Vampire Knight (ヴァンパイア騎士 ,Vanpaia Naito?) is a shōjo manga and anime series written by Matsuri Hino. The series premiered in the January 2005 issue of LaLa magazine and is still on-going. Chapters are collected and published in collected volumes by Hakusensha, with nine volumes currently released in Japan. The manga series is licensed in English by Viz Media. The English adaptation premiered in the July 2006 issue of Viz's Shojo Beat magazine, with the collected volumes being published on a quarterly basis.

Two drama CDs were created for the series, as well as a twenty-six episode anime adaptation. Produced by Studio Deen, the anime series' first season aired in Japan on TV Tokyo between April 8, 2008 and July 1, 2008. The second season, titled Vampire Knight Guilty aired on the same station from October 7, 2008 and December 30, 2008. The anime uses many of the same voice actors as were used for the drama CDs.

Synopsis
Yuki Cross's earliest memory is of a snowy night in winter, when she was attacked by one vampire and was saved by another, Kaname Kuran.Yuki is the adopted daughter of the Headmaster of Cross Academy, Kaien Cross, and has grown up and become a prefect for the school with one main purpose: for vampires to coexist peacefully with humans . Her fellow guardian, Zero Kiryu, a childhood companion whose parents were killed by a pure-blood vampire, is now determined to kill them all and refuses to trust them. Through a cruel twist of fate, Zero becomes a vampire himself, having been bitten by pure-blood vampire, Shizuka Hio, four years before. Now Yuki must help him fight his curse, as well as recover the lost memories of her past. She must also discover why Kaname, who leads the group of Night class (all of which are also vampires) at Cross Academy as their President, saved her that night and what deep dark secret he is keeping from her.

Which will you choose?

which one will you choose? kaname and yuki or zero and yuki?? for me i prefer kaname and yuki.. they are perfect for each other.. being a pureblood vampire.. even how cold or cruel kaname is yuki still love him.. well i guess that's what is meant by soulmate then.. when they found the person they were destined for.. all the sin and obstacles is forgotten.. the only thing that is important is the relationship and love.. poor zero.. for all the time he was alone..

Others

Headmaster Kaien Cross
Headmaster Kaien Cross (黒主 灰閻理事長 ,Kurosu Kaien Rijichō?) is Yuki's adoptive father, who also took Zero into his home for several years. Headmaster Cross dreams of peace between humans and vampires, and established the Night Class to promote understanding between the two races. Cross is shown to have a habit of provoking Zero and is eccentric in some ways, but he has a serious side as well.

The headmaster is revealed to have several secrets, including that he was a former vampire hunter. He knew both of Kaname's parents, who founded the Cross Academy peace treaty before their deaths, and feels indebted to them, in particular Juri Kuran, who had spared his life sixteen years ago after he had attempted to take away her life, not knowing then that she was pregnant with Yuki. So, Cross has always known that Yuki was a pureblood vampire, but chose not to reveal it.

During the defence of Cross Academy, Cross stands against the hunters from the Hunters Association, refusing to kill any vampires and intending only to protect the Night Class as they defend the Day Class, and asserts that he has no intention of allowing the hunters take Yuki. [9] His vampire hunter weapon appears to be some sort of sword [10], which he uses and tried to kill the President of the Hunters Association who had turned corrupt from drinking Rido Kuran's blood [11].

Voiced by: Hozumi Goda

Ichiru Kiryu
Ichiru Kiryu (錐生 壱縷 ,Kiryū Ichiru?) is Zero's younger twin brother. When they were younger, they were both taught by Toga Yagari to become vampire hunters. Ichiru, however did not seem to share Zero's natural ability and was often ill. Zero and Ichiru were very close as children, although later Ichiru claims to have hated Zero after overhearing that his parents preferred Zero over himself.

Because Shizuka recognized Ichiru felt the same pain she did, she chose not to kill him and makes him her devoted and loyal servant instead. She lets Ichiru drink her blood to strengthen him and cure his chronic ill health, although she does not turn him into a vampire and he remains a human. With Shizuka's death, he attends Cross Academy as a Day Class student by the orders of Shiki's father, Rido Kuran, and Zero's permission. Ichiru's reasons for siding with Rido appear to involve Rido promising Ichiru that he will kill those who killed Shizuka Hio.

When Zero is arrested by the Vampire Hunters Association, Ichiru visits him and appears to shoot him out of hatred. However, it is revealed that Ichiru was terribly wounded in an attempt to kill Rido, the one that Ichiru had actually been after because of his role in Shizuka's death. After he shoots his brother, Ichiru convinces Zero to "eat" his body so they can finally become one, as they were originally supposed to be. Ichiru states that he was happy that he was not dead in Zero's heart and when they hug, he says that he feels comfortable to be in his arms, recalling a time when the brothers slept in the same bed often and they were loved equally by their mother. After Ichiru's death, Zero appeared to grow vines, most likely from all of Shizuka Hio's blood that Ichiru had ingested [12].

Voiced by: Mamoru Miyano

Toga Yagari
Toga Yagari (夜刈 十牙 ,Yagari Tōga?) is currently the top ranked vampire hunter, as well as the one who trained Zero to be a vampire hunter. He lost his right eye trying to save Zero long ago when Zero's old school nurse turned out to be a level E vampire and tried to attack both Zero and Ichiru. Yagari told them to leave but in an attempt to help his teacher, Zero refuses and stays. It is during this time that the nurse goes for Zero, that Yagari stands in front of him and gets a blow to his face, losing his right eye. He appears at Cross Academy serving for a short while as a Night Class substitute teacher of Ethics, and to decide whether Zero is considered dangerous or not.

Yagari is shocked to learn the Council of Ancients' decision to punish Zero for the death of Shizuka Hio and later appears to arrest Zero for other charges.[13] Before leaving Zero, he gives him the Bloody Rose.[14] Yagari subsequently joins the Chairman to protect Cross Academy from the Hunters Association.

Voiced by: Hiroki Yasumoto

Shizuka Hio
Shizuka Hio (緋桜 閑 ,Hiō Shizuka?) is the pureblood vampire who bit Zero; even her fellow vampires are uneasy around her and refer to her as the "Madly Blooming Princess". A manservant whom she loved (a former human vampire, falsely classified by the Hunter's Association as Level E) was assigned to be killed by a Kiryu vampire hunter. Enraged and vengeful, she attacked the Kiryu family, killed Zero and Ichiru's parents, turned Zero into a vampire, and took Zero's twin, Ichiru, in as a devoted servant. She was originally Rido Kuran's fiancée, but they never married due to his disappearance and finally her death.

Because Shizuka's blood can prevent Zero from falling to Level E, Yuki risks her life for Zero to be able to drink Shizuka's blood. However, to protect Yuki, Kaname kills Shizuka and drinks her blood, leaving only a small amount for Zero to drink. Unfortunately the blood is drunk by Ichiru, who arrived to find Shizuka first. Before dying, Shizuka warns Kaname that he will live in darkness and has summoned a sinister future for himself.

Voiced by: Fumiko Orikasa

Maria Kurenai
Maria Kurenai (紅 まり亜 ,Kurenai Maria?) is a very distant relative of Shizuka Hio. She allows Shizuka to possess her body in exchange for being allowed to drink Shizuka's blood, which would strengthen her sickly body. Due to Shizuka's untimely death, this promise is never fulfilled. She seems to be fond of Ichiru, hugging Zero when she mistakes him for Ichiru, and asks Yuki to tell Zero that if he sees Ichiru, to tell him Maria wants to see him again. She returns to her family after Shizuka's death, and when she sends an owl out to search for Ichiru she witnesses Kaname's destruction of the Vampire Council, and proceeds to spread the news.

Voiced by: Mai Nakahara

Asato Ichijo
Asato Ichijo (一条 麻遠 ,Ichijō Asatō?) is Takuma's grandfather and a member of the Vampire Council. He wanted to become Kaname's guardian after the death of Kaname's parents, but Kaname did not accept. He allows Takuma to attend Cross Academy for the purpose of spying on Kaname. His age and demeanor brings fear to many vampires, though Aido and Ruka openly confront him when Asato implies his desire to drink Kaname's blood. Many people call him Ichiō-sama (First Elder).

Sara Shirabuki
Sara Shirabuki (白蕗 更 ,Shirabuki Sara?) is a beautiful pureblood vampire who first appears at a party held by the Aidou family, stating to Kaname that "We purebloods have to stick together". She is called on by vampire society to stop Kaname when it is assumed that he has gone mad after killing the Vampire Council.[15] Sara found Takuma Ichijou and says to herself that he "will be useful to get the information on what Kaname's plans are."

Rido Kuran
Rido Kuran (玖蘭 李土 ,Kuran Ridō?) is a pureblood vampire, Shizuka Hio's former fiancé, Senri Shiki's father, and elder brother to Haruka and Juri Kuran. He is the main antagonist of the story. According to Asato Ichijo, he is the true head of the Kuran family. Ten years ago, seeking to take the Kuran princess, Yuki, Rido killed his brother, Haruka. Kaname attempted to kill Rido, but found he was unable to and a triumphant Rido revealed that as the one who resurrected Kaname, he is Kaname's master[16]. Instead Kaname reduced Rido to the state where he required another pureblood vampire's blood in order to revive fully.

Secretly aided by the Ancient Vampire Council and the Hunters' Association, Rido manipulates events from the shadows by transferring his soul to other bodies and taking control. Rido possesses eyes of two different colors (crimson and blue), and when his soul is transferred to a different body, that body has the same eyes. When Rido takes possession of Shiki's body, he goes to Cross Academy. After a brief confrontation with Kaname and later Rima, Kaname gives his blood to Rido's body in order to restore Rido to his original body.

Ichiru reveals that Rido is the one who added Shizuka's ex-human lover to the list of Level E vampires to be liquidated by the Hunter's Association and attempts to kill Rido as revenge for Shizuka, but instead is mortally wounded. Following his true body's revival, Rido's vampires sense his revival and begin to attack the school students in order to capture prey for Rido to feed on. Rido attempts to compel Aido to feed upon him, but is thwarted by his niece. Seeing Yuki's resemblance to her mother, Rido changes his original desire from eating Yuki (in order to gain power) to taking Yuki as his lover as a replacement for Juri[17], who he loved but never wanted him. Rido's life comes to an end when he is defeated by Zero.

Voiced by: Tarusuke Shingaki

Juri Kuran
Juri Kuran (玖蘭 樹里 ,Kuran Juri?) is Yuki's mother and a pureblood vampire who resembles an older version of Yuki. Juri was the wife of Haruka Kuran as well as his sister since it is common for pureblood vampires to marry their siblings. Ten years ago when Rido Kuran (her oldest sibling) appeared, she erased five years of Yuki's memories and suppressed her vampire blood at the cost of her own life, because she wished for Yuki to be able to live as a human and to be able to smile like a normal girl. Headmaster Kaien Cross states that he is indebted to her, and it is revealed that she spared him his life after he attempted to murder her when she was pregnant. [18] Her last wish was for Kaname to look after Yuki.

Voiced by: Mariko Kouda

Haruka Kuran
Haruka Kuran (玖蘭 悠 ,Kuran Haruka?) is Yuki's father and a pureblood vampire. He is the brother and husband of Juri Kuran. It was stated that Haruka had been alive for nearly 3000 years and has known Juri for almost as long. He revealed that the Vampire Council was trying to use the status of pure blooded vampires and their powerful blood to serve itself. Before his death, he hugged Kaname and said that as a loving father, he did not want his child to enter the fight. He was killed by his older brother, Rido Kuran, in his attempt to stop Rido from killing Yuki ten years ago.

Voiced by: Hirofumi Nojima

The Main Characters

Yuki Cross Yuki Cross (黒主 優姫 ,Kurosu Yūki?) is the female protagonist of Vampire Knight. The adopted daughter of the headmaster of Cross Academy, Yuki is a first year student and a mem...

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The Supporting Characters

Sayori Wakaba Sayori "Yori" Wakaba (若葉 沙頼 ,Wakaba Sayori?) is Yuki's dorm-mate and best friend since junior high. Yori is a very perceptive girl who finds the aura of the Night Class to...

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