History Characters / Kurohime

* GroinAttack: As a result of [[YourCheatingHeart his cavorting with Kurohime]] (nothing happened) and her jealous nature, Aika takes Saika's [[IsThatWhatTheyreCallingItNow "most precious thing"]] from him, and won't return it until Kurohime is killed.

* YourCheatingHeart: Saika has a tendency to dip into this by flirting with other women. This didn't sit well with Aika, so she made sure he learned his lesson. ''[[GroinAttack Well.]]''

* AGodAmI: Initially thought to be her goal. [[spoiler:It's not, at least not in the way that people think it is, but it happens anyway.]]

* CameBackStrong: [[spoiler:Yashahime sacrifices her life to restore her to normal after her suicide via Sanzu River. Not only does this turn her back into Kurohime, but it purifies the Black God Tree into a White God Tree, allowing it to revive all the people whose souls she'd trapped in it.]]

* HoistByHerOwnPetard: [[spoiler:She captures Yamatohime in her weakened state and links her powers with her own, becoming the planet itself and beginning to evolve into a High God. Because of this, though, she is now bound to the planet like Yamatohime was, meaning that if the planet goes, so does she. Once Himeko is revived as Kurohime with the power of [[LaserSword the Ultimate]] [[{{BFS}} Sword,]] she takes advantage of this fact to kill Yashahime by splitting the ENTIRE PLANET IN HALF.]]

The most powerful witch of all time. Well-known for her power, beauty and cruelty, she disappeared years before the start of the story, in the middle of a quest to meet the challenge of the gods and become a god herself. The last time anyone saw her was when she rescued a young boy named Zero from bandits.

Her real goal was to become a god and kill the rest of them, due to their cruelty and callousness towards humans, with the incidental effect of making herself a villain so that humans would stop fighting to become gods themselves. Her disappearance is the result of her deification by the gods.

* AGodAmI: Initially thought to be her goal. [[spoiler:It's not, but it happens anyway.]]

* BeautyMark: She has two, one under the outside corner of each eye. [[spoiler:In keeping with the tragic life that this implies in most Japanese media, Kurohime has suffered immensely in her lifetime, growing up in a war-torn era and suffering great physical and emotional anguish to achieve her goals, only to fail miserably at the end of her first life.]]

* DarkIsNotEvil: [[spoiler: She's earned her bad reputation, but a lot of what she's done is focused on trying to free humanity from the yoke of the gods.]]

* HandicappedBadass: While her arm ''DID'' grow back after the battle, losing it didn't slow her down in the least.
* HiddenHeartOfGold: [[spoiler:Her real personality is much more subdued and less cruel than her inital appearance suggests.]]

* IcyBlueEyes: Fitting her cold, analytical personality.

* {{Jerkass}}: Arrogant, cold, and merciless.
* LadyOfBlackMagic: All the elegance and an obscene amount of power.

* PhysicalGod: [[spoiler:Becomes this in Chapter 40, when she's deified as Shirohime and the castoffs of her negative emotions are turned into Himeko.]]

* RageAgainstTheHeavens: [[spoiler:Her deicide plan is pretty much this in spades; she explictly cites the gods' cruelty as the primary reason that she's fighting to become one--so that she can kill all of them.]]
* RapunzelHair: Easily goes past her waist.
* ShesGotLegs: Long, well-proportioned, and often shown off in her outfits.

* StealthMentor: To [[spoiler: Ouka]], if the past is to be believed.

* ZeroApprovalGambit: [[spoiler:Develops her outward personality so that humanity would focus on that rather than attaining godhood.]]

TheHero of the story, a little girl who meets Zero while running away from bandits. She claims to be Kurohime, cursed by the gods into her current form and unable to feel love for others; when she feels love, she transforms into Kurohime, complete with immense magical power. [[spoiler:While this is true, it's more accurate to say that she's actually the 'leftovers' from the deification of the original Kurohime, namely her hatred and rage directed at the gods.]]

* AbsoluteCleavage: Her last outfit opens up fairly low and exposes a good bit of her chest.
* ActionGirl: As she gains more power, she demonstrates a marked increase in self-reliance; by the end of the story, she's approaching her original level of power.
* AllLoveIsUnrequited: [[spoiler:She's worried that her abandonment of Zero in the Past Arc has resulted in him spurning her love. Onimaru and Sword remind her that that isn't important.]]
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Twice. The first time is involuntary, as it's a side effect of Asura's time reversal scheme. The second time occurs after she commits suicide in Zero's arms; but she comes back...not right.]]
* BeautyMark: Like Kurohime, she has two, one under the outside corner of each eye. Aside from being obvious proof that she is Kurohime, it follows the use of the trope in Japan and acts as {{Foreshadowing}} for the many difficulties in her life--[[spoiler:Zero dies, she loses most of her memories of him, is forced to kill one of her closest allies, and nearly dies for good trying to save Zero from the worst parts of himself.]]
* BecomingTheMask: [[spoiler:The original Kurohime was cruel and cold, but her motives were more pure than outward appearances suggested. Himeko, lacking all of the positive aspects of her original's personality, is exactly the person that the original Kurohime pretended to be.]]
* BlackMagicianGirl: Bratty and snide, much like the trope requires, but lacking in the power to back it up initially. As she gets stronger, she resembles the trope much better.

* BrattyHalfPint: Her defining personality trait for the first arc of the manga; she's rude, demanding, and selfish towards others.

* CameBackStrong: [[spoiler:Yashahime sacrifices her life to restore her to normal.]]
* CameBackWrong: [[spoiler:Her revival after her suicide mentioned above? She's basically a walking Black God Tree Skeleton.]]
* CharacterDevelopment: Hints of it start to show up when Zero shoots himself to appease a couple of angry ghosts--she transforms into Kurohime, ''punches him in the face'', and cries a little as she tells him off for needlessly harming himself (though she frames it as him needing her permission to die). [[spoiler:Zero's death]] speeds this up, as it forces her to become self-reliant and actively seek her own way back into power; she also develops an upbeat, kind personality [[spoiler:that's markedly different from the original Kurohime's dour, reserved one.]]
* CuteBruiser: When she finally gets enough of her powers back, she maintains a cuter and lighter personality than she did as Kurohime, but is no less capable of handing her enemies a beatdown if they get in her way.

* FusionDance: Does this occasionally to avoid [[spoiler:trading her memories of Zero for temporary access to her full power.]]

* HealingShiv: She has access to a healing bullet.

* IHaveManyNames: Aside from being called Himeko or Kurohime, she's also been called hime, Himekojo, and Momohime.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler:Darkray, Yashahime, and Dark Zero have all done this to her.]]

* LackOfEmpathy: Having her ability to love cursed out of her [[spoiler:and being the incarnation of one person's single-minded hatred for gods]] has completely screwed her up emotionally.
* LaserGuidedAmnesia: In the first arc, as a result of losing her ability to love, she can't recall just why she hates the gods. [[spoiler:It doesn't help that she's only half of the original Kurohime, either.]] Later on, her memories act as a self-inflicted curse, since the pain of [[spoiler:losing Zero]] keeps her from using her full potential. [[spoiler:If she trades away memories of Zero, she can temporarily gain her full strength; completely forgetting him will allow her to permanently become Kurohime again.]]
* LaserGuidedKarma: A metric-fuck-ton of it. She killed countless people in her quest to become a god, and the price was being cursed into a child's body [[spoiler:and being stripped of her memories and half of her very personality]] on top of losing her ability to love.

* ManipulativeBitch: [[spoiler:Dark Zero calls on her this with regard to the Past Arc: she only befriended young!Zero because she was in love with him in the present. Complicating matters considerably is the fact that Dark Zero is actually young!Zero's older brother Rei.]]

** By attempting to support and protect Zero during the Past Arc, [[spoiler:she inadvertently winds up causing the real Zero's death and breaks Rei's heart.]]
** [[spoiler:Her decision to avoid killing Asura to complete the Ultimate Sword results in her own death, forcing Kairyuu to rewind time to let Asura undo the mistake.]]
* PluckyGirl: As she matures, she grows out of her bratty behavior and refuses to let anyhting keep her down for long.
* ThePowerOfLove: The only way to even temporarily break the curse. Also, she only agrees to help Asura if Yamatohime [[spoiler:resurrects Zero.]]
* ShootTheDog: [[spoiler:Hime ultimately ''DOES'' end the world. Of course, the world had been subsumed by Yashahime at that point so there wasn't much to save.]]

A good-hearted young man with fast hands and a strong sense of idealism and justice. Kurohime saved his life as a child, and he dedicated himself to fighting for justice afterwards.

He dies pushing Himeko out of the Sanzu River, breaking her heart and starting her on the road to becoming a better person. The goddess Yashahime resurrects him as the new Death God, Dark Zero, whereupon he reveals that he always had "a darkness in his heart". Himeko goes to the past to learn more about this darkness, and meets Zero and his older brother Rei. [[spoiler:A series of events nearly leads to Rei becoming a Death God; Zero sacrifices his life to save Rei from this fate...which eventually reveals that the Zero Himeko knows is in fact ''Rei''.]]

* BadassNormal: Keeps abreast of Kurohime thanks to his incredibly itchy trigger fingers.

* DeadPersonImpersonation: [[spoiler:Has been doing one of his younger brother Zero for the entirety of the manga, due to intense regret over how hiw own actions resulted in the real Zero's death.]]

* GenderBender: [[spoiler:Was reincarnated as a woman.]]
* GunsAkimbo: UpToEleven: He shoots ''four'' guns, not two.
* TheGunslinger: An even better shot than Kurohime.
* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler:When Yashahime transforms him into the Death God.]]
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:Himeko's suicide makes him realize that she really did love him, and his anguish causes the turn.]]

* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Makes one to get Himeko out of the Sanzu River, pushing her to shore as the waters boil him down to his skeleton.]]

* IconicItem: His scarf.

* KnightInShiningArmor: What he aspires to, and demonstrates pretty clearly. [[spoiler:This is a facade for a bitter, nihilistic, and emotionally scarred young man.]]
* LikesOlderWomen: He makes no effort to hide that he sincerely loves Kurohime.

* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler:Temporarily mimics his pre-Death God voice and self in order to make Kurohime hesitate.]]
* MeaningfulName: [[spoiler:"Zero" can be written as "Rei" in Japanese, hinting at his true identity the moment Himeko meets them both in the Past Arc.]]
* MoralityPet: [[spoiler:Post-mortem especially.]] Himeko's not a [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold complete jerk anymore]] but she wouldn't do many things if not for his sake.
* MyHeroZero: It's literally his name, and he's one of the central characters of the series, with talent belying his young age. [[spoiler:His name turns out to be foreshadowing for his true identity: "Rei", his real name, also means "Zero".]]
* NietzscheWannabe: [[spoiler:As Dark Zero, the new Death God]], his primary focus is on the destruction of the entire world.]]
* PrecociousCrush: He fell for Kurohime as a child. [[spoiler:It took a while, though--the real Zero cottoned to her immediately, but Rei was a major jerk.]]

* RedStringOfFate: Zero believes in this. [[spoiler:He thinks it's his embodied by his scarf, and he's so attached to it because Himeko gave it to him in the first place, even though he doesn't remember at first.]]
* ReincarnationRomance: [[spoiler:Has one with Himeko in the last chapter of the manga, where he's reborn as a princess and she's reborn as an outlaw gunslinger.]]

* ScarfOfAsskicking: He wears a long, blue-patterned one that tends to flutter around him as he does a lot of his gunslinging tricks. [[spoiler:Even as the new Death God, he keeps a hold of it.]]
* TakeOverTheWorld: [[spoiler: Decides to do this as the new Death God. In an interesting parallel to the original Kurohime, this is more a side goal--he would honestly prefer to destroy it.]]
* TroubledButCute: [[spoiler:Considering that he's really Rei, his life has been a complete shitshow--his mother was killed by bandits, his brother died to save his life, and the one other person that unconditionally loved him wound up abandoning him, albeit against her will.]]

* TheReveal: [[spoiler:His identity as the real Zero's older brother, Rei.]]

* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: [[spoiler:Literally. Even admits to Yamatohime that that's more or less why he's doing it.]]

* BecauseDestinySaysSo: [[spoiler: Her fate is to complete Yamato Senryuuto. She's not pleased with this plan at first, but thanks to ThePowerOfFriendship and her mother's apology, she comes to realize that she was the only one that was devaluing her life.]]

* HalfHumanHybrid: [[spoiler:According to her mother, the elder priestess of Asura's village, Asura is actually a human "blessed" with the power of Yamatohime. This is why she can serve as Yamatohime's sacrifice for the Yamato Senryuuto.]]

* MultiArmedAndDangerous: Much like her namesake, her true form has four arms.

* RapunzelHair: It's almost the same length as Kurohime's, reaching nearly to the ground, but bound up with a ring at the end.
* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler:For Yamatohime, to complete the Ultimate Sword. And it takes her awhile to stop being bitter about it.]]
* TheLancer: Her eventual role in Kurohime's group, acting as the more cynical, sharper foil to Kurohime's optimism.

!! Onimaru/Tsucchi
The former leader of the Onimaru Brigade and Kurohime's former [[TheDragon second-in-command.]] At some point, he was betrayed by her, and branded with the kanji for "dog" on his back; he swore vengeance on her shortly afterward, but despite his grievances with her, he's still unable to resist her beauty. Sword attempted to turn him into a snake minion, but his willpower enabled him to resist the change, causing him to turn into Tsucchi, a small, mute, lizard-like...thing.

* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:All his time spent off screen was him helping Kandata find people for the ark.]]
* ButtMonkey: Amusing things happen to Onimaru. Often. This includes being turned into Tsucchi, getting branded by Kurohime, and generally finding himself in a whole lot of trouble.
* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: He does this for Himeko in Chapter 78 [[spoiler:after Sword changes him back into his true form]], telling her to stop despairing about Zero and fight on instead.
* HeroicWillpower: Resists becoming a snake thanks to this.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Though it takes him a while, he eventually lets go of his remaining resentment and feelings toward Kurohime and encourages her to [[spoiler:save Zero from himself.]]
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Though he can be rough-mannered and brash, his experiences traveling with Himeko as Tsucchi soften him up a bit, and he eventually becomes one of her biggest supporters again after his betrayal.
* LovableSexManiac: Wanted to be a god so he could peep at girls.
* TheSmartGuy: He knows a lot of what's going on. Too bad he can't talk.
* TeamPet: Takes on this role when he's turned into Tsucchi.

!! Kashihime

An old rival of Kurohime's and the second member of the Kurohime Punishment Squad.

* DemonicPossession: She pulls this on Yuuka in order to get revenge on Kurohime, then attempts it against Kurohime herself, and fails.

* HellishPupils: They're catlike, and show when she's in possession of Yuuka as well as in her own original body.
* HotWitch: Whenever she possesses Yuuka, she dresses Yuuka's body to compliment this. Also, her own previously uncursed form.
* KickTheDog: She continually possesses Yuuka and risks her body against Kurohime for her own revenge.
* KilledOffForReal: Himeko literally [[CurbStompBattle rips her apart.]]

* TheRival: To Kurohime, specifically when she and Shirohime were still split.
* VainSorceress: Part of her grudge against Kurohime is because of how

* DemonicPossession: Barahime ''really'' liked being her, enough so to possess her ''twice''.
* GreenThumb: [[spoiler:Gains plant-based magic because of Barahime's possessions.]]
* CuteWitch: [[spoiler:Once she gains magic,]] she falls into this category, having a gentle nature and a nice sense of style.
* NiceGirl: She's polite and pleasant to everyone she meets.
* RapunzelHair: Her hair is long enough to reach the middle of her back at least.

* TouchedByVorlons: Gains the ability to shoot magic bullets as a result of Barahime's repeated possessions.

* BigGood: The remains of the forces of Oedo, plus O-yuki, Yukio and Asura [[spoiler: before she loses it]] are under his command so he qualifies.
* TheChewToy: In short order, he [[spoiler:all but loses his kingdom, his family, and his life fighitng to protect everyhing he cares about.]]

[[folder:Gods, Goddesses, and Affiliated]]

* BeautyIsBad: He may be handsome, but hoo, boy, he's as mean as they get. Human shields? Using his subordinates as pawns? Taunting and mocking his enemies as they struggle to defeat him? All in a day's work.

* KarmicDeath: Mocks love. Meets his death at the hands of someone who claims she loves him. ''Twice.'' One counts as HoistByHisOwnPetard.

* KilledOffForReal: After Yashahime strips him of [[spoiler:the skull that gives him powers]], she kills him, finding him pathetic.

The leader of the Death Angels and TheDragon to Darkray. [[spoiler:After Zero's death and the subsequent loss of her team, she becomes leader of the Kurohime Punishment Squad.]]

* AmazonBrigade: The Death Angels are an all-female group, and she's the one in charge of them. They're her closest friends and TrueCompanions.

* BodyGuardCrush: She has one of these on Darkray, and dislikes Shirohime because of how interested he is in her instead of Sword.
* BrokenBird: [[spoiler:Losing her close comrades]] because of Kurohime has left her with both a deep desire for revenge and a broken heart.
* TheCaptain: Sword is a capable leader when her emotions don't get the best of her, succesfully heading up both the Death Angels [[spoiler:and an anti-Kurohime group later on.]]

* DarkActionGirl: She's aggressive and confident on the battlefield, and won't hesitate to throw down with anyone in her way.

* EnemyMine: [[spoiler: Helps Kurohime kill Venus in the past and faces off with her against Yashahime in the Present/Future arc... [[EvenEvilHasStandards because NO ONE should have to face Yashahime ALONE.]]]] She also decides to help her fight [[spoiler:Dark Zero.]]

* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:Effectively works her way into one of these as the manga nears its conclusion. It takes her longer, and she is not quite as willing to let it go, but ultimately she quits holding her grudge in such high priority since Kurohime living will help solve the more ''[[ApocalypseWow IMMEDIATE]] [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt problems]]'' at the moment.]]

* NeverMyFault: Though Kurohime did interfere with her work, there are certain things (specifically, the death of her teammates) that Kurohime was absolutely not responsible for that she holds a grudge over anyway.
* OurAngelsAreDifferent: And they can be combined.
* PainfulTransformation: As a result of being a [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot vampire werewolf.]] She also has UnstoppableRage when utilizing the form.

* ThePowerOfBlood: Powers her natural form and appearance once she becomes a vampire.
* SleepModeSize: After becoming a vampire, she can't maintain her normal size and appearance without blood, and often is found in a FunSize child form.
* SupernaturalGoldEyes: The eyepatch she wears conceals one of these, which is a mark of her vampire/werewolf powers.
* TrueCompanions: The Death Angels and the Kurohime Punishment Squad are this for her.

* CuteMonsterGirl: They all have wings as well as cl

* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:For Sword, since Darkray decides to dispose of her while fighting Kurohime. They ensure she lives but they die in the process.]]
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler: Darkray kills them via impalement.]]

* OurAngelsAreDifferent: They serve the God of Death and are directly referred to as 'Death' Angels, after all.
* PetTheDog: Their sacrifice for Sword. Also, Lance admits that she finds Zero's affection for Himeko to be genuinely sweet... not that it changes what she plans to do to him.

* VoluntaryShapeshifter: They all have the ability to pull this off, turning into weapons that match their names.

!!O-yuki and Yukio

* BeautifulAllAlong: Yukio--he initially appears to be very yeti-like, but actually looks like a handsome man.

* CollectorOfTheStrange: O-yuki used to collect bishounen as a hobby. Considering her own previous thoughts to do so, even Himeko comments on how creepy it is.

* DefrostingIceQueen: O-yuki. Aside from a literal case of it when Kurohime melted her, she becomes much more open and kind after realizing how much Yukio means to her, and her to him.
* FusionDance: The two of them can combine to perform some rather impressive snow magic as O-yuki or throw houses around as Yukio.
* HeelFaceTurn: After Himeko helps O-yuki notice Yukio's worth, they help her fight off Yashahime.

* JustTheWayYouAre: It takes O-yuki awhile to grasp that Yukio genuinely does love her, iciness and all.
* LoveMakesYouEvil: Yukio willingly goes along with O-yuki's schemes for Himeko because he oves her. Himeko plays along to preserve his dignity.
* LoveMartyr: Yukio suffered this for a while--he was so devoted to O-yuki that he'd do anything she asked of him.

* OlderThanTheyLook: Even before becoming childlike, O-yuki and Yukio were many centuries old.

The High Goddess of earth and lover of Darkray. [[FridgeHorror Eek.]]

* AxCrazy: Has to stab herself to keep from killing Kurohime outright.
* BigBad: Rises to this spot over time, as she most actively aims to destroy the Spirit Kings and kill Kurohime.

* EvilCounterpart: To Kurohime and Sword. Like them, she is an incredibly powerful woman empowered by her emotions. While the former is motivated by love of humanity and later Zero, and the latter is motivated by love of Darkray, Yashahime's real motivations are madness and [[OmnicidalManiac love of killing.]]

* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: [[spoiler:Thanks to the [[LaserBlade Ultimate Sword.]] Sadly, it didn't take. [[EarthShatteringKaboom The first few times, anyway]].]]
* HoistByHerOwnPetard: [[spoiler:She captures Yamatohime in her weakened state and links her powers with her own. Since Yamatohime is linked to the planet. Yashahime becomes the planet itself making her all powerful. When Kurohime gains the planet slaying sword, she claims that it'll kill Yamatohime in the process...only for Yamatohime to offer up her life to help power the sword. Eliminating that stop gate and giving Kurohime the all clear to finish off Yashahime for good.]]

* [[JerkassGod Jerkass Goddess]]

* KimonoFanservice: Whoever her tailor and seamstress is, [[CostumePorn they kick ass.]]

* MadLove: She has this for Darkray, stalking him everywhere and showing a ''dangerous'' interest in other women that get near him. [[spoiler:After she kills him, this transfers over to Zero.]]

* OhCrap:[[spoiler:When she realizes that, yes, Kurohime really IS going to [[EarthShatteringKaboom SLICE THE ENTIRE WORLD IN HALF]] and [[ShootTheDog no]], [[ShutUpHannibal she will NOT be talked out of it]].]]

* PlanetEater: [[spoiler:As one of the Gods of this setting, this is quite literally the reason she exists; she's fueled by power from the earth, and eventually subsumes the whole planet.]]

* SatelliteCharacter: Take away her love of Darkray and she's a just violent maniac with way too much time on her hands. Not that she isn't still creepy as hell.

* WeCanRuleTogether: With the GrimReaper. [[spoiler: NEITHER of them are interested.]]

* BrokenBird: Due to the loss of her father as a child, Ouka is cold and standoffish, even to her allies.
* ColdSniper: Can shoot with a level of precision that even Himeko admits she can't match.
* EarlyBirdCameo: [[spoiler:Remember that kid who tried to stab Kurohime with a dagger? Yeah, that was Ouka.]]

* {{Forgiveness}}: [[spoiler:She ultimately decides to forgive Kurohime for killing her father, though only after realizing [[RageAgainstTheHeavens the karmic burden that Kurohime is shouldering by way of how she's trying to unite the world.]]]]
* TheGunslinger: A skilled sniper, witch and generally capable of handling other weapons.
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:In a similar vein to Sword. As Ouka sees it though, nothing they could do to Kurohime could be worse than what she's doing to ''herself,'' which generally takes the wind out of revenge's sails.]]

* StableTimeLoop: [[spoiler: When Ouka tries to save her father from dying in the past, he attacks her and her witch-beast kills him in her defense. In front of her younger self's eyes.]]
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Her hair is literally blue.
* YouKilledMyFather: To Kurohime. [[spoiler: The second time around, Ouka does it herself. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Oops.]]]]

* ButtMonkey: Saika has been subjected to a number of humiliations over the course of the series; Kurohime defeats him handily, and then Aika castrates him for it.

* DisabledLoveInterest: Aika is blind. She was often accosted and attacked because of it. Saika counts this as a plus since she will love him no matter what he looks like.

* GroinAttack: As a result of [[YourCheatingHeart his cavorting with Kurohime]] (nothing happened) and her jealous nature, Aika takes Saika's [[IsThatWhatTheyreCallingItNow "most precious thing"]] from him. He's still walking around so [[OnlyAFleshWound it couldn't have been that bad.]]

* OneWingedAngel: Apparently all Death Gods must be male, as the Materen decide to turn Saika into a {{Shinigami}} in the Past Arc. Kurohime and co. manage to turn him back though.

A young, angry boy from the past. Zero's [[spoiler: older twin]] brother.

* DisneyDeath: [[spoiler:Zero [[HeroicSacrifice has Hime resurrect him so that he can sacrifice his body and soul]] to keep the shinigami from possessing the barely living Rei again.]]

* PleaseDontLeaveMe: [[spoiler: His mother's soul.]] And later, [[spoiler:when Hime returns to bring him his iconic scarf. An even bigger TearJerker because this is the moment that Hime (and the reader) [[FridgeHorror realizes]] that after she leaves him this time, Rei will be alone for the next ten years.]] [[WhatTheHellHero He brings it up]] the next time [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice he sees her.]]]]
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Realizes that past!Zero, in the last moments of his life, was trying to direct Rei from danger, not ask for his help. [[DrivenToSuicide Shoots himself through the stomach]] when he realizes [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone he left his younger brother to die for no reason.]]]]
* SealedEvilInACan: [[spoiler:A piece of shinigami attached to his body. His anger [[OneWingedAngel eventually released it,]] and Zero had to die for real in order to make sure that Rei didn't destroy the world right then and there.]]

* TraumaCongaLine: Whoo, boy, Rei's been through it. Dead mother, abuse from his foster father, [[spoiler:a dead brother, directly because of his recklessness and rage, and being unwillingly abandoned by the girl he fell in love with for 10 years]]...

* TheAtoner: [[spoiler:After he is killed, he becomes Kandata, the ferryman of the Styx, to try and figure out why Rei spared him. In the process, he makes up for his misdeeds by helping out Himeko and the others, not only at the river Styx but also by turning back time to let Himeko get a second shot at saving Rei.]]
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:Made an ark out of his and Kairyu's bones to help save the last living humans.]]
* EarlyBirdCameo: [[spoiler: Every time Kandata appears, we're seeing Doc.]]
* {{Greed}}: His motive for just about everything he does. If it makes him money, he's on it.

* EyepatchOfPower: [[spoiler:When he reappears in the present-day]]

* MrFanservice: He's tall, muscular, and wears an outfit that shows off those attributes well. [[spoiler:Ten years later, he's grizzled and missing an eye, but still hot.]]

!! The Spirit Kings

* BadassBeard: Genbu sports a long, white WizardBeard.
* BenevolentBoss: All of the Spirit Kings react favorably to Asura, another younger spirit. Also, they could have just killed the humans.
* {{Bishounen}}: Byakko's human form is tall, fit, and well-muscled.
* {{BFG}}: The Spirit Kings make ''[[HandCannon Senryuu]]'' even '''BIGGER.'''
* BlowYouAway: Seiryuu. [[spoiler: Actually, from what he says, his power, TimeStandsStill, seems more like void than wind.]]
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Seiryuu's oddly goofy for a fountain of wind power, speaking relatively casually and otherwise acts very unlike a deity.
* CoolOldGuy: Genbu's got a calm and easygoing personality, fitting the appearange given by his long beard.
* DishingOutDirt: Byakko grants control over earth, but especially powerful steel, once he's incarnated into Senryuu.
* EarlyBirdCameo: [[spoiler:Kairyuu, the Sea Dragon that allows time travel, is another form of Seiryuu.]]
* ElementalPowers: Each King is associated with a different element: fire and life for Yamatohime, water for Genbu, earth for Byakko, and wind for Seiryuu.

* HumansAreBastards: More than the gods enslaving them, the humans corrupting the land and polluting it hurts the Spirit Kings like hell.

* InstantArmor: Genbu's bullets can also be used to manifest this. Not even Yashahime can pierce his shell.
* LifeEnergy: Collectively, they ''are'' the world's life energy, especially Yamatohime. [[spoiler:If she dies or is subsumed, the planet goes with her.]]
* KingInTheMountain: Literally in two cases, and one where he kind of ''[[TurtleIsland is]]'' the mountain.
* MakingASplash: Genbu's water powers.
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: Seiryuu. [[spoiler:The Sea Dragon that he first appears as is more like a giant whale than a dragon.]]
* PantheraAwesome: Byakko's chosen form is a tiger.
* PetTheDog: All four eventually come to Himeko's aid in different ways, acknowledging the depth of her feelings for Zero and wanting to support her, sometimes even before they realize what she's up to. Genbu actually doubles his moment by also helping out for the sake of Asura.
* ThePhoenix: Yamatohime's motif, due to being associated with fire and flames.
* PlayingWithFire: Yamatohime's associated element is flame.
* PowerGivesYouWings: Seiryuu sports a pair on his true form as [[spoiler:the miniaturized Sea Dragon.]]
* SealedGoodInACan: All four Kings serve as this to the planet at large, as their lives sustain it.
* SecretTestOfCharacter: They each put Himeko through one of these in order to test if she's worthy of taking their power. She passes all of them.
* SleepModeSize: [[spoiler:As a result of sealing her powers even further, Yamatohime shrinks.]]
* ThisIsADrill: When Kurohime manifests Byakko in Senryuu, she shoots drill bullets.
* TimeStandsStill: [[spoiler:This is how Seiryuu uses wind and air, which explains his powers as the Sea Dragon; by stilling it, he stops time, and can in fact reverse time by reversing the flow of air.]]

%%* PhysicalGod: [[spoiler:Becomes this in Chapter 40.]]

%%* RageAgainstTheHeavens: [[spoiler:Her deicide plan is pretty much this in spades.]]

TheHero of the story, a little girl who meets Zero while running away from bandits. She claims to be Kurohime, cursed by the gods into her current form and unable to feel love for others; when she feels love, she transforms into Kurohime, complete with immense magical power. While this is true, it's more accurate to say that she's actually what was left over from the deification of the original Kurohime, namely her hatred and rage directed at the gods.

%%* AbsoluteCleavage: Her last outfit.

%%* BrattyHalfPint: Her defining personality trait for the first arc of the manga.

%%* CuteBruiser: When she finally gets enough of her powers back.

%%* IcyBlueEyes: The same as her older, un-cursed form.

%%* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: It takes her awhile to get out from under this.
%%* PluckyGirl

* SmallGirlBigGun: As the smallest Himeko, due to Senryuu's size.

He dies pushing Himeko out of the Sanzu River, breaking her heart and starting her on the road to becoming a better person. The goddess Yashahime resurrects him as the new Death God, Dark Zero, whereupon he reveals that he always had "a darkness in his heart". Himeko goes to the past to learn more about this darkness, and meets Zero and his older brother Rei. A series of events nearly leads to Rei becoming a Death God; Zero sacrifices his life to save Rei from this fate...which eventually reveals that the Zero Himeko knows is in fact ''Rei''.

%%* {{Bishonen}}: Very much so, [[spoiler:especially after becoming the next Death God.]]
%%* DeadPersonImpersonation: [[spoiler:Of his younger brother Zero.]]

%%* IconicItem: His ScarfOfAsskicking.

* MeaningfulName: [[spoiler:"Zero" can be read as "Rei."]]

%%* MrFanservice
%%* MyHeroZero: [[spoiler:Which turns out to be foreshadowing for his true identity, as explained under Meaningful Name above.]]
%%* NietzscheWannabe: As [[spoiler:Dark Zero.]]

%%* ReincarnationRomance: [[spoiler:With Himeko.]]

%%* ScarfOfAsskicking: Zero loves his scarf. [[spoiler:Even as the new Death God.]]

%%* TheBigGuy: She's also TheLancer.

%%* MultiArmedAndDangerous: Her true form.
%%* PlayingWithFire: In her true form.
%%* RapunzelHair: Almost the same length as Kurohime's.

* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:Helped Kandata find people for the ark.]]
* ButtMonkey: Amusing things happen to Onimaru. Often.
%%* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: Does this to Himeko. [[{{Stripperiffic}} With Zero's scarf.]] He does it again in Chapter 78 [[spoiler:after Sword changes him back into his true form.]]

%%* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Himeko.
%%* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: For a warlord, he's a decent guy.

%%* TeamPet: As Tsucchi.

%%* DemonicPossession: Of Yuuka. Fails against Kurohime.
%%* GreenThumb
%%* HellishPupils
%%* HotWitch: When she possesses Yuuka. Also, her own previously uncursed form.
%%* KickTheDog: Her repeated possession of Yuuka.

%%* MeaningfulName: ''The Rose Princess.''

%%* VainSorceress

%%* DemonicPossession: Barahime ''really'' liked being her.
%%* GreenThumb
%%* HotWitch
%%* NiceGirl
%%* RapunzelHair
%%* RedOniBlueOni: She's the blue to Himeko's red.

%%* TheChewToy: Only Tsucchi seems to have it worse than him.
%%* TheChick: He's easily the most awed by the things happening around him.

%%* JamesBondage: How we meet him.
%%* KatanasAreJustBetter: Being from Oedo, he's pretty skilled with one of these.

%%* {{Samurai}}

%%* TroubledButCute: Being in charge is starting to get to him.

The goddess of Love and Kindness.She's the "positive" half of the original Kurohime, embodying all of her positive feelings toward humanity.

%%* TallDarkAndSnarky

The leader of the Death Angels and TheDragon to Darkray.

%%* AmazonBrigade: Led one.
%%* AmbiguouslyBrown
%%* AntiVillain
%%* BodyGuardCrush: To Darkray.
%%* BrokenBird
%%* TheCaptain: Sword is a capable leader when her emotions don't get the best of her.

%%* DarkActionGirl

%%* EquippableAlly
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:Effectively. It takes her longer, and she is not quite as willing to let it go, but ultimately she quits holding her grudge in such high priority since Kurohime living will help solve the more ''[[ApocalypseWow IMMEDIATE]] [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt problems]]'' at the moment.]]
%%* LoveMartyr: To Darkray.

%%* MsFanservice: Good lord, yes.

%%* PluckyGirl: She and Kurohime are NotSoDifferent in this regard.

%%* WingedHumanoid
%%* {{Yandere}}: To Darkray.

%%* AbsoluteCleavage
%%* AmazonBrigade
%%* AnAxeToGrind
%%* BladeOnAStick
%%* ChainmailBikini
%%* {{CuteMonsterGirl
%%* DarkSkinnedRedhead
%%* DropTheHammer
%%* EpicFlail
%%* {{Fanservice}}
%%* HeroicSacrifice: For Sword.
%%* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: Their deaths.
%%* KnifeNut
%%* LivingWeapon
%%* MeaningfulName
%%* OurAngelsAreDifferent

%%* SinisterScythe: Their default melee weapons.
%%* {{Stripperiffic}}
%%* TrueCompanions
%%* VaporWear
%%* VoluntaryShapeshifter
%%* WeHardlyKnewYe
%%* WingedHumanoid

%%* BadassAdorable
%%* BeautifulAllAlong: Yukio. HeCleansUpNicely.
%%* BrokenBird: Being a snow goddess can make making friends a little difficult.

%%* CuteBruiser
%%* DefrostingIceQueen: O-yuki. Literally, at one point.

%%* LoveMakesYouEvil: Yukio. Himeko plays along to preserve his dignity.
%%* LoveMartyr: Yukio for awhile.

%%* OlderThanTheyLook

%%* BigBad

%%* DarkActionGirl
%%* DishingOutDirt

%%* EvilGloating

%%* LightIsNotGood
%%* LoonyFan: And [[DarkActionGirl SHE'S]] the stronger one.
%%* MadLove
%%* MultiArmedAndDangerous
%%* NeverMyFault: Even when it very clearly is.
%%* NoblewomansLaugh: Rounds out her irritating and psychopathic image quite nicely.

%%* PlanetEater: [[spoiler:As one of the Gods of this setting, this is quite literally the reason she exists.]]
%%* PsychopathicManchild: Type C and D.

%%* SlasherSmile: When she's feeling good about it.
%%* TheSociopath

%%* WhenTreesAttack

%%* BrokenBird
%%* ColdSniper: Himeko admits even she can't do that.

%%* TheGunslinger

%%* HotWitch

%%* YouGottaHaveBlueHair

%%* {{Bishounen}}
%%* ButtMonkey: Saika.
%%* TheCasanova: Saika. Unfortunately, he forgot his girlfriend is a ClingyJealousGirl.

%%* DudeLooksLikeALady: Saika.

%%* FashionableAsymmetry: Aika.

%%* HandicappedBadass: Aika.
%%* HotWitch
%%* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Saika: proud, narcissistic pretty boy jerk, but so very in love with Aika.
%%* LoveRedeems

%%* SuckMyRose

%%* UnholyMatrimony
%%* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Saika.
%%* YourCheatingHeart: Saika learned his lesson. ''[[GroinAttack Well.]]''

%%* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:Because RedemptionEqualsDeath.]]

%%* JerkassWoobie
%%* LoveEpiphany: Re:[[spoiler: Hime.]]

%%* MySiblingWillLiveThroughMe: [[spoiler:How he chooses to honor Zero's memory.]]

%%* TomatoInTheMirror: [[spoiler:Rei IS [[MyHeroZero "Zero."]]]]
%%* TraumaCongaLine: And it keeps going around and around...
%%* TroubledButCute: ''' YES.'''

%%* EarlyBirdCameo: [[spoiler: Every time Kandata appears.]]
%%* {{Greed}}: His motive for just about everything.

%%* TooDumbToLive: It's easy to count on one hand the things in the Past arc that aren't his fault.

%%* BadassNormal
%%* BigBrotherMentor: To Rei and Zero.
%%* EyepatchOfPower
%%* TheGunslinger
%%* InTheHood: When he leaves Doc.
%%* LaserGuidedKarma: Kills [[spoiler: Doc]] when [[spoiler: Rei]] doesn't because, really, [[IDidWhatIHadToDo it needed to be done.]]
%%* MrFanservice: Homina, homina, homina... [[spoiler:Ten years later, grizzled, missing an eye but still hot.]]
%%* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Raida or Rider?
%%* UglyGuysHotDaughter

%%* BadassBeard: Genbu's WizardBeard.

%%* {{Bishounen}}: Byakko's human form is quite fit.

%%* BunnyEarsLawyer: Seiryuu's oddly goofy for a fountain of wind power.
%%* CoolOldGuy: Genbu.
%%* DishingOutDirt: Byakko.
%%* EarlyBirdCameo: Remember [[spoiler: [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Kairyuu?]]]]
%%* ElementalPowers: Duh.

%%* InstantArmor: Genbu. Not even Yashahime can pierce his shell.
%%* LifeEnergy: They are the world's life energy, especially Yamatohime. She creates the sun, for crying out loud.

%%* MakingASplash: Genbu.
%%* OurDragonsAreDifferent: Seiryuu. Very different.
%%* PantheraAwesome: Byakko.
%%* PetTheDog: All four eventually come to Kurohime's aid, sometimes even before they realize what she's up to. Genbu actually doubles his moment by also helping out for the sake of Asura.
%%* ThePhoenix: Yamatohime.
%%* PlayingWithFire: See above.
%%* PowerGivesYouWings: Seiryuu [[spoiler: aka Kairyuu after TheReveal.]]
%%* SealedGoodInACan
%%* SecretTestOfCharacter: Kurohime manages to impress all of them.

%%* TimeStandsStill: [[spoiler:This is how Seiryuu uses wind and air.]]
%%* TurtleIsland: Genbu.

* WideEyedIdealist: Definitely lives, breathes, and owns the part. [[spoiler: However, he was, at least on some level, doing it to honor the real Zero]]. Since becoming the nihilistic GrimReaper hasn't dampened his belief in fated love, he may have it honest.]]

* {{Stripperiffic}}: The outfit she initially attacks [[spoiler:Ouka's father]]'s castle in, which can be described, among other things, as "Battle-Geisha-Stripper". Includes AbsoluteCleavage, BareYourMidriff, GiantPoofySleeves, GiantWaistRibbon, KimonoFanservice, ShowgirlSkirt,{{Sideboob}}, {{Underboobs}}, and ZettaiRyouiki.

* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: Uses the souls of the dead and the living as shields, mocks Kurohime and Zero, impales Kurohime, and tells his most loyal follower to her face that her love for him means absolutely nothing to him, after impaling her as well. The last one could count as his MoralEventHorizon since until then it was understood that gods cared about each other.

* SelectiveObliviousness: She seems to be completely incapable of thinking that the Death God is not in love with her despite saying herself that the Death God cares for no one, [[FridgeLogic which would logically include her.]]

[[spoiler:Her real goal was to become a god and kill the rest of them, due to their cruelty and callousness towards humans, with the incidental effect of making herself a villain so that humans would stop fighting to become gods themselves. Her disappearance is the result of her deification by the gods.]]

* [[PhysicalGod Physical Goddess]]: [[spoiler:Becomes this in Chapter 40.]]

* RageAgainstTheHeavens: [[spoiler:Her deicide plan is pretty much this in spades.]]

TheHero of the story, a little girl who meets Zero while running away from bandits. She claims to be Kurohime, cursed by the gods into her current form and unable to feel love for others; when she feels love, she transforms into Kurohime, complete with immense magical power. [[spoiler:While this is true, it's more accurate to say that she's actually what was left over from the deification of the original Kurohime, namely her hatred and rage directed at the gods.]]

* AbsoluteCleavage: Her last outfit.

* BrattyHalfPint: Her defining personality trait for the first arc of the manga.

** CameBackStrong: [[spoiler:Yashahime sacrifices her life to restore her to normal.]]

* CuteBruiser: When she finally gets enough of her powers back.

* HealingHands: She has access to a healing bullet.

* IcyBlueEyes: The same as her older, un-cursed form.

* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: It takes her awhile to get out from under this.
* PluckyGirl

[[spoiler:He dies pushing Himeko out of the Sanzu River, breaking her heart and starting her on the road to becoming a better person. The goddess Yashahime resurrects him as the new Death God, Dark Zero, whereupon he reveals that he always had "a darkness in his heart". Himeko goes to the past to learn more about this darkness, and meets Zero and his older brother Rei. A series of events nearly leads to Rei becoming a Death God; Zero sacrifices his life to save Rei from this fate...which eventually reveals that the Zero Himeko knows is in fact ''Rei''.]]

* {{Bishonen}}: Very much so, [[spoiler:especially after becoming the next Death God.]]
* DeadPersonImpersonation: [[spoiler:Of his younger brother Zero.]]

* IconicItem: His ScarfOfAsskicking.

** LoveRedeems: [[spoiler:After Himeko willingly commits suicide in his arms, he is able to believe in love again, and rejects the powers of the Death God entirely.]]

* MrFanservice
* MyHeroZero: [[spoiler:Which turns out to be foreshadowing for his true identity, as explained under Meaningful Name above.]]
* NietzscheWannabe: As [[spoiler:Dark Zero.]]

* ReincarnationRomance: [[spoiler:With Himeko.]]

* ScarfOfAsskicking: Zero loves his scarf. [[spoiler:Even as the new Death God.]]

* TheBigGuy: She's also TheLancer.

* MultiArmedAndDangerous: Her true form.
* PlayingWithFire: In her true form.
* RapunzelHair: Almost the same length as Kurohime's.

* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: Does this to Himeko. [[{{Stripperiffic}} With Zero's scarf.]] He does it again in Chapter 78 [[spoiler:after Sword changes him back into his true form.]]

* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Himeko.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: For a warlord, he's a decent guy.

* TeamPet: As Tsucchi.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Where is he these days? [[spoiler:[[BigDamnHeroes Helping to be the next Noah, obviously.]]]]

* DemonicPossession: Of Yuuka. Fails against Kurohime.
* GreenThumb[=/=]SuckMyRose
* HellishPupils
* HotWitch: When she possesses Yuuka. Also, her own previously uncursed form.
* KickTheDog: Her repeated possession of Yuuka.

* MeaningfulName: ''The Rose Princess.''

* VainSorceress

* DemonicPossession: Barahime ''really'' liked being her.
* GreenThumb[=/=]SuckMyRose
* HotWitch
* NiceGirl
* RapunzelHair
* RedOniBlueOni: She's the blue to Himeko's red.

* [[spoiler:BackFromTheDead: After being absorbed by the Black God Tree, Himeko, restored to her full power as Kurohime after destroying Yashahime, revives him.]]

* TheChewToy: Only Tsucchi seems to have it worse than him.
* TheChick: He's easily the most awed by the things happening around him.

* JamesBondage: How we meet him.
* KatanasAreJustBetter: Being from Oedo, he's pretty skilled with one of these.

* {{Samurai}}

* TroubledButCute: Being in charge is starting to get to him.

The goddess of Love and Kindness. [[spoiler:She's the "positive" half of the original Kurohime, embodying all of her positive feelings toward humanity.]]

* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: Uses the souls of the dead and the living as shields, mocks Kurohime and Zero, impales Kurohime, and tells his most loyal follower to her face that her love for him means absolutely nothing to him, after impaling her as well.
** The last one could count as his MoralEventHorizon since until then it was understood that gods cared about each other.

* TallDarkAndSnarky

* AmazonBrigade: Led one.
* AmbiguouslyBrown
* AntiVillain
* BerserkButton: Kurohime, the defilement of Darkray's name and the deaths of her TrueCompanions.
* BodyGuardCrush: To Darkray.
* BrokenBird
* TheCaptain: Sword is a capable leader when her emotions don't get the best of her.

* EnemyMine: [[spoiler: Helps Kurohime kill Venus in the past and faces off with her against Yashahime in the Present/Future arc... [[EvenEvilHasStandards because NO ONE should have to face Yashahime ALONE.]]]]
** She also decides to help her fight [[spoiler:Dark Zero.]]

* AmazonBrigade
* {{Fanservice}}
** {{Cute Monster Girl}}s
** {{Darkskinned Redhead}}s
** {{Stripperiffic}}
*** AbsoluteCleavage
*** ChainmailBikini
*** VaporWear
** {{Voluntary Shapeshifter}}s
* HeroicSacrifice: For Sword.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: Their deaths.
* {{Living Weapon}}s:
** AnAxeToGrind
** BladeOnAStick
** DropTheHammer
** EpicFlail
** KnifeNut
* MeaningfulName[=/=]ThemeNaming
* OurAngelsAreDifferent

* SinisterScythe: Their default melee weapons.
* {{True Companions}}
* WeHardlyKnewYe
* {{Winged Humanoid}}s

* BadassAdorable
* BeautifulAllAlong: Yukio. HeCleansUpNicely.
* BrokenBird: Being a snow goddess can make making friends a little difficult.

* [[CuteBruiser Cute Bruisers]]
* DefrostingIceQueen: O-yuki. Literally, at one point.

* LoveMakesYouEvil: Yukio. Himeko plays along to preserve his dignity.
* LoveMartyr: Yukio for awhile.

* OlderThanTheyLook

* BigBad

* ComplexityAddiction: It's pointed out over and over that Yashahime could kill almost anyone who's appeared in the manga so far. Yet when faced with the prospect of [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim doing just that to Kurohime,]] she has to devise some sort of scheme and draw it out, which ends with Kurohime either escaping or getting stronger.
** [[spoiler:Amusingly enough, the one time she decides to just kill Kurohime would have ended with her ''OWN'' death, if it wasn't for the fact that [[NighInvulnerability she just]] [[DeTerminator doesn't die.]]]]
* DarkActionGirl[=/=]LadyOfWar
* DishingOutDirt and GreenThumb
* TheDreaded[=/=]TheFriendNobodyLikes: With the exception of Igudo (who might not HAVE emotions), the other gods and supernatural creatures react with fear when and wherever she shows up.[[spoiler: The surviving gods quickly write off her death and move on to another galaxy rather than avenge her.]]
* [[spoiler:EarthShatteringKaboom: Her '''FINAL''' death, via Ultimate Sword.]]

* EvilGloating

* [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe Half The Woman She Used To Be:]] [[spoiler:Thanks to the [[LaserBlade Ultimate Sword.]] Sadly, it didn't take. [[EarthShatteringKaboom The first few times, anyway]].]]
* [[spoiler: HoistByHerOwnPetard: She captures Yamatohime in her weakened state and links her powers with her own. Since Yamatohime is linked to the planet. Yashahime becomes the planet itself making her all powerful. When Kurohime gains the planet slaying sword, she claims that it'll kill Yamatohime in the process...only for Yamatohime to offer up her life to help power the sword. Eliminating that stop gate and giving Kurohime the all clear to finish off Yashahime for good.]]

* [[ImplacableMan Implacable Woman]]: for the sake of her vengeance and spite, she will endure literally anything without stopping; she's very, very bad at staying down for more than a few moments at any given time.

* LightIsNotGood
* LoonyFan[=/=]PsychoSupporter: And [[DarkActionGirl SHE'S]] the stronger one.
* MadLove
* MultiArmedAndDangerous
* NeverMyFault: Even when it very clearly is.
* NoblewomansLaugh: Rounds out her irritating and psychopathic image quite nicely.

* :PlanetEater: [[spoiler:As one of the Gods of this setting, this is quite literally the reason she exists.]]
* PsychopathicManchild: Type C and D.

* SlasherSmile: When she's feeling good about it.
* TheSociopath

* WhenTreesAttack

* WrongGenreSavvy: Believes herself to be a BrokenBird trying to avenge her beloved's death. No, Yasha, the woman you're thinking of is Sword.
** Also, she assumed that Dark Zero MUST want to be a High God and rule the heavens with her. After all, why else would he just destroy the world? [[spoiler:Because he hates the world and really DOES want nothing more than to watch it burn.]]

* {{Yandere}}[=/=]CuteAndPsycho: Not necessarily a most triumphant example, but very much textbook; she would have murdered Sword just because Sword was '''standing''' next to Darkray when he turned down Yashahime's offer to spend time together.

* BrokenBird
* ColdSniper: Himeko admits even she can't do that.

* TheGunslinger

* HotWitch
* StableTimeLoop[=/=]YouCantFightFate: [[spoiler: When Ouka tries to save her father from dying in the past, he attacks her and her witch-beast kills him in her defense. In front of her younger self's eyes.]]
* [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair You Gotta Have Green Hair]]

* {{Bishounen}}
* ButtMonkey: Saika.
* TheCasanova: Saika. Unfortunately, he forgot his girlfriend is a ClingyJealousGirl.

* DudeLooksLikeALady: Saika.

* FashionableAsymmetry: Aika.

* HandicappedBadass[=/=]LadyOfWar: Aika.
* HotWitch and [[SpearCounterpart Sexy Wizard]]
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Saika: proud, narcissistic pretty boy jerk, but so very in love with Aika.
* LoveRedeems

* SuckMyRose
* {{Tsundere}}[=/=]{{Yandere}}: Aika is normally rather polite and well-behaved. However, she won't tolerate any cheating and her response to the "other woman" is to kill her.
* UnholyMatrimony
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Saika.
* YourCheatingHeart: Saika learned his lesson. ''[[GroinAttack Well.]]''

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:Because RedemptionEqualsDeath.]]

** JerkassWoobie
* [[spoiler:HalfIdenticalTwins: With Zero, which helps sell the TwinSwitch a lot more effectively once it happens.]]

* LoveEpiphany: Re:[[spoiler: Hime.]]
** LoveHurts: [[spoiler: And though the two of them get their happy ending, it takes a lot of fighting and misunderstanding for them to reach that point, all of it kicked off by the fact that Himeko was forced to abandon Rei at the end of the Past Arc.]]

* MySiblingWillLiveThroughMe: [[spoiler:How he chooses to honor Zero's memory.]]

* [[spoiler: RedemptionEqualsDeath: Realizes that past!Zero, in the last moments of his life, was trying to direct Rei from danger, not ask for his help. [[DrivenToSuicide Shoots himself through the stomach]] when he realizes [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone he left his younger brother to die for no reason.]]]]
** DisneyDeath: [[spoiler:Zero [[HeroicSacrifice has Hime resurrect him so that he can sacrifice his body and soul]] to keep the shinigami from possessing the barely living Rei again.]]

* TomatoInTheMirror[=/=]TomatoSurprise: [[spoiler:Rei IS [[MyHeroZero "Zero."]]]]
* TraumaCongaLine: And it keeps going around and around...
* TroubledButCute: ''' YES.'''

* [[YouKilledMyFather You Killed My Mother:]] Killing [[spoiler: Doc]] is the only thing that keeps him going.

* EarlyBirdCameo: [[spoiler: Every time Kandata appears.]]
* {{Greed}}: His motive for just about everything.
* KarmicDeath[=/=]LaserGuidedKarma: He is killed by one of his foster sons for being a monstrous father. No, not [[spoiler:Rei. Raida.]]
* KickTheDog: Just about everytime he's onscreen.

* TooDumbToLive: It's easy to count on one hand the things in the Past arc that aren't his fault.

* BadassNormal
* BigBrotherMentor: To Rei and Zero.
* [[spoiler: EyepatchOfPower]]
* TheGunslinger
* ImprobableWeaponUser: A [[DropTheHammer sledgehammer]] [[{{BFG}} gun thing.]]
* InTheHood: When he leaves Doc.
* LaserGuidedKarma: Kills [[spoiler: Doc]] when [[spoiler: Rei]] doesn't because, really, [[IDidWhatIHadToDo it needed to be done.]]
* MrFanservice: Homina, homina, homina...
** [[spoiler:Ten years later, grizzled, missing an eye but still hot.]]
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Raida or Rider?
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: [[spoiler:He got an eyepatch and [[BigDamnHeroes boarded a boat.]]]]
* [[UglyGuysHotDaughter Ugly Guy's Hot Adopted Son]]

* BadassBeard: Genbu's WizardBeard.

* {{Bishounen}}: Byakko's human form is quite fit.
* {{BFG}}[=/=]{{BFS}}: The Spirit Kings make ''[[HandCannon Senryuu]]'' even '''BIGGER.'''

* BunnyEarsLawyer: Seiryuu's oddly goofy for a fountain of wind power.
* CoolOldGuy: Genbu.
* DishingOutDirt: Byakko.
* EarlyBirdCameo: Remember [[spoiler: [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Kairyuu?]]]]
* ElementalPowers: Duh.
* [[spoiler:HeroicSacrifice: Yamatohime gives the last of her power and life to resurrect Kurohime for the last time, since at that point Yashahime had succeeded in taking over the planet and [[KnowWhenToFoldEm there was nothing to be gained by holding onto it anymore]].]]
* HumansAreBastards: More than the gods enslaving them, the humans corrupting the land and polluting it hurts the Spirit Kings like hell. [[{{Anvilicious}} Subtle.]]

* InstantArmor: Genbu. Not even Yashahime can pierce his shell.
* LifeEnergy: They are the world's life energy, especially Yamatohime. She creates the sun, for crying out loud.

* MakingASplash: Genbu.
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: Seiryuu. Very different.
* PantheraAwesome: Byakko.
* PetTheDog: All four eventually come to Kurohime's aid, sometimes even before they realize what she's up to.
** Genbu actually doubles his moment by also helping out for the sake of Asura.
* ThePhoenix: Yamatohime.
* PlayingWithFire: See above.
* PowerGivesYouWings: Seiryuu [[spoiler: aka Kairyuu after TheReveal.]]
* SealedGoodInACan
* SecretTestOfCharacter: Kurohime manages to impress all of them.

* [[spoiler:TimeStandsStill: This is how Seiryuu uses wind and air.]]
* TurtleIsland: Genbu.

* DarkActionGirl
* [[DarkIsNotEvil Dark Is Not Completely Evil]]: With the exception of going after Kurohime (who did provoke her) she never seemed interested in doing anything other than her job.

* EquippableAlly

* LoveMartyr: To Darkray.

* MsFanservice: Good lord, yes.
** CuteMonsterGirl
*** VampiresAreSexGods
** DarkskinnedRedhead
*** DarkskinnedBlond: Eventually.
** EyepatchOfPower: Gets one to keep her UnstoppableRage in check.
** UsefulNotes/FurryFandom: Her more animalistic forms.
** {{Stripperiffic}}: Always.
*** AbsoluteCleavage: Her earliest and current outfit.
*** ChainmailBikini: Not sure what else to call that ''thing'' she's always wearing.
*** VaporWear
** VoluntaryShapeshifter
*** WomanInWhite

* [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Our Angels,]] [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Vampires,]] [[OurWereWolvesAreDifferent And Werewolves are Different]]: And they can be combined.

* PluckyGirl: She and Kurohime are NotSoDifferent in this regard.

* TurnTheOtherCheek: [[spoiler:Admits that she will NEVER truly forgive Kurohime for what she has done but decides that [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments if they should somehow meet in another life, they will try to get along.]]]]
* WingedHumanoid
* {{Yandere}}: To Darkray.

* {{Bishounen}}: Byakko's [[PettingZooPeople human form]] is quite fit.

* BeautyMark: She has two, one under the outside corner of each eye.

%% * AnIcePerson: Obvious trope is obvious.

** JerkassFacade: [[spoiler:Her real personality is much more subdued and less cruel than her inital appearance suggests.]]

* AnIcePerson: [[CaptainObvious Obvious trope is obvious.]]

* ElementalPowers: [[CaptainObvious Duh.]]

* TurnTheOtherCheek: [[spoiler:Admits that she will NEVER truly forgive Kurohime for what she has done but decides that [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming if they should somehow meet in another life, they will try to get along.]]]]

* AGodAmI: Initially thought to be her goal. [[spoiler:It's not, though it does still happen.]]

* ActionGirl: As she gains more power, she demonstrates a marked increase in self-reliance.

* BecomingTheMask: [[spoiler:The original Kurohime was cruel and cold, but her motives were more pure than outward appearances suggested. Himeko, lacking all of the positive aspects of her original's personality, is, at least initially, exactly the person that the original Kurohime pretended to be.]]

* CharacterDevelopment: Hints of it start to show up when Zero shoots himself to appease a couple of angry ghosts--she transforms into Kurohime, ''punches him in the face'', and cries a little as she tells him off for needlessly harming himself (though she frames it as needing her permission to die). [[spoiler:Zero's death]] speeds this up, as it forces her to become self-reliant and actively seek her own way back into power; she also develops an upbeat, kind personality [[spoiler:that's markedly different from the original Kurohime's dour, reserved one.]]

* LackOfEmpathy: Having her ability to love cursed out of her [[spoiler:and being the incarnation of one person's single-minded hatred for gods]] doesn't do wonders for her empathy.

* LaserGuidedKarma: A metric-fuck-ton of it. She killed countless people in her quest to become a god, and the price was being cursed into a child's body [[spoiler:and being stripped of her memories]] on top of losing her ability to love.

* ManipulativeBitch: [[spoiler:Dark Zero calls on her this with regard to the Past Arc: she only befriended young!Zero (whereas the Zero she knows is actually young!Zero's brother, Rei) because she was in love with him in the present. Considering Dark Zero's true identity, this doesn't help their relationship at all.]]

[[spoiler:He dies pushing Himeko out of the Sanzu River, breaking her heart and starting her on the road to becoming a better person. The goddess Yashahime resurrects him as the new Death God, Dark Zero, whereupon he reveals that he always had "a darkness in his heart". Himeko goes to the past to learn more about this darkness, and meets Zero and his older brother Rei. A series of events nearly leads to Rei becoming a Death God; Zero's heroic sacrifice saves him from this fate...and eventually reveals that the Zero Himeko knows is in fact ''Rei''.]]

* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:He lives, Hime lives, they manage to make it to a new planet so that the human race ultimately survives and some billion years later, they meet up again and fall in love a second time. For someone who's life seems to be a never-ending stream of pain, Zero really lucked out this time.]]
* FloatingLimbs:[[spoiler:As the Death God.]]

* MoralityPet: Post-mortem. Himeko's not a [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold complete jerk anymore]] but she wouldn't do many things if not for his sake.

* MyHeroZero: [[spoiler:Which turns out to be foreshadowing for his true identity.]]

* RedStringOfFate: Zero believes in this. [[spoiler:He thinks it's his embodied by his scarf, and he's so attached to it because Himeko gave it to him in the first place even though he doesn't remember at first.]]

* BrokenBird: [[spoiler:She was born as a substitute for Yamatohime's sacrifice, should it be needed, was raised being perfectly aware of this, and lived in a heat-proof cage. Her own mother raised her coldly, unwilling to bond with a daughter that was meant to die. Needless to say, this did no favors for her feelings toward humanity.]]

The former leader of the Onimaru Brigade and Kurohime's former [[TheDragon Dragon.]] Was betrayed by her and branded with the kanji for "dog." Has sworn vengence on her but funnily enough is still attracted to her. Sword attempted to turn him into a snake minion, but his willpower enabled him to resist the change, causing him to turn into Tsucchi, a small, mute, lizard-like...thing.

* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: Does this to Himeko. [[{{Stripperiffic}} With Zero's scarf.]]
** He does it again in Chapter 78 [[spoiler:after Sword changes him back into his true form.]]

* [[spoiler:BackFromTheDead: AfterTheEnd and after being absorbed by the Black God Tree.]]

* BigGood: The remains of the forces of Oedo, plus O-yuki, Yukio and Asura [[spoiler:[[HeWhoFightsMonsters before she loses it]]]] are under his command so he qualifies.

* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:He uses the last of the Spirit King jewels and his lifeforce to save Hime from Dark Zero and Yashahime.]]
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: He knows he has no chance with Himeko but does his best to assist her cause.

* KatanasAreJustBetter

* WarriorPrince

* LiteralSplitPersonality: [[spoiler:Of the original Kurohime. She's everything good and positive about the original Kurohime.]]

The GrimReaper and High God. Colossal asshole. Zero takes his place after his death.

* ArtifactOfDoom[=/=]SoulJar: [[spoiler:This is truly what the God Of Death is: a large dark one-eyed skull shaped core that when placed in someone's soul turns them into the GrimReaper.]]

* [[DarkIsEvil Darkray Is Evil]]

* GrimReaper and {{Shinigami}}

* KarmicDeath: Mocks love. Meets his death at the hands of someone who claims she loves him. ''Twice.''
** One counts as HoistByHisOwnPetard.
* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: Uses the souls of the dead and the living as shields, mocks Kurohime and Zero, impales her and tells his most loyal follower to her face that her love for him means absolutely nothing to him, after impaling her as well.

* KilledOffForReal: After Yashahime strips him of the skull that gives him powers, she kills him, finding him pathetic.

* {{True Companions}}: The Death Angels and the Kurohime Punishment Squad are this for her.

* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:He lives, Hime lives, they manage to make it to a new planet so that the human race ultimately survives and some billion years later, they meet up again and fall in love a second time. For someone who's life seems to be a never-ending stream of pain]], Zero really lucked out this time.]]
* FloatingLimbs:[[spoiler:As the Death God.[[

!! Kurohime/Shirohime
The most powerful witch of all time. Well known for her power, beauty and cruelty. Alternatively, [[LiteralSplitPersonality one half of the goddess of mercy.]]

* AGodAmI: Initially thought to be her goal. It's not, though it does still happen.

* BlackMagicianGirl
* BoobsOfSteel: To the point where her bust size is proportional to her strength.
* BrokenBird: Hid it quite well.
* DarkActionGirl: By her own admission, "A witch right out of a fairy tale."
* DarkIsNotEvil: [[spoiler: She's pulling a [[ZeroApprovalGambit Zero Approval]] [[IncrediblyLamePun Gambit]]. She's nowhere ''NEAR'' as cruel as she seems.]]
* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler:She's fighting because [[IDidWhatIHadToDo SOMEONE HAS TO]], not because she actually wants to. It makes it very difficult for Sword and Ouka to deal with her.]]
* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler: While she couldn't save the planet she managed to at least save some of the inhabitants on it via the the Black Death Tree which resurrected many of those killed on her quest and the group seek out a new planet free from the tyranny of gods. What's more she and Zero are reborn in the next life (albeit gender swapped) and meet each other once again.]]
* FashionableAsymmetry: About half her outfits, [[spoiler: she pulls this even in a Prisoner-Uniform]]
** ClothingDamage: In her fight against [[spoiler:Ouka]].
** {{Qipao}}: Again, at one point. [[FridgeLogic Why?]] [[RuleOfSexy Who cares?]]
** RapunzelHair
** SensualSpandex
*** SpyCatsuit
** ShesGotLegs
** ShowerOfAngst: One of the most beautifully drawn ones in a while.
** StatuesqueStunner
** {{Stripperiffic}}: The outfit she initially attacks [[spoiler:Ouka's father]]'s castle in, which can be described, among other things, as "Battle-Geisha-Stripper".
*** AbsoluteCleavage
*** BareYourMidriff
*** GiantPoofySleeves
*** GiantWaistRibbon
*** ImpracticallyFancyOutfit: [[WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief Not that we care.]]
*** KimonoFanservice
*** ShowgirlSkirt
*** {{Sideboob}}
*** SmokingIsGlamorous
*** {{Underboobs}}
** ZettaiRyouiki
* GenderBender: [[spoiler:Was reincarnated as a man.]]
* [[PhysicalGod Physical Goddess]]: [[spoiler:Becomes this in Chapter 40.]]
* TheGunslinger: No shit.
* GunAndSword
* HandCannon: Senryu does damage even without magic.

* HelplessGoodSide: Subverted. Despite all that she does, her love of humanity is so great the gods themselves think it's godlike and make it the goddess of mercy. So while Shirohime may be Kurohime's love and kindness personified, when they are split, she's the one left with the powers.
* HotWitch
* IHaveManyNames: Kurohime, Himeko, Hime, Momohime and Himekojo.
* IcyBlueEyes
* InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons: They're her favorite weapon.
* {{Jerkass}}: A gleefully arrogant bitch.
** JerkassFacade: Who is actually a well-intentioned SugarAndIceGirl.
* LadyOfBlackMagic
* LadyOfWar: Onimaru said it best:
--> "A flower which bloomed in the middle of the battlefield."
* MeaningfulName: ''The Dark Princess.'' And ''The White Princess.''
* MsFanservice
* NayTheist: By [[RageAgainstTheHeavens default.]]
* PoweredByAForsakenChild: [[spoiler: The Black God Tree ever present on her. It feeds on [[ThePowerOfHate the rage and hatred]] of the people she's killed. Implied to be the reason why she can't willingly stop fighting; if she does, it means they all died for nothing.]]
* RageAgainstTheHeavens: This kicks off the plot.
* ReincarnationRomance: [[spoiler:With Zero.]]
* ShootTheDog: She will do anything to achieve peace. '''''[[NobleDemon A]][[JerkassFacade NY]][[RageAgainstTheHeavens TH]][[KillEmAll ING.]]'''''
* SleepModeSize: See Himeko.

* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: See ShootTheDog.
* ZeroApprovalGambit: [[spoiler:Developed the personality of a stone-cold bitch and warmonger so that humanity would focus on that rather than attaining godhood.]]

!! ''Himeko''
TheHero of the story. Her true identity is Kurohime's dark half, stripped of much of her power by the gods.

* AbsoluteCleavage: Himeko's last [[LeotardOfPower outfit.]]
* ActionGirl
* AllLoveIsUnrequited: [[spoiler:This and ItsAllMyFault cause her latest BSOD moment in chapter 78. Onimaru and Sword's response to it is basically "[[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy Yeah.]] [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming And?]]"]]
* AllYourPowersCombined[=/=]FusionDance: Does this occasionally to avoid pulling off that final lotus petal.
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Twice. The first time is involuntary, as it's a side effect of Asura's time reversal scheme. The second time occurs after she commits suicide in Zero's arms; however, she's effectively [[CameBackWrong a Black God Tree skeleton.]]]]
** [[spoiler:She CameBackStrong from that, thanks to [[HeroicSacrifice Yamatohime.]]]]
* BrattyHalfPint: Spends much of the story as one. She gets better.
* BreastExpansion: As she regains more of her power, her bust size increases.
* CharacterDevelopment: Goes from a BrattyHalfPint to a JerkWithAHeartOfGold. In terms of skill, FauxActionGirl to ActionGirl.