Maria Kurenai

Maria Kurenai (紅 まり亜, Kurenai Maria) is a sickly girl who is a new Night Class student at Cross Academy. She is a very distant relative of the late Shizuka Hio.

The Meaning of her name: kurenai means "crimson." The kanji for the last a in Maria's given name is the same that is used in "Asia."

Appearance
Maria has a petite built and, like most vampires, has a pale skin complexion. She has grayish-purple hair and eyes. Her hair is long and straight, with a full dolly fringe at eyebrow length and a small bun adorning at the side of her head. She possesses beauty, like the rest of the vampire race, and in addition, is a long distant relative of Hio Shizuka, whom she bears a slight resemblance to. Maria dresses formally like most other aristocrat vampires.

Personality
Maria is a very fragile, feminine vampire. When she is first introduced she is possessed by her relative Shizuka and is displayed as haughty and cruel. However, her true personality is quite the opposite. She is very caring towards her friends and wishes to be seen as useful. Though she can show a competitive side when it comes to the Kiryu twins, she openly approaches Yuuki about her relationship with Zero. Maria has no problems with discussing her feelings and is quite honest.

She still harbors feelings for Ichiru and now shows interest in Zero who ate his brother to become fully powered.

History
She allowed Shizuka to possess her body in exchange to being allowed to drink Shizuka's blood, which would strengthen her sickly body. Due to Shizuka's untimely death, this promise was never fulfilled. Maria has returned to her family after the Shizuka incident. She possesses some affection for Ichiru, as she asked Yuki to tell Zero Kiryu that if he sees Ichiru Kiryu, to tell him Maria wants to see him again.

Plot
Maria is first seen in 14th Night in which the Headmaster asks Yuki Kuran to show her around Cross Academy when Maria enrolls as a Night Class student. At first Maria is unsure how to act at Cross Academy, remarking that Yuki looks tasty, to which the headmaster tells her that word is taboo at Cross Academy. Maria confesses to Yuki that she is scared that the other vampires won't like her as she is a sick and frail vampire, thus making her liable to insults or taunts. Yuki comforts her and hugs her, again remarking that she is tasty. She gives off a bad first impression to the Night Class - playful and fearless. Later, she rushes out of class to tell Yuki that she thinks she messed up with making friends.

Zero seems to recognize the dangers of the new vampire and as he confronts her, it is revealed that Shizuka Hio, the Pureblood Princess is in possession of Maria's body. When Yuki goes to Shizuka/Maria to offer herself in exchange for helping Zero, Shizuka then departs from Maria, and returns to her original body, leaving Maria unconscious.

Maria is seen again when she awakens in the infirmary. She mistakes Zero for Ichiru and embraces him, but after realizing her mistake, droops and says that if he really is Zero, then it is true that Shizuka must be dead. She reveals to Zero that an unknown individual is orchestrating these events from behind the scenes, and whoever that person is, is Zero's real enemy. She is then taken home by her parents, but she hopes to remain friends with Yuki.

Maria's reappears when using a bird's eyes while attempting to find Ichiru, she witnesses Kaname killing the council and advises her father of what occurred. She again later find out about Kaname's murder of Nagamichi Aido and is in the midst of asking her parents about it when Yuki comes to recruit her to the Night Class. A little stronger than she once was, thanks to Shizuka's blood, Maria accepts Yuki's offer of joining the Night Class. While at Cross Academy, Maria becomes interested in Zero due to his resemblance to Ichiru, and even goes so far as to ask Yuki if she can take him from her.

In 69th Night, she is also seen in her home, either with her parents or carers.

Powers & Abilities
She has the power to control birds and see through their eyes. She has accelerated healing and can erase memories like most vampires. In the anime, she and Shizuka Hio apparently have the ability to float.

In the Vampire Knight Official FanBook, it mentions her special ability as using weapons.

Shizuka Hio
Although Shizuka and Maria are distant relatives, Shizuka chooses Maria to be her vessel in order to hide her identity when she enters Cross Academy. Maria agrees to loan Shizuka her body both because she admires her, and also in exchange for some of Shizuka's blood, which helps heal Maria's sickly constitution.

Ichiru Kiryu
She loves Ichiru greatly. It is hinted that Maria may have romantic feelings for Ichiru. She appears to have spent a great deal of time with him while he was living with Shizuka and admired Ichiru's kindness toward her.

Zero Kiryu
Maria becomes attached to Zero after the death of Ichiru, claiming the two brothers are more alike than Zero realizes, and that the Ichiru she'd always been searching for resides inside of Zero.

Quotes
- "This class looks like fun! Say, shouldn't this class have started already?" (To the Night Class)

- "The hell? Excuse me boy, you think you can talk that way to me?" (to Hanabusa)

- "I took my prank too far...and now everyone hates me." (To Yuki)

- "How do you do? I'm Maria Kurenai." (To Zero)

- "''Yuki, will you believe me if I tell you I'm scared of transferring here? Everyone will probably ignore a frail vampire like me." ''(To Yuki)