Kurogane, born Youou in feudal Japan's Suwa Province, was the heir of a regional lord and a shrine priestess guarding against demonic incursions. His youth revolved around rigorous combat training under his father’s stern guidance, fueled by devotion to his family and land. A cataclysmic demon invasion masterminded by Fei Wang Reed claimed his father in battle and pierced his mother through a portal’s blade. Consumed by fury, he slaughtered the remaining invaders while cradling her corpse until Princess Tomoyo quelled his rage with arcane intervention, offering him sanctuary as her warrior. Exiled to Yūko Ichihara’s realm to learn strength’s true nature, Kurogane bore a curse sapping his power with each unjust kill. To cross dimensions, he surrendered his ancestral sword Ginryū and allied with Syaoran and Sakura’s quest. Initially aloof and fixated on home, he gradually forged bonds, mentoring Syaoran in bladecraft and combat strategy while clashing with Fai D. Fluorite’s teasing—yet silently attuned to the mage’s hidden wounds. In Celes, he claimed the sentient blade Sōhi before severing his left arm to shatter Fai’s magical bindings, abandoning the weapon to prioritize comrades over might. Returning home in the "Spring Thunder" OVA, Princess Tomoyo unveiled his curse as a protective charm, cementing that true strength flows from restraint. She restored Ginryū, symbolizing his embrace of this wisdom. Revelations of Fei Wang Reed’s orchestration of his parents’ deaths as part of a multidimensional scheme hardened his resolve to thwart the sorcerer. Evolving into the group’s guarded protector, he balanced stern discipline with unspoken care, shielding Fai and Syaoran from their traumas. Post-quest, he wandered dimensions with Fai, Mokona, and Syaoran’s original self, his magically crafted arm a permanent reminder of sacrifices made. No longer confined by vengeance, he embraced his role as a wanderer safeguarding countless worlds.