Article

Vampire Knight 19 – The Real Vampire Knight

My Thoughts on the Ending


Wow! We’ve finally gotten there, huh? If you started on this journey when the story first began publication in America, then we’ve known these characters of Matsuri Hino’s for eight years now. I still have the August 2006 issue of Shojo Beat where Yuki appeared on the cover – it was the first time I’d bought the publication. That first chapter in magenta ink was enough to make me want to know more about Yuki, Zero, and Kaname. Nineteen volumes later and now we’ve seen the outcome. I’ve my own take on the ending as I’m sure others do as well. Hino left it open for interpretation. I’m hoping some of the extraneous story volumes we’ll get from Viz in the next couple of months will help fill in the gaps, but until then, it’s how it looks.



SO IF YOU’VE NOT READ THE ENDING AND DON’T WANT TO SPOIL THE SERIES FOR YOURSELF – PLEASE DON’T READ ANY FARTHER THAN THIS. I MEAN IT. NO, REALLY, STOP RIGHT HERE! 🙂


Kaname and Yuki

Kaname and Yuki




I was really devastated when Yuki took away Zero’s memories at the end of volume 18. I’ve always been for the Yuki x Zero ship since the beginning, and I hated for Zero to forget her. So when he does overcome the amnesia in volume 19 I was really relieved. Still, I was irritated with Kaname for the deceptions, and the decisions he made to leave Yuki. (Don’t bed your fiance, and then leave her! ugh!) The ending scene when Kaname donates his heart to the furnace was kind of devastating to watch. Telling Yuki and Zero to be together – geez I’m upset right now writing this. I was glad Zero finally opened up and told Yuki to please stay with him even if it takes her a couple of decades to get over Kaname. He’s always, always loved her.



The rest is up to interpretation. Here’s my take on it: Yuki and Zero are together for a thousand years. They have children together, a boy and a girl. Aido discovers Kaname’s research on how to cure vampirism and is able to develop it using modern technology. It is given to all the vampires to turn them human and the vampire hunters are no longer needed, thus the reason for extinguishing the furnace. My guess is that Zero chose to become human and die as well, leaving Yuki and Kaname the surviving vampires. Once Yuki lost Zero she chooses to use her vampire powers to exterminate the remaining vampirism – by sacrificing her life to turn Kaname human. That leaves Kaname to grow old and die with Yuki and Zero’s children.


Zero and Yuki

Zero and Yuki



So the gap I’m left with is what really happened to Zero? It’s not definite – which is why I guess we’re getting some story fillers after the conclusion of the main storyline. As for Yuki, Kaname, and Zero – these three main characters were breaking my heart at every turn. They were all trying to be so selfless, planning to die for each other. Gah! The feels were killing me! There really could not be a happy feel-good ending for this series. There was too much tragedy involved. I think Hino ended it the best way she could without making every fangirl raving mad. Still, I didn’t like the final scene.



I felt sad. Kaname had endured so long and loved Yuki. For Yuki to die and not be there for him was disappointing to say the least. I guess the optimistic thing would be to imagine that Kaname will live and love again. It just won’t be Yuki. But I’m sure that doesn’t make the Kaname x Yuki shippers very happy, right? I kind of felt that Yuki left Kaname alone at the end, even if the kids were there. Yuki and Zero got to have their thousand year love and have kids, and Kaname gets humanity. Even exchange?


Kaname - Finale

Kaname – Finale





Now to the the title of this post – who was the real vampire knight? At the beginning of this series I assumed logically that it referred to Kaname. He was the obvious vampire. As the story progressed it began to also describe Zero’s role perfectly. Typically in literature, a knight is a man devoted to the service of a woman. In this series that describes both Zero and Kaname. Zero was always protecting Yuki, and made many difficult choices so that he could keep on protecting her. Then there’s Kaname who was obsessively devoted to Yuki to his own detriment. He sacrificed himself just for her happiness. But if you think of that definition without a gender stereotype, it also describes Yuki’s role towards both Kaname AND Zero. And in that sense, Yuki was the true knight. She was devoted to fulfilling Kaname’s expectations of love and returning his feelings from the time she was “human” to the final moments of his life. And her devotion to Zero started the day they met, and she always supported and loved him no matter if they were human or vampire. Really, she was lucky to have loved so much, and to have both of them return those feelings.



Am I happy with the conclusion? Um, yes and no. But like I said, I think Hino did the best she could to please all the fans. What about you? I’m sure all the fangirls out there were dying from the emotions with this final volume. Let us know what you thought by posting in the comments.

Follow Me!
Latest posts by Laura (see all)

6 Comments

  • In one of the children, the girl was Kaname’s daughter, her name is Ai (Read Vampire Knight extra chapter!) and no information confirmed that Zero and Yuuki have lived for a thousand years together. Thousand years have passed to come to the day when the furnace’s fire is out.

    • Ah…so that’s why she wrote them together before he sacrificed himself. Well, good to know that Kaname had a daughter and I guess Zero had a son. As for the thousand years, yeah, that was just an assumption. That’s why I said I really want to know what happened with Zero.

  • I don’t really know what I feel about the end of this manga. I love the manga and the characters. I love Kaname and enjoyed all his words and scenes, but I kinda feel sad for him too. Because from his viewpoint, if Yuki would ever sacrifice herself in order for him to live again, that would make him extremely sad. Sure, he doesn’t know because he had no memories before he became a human but what if there is a slight possibility of him remembering the past, then I think he’d wish for death to be with Yuki again.. That’s how Kaname would think, I guess.

    And I was left by a cliffhanger by that end. Whose child is he carrying in his arms?

  • […] Bones (Anime News Network) Ash Brown on Uzumaki: Spiral Into Horror (Experiments in Manga) Laura on vol. 19 of Vampire Knight (Heart of Manga) Sean Gaffney on vol. 19 of Vampire Knight (A Case Suitable for Treatment) Matthew […]

  • 🙂 Great review! It’s so strange to see this series end, especially after how popular it was!

    • So who were you shipping by the end?

2018 Shoujo and Josei License Announcements
Contact Me
Subscribe to Heart of Manga

Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts. Your info will not be used for any other purpose.

Archives