Kelsey Ace (known as Hino Akane in Japanese) is a central 14-year-old middle school student in *Glitter Force*. She possesses dark red eyes and short red hair, usually in a ponytail with messy bangs swept to the right. Her everyday style features a loose orange long-sleeve top with pastel yellow stripes and red pockets over a dark red tank top, blue pants, and dark red flats. In summer, she wears a light orange tank top over an orange T-shirt, khaki shorts, white stockings, and tan shoes. She also accessorizes her school uniform with a red tie and an orange sweater tied around her waist. Her heroic identity is Glitter Sunny (Cure Sunny), the orange, fire-based team member. Transformation brightens her hair and eyes to orange, lengthening her hair into a loose style with a top bun featuring a white wing accessory. Her Glitter Sunny form includes a white tiara with an orange gem, matching helix-ear earrings, a burnt orange choker, and a pastel orange dress with burnt orange and white detailing. The outfit is completed by feathery white sleeves with orange spheres, an orange chest bow with a gold brooch, burnt orange shorts, and tall white boots with burnt orange ribbons. Additional modes alter her look: Tiara Mode swaps the tiara for a gold crown with a red circle, replaces the earrings with gold ribbon designs bearing orange hearts, and turns the wing gold. Princess Mode elongates her hair into a bow-like bun with curled locks, adds a halo, and overlays a ruffled cream dress featuring a pastel orange ribbon on the chest. Royal Mode further enhances the crown with red diamond gems, adds droplet earrings, lightens her dress colors, and incorporates a feathery cream cape, small wings below the brooch, gem-adorned wrist pieces, winged boot cuffs, and functional white wings. Kelsey exhibits a tomboyish, competitive, and passionate personality, often serving as the class jokester with a fondness for puns and light-hearted teasing. She demonstrates fierce loyalty and impulsive protectiveness towards friends. Her determination shines in volleyball, where she aims to become her team's ace attacker. While initially dismissive of overly cute or sentimental things, she harbors a soft spot for gorillas. Independence and focus make her reluctant to accept help, though she makes exceptions for those showing genuine enthusiasm, like Emily. Despite her confident exterior, she experiences fears, including heights and the villain Ulric. Her family runs an okonomiyaki restaurant, implying culinary skills, particularly in Japanese cuisine. Kelsey's core background centers on her strong bond with Emily. This friendship began when Kelsey assisted a nervous Emily during a classroom introduction on Emily's first day at Rainbow Hills Middle School. Later, while Kelsey struggled against a volleyball teammate named Jasmine, Emily offered support, leading to improved skills. During a subsequent practice, Ulric attacked, transforming a volleyball into a Buffoon and inducing despair. Witnessing Emily (as Glitter Lucky) overwhelmed, Kelsey intervened without powers. Her resolve to protect Emily summoned a Glitter Pact, enabling her transformation into Glitter Sunny and marking her official induction into the Glitter Force, where she learned to wield fire-based abilities. Her relationships are defined by loyalty and playful interactions. She shares a close, protective bond with Emily, whom she describes as a scatterbrain capable of seriousness. She frequently teases Lily but acknowledges her artistic talent, causing Lily to blush. With April, she maintains a friendly rivalry rooted in mutual athletic respect, often competing yet supporting each other. She admires Chloe for her academic excellence and leadership roles. As Glitter Sunny, Kelsey wields pyrokinetic powers and super strength, enabling feats like lifting Buffoons single-handedly or creating earthquakes with punches. Her signature attack, Sparkle Fire, involves charging her Glitter Pact to form a fireball, which she strikes like a volleyball spike. An upgraded version, Sparkle Fire Inferno, debuts later. Group attacks include Tiara Mode Torrent (using jewel-shaped Glitter Charms), Rainbow Burst (using Princess Wands in Princess Mode), and Royal Rainbow Burst (enhanced with Candy and the Royal Clock). Trivia notes include her name's etymology: "Kelsey" means "brave" or "ship's victory," while her Japanese name "Hino Akane" combines "sun field" and "madder red." She is the first fire-themed Cure in the franchise, and her attacks often incorporate volleyball-inspired movements.