Characters
Main article: List of Vampire Knight characters
Yuki Cross/Yuki Kuran (黒主 優姫 Kurosu Yūki/Kuran Yūki, 玖蘭 優姫) is the adoptive daughter of the headmaster of Cross Academy, Kaien Cross, and serves as a school guardian. Ten years prior to the start of the series, Yuki was attacked by a vampire, and rescued by another, Kaname Kuran. Having lost all memories prior to the attack, she was adopted by Headmaster Cross. After her best friend Zero's vampire nature started to reveal itself, she began giving him her blood to drink, hoping to halt the degradation of his human nature. Despite her dedication to her best friend, Yuki was in love with Kaname, the man whom had always been in her memories looking out for her. When Rido Kuran and his Clan of followers resurfaced at Cross Academy, it was revealed that all along, Yuki was unknowingly a pureblood vampire herself; Not to mention Kaname's sister and fiancée.The revelation of her pureblood status caused a deep rift between Zero and Yuki. She was now a pureblood princess, often approaching and offering her services to any suicidal purebloods. In spite of all of the strain and trials put between them, Yuki came to terms with her feelings and realized she loved Zero as well, but could not stray from the man who saved her life ten years ago.
Zero Kiryuu (錐生 零 Kiryū Zero), who is one year older than Yuki Cross,came from a family of vampire hunters. Four years prior to the beginning of the story, his parents and brother were killed by the pureblood vampire, Shizuka Hiou, after they followed orders to assassinate her lover. The now orphaned Zero was taken in by Kaien Cross and became a school guardian, alongside Yuki.Because of what happened to his family, Zero grew to have a deep hatred for all vampires. Despite his grudge, it was later revealed that in result of the attack, Zero had been turned into a vampire himself. As his ravenous side began to surface, his best friend, Yuki, began offering her blood to him, to subdue his true vampire nature. It was also later revealed that his twin brother, Ichiru, also survived the attack and was willingly living by Shizuka's side. Upon consuming Shizuka, and despite the undeniable tension between the two men, Kaname let Zero drink some of his blood to keep Zero from losing control of himself in order to protect Yuki. After Yuki was transformed into a vampire, his feelings for Yuki were revealed, he was indeed in love with her. But Zero and Yuki were now standing on opposing sides; Yuki being a pureblood princess, and Zero becoming the president of the vampire hunters.
Kaname Kuran (玖蘭 枢 Kuran Kaname), a Pureblood vampire and the current Head of the Kuran Clan who saved Yuki from an attack by a Level E vampire when she was five years old. Being the Night Class dorm leader and class president, he was highly respected by all of the other Night Class students. While he is cold and authoritative towards his fellows in the Night Class, he is always kind and sweet to Yuki, whom he refers to as his dear girl. From the beginning, it was revealed that he cared deeply for Yuki, and grew to love her, having been attached to her since she was born. Despite his cold feelings and anger towards Zero, he allowed the man to live, out of sympathy for Yuki, who cared deeply for him. Prior to Yuki's memory loss, Kaname was believed to be her brother, and at a young age, the two pledged to marry each other, just as their parents, who were siblings as well, had done. In truth, he was actually the ancestor of Kuran and had been resurrected by Rido Kuran to become his strongest slave, thus making Rido his "master". But he was indeed raised by Juuri and Haruka Kuran, as Yuki's brother, in place of the son that Rido took and used as a sacrifice to revive Kaname. He later became the leader of Vampire Society, pursuing peace between humans and vampires.
Rido Kuran (玖蘭 李土 Kuran Rido), A Pureblood Vampire, the elder brother of Juuri and Haruka Kuran, whom had ordered Zero's parents to kill his fiancee's (Shizuka Hiou) lover, a level D vampire. He resurrected the ancestor of the Kuran Clan by sacrificing the infant, Kaname Kuran, whom the vampire in the story took the identity of. Rido was in love with his younger sister, Juuri, and upon rejection and seeing her fall in love with Haruka, he fell into madness. Eventually, due to his instability, he mistook Yuki for Juuri, and attempted to drink her blood. Rido was later killed at hands the Zero and Yuki, but was shown to have a vestige remain of himself, because of his connection to Kaname.
