History Manga / VampireKnight

* CoolGuns: Zero's version of the Desert Eagle [[spoiler:that eventually can be transformed into ''metal vines'' at his whim]] certainly counts.

* TheGwenStacy: [[spoiler:Fuuka]] to Aidou, [[spoiler:the woman from the Ancestor's past to Kaname.]]

%%* {{Bishonen}}

%%* HurtingHero: Zero.

%%* PeekABangs

*** He even ignores the fact that [[spoiler:it was Kaname who murdered his family in favor for desperately asking him to live so that Yuuki won't grieve.]]

* IWantMyBelovedToBeFashionable: To an extent. Kaname [[spoiler:after the one year time skip is shown to make Yuuki wear high heeled shoes, and forbid her from cutting her hair, apparently trying to recapitulate their childish habits.]]

* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Kaname to a degree. Although he admits to have committed many sins and gives his life at the end to become the hunter's furnace, he equally confesses to not have any regrets, offers no apology to Zero for causing his family tragedy and subsequently treating him bad (unless allowing him and Yuuki to be together is interpreted as his apology) and ultimately gets a happy ending by Yuuki turning him human a thousand years later.]]

** Kaname had this at the worst who is the longest living and is the "King" even among the purebloods.

** Kain, who's always been hopelessly in love with Ruka. [[spoiler: There's still no signs of her returning his feelings.]]

* LoveMakesYouCrazy: [[spoiler: Rido's reaction to his love being unrequited was to murder his love interest's child and terrorize a school, among others.]]

** Lampshaded by Ichiru [[spoiler:after he's shot Zero in his shoulder with the Bloody Rose, explaining how any other ex-human vampire would have been killed by that, yet Zero's only reaction is to briefly pass out, proving Kaname's earlier statement of him being close to be the most powerful vampire hunter.]]

* MuggleFosterParents: Considering that [[spoiler:Yuuki was a pureblood Vampire all this time, Chairman Cross]] definitely counts. Unlike most, however, [[spoiler:he is still alive to this chapter.]]

* MundaneMadeAwesome: Throwing a (pureblood vampire's) heart into a furnace will result in it fueling weapons for hundreds and thousands of years.

* CannotSpitItOut: Any interaction between Yuuki and Zero in the second arc may count as this. It's bad, in other words.

* ChessMotifs: Used often throughout the series. Kaname is usually seen as the TheChessmaster.

* CrazyJealousGuy: Kaname, to an extent. His main dislike for Zero seem to stem from jealousy alone, and he really wouldn't mind killing him.

* CrypticConversation: many of these throughout the series, usually involving Kaname.
* {{Curse}}: Apparently, when a vampire huntress becomes pregnant with twins, a curse will leave one of the fetuses to devour the other, naming it the "twin curse". So far, Zero and Ichiru are said to be the only case in which this didn't happen, due to Zero having been "softhearted before he was even born."

* DarkAndTroubledPast: Zero and Kaname both. Zero witnessed his parents murdered at the hands of a pureblood as an 11-year old, next to being bit and transformed by the same pureblood and seeing his twin brother smiling at the scene. Kaname [[spoiler:is an ancestor of vampires who had been alive thousands of years ago along with an unnamed pureblood woman who ended up sacrificing herself for the creation of the vampire hunters and furnace, leaving Kaname to lead the battle between purebloods and the misery of being alone, after which he decided to enter his slumber that was later interrupted by Rido]].

* DestructiveRomance: [[spoiler:Yuuki and Kaname, being prone to bring out the worst in each other. With him, Yuuki changes from her determined, energetic, joyful and relatively action-driven self to being a needy, insecure, whiny and timid StayInTheKitchen girlfriend, being "reminded of her place" and how weak she is, should she ever oppose him. In turn, Kaname keeps manipulating and killing whoever he sees fit “for her sake” (awaiting no request from her), leaving her with the guilt and sadness from it afterwards. There are also very few, if any, cases of the two looking happy together (unless you refer to five-year-old Yuuki.)]]

** Kaname transforms parts of himself into bats and occasionally a wolf, Yuuki is often shown with a plushy rabbit in covers (her [[EasternZodiac Zodiac animal]] and personality according to it) and portrayed with butterfly wings (gentleness, arguably re/birth), while Zero's loyal and self sacrificing personality very much reminds of his Zodiac, the Dog, along with having a white horse to compliment his debatable role as the Knight.

* {{Homage}}: A big part of, if not the entire story seems to be based upon knight tales, what with the whole "Kings, queens/princesses and knights" theme (along with the title), highly different social status/positions in society and lineage, plus the frequent use of and reference to chess games and pieces (mainly by Kaname). It makes even more sense if one looks at the dynamics of Yuuki and Zero's relationship throughout the story, where [[LadyandKnight Yuuki is the "princess" while Zero is both her and arguably the serie's "knight".]]

* IndirectKiss: Debatable, but an easy to miss one as early as chapter 2: Yuuki feeds her homemade chocolate to Zero, then as an additional page at the end of the chapter she's licking the same finger she fed him with.

* LadyAndKnight: Yuuki and Zero implied [[spoiler:(especially in the second arc), representing the "The Bright Lady" and "The White Knight" respectively.]]

%%* WillTheyOrWontThey: Yuuki and Zero in the second arc. [[spoiler: TheyDo.]]

* CoitusEnsues: In [[spoiler:chapter 89, even though Kaname's established that Yuuki isn't happy with him, and Yuuki's established that Zero sated her (previously stated as what proves love between vampires), the two of them still randomly end up sleeping together, though treated like it never happened.]]

* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler:Kaname kills the vampire senate by manipulating them into ripping off their own heads.]]

* AnimalMotifs: Kaname transforms parts of himself into bats and occasionally a wolf, Yuuki is often shown with a plushy rabbit in covers (her [[EasternZodiac Zodiac animal]] and personality according to it) and portrayed with butterfly wings (gentleness, arguably re/birth), while Zero's loyal and self sacrificing personality very much reminds of his Zodiac, the Dog, along with having a white horse to compliment his debatable role as the Knight.

* ArtEvolution: You'll notice the progress in quality of the art as the series progresses.
** Sadly it also suffers from a decrease in quality halfway through the second arc.
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: According to Yagari Touga in chapter 52, the president of the Hunter Association is chosen for his ability to dominate the hunters. [[spoiler: Zero having become the strongest hunter is therefore chosen as Kaien Cross' successor.]]

%%* {{Foreshadowing}}

-->'''[[spoiler:Kaien (in inner monologue)]]:''' [''watches Haruka and Juri''] By the time I had noticed... There was an unexpectedly [[LoveBubbles pink world]] spreading near [[{{Emo}} my gloomy corner]] where I clung to [[GrumpyBear dreams filled with darkness]]...

** For three episodes of the anime, the intro included a quick shot of Ruka leaning in to AlmostKiss Yuuki.

Not to be mutually mistaken for ''ComicBook/RequiemVampireKnight''.