Sohma Clan
Akito Sohma
Akito Sohma is the head of the Sohma family and very frail. He often gets sick and runs fevers, and Hatori Sohma claims half his doctor's work is tending to Akito, who he says "specializes in getting sick." Akito's age is not given, but he is a few years younger than Ritsu and is said to be at least twenty by Shigure. Akito is depicted as short-tempered and abusive, and has physically and emotionally scarred many Sohmas, including Hatori, Rin, Hiro, Kisa, Yuki, and Kyo. While part of the Sohma family curse, Akito is not possessed by a spirit of the Chinese zodiac, but rather fulfills the role of the Jade Emperor, a figure from the stories about the origins of the zodiac; she describes herself as the "god" of the zodiac, the "one who controls the Zodiac", and the "master of their souls." Kazuma Sohma tells Tohru Honda that to the rest of the zodiac, Akito is a figure of awe they cannot resist, with whom they have a "bond of blood." Akito's mother, Ren Sohma, denies that the zodiac bond is real, and Akito is obsessed with proving her wrong. Once the zodiac members are old enough, she desires to have them live within the Sohma compound for the rest of their lives in a never-ending "banquet." Akito initially allows Tohru to live with Shigure because she believes that Tohru will come to reject Yuki and Kyo because of the curse, and when instead they learn that outsiders can accept them and so grow away from her, she comes to hate Tohru most of all. In the anime, Akito and Tohru come to an accommodation centered on Akito's fears of dying young, which is an effect of the curse described only in the anime. In the manga, through Tohru's efforts to break the curse, Akito comes to realize that holding onto the bond, she has hurt herself as much as the others and lets it go.
In the anime, Akito is biologically male. In the manga, Akito is female but was brought up as a boy by her mother, Ren, and it is not revealed until Chapter 97 that Akito is biologically female. Ren decided to raise Akito as a male because she was ashamed of giving birth to a girl who was the "god" to the Zodiac, and who was receiving more attention from her husband, Akira. The only other Sohmas who knew about Akito's biological sex were the oldest four zodiac members: Kureno, Shigure, Hatori, and Ayame. After the curse is broken, Akito begins dressing as and living as a woman, and in the final chapter Shigure, with whom she is in love, moves in with her.
In the anime, Akito is biologically male. In the manga, Akito is female but was brought up as a boy by her mother, Ren, and it is not revealed until Chapter 97 that Akito is biologically female. Ren decided to raise Akito as a male because she was ashamed of giving birth to a girl who was the "god" to the Zodiac, and who was receiving more attention from her husband, Akira. The only other Sohmas who knew about Akito's biological sex were the oldest four zodiac members: Kureno, Shigure, Hatori, and Ayame. After the curse is broken, Akito begins dressing as and living as a woman, and in the final chapter Shigure, with whom she is in love, moves in with her.
Yuki Sohma
Yuki Sohma, aged 17 is the rat of the Chinese zodiac and younger brother of Ayame. Yuki is depicted as an attractive, reserved, and accomplished young man with many admirers, but who finds being friendly difficult. When Yuki was young, his mother gave control of him to Akito Sohma, who kept him separated from the rest of the zodiac and convinced him no one liked him; because of this, Yuki has low self-esteem and feels isolated. He is known as "Prince Yuki" and "Prince Charming" at school, where he has a fan club headed by Motoko Minagawa that tries to "protect" him from other admirers, with the result that Yuki is further isolated, and he is pressured by his popularity to become president of the student council despite his misgivings. Yuki, however, wishes that he could be with people as friends, rather than be admired from afar, and envies both Kyo Sohma's and Kakeru Manabe's easy ways with others. Yuki is touched when, faced with the prospect of having her memory of the Sohma family secret erased, Tohru Honda asks that he remain her friend, which no one had asked him before. With Tohru's help Yuki is gradually able to "open the lid" of his feelings, and the summer after she begins living in Shigure's house, Yuki admits to himself that he loves her
When Yuki was around six or seven years old, he ran away from Akito. Yuki has always had fond feelings for Tohru for actually "needing" him. However, he later admits to Manabe that he was looking for a mother-figure and found her in Tohru. As the rat, Yuki despises the current cat, Kyo, despite envying him, and is contemptuous of his attempts to defeat him. Even when he realizes the true nature of his feelings for Tohru, Yuki is uncomfortable when he recognizes her and Kyo's growing feelings for each other. Yuki becomes attracted to Machi Kuragi, a student council treasurer who also had a traumatic childhood, and falls in love with her. When he knows that Kyo will be confessing his love to Tohru, Yuki meets with Machi and is with her when his curse lifts, whereupon the first thing he does is embrace her. In the last chapter, he gives Machi a key to his new apartment, where he will be living as he attends university. It is presumed that he married Machi and Yuki had a daughter who married Tohru and Kyo's son.
When Yuki was around six or seven years old, he ran away from Akito. Yuki has always had fond feelings for Tohru for actually "needing" him. However, he later admits to Manabe that he was looking for a mother-figure and found her in Tohru. As the rat, Yuki despises the current cat, Kyo, despite envying him, and is contemptuous of his attempts to defeat him. Even when he realizes the true nature of his feelings for Tohru, Yuki is uncomfortable when he recognizes her and Kyo's growing feelings for each other. Yuki becomes attracted to Machi Kuragi, a student council treasurer who also had a traumatic childhood, and falls in love with her. When he knows that Kyo will be confessing his love to Tohru, Yuki meets with Machi and is with her when his curse lifts, whereupon the first thing he does is embrace her. In the last chapter, he gives Machi a key to his new apartment, where he will be living as he attends university. It is presumed that he married Machi and Yuki had a daughter who married Tohru and Kyo's son.
Kyo Sohma
Kyo Sohma, aged 16–18, is cursed by the cat, an animal not in the Chinese zodiac, but which legend says would have been if it had not been tricked by the rat into missing the induction feast. Kyo's character is described as a powerful force that pulled the story of Fruits Basket along. Kyo is depicted as an orange-haired young man who is short-tempered and charismatic, if initially awkward around people; Arisa Uotani once calls him "anger management boy," and Yuki Sohma expresses envy of his ability to make friends easily. He is also fiercely competitive, and can be easily manipulated into doing things he does not want to by turning it into a competition—especially against Yuki. As the cat, Kyo hates Yuki, the current rat of the zodiac, whom he sees as never having to work hard at anything, and has dedicated his life to defeating him. Shortly before the series beginning, Kyo made a bet with Akito: if he defeats Yuki in a fight before graduating high school, he would officially be accepted as part of the zodiac; however, if he does not, Kyo would be confined inside the Sohma estate for the rest of his life. Despite many months of strict training, however, Kyo never lands a decent blow on Yuki. Their rivalry distresses Tohru, who likes them both, but she comes to worry even more when they do not fight. The two eventually tell each other, during an argument, they envy as well as despise each other and come to a truce for Tohru's sake.
At the start of the story, Kyo moves into Shigure's house with Yuki and Tohru. When Kyo was young, his mother died in an accident rumored to be suicide over her son's curse, and after his father rejected him, Kyo was taken in by Kazuma Sohma. The two love each other as father and son, but Kazuma insists he continue to live with Shigure because he believes Tohru is helping him open up. Aside from his foster father, however, Kyo pushes away the people who want to help him, because he is ashamed of the true form of his zodiac animal—a grotesque, foul-smelling, monster—that he turns into when his bone juzu bead bracelet is removed, which acts as a rosary that seals his true form. When Tohru sees his true form, however, she is initially repulsed but follows him to beg him to stay with her, which strengthens their bond. However, Kyo also blames himself for the death of Tohru's mother, whom he could have saved at the risk of turning into a cat, and he was shaken by Kyoko's last words, "I'll never forgive you...". As the story progresses, Kyo falls in love with Tohru, but he refuses to subject her to the pain he is convinced he will cause, so when she confesses she loves him, he rejects her, calling himself "disillusioned." Only when Uotani, Hanajima, and Yuki impress upon him how deeply his rejection hurt Tohru does he get up the courage to accept her, and when he does finally confess to her, his curse lifts—along with the rest of the zodiac. In the last chapter, he and Tohru begin moving out of Shigure's house to another city, where he will study at another dojo in preparation for inheriting Kazuma's, and in the final pages it is shown that they had a son and a granddaughter.
At the start of the story, Kyo moves into Shigure's house with Yuki and Tohru. When Kyo was young, his mother died in an accident rumored to be suicide over her son's curse, and after his father rejected him, Kyo was taken in by Kazuma Sohma. The two love each other as father and son, but Kazuma insists he continue to live with Shigure because he believes Tohru is helping him open up. Aside from his foster father, however, Kyo pushes away the people who want to help him, because he is ashamed of the true form of his zodiac animal—a grotesque, foul-smelling, monster—that he turns into when his bone juzu bead bracelet is removed, which acts as a rosary that seals his true form. When Tohru sees his true form, however, she is initially repulsed but follows him to beg him to stay with her, which strengthens their bond. However, Kyo also blames himself for the death of Tohru's mother, whom he could have saved at the risk of turning into a cat, and he was shaken by Kyoko's last words, "I'll never forgive you...". As the story progresses, Kyo falls in love with Tohru, but he refuses to subject her to the pain he is convinced he will cause, so when she confesses she loves him, he rejects her, calling himself "disillusioned." Only when Uotani, Hanajima, and Yuki impress upon him how deeply his rejection hurt Tohru does he get up the courage to accept her, and when he does finally confess to her, his curse lifts—along with the rest of the zodiac. In the last chapter, he and Tohru begin moving out of Shigure's house to another city, where he will study at another dojo in preparation for inheriting Kazuma's, and in the final pages it is shown that they had a son and a granddaughter.
Shigure Sohma
Shigure Sohma, aged 27, is the dog of the Chinese zodiac and the owner of the house where he, Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo live. He is a writer who publishes literary novels under his own name and trashy romances under pen names. His most successful pen name is Noa Kiritani, which he used for his erotic novel series, Summer-Colored Sigh. He is best friends with his cousins Hatori and Ayame, and he and Ayame like to pretend they are lovers. In an author's note, Natsuki Takaya described Shigure as a "problem child." In the anime, Shigure is depicted as lazy and dirty-minded, seeming to take nothing seriously, and with a fondness for teasing people—especially his editor Mitsuharu, but also Kyo, Yuki, Tohru, and Ritsu. In the manga, he behaves the same but is also shown to be manipulative: he admits early on to Hatori that he is using Tohru as "a pawn" for some deeper purpose and calls himself "filthiest of all" for being willing to sacrifice anyone to get what he wants. More than once, he provokes Akito Sohma with apparently undiplomatic responses that create other confrontations, such as Akito's visit to the summer beach house in volumes 10 and 11. Shigure eventually admits to Kureno Sohma that he hopes the disruption Tohru has caused will further weaken the weakening zodiac curse, and gives Tohru hints to figure out how to break it herself. Shigure's deepest feelings are for Akito, and he once had sex with Akito's mother, Ren, because he was upset that, although Akito secretly felt the same of Shigure, she was sleeping with Kureno. In the end, it is implied that Shigure's machinations have all been aimed at freeing Akito from the curse and the need to live as a man, so that he can have her to himself. He gives Akito the woman's kimono worn when she announces that she will live as a woman, and in the last chapter, he moves in with Akito in the main Sohma house. Shigure habitually wears a kimono unless he has to leave home for business, which according to Takaya is his way of getting into "the spirit of things" as a writer.
Kagura Sohma
Kagura Sohma, aged 18–20, is the boar of the Chinese zodiac. She is depicted as a girlish young woman with great strength, and the impulsive behavior associated with those born in her zodiac year. The latter often takes the form of berating and beating up Kyo, to whom she insists she is engaged. When Kagura was seven and Kyo was five, when he was all alone because he carried the curse of the cat, she played with him, and one day threatened him into proposing to her (using a knife in the manga, a boulder in the anime). After having the nature of her love questioned by Rin Sohma, Kagura eventually admits to Kyo that her love was based on pity, much as Kazuma fears Tohru's is, and that she has clung to him because, compared to the cat, she has it easy. After Kyo tells her he cannot love her, she claims to give up hope of winning him but still loves Kyo and cares for him; when Tohru admits to Rin Sohma that she loves Kyo, Kagura impulsively strikes her, saying that the one to tell that to is Kyo himself. According to an author's note, Kagura is an "older sister type who's always ready to help." She attends a local college while living with her parents, who are shown taking her double-edged personality in stride, and Rin. Kagura is the only female member of the zodiac who is not shown to have been injured by Akito. According to the anime, when she turns into a boar, she's revealed to have brown fur and is able to talk with her snout.
Momiji Sohma
Momiji Sohma, aged 15-16, is the rabbit of the Chinese zodiac. His father, one of the richer members of the Sohma family, is Japanese, while his mother is German (they speak German and Japanese in the manga, but only Japanese in the anime). Momiji is depicted as a cute, cheerful, androgynous boy who hides a sad family life behind his sunny demeanor. He is older than he initially appears, and Tohru is surprised to learn he is only a year younger than she is. To Kyo's horror, Momiji wears the girl's version of their high school uniform with shorts instead of a skirt, until he has a growth spurt at the start of his second year and switches to the boy's uniform. He lives alone inside the Sohma family compound, and was raised by servants. His mother learned about the zodiac curse when she first held him, just after he was born, and was repulsed; she later had Hatori erase her memory that Momiji is her son. Because of this, his younger sister, Momo, is unaware he is her older brother, even though she is interested in him. Despite his upbringing, Momiji is insightful about others and emotionally strong. In chapter 115, his curse is broken before the rest of the zodiac, and he decides to leave Akito despite the latter's pleading. Momiji takes to Tohru very quickly, even hugging her when they are formally introduced despite his curse. He sometimes helps Tohru at her evening job as an office cleaner in one of his father's buildings, and once substitutes for her when she is sick with a cold. He is very fond of Tohru, and even defies Akito to protect her. He later warns Kyo that if he does not act on his feelings for Tohru, someone else, such as himself, might steal her away; in the final chapter, Momiji tells Hatusuharu and Rin that he hopes to find a girlfriend as wonderful as Tohru. He plays the violin, although the music he plays tends to have a melancholic tune to it.
Hatori Sohma
Hatori Sohma, aged 27, is the Dragon of the Zodiac even though his curse form is a seahorse. His father was the former dragon of the Zodiac, and he the private doctor to the Sohma family. He is responsible for erasing memories (using a form of hypnosis that is handed down in his line of the family) of those outsiders who discover the Sohma family secret, such as Yuki's childhood playmates. Hatori is depicted as a tall, somber man who is rarely amused by the antics of his best friends, Shigure and Ayame. He is often the only one who can restrain Ayame's worst behavior, and is the only person Shigure trusts enough to talk about his schemes. He takes his duties to the Sohma family and as a doctor seriously, and warns Tohru about the dangers of getting too involved with the family. When his curse activates, Hatori transforms into a 8-centimeter (3.1 in) long seahorse rather than an actual dragon, which he is self-conscious about. According to Shigure, this is a sign the zodiac curse has weakened.
Two years before the series began, he was engaged to Kana Sohma, the assistant in his doctor's office. The relationship ended when Hatori asked Akito for permission to marry Kana and in response, Akito attacked Hatori (in the anime, he threw a vase), leaving him almost blind in his left eye; Kana blamed herself for the incident and felt so guilty about it that Hatori was forced to erase her memory of their relationship to ease her suffering. When Tohru meets up with him near the end of Volume 2, he looks back with his time with Kana, then says his heart is like snow. After Kana marries someone else, Shigure manipulates Hatori into meeting Kana's best friend, Mayuko Shiraki, who secretly had always liked him since they met. In the last chapter, Hatori invites Mayuko on a Okinawa vacation.
Two years before the series began, he was engaged to Kana Sohma, the assistant in his doctor's office. The relationship ended when Hatori asked Akito for permission to marry Kana and in response, Akito attacked Hatori (in the anime, he threw a vase), leaving him almost blind in his left eye; Kana blamed herself for the incident and felt so guilty about it that Hatori was forced to erase her memory of their relationship to ease her suffering. When Tohru meets up with him near the end of Volume 2, he looks back with his time with Kana, then says his heart is like snow. After Kana marries someone else, Shigure manipulates Hatori into meeting Kana's best friend, Mayuko Shiraki, who secretly had always liked him since they met. In the last chapter, Hatori invites Mayuko on a Okinawa vacation.
Hatsuharu "Haru" Sohma
Hatsuharu Sohma, age 15-17, often called Haru, is the cow of the Chinese zodiac. Hatsuharu is depicted as having a Yin and Yang personality, which mirrors the cow's traditional personality characteristics in the zodiac. He is an older-brother figure to the younger zodiac members, and is usually calm and placid, but, if provoked, can become enraged. The Sohmas call these two sides of his personality his "white" and "black" sides; his hair is white with black roots, and his zodiac form is a black-and-white spotted cow. He has a reputation in the family for being somewhat stupid, and when he was a child he blamed Yuki Sohma, the current rat, for it because of the story of how the rat tricked the cow to become first in the zodiac. After Yuki asked Hatsuharu whether he believes he is stupid, he realized the mental trap and has since cared very much for Yuki. Hatsuharu is in love with Rin Sohma and has an on-again/off-again secret relationship with her. He is protective of those he cares about, especially Rin, Yuki, and Kisa, and once confronts and almost punches Akito for confining Rin, and looked for Kisa when she ran away from home. Hiro admires Hatsuharu as a brother figure, even calling him Haru-nii ("big brother Haru"). Hatsuharu has a bad sense of direction, and once becomes lost for three days in another town while looking for Kyo in order to challenge him. He likes to tease Kyo in a dead-pan way; Kyo in turn calls him "downright lewd" for saying Momiji should wear the girls' uniform. He is usually shown wearing various jewelry and leather accessories, which he makes himself.
Ayame Sohma
Ayame Sohma, aged 27, is the snake of the Chinese zodiac, and Yuki's older brother, a young man with very long silver hair and striking eyes, which Tohru notes makes him resemble Yuki. Ayame is depicted as vivacious, flamboyant, self-confident, and self-centered, with a knack for annoying Yuki and Kyo (one of the few things they initially agree upon), and often getting hurt by Yuki and Kyo in response. He runs a shop, named after himself, that sells custom-made "romantic costumes" such as frilly dresses and maid costumes with the help of Mine Kuramae, his seamstress.
Ayame is best friends with Shigure and Hatori, who are the same age; while Shigure goes along with Ayame's outrageous personality, Hatori is the only one, according to Shigure and Takaya, who can restrain Ayame's worst behavior. As the snake, Ayame is especially susceptible to cold or hot weathers. When Ayame was in high school, he was president of the student council, and is proud that Yuki is following him. Ayame fears the "nothingness" of not being acknowledged.
When Ayame was young, he completely ignored Yuki, and even forgot Yuki's name once, but during the series he realizes that he will be completely alone, with only his brother as company when they get older. This spurs an obsession with gaining Yuki's love, which he attempts to do by demanding it from Yuki, and later trying more thoughtful ways to prove that Yuki can depend on Ayame. As the series progresses, Yuki gradually accepts Ayame as a brother, and even tries to understand him. When Ayame is freed from the curse, the first thing he does is embrace Mine Kuramae and confess he loves her.
Ayame is best friends with Shigure and Hatori, who are the same age; while Shigure goes along with Ayame's outrageous personality, Hatori is the only one, according to Shigure and Takaya, who can restrain Ayame's worst behavior. As the snake, Ayame is especially susceptible to cold or hot weathers. When Ayame was in high school, he was president of the student council, and is proud that Yuki is following him. Ayame fears the "nothingness" of not being acknowledged.
When Ayame was young, he completely ignored Yuki, and even forgot Yuki's name once, but during the series he realizes that he will be completely alone, with only his brother as company when they get older. This spurs an obsession with gaining Yuki's love, which he attempts to do by demanding it from Yuki, and later trying more thoughtful ways to prove that Yuki can depend on Ayame. As the series progresses, Yuki gradually accepts Ayame as a brother, and even tries to understand him. When Ayame is freed from the curse, the first thing he does is embrace Mine Kuramae and confess he loves her.
Kisa Sohma
Kisa Sohma, aged 12–14, is the tiger of the Chinese zodiac. She is depicted as a cute but very shy and withdrawn girl. In author's notes, Natsuki Takaya described her as "in competition to be the first or second most beautiful character" and as a "girly-girl." When Kisa starts seventh grade, her classmates harass and ostracize her because of her naturally tawny hair and golden eyes, an effect of her curse, and the cause of her shyness. Because she feels ashamed of being bullied, she does not tell her worried mother what is happening and stops speaking; when this distresses her mother even further, she runs away and is found by Hatusuharu. She also sees Hatsuharu as an older brother figure. Tohru Honda, who understands Kisa's distress because she was once bullied herself, helps Kisa to come out of her shell, and Kisa becomes very attached to Tohru, calling her "onee-chan". She sometimes gets frustrated at Hiro because of his treatment of Tohru. Kisa likes Hiro and is hurt when he withdraws from her to protect her from Akito, much like Hatsuharu is hurt by Rin. As the series progresses, Kisa is shown struggling with her shyness, and feels it is a major accomplishment to greet Kyo directly, instead of relying on Hiro to speak for her. Kisa is a fan of a fictional anime series Mogeta, which she sometimes watches with Tohru. She is called Sat-chan, using just the last syllable of her given name, by Shigure and Hiro's mother. In the final chapter, she is seen holding Hiro's arm and they are presumed to be a couple.
Hiro Sohma
Hiro Sohma, aged 11–13, is the Ram of the zodiac and loves Kisa more than anything. They were best friends in elementary school. When he told Akito that he was in love with Kisa, he became furious. Afterward, Kisa was beaten up by Akito and Hiro realized that his confession had led Akito to attacking Kisa. While visiting Kisa in the hospital, Hiro, shocked, confused, and sad, thought it would be better to stay away from Kisa. When they started middle school, Hiro ignored her, thinking that it would prevent her from anymore attacks from Akito. When he found out she was being picked on by the other kids, he could not do anything as it would be awkward for him to defend her suddenly after months of ignoring. Hiro accidentally witnessed Akito pushing Isuzu out of a window, which later causes Hiro some distress, because he found out about Hatsuharu and Isuzu dating, and witnessed Isuzu being pushed out of the window by Akito, something Haru would never forgive. Rin and Akito forced him not to tell Haru about the incident he had witnessed. He tends to criticize people and seems older than he really is, but frequently regrets what he says to others when he is made aware of how insensitive his remarks can be. In Chapter 118, he is freed from the curse before most of the zodiac, and the first thing he does is hold his infant sister, Hinata, for the first time. In the final chapter, he and Kisa are presumed to be a couple due to her holding his arm and his affectionately comforting her.
Ritsu Sohma
Ritsu Sohma, aged 21–22, is the monkey of the Chinese zodiac. He is depicted as a beautiful but unstable young man with very low self-esteem and a tendency to overreact. He apologizes frantically for everything, even things that are not his fault. In this, he takes after his mother, the hostess of the Sohma family's hotspring, whose position he is in training to take over. Ritsu dresses in women's clothing because he says he then feels less pressure from society, and is initially mistaken for a woman by Tohru Honda because of his long hair and beauty. Most Sohmas call him "Rit-chan" and, to Shigure's amusement, Tohru calls him "Rit-chan-san". Shigure likes to play with Ritsu's insecurities and gullibility, much as he does his editor, Mitsuru; when Ritsu and Mitsuru meet, they realize they have this in common and in a bonus story in the first fan-book, he and Mitsuru are a couple. In the final chapter of the manga, Ritsu is giving Kagura one of his women's kimonos, has cut his hair short, and is not dressed like a girl.
Isuzu "Rin" Sohma
Isuzu Sohma, aged 17–19, is the horse of the Chinese zodiac. She appears only in the manga. She is tall and initially has hip-length dark hair; according to an author's note, Natsuki Takaya initially designed her with very short hair but then made it long to mimic the blowing of a horse's mane in the wind. Takaya's fans described Rin as "the character in charge of sexiness." Rin is depicted as stubborn and independent, to the point she cannot stand being dependent on someone else, traits associated with those born in her zodiac year; she is also sharp-tongued but concerned about others. When Rin was young her parents acted affectionate and devoted to her, unlike the parents of many cursed Sohmas, but when she asked if they were happy, the strain of pretending for her benefit shattered the facade, after which they neglected and abused her to the point she was hospitalized. After this her parents kicked her out and Rin moved into Kagura Sohma's home. Rin and Hatsuharu have a romantic and sexual relationship that began before the start of the series. When Akito finds out about it, Rin claims full responsibility to protect Hatsuharu, and to punish her Akito pushes Rin out a window; while recuperating in the hospital, Rin breaks up with Hatsuharu both to protect him and to avoid burdening him, but without explaining why. To free Hatsuharu, Rin starts searching for a way to break the curse, and asks Kazuma, Shigure, and Ren Sohma for help, though she resists the assistance of Tohru Honda, who she thinks is too nice than is good for herself. Ren offers to help if Rin steals a treasure (a black box) from Akito, but Rin is caught by Akito, who confines her in the cat's prison and cuts off her hair; after she is released by Kureno, she reconciles with Hatsuharu, accepting his support. She also accepts Tohru's assistance because of the latter's kindness, and grows as protective of her as of Hatsuharu, getting angry when someone upsets or hurts her. After the zodiac curse is broken, Rin cannot understand how others can move on as if Akito's abuse never happened, and in the final chapter she says she still gets angry.
Kureno SOhma
Kureno Sohma, aged 26, is the former rooster of the Chinese zodiac. He appears only in the manga, but appeared in the anime as the finch constantly in Akito's company. While he was still cursed, he did not like others to see his animal form, which was a sparrow instead of a rooster. He is depicted as a polite and selfless young man. Arisa Uotani describes Kureno as "like Tohru" because of his over-the-top politeness and scatterbrained idiosyncrasies, and Saki Hanajima and Akito Sohma both compare his selflessness to Tohru's. In his mid-teens, about ten years before the series begins, Kureno's curse was somehow broken, but because of Akito's distress he promised never to leave. Kureno and Akito have a sexual relationship, and when Shigure learned about it, some time before the start of the series, in retaliation he slept with Akito's mother, Ren. Akito keeps Kureno away from the rest of the family to hide that he is no longer cursed, and Kureno does most of Akito's work as the head of the family. As a result, Kureno is so sheltered he is 26 when he first visits a convenience store, where he meets Arisa, he is such a klutz with his groceries. Despite their mutual attraction, he stays away from her because, he claims to Tohru, of his promise to Akito. However, when Akito locks Rin Sohma away for stealing her father's box, it is Kureno who frees her. As the zodiac curse begins breaking down, Kureno eventually admits he is partially responsible for keeping Akito coddled and fearful by being too obedient, and Akito angrily stabs him in the back. When Kureno is released from the hospital, he moves out of the Sohma compound with Arisa's help, and in the final chapter, Arisa is preparing to move in with him. He was described as possibly the most lonely of those affected by the curse, because of his isolation. He never blames Akito for his injury and still feels a responsibility to care for her. He says the best thing he can do for her is to erase his existence, hence his moving out of the Sohma home.
Kazuma Sohma
Kazuma Sohma is a master of karate who runs a dojo near the Sohma family main house , where he teaches several of the younger Sohmas including Kyo, Kagura, Yuki, and Hatsuharu. He is usually addressed as Shishō, meaning "master". He is described as "clumsy with his hands and has no sense of flavor," and he is depicted as being so bad at cooking, as well as not knowing how to prepare tea. His daily routine is taken care of by his assistant at the dojo, Kunimitsu Tomoda.
When he was a child, during their only meeting, Kazuma was mean to his grandfather simply because his grandfather was cursed by the cat. His grandfather had offered him a sweet but Kazuma had rejected it, saying it was cursed, and instead of getting angry, his grandfather merely smiled and forgave him. His cruelty from their only meeting haunted him as he grew up and to make amends, after Kyo's mother died, he took in and raised Kyo, the current cat, as his foster son, and has come to think of him as his own son. Kazuma thinks well of Tohru and hopes her love for Kyo is sincere, and not based on pity like his grandmother's was towards his grandfather; both to test Tohru's feelings and to show Kyo he can be accepted by others despite his curse, Kazuma forces Kyo to show Tohru his true form. After Rin is hospitalized the second time during the series, he takes her in to recuperate so that she does not have to live inside the family compound, which he has done before. In the final chapter, Saki Hanajima has taken a job as a cook at Kazuma's dojo and it is implied they are in a relationship.
When he was a child, during their only meeting, Kazuma was mean to his grandfather simply because his grandfather was cursed by the cat. His grandfather had offered him a sweet but Kazuma had rejected it, saying it was cursed, and instead of getting angry, his grandfather merely smiled and forgave him. His cruelty from their only meeting haunted him as he grew up and to make amends, after Kyo's mother died, he took in and raised Kyo, the current cat, as his foster son, and has come to think of him as his own son. Kazuma thinks well of Tohru and hopes her love for Kyo is sincere, and not based on pity like his grandmother's was towards his grandfather; both to test Tohru's feelings and to show Kyo he can be accepted by others despite his curse, Kazuma forces Kyo to show Tohru his true form. After Rin is hospitalized the second time during the series, he takes her in to recuperate so that she does not have to live inside the family compound, which he has done before. In the final chapter, Saki Hanajima has taken a job as a cook at Kazuma's dojo and it is implied they are in a relationship.
Ren Sohma
Ren Sohma is Akito's mother. She appears only in the manga, and is depicted as an elegant but obsessive woman with long black hair similar to Rin Sohma's. According to an author's note, Takaya designed Akito and Ren to resemble each other; Shigure claims that if Akito had been raised as a woman, she would have looked very much like Ren, and Tohru once mistook Ren's voice for Akito's. Ren and Akito are extremely antagonistic towards each other; Shigure notes that she is obsessed with her child and dead husband. Her background and age were deliberately left vague. Ren was originally a Sohma household maid who won Akira's heart by being the only one to notice his loneliness and treat him with kindness, instead of as just the head of the household. When she conceived and her child received, as the new god of the zodiac, more attention than herself, and then turned out to be female instead of a proper male heir, she was afraid the baby would replace her in Akira's heart and demanded Akito be raised as a male. Before his death, Akira told Akito, but not Ren, that Akito's place in the curse was proof that his and Ren's relationship was special. To feed Akito's fear of being abandoned, Ren continually claims that Akito's bond with the zodiac is fake, rather than the true love Akito claims; to prove her wrong, Akito tried to mold Yuki into a zodiac animal devoted to her (Akito). After Akito began sleeping with Kureno Sohma, some time before the series began, Ren told Shigure to make him jealous and then seduced him to infuriate Akito. When Rin Sohma approaches Ren for information about breaking the curse, Ren lies and promises to tell Rin how if she steals a black box owned by Akito, said to contain Akira's spirit; later, goaded by Shigure,Ren threatens Akito with a knife to get the box, only to learn that it is as empty as her obsession. Ren does not appear after this, though Akito mentions that Ren has rejected her attempts to reconcile after the zodiac curse was broken.