History Characters / TheTwelveKingdoms

* DramaPreservingHandicap: [[spoiler:His horn is damaged for most of ''Hills of Silver Ruins'', because even with his extremely low number of Seirei, if he could summon them or transform, there wouldn't really be any threat at all; he could effortlessly overthrow Asen all on his own.]]

* CoolSword: Some kingdoms have relics for the ruler, Kei has a sword that grants visions.

* HeroicSelfDeprecation: "I'm such an useless Queen...!". [[PlayedWith]] in that she actively tries to improve.

DespairEventHorizon: [[spoiler:As time goes on, the strains of being TrappedInAnotherWorld and separated from any Japanese speakers take a HUGE toll on Asano's sanity, to the point of having him losing all reason to keep on living.]]

* DieOrDye: Rakushun (and his mother) dyes her distinctive bright red hair a more subdued color while they travel to En.

* MistakenForDyed: Her natural red hair actually has her choosing to dye it a more subdued in order to avoid this.

* MyCountryRightOrWrong: As stated, she'd do anything to save Tai, even [[spoiler:ally with former enemies.]] Her devotion only wavers once: [[spoiler:when facing the concept that Asen might be the rightful emperor. After wrestling with herself, she concludes that as much as she loves Tai, she can't serve Asen.]]

* OnlyOneName: He presumably has a family name, but it's never given.
* [[UnwittingMuggleFriend Unwitting Muggle Teacher]]: As a normal, albeit very introverted, human being, he has absolutely no idea what he's getting into by taking Takasato under his wing.

* ShrinkingViolet: In the very beginning. She [[AdrenalineMakeover shred her shyness away]] [[CharacterDevelopment as the story unfolds]].

* [[MuggleBestFriend Muggle Teacher]]: As a normal, albeit very introverted, human being, he has absolutely no idea what he's getting into by taking Takasato under his wing.

* CoolSword: Won as a prize from Shoryuu, for being the only person who almost managed to defeat him in a duel.

* DeathFakedForYou: All reports out of Tai say he's dead. [[However, Asen can't control the ''hakuchi'' of other kingdoms, none of which announced Gyousou's death. The other rulers are suspicious, but have no way of getting proof.]]
* [[spoiler:DirtyBusiness: The mass purges of corrupt officials in the Tai court.]]
* FourStarBadass
* [[spoiler:KnightTemplar: When he is crowned king, his eagerness to purge the court of Tai of long-standing corruption leads him to order mass dismissals and executions – although it needed doing, Gyousou's hastiness made him lots of enemies, which led to the usurpation...]]

* NoOneCouldSurviveThat: [[His attempted assassins severely injure him and trap him in a cave-in. Nevertheless, he survives.]]

%%* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: Over the years. He steadily became a...
%% Examples should not rely on other examples.

* OffWithHisHead: His standard reaction to crime and in the end his own death. A necessity in this case, as it's one of the few for-sure ways to kill a ruler.

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Ultimately his quest for absolute justice was unchecked by compassion and he had over 300,000 people executed for every minor offense he could think of.

* {{Cincinnatus}}: Hou sighs in relief when he finally lets himself be convinced that he should rule the kingdom until the next king is chosen.

* NecessaryEvil: His executing of the king, queen and ''kirin'' and the subsequent revoking of Shoukei's immortality.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: More just and reasonable than old King Hou ever was. The only genuine complaints against him (Shoukei's constant criticism doesn't count) are that he isn't more of an authority figure, long believing he doesn't have the right to rule the kingdom as acting king because of his role in the rebellion; and that he executed the ''kirin'', who was only a mouthpiece for Heaven's will and was not actually responsible for the king she selected.

%% * ChildhoodFriend: Youko's. It's stated outright they've known each other for years.
%% * [[spoiler:DespairEventHorizon: As time goes on, the strains of being TrappedInAnotherWorld take a HUGE toll on Asano's sanity, to the point of having him losing all reason to keep on living.]]
%% * DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife: [[spoiler:He doesn't find one.]]

%% * TrappedInAnotherWorld: Unlike the others, he never found a way to cope.
%% * UnluckyEverydude
%% * [[spoiler:WhatTheHellHero: Given to him by Youko, after they finally find each other during her days as Youshi.]]

* [[spoiler:DistressedDude]]

%%* TheSmartGuy

** Enki trusts him and his observational skills enough to send him to Ryuu to discreetly observe the current situation. He rapidly comes to the same conclusion that Shouryuu later confirms: [[spoiler:Ryuu is failing.]]

** [[spoiler:Injuring a guard to prevent the guard from sounding an alarm]]

%%* ShrinkingViolet

%% * {{Unlucky Everydude}}

* MyCountryRightOrWrong: As a kirin, she physically can't disobey the King of Kou, no matter what he does or what she feels. [[spoiler:In the novel, she complies when he orders her to stab Youko, but is visibly ill when she does so.]]

A kind, intelligent hanjyuu from Kou. After nursing the half-dead Youko back to health, he accompanies her to En, and eventually manages to get her an audience with Shouryuu and Enki one he pieces out that she was chosen by Keiki.

%%* OddFriendship: With Youko and Shoukei, not to mention Enki.

* ScholarshipStudent: Even with his incredible mind, his poor background and hanjyuu birth made it hard for him to seek schooling in Kou. Thankfully, after migrating to En and gaining the friendship and patronage of Youko and Enki, he is able to attend a top school.
%%* TheSmartGuy

** His Chousai in the present day is [[spoiler:In Hakutaku, a former supporter of Atsuyu and participant in Atsuyu's attempted coup.]]

* TallDarkAndHandsome

* LadyOfWar: A regional army commander, and later the General of the Central Zui Provincial Guard (ie, Taiki's forces).

* MyCountryRightOrWrong: As stated, she'd do anything to save Tai, even [[spoiler:ally with former enemies.]] The one time her devotion wavers [[spoiler:is when she faces the concept that Asen might be the rightful emperor; after wrestling with herself, she concludes that as much as she loves Tai, she can't serve Asen.]]

* ParentalAbandonment: He was abandoned by his human family in the woods during a time of famine. His nyokai managed to find him before he starved to death, and brought him back to the nyosen at Mount Hou. [[BreakTheCutie The psychological damage was already done, tho.]]

* FatalFlaw: [[spoiler: His utter refusal to accept responsibility and learn from his mistakes. When his plan to usurp Shoryuu collapses he immediately starts throwing his allies under the bus and blaming everyone else for his failures. As such, Kouya turns on him.]]

* [[spoiler:SpannerInTheWorks: By releasing Enki at the cost of her own life, she derails a good part of Atsuyu's plans.]]

* CooperationGambit: [[spoiler:He claims that Heaven has made Asen emperor so that Asen will appoint him as Taiho and as Province Lord of Zui. Specifically, as Province Lord, Taiki would have the legal authority to distribute necessary supplies to get Tai's refugees through the winter. Asen suspects he's lying, but since Taiki's claim grants Asen the credibility he has been lacking, he goes along with it.]]

* Determinator: [[spoiler:Once he realizes the condition Tai has been in during his absence, nothing will stop him from coming to Tai's rescue. Not even his allies can stop him when he sets his mind to something.]]

!! The Kingdom of Tai

'''NOTE: MAJOR SPOILERS for ''Hills of Silver Ruin'' ahead.'''

* AbusiveParents: At first, his parents were only distant. [[spoiler:After he returned to Japan, though, they soon came to hate him. The only reason they didn't kick him out was due to fear of retaliation from the "curse".]]

** As of ''Hills of Silver Ruin'', he keeps it short, separating his appearance even further from his 10-year-old self.

* Determinator: She won't stop at anything to save Tai, [[spoiler:including potentially destroying another kingdom.]]

* AllergicToEvil: Sort of. Blood is a poison to Kirin, and the mere smell even of their own blood can sicken them.

* TrappedInAnotherWorld

* Determinator: [[Once he realizes the condition Tai has been in during his absence, nothing will stop him from coming to Tai's rescue. Not even his allies can stop him when he sets his mind to something.]]

** He's also very reserved in Hourai, although that seems less out of shyness and more out of fear that his presence will cause people to get hurt.

* {{Determinator}}: Much to her own surprise, and the reason she survives her first few months. After she sheds her [[ShrinkingViolet]] tendencies, her dominant trait.

* RefusalOfTheCall: The Call drags her kicking and screaming toward adventure. Literally, in both cases.

The timid daughter of a merchant family, and former Queen of Kei. [[spoiler:After the stresses of rule drove her to slaughter half Kei's population and bring her beloved Keiki to the brink of death, she relinquishes the crown and is struck down by the Heavens.]]

%%* BoisterousBruiser
%%* TheBigGuy

%%* LaResistance
%%* RebelLeader

* MyCountryRightOrWrong: As a kirin, she physically can't disobey the King of Kou, no matter what he does or what she feels.

* PowerLimiter: [[spoiler:The magical cord he gets put on towards the end, which seals his horn and powers away. Ribi manages to cut it off, only to die.]]

* DeathByIrony: [[spoiler:He manipulated Kouya into killing people with his demon, so he could gather power and usurp Shoryuu. When he is finally unmasked and snaps, ''Enki's shirei'' deals him a fatal injury, so Shoryuu has to MercyKill him.]]

* WalkingSpoiler: [[spoiler:It's almost impossible to discuss him at all without revealing that he's the BigBad of Shouryuu's modern-day plot arc.]]

** [[spoiler: Averted when he slowly regains his powers during his time in Asen's court and is finally able to transform at the end.]]

** [[spoiler:Causes problems in ''Hills of Silver Ruins''; most kirin can be identified through their golden hair. Taiki's plan rests on his ability to assert his identity, which is difficult because he is not obviously a kirin and was a child the last time anyone had a confirmed sighting of him.]]

* [[spoiler:AnArmAndALeg]]

* LadyOfWar

* Determinator: Much to her own surprise, and the reason she survives her first few months. After she sheds her [[ShrinkingViolet]] tendencies, her dominant trait.

* GodEmperor
* HeroicSelfDeprecation: "I'm such an useless Queen...!"

* RefusalOfTheCall: The Call drags her kicking and screaming toward adventure

* TheConsigliere

* NonActionGuy: Although he can order his Seirei to fight for him, blood is a lethal poison to him, so he can't fight personally at all.
* PoorCommunicationKills: He's not very good at explaining things properly, which can often lead to needless drama for all involved – his flawed explanation to Taiki about how to choose his king, for one, and also his not bothering to tell Youko anything about ''why'' he's there when they first meet. Youko herself teasingly lampshades this quality of his.

* EvilChancellor: His corruption is emblemic of the state of Kei's court and directly leads to most of the problems in the third plot arc.

* ImprobableInfantSurvival: [[spoiler:Downplayed. He never dies but he still gets some pretty upsetting injuries, like ''getting shot in the chest''.]]

[[spoiler:After being attacked by a treacherous general during a usurpation plot, he was flung back to Japan with a damaged ''kirin'' horn and amnesia of his time in the Kingdoms. After years of further confusion and abuse, he was finally located by an international search squad organized by Youko and brought back to the kingdoms. Whether or not he will find the missing Gyousou and save Tai is, unfortunately, an ongoing cliffhanger.]]

* GuileHero: [[spoiler:As of ''Hills of Silver Ruins'', his main assets are his identity and his wits. It gets him ''very'' far.]]

* ShrinkingViolet

** Nearly made himself sick with guilt over choosing Gyousou as the next king of Tai [[spoiler:Taiki, having been raised human for ten years, didn't understand his kirin senses telling him that Gyousou was the next king. Settled when the other kirin prove to him that kirins ''can't'' choose the wrong king.]]

* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: Actually a plot point, as he's one of the ''very'' rare dark-haired kirin.

* BladeOnAStick: A ridiculously thick stick, and a very large blade.

%%* BladeOnAStick

* JadeColoredGlasses: As a SelfMadeMan government officer, he witnessed ''such'' corruption in his years before becoming King that he went...
* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: Over the years. He steadily became a...

* OverprotectiveDad: He kept his daughter Shoukei completely sheltered and shielded from all the hardships that Hou went through. [[BreakTheHaughty Wow, did that screw the girl over once he was executed.]]

[[quoteright:244:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kei_jokaku.png]]

[[quoteright:244:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kei_aozaru.png]]

[[quoteright:244:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kei_seikyou_9.png]]

[[quoteright:244:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kei_enho_1.png]]

[[quoteright:244:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kei_rangyoku_2.png]]

[[caption-width-right:191:[[labelnote:''Click here for his human appearance'']][[quoteright:294:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kou_rakushun_human.png]] [[/labelnote]]]]

[[caption-width-right:191:[[labelnote:''Click here for his appearance as a teenager'']][[quoteright:244:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tai_taiki_adult.png]] [[/labelnote]]]]

--> '''Voiced by:'''

--> '''Voiced by:''' Miyuki Matsushita (JP),

[[quoteright:191:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/12k_Soshou_200px.jpg]]

--> ''Voiced by:'' N/A

--> ''Voiced by:'' N/A

[[folder: Gyokuyo]]

* OneSteveLimit: Averted. Because of her prominance as a goddess, many girls are named after her, including the daughter of the sugar peddlar (and, in the anime, performer) who helps Youko early on; Youko's chief lady in waiting; and Shoukei during the time when she's living incogneto as a peasant.
* OurGodsAreDifferent: While she is worshiped as a goddess by much of humanity, the same is true of the emperors and many other figures who are merely immortals; it is unclear if or ''how'' Gyokuyo differs, aside from occupying a position in the CelestialBureaucracy that gives her access to other, more definitive deities. At one point she references the existence of a Register of Divinities (corrisponding to and separate from the Register of Immortals that records most of the immortals in the setting), but doesn't make it clear which register she's actually on.

[[quoteright:244:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Joukaku_3992.jpg]]

* NervesOfSteel: So calm and collected that [[spoiler:she released Enki, also a prisioner, at the cost of her life.]]

* {{Envy}}: Part of her motivation is her envy of her sister, who she always viewed (admittedly, correctly) as unsuitable to rule.