuang yi publications.
 * Fan translations prefer the accurately transcribed "Yuuki"
 * Yuuki is a combination of yuu, meaning "tender" or "kind", and ki, meaning "princess".
 * Cross or Kurosu, means "black master."
 * Kuran, is a combination of the old fashioned way of writing ku, meaning "nine" and ran meaning "orchid".

Personality
Yuki is generally a cheerful and comedic girl. She exhibits a strong attachment to her close friends. Her indecisive nature and reticence can be attributed to her insecurity regarding her missing history. She has a fear of vampires which means she rarely leaves the Cross Academy grounds on her own. She is protective over Zero and fears the fact that he might become a level E.

Appearance
152cm (at age 16). Yuki has red brown hair and brown eyes. As a human she was noted to be underdeveloped. Following her transformation to a vampire, her body rapidly began to mature and her short hair grew long overnight.

Background
Yuki was approximately 5 years old when Rido Kuran attacked the Kuran family seeking to take Yuki. 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 harboring deep feelings for him and the two had a close relationship.

Yuki had troubled nightmares nightly until 4 years ago, when Zero Kiryu 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 feed on a vampire classmate and as a human, Yuki believed she had no chance with Kaname and began to fear him a little, but her admiration for him remained.

Yuki's best friend is Sayori Wakaba whom Yuki calls "Yori-chan".

Plot Summary
Following her discovery of Zero's awakened nature as a vampire and his subsequent struggles with blood lust, Yuki chooses to go against taboo and allows Zero to feed upon her in secret. In order to prevent Zero running away, Yuki promises that she will be his ally and that she will kill him if he becomes a level E vampire. Yuki then meets Shizuka Hiou disguised as Maria Kurenai, who offers to allow Zero to drink his blood, thus preventing him from falling to level E, in exchange for either Yuki's blood or Kaname's life. After dancing with Kaname during the inter-class ball, Yuki decides that she cannot kill him, and that she will instead let Shizuka have her blood. However, Zero stops Shizuka from biting Yuki, saying that he does not want Shizuka to take anything away from him.

Troubled by the gap in her memory, Yuki attempted to ask Kaname to reveal what he knew. Kaname bargained the answer in return for her becoming his lover. Yuki admitted she loves him and agreed to his proposal, but when she didn't get an answer, she attempted to remember on her own, causing herself waking nightmares, at one point almost suffocating Zero. Kaname then bit Yuki and re-awakened her as a pureblood vampire and drinking his blood brought back the complete memories of her past. Yuki was reunited with Kaname as his sister and his betrothed.

Returning to her vampire self, Yuki exhibited the uncontrolled return of her vampire powers return and physical changes also occurred. Yuki chose to break her friendship with Zero, aware of the new antagonism between them, however Yuki retained her friendship with her best friend, Yori. Yuki began to sense the danger of Rido's revival and Kaname attempted to remove her from danger. Yuki refused to leave the school, but convinced Kaname to continue his own mission. Yuki's ignored the Artemis Rod's attempts to reject her vampire nature until finally it morphed into a new weapon as a scythe.

Yuki finally confronted her uncle, Rido, and almost fell prey to his words. Zero interrupted them by attempting to kill Rido. Yuki reconfirmed her vow to be Zero's ally despite being called his enemy. Though Zero attempted to remove her from the fight, Yuki managed to score the killing blow on her uncle. When Zero announced his intention to kill all purebloods, including Yuki, she decides to defend herself. Both fail to attack and Kaname interrupts their confrontation. Yuki prevents Kaname and Zero coming to blows and Kaname leaves.

Yuki confirms she is the same person she has always been and tells Zero that she only desires Kaname's blood. Zero confesses that he only desired her blood, and she allows him to drink her blood again. Zero reiterates his intention to kill Yuki and she declares she will run from him to give him a reason to continue living.

Yuki breaks down in despair over the position she is now in as Zero's enemy and she finally realizes Zero's true feelings for her. As she cannot change what she is, she resolves to lock up her pained heart instead. She collects her things including the Resin Rose, finally recalling Kaname's promise. She later thanks Kaname for remembering the promise she forgot. She leaves the Academy with Kaname but not before seeing Zero carrying his brother's body.

Upon their arrival at the Kuran mansion through a hidden entrance, Kaname confesses all his sins to Yuki. Yuki forgives Kaname's deeds and feels guilty for being the cause of these deeds.

During the year timeskip, Yuki starves herself refusing to drink as a normal vampire, forcing Kaname to pierce his own wrist to feed her. Aido tutors Yuki in school lessons and Ruka teaches Yuki the etiquette of a noble lady. She spends much time on her own while Kaname is out conducting his affairs. She has no contact with Yori and Kaien during that time.

Yuki finally admits to Kaname that her thirst cannot be sated by his blood alone and she has been unable to sever her attachment to Zero, but desires to stay by his side forever. She is upset when Kaname allows this telling her he welcomes anything from her including pain. He then tells Yuki that she should drink his blood as the punishment she wanted from him. Yuki once more meets Zero at the vampire peace party, only to find him as hostile as ever, but her spirits are lifted upon once again seeing Yori.

Following the suicide of a hunter who was bitten by a pureblood at the party, Yuki swears to investigate in order to protect her loved ones.

Trivia

 * As 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.'