Kaname Kuran

Kaname Kuran (玖蘭 枢 Kuran Kaname) is one of the main characters of Vampire Knight and a Pureblood vampire. He is one of the few Pureblood vampires still alive and the first pureblood introduced.

Character concept
Kaname was the third character design completed with a professional look. His personality was defined after Yuki's and he was created "as if there are no blanks left" unlike other characters still maturing, such as Yuki. . Matsuri Hino describes Kaname as possessing her bad side.

Name

 * "Kaname" means "hinge" or "door".
 * The kanji of Kuran, is a combination of the old fashioned way of writing ku, meaning "nine," and ran, meaning "orchid": "nine orchids". "Kuran" is the japanese pronunciation for "Clan."

Appearance
He shares a similar appearance with Haruka and Rido Kuran. Like Haruka and Rido, Kaname has brown-reddish hair and dark red eyes. Like all vampires, he has a pale complexion. Kaname wears his clothes like a gentleman. However, when he is wearing casual clothes, he is more careless about it. Although his uniform is always prim, proper and perfectly buttoned. In her side notes, Matsuri Hino admits that this was a slight detail she accidentally overlooked.

Personality
He is normally a stoic and authoritative individual, but is very kind, warm, and gentle to Yuki. This disposition bothers both Yuki and the Night Class vampires, who do not understand his favouritism towards her. He is very strict and often imposes discipline in a fierce way as being the dorm President, yet he is indulgent to Yuki. Kaname has acknowledged to Rido that he has a contrary nature, which leads him to both desiring to lock Yuki up and keep her to himself and 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. 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 because of the mysterious loss in his past. He is constantly solitary and plots as such also, making 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.

Kaname the Ancestor
Kaname is the ancestor of the Kuran family, one of the founders of vampires. Thousands of years ago, Kaname put himself into an eternal slumber and was recently awakened from his long slumber by Rido Kuran, his own descendent.

Revived Kaname
Due to his weakened state after reviving, Kaname transformed his body into that of a baby and supressed his memories entrusting his life to Haruka and Juri, who raised Kaname in place of the son that Rido had taken and killed. As children, Kaname and Yuki shared a close relationship, though Kaname was not especially outgoing around other children his own age. He first met Hanabusa, Akastski, and Ruka as children, but they did not form bonds with them until several years later, after the deaths of Haruka and Juri. Kaname severely wounded Rido during the attack on the Kurans, after he found he was to kill Rido as he was technically his master from having revived Kaname from his slumber. After temporarily dispatching Rido, Kaname took the now-human Yuki to Kaien Cross's house. Kaname himself was taken in by Takuma's grandfather, a man whom he mistrusted. During her childhood, Kaname frequently visited Yuki and remained a steady presence in her life. After Cross built the Academy, Kaien agreed to let Kaname decide everything that involved the school's vampires, Kaname lent his assistance in the creation of the Night Class and as a Pureblood, he helped maintain order in the Night Class, taking on the role of Night Class president. Kaname's presence at Cross Academy further allowed him to maintain contact with Yuki, though he left most of the responsibility of protecting and watching over her in Zero's hands.

Yuki Cross
Yuki is Kaname's descendant, sister and fiance.

The Hooded Woman
She is the woman from Kaname's deep past. Also one of the founder purebloods and strongly hinted to be Kaname's ex lover, she tore out her heart and threw it into the furnace as well as let hunters drink her blood.

Zero Kiryu
Kaname and Zero have disliked each other since their first meeting. They both show very strong feelings to Yuki and envy each other from time to time.

Hanabusa Aido
Hanabusa is Kaname's loyal friend and right-hand man.

Takuma Ichijo
Kaname lived with Takuma after his parents died, they have became good friends since then.

Ruka Souen
Ruka both loves and admires Kaname; however, Kaname does not return her affections. Despite this, Kaname trusts and respects her, and Ruka and Kain are the two Night Class vampires who Kaname chooses keep at his side and help with his plans after the death of Nagamichi Aido.

Powers
Like all pureblood vampires, Kaname is immortal and can heal from anything excluding an anti-vampire weapon wound to his heart or cutting off his head. Like all vampires he can absorb the powers from vampires whose blood he drinks. Kaname's powers have been listed as immeasurable. Kaname has demonstrated the following abilities:
 * Telekinesis powers
 * Erasing memories
 * Transformation his body into a bat or wolf
 * Creation of a shadow self in any form he chooses, such as a bat able to convey messages, himself and a wolf from which he can receive information instantly. His shadow form is also strong enough to carry another person and wields his telekinetic powers
 * Transformation of his body into a weapon
 * Control of multiple (noble) vampires by his command against their will
 * Changing the physicality of his body i.e. changing his body into an infant
 * Controlling anti-vampire weapons, in particular, Bloody Rose, dominating over its bearer.

Quotes

 * "We are 'bait', but if we remain constantly aware of that fact, we can have them wrapped around our little fingers." (referring to the Aristocratic vampires.) - 54th Night, pg 10 (Chuang Yi ed.)
 * “You have grown to be so beautiful, Yuuki. You have become so strong and refined, that it’s blinding... You have made me happy... Nothing has given me more joy, then to see you growing up... Thank you... Fly high Yuuki, and no matter how high you fly away, you will always be... The most precious girl in the world to me.” - Episode 25

=See Also=
 * Kaname Kuran Image Gallery
 * Kaname, Yuki, and Zero
 * How did Kaname become Yuki's brother?