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Yuki Sohma
Yuki is the rat from the Juunishi, and probably the most famous member at that, for it was the rat that tricked the cat, wasn't it? It was the rat that made a fool of the cow by riding his back to the party, right? Despite all the stories and folklore, Yuki's just about as different from the rat as could be.
With a girl-ish complex and a voice as soft as anything, Yuki's the first member in the strongest love triangle in the series. Toru seems to be the only person who can get a real smile on "Prince" Yuki's face, and she definatly does bring out the best in him. Ever since he was small, Yuki was lead to believe he was being shunned from society because of the curse that had been placed on his body. Thusly, he found himself more distant to people than any other of the cursed Sohma's. He feels insecure at times, but that's because he's unsure of himself. Or so we think. When he was young, he had been abused by the head of the family, Akito. His experiences with Akito still haunt him now, and the mere mention of Akito's name is enough to anger and frighten Yuki. Imagine what happens when Akito appears at Yuki's high school...
We first meet Yuki when his older cousin, Shigure, is hitting on Tohru. Prince Yuki, as he is known as at the high school he attends, drops his backpack containing two dictionaries onto Shigure's head as punishment for getting fresh with Miss Honda. He later walks to and from school with her, and proves to be more mysterious than she thought. Being a cat lover, Tohru doesn't understand why Yuki talks so harshly about the neko of the Juunishi. (For those who don't know..."Juunishi" is the Japanese word for the Chinese Zodiac, and "neko" means "cat" in Japanese.) But she'll find out soon enough.
As his relationship with Tohru deepens as the series goes on, Yuki becomes more and more dependant on her in order to smile. He gets easily embarassed when someone teases him playfully about something small, such as his complex or something of the like. He compliments Tohru right and left, though he doesn't go over board with it. Yuki opens up more and more to Tohru as he continues to live with her, and Tohru loves every minute of it. She loves being around Yuki, and one can't blame her.
Yuki and Kyou are dead-on rivals, and not just in love interest, either. It takes a lot to get Yuki riled up, and Kyou seems to know just what buttons to push when it comes to making Yuki mad. They fight about everything--it's easy to notice. Though it's usually Kyou who starts the arguments, Yuki isn't 100% innocent. After all, it was the rat that tricked the cat into missing God's party, so it's no wonder the two don't get along.
He has an older brother, too, who he doesn't get along with at all. It's possible that Yuki hates Ayame more than he hates Kyou, which is really saying something. When they were young, Yuki and Ayame were pretty distant for brothers. Then Ayame betrayed Yuki and left him to fend for himself one day, and Yuki's trust in his older brother was lost. Though Ayame tries hard to repair their bond, Yuki doesn't seem to be too interested, but he tries. ...Sort of.
