Buffy, Angel, and Spike. Elena, Damon, and Stefan. Bella, Edward, and Jacob. A three-way love triangle is extremely common in supernatural stories. It often involves two non-human guys fighting over a human girl. In the case of the hit manga and anime series Vampire Knight, vampires Kaname Kuran and Zero Kiryu both aim to win the heart of Yuuki Cross.
In the middle of protecting the Day School and dealing with villainous vampires in the Night School, our heroine must decide between Zero or Kaname. She develops romantic feelings for both heartthrobs, but she can only choose one as her boyfriend. Does she choose Kaname, the charming pureblood vampire, or Zero, the brooding vampire hunter? Who should she have chosen? Fans of the series still debate which guy was better for Yuuki, so here is our take on the matter.
9 Circumstances of Romance - Zero
Zero and Yuuki have developed a strong partnership as the defenders of the Day Class. They have not only bonded as teammates, but as friends, and then to lovers. The best romances begin when the couple are friends, that way they have a solid foundation to build their romance.
Kaname has known Yuuki longer, but for another reason -- they're related. The whole Yuuki and Kaname as brother and sister plotline still confuses us. Yuuki had once been a pureblood vampire, but their mother made her human to protect her. So yes, although Yuuki is reawakened as a vampire later on, Kaname is her older brother. This means Kaname and Yuuki have an incestuous relationship. It’s mutual love, but it’s downright bizarre. It is mostly disregarded and changed around as the circumstances change, from Yuuki as human to her awakening. Still, for the audience, it's hard to ignore.
8 Personality - Kaname
Zero's tsundere and belligerent nature prevents him from making friends, so Yuuki is the only one close to him. Yuuki has a bubbly and bright personality, so she can overlook his rudeness. Also, because Zero is more shy, he has difficulty expressing his feelings towards her.
However, when he expresses his frustration, it can be perceived as bullying, which leads Yuuki to believe he didn't like her. Kaname is more calm and diplomatic, and Yuuki has always held a high respect for him. She continues to call him "Kaname-senpai," even when he insists to just call him Kaname. While he can sometimes come across as stoic, Kaname is warm and gentle around Yuuki, and able to communicate his feelings better than Zero can.
7 Comfortable Around Each Other - Zero
Yuuki seems much more comfortable around Zero than Kaname. She gets flustered around Kaname, whereas with Zero, she feels like she can be herself. Yuki seems more sad with Kaname then with Zero, especially after coming to live with him.
Comparatively, Zero seems happier when he is with Yuuki. As children, Yuki was able to calm him down when he had nightmares. He tried to distance himself to protect her, knowing she was scared of him as a vampire. He is more comfortable around Yuuki than anyone else, almost to a fault.
6 Status - Kaname
This is an advantage Kaname has over Zero. Because Kaname and Yuuki are siblings, they are both pureblood vampires. Pureblood vampires are the highest rank among vampires or considered Level A.
They have no human lineage, so they are born as vampires. Zero was bitten, so he was once human, and is therefore not a pureblood vampire. The vampire community frowns upon the relationship between Yuuki and Zero because she is a pureblood and he is not.
5 Mutual Thirst - Zero
This reason is probably the most significant in respect to vampires. Kaname states vampires can only satisfy their thirst by drinking blood from their true love. Yuuki responds that his blood will never satisfy her because part of her still loves Zero.
When Zero drinks from Yuuki one last time, he essentially admits that Yuuki is his true love by confessing he only ever wanted her blood. The love between Yuki and Zero was clearly mutual throughout the series, whereas it becomes more one-sided with Yuuki and Kaname.
4 Trusting Each Other - Zero
Yuki can trust Zero more than she can trust Kaname. Zero never really lies to Yuuki. He only hid the fact that he was an ex-vampire. While Kaname didn’t technically lie either, he kept a much more important secret. Since the beginning of the series, Yuki longed for answers about her past and her family, and Kaman withheld that information from her for years.
Zero is also the one to tell Yuuki the truth about Kaname, in which he was responsible for the slaughter of her family. He puts her full trust in Yuuki as well, as she helps control his bloodlust. Although Yuuki seems to trust both vampires, and she knows when she is being tricked with hallucinations and illusions.
3 Children and Legacy - Kaname
Yuuki has children with both Kaname and Zero. She has one daughter with Kaname, Ai Kuran, and one daughter with Zero, Ren Kiryu.
After Kaname makes his sacrifice, Zero acts more paternal to Ai, and is grateful for how she nurtures Ren. As for legacy, Kaname is the better choice as well. Yuuki has a better future with Kaname as heiress of the Kuran family. Because Yuki's heart is inside Kaname, Yuki exists within him, so they are forever a part of each other.
2 Fan Opinions - Zero
Even though fans still argue, the majority prefers Yuuki and Zero as oppose to Yuuki and Kaname. This is evident from a fan poll in the January 2008 issue of LaLa magazine. Yuuki and Zero as a pairing were voted Most Popular Couple with 1700 votes, whereas Yuuki and Kaname placed third.
Fanfiction websites have more content about Zero than Kaname as well. Some fans even ship Kaname and Zero together.
1 The Final Verdict
According to us, Zero was the better choice for Yuuki. They have better chemistry and a stronger sense of love for each other. They share the mutual thirst as well, which is a clear indicator of genuine love. But surprisingly, the actual ending doesn't make a choice, and almost chooses both, in a way. The canon ending involves Yuki ending up with Zero, and then with Kaname. It also differs depending on whether you're talking about the anime or the manga. In chapter 93 of the manga, Zero is murdered, although by who is unknown. In the anime, however, the last we see of Zero is when Yuki and Kaname enter the Kuran mansion. In both, Kaname dies as a result of his sacrifice for the vampire hunters.
When Yuki remembers her time with Zero, she says he ultimately made her happy. She visits his grave, but he has turned to dust, which indicates he was not a pureblood vampire. She then visits Kaname's body and awakens him as a human. By doing this, Yuuki gives him the chance to experience happiness as a human. Although she sacrifices her own life in the process, giving him her heart and the children to look after. She leaves a message for Kaname, which says she wishes his thirst will finally be quenched once and for all.