TV-Series
Description
Ichiru Kiryu is the younger twin brother of Zero Kiryu, born into the prestigious Kiryu family of vampire hunters. His birth was marked by an unusual phenomenon linked to the hunter lineage, where twins often do not both survive gestation, as one typically absorbs the other's power and life force in the womb. In the case of Ichiru and Zero, this process was incomplete. Zero unconsciously absorbed a significant portion of their shared power before birth, leaving Ichiru born with a frail constitution and chronic poor health, while Zero exhibited prodigious talent and physical prowess.
As a child, Ichiru was deeply attached to his brother, often seeking Zero's presence and comfort, which he found reassuring. Despite this close bond, a deep-seated resentment began to grow within him. He was constantly aware of his own physical limitations, struggling to keep up with hunter training and frequently falling ill, while Zero excelled effortlessly. The emotional turning point occurred when Ichiru overheard his parents discussing their concerns about his future, concluding that he was unfit to become a hunter and lamenting his inadequacy compared to Zero. This revelation festered feelings of jealousy and abandonment, leading Ichiru to believe he was deemed worthless by his own family.
The tragedy that shattered the Kiryu family was orchestrated by the pureblood vampire, Shizuka Hio. On the night she attacked, Ichiru encountered her, and a pact was formed. Already consumed by his personal anguish, Ichiru agreed to help Shizuka exact her revenge on his parents. In the ensuing massacre, their parents were killed, Zero was attacked and turned into a vampire, but Ichiru was left unharmed. He then willingly left with Shizuka, becoming her devoted servant. During the four years he spent with her, Ichiru sustained himself by drinking Shizuka's pureblood, which not only cured his chronic illness but also granted him enhanced strength and abilities, effectively freeing him from the sickly body that had defined his childhood.
Ichiru's personality is a complex tapestry of contradictions. He is often outwardly calm, with a gentle and somewhat melancholic demeanor, yet this masks a core of profound sadness, bitterness, and a manipulative streak. He adored his brother and simultaneously loathed him for being everything he could not be. He loved Shizuka Hio, the vampire who destroyed his family, for showing him kindness and giving him a purpose. His actions are driven by a deep-seated desire for revenge, not only against those who wronged him or Shizuka, such as the pureblood Rido Kuran, but also a form of revenge against Zero. However, this antagonism masks a more primal wish to reunite with his twin, to fill the void left by the power he lost before birth. He is known for a cruel sense of humor and a tendency to mock others, yet he also displays moments of unexpected kindness and shyness, particularly concerning Shizuka and the vampire Maria Kurenai, to whom he shows a degree of protective concern.
Following Shizuka's death at the hands of Kaname Kuran, Ichiru seemingly aligns with Rido Kuran, enrolling as a student at Cross Academy. His role within the story shifts from a seemingly vengeful antagonist to a tragic figure on a suicide mission. It is eventually revealed that his alliance with Rido was a ruse; his true goal was to get close enough to the powerful pureblood to avenge Shizuka. He confronts Rido but is mortally wounded. In his final moments, he seeks out his brother, who has been imprisoned. Using an anti-vampire weapon, he shoots Zero, not to kill him, but to corner him into a desperate situation.
Lying mortally wounded in Zero's arms, Ichiru confesses his true intention. He explains that they were never meant to be two separate beings and begs Zero to drink his blood, which contains the potent power of Shizuka. By consuming his brother, Zero would complete the process begun in the womb, finally absorbing the remaining power and becoming whole, gaining the strength needed to destroy Rido. This act represents the culmination of Ichiru's development. His jealousy and hatred dissolve into an act of ultimate sacrifice. In his own mind, he finally achieves peace and oneness with the brother he never stopped loving, dying content that he has given Zero the power to survive and find freedom.
As a human sustained by pureblood, Ichiru possesses abilities that surpass ordinary humans. He is highly skilled with a katana, capable of fighting effectively. His most notable ability is not a unique power, but his function as a vessel. By ingesting Shizuka Hio's blood for years, he stored a vast reservoir of her potent power within his own bloodstream. His final, most significant act was to offer this power directly to Zero, transforming his own body into the means by which his brother could defeat a pureblood-level threat.
As a child, Ichiru was deeply attached to his brother, often seeking Zero's presence and comfort, which he found reassuring. Despite this close bond, a deep-seated resentment began to grow within him. He was constantly aware of his own physical limitations, struggling to keep up with hunter training and frequently falling ill, while Zero excelled effortlessly. The emotional turning point occurred when Ichiru overheard his parents discussing their concerns about his future, concluding that he was unfit to become a hunter and lamenting his inadequacy compared to Zero. This revelation festered feelings of jealousy and abandonment, leading Ichiru to believe he was deemed worthless by his own family.
The tragedy that shattered the Kiryu family was orchestrated by the pureblood vampire, Shizuka Hio. On the night she attacked, Ichiru encountered her, and a pact was formed. Already consumed by his personal anguish, Ichiru agreed to help Shizuka exact her revenge on his parents. In the ensuing massacre, their parents were killed, Zero was attacked and turned into a vampire, but Ichiru was left unharmed. He then willingly left with Shizuka, becoming her devoted servant. During the four years he spent with her, Ichiru sustained himself by drinking Shizuka's pureblood, which not only cured his chronic illness but also granted him enhanced strength and abilities, effectively freeing him from the sickly body that had defined his childhood.
Ichiru's personality is a complex tapestry of contradictions. He is often outwardly calm, with a gentle and somewhat melancholic demeanor, yet this masks a core of profound sadness, bitterness, and a manipulative streak. He adored his brother and simultaneously loathed him for being everything he could not be. He loved Shizuka Hio, the vampire who destroyed his family, for showing him kindness and giving him a purpose. His actions are driven by a deep-seated desire for revenge, not only against those who wronged him or Shizuka, such as the pureblood Rido Kuran, but also a form of revenge against Zero. However, this antagonism masks a more primal wish to reunite with his twin, to fill the void left by the power he lost before birth. He is known for a cruel sense of humor and a tendency to mock others, yet he also displays moments of unexpected kindness and shyness, particularly concerning Shizuka and the vampire Maria Kurenai, to whom he shows a degree of protective concern.
Following Shizuka's death at the hands of Kaname Kuran, Ichiru seemingly aligns with Rido Kuran, enrolling as a student at Cross Academy. His role within the story shifts from a seemingly vengeful antagonist to a tragic figure on a suicide mission. It is eventually revealed that his alliance with Rido was a ruse; his true goal was to get close enough to the powerful pureblood to avenge Shizuka. He confronts Rido but is mortally wounded. In his final moments, he seeks out his brother, who has been imprisoned. Using an anti-vampire weapon, he shoots Zero, not to kill him, but to corner him into a desperate situation.
Lying mortally wounded in Zero's arms, Ichiru confesses his true intention. He explains that they were never meant to be two separate beings and begs Zero to drink his blood, which contains the potent power of Shizuka. By consuming his brother, Zero would complete the process begun in the womb, finally absorbing the remaining power and becoming whole, gaining the strength needed to destroy Rido. This act represents the culmination of Ichiru's development. His jealousy and hatred dissolve into an act of ultimate sacrifice. In his own mind, he finally achieves peace and oneness with the brother he never stopped loving, dying content that he has given Zero the power to survive and find freedom.
As a human sustained by pureblood, Ichiru possesses abilities that surpass ordinary humans. He is highly skilled with a katana, capable of fighting effectively. His most notable ability is not a unique power, but his function as a vessel. By ingesting Shizuka Hio's blood for years, he stored a vast reservoir of her potent power within his own bloodstream. His final, most significant act was to offer this power directly to Zero, transforming his own body into the means by which his brother could defeat a pureblood-level threat.