This article covers the major characters of
Clamp's
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
''
Cardcaptor Sakura
, abbreviated as ''CCS'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by the manga group Clamp. Serialized monthly in the ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from May 1996 to June 2000, it was also published in 12 ''tankōbon'' ...
'' and its respective anime and movies. The manga and anime focused on Japanese schoolgirl
Sakura Kinomoto
is the main protagonist and title character of Clamp's manga series ''Cardcaptor Sakura''. In the English anime adaptation by Nelvana of the series, ''Cardcaptors'' is known as Sakura Avalon, though her surname was changed back in the second ...
who finds the magical Clow Book in her father's basement study, accidentally unleashing the magical Clow Cards loose across her hometown Tomoeda. Dubbed the Cardcaptor by the cards' guardian Cerberus (better known as Kero-chan), Sakura must wield the Clow Staff to capture the card spirits and turn them back into cards for her use. Sakura is aided by her best friend and cousin Tomoyo Daidouji, who creates battle costumes for her as well as videotaping her ventures as Cardcaptor; and later by Syaoran Li, a Chinese boy who is a direct descendant of the Clow Cards' creator Clow Reed. The anime also introduced a fourth companion, Meiling Li (sometimes spelled as Meilin Li), Syaoran's cousin. The rest of the characters are mostly oblivious to Sakura's magical life, aside from her brother Toya who has his own magical powers, and later Eriol Hiiragizawa, who is a reincarnated Clow Reed.
The anime was dubbed into English by
Nelvana
Nelvana Enterprises, Inc. (; previously known as Nelvana Limited, sometimes known as Nelvana Animation and simply Nelvana or Nelvana Communications) is a Canadian animation studio and entertainment company owned by Corus Entertainment. Founded ...
under the title of ''Cardcaptors'', with most of the character names changed to English ones with the exception of Sakura, Meilin, Kero, Mr. Terada, Wang Wei, Ruby Moon, Yue, and Clow Reed.
A large number of the characters reappear as alternate selves in Clamp's other series, ''
Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle'' and ''
xxxHolic''.
Main characters
Sakura Kinomoto
is the titular heroine of ''Cardcaptor Sakura,'' named after the Japanese word for "
cherry blossom
A cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry or sakura, is a flower of many trees of genus ''Prunus'' or ''Prunus'' subg. ''Cerasus''. They are common species in East Asia, including China, Korea and especially in Japan. They generally ...
". Her most defining character traits are her unyielding determination, caring nature and loyalty to her friends. Sakura is portrayed as a perceptively sweet, extremely energetic and cheerful character who is well-loved, pretty, cheerful, cute and at times a naïve, clumsy, and clueless. Sakura is athletically gifted and skilled in sports at school, being an excellent runner and called the "best baton twirler in school" by her friends. She hates math and is openly
phasmophobic. Sakura maintains a crush on Yukito Tsukishiro for most of the manga and anime, but when she finally confesses to Yukito, she is gently rejected by revealing his love for her big brother Toya, and she realizes that she loved him because of his resemblance to her father Fujitaka. Eventually, Sakura realizes she is actually in love with Syaoran, but doesn't realize her feelings until he first confesses his love for her. Although she fails to admit her feelings in the final episode, Sakura later manages to finally confess her love to Syaoran when he and Meiling return to visit in the series movie, ''
Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2: The Sealed Card''.
She becomes the titular Cardcaptor by guardian beast Cerberus after accidentally opening and releasing the Clow Cards from the Clow Book. Aided by Cerberus, her best friend and cousin Tomoyo Daidouji, and later Syaoran, Sakura successfully captures all the cards and is named the new Clow Mistress by the cards' second guardian Yue (Yukito's true form). In the second half of the manga and anime, Sakura must use the power of her own star to transform the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards, or else the cards would lose their powers. In the beginning of the ''Clear Card'' arc, all the Sakura cards suddenly turn blank, losing their powers and while looking for a way to restore them, Sakura must capture new cards of an unknown origin that started appearing around town. She later learns that Syaoran was responsible for the Sakura cards' disappearance in a move to protect her, as her own power had grown too strong for her to control, leading to the creation of the Clear cards.
For all Japanese-language productions of the anime (including movies, audio CDs, and video games), Sakura is voiced by
Sakura Tange
is a Japanese voice actress, singer and writer who was born in Ichinomiya, Aichi. She is best known for providing the voice of Sakura Kinomoto in the anime series ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' and before that, she voiced some of SNK's characters, such ...
. In the Animax English dub, she is voiced by Andrea Kwan. In the English dub of the
second movie, she is voiced by
Kari Wahlgren
Kari Wahlgren (born July 13, 1977) is an American actress who has provided English-language voices for animated movies, TV series, and video games. She got her start in anime voice-overs as Haruko Haruhara in '' FLCL'', and would later land ma ...
.
In the English dub of the ''
Clear Card'' arc, she is voiced by
Monica Rial
Monica Jean Rial (born October 5, 1975) is an American voice actress and ADR script writer affiliated with Funimation and Seraphim Digital/Sentai Filmworks. She provides voices for English language versions of Japanese anime films and televisi ...
, who reprised her role as Sakura from ''
Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle''.
In the Nelvana English dub ''Cardcaptors'', she is known as Sakura Avalon, though her given name is repronounced as "Sa-KU-ra" instead of "SA-ku-ra". She is voiced by
Carly McKillip
Carly Maria McKillip (born February 13, 1989) is a Canadian actress and musician known for her title role in the television series '' Alice, I Think''. She also performs together with her sister Britt in the country group One More Girl. She was ...
. In this version, she is portrayed as a more thick-skinned character than in the original anime, her initial romantic feelings for Yukito and fear of ghosts are removed, and later in the series she and Syaoran never developed their romance as it was heavily edited out.
Cerberus
( grc-gre, Κέρβερος ''Kérberos'' ), nicknamed Kero by Sakura; is the appointed guardian of the book which holds the Clow Cards, as well as the series' provider of comic relief. He is one of two magical creatures created by Clow Reed along with the Clow Cards. Before his death, Clow appointed Kero as the one to select the potential candidate to be the next master of the cards, Cerberus himself, and his "brother" and fellow guardian, Yue. After Sakura accidentally releases the cards, Cerberus chooses her to be the candidate and teaches her the basics of capturing the cards. Throughout the series, he displays an extensive knowledge of mysticism. After Sakura passes the Final Judgment to become the Clow Cards master, Cerberus remains with her as a friend, companion, adviser, and protector when new threats appear.
Having spent a lengthy amount of time in the book while it was in
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
, Cerberus speaks with a pointed
Osakan-accent.
He tends to be bossy, demanding, egotistical and gluttonous, but clearly displays his affection for Sakura, especially if she is hurt or in danger. He becomes very fond of video games, and is addicted to sweets.
Cerberus spends most of his time in a "temporary" or "false form": a small figure resembling an orange stuffed animal with wings.
Unlike Yue, Cerberus' magical powers are like the sun, and thus largely self-sustaining, and he is subsequently not as dependent on his master's power to support his life as is Yue. However, his master must have control of the Firey and Earthy cards in order to power his true form, a large-
winged mountain lion
The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large cat native to the Americas. Its range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere. I ...
. In the anime adaptation, the Light card is changed to the Earthy card to delay his obtaining his true form.
Cerberus' name is taken from the
Greek mythological
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities of d ...
figure,
Cerberus
In Greek mythology, Cerberus (; grc-gre, Κέρβερος ''Kérberos'' ), often referred to as the hound of Hades, is a multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. He was the offspring of the mo ...
, a large three-headed dog who was assigned to guard the gates of the
Greek underworld
In mythology, the Greek underworld, or Hades, is a distinct realm (one of the three realms that makes up the cosmos) where an individual goes after death. The earliest idea of afterlife in Greek myth is that, at the moment of death, an individ ...
. In the bilingual Kodansha version of the manga, the name for Cerberus' borrowed form is Cero.
In the anime adaptation, his false form is voiced by
Aya Hisakawa
is a Japanese voice actress and singer. In addition to releasing various solo CDs, Hisakawa is well known for her voice roles in anime and video games. Some of her major roles are Retsu Unohana in ''Bleach'', Sailor Mercury in ''Sailor Moon'', Sk ...
, while his hidden form is voiced by
Masaya Onosaka
is a Japanese voice actor who works for Aoni Production. In 2010 he won the "Best Personality" Seiyu Award.
Onosaka was born in Osaka. He is known for his Kansai accent in some of his roles. He also the known voicing actor as Zhao Yun and Zhug ...
. In the Animax dub, his false form is voiced by Sarah Hauser, whereas his true form is voiced by Darren Pleavin. In the ''Cardcaptors'' dub, his name is spelled Keroberos (based on the Japanese pronunciation of his name), and "Kero" was repronounced as "kirō" instead of "kerō". In this dub, his false form is voiced by
Matt Hill
Matthew Hill (born January 19, 1968) is a Canadian voice actor working for Ocean Productions.
Career
His roles include List of Ed, Edd n Eddy characters#Ed, Ed in ''Ed, Edd n Eddy'', Kevin Keene, Kevin Keene/Captain N in ''Captain N: The Game Ma ...
with a New York accent, and
Richard Newman voices his true form, though the accent is not as distinct. In the second film, he is voiced by
Wendee Lee
Wendee Lee is an American voice actress, writer, and director.
Biography
Lee studied dance and theater and later became a full-time dancer in her teens. According to her interview on the ''Magic Knight Rayearth'' DVDs, she started doing voices ...
and
Dave Wittenberg
Dave Wittenberg, sometimes credited as Dave Lelyveld, is a South African-born American voice actor and scriptwriter.
Early life
Wittenberg was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He was raised in the Los Angeles area.
Career
Wittenberg voices ...
, in his respective forms. In the English dub of the ''Clear Card'' arc, Kero's false form is voiced by
Mikaela Krantz
Mikaela Krantz is an American actress, known for her voice acting in anime dubs for Funimation, and her live action role as young Hillary Clinton in '' Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party''.
Personal life
Krantz is au ...
and Kero's true form is voiced by
Christopher Sabat
Christopher Robin Sabat is an American voice actor, voice director, ADR engineer, and line producer working for Funimation, and OkraTron 5000. Some of his prominent roles in animations and anime include Vegeta and Piccolo in '' Dragon Ball'', R ...
.
Cerberus appears in Episode 44 of ''Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle'' in his borrowed form, although in the parallel world he dwells in it appears to be his singular body. Cerberus (using "Kero" as a nickname) guards the Country of Kero, and has a prophetic dream of Syaoran, Sakura, Fai, Kurogane and Mokona, the protagonists of ''Tsubasa'', arriving in his world and recruits Mokona to climb up a mountain to retrieve one of Sakura's memory feathers which shrinks down the protagonists in size. Sachiko Chijimatsu reprised her role as Cerberus for this character appearance, while
Chris Cason
Christopher S. Cason is an American voice actor for English-language productions of Japanese anime shows mostly with Funimation. Some of his major roles include Babbit in ''Kodocha'', Haruki Hanai in ''School Rumble'', Gluttony in ''Fullmetal Alc ...
provided his English voice.
Tomoyo Daidouji
is the best friend and primary assistant of
Sakura Kinomoto
is the main protagonist and title character of Clamp's manga series ''Cardcaptor Sakura''. In the English anime adaptation by Nelvana of the series, ''Cardcaptors'' is known as Sakura Avalon, though her surname was changed back in the second ...
, and her second cousin on their mother's sides. The daughter of the president of
Daidōji Toy Company, Sonomi Daidoji (Sakura's aunt), Tomoyo is a person of dignified bearing, lives a life of wealth and is watched over by a team of female maids and bodyguards. She has access to a variety of
state of the art
The state of the art (sometimes cutting edge or leading edge) refers to the highest level of general development, as of a device, technique, or scientific field achieved at a particular time. However, in some contexts it can also refer to a level ...
prototype
A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototyp ...
technological gadgets from her mother's company, and supplies Sakura and Cerberus with different
mobile device
A mobile device (or handheld computer) is a computer small enough to hold and operate in the hand. Mobile devices typically have a flat LCD or OLED screen, a touchscreen interface, and digital or physical buttons. They may also have a physical ...
s throughout the series. Her most defining character traits is her attentiveness, integrity and selflessness towards Sakura's welfare.
Tomoyo is initially comes off as stereotypical "Ojou-san"; a demure, wealthy, upwardly-mobile high-class female
stock character
A stock character, also known as a character archetype, is a fictional character in a work of art such as a novel, play, or a film whom audiences recognize from frequent recurrences in a particular literary tradition. There is a wide range of st ...
, especially one of
nobility
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy (class), aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below Royal family, royalty. Nobility has often been an Estates of the realm, estate of the realm with many e ...
or
gentry
Gentry (from Old French ''genterie'', from ''gentil'', "high-born, noble") are "well-born, genteel and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past.
Word similar to gentle imple and decentfamilies
''Gentry'', in its widest ...
ancestry. However, she is depicted as having exceptional emotionally maturity. Tomoyo is hard-working, highly motivated, compassionate, intelligent, meticulous; giving her a unique air of cultured politeness, deportment, refinement, and etiquette amongst the cast. Tomoyo regularly speaks using more formal verb
conjugations and expressions than normally seen in elementary students. She uses 'watakushi', a personal pronoun which, when used outside of formal situations, makes a character seem either "prim and proper," "cultured," or "snobby." Tomoyo is artistically gifted, having displayed talents as an amateur fashion designer, beautician, cinematographer, seamstress, choreographer, and vocalist. Tomoyo is shown announcing, performing, or costume designing in various school events. In the anime, her musical ability causes her to be targeted by both the Voice and Song cards. When needed, Tomoyo can exhibit considerable perceptiveness, cunning and resourcefulness, which was most prominently displayed in ''
The Sealed Card'' film.
Because Tomoyo lacks magical powers and athletic abilities, Sakura takes on an active protective responsibility most times when capturing or transforming cards. If Tomoyo is ever in danger (or missing), Sakura will be the one concerned for her most, and her focus changes from that of the Card at hand to prioritize Tomoyo's safety. Fortunately, Sakura has always succeeded and hugs Tomoyo warmly whenever she reunites with her. Starting in ''
Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card'', to remove herself from unnecessary danger while documenting Sakura's exploits, Tomoyo has begun using a small camera-equipped drone so as not to worry Sakura.
Tomoyo is notable for her crafty streak and obsession of documenting every single detail of Sakura's personal life on video as much as possible, much to Sakura's discomfort. When she learns of Sakura's new role as a Cardcaptor, she insists that Sakura must wear "special outfits", is responsible for choreographing Sakura's new action poses and begins providing Sakura with the various "magical girl" protective-costumes she wears during her captures, as well as accompanying her on magical (and non-magical) endeavors to record the events with her video camera. This "art project" seems to serve Tomoyo's personal benefit and enjoyment rather than improving Sakura's performance. But she doesn't let her own desires supersede Sakura's needs and wants; she just wants to help and see Sakura be happy. Tomoyo faithfully assists, keeps Sakura's new identity secret and often covers for her in times of need.
In both the manga and anime adaptations, Tomoyo admits that she loves Sakura, but Sakura replies innocently, "I love you, too," in the platonic sense. This is emphasized using manga conventions: Tomoyo declares her love against a background of flowers, while Sakura replies against a blank white background. In the manga, some scenes give the appearance that Tomoyo has a crush on Sakura's brother Toya; however, according to Volume 1 of ''Clamp No Kiseki: The Ultimate Collection'', and an interview in the ''Cardcaptor Sakura Memorial Book'', this was an error caused by one of the finishing artists not being aware that CLAMP intended for Tomoyo to have romantic feelings for Sakura.
[interview printed in ''Cardcaptor Sakura Memorial Book'', published by Nakayoshi.] Later scenes show that Tomoyo recognises that Toya and Sakura, being brother and sister, have the same ears, and that Tomoyo secretly blushed over Toya ''because'' his ears reminded her of Sakura. Instead, she encourages Sakura's love of Yukito, and later becomes Syaoran's confidante and
wingman
A wingman (or wingmate) is a pilot or UAV who supports another pilot in a potentially dangerous flying environment. ''Wingman'' was originally the plane flying beside and slightly behind the lead plane in an aircraft formation.
According to th ...
when he begins to fall in love with Sakura.
CLAMP stated that the reason that Sakura does not return her friend Tomoyo's feelings is not because Tomoyo is another girl, as Sakura does not consider sex or gender a barrier for her romantic attraction. She simply doesn't have romantic feelings for Tomoyo in particular.
Demonstrating this, Sakura confesses that she has a crush on a female teacher in the series.
[''Cardcaptor Sakura'', Episode 27 ''Sakura and the Shrine of Memories'']
Although not the actual character, two of Tomoyo's alternate forms make an appearance in ''Cardcaptor Sakura''s spiritual successor ''
Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle'', three in the animated version.
In the anime adaptation, the character is voiced by
Kazuko Sugiyama
, known by her stage name , is a Japanese actress and voice actress who was born in Nagoya and works for Aoni Production.
In February 2010, she received a "Merit Award" from the 4th Seiyu Awards.
Filmography
Anime
*Hanako Mori in ''Inakappe Ta ...
. In the Animax dub, she is voiced by Sarah Hauser and later by Claudia Thompson. In the English dub of ''
Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2: The Sealed Card'', her voice is supplied by
Michelle Ruff
Michelle Ruff is an American voice actress known for her work in anime and video games. In her early voice acting career, she used her mother's name, Georgette Rose, as a pseudonym. Some of her roles include Fujiko Mine in ''Lupin the Third'', C ...
. In the English dub of the ''Clear Card'' arc, Tomoyo is voiced by
Natalie Hoover
Natalie Hoover is an American voice actress based in Los Angeles and Dallas. She has done voicework for anime, video games, and other audio productions.
Career
In 2010, Hoover was deemed as the Japanator New York Anime Festival and Comic Con vo ...
.
In the English adaptation ''Cardcaptors'', Tomoyo is renamed Madison Taylor, she is voiced by
Maggie Blue O'Hara
Maggie Blue O'Hara (born March 16, 1975), born Blueberry Sunshine, also credited as Maggie O'Hara, is a Canadian actress noted for her voice acting. She is well known as the voices of List of Cardcaptor Sakura characters#Tomoyo Daidouji, Madiso ...
, and her elegant speech was replaced with
valley girl
A valley girl is a socioeconomic, linguistic, and youth subcultural stereotype and stock character originating during the 1980s: any materialistic upper-middle-class young woman, associated with unique vocal and California dialect features, fr ...
speech, similar to O'Hara's portrayal of
Kitty Pryde
Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. The character First appearance, first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #129 (January 1980) and was ...
in ''
X-Men: Evolution''. J.D. Considine of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' stated:
''"A United States audience would have a hard enough time accepting the deference and politeness of Sakura's best friend, Tomoyo, as merely a sign of good breeding. But her intense devotion to Sakura -- sewing elaborate costumes for each Clow Card chase, documenting Sakura's successes on video, assuring Sakura that she "really likes" her -- verges on the creepy. No wonder the American version simply paints Madison (the Tomoyo character) as a video obsessive who sees Sakura's adventures as mere camera fodder."''[Considine, J.D.]
TELEVISION/RADIO; Making Anime A Little Safer For Americans
." ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. January 20, 2002. Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
Touya Kinomoto
is Sakura's older brother. His birthday is February 29. Though he teases her frequently, he cares a great deal for her and works to protect her. He is fully aware of what she is doing as a Cardcaptor, and regularly takes on several part-time jobs that put him in a position to be nearby when she is working on capturing a card. He is also known for being a
chick magnet, a status only reinforced by the fact that he never dates or actively shows romantic interest in anyone. He disliked Syaoran and often holds a grudge against him, but deep down he thought to himself that if there was someone Sakura should be with it would be Syaoran. Touya possesses several magical powers, including the ability to see ghosts and other non-humans, the ability to sense when Sakura is in danger, and mild
precognition
Precognition (from the Latin 'before', and 'acquiring knowledge') is the purported psychic phenomenon of seeing, or otherwise becoming directly aware of, events in the future.
There is no accepted scientific evidence that precognition is a ...
. He has an extremely close relationship with his best friend
Yukito; as the series progresses, it becomes clear not only that he is aware that Yukito is Yue's alter ego, but that he is in love with Yukito. To save both Yukito and Yue, Touya becomes a normal human being after he gives all of his magical powers to Yue, making him promise to protect Sakura in his stead as well as himself (and, by extension, Yukito). However, it has been revealed in the last chapter of ''Clear Card'' arc that he is gradually regaining his magic and seems to be developing new and greater abilities that he shall reveal until the time is right.
In the Japanese anime adaptation, Touya is voiced by
Ichiro Nagai. In the English manga his name is spelled "Toya". In the Animax dub, he is voiced by Darren Pleavin. In the English adaptation ''Cardcaptors'', his name is changed to Tori Avalon and he is voiced by
Tony Sampson
Tony Sampson (born August 17, 1977) is a Canadian musician, oiler and retired actor. From 1999 to 2009, he voiced Eddy in the Cartoon Network animated series ''Ed, Edd n Eddy''.
Biography
Tony Sampson was born on August 17, 1977 in Vancouver ...
. In the English dub of the second film,
Kirk Thornton
Kirk Thornton is an American voice actor, director and script writer working mainly with English-language versions of Japanese anime shows.
Career
His major roles include Brandon Heat in ''Gungrave'', Hotohori in ''Fushigi Yūgi'', Klein in ' ...
takes over the voicing role. In the English dub of the ''Clear Card'' arc, Touya is voiced by
Clifford Chapin
Clifford Samuel Chapin IV (born January 29, 1988) is an American voice actor and director at Funimation and Bang Zoom! Entertainment.
Career
Chapin is known for his roles in anime and video games, such as Ichijo Takayanagi from ''Red Data Gir ...
.
Yukito Tsukishiro / Yue
Yue/Yukito are an independent
dissociative personality: Yukito is a "false" persona created to mask Yue's "true" identity. For most of the series, Yue remained in a "
state of hibernation"; Yukito is unaware of Yue's existence, though he maintains an enormous appetite for food in an unconscious attempt to give Yue power. Yue's existence is revealed to the other characters after all of the Clow Cards are collected, and Toya states he knew of Yue's existence all along and was just waiting for Yukito to notice himself.
: is the best friend of Sakura's older brother, Touya, and the human alter-ego of the Clow Card guardian,
Yue. Though he is certainly Yue's "temporary form", he is referenced several times by other characters (including Eriol and Yue himself) as being simultaneously a completely separate "heart" from Yue's "true form". As Yukito, he displays a kind and gentle nature, and at the start of the series, Sakura develops a strong
limerence
Limerence is a state of mind which results from romantic or non-romantic feelings for another person, and typically includes intrusive, melancholic thoughts and/or tragic concerns for the object of one's affection as well as a desire to for ...
towards him. When she confessed her feelings, he gently rejects her, as the one he loves most is Touya.
:Once Sakura collects all of the cards, Yue begins needing greater power as her magic isn't strong enough to sustain him. Subconsciously, Yukito begins eating even more to try to compensate, but it is not enough and he starts sleeping constantly, even while standing, and eventually finds his body fading away altogether. Once Touya gives his magical energy to Yue to sustain them, Yukito begins to grow aware of Yue's existence; the grandparents with whom Yukito thought he lived were a false memory and thus did not exist. It is suggested that he came into existence shortly before he met Touya, to be near the future new guardian of the Clow Cards. Eriol tells Yue that he (and Clow) did know Sakura was predestined to be the future master of the cards, and had predicted that Sakura and Yue would be
romantically involved with each other; however, Yukito had deviated from this prophetic vision by
falling in love
Falling in love is the development of strong feelings of attachment and love, usually towards another person.
The term is metaphorical, emphasizing that the process, like the physical act of falling, is sudden, uncontrollable and leaves the ...
with Touya.
: is the one of two Guardians of the Clow Cards, along with Cerberus. His name, which is written in ''
kanji
are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...
'' rather than ''
hiragana
is a Japanese syllabary, part of the Japanese writing system, along with ''katakana'' as well as ''kanji''.
It is a phonetic lettering system. The word ''hiragana'' literally means "flowing" or "simple" kana ("simple" originally as contrast ...
'' is the
Mandarin Chinese
Mandarin (; ) is a group of Chinese (Sinitic) dialects that are natively spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. The group includes the Beijing dialect, the basis of the phonology of Standard Chinese, the official language of ...
word for "moon". Whereas Cerberus is the elector of the new Clow Card Master, Yue is the judge who is allowed to test the candidate for their worthiness. He spends most of the series in his temporary form,
Yukito Tsukishiro
This article covers the major characters of Clamp's manga ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' and its respective anime and movies. The manga and anime focused on Japanese schoolgirl Sakura Kinomoto who finds the magical Clow Book in her father's basement stud ...
, who initially has no memory or knowledge of his other self. Unlike Cerberus, Yue's powers are heavily dependent on the power of his master. Sakura's power is not yet strong enough to sustain him after he awakens, particularly after she begins transforming the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards. Yue's growing need for power is reflected in Yukito's ravenous appetite and later constant sleeping. Similarly, the deficit affects Yue himself in instances such as the blatant failure of his magic which causes Sakura and him to fall out of the sky during one of Eriol's synthesized 'situations'. Eventually, Sakura's brother Toya reveals that he knows Yue and Yukito are not human and gives his power to Yue to sustain his existence so he does not lose Yukito.
:As with
Ruby Moon
This article covers the major characters of Clamp's manga ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' and its respective anime and movies. The manga and anime focused on Japanese schoolgirl Sakura Kinomoto who finds the magical Clow Book in her father's basement study ...
, Yue's "true form" has no biological sex or gender; though not "human or male", Yue has the appearance of a
sexless /
non-binary
Non-binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are not solely male or femaleidentities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary identities fall under the transgender umbrella, since non-binary people typically ...
beautiful "
angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
ic-
bishōnen
(; also transliterated ) is a Japanese term literally meaning "beautiful youth (boy)" and describes an aesthetic that can be found in disparate areas in East Asia: a young man of androgynous beauty. This word originated from the Tang dynasty ...
" young man (male pronouns used) with long, silver, braided hair, silver-purple feline eyes, and a pair of white angel wings which he uses for flight. Yue sports a white suit and spats-like coverings on his feet. His personality is depicted as serious and aloof in contrast to both Kerberos's and Yukito's, and while those two are very fond of Sakura, Yue is reluctant to accept her. Similarly, Yue displays no hint of Yukito's fondness for Li or his love for Touya. As the series progress, he comes to respond to Sakura's request that rather than being his master, she wants to be his friend. Yue has jurisdiction over the elements wind and water, as well as any cards that can be said to have a connection to the moon, wind or water. This includes the Wood, Time and Dark cards.
:Unlike Kerberos, Yukito and Yue are usually voiced by the same actor, albeit with slightly modified performances. In the Japanese anime adaptation Yukito/Yue is voiced by
Megumi Ogata
is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer from the Greater Tokyo Area. As a singer, she goes by the name em:óu. She attended Tokai University, but left due to lack of interest. She is best known for voicing Shinji Ikari in ''Neon Genesis ...
. In the Animax dub, Yukito/Yue is voiced by Candice Moore. In ''Cardcaptors'', Yukito's name is changed to Julian Star, his love for Touya is removed, and he is voiced by
Samuel Vincent. In the English dub of the second movie, he is voiced by
Steve Staley
Steve Staley, also known as Steve Cannon, is an American voice actor known for providing voices for Japanese anime and video games. Some of his notable roles include Shūhei Hisagi and Tōshirō Hitsugaya in '' Bleach'', Daisuke Aurora in '' ...
. In the English dub of the ''Clear Card'' arc, Yukito/Yue is voiced by
Justin Briner
Justin Briner is an American voice actor. He has provided voices for English-language versions of Japanese anime films and television series with Funimation. He is best known for his roles as Izuku "Deku" Midoriya in ''My Hero Academia'', Mikae ...
.
Syaoran Li
Syaoran Li, sometimes spelled as Shaoran Li or originally as Xiaolang Li (李小狼 ''Lǐ Xiǎoláng''; リ・シャオラン ''Ri Shaoran'', or ''Ri Syaoran'' (
Kunrei
is the Cabinet-ordered romanization system for transcribing the Japanese language into the Latin alphabet. Its name is rendered ''Kunreisiki rômazi'' in the system itself. Kunrei-shiki is sometimes known as the Monbushō system in English bec ...
); Cantonese Jyutping: ''lei5 siu2 long4''), is a member of the Li clan of sorcerers from Hong Kong, whom are distant relatives of Clow Reed, the creator of the Clow Cards. As such, he initially rivals against Sakura because he believes that he should be the one to inherit the Clow Cards and tries to capture the cards for himself. As the series progresses, however, Syaoran comes to respect Sakura and becomes her friend and ally. He eventually falls in love with her, though she is slow to realize it due to her own feelings for Yukito.
Originally, Syaoran appeared
smitten with Yukito, but later revealed that the attraction was due to high moon power inside of Yukito. Eventually, in the beginning of the third season, Syaoran finally begins to realize he has deeply fallen in love with Sakura, as he constantly blushes whenever he is around her. In the manga, Syaoran begins to develop feelings for Sakura around the time of the Erase Card's capture. Once Syaoran realizes his feelings, he tries to admit his love for Sakura several times, but is both too nervous to confess his feelings while also being constantly interrupted. Syaoran also becomes extremely jealous whenever he sees Sakura spending time with Eriol, believing he harbours romantic feelings for Sakura and considers him a rival. Syaoran's love for Sakura is proven to be really strong as he thinks strongly of her well-being and needs before his own as shown when after Yukito rejects Sakura's feelings, Syaoran comforts her even though Sakura is still unaware about his own romantic feelings towards her. Nearing the end of the series, Syaoran finally confesses his feelings to Sakura, but decides to return to
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
, since Sakura has now become the new master of the cards.
In the series movie, ''
Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2: The Sealed Card'', he and Meiling return from Hong Kong a few months later to visit. Throughout the movie, Syaoran waits for Sakura to reply to his confession, but as Sakura constantly keeps trying to tell him how she feels, they are repeatedly interrupted. Syaoran and Sakura work together to defeat the Nothing Card that has been secretly stealing the Sakura cards while making parts of Tomoeda disappear. Eventually at the end of the movie, they manage to defeat the Nothing Card, which becomes the Hope Card and Sakura finally confesses her love for Syaoran and jumps into his arms.
Two years later, Syaoran returns to Tomoeda and enrolls at the same middle school as Sakura and most of her friends. However, his true objective is to watch over Sakura and help her with the mystery surrounding the Clear Cards. He also keeps contact with Eriol, who instructs him to not interfere until the time is right. Later he reveals to Sakura that he was the one who took away the spirits contained within the Sakura Cards in order to protect herself from her own power, which is growing out of control, thus leading to the creation of the Clear Cards. Despite intending to reveal all the truth to Sakura, Syaoran becomes unable to tell her anything about Akiho or Kaito's involvement due to a spell Kaito placed on him.
Syaoran manages to catch several cards by playing a major role in helping Sakura seal them. He is allowed to attempt the final judgment but fails. Syaoran is shown to have similar powers to Sakura, such as sensing Clow Cards and magical auras, is a skilled martial artist, and wields a sword which he can use to cast spells when equipped with incantation papers. He can also use a device (dubbed a "
lasenboard" in the ''Cardcaptors'' anime dub), which can detect and direct him to magical entities. A running gag is Kero calling him "kid".
Syaoran is voiced by
Nobuyo Oyama in the Japanese version. In the Animax English dub, he is voiced by Candice Moore. In the Nelvana English dub, he is voiced by
Mona Marshall
Mona Marshall is an American voice actress, known for her work in a number of cartoons, anime shows, films and video games. Her major credits include ''South Park'', where she voices many of the female characters on the show; '' Fraggle Rock: The ...
in the second feature film. In Funimation's English dub of ''Clear Card'', he is voiced by
Jason Liebrecht
Ernesto Jason Liebrecht is an American voice actor who voices for a number of English versions of Japanese anime series and video games produced by Funimation/OkraTron 5000 and ADV Films. Some of his major roles include Lavi and the Millennium ...
, who reprises his role as Syaoran from ''
Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle''.
In ''Cardcaptors'', Syaoran's name is listed as Li Showron, and he is voiced by
Rhys Huber
Rhys Huber (born June 24, 1986) is a Canadian actor. He has done English voice work for animation and anime. His most notable role is Li Showron in the ''Cardcaptors'' dub.
Animation/Anime Roles
* ''Cardcaptors'' as Li Showron
* '' Cardcaptors: ...
during the Clow Cards arc and the first movie, and Jordan Kilik in the Sakura Cards arc. He is introduced as the male lead in the first episode of the dub (episode 8 of the original anime), and is considered a rival Cardcaptor. He is more abrasive and blunt than in the original anime version. Instead of being infatuated with Yukito, he has shyness. He also does not develop a romantic interest in Sakura and is not close to telling her his feelings like he does in episode 69, one episode before the finale.
Meiling Li
Meiling Li (李莓鈴 ''Lǐ Méilíng'', リ・メイリン ''Ri Meirin'', Cantonese Jyutping: ''lei5 mui4 ling4''), sometimes spelled as Meilin Li, is
Syaoran Li
Syaoran Li, sometimes spelled as Shaoran Li or originally as Xiaolang Li (李小狼 ''Lǐ Xiǎoláng''; リ・シャオラン ''Ri Shaoran'', or ''Ri Syaoran'' ( Kunrei); Cantonese Jyutping: ''lei5 siu2 long4''), is one of the central characters ...
's cousin and fiancée, and only appears in the anime adaptation of ''Cardcaptor Sakura''. Introduced towards the end of episode 19, she is a very impulsive, bratty, straightforward, clingy, and overconfident girl. As children living in Hong Kong, Meiling and Syaoran trained in martial arts under the tutelage of Wang Wei. One night her pet bird escaped from its cage, and the normally quiet and withdrawn Syaoran told her not to cry, then left. After spending hours in the rain, he returned with the bird and Meiling was both grateful and touched. From that day, she devoted herself to him, eventually declaring that she liked Syaoran above all others and, reasoning that he liked her as well, she declared them to be engaged, much to Syaoran's chagrin. At the same time, she promised that if he found someone he liked more than her, he would tell her and she would release him from the promise.
In coming to Tokyo, Meiling intends to help Syaoran find and gather the Clow Cards, and actively dislikes Sakura. As the series progresses, Meiling develops a grudging respect for Sakura that turns into a good friendship by the time Meiling returns to Hong Kong in episode 43 by her mother due to unknown reasons. During her initial visit, Meiling seemed to recognize that Syaoran was falling in love with Sakura, but it wasn't until she briefly returned in episode 60 that she acknowledges and accepts Sakura as the person Syaoran loves. Wanting to keep her promise, Syaoran attempts to tell her that he loves Sakura, but Meiling interrupts and tells him that she knows because he is now calling Sakura by her first name, something he only does for his sisters and her. She releases Syaoran from their promise, then quickly leaves. Meiling spends the night at
Tomoyo Daidōji
This article covers the major characters of Clamp's manga ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' and its respective anime and movies. The manga and anime focused on Japanese schoolgirl Sakura Kinomoto who finds the magical Clow Book in her father's basement stud ...
's house and releases all of her frustration by crying without burdening Syaoran. At the end of the episode, Meiling returns home and is not seen again in the main series. She returns in the second movie, with Syaoran, to see her old friends, but secretly came back to help Sakura finally confess her love to Syaoran. Meiling also occasionally appears in the anime adaptation of ''Clear Card'', talking to Sakura on phone and giving her hints at developing her relationship with Syaoran. A running gag is Kero calling her "brat".
Along with her temporary stay in Tomoeda and being supportive of Syaoran, Meiling also plays a limited role in the story because, unlike Syaoran, she has no magical abilities, relying solely on her physical fighting abilities and a healthy dose of pride. Her lack of powers and tendency to leap before thinking, however, results in her hindering more than helping Syaoran in most battles against the cards. She challenges The Fight card in episode 20, and was nearly badly wounded and had to be rescued by Syaoran. Recognizing that she was being a burden, Meiling grew upset and lashed out at Syaoran. However, she was then able to be an aid to him while fighting The Twin card, as their years of practicing martial arts together enables them to match the card's synchronized fighting style.
In ''Clear Card'' episode 13, Meiling matured and is much less of a brat than she used to be. Even Sakura is amazed to see Meiling speak so politely to Fujitaka, to which Meiling responds, “It’s just good manners,” as if that's how she's always been.
Meiling's signature hairstyle is the Chinese ''
niújiǎotóu'' (牛角头).
In the Japanese version of the anime adaptation, Meiling is voiced by
Yukana
, who goes by her mononymous stage name , is a Japanese voice actress and singer affiliated with Sigma Seven. Her major roles include Azuki in ''Azuki-chan'', Yuri Tanima in ''Wedding Peach'', Meiling Li in ''Cardcaptor Sakura'', Tessa in ''Ful ...
. In the Animax English dub, she is voiced by Sarah Hauser. In the English dub of the second movie, she is voiced by
Julie Maddalena
Julia Maddalena is an American voice actress who has worked on dubs of Japanese anime, cartoons, and video games. Some of her major voice roles are Silvia Maruyama from ''Ground Defense Force! Mao-chan'', Arusu from ''Tweeny Witches'', Hikaru Shi ...
. In the English dub of the ''Clear Card'' arc, she is voiced by
Trina Nishimura
Trina Nishimura is an American voice actress who has worked primarily with Funimation. She is known for the voice of Mikasa Ackerman on ''Attack on Titan'' and Kurisu Makise on '' Steins;Gate.''
Early life and career
At age 3, her family moved t ...
.
In the English adaptation ''Cardcaptors'', she is known as Meilin Rae and is voiced by
Nicole Oliver
Nicole Lyn Oliver (born February 22, 1970) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles as Princess Celestia and Cheerilee in '' My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' and Zoe Trent in ''Littlest Pet Shop''.
Early life
Oliver was born i ...
. Her unrequited engagement with Syaoran was omitted along with the fact that she and Syaoran were cousins. Rather she is portrayed as a long time friend of Syaoran and her romantic feelings toward him were watered down but still evident.
Recurring characters
Clow Reed
is the sorcerer who originally created the Clow Cards, and their magical guardians
Cerberus
In Greek mythology, Cerberus (; grc-gre, Κέρβερος ''Kérberos'' ), often referred to as the hound of Hades, is a multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. He was the offspring of the mo ...
and
Yue. Along with Kohaku of ''
Wish
A wish is a hope or desire for something. In fiction, wishes can be used as plot devices. In folklore, opportunities for "making a wish" or for wishes to "come true" or "be granted" are themes that are sometimes used.
In fiction
In fiction a ...
,'' and Yuuko of ''
xxxHolic,'' he is one of the few Clamp-created characters to appear in more than one work.
Born of an English father and a Chinese mother, Clow created a new type of magic that blended both Eastern and Western magical elements. His plan was to hand down the magic to people who would use and protect it while meeting all of the qualifications. However, few people could learn his brand of magic. The character of Clow is only seen in
flashbacks, as he has long been dead before the series starts. Few details are revealed about his character, personality, or life, though multiple characters comment on his eccentricity. He displays a gentle and affable personality in his interactions with his creations.
When Clow knew he was about to die, he chose his then-unborn descendant
Sakura Kinomoto
is the main protagonist and title character of Clamp's manga series ''Cardcaptor Sakura''. In the English anime adaptation by Nelvana of the series, ''Cardcaptors'' is known as Sakura Avalon, though her surname was changed back in the second ...
to become the new guardian of the cards and the new master of Yue and Cerberus. Clow's magical ability allowed him to foresee most of the future and plan many of the situations that would enable Sakura to succeed in taking full possession of the Clow Cards. Likewise, he deliberately made the sealing wand pink, reflecting that its future user would be a young girl. He also split his soul into two reincarnations:
Eriol Hiiragizawa, who had all of his memories and magic, and
Fujitaka Kinomoto
This article covers the major characters of Clamp's manga ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' and its respective anime and movies. The manga and anime focused on Japanese schoolgirl Sakura Kinomoto who finds the magical Clow Book in her father's basement stud ...
, Sakura's father. In the anime adaptation, Clow does not split his soul, instead passing on his memories, soul and powers to Eriol exclusively. Syaoran Li is also an indirect descendant of Clow's Chinese lineage.
In the anime adaptation and the film, he is voiced by
Hiroshi Ōtake
was a Japanese actor and voice actor, represented by 81 Produce. He was best known for his roles as Nyarome in ''Mōretsu Atarō'', Daisho in ''Himitsu no Akko-chan'', Boss in ''Mazinger Z'', Pāman 2 (Booby) in ''Pāman'', King Nikochan in ''D ...
. In the Animax English dub, he is voiced by Darren Pleavin. In Nelvana's English adaptation, ''Cardcaptors'', his given name is repronounced as "klau̇" instead of "klō", and is voiced by
Dale Wilson. Clow Reed also appears in two additional CLAMP works, ''
Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle'' and ''
xxxHolic'', where he has another descendant named
Fei-Wang Reed
The '' Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle'' manga series and its respective animated adaptations feature a large cast of fictional characters designed by Clamp. The series takes place in a fictional multiverse with parallel dimensions where several c ...
and worked with the Dimensional Witch
Yūko Ichihara
is a fictional character in the manga '' xxxHolic'', which was created by the artist group Clamp. Yuko is a witch who owns a shop where people come to have their wishes granted, and most of her jobs involve dealing with supernatural beings. A ...
in arranging the series of events in the former series.
Fujitaka Kinomoto
is the father of titular character
Sakura Kinomoto
is the main protagonist and title character of Clamp's manga series ''Cardcaptor Sakura''. In the English anime adaptation by Nelvana of the series, ''Cardcaptors'' is known as Sakura Avalon, though her surname was changed back in the second ...
and her brother Touya Kinomoto. A busy professor of
archaeology
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
at Towa University, Fujitaka is a kind and caring father. He met his late wife
Nadeshiko while doing his first year as a teacher at her high school. Nadeshiko had climbed a tree to return a baby bird to its nest, but fell out of the tree, landing on Fujitaka. Upon seeing her, he stated that "an angel has fallen from the sky." They fell in love and married when she was sixteen. Though Nadeshiko died seven years before the start of the series, Fujitaka is shown to still be very much in love with her and devoted to her memory. He keeps a picture of her in the dining room, changing it each morning.
Little is initially said about Fujitaka's family or past. During the second half of the series, it is revealed that when Clow Reed divided his soul (seeking to no longer be the most powerful magician in the world), he split it into two halves. One of these halves became
Eriol Hiiragizawa, holding all of Clow's magic and memories, and the other being Fujitaka, who has no magic of his own, but fathered the one who would inherit the cards. It is stated that Fujitaka has no magical powers of his own, but he is also unaffected by other Clow's magic, such as the Eriol's sleep spell. At the end of the series, Eriol gives half of his magic to Fujitaka. This enables Fujitaka to finally see the spirit of Nadeshiko, who has been watching over her family since her death.
In the anime adaptation, Fujitaka's role as the other half of Clow Reed's reincarnation is completely removed as is his immunity to Eriol's magic and he is never able to see Nadeshiko's spirit. He is voiced by
Ryōichi Tanaka. In the ''Cardcaptors'' dub, his name is changed to Aiden Avalon and he is voiced by
Brian Drummond
Brian Drummond (born August 10, 1969) is a Canadian voice actor. He formerly served on the board of directors for the New Westminster-based Urban Academy along with his wife, Laura Drummond, also a voice artist. Usually working in Vancouver, h ...
. In the Animax dub, he is voiced by Scott Evans. In the English dub of the second movie, he is voiced by
Michael McConnohie
Michael McConnohie is an American voice actor, writer and director who has provided many voice roles in movies, anime, and video games. He and fellow actress Melodee Spevack run a production company called VoxWorks. Some of his major works includ ...
. In the English dub of the ''Clear Card'' arc, Fujitaka is voiced by
Jason Douglas
Jason Douglas is an American film, television and voice actor, known as Tobin on AMC's '' The Walking Dead'', as the voice of Beerus in the anime film '' Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods ''and the series Dragon Ball Super, and Krieg in the video ...
.
Sonomi Daidouji
is the mother of titular character Sakura's best friend and cousin
Tomoyo Daidouji
This article covers the major characters of Clamp's manga ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' and its respective anime and movies. The manga and anime focused on Japanese schoolgirl Sakura Kinomoto who finds the magical Clow Book in her father's basement stud ...
, the first cousin of Sakura's late mother
Nadeshiko Kinomoto
This article covers the major characters of Clamp (manga artists), Clamp's manga ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' and its respective anime and movies. The manga and anime focused on Japanese schoolgirl Sakura Kinomoto who finds the magical Clow Book in her f ...
and Sakura's aunt. She is rarely seen in the series, but is said to be a wealthy woman and the President of a large toy corporation. She greatly loved her cousin Nadeshiko, and disapproved of her marriage to Fujitaka, later blaming Fujitaka for Nadeshiko's death at a young age. During the marriage, it is implied that Nadeshiko was at least partially cut off from her family. Sonomi maintains a
pixie cut
A pixie cut is a short hairstyle, generally short on the back and sides of the head and slightly longer on the top, with very short bangs. It is a variant of a crop. The name is derived from the mythological pixie.
History
Pixie cuts were popula ...
, a hairstyle Nadeshiko loved giving her when they were kids; and has Tomoyo keep her hair long because it reminds her of Nadeshiko.
After meeting Sakura tite for the first time, Sonomi realizes that Nadeshiko had lived a happy life and is able to come to terms with the marriage. At times, she still treats Fujitaka as a "rival" competing to love Nadeshiko more, but she also helps him pass on gifts from Sakura to her grandfather and to arrange for Sakura to meet her great-grandfather while on a family vacation. Sonomi shows great affection for Sakura–treating her like her own daughter–and often clears her busy work schedule to join her and Tomoyo whenever Sakura comes over to visit.
In the ''Cardcaptors'' English adaptation, her name is changed to Samantha Taylor and her declaration of love for Nadeshiko is modified to a purely familiar love rather than a romantic love.
Sonomi is voiced by
Yoshiko Ōta Yoshiko is a feminine Japanese given name.
Possible writings
The name Yoshiko can have a variety of different meanings depending on which kanji characters are used to write it. Over 200 possible variations of the name exist. Some of the most commo ...
in anime series. In the Animax English dub, she is voiced by Claudia Thompson. She is voiced by
Venus Terzo
Venus Terzo is a Canadian actress who played Detective Angela Kosmo in ''Da Vinci's Inquest'' and its spinoff, ''Da Vinci's City Hall''. She was nominated in 2002 for the Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dra ...
in the ''Cardcaptors'' dub and by
Wendee Lee
Wendee Lee is an American voice actress, writer, and director.
Biography
Lee studied dance and theater and later became a full-time dancer in her teens. According to her interview on the ''Magic Knight Rayearth'' DVDs, she started doing voices ...
in the English dub of the second movie. In the English dub of the ''Clear Card'' arc, she is voiced by
Michelle Rojas
Michelle Rojas (née Pennington; born December 16, 1987) is an American voice actor from Dallas, Texas. Affiliated with Funimation and Bang Zoom! Entertainment, some of her major roles are Tohka Yatogami in ''Date A Live'', Zuikaku in ''Azur La ...
.
Nadeshiko Kinomoto
is Sakura and Toya's mother, Fujitaka's late wife, and the first cousin of
Sonomi Daidouji
This article covers the major characters of Clamp's manga ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' and its respective anime and movies. The manga and anime focused on Japanese schoolgirl Sakura Kinomoto who finds the magical Clow Book in her father's basement study ...
. She worked as a model from her teens up until her death. She was sixteen when she met Fujitaka when he worked as a student teacher at her high school. She met Fujitaka when she climbed a tree to rescue a bird nest and accidentally fell, and landed on him as he saved her from getting hurt. He then remarked, "l had thought an angel fell from the sky". With those words, she fell in love with him. Soon after, against the wishes of her family, they got married despite their nine-year age gap (he was 25, she was 16). She died from an unnamed illness when Sakura was three. Because she was 27 when she died and Sakura was three and Toya was ten, it is likely that she gave birth to Toya at 17. Although she has died, she is still very much remembered and loved by her family; Fujitaka keeps her picture in the family room and Sakura never fails to greet her photo every morning. She appears occasionally as a spirit and is seen only by Toya, Eriol, and Sakura (beginning with volume 4 of the Clear Card arc).
Nadeshiko is voiced by
Yūko Minaguchi
is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator from Bunkyō, Tokyo. She is affiliated with Aoni Production.
In 2012, Minaguchi took a nineteen-month-long hiatus from acting in order to study abroad in the United States. This resulted in Shino ...
in the anime series. In the Animax English dub, she is voiced by Candice Moore. In the ''Cardcaptors'' English adaption, her name is changed to Natasha Avalon and she is voiced by
Janyse Jaud
Janyse Jaud (, born November 26, 1969) is a Canadian actress, musician and author. Her major voiceover roles include '' Hulk Versus'', '' My Little Pony'', ''Inuyasha'', ''Ed Edd n Eddy'', '' Batman: Black & White'', ''Baby Looney Tunes'', ''War ...
. In the English dub of the ''Clear Card'' arc, she is voiced by
Megan Shipman
Megan Shipman is an American voice actress, known for providing voices in English dubs of Japanese anime series. Some of her notable roles include Yuzu Aihara in ''Citrus'', Aoba Suzukaze in ''New Game!'', Grey in ''Black Clover'', Maple in ''Bo ...
.
Yoshiyuki Terada
is a
teacher
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...
at Tomoeda Elementary School. During the series, as the main characters go through fourth grade, and enter the fifth grade, he acts as their home room teacher. He is also shown teaching in other classes, including the
physical education
Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorati ...
classes, and he acts as the chaperon on several school field trips. As the series progresses, it is revealed that he is having a romantic relationship with his student
Rika Sasaki
This article covers the major characters of Clamp's manga ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' and its respective anime and movies. The manga and anime focused on Japanese schoolgirl Sakura Kinomoto who finds the magical Clow Book in her father's basement stud ...
. In the manga, they become engaged when he gives her a ring, noting that he hopes it will one day become her wedding ring. Rika gives him a teddy bear she made and named after herself, which legends says will allow them to remain in love forever. Towards the end of the series, when Sakura is unsure of her feelings about Syaoran, the couple is shown having a picnic at a park, with Terada slipping away so Sakura doesn't notice him. During the series, none of the other characters appear to know about the relationship, though when Rika is taken over by the Sword card, Sakura hears her call out "Sensei" (teacher) when she uses the Illusion card to show Rika her most beloved.
In the anime adaptation, their relationship is not shown in the same light. Their engagement and more romantic scenes between them are removed, and Rika notes that Terada reminds her of her absentee father. Terada is also shown accepting cakes made by Rika and in accepting the bear and naming it after his "hardest working student." In the ''Cardcaptors'' English dub, he is simply called Mr. Terada, and all aspects of the romantic relationship between Terada and Rika are completely removed, with Rika's shyness and reactions to him made to appear to be more of a general fear of men than romantic feelings.
In the anime series, he is voiced by
Tōru Furusawa
is a Japanese voice actor.
Notable voice roles
Voice roles
Television animation
*''Anime Ganbare Goemon'' (Mr. Protein)
*''Cardcaptor Sakura'' ( Yoshiyuki Terada (first season))
*''Fushigi Yūgi'' ( Nakago)
*''Kurau Phantom Memory'' (Inspecto ...
for the first season and first movie, and by
Katsuyuki Konishi
is a Japanese voice actor from Wakayama, Wakayama. He is affiliated with Ken Production. His debut role was Volfogg/Big Volfogg in ''GaoGaiGar''. He is most well known for portraying Kamina in ''Gurren Lagann'', Laxus Dreyar in ''Fairy Tail'' a ...
for the second and third seasons and the second film. In the ''Cardcaptors'' dub, he is voiced by
Brian Drummond
Brian Drummond (born August 10, 1969) is a Canadian voice actor. He formerly served on the board of directors for the New Westminster-based Urban Academy along with his wife, Laura Drummond, also a voice artist. Usually working in Vancouver, h ...
. He is voiced by
Steven Blum
Steven Jay Blum (; born April 29, 1960) is an American voice actor. Known for his distinctively deep voice, his most well-known roles include Spike Spiegel from the anime series '' Cowboy Bebop'', Garazeb Orrelios from the animated series ''St ...
in the English dub of the second movie. In the English dub of the ''Clear Card'' arc, he is voiced by
Zach Bolton
Zachary Charles Bolton (born August 9, 1981) is an American ADR director, line producer and voice actor, known for his work at Funimation. He is often credited as Z. Charles Bolton.
In November 2020, he married voice actor Kara Edwards.
Filmo ...
.
Rika Sasaki
is a classmate and friend of titular character
Sakura Kinomoto
is the main protagonist and title character of Clamp's manga series ''Cardcaptor Sakura''. In the English anime adaptation by Nelvana of the series, ''Cardcaptors'' is known as Sakura Avalon, though her surname was changed back in the second ...
. She is considered to be very elegant and mature for her age, though she can also be shy. During the series, she is also shown to be a skilled cook and very good at crafts. During the series, Rika is affected by the Clow Cards several times. Early in the series, she buys a brooch that is actually The Sword card. The card takes her over and causes her to attack Sakura. Sakura is able to stop Rika by using The Illusion card to show her an image of her beloved (or greatest fear in the English dub), allowing Sakura to capture the card. During the second half of the series, she is nearly drowned during a magical trial
Eriol Hiiragizawa created to cause Sakura to convert a Clow Card to Sakura Card.
During the series, Rika is shown to be in a romantic relationship with her teacher
Yoshiyuki Terada. In the manga series, they are engaged to be married when she is old enough, and they frequently spend time alone together on "dates." In the anime adaptation, the engagement is removed as are many of their dates, however they are still shown to have affection for one another (it's implied that he reminds her of her father, who's oft busy on overseas business). Rika gives Terada the hand-made teddy bear she made, and he names it after her. In both the manga and anime, when Sakura uses the Illusion card to stop Rika's attacks induced by the Sword card, she calls the image "Sensei" which means "teacher" in Japanese. During the final judgment when Yue shows Sakura a world where everyone has lost their feelings for the one they love the most, Rika is shown handing Terada a paper without her usual blush and shy look.
After graduating from Elementary School, Rika is the only among Sakura's friends who enrolled in a different Junior High School, and thus is not seen with them in ''Clear Card'', although they usually keep in touch.
In the ''Cardcaptors'' English adaptation, Rika's name is translated as Rita and all hints of her relationship with Terada are removed. Instead of being a good student, she is depicted as having trouble with her school work and her blushing around Terada is explained away as being embarrassed at having to stay after school so often and that she is afraid of him.
In the original anime series, she is voiced by
Tomoko Kawakami
was a Japanese voice actress. Having graduated from the Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music, she was affiliated with Production Baobab at the time of her death.
Career
Kawakami debuted in 1994 as a role of a boy in ''Metal Fighter Miku''. He ...
. In the ''Clear Card'' arc, she is voiced by
Saki Fujita
is a Japanese voice actress from Tokyo. She sang the ending theme to the anime '' Tokimeki Memorial Only Love'', "Kiseki no Kakera", (奇跡のかけら) along with Yuki Makishima and Yukako Yoshikawa as well as the opening songs for ''Working! ...
. In the English ''Cardcaptors'' dub and the second film, she is voiced by
Dina Sherman. In the English dub of the ''Clear Card'' arc, she is voiced by Alex Moore.
Takashi Yamazaki
is a classmate and friend of Sakura Kinomoto and Syaoran Li. He is infamously known for fabricating highly detailed stories on the supposed history of practically any subject, usually whatever Sakura and her friends happening to be discussing. Sakura and Syaoran are often gullible enough to believe the stories, which often provide an element of humour in the series. His stories are primarily interrupted by Chiharu, who physically disciplines him by strangling him until he stops talking and will resort to dragging him away when she proves to be unsuccessful. His storytelling is later supplemented by Eriol, who helps to reinforce the false validity of his stories and whose presence prevents Chiharu from stopping Yamazaki's lies. Notably, Yamazaki's eyes are almost never open, causing Meiling to hypothesize that he only opens his eyes when telling the truth, a hypothesis that is later proven false.
While generally viewed as lighthearted and energetic, Yamazaki can also be sensitive and serious. In the last volume of the manga, when Sakura was down, he leaves the scene in order for Chiharu to talk to Sakura. Chiharu adds that he understands that Sakura needs her guidance and counseling, which is why he left so they could talk rather than stay to tell stories.
Yamazaki is named after film director,
Takashi Yamazaki
is a Japanese visual effects artist, television producer, director, screenwriter, and actor. He won the Japan Academy Film Prize for Director of the Year, Director of the Year and Japan Academy Film Prize for Screenplay of the Year, Screenplay o ...
, who is a friend of CLAMP. He is known as Zachary Marker in the English adaptation ''Cardcaptors'' and his relationship with Chiharu is written so that they are cousins and her acts of strangling are the result of
sibling rivalry
Sibling rivalry is a type of competition or animosity among siblings, whether blood-related or not.
Siblings generally spend more time together during childhood than they do with parents. The sibling bond is often complicated and is influenced ...
. Yamazaki also makes an appearance in Clamp's manga series, ''
Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle'' in Piffle Country as an announcer, where he retains his tendency to fabricate elaborate stories.
In the Japanese version, he is voiced by
Issei Miyazaki
is a Japanese voice actor. He is the member of TAB Production.
Voice roles
*Gen in ''Barefoot Gen''
*Ogasawara Yuunosuke in Azuki-chan
*Takashi Yamazaki in ''Cardcaptor Sakura''
*Kenji Ninomiya in ''Kamichu!''
*Subaru Sumeragi in '' X/1999''
*Jun ...
. He is voiced by Philip Pacaud in the English ''Cardcaptors'' dub, and by
Joshua Seth
Joshua Seth is an American voice actor, comedian, and author.
Biography
Seth was born in Kent, Ohio, and graduated from New York University Tisch School of the Arts. As a child, Seth attended several experimental programs at Kent State Universit ...
in the second movie. In the English dub of the ''Clear Card'' arc, Takashi is voiced by
Alejandro Saab
Alejandro Saab (born November 15, 1994) is an American voice actor. Some of his noteworthy roles include Tamotsu Denkigai in '' Akiba's Trip: The Animation'', Takezo Kurata in ''Kono Oto Tomare! Sounds of Life'', Kazuki Yasaka in '' Sarazanmai'', ...
.
Chiharu Mihara
is one of Sakura Kinomoto's friends and classmates in school. Along with Rika Sasaki and Naoko Yanagisawa, Chiharu often appears alongside Sakura at school and during school events. She is also on the school's cheerleading squad with Sakura. Chiharu's most notable trait is her relationship with Takashi Yamazaki, whom she has known since kindergarten. She is never fooled by his rampant storytelling and is usually driven silence him by comically strangling him, which usually does not prevent him from continuing. Despite the rough-handling, she and Yamazaki actually share a close relationship and it is implied that they care for one another in a more affectionate manner. In the last volume of the series, Chiharu speaks openly about her relationship with Yamazaki when Sakura turns to her for advice on love and true feelings as Sakura reflects on her own relationship with Syaoran.
In the ''Cardcaptors'' dub, she is known as Chelsea and Yamazaki is written as her cousin to justify the random acts of strangling as sibling rivalry.
In the Japanese version, she is voiced by
Miwa Matsumoto
is a Japanese voice actress.
Filmography
Television
*''Digimon Adventure'' – Patamon
*'' Digimon Adventure 02'' – Patamon
*''Digimon Tamers'' – Mako
*'' Digimon Frontier'' – Kokuwamon
*''Cardcaptor Sakura'' – Chiharu Mihara
*'' Car ...
. She is voiced by
Jocelyne Loewen
Jocelyne Rae Loewen (born 1976) is a Canadian actress working in Vancouver, Canada. She is known for her roles in the English dubs of anime series. She is best known as the voice of Yai Ayano in the '' Mega Man NT Warrior'' series, Mii from ''Po ...
in the ''Cardcaptors'' dub, and by
Dorothy Elias-Fahn
Dorothy Elias-Fahn (born March 13 in California), formerly known as Dorothy Melendrez, is an American voice actress. Some of her prominent lead roles include List of characters in Trigun#Meryl Stryfe, Meryl Stryfe in ''Trigun'', Sayaka Maizono, ...
in the second movie. In the English dub of the ''Clear Card'' arc, she is voiced by
Jill Harris
Jill Harris is an American voice actress. She has been voice acting professionally since 2015 and received her first lead role with Naho Takamiya in ''Orange''. Some of her other lead roles include Aura Bella Flora in ''Overlord'', Fuuka Akitsuk ...
.
Naoko Yanagisawa
is one of Sakura Kinomoto's classmates and friends in school and often appears at school events with Sakura's other friends, Chiharu and Rika. Despite being bad at gymnastics, she is also a member of the school's cheerleading squad alongside Sakura.
Naoko loves reading various types of stories, especially fantasy stories and ghost stories. While Sakura reacts to scary situations with utmost fear, Naoko reacts with fascination and a brave willingness to explore these mysterious situations further, oblivious to or willingly ignoring Sakura's fear. In the anime, Naoko's love of stories causes trouble when she finds ''The Create'' card in the form of a notebook and writes a fantastic story within it, forcing Sakura to defeat Naoko's creations before recovering ''The Create''. When Naoko wakes up the next morning to find her book suddenly missing, she believes she just had a supernatural experience.
She is known as Nikki in the English adaptation ''Cardcaptors''. She is voiced by
Emi Motoi
is a Japanese actress and voice actress affiliated with Production Baobab.
Filmography
Television animation
* Yumi Kusaka (First), Tomochan, Cameraman in Crayon Shin-chan (1995)
* Saaya Hanazono in Mama Loves the Poyopoyo-Saurus (1995)
* Himek ...
in the Japanese anime,
Kelly Sheridan
Kelly Sheridan is a Canadian voice actress best known for being the voice for Barbie in the ''Barbie'' film series from 2001 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2015. She had also voiced in numerous animations and English-language dubs of Japanese animati ...
in ''Cardcaptors'', and by
Sherry Lynn
Sherry Lynn is an American voice actress who has played roles in anime, animated television series and video games. She portrayed Sasami Jurai in the ''Tenchi Muyo!'' franchise.
In January 2010, in terms of total film gross, she was the Highest ...
in the second movie. In the English dub of the ''Clear Card'' arc, Naoko is voiced by
Dani Chambers
Dani Chambers (born July 23) is an American voice actress, known for her work on anime dubs for Funimation.
Biography
Chambers was born and raised into San Bernardino, California by Growing up, Chambers was a fan of ''Sailor Moon'' and ''Tenchi ...
.
Masaki Amamiya
is the great-grandfather of Sakura Kinomoto, Toya Kinomoto and Tomoyo Daidouji on her mother's side. Initially objecting to Nadeshiko's marriage to Fujitaka Kinomoto, he became more accepting upon meeting Sakura and later receiving a gift from her as a form of peace between family members. In the episode, ''Sakura and the Rainbow of Memories'', Sakura doesn't know who he was and they spent a good time together, playing tennis, having tea, Sakura giving him cookies and Masaki giving Sakura the dress her mother wore. Just before leaving, Sakura used the Rain card to make a rainbow for Masaki, prompting him to remember when Nadeshiko had first pointed out a rainbow to him. Sakura discovers the present Masaki left her was the dress she wore at his summer house, although she does not seem to realizes who he actually is despite Cerberus pointing out its origins.
Masaki later appears in ''Clear Card'', inviting Sakura and Syaoran for another visit to his summer house. In the occasion, he presents Sakura with a mysterious key that once belonged to her mother, and later states that he intends is to have Sakura inherit the summer house itself after he passes away.
In the anime series, Masaki is voiced by
Osamu Saka
is a Japanese actor and voice actor, who is managed by talent agency Aoni Production. He was born in Osaka, Osaka Prefecture.
Filmography
Television animation
;1960s
*''Gigantor'' (1963) – Gavan
*''Kamui the Ninja'' (1969) – Sukumi
;1970s
...
. In the English dub, Mr. Avalon was portrayed instead as the father of Natasha Avalon, making him the grandfather of Sakura instead of her great-grandfather. In the English dub of the ''Clear Card'' arc, Masaki is voiced by Charlie Campbell.
Kaho Mizuki
is a
shrine maiden
A , or shrine maiden,Groemer, 28. is a young priestess who works at a Shinto shrine. were once likely seen as Shamanism, shamans,Picken, 140. but are understood in modern Japanese culture to be an institutionalized role in daily life, trained ...
and the daughter of the priest at the Tsukimine Shrine. She first appears in the series as a new substitute teacher at Tomoeda Elementary School for the math class of
Sakura Kinomoto
is the main protagonist and title character of Clamp's manga series ''Cardcaptor Sakura''. In the English anime adaptation by Nelvana of the series, ''Cardcaptors'' is known as Sakura Avalon, though her surname was changed back in the second ...
and
Syaoran Li
Syaoran Li, sometimes spelled as Shaoran Li or originally as Xiaolang Li (李小狼 ''Lǐ Xiǎoláng''; リ・シャオラン ''Ri Shaoran'', or ''Ri Syaoran'' ( Kunrei); Cantonese Jyutping: ''lei5 siu2 long4''), is one of the central characters ...
. While Sakura instantly
crushes on the female teacher and feels a connection with her, Syaoran is distrustful and believes she is up to no good.
When Sakura, Syaoran, Meiling and Tomoyo are trapped by the Maze card, Kaho uses a mysterious bell to break through Maze's walls allowing Sakura to capture it. After this incident, the readers learn that Sakura's older brother Toya dated Kaho when she was his junior high school teacher and that they broke up when Kaho left to study in England. Before she left, she told them that when they met again, they would be in love with different people which he acknowledges is now true.
After meeting her,
Cerberus
In Greek mythology, Cerberus (; grc-gre, Κέρβερος ''Kérberos'' ), often referred to as the hound of Hades, is a multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. He was the offspring of the mo ...
incorrectly believes that Kaho is the false form of his fellow guardian
Yue, which is later shown to actually be
Yukito Tsukishiro
This article covers the major characters of Clamp's manga ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' and its respective anime and movies. The manga and anime focused on Japanese schoolgirl Sakura Kinomoto who finds the magical Clow Book in her father's basement stud ...
. Kaho's role is to use the bell left at her family's shrine to give Sakura another chance when she is unable to defeat Yue out of fear of hurting him. The bell changes Sakura's staff into a new staff containing her own power of the stars and gives her the power to use the cards to defeat Yue. After fulfilling this duty, she returns to England. During the third season of the series, she is primarily "seen" through providing a steady, but oftentimes enigmatic exchange of letters with Sakura over the mysterious attacks. After
Eriol Hiiragizawa reveals the truth behind the attacks, they learn that Kaho had met Eriol three years before Sakura discovered the Book of the Clow. As they leave for England, Kaho and Eriol confirm their feelings for one another and vow to remain together. She is later seen beside Eriol on a few occasions in both the second movie and the ''Clear Card'' arc.
In the anime series, Kaho is voiced by
Emi Shinohara
is a Japanese voice actress and singer employed by 81 Produce who is most known for voicing Sailor Jupiter in the original Japanese anime of ''Sailor Moon'' and Kushina Uzumaki in '' Naruto: Shippuden''. She was born in Fukushima Prefecture and ...
. In the English adaptation ''Cardcaptors'', her name is changed to Layla MacKenzie and she is voiced by
Linda Rae Jurgens. She is voiced by
Philece Sampler
Debra Philece Sampler (July 16, 1953 – July 1, 2021) was an American film, television and voice actress. She got her start on the soap operas ''Days of Our Lives'' as Renée DuMonde and '' Another World'' as Donna Love Hudson.
In addition to ...
in the English adaptation of the second movie. In the English dub of the ''Clear Card'' arc, Kaho is voiced by
Morgan Garrett
Morgan Lauré Garrett (born September 4, 1985) is an American voice actress affiliated with Funimation, Studiopolis and Bang Zoom!. She won the Behind the Voice Actors' Breakthrough Voice Actor of the Year Award in 2012.
Her major roles include ...
.
Eriol Hiragizawa
is the main antagonist in the second half of the series, commonly called the ''Master of the Clow'' arc. The reincarnation of
Clow Reed
This article covers the major characters of Clamp's manga ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' and its respective anime and movies. The manga and anime focused on Japanese schoolgirl Sakura Kinomoto who finds the magical Clow Book in her father's basement study ...
, Eriol has both Clow's memories and all of his magic power. He has a magical staff similar to Clow Reed's, can restrain Clow's creations Yue and Cerberus, and has created his own similar pair of guardians:
Ruby Moon
This article covers the major characters of Clamp's manga ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' and its respective anime and movies. The manga and anime focused on Japanese schoolgirl Sakura Kinomoto who finds the magical Clow Book in her father's basement study ...
and
Spinel Sun
This article covers the major characters of Clamp's manga ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' and its respective anime and movies. The manga and anime focused on Japanese schoolgirl Sakura Kinomoto who finds the magical Clow Book in her father's basement stud ...
. He moves from England to transfer to Tomoeda Elementary school after
Sakura Kinomoto
is the main protagonist and title character of Clamp's manga series ''Cardcaptor Sakura''. In the English anime adaptation by Nelvana of the series, ''Cardcaptors'' is known as Sakura Avalon, though her surname was changed back in the second ...
passed the Last Judgement and became the official master of the cards. He is depicted as a quiet, mature boy while at school, though he also shows a mischievous side when he regularly joins classmate
Takashi Yamazaki
is a Japanese visual effects artist, television producer, director, screenwriter, and actor. He won the Japan Academy Film Prize for Director of the Year, Director of the Year and Japan Academy Film Prize for Screenplay of the Year, Screenplay o ...
in weaving complex lies about the history of objects, places, and events. While seeming a normal student to Sakura, Syaoran Li is suspicious of him, mainly due to that Eriol is overly nice to Sakura which makes Syaoran jealous. It is soon shown that Yue and Cerberus are able to detect his magical signature as being Clow's, and Eriol must erase Yue's memories of encountering him after he is accidentally seen by him.
Eriol came to Japan in order to aid Sakura and force her to use her own magical powers to convert the Clow Cards into Sakura cards. This is necessary as the cards take their magical energy from their master, but until Sakura converted them, they could not use her magic and were slowly dying. The guardian Yue also was suffering the same fate, forcing Sakura's brother to "feed" him all of his magical power to prevent Yue, and his false form Yukito, from dying.
Sakura does not become aware that Eriol is causing all of the magical disasters that are forcing her to convert the cards until near the end of the series when Eriol reveals himself to her. He puts the city to sleep and challenges Sakura to convert the last two cards, the Dark and the Light, which must be changed together. After Sakura successfully does so, he then tells her that she is now more powerful than Clow Reed and asks her to perform one final task for him: to divide his own magical power between himself and her father
Fujitaka—the other reincarnation of Clow Reed—so that Eriol will no longer be the most powerful magician in the world. He then takes Sakura, Syaoran, Tomoyo, Yue, and Cerberus to his home where he explains why he had to give her a reason to convert the cards, as her doing so without a need could have been dangerous for Sakura.
Eriol's true age is unknown, as he used his magic to halt his aging process to remain the same physical age as Sakura. He is romantically involved with
Kaho Mizuki
This article covers the major characters of Clamp's manga ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' and its respective anime and movies. The manga and anime focused on Japanese schoolgirl Sakura Kinomoto who finds the magical Clow Book in her father's basement stud ...
, whom he originally sent from England to aid Sakura in the Final Judgment and who offers Sakura support through letters during the second arc. At the end of the manga series, she returns with him to England, and in the second anime movie, they are shown together when Sakura calls for advice, though their love is never confessed like in the manga, only hinted at indirectly. In the ''Clear Card'' arc. Eriol ceases all contact with Sakura after the Sakura cards turn blank, but keeps in touch with Syaoran who informs him about everything that happens around her. While questioned about his reasons, Eriol claims that he is waiting for the right time to interfere, and thus forbids both Syaoran and his companions in England from taking action until then.
In the anime series, Eriol is the sole reincarnation of Clow Reed, with all of the elements from the manga regarding Fujitaka's relation to Clow and inheriting of half of his powers removed. The final explanation at Eriol's house is also shifted slightly so it takes place the day after the final battle, rather than immediately after, and it is done because Sakura seeks him out rather than him giving an invitation.
The character of Eriol is voiced by
Nozomu Sasaki
is a Japanese voice actor and singer. He is represented by the voice actor management firm, 81 Produce, and was previously represented by Arts Vision. In 1988, he voiced the character Tetsuo Shima in the movie '' Akira'', which was adapted fro ...
. In the ''Cardcaptors'' English adaptation, his name is changed to Eli Moon and he is voiced by
Bill Switzer
William Ashton Switzer (born March 28, 1984) is an American-Canadian voice, film, and television actor. He is known for his work on the animated television series ''Mummies Alive!'' He had a leading role in '' Eerie, Indiana: The Other Dimension'' ...
. In the English dub of the second film, his voice is supplied by
Johnny Yong Bosch
Johnny Yong Bosch (born January 6, 1976) is an American actor, musician, singer, and martial artist. His first major role was the portrayal of Adam Park, the second Black Power Ranger and later, the Green Zeo Ranger and first Green Turbo Ranger i ...
. In the English dub of the ''Clear Card'' arc, Eriol is voiced by
Micah Solusod
Micah Solusod is an American voice actor. His best-known role in anime has been the title character Soul Evans in '' Soul Eater'', which was broadcast on Adult Swim's programming block ''Toonami''. He debuted as Malek Yildrim Werner in ''Blassr ...
.
Spinel Sun
is the cat-like magical guardian created by Eriol Hiiragizawa. The counterpart to Clow Reed's original guardian Cerberus. Spinel Sun's true form is a
butterfly
Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...
-winged
black panther
A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been d ...
with cat-like ears and ruffs of fur on the side of his head, while his false form is similar to a small
winged cat
The winged cat – a Felidae, feline with wings like a bird, bat or other flying creature – is a theme in artwork and legend going back to prehistory, especially Mythology, mythological depictions of big cats with eagle wings in Eurasia and North ...
with the same wing type as his true form. Nicknamed Suppi by
Ruby Moon
This article covers the major characters of Clamp's manga ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' and its respective anime and movies. The manga and anime focused on Japanese schoolgirl Sakura Kinomoto who finds the magical Clow Book in her father's basement study ...
, Spinel Sun spends most of his time reading and projects a calm demeanor. Ruby Moon often teases him that he needs to have more fun. During the series, he mostly remains out of sight of the main characters, except when he once runs into Cerberus in his false form (though this encounter is exclusive to the anime). Fortunately for him, Cerberus doesn't suspect anything and instead declares Spinel Sun a monster and feeds him, sweets, not realizing that the sweets would turn him into a hyperactive eating machine. Cerberus does not learn his true identity until just before the final battle when the two cats face one another. Initially, Spinel Sun appears to have the upper hand, however, Cerberus' greater determination to protect Sakura enables him to defeat him.
In the anime adaptation, he is voiced by
Katsuyuki Konishi
is a Japanese voice actor from Wakayama, Wakayama. He is affiliated with Ken Production. His debut role was Volfogg/Big Volfogg in ''GaoGaiGar''. He is most well known for portraying Kamina in ''Gurren Lagann'', Laxus Dreyar in ''Fairy Tail'' a ...
in his true form, and by
Yumi Tōma
, known professionally as , is a Japanese voice actress, narrator, author and singer from Chiba. She has been part of the singing group Goddess Family Club. Tōma once worked for Aoni Production before she founded her own agency ALLURE&Y. Because ...
in his false form. In the second ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' movie, his false form briefly appears and is voiced by
Philece Sampler
Debra Philece Sampler (July 16, 1953 – July 1, 2021) was an American film, television and voice actress. She got her start on the soap operas ''Days of Our Lives'' as Renée DuMonde and '' Another World'' as Donna Love Hudson.
In addition to ...
. In the English adaptation ''Cardcaptors'', his name is changed to Spinner Sun and both forms are voiced by Colin Murdock. In the ''Clear Card'' arc, Spinel's false form is voiced by
Apphia Yu
Apphia Yu, also known as Ayu Sakata, is an American voice actress. She has worked on games such as ''Loren The Amazon Princess'' and ''Tales of Aravorn: Seasons of the Wolf'', and on anime like ''Assassination Classroom''. She is the founder of ...
.
Nakuru Akizuki / Ruby Moon
is one of two magical guardians created by
Eriol Hiiragizawa. The counterpart to Clow Reed's original guardian Yue. When Eriol transfers to Tomoeda Elementary, Ruby Moon created a false form named and enrolls in Seijou High School, entering the same class as
Toya Kinomoto
This article covers the major characters of Clamp's manga ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' and its respective anime and movies. The manga and anime focused on Japanese schoolgirl Sakura Kinomoto who finds the magical Clow Book in her father's basement study ...
, Sakura's brother, and
Yukito Tsukishiro
This article covers the major characters of Clamp's manga ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' and its respective anime and movies. The manga and anime focused on Japanese schoolgirl Sakura Kinomoto who finds the magical Clow Book in her father's basement stud ...
, the false form of Yue who is unaware of his true nature. Her true form resembles a human-sized
fairy
A fairy (also fay, fae, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic, Slavic, Germanic, English, and French folklore), a form of spirit, ...
that performs ruby-based attacks. Ruby Moon is
sexless /
non-binary
Non-binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are not solely male or femaleidentities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary identities fall under the transgender umbrella, since non-binary people typically ...
and has no biological sex, but prefers feminine pronouns; her "human sex" is unspecified, though Akizuki has stated a preference for women's clothing and enjoys "
being cute".
Unlike the Yue/Yukito relationship, both Ruby/Nakuru forms are fully aware and display no
dissociative personality. As the alias, Nakuru Akizuki, she acts as a general annoyance, deliberately interfering every time Toya tries to talk to Yukito about the latter's dwindling energy. She claims she wants to consume Toya's energy herself, though it is never stated that she actually has a need for it nor why she couldn't simply steal it. When Toya is finally able to speak with Yue and give him all of his magical energy to sustain Yue's life, Akizuki gives up her pursuit. In the final battle, Ruby Moon battles Yue and initially appears to be winning. However, Yue is able to get past her due to Yue's greater determination and desire to protect Sakura.
In the anime adaptation, Ruby Moon is voiced by
Ryōka Yuzuki
is a Japanese actress and voice actress. She has played voice roles in a number of Japanese anime including Satsuki Kiryūin in '' Kill la Kill'', Ino Yamanaka in ''Naruto'' and '' Boruto: Naruto Next Generations'', Shamal in '' Magical Girl Lyri ...
. In the English adaptation, ''Cardcaptors'', both her true form and false form are called Ruby Moon and she is voiced by
Willow Johnson
Willow Johnson is a Canadian voice actress who has worked in Vancouver, voicing characters in English language versions of anime and cartoons. She is best known for voicing List of Ranma ½ characters#Kasumi Tendo, Kasumi Tendo in the ''Ranma ½ ...
. In the ''Clear Card'' arc, she is voiced by
Alexis Tipton
Alexis Tipton is an American voice actress and ADR director affiliated with Funimation. She has provided voices for English-language versions of anime series and video games. Her roles include Sun Seto in '' My Bride Is a Mermaid'', Musubi in '' ...
.
Ms. Morita
Ms. Morita is Sakura's middle school teacher. She is voiced by Yuri Yokoyama in Japanese and
Caitlin Glass
Caitlin Tiffany Glass (born November 16, 1981) is an American voice actress, ADR director, and script writer at Funimation, New Generation Pictures and Bang Zoom! Entertainment who provides voices for English versions of Japanese anime series an ...
in English.
Akiho Shinomoto
first appears in ''
Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card''. She is a young girl who bears a strong resemblance to Sakura, being around the same age and height. Akiho is rarely seen without her stuffed rabbit Momo, which she has owned since she was a small child.
Akiho makes her first appearance in chapter 7 of the ''Clear Card'' arc as a transfer student in Sakura and Tomoyo's class. Akiho used to live in France, Germany, Italy, England, and Hong Kong before moving to Japan, and is initially shy around her classmates due to her nervousness about speaking Japanese. Akiho is gifted at singing and, with Tomoyo and Sakura's encouragement, joins the school choir club.
Akiho lives with her caretaker Yuna D. Kaito in Eriol's old house. She tells Sakura that Yuna has cared for her since she was very young, and suggests that she is distant from her blood relatives. Many of Akiho's relatives are avid
book collectors
Book collecting is the collecting of books, including seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever books are of interest to a given collector. The love of books is ''bibliophilia'', and someo ...
who travel the world in search of rare books. Akiho's family installed its massive library of books in her house, among them one of her most prized possessions, a novel titled "Alice in Clockland" written in a foreign script only she can read. Akiho states that she has moved from country to country for most of her life in search of a particular book. Sakura and Akiho continue to enter the same dream, Akiho develops a knowledge of why she is present in those dreams: the mysterious person she is watching has something she wants.
Later is revealed that Akiho is part of the "D" magician clan, but despite having born from the two most powerful magicians of the clan at the time, she has no magic power at all, thus the clan decides to use her to create the ultimate magic tool by implanting many spells in her body, despite knowing that it would destroy her soul, until Kaito takes her with him.
In the anime adaptation, Akiho Shinomoto is voiced by
Minori Suzuki
is a Japanese voice actress and singer affiliated with E-Stone Music. She started her career after passing an audition for the role of Freyja Wion in the 2016 anime television series ''Macross Delta'', beating 8,000 other auditionees for the r ...
in Japanese and
Amanda Lee in English.
Yuna D. Kaito
first appears in ''
Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card''. He has served as Akiho Shinomoto's legal guardian and caretaker since she was young. Yuna is a tall, dark-haired young man who appears dressed in full formal uniform, including an unusual pocket watch which he holds dear. He is professional and polite in his interactions with others, and is skilled at various domestic tasks including baking and sewing.
Syaoran senses that Yuna possesses strong
moon magic
Moon magic is associated with the Moon. There is a belief common to many cultures that working rituals at the time of different phases of the moon can bring about physical or psychological change or transformation. These rituals have historically ...
, and Eriol confirms that the "D." in Yuna's name is a title from a notorious English wizarding society. Yuna appears to be aware of both the existence of the Clear Cards and the fact that Sakura is a magician. Thus-far, it has been hinted that he's after the Clear Cards as a means of powering a certain spell, possibly connected to a magical object, a magical time-controlling pocket watch (mentioned above), which he had stolen from the society of sorcerers he was formally-apart of, and that he's using both Sakura and Akiho to get them (having some-how created a connection between then before they had even met, which is evident by them sharing the same reoccurring dreams but are completely oblivious that they have been seeing one another), but that the ones that Sakura has created so far are not yet enough for his purpose to activate the ''Alice in Clockland'' relic he stole from the magic association from which he was excommunicated.
In the anime adaptation, Yuna D. Kaito is voiced by
Natsuki Hanae
is a Japanese voice actor and singer. He is affiliated with Across Entertainment. He is best known for voicing Tanjiro Kamado in ''Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba'', Ken Kaneki in ''Tokyo Ghoul'', Inaho Kaizuka in ''Aldnoah.Zero'', Takumi Aldi ...
and
Brandon McInnis
Brandon McInnis is an American voice actor and translator. He previously worked as a software engineer before pursuing a career as an actor after being convinced by his brother to do so. Some of his noteworthy roles include Finral in ''Black Clove ...
in English.
Momo
first appears in ''
Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card'', the time-themed magical guardian of a relic known as ''Alice in Clockland'' which Kaito stole and gave to Akiho for his plans. While her true form is humanoid like Yue and Ruby Moon, Momo takes after Kero and Spinel Sun in her borrowed form being a rabbit-like plushie. Momo concealed her existence for most of the storyline with Kaito the only one she speaks to, the two both needing to watch over Akiho.
In the anime adaptation, Momo is voiced by
Minako Kotobuki
is a Japanese actress and singer. She played Tsumugi Kotobuki in the anime series ''K-On!'' about a high school girl band. The show launched her music career as she performed the opening and ending themes, and joined three other voice actresse ...
and
Jad Saxton
Jad Saxton (, born September 27) is an American voice actress and ADR Director who works for Funimation and Sentai Filmworks.
Early life
Her name is an acronym of her parents' names, Jimmi and David, and is pronounced "Jayd". She grew up with ...
in English.
Recurring characters in the anime
These characters only appears in the animated films and television series adaptations.
These are character that appears only in the anime adaptation of ''Cardcaptor Sakura''.
Wang Wei
is a character that appears only in the ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' anime adaptation. Wang is employed as a butler in the Li household, and currently acts as legal guardian to Syaoran and Meiling Li during their extended stay in Tomoeda, Japan. Wei is very polite and well-mannered, referring to Syaoran and Meiling as "Syaoran-sama" and "Meiling-sama", and has good manners when in the company of others like Sakura Kinomoto and Tomoyo Daidōji who becomes good friends with Wang and his quarry.
In the anime series, Wang is voiced by
Motomu Kiyokawa
was a Japanese actor and voice actor. Among other roles, he is known for voicing Tem Ray in "Mobile Suit Gundam", Gargoyle in " Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water", Kōzō Fuyutsuki in "Neon Genesis Evangelion", and Tippy in "Is the Order a Rabbit ...
, Ron Halder in the Cardcaptors dub, Darren Pleavin in the Animax dub, and Francis Henry in the English dub of Clear Card.
Maki Matsumoto
is a character that appears only in the ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' anime adaptation. She first appears in the fifth episode, opening a new gift shop in Tomoeda called Twin Bells following her husband's recent demise and a string of misfortunes. Sakura sees her setting up shop and helps her clean up after some boxes fall over. After the shop opens, Maki has trouble a mysterious stuffed animal that keeps returning to her shop every time someone buys it, resulting in accusations that Maki is stealing it back. Sakura discovers that the stuffed animal is The Jump card and seals it.
Maki later introduces a line of "
enchanted cards", which resemble Clow Cards, that grant their owners good luck in certain areas, (i.e.
cooking
Cooking, cookery, or culinary arts is the art, science and craft of using heat to Outline of food preparation, prepare food for consumption. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely, from grilling food over an open fire to using electric ...
,
sports
Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...
etc.). The Shot is among the cards in the rack, eventually being purchased by
Meiling who accidentally causes it to attack
Syaoran.
Sakura and her classmates shop at Twin Bells regularly. Maki appears throughout the first season of the series and in both films.
In the anime series, Maki is voiced by
Kotono Mitsuishi
is a Japanese voice actress, actress, singer, and narrator. She was affiliated with Arts Vision and Lasley Arrow, but is now freelance. Mitsuishi lived in Nagareyama, Chiba. She graduated from high school and entered the Katsuta Voice Actor's Ac ...
. In the English dub ''Cardcaptors'', her name is changed to Maggie and voiced by Nicole Oliver.
In the Animax dub she was voiced by Candice Moore.
Film characters
Madoushi
, the spirit of a woman who had fought bitterly with Clow Reed about the appropriate use of magic, is introduced in ''
Cardcaptor Sakura: The Movie'' (she was renamed Su Yung in the English ''Cardcaptors'' dub of the film) as a minor antagonist. She resembles a young, 20/30-something woman, dressed in an old-fashioned
Ruqun
(;) is a set of attire in which consists of a short jacket typically called () worn under a long Chinese skirt called (). However, when use as a general term, can broadly describe a set of attire which consists of a separated upper garment a ...
Hanfu
''Hanfu'' () is the traditional styles of clothing worn by the Han Chinese. There are several representative styles of ''hanfu'', such as the (an upper-body garment with a long outer skirt), the (an upper-body garment with a long underskirt ...
. Even after her death, she attempted to continue the feud by embedding her spirit in a book and waiting for Clow Reed. After Sakura accidentally releases her, the sorceress refuses to believe Clow Reed is dead and attacks Sakura and her friends for trying to trick her. When Sakura is able to convince her that Clow Reed has gone, the spirit realizes that she had truly loved Clow Reed rather than hating him as she believed, and peacefully passes on.
Syaoran Li's family
Syaoran Li's family are briefly mentioned on the manga and only appeared in ''
Cardcaptor Sakura: The Movie''. His mother, ", is an extremely serious and strict person; deeply respected by her children, especially Syaoran. However, she demonstrates kindness and sympathetic, as seen when she helped Sakura Kinomoto to discover that an evil entity was the true reason behind her visit to Hong Kong. Syaoran's four older sisters are Fuutie Li, Shiefa Li, Fanren Li, and Feimei Li.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cardcaptor Sakura Characters
Characters
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
Cardcaptor Sakura
, abbreviated as ''CCS'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by the manga group Clamp. Serialized monthly in the ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from May 1996 to June 2000, it was also published in 12 ''tankōbon'' ...
Lists of anime and manga characters
Lists of fictional Japanese characters
Magical girl anime and manga characters