List of The Twelve Kingdoms characters
This is a list of characters in the novel series The Twelve Kingdoms and its anime adaptation.
The following characters reside in the Kingdom of Kei:
Voiced by: Aya Hisakawa (Japanese); Dorothy Elias-Fahn (English)
Youko Nakajima (中嶋 陽子 Nakajima Yōko?) is a sixteen-year-old honors student in Japan who lives an ordinary life and is the main protagonist of the series. Her primary worries are her naturally red hair (it was speculated by some students and a teacher that Youko might've dyed her hair red) and an inexplicable recurring dream that haunts her. When a man named Keiki suddenly appears at her school, he bows at her feet, swearing loyalty to her and offering protection. The school is attacked by a giant bird and she reluctantly accepts his oath. He gives her a sword and transports her across the Void Sea to the Twelve Kingdoms, where she ends up in the Kingdom of Kou.
Youko is initially confused by the changes that have been brought onto her including a complete change in her appearance that she cannot see herself and being stranded in an unknown land with no means of returning home. These changes cause her to cry constantly, lapse into a state of helplessness, and complain about interfering in other beings lives no matter what the situation. As she searches for Keiki, she finds herself constantly battling against demons and being betrayed many times. While Youko becomes wary of trusting others, she eventually comes to befriend and trust a hanjyu named Rakushun. They escape to the Kingdom of En where Youko learns that she is the heir to the throne of the kingdom of Kei. Although she is initially reluctant, Youko accepts the position through her growth in the story. In a later story arc as the newly appointed queen, Youko learns of several problems in her kingdom including a revolt in the province of Wa. Subsequently, she is pulled into the search for Taiki when Tai general Risai beseeches Youko's help in finding him.
As the ruler of Kei, she is given the regnal name of Sekishi (赤子 Red Child?), because of her bright red hair and because her councillors initially view her as a child. Despite being a weak character to begin with, appearing very withdrawn and not wanting to do anything that would bring attention to herself, Youko grows in strength and maturity, becomes empathetic towards the people around her, thinking articulately about her actions (especially as queen) and continues to do so until the end of the series.
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