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Submarines (SS)/Aircraft Carrying Submarines (SSV)
The silent stalkers of the deep, Submarines fill a unique niche in Kantai Collection. They have the lowest Attack, Armor, Hit Point, and Evasion values in the game, with only their Torpedo Attack stat worthy of mention. However, they can only be attacked by Destroyers, Light Cruisers, and Light Carriers, all of which must target enemy submarines if there are any, and even then they have a higher-than-normal chance of taking the bare minimum of damage when hit. This makes them ideal for maps that are swarming with Battleships or Standard Carriers... or use against PVP teams that neglected to add an anti-submarine complement to their fleets.Maintenance-wise, Submarines have some of the lowest upkeep costs in the game with regards to refueling, rearming, and repair. Excepting I-168, remodeled subs (and unremodeled I-401) are reclassified as Aircraft Carrying Submarines, which can also launch seaplanes for scouting, but in return double the time required to repair them when damaged.
- All of the Other Reindeer: In the 4-koma, they are disliked by most of the other kanmusu, since many of their Real Life counterparts were sunk by submarines.
- Boring, but Practical: Using them to farm for fuel in 2-3 is tedious, but it gives a better rate of fuel than expeditions can.
- The Dreaded: Sometimes, the mere announcement that they're coming is enough to have the other ships running for the hills. It's a Running Gag in the official 4-koma for example.
- Friendly Sniper: They're no doubt friendly (at least those introduced so far anyway), and some of them call themselves snipers, which is hard to dispute.
- Goroawase Number: They apparently chose to do this with their names to make it easier for the Admiral and themselves to pronounce their names.
- Power Up Letdown: Goya, Hachi and Iku turn into aircraft carrying submarines (SSV) when remodeled. While this increases their stats across the board (especially the Evasion stat, which is very important for submarines) and gives them a second equipment slot allowing for devastating torpedo cut-in attacks, this also doubles their repair cost and repair time. Combined with the fact that submarines have very limited use in late game maps with restrictive branching rules, it's small wonder some Admirals opt not to remodel them at all.
- Rare Random Drop: Any submarine that becomes readily available becomes this, with the possible exception of event maps (and 1-5). Arpeggio's Iona (available for the Christmas 2013 event), a submarine herself, even lampshaded this:Iona: Are submarines that rare for you, Admiral?
- School Swimsuit: The basic uniform for all IJN submarines, with the Sentaka-class being the exception so far. As stated by Goya:Goya: If it's armor, it has to be a school swimsuit! Look, it's efficiently smooth!
- Super Swimming Skills: Most portrayals show the submarines as very adept swimmers for obvious reasons.
- Third-Person Person: All of them refer to themselves with their own nicknames, to differing extents. Goya being the most.
- Vague Age: Due to their art style, wide vocal range, and varying bust sizes it's somewhat difficult to pin down all of the subs' physical age.
- You Are Number 6: Japanese subs of the era all have a number appended after their class character. "I" for 1st class submarines (most of those available for the player) and "Ro" for 2nd class submarines (Ro-500).
The Type J3-classs
I-8 "Hachi" (2nd)
Artist: Shobon
Voiced by: Misato
- "Guten Tag ... ah, my mistake... sorry, please call me Hachi."
. A serious girl who loves reading.- Alternate Character Reading: She calls herself Hachi, but it sounds too much like "Acht" (eight in german) so she asks the Admiral to call her Hacchan instead.
- Badass Bookworm: She likes books... that happen to summon torpedoes when she opens them.
- Born Lucky: Luck of 20 in her base form, 25 at Kai. One of only two submarines (the other being U-511 (Yuu)) out of seven which managed to complete a trans-oceanic voyage between Germany and Japan, but unlike Yuu, she did a round trip from Japan to Germany and back. Her luck, however, is lower than Yuu due to having been sunk during the war.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: One of her hourly lines.I-8: Admiral is playing KanColle! I am reading! Eheh~
- Gratuitous German: A reference to the real life I-8 being the only submarine during WW2 to successfully make a round trip to Germany.
- Holiday Mode: Received a winter outfit art in Christmas 2017. What makes this surprising is that prior to this, the artist hadn't contributed any art to Kancolle in years, and thus Art Evolution is very much present.
The Type AM-Class
- Always Identical Twins: They are the first class actually designed to be twinsnote , and identical they are. While they do each have identifiers to determine which is which, they can still easily be mistaken for the other. Ironically, in Real Life, the two weren't actually finished in the same day (or even close to it).
- Cleavage Window: They wear a top with a hole that frame their (small) breasts, although they're covered by their swimsuit.
- Coordinated Clothes: Their costumes along with the positioning of their gear, their hairdos and how they pose makes them mirror images of each other.
- Polar Opposite Twins: On the other hand, I-13 is a Shrinking Violet while I-14 is a Genki Girl, stemming from their respective fates.
- You Are Number 6: Their swimsuits have their pennant numbers - in this case also their names - printed on them.
I-13 "Hitomi" (1st)
Artist: Shizuma Yoshinori
Voiced by: Ayaka Imamura
- "Large-sized submarine aircraft carrier, made to support the Sentoku-class...... I'm the Type AM-class submarine, I-13. Um... Please call me Hito—... No... It's... nothing..."
. She's introduced as the E-3 drop in the Winter 2017 Event.- Beware the Nice Ones: Not above using violence when disciplining her sister.I-14 (Iyo): 2200. Owww. Big sis, you didn't have to punch me while crying... Owww...
- Born Unlucky: One of the things that distinguish the two is I-13 has really poor base luck (6 unremodeled, 8 remodeled). This is due to her very short career, sinking only a few days during her sole mission.
- Character Development: Is initially prone to bouts of indecisiveness, but becomes more decisive after being remodelled to Kai.
- Clothing Damage: While it's normal for most subs to suffer this, her damaged art takes this up a notch with the top part of her swimsuit gone, thus showing a lot of skin.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Hitomi is the responsible one despite her shy demeanor.
- Identical Twin ID Tag: She has a longer lock of hair on her left side.
- 13 Is Unlucky: See Born Unlucky above.
I-14 "Iyo" (2nd)
Artist: Shizuma Yoshinori
Voiced by: Ayaka Imamura
- "Part of the Type A Submarines born to operate Seirans, I'm I-14. It's alright, call me Iyo. Admiral, nice to meet you! "
. She's introduced as the E-3 reward in the Winter 2017 Event.- The Alcoholic: Not to the same extent as other ships who drink like Pola, but Iyo does try to find lots of occasions for bringing out the booze. This stems from an incident regarding her crewmen having a drunk party when their ship captain's out, somewhat similar to what happened to Jun'you.
- Born Lucky: Iyo has above-average luck (24 unremodeled and remodeled), due to her being the only submarine out of those participating in the Ulithi Atoll attack who accomplished her assigned mission, namely to deliver Saiun aircraft to Truk Anchorage. She also survives the war.
- Clothing Damage: In contrast to Hitomi, this is downplayed, with the damage only being seen on her hat.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: The foolish one out of the twins, though mostly when alcohol is involved.
- Identical Twin ID Tag: She has a longer lock of hair on her right side. The submarine sail strapped to her left arm also has an open hanger and launch catapult, unlike Hitomi's.
- The Tease: Teases the Admiral at times, such as playfully inviting them to bath with her.
The Type B1-Class
I-19 "Iku" (3rd)
Artist: Shobon
Voiced by: Misato
- "Such a great admiral makes me happy. I'm I-19. Yep, calling me Iku is fine!"
. She is playful and loves flirting with the Admiral from time to time. Iku is very often seen holding her torpedoes in such a way that they go between her breasts.- Clingy Jealous Girl: Doesn't like it if the Admiral looks away from her or is idle from the computer screen for a while.Iku: Admiral! You're not allowed to look away from Iku!
- Cute Little Fangs: Easy to miss, but she has some.
- Exotic Eye Designs: Stars as her pupils.
- Expy: Has a resemblance to Dizzy.
- Friendly Sniper: She calls herself a sniper when being equipped, and she is definitely friendly (if lewdly so). A reference to her extremely-lucky torpedo salvo launched during the Guadalcanal campaign, sinking one aircraft carrier and one destroyer, while crippling a battleship.
- Girlish Pigtails: Looks like it, but she actually has a Tomboyish Ponytail at the back as well.
- The Tease: Most of her dialogue shows her being one. Most likely a play on her name.
- Third-Person Person: Most of the time, except for two lines.
- Verbal Tic: "nano".
I-26 "Nimu" (7th)
Artist: Kuuro Kuro
Voiced by: Yui Ogura
- "Hey, hey, hey! Are you the Admiral? I'm the submarine I-26! Nimu's fine! Nice to meetcha!"
. She was released in the Summer 2016 Event as the E-1 and E-3 boss drop.- Catchphrase: She says quite a lot of "nee, nee" (roughly "hey, hey").
- Genki Girl: Easily excitable, and quite a bit of a Motor Mouth.
- Removable Turret Gun: Her damaged CG shows her wielding the deck gun of her rigging, even using parts of the deck as a butt stock.
I-36 "Mimu" (17th)
Artist: Hoshi Akari
Voiced by:
Click here to see her Kai form
- "I'm I-36, an I-class, Junsen Type B submarine. Right, we were the most widely produced and mainstay of the mainstay I-class subs. How would I like to be called? How about... Miimu? Like it?"
. She's introduced as a drop in the E-1 and E-2 Maps of the Early Spring 2024 Event.- Born Lucky: Maxes to 90 at base and 96 at Kai. This is due to her having participated in several campaigns, such as the Guadacanal, Aleutian Islands, two New Guinea campaigns, a typhoon, and at least five suicide missions until an attack by P-51 Mustangs crippled one of her diesel tanks not long after the Bombing of Hiroshima (which her crew witnessed). Mimu's eventual fate was being scuttled in April 1946.
The Type B2-Class
I-41 (2nd)
Artist: Shibafu
Voiced by:
Click here to see her Kai form
- "I-class submarine, Junsen Type B Kai Ichi, I-41! Pleased ta meetcha! You're the Admiral then? Wonder if you're cooler than that captain? Well then, show me how ya lead!"
, introduced as the E-4 Map reward of the Early Spring 2024 Event.- The Alcoholic: Referenced in some of her secretary lines and hourlies.Idle: Ahhh, Kaga-san? She was a beast of a ship. But there were good people on board. Oh, you heard that? Just the ramblings of one of my fairies. Keep it on the down low. Alright, have a shot of whiskey! Cheers!
MVP: Oh, a citation, huh? Nice. Would be better if you threw in a good bottle of sake with it! - Born Lucky: Relatively high on maxing out to 71 at base and 81 at Kai despite being sunk not even a year after her comissioning - she had survived various supply runs while having to deal with sea mines until her sinking by USS Lawrence C. Taylor, USS Melvin R. Nawman, and USS Anzio's planes in November 1944.
- Refuge in Audacity: Mentions several times that she took advantage of this to escape destruction, like running on the surface in broad daylight because submarines were expected to come out at night and so that's when the submarine hunters would be out in force. She also mentions an incident where her captain, Itakura Mitsuma, reportedly saved the sub by going out on deck and waving his cap to several US Navy aircraft, fooling them into thinking I-41 was a US sub and letting it go.
- Shown Their Work: Several of her lines references her captain Itakura Mitsuma's actions, such as making dangerous runs, and offering up alcohol to the Admiral note .
The Type B3-Class
I-58 "Goya" (3rd)
Artist: Shobon
Voiced by: Megumi Nakajima
- "Hello! I-58 here! You can call me Goya. I'm not bitter!"
. A Genki Girl who likes swimsuits.- Berserk Button: Not exactly berserk but Goya is sure to be angry if you call her "Dechi", as demonstrated by Ro-500's hourly line.
- Born Lucky: 40 luck pre-remodel, 50 post-remodel (the real-life I-58 survived the war; although it shouldn't really count given that she was finished less than one year before the war ended).
- Punny Name: "Goya" is also the Okinawan name for a bitter melon. This is the reason why she says she isn't bitter in her introduction.
- Those Two Guys: With Imuya in the 4-koma.
- Verbal Tic: "dechi".
The Type C-Class
I-47 "Yona" (7th)
Artist: Hoshi Akari
Voiced by: Saki Fujita
- "I'm the 1st class submarine, seventh ship of the Type-C cruiser submarines, I-47. You can call me "Yona". That's "Yona". Ehehehe, Admiral, did you get that?"
, introduced in the Rainy-Summer 2020 Event as the reward for the E-3 map.- Born Lucky: Starts out with 47 at base and then maxing out at 90, 50 at Kai before maxing out to 97. She had been later converted into a Kaiten Historical note that sunk USS Mississinewa in 1944, surviving post-war until she herself was later sunk as a target in 1946.
The Kaidai V Ia-Class
I-168 "Imuya" (1st)
Artist: Shobon
Voiced by: Megumi Nakajima
- "I'm I-168. What? It's hard to say? OK, just call me Imuya. Nice to meet you!"
. A dutiful and serious girl.- Anachronism Stew: One of the clearest hints that this game does not actually take place in WW2 times is that she fiddles around with a smartphone during her free time.
- Boisterous Bruiser
- Friendly Sniper: She's friendly, and she calls herself a sniper in her MVP line.Imuya: "I did it! You can rely on Imuya, the sniper of the sea! I can even sink an aircraft carrier!"Historical reason
- One-Note Cook: She can only cook curry.
- Parting-Words Regret: If she gets sunk.Imuya: It's a pity that I couldn't bask in the sun any more... I've had enough of... the bottom of the sea...
- Those Two Girls: With Goya, in the 4-koma.
The I-201-class a.k.a. the Sentaka-class
I-201 "Furei" (1st)
Artist: Hoshi Akari
Voiced by: Yuki Yamada
Click here to see her Kai form
- "I'm the eldest of the Sentaka-class submarines, I-201. It seems you've been taking care of my sister. You can... Yes, you can call me "Furei". Admiral, let's do this."
. She's introduced in the Spring 2022 Event as a drop in the E-1 and E-2 maps.- Born Lucky: Starts out at 24 at both base and Kai, maxing out to 79 at base and 87 at Kai, despite her rather short career. She was present when Japan signed the formal surrender papers on USS Missouri, and then later surrendered to the Allies in September 1945, being used in sea trials by the USN. Furei survived a typhoon despite having an engine breakdown and steering failure while headed to Guam from Hawai'i in 1946, before being sunk as a test target by torpedoes.
I-203 "Fuumi" (3rd)
Artist: Hoshi Akari
Voiced by: Yuki Yamada
Click here to see her Kai form
- "I think... I'm the fastest under the sea... 3rd ship of the Sentaka-class. I-203. I guess you can call me... Fuumi? In danger? Who, me? ...That's not true, right?"
. She's introduced in the Spring 2021 Event as a drop in the E-2 map.- Born Lucky: Downplayed. While she does start with 23 and 24 at base and kai respectively, Fuumi just barely survived post-war by dint of a short career before being surrendered to the USN, then later sunk as a test target for the Mark 18 Mod 2 torpedo in 1946.
- The Gunslinger: The barrels are based off of her historical Type 96 25mm anti-air guns.
- Shown Their Work: The damage to the piece of her rigging in the lower right part of her damage art references the torpedo that had scuttled her after she was turned over to the USN.
- When She Smiles: Noticeable in her Kai art.
The I-400-class a.k.a the Sentoku-class
- Ambiguously Brown: Both sisters share this particularity.
- Born Lucky: Downplayed. I-400 and I-401 have a luck of 19 and 20 respectively in both their base and remodelled form. They did survive the war, but never got to do anything of significance whatsoever as they were deployed way too late into it.
I-400 "Shion" (1st)
Artist: Shibafu
Voiced by: Ayaka Imamura
- "Admiral, nice to meet you. Eldest of the Sentoku-class, first ship, I'm I-400. Hm? Shi...o...n? Yes... please call me... Shion."
. She's introduced in Fall 2017 Event as a drop reward in the E-3 Map.- Genki Girl: If her Docking Minor line is any indication, she appears as full of energy, like her sister before her.
- Lethal Chef: Downplayed. She seems to be on the same boat as Ashigara when it comes to curry, hers being close from the very spicy, subcontinental Indian curry when Japan is used to a very mild variation thereof. This ends up giving the Admiral heartburns.
- In the 4koma she uses alot of dishes that heavily rely on butter much to the chagrin of the other submarine ships.
- Tender Tears: Has these when she's proclaimed the MVP."Oh, me? I'm glad that a Sentoku-class was able to be of use. H-huh, no, my tears are... ahahaha... why... that's enough..."
I-401 "Shioi" (2nd)
Artist: Shibafu
Voiced by: Mariya Ise
- "Good day, Admiral. I'm I-401, the second ship in the special submarine series. Just call me Shioi."
. Unlike the other submarines, she can carry aircraft even before being upgraded.- Alternate Character Reading: She calls herself I-401 (She pronounces "401" as "Yon-maru-ichi". This can be translated as "Four-oh-one") but asks you to just call her Shioi, Goroawase for "401".
- Companion Cube: She's very fond of her Prototype Seirans."The Seirans are my friends after all!"
- Expy: Her hairstyle is similar to Chihiro Ogino
- Holiday Mode: Wears a furisode for New Years 2016 along with her usual gear.
- Same Character, But Different: Engages in this with I-401 (Iona). It Makes Sense in Context.
- The Pollyanna: She is perpetually cheerful.
- Tomboyish Ponytail: See main pic.
U-Boot Type IXC
U-511/Ro-500 "Ro-chan" (41st)
She is listed along with the Kriegsmarine's shipgirls. She would appear here as a German submarine who came to Japanese hands.
The Marconi-class
Luigi Torelli/UIT-25/I-504 (4th)
She is listed along with the Regia Marina and Kriegsmarine's shipgirls. She would appear here as a Italian submarine that was captured by Germany after Italy's armistice, then came into Japan's possession after Germany surrendered.
Escort Ships (Coastal Defense Ships)
The smallest ships currently available in the game, Escort Ships (also known as Coastal Defense Ships, or kaiboukan in Japanese) are small, light multipurpose ships designed for coastal defense, convoy escort, minesweeping, and other tasks that didn't involve surface combat, freeing up larger ships for more important jobs. They have even less firepower than destroyers, and with their lack of torpedoes do not possess good night battle capability either. In return, Escorts are the cheapest surface ships to run and maintain (having maintenance costs on par with submarines) and have great anti-submarine abilities.- Badass Adorable: Although not to the same level as the Destroyers, their role as Submarine hunters mustn't be underestimated.
- Child Soldiers: They are portrayed as children even smaller and younger than most destroyers.
- Crippling Overspecialization: Escort ships have the highest available anti-submarine scores in the game without the need to remodel, and can also obtain the ability to perform opening anti-submarine attacks at a lower thresholdnote , allowing them to beat even light cruisers in ASW. This however comes at the cost of being the weakest surface ships in all other aspects, having the lowest hit points, firepower, armor, and anti-air of any surface ships, a speed of 'slow', and lacking the ability to equip torpedoes that make destroyers deadly.
- Location Theme Naming: All of the Escort Ships except the Type D-class are named after islands near Japan. As an extra, the first three ships to appear in the game are named after individual islands of the Kuril Islands, due to appearing in the event about the Battle of Shumshu, (the northernmost island of the archipelago and namesake of the very first of the ship class).
- Necessary Drawback: Escorts are insanely cheap to run and are the next best thing to a hard counter for submarines. They pay for this with extremely low stats in all other respects, since they weren't built to engage in surface combat.
The Shimushu-class
Shimushu (1st)
Artist: UGUME
Voiced by: Hitomi Sasaki
- "I'm the first ship of the Shimushu-class destroyer escorts, Shimushu, su. Leave the coastal defense to me, commander, su. I'm the destroyer escort that will protect the seas, su!"
, introduced as a drop in the E3 Map of the Spring 2017 Event.- Born Lucky: Lone survivor of the disastrous Hi-40 convoy, survived a torpedo from submarine USS Haddo, repatriation duty after the war, and served with the Soviet Navy until her scrapping in 1959. Her starting off at 40 and maxing out at 79 while in her base form, and then 50 to maxing out at 89 in Kai is well earned.
- Cheerful Child: Has a rather upbeat personality.
- Verbal Tic: Tends to end her sentences with "-ssu", punning on how her name is pronounced.
Kunashiri (2nd)
Artist: UGUME
Voiced by: Hitomi Sasaki
- "Shimushu-class destroyer escort, I'm the second ship, Kunashiri. What's the matter? That's wrong? Well, Kuna... is fine for you to call me with."
, introduced as a drop in the E3 Map of the Spring 2017 Event.- Born Lucky: Survived the war and performed repatriation duties before running aground in 1946, starting with 35 points at base and 45 in Kai. She is the very reason why Kamikaze ran aground herself.
- Tsundere: Not in the same levels as Akebono and Kasumi to an extend. However her posture and manner of talking might consider her to be Himedere.
Ishigaki (3rd)
Artist: UGUME
Voiced by: Kanon Takao
- "I'm the Shimushu-class coastal defense ship, Ishigaki. What? Is there something on my face? ...Oh, alright then. Leave destroying submarines to me. I'm serious."
Ishigaki is the personification of Japanese escort ship Ishigaki, introduced as a drop in E-2 and E-3 in the Spring 2019 Event.
- Born Unlucky: Starts off at at dismal 9 in her base form, 10 in her Kai.
Hachijou (4th)
Artist: UGUME
Voiced by: Kanon Takao
- "Oh, me, I'm Hachijou. Yup, a Shimusu-class destroyer escort. "Hachi"? Hmm, well, that's fine. You can call me that. Please take care of me."
, introduced as the E2 Map reward in the Spring 2019 Event.- Born Lucky: Like her older sister-ships Shimushu and Kunashiri, Hachijou starts off with rather high luck, 40 at base and 49 at Kai, before maxing out to 79 at base and 92 at Kai. The reason for her luck is that her historical counterpart just missed meeting her end because of being detached from escorting cargo ship Akagane Maru, who was later sunk by USS Indianapolis on February 19, 1943. Hachijou was decommissioned in 1945 and later scrapped in 1948.
- Oral Fixation: She has a lollipop in her mouth.
The Etorofu-class
Etorofu (1st)
Artist: Yuzu Akasaka
Voiced by: Yukina Shutou
Click here to see her Kai form
- "Commander, good morning! I'm the first ship of the Etorofu-class coastal defense ships, Etorofu. Today, I will do my best!"'
, introduced as a drop in the E4 Map of the Spring 2017 Event.- Born Lucky: Fairly high luck that starts at 37 (40 in Kai), which made sense as she survived the war, serving repatriation duties before her scrapping in 1947.
- The Reliable One: Her lines shows this well, she also says a similar catchphrase like Fubuki's.
Matsuwa (2nd)
Artist: Yuzu Akasaka
Voiced by: Yukina Shutou
- "I'm the coastal defense ship, Matsuwa. Uhm, like Etorofu... I'll also... do my best."'
, introduced as a drop in the E5 Map of the Summer 2017 Event.- Born Unlucky: Her base luck stat is 7, while her Kai base luck stat is 9, due to sinking in the Hi-71 Convoy alongside her sister-ship Sado and Hiburi.
- Extreme Omnivore: Her Mackerel Pike Festival line has her getting offered Saury by Isokaze. Not only she eats it, but she finds it delicious (albeit a little on the bitter side). Either it being the cause of Matsuwa having a stomach of iron, just being nice, or Isokaze's cooking skills having actually improved is up to anyone's guess.
Sado (3rd)
Artist: Yuzu Akasaka
Voiced by: Ayaka Imamura
- "I'm the third ship of the Etorofu-class coastal defense ships, Sado-sama! Com-man-der! Take care of me! Hee hee!"
, introduced in Fall 2017 Event as the E-2 Reward.- Born Unlucky: Base 7 when unremodelled, 9 at Kai. She was sunk in the ill-fated Hi-71 Convoy alongside Matsuwa and Hiburi.
- Declaration of Protection: If her Kai form is declared the MVP.Sado: "Ah, me? I'm number one? Hehe~♪ Hey... Taiyou, Hayasui, just watch me. This time I'll protect you. This time. For sure."
- Holiday Mode: Dons a Santa outfit during Christmas 2017.
- I'm Cold... So Cold...: When she is sunk.Sado: "It's cold... I'm going under again... it's cold... it's lonely... I don't want... to..."
- No Indoor Voice: She screams more often than she would talk normally.
- Small Name, Big Ego: Is part of the smallest ship type introduced so far, but boy does she have a massive ego.
- Third-Person Person: Usually refers to herself as "Sado-sama". Her boastfulness contrasts sharply with Matsuwa's crippling insecurities.
Tsushima (7th)
Artist: Yuzu Akasaka
Voiced by: Ayaka Imamura
- "The Etorofu-class coastal defense ship, Tsushima... has arrived. I'll put this body made for defending the Southern Corridor to good use... Just wait and see..."
, introduced in the Fall 2017 Event as a drop reward in the E-2 Map.- Born Lucky: She starts off with an impressive 47 at her base, starting off at 49 in Kai. This is due her surviving the war and serving in the Republic of China Navy until being her scrapping in 1963.
- Death World: Lampshaded several times in her lines.Tsushima: "The Southern Corridor is full of dangers. The Naval Base is... full of dangers too? *heave* Ufufu♥"
- Dissonant Serenity: She speaks very slowly not unlike Yamagumo, and tends to giggle in a rather unsettling manner. While Yamagumo just seems like a Cloud Cuckoolander, Tsushima's behavior can appear as mildly creepy to some.
- I'm Cold... So Cold...: When she is sunk.Tsushima: "So, this is... this is... what they call 'sinking'? ...it's... dark... and cold... I can't... see anything..."
- Punctuated...For...Emphasis: Sometimes leaves a short Beat between each syllable of her name.
- Small Name, Big Ego: Downplayed because it's not as much of a glaring example as her sister Sado, but she shows a lot of confidence in her depth charges.
Hirato (9th)
Artist: Yuzu Akasaka
Voiced by: Yurika Moriyama
- "Commander, Hirato of the Etorofu-class coastal defense ship has arrived. Let's work together. Don't worry... This time, I won't reveal a finger of the admiral's."
. She's introduced as a drop in the E-5 Map of the Autumn 2019 Event.- Combat Sadomasochist: Not much of a sadist, but she giggles when taking damage from the enemy.
- Defiant to the End: Shown by her damaged art on still holding her gun.
- Shrinking Violet: She is very timid, if not almost as timid as her sister ship Matsuwa...
- You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry!: ...that is unless she's provoked where she will become vengeful, evidenced by her damaged CG when she seemingly aims her gun at the viewer.
Fukae (10th)
Artist: Yuzu Akasaka
Voiced by: Mana Komatsu
- "The Etorofu-class coastal defense ship, Fukae, has arrived! Commander, I will not lose...! I cannot lose!"
, introduced in the Spring 2018 Food Mini Event as a drop reward in the World 2-4 and World 6-3 Map.- Alternate Character Reading: The characters "福江" can be spelled as "Fukue" or as "Fukae". The latter spelling is the pre-reform spelling, used during the war.
- Born Lucky: She starts off with 36 base luck and remodeling her will raise it to 40. This is due to her surviving the war until she was handed over to the UK as a repair ship and eventually scrapped in 1947.
The Mikura-class
Mikura (1st)
Artist: acea4
Voiced by: Shuu Uchida
- "Name ship of the Mikura-class escort ship, I'm Mikura. I'll be taking my post. Admiral, by all means please look after the Mikura-class. My body may be small, but I will do as much as I can."
, introduced as a drop in the E1 and E2 Map of the Summer 2019 Event.Noumi (4th)
Artist: acea4
Voiced by: Unknown
- "Admiral, pleased to meet you. I'm the coastal defence ship, Noumi. I'm the 4th ship of the Mikura-class. I was commissioned under the Rapid Naval Armaments Supplement Programme. Let's sail these seas together."
, introduced as a drop in the E-4 and E-5 maps of the Early Spring 2023 Event.- Born Lucky: Played with in that while she maxes out to 67 at base and 76 at Kai in her short career, she performed a number of escort missions until her sinking by USS Tirante in 1945.
Kurahashi (5th)
Artist: acea4
Voiced by: Miona Kogawa
Click here to view her Kai art
- "Admiral, I'm the coastal defence ship, Kurahashi. I'm the 5th ship of the Mikura-class. I'll work hard with Hi-Convoys and convoys towards Taiwan. Yes, I'll give it my all."
, introduced as a drop in the E4 Map of the Spring 2022 Event.- Born Lucky: Maxes out 78 at default and 93 at Kai, in part surviving multiple encounters with USN submarines during the war, and surviving post-war as a minesweeping ship until her scrapping in 1948.
Yashiro (7th)
Artist: acea4
Voiced by: Misato Matsuoka
Click here to view her Kai art
- "I'm the fifth ship of the Mikura-class coastal defense ships, Yashiro. Reporting for duty. No matter how difficult things get, I'll do my very best! It's my duty to protect everyone after all."
, introduced in the Rainy-Summer 2020 Event as a drop in the E-6 map.- Born Lucky: She maxes out at 80 in base form and 98 at Kai for a number of reasons. In short order: survived several air attacks, survived a direct hit to her bridge while part of Hi-87 Convoy that killed most of her officers, hit a sea mine that flooded her bow, and finally served in Taiwan post-war until her scrapping in 1963.
The Hiburi-class
Hiburi (1st)
Artist: Shibafu
Voiced by: Yuka Ootsubo
- "Lead ship of the Hiburi-class destroyer escorts, I'm Hiburi! Admiral, Hiburi-class, on deck! I'll do my best!"
-class escort ships, is the personification of Japanese escort ship Hiburi, introduced in the Winter 2018 Event as the E-2 Reward.- Born Unlucky: Starting at a dismal 7 at base, and her Kai base starts at 9. The reason is she was sunk in the ill-fated Hi-71 convoy alongside Matsuwa and Sado.
Daitou (2nd)
Artist: Shibafu
Voiced by: Yuka Ootsubo
- "Second ship of the Hiburi-class destroyer escorts, I'm Daitou! On de~eck! So you're the admiral. Heh heh, that's fine! I'm counting on you, too! Well, let's go!"
, introduced in the Winter 2018 Event as a E-4 drop.- Born Lucky: Starts off with 33 at base, 37 at Kai base. She survived the war only to get sunk by a naval mine in the aftermath.
Shounan (3rd)
Artist: Shibafu
Voiced by:
- "I'm the 3rd ship of the Hiburi-class coastal defense ships, Shounan. Admiral, maritime escorts are getting more and more difficult. I'll do my best."
, introduced as a E2 Map drop in the Fall 2021 Event.- Born Lucky: Zigzagged. While starting with a piddling 9 at base and a normal 12 at Kai, she surprising ends up with 57 at base and then 67 at Kai. As part of her duties on escorting the Hi-convoys, she survived several attacks by the USN, but was eventually sunk by USS Hoe in 1945.
The Ukuru-class
Ukuru (1st)
Artist: Hoshi Akari
Voiced by: Natsumi Kawaida
Click here to view her Kai art
- "I'm the first ship of the Ukuru-class coastal defense ships, Ukuru! I'm part of a multi-role class that has enhanced ASW and ease of manufacture without sacrificing combat ability. Admiral, I'll do my very, very best!"
-class escort ships, Ukuru is the personification of Japanese escort ship Ukuru, introduced in the Summer 2022 Event as a drop in the E-1 and E-3 maps.- Alternate Character Reading: The kanji 鵜来 here is pronounced as "Ukuru", whereas the island that she's named after 鵜来島 is "Uguru-shima."
- Born Lucky: Maxes out to 79 at base and 99 at Kai due to surviving after the war, becoming a weather survey ship for the Japanese Maritime Transport Bureau until her scrapping in 1965.
Ingai (9th)
Artist: Hoshi Akari
Voiced by: Uesaka Sumire
Inagi (literally "rice-drying rack") is the personification of Japanese escort ship Inagi, introduced in the Summer 2023 Event as the E-3 map reward and a drop in the E-4 map.
- Foreshadowing: Both the official C2 Staff Twitter account mentioned her, and the 12cm Single High-angle Gun Mount Model E Kai showed a fairy-version of Inagi alongside Ukuru as part of the June 2023 ranking rewards.
The Type D-class
- Goroawase Number: Chosen to do this so as to make it easier for the Admiral.
- You Are Number 6: Unlike the earlier escort ship classes, the Type D escort ships are only identified by their numbers.
Daiyongou "Yotsu" (2nd)
Artist: Hozuka
Voiced by: Saki Fujita
- "I'm the 2nd ship of the Type-D coastal defense ships that were created under the Maru-Sen Plan, Kaiboukan No.4. Yeah, you can call me '"Yotsu"' instead. Admiral, happy to work with you!"
, introduced in the Rainy-Summer 2020 Event as a drop in the E-4 map.- Born Lucky: She starts at an average 18 at base and 20 at Kai before maxing out to out to 76 at base and 80 at Kai. This could be attributed to her possibly sinking both USS Scamp and Swordfish, as well taking three air strikes before being sunk by HMS Formidable's planes in July 1945.
- The Dreaded: Yotsu is apparently this to Scamp, as Scamp was alledgedly to had been sunk by Yotsu, and even though Scamp knows that Yotsu is an ally, the submarine is still a bit nervous around her.
Dai'nijuu'nigou "Fuufuu" (11th)
Artist: Hozuka
Voiced by: Kawaida Natsumi
- "I'm the Type-D escort ship ship No. 22! Is that how you call me? Then, how about Fuufuu? Even though I'm small, I'll still do it well!"
, introduced in the Summer 2023 Event as an E-1 map drop.- Born Lucky: Maxes out to 85 at base and 88 at Kai, due to her surviving post-war until her scrapping in 1947.
- The Dreaded: Fuufuu is this to Salmon, going by Salmon's Secretary 2 and several of her hourlies.Salmon Secretary 2: Escort 22? Now she's a dangerous one, for real!
Salmon's 11:00 hourlie: It's 11 o'clock! Hm? I sense something... an escort? No, it's not... Whew... - Shown Their Work: Several of her lines mentions about taking care of submarines, referencing how she was credited with sinking USS Harder and having fought Salmon before Salmon used her guns at point blank range to forcibly break engagement.
Daisanjuugou "Mito" (15th)
Artist: Hozuka
Voiced by: Yuki Yagi
- "I am Type-D escort ship No. 30, Mito. Please take care of me. As much as Mito can... I will certainly protect everyone."
, introduced as a drop in the E-3 Map of the Summer 2021 Event.- Born Lucky: Starts at an average 17 at base and 20 at Kai before maxing out to 77 at base and 81 at Kai, similar to her older sister Yotsu.
Auxiliary Vessels
The Support Party Members of the fleetnote ; in real life large navies had a large Auxiliary Fleet to support and maintain their vessels. They possess little capability to protect themselves, which is reflected in-game with their poor stats.At the game's original introduction, there were 15 Auxiliary Vessels in the game: three, the Chitose-class and Taigei, are quickly converted in-game to CVL, while Akitsu Maru and Shinshuu Maru are IJA vessels, and Commandant Teste is a French (Marine Nationale) vessel; Akashi, Akitsushima, Hayasui and Mizuho are playable whereas Mamiya and Irako are usable items. This is unlikely to change any time soon, because auxiliaries rarely do anything interesting in battle.
- Location Theme Naming: Most of the auxiliary ships are named after various places of Japan, such as straits, capes, towns, and/or even old names of Japan.
Auxiliary Vessels
Mamiya (Food Supply Ship)
Artist: Fujikawa
Voiced by: Yui Horie (Japanese), Mallorie Rodak (English)
Mamiya is the personification of the Japanese food supply ship Mamiya. A motherly woman who can relieve fatigued ship-girls with her excellent desserts. Is only available as an item card.
- Happy Holidays Dress: Was given a new portrait for the Christmas 2014 event, giving us the opportunity to look at her cleavage at the same time.
- Suddenly Voiced: She had no voice until a certain update in late 2014.
- Supreme Chef: She's mainly known for her desserts, which are good enough to lower ship girls' fatigue and boost their morale. This is, of course, because the real-life Mamiya was a food supply ship.
- Team Mom: The impression she gives off, just by her design alone, and her role in-game to deliver supplies and sweets that helps relieve the stress of the ships under the Admiral's command.
Irako (Food Supply Ship)
Artist: Fujikawa
Voiced by: Yui Horie
Irako is the personification of the Japanese food supply ship Irako. A young lady who can increase the morale of the ship-girls with equally excellent desserts as her senior. Is only available as an item card.
- Happy Holidays Dress: Likewise, she was also given a new portrait for the Christmas 2014 event.
- Suddenly Voiced: Same as Mamiya.
- Supreme Chef: Like Mamiya, her desserts are good enough to boost ship girls' morale.
Akashi (Repair ship)
Artist: Fujikawa
Voiced by: Risa Taneda
Click here to see her Kai form
- "I'm Repair ship Akashi. If you take a little damage, I can fix you up in the base. Just leave it to me!"
. Previously the shopkeeper NPC, she can now join your fleet and serve as a medic of sorts as well as a way to upgrade existing gear.- Ascended Extra: Used to be the shopkeeper until the game's first anniversary elevated her to a playable ship.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: Akashi's post marriage line when you poke her at the main screen."...Admiral, it wouldn't do you good if you don't go for maintenance, you know? I...will offer myself to be at your service, okay?"
- Happy Holidays Dress/Holiday Mode: Like Ooyodo, she gains a traditional furisode for New Years 2015.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall:1800. Do you want to eat out for dinner? Like the Yamato hotel, perhaps? just a joke, really.
- Martial Arts Headband: She gains one once remodeled.
- The Medic/The Engineer: Her role once she is in your fleet, as she can repair/heal your ships. Of course, since she is only support, she has poor combat abilities (which she even admits if you let her attack something) and paper-thin armor which means she is barely able to take a hit.
- When All You Have Is a Hammer…: Fixing things is pretty much all she knows how to do, so it's her go to solution whenever she's tasked with anything."Should I repair this?"
- Wrench Wench: She even gets a Secret Shop, Akashi's Improvement Arsenal (hidden behind the normal construction dock button and only accessible if she is the fleet's flagship) in which she can tinker with your equipment and make it stronger.
Akitsushima (Seaplane Tender)
Artist: Shizuma Yoshinori
Voiced by: Mikako Komatsu
- "I'm Seaplane Tender Akitsushima! Make sure to remember me along with this Taitei-chan, alright!"
, released in the Spring 2015 Event as a reward for clearing the sixth and final map.- Bragging Rights Reward: Since she's more or less ineffective outside of map 6-3, she's mostly viewed as a trophy for successfully clearing all six maps of the Spring 2015 event.
- Joke Character: She is borderline useless in every map outside of 6-3 and expeditions that require seaplane tenders. For reference, while Chitose, Chiyoda and Mizuho can carry midget subs and up to 24 seaplanes, Akitsushima can only carry 3 planes and doesn't even have a torpedo stat. And despite her H8K flying boats in real life having been decent long-range bombers, in-game they're for reconnaissance only.
- Non-Human Sidekick: Her Kawanishi H8K flying boat "Nishikitaitei-chan", which she refers it as "Taitei-chan".
- Oblivious to Love: Probably one of the worst offenders among the shipgirls, if her marriage line is of any indication:"Admiral, you called me here? I'm not giving you Taitei-chan if it's about her. Eh, that's not it? Ugh...this is... wow... it's beautiful... amaaazing... so, why are you giving it to me?"
- This Looks Like a Job for Aquaman: Map 6-3 is designed specifically around her. Its composition requires exactly one Seaplane Tender and has a special resource node that gives more resources if her unique Flying Boat is equipped.
- Even so, most players prefer to use an unremodeled (Seaplane Tender form) Chitose-class or Mizuho because of their superior combat strength.
- She gets it again during the Summer 2015 event, in which she allows for special routing through map E-5 and can get bonus resources using her unique flying boat. Unfortunately, the same route can be achieved with a much stronger fleet and the resources gained from taking her aren't worth bringing her along.
- This comes into play once more with the 'Emergency Anchorage Repair' mechanic introduced in Summer 2019- while the mechanic itself is often ignored, the ability to route onto Anchorage nodes is often advantageous, and with her ability to equip (small numbers of) seaplane fighters this makes her extremely valuable to secure a good route for the fleet while providing limited airpower.
- Transforming Mecha:
her artist has stated in his Twitter that Nishikitaitei-chan can (or has the potential to) transform into a humanoid mech. - Verbal Tic: "-kamo", this is shared with Takanami but she is less likely to be associated with ducks.
Mizuho (Seaplane Tender)
Artist: Akira
Voiced by: Shizuka Ishigami
- "Admiral, thank you for your hard work. Seaplane Tender Mizuho has now arrived. It is a pleasure to meet you."
, introduced in the Summer 2015 Event. She is soft-spoken, and often apologizes to the admiral for being slow.- Awesome, but Impractical: Just like the Chitose-class AV, except that she has better stats and can carry more seaplanes than the other.
- Feminine Women Can Cook: Her dress and manner of speech are gentle and feminine and many of her lines have her cooking for the admiral.
- Holiday Mode: For Autumn 2015, she was given a yukata with her distinctive colors. Later holiday events gave her different objects on top of her pedestal instead of a AA gun. For Valentines 2016, she forgoes the pedestal and simply holds a box of chocolate.
- Lazy Artist: Her artist making seasonal CGs by simply replacing the object on her pedestal and nothing else has become a Running Gag.
- Miko: Her uniform is stated as this. While she does finally gets an alternate sprite for Autumn 2016, it's part of a restaurant collaboration, so it's not permanent.
- Necessary Drawback: She can carry more seaplanes and has a very high Line of Sight compared to the Chitose-class. The post-event update further increases her already high LoS, but also reduces her speed to Slow since she was historically equipped with less powerful diesel engines instead of steam turbines.
- Non-Standard Character Design: She is the first playable ship girl drawn by the Abyssals' artist. This is because her Abyssal counterpart is a boss in the event that drops her.
Kamoi (Oiler/Seaplane Tender)
Artist: Akira
Voiced by: Asami Seto
Click here to see her Kai form
- "I'm Kamoi, an oil tanker. Yes, my name is derived from Cape Kamui, Hokkaido. I'll try my best, to work hard."
, introduced as a drop on the E3 map of the Spring 2017 Event.- Alternate Character Reading: The kanji 神威 can be pronounced as either "Kamoi" or "Kamui". "Kamoi" represents the original, pre-reform spelling.
- But Not Too Foreign: Her Ainu traits obscure the fact that she wasn't built in Japan. Only her library entry mentions where she was built: the United Statesnote , though this trait is significant enough that using her as flagship can result in being able to construct Saratoga from LSC note .
- Discard and Draw: While Kamoi's Bo remodel, which reverts her back into an oiler ship, features the best overall stats and some new perks like the ability to carry Large Flying Boats, she also loses her seaplane tender form's much larger aircraft capacity, reducing her ability to use airstrikes. Of course, all of this is an integration of her own history into gameplay.
- Gratuitous Foreign Language: A few of her lines are actually in the Ainu language. More precisely, "Hello"* and "Thank You"*.
- Ms. Fanservice: While not intentional, the skin her outfit showed has gotten artists' attention.
- Non-Standard Character Design: Few people expected that her design would be based on the Ainu and yet, it fits considering the basis of the event she first appeared in. This representation stems from the fact that her name is derived from Cape Kamui, which is located in Hokkaido where the Ainu people hail from. Also the third shipgirl the Abyssal artist, Akira worked on.
Hayasui (Replenishment Oiler)
Artist: Konishi
Voiced by: Iori Nomizu
- "Good morning! I'm Hayasui, an oiler equipped with seaplanes! I'll do my best to support everyone!"
, introduced in the Summer 2015 Event.Much like the other introduced auxiliaries, she provides a unique function not available to all the other ships: the ability to refuel during mid-sortie, under very specific circumstances. In her case, once the average fuel and ammunition of the fleet drops below 25%, she (temporarily, for that sortie only) resupplies them back to that level. Doing so however consumes a special item available only through a monthly quest or the cash shop.
- Awesome, but Impractical: Her ability to refuel during a sortie, on paper, would be a massive boon, particularly for maps with a massive number of nodes to pass through (see world 2-4). In practice? Not really as practical as it would seem, as Hayasui's massive fuel costs, a well as the fact that to even trigger her refuel ability requires not only a cash item, but some fudging with regards to resource averages (to the point where Admirals sortie her with half fuel just to get her to trigger her ability at all), and it's no wonder some players just don't bother using her. The developers have tried to alleviate the situation, however, by making the player manually able to trigger refueling before boss node, and make the required gear able to be acquired via monthly quest.
- Big Eater: She consumes a huge amount of fuel, on par with a Battleship.
- Feminine Women Can Cook: Many of Hayasui's hourly lines involve her preparing food.
- Glass Cannon: Compared to the rest of the auxiliary ships though, she can potentially hit very hard when equipped with torpedo bombers. Her survivability is more or less on par with all of the rest of the auxiliary ships though, which is pretty poor.
- Hidden Buxom: Seen on her damage art. She doesn't look particularly flat in her standard art, but her baggy track jacket doesn't accentuate her chest.
- Loophole Abuse: Similar to Akitsu Maru, admirals can use Hayasui and her torpedo bombers on certain event maps that don't allow the use of aircraft carriers since Hayasui is a fleet oiler.
- Master of None: Currently the only shipgirl that can deploy torpedo bombers and seaplanes at the same time. Along with that, she can still attack at Night Battle (using a gun of course) as well as do ASW. However being a support ship, she is not as good at any of those compared to the specialised girls.
- School Sport Uniform: What she wears under her track jacket.
Nisshin (Seaplane Tender)
Artist: bob
Voiced by: Yume Miyamoto
Click here to see her A form
- "Are you my admiral? Ahh, you have a fearless expression. I am seaplane carrier, Nisshin. Remember, I will be in your care."
, introduced in the Winter 2019 Event as the E-3 Reward.- Antiquated Linguistics: Surprisingly, despite her looks, this is downplayed! She actually uses a fairly thick and antiquated form of Hiroshima dialect which makes her sound old but not outright archaic. In fact, she's the only character from Kure (in Hiroshima Prefecture) out of many to appropriately use the dialect. The only other user, Urakaze, while a Kure resident, is Osaka-born.
- Born Unlucky: Starts off with 9 at base, 10 at both Kai and her A remodel.
- Foreshadowing: She was foreshadowed with the Type C Kouhyouteki fairy, which ended up being her look-alike.
- Master of All: The epitome of versatility. With her history as the IJN's most advanced AV, her stats certainly place her above the rest of her contemporaries with the highest firepower, torpedoes, anti-air, and second highest plane capacity for Seaplane Tenders. With the ability to launch opening torpedoes, recon planes for daytime artillery spotting, seaplane fighters/bombers, and equipping flying boats, Daihatsu landing crafts and medium caliber guns, she is undoubtedly the best tactical/offensive AV to date.
- Miko: Like the Kongou-class and the Fusou-class battleships, only in terms of aesthetics. In fact, with her outfit, she seems to vaguely invoke traditional depictions of Amaterasu, something her Abyssal counterpart exploits to the full extent.
Jingei (Submarine Tender)
Artist: Yuzu Akasaka
Voiced by: Yumi Tanibe
Click here to see her Kai form
- "I am the name ship of the Jingei-class submarine tenders, Jingei. Admiral, I am glad... to meet you. Let's do our best together!"
-class submarine tenders, is the personification of Japanese submarine tender Jingei, introduced in the Rainy-Summer 2020 Event as a drop in the E-2 map.- Clingy Jealous Girl: She doesn't like it when the Admiral gives other girls more attention than her. Fanworks often take this to Yandere levels.
- Face Death with Dignity: Her sunk line has her calmly noting that she dying before giving a farewell to the admiral.
- Supreme Chef: Going by her hourly lines, she knows how to cook quite a few dishes.
Chougei (Submarine Tender)
Artist: Yuzu Akasaka
Voiced by: Misuzu Yamada
Click here to see her Kai form
- "Admiral, I'm the 2nd ship of the Jingei-class submarine tenders, Chougei. You've been taking very good care of my elder sister. Yes! You can leave the submarines to me."
, introduced as a drop in the E-1 Map of the Summer 2021 Event.- Born Lucky: Surprisingly high, maxing out to 77 in her base form and 97 in Kai despite starting at an average 17 at base and 20 at Kai. She survived past the war, served in the Allied Reparation Service on transporing Japanese military and civilians back home for several months until her scrapping in 1947.
Souya (Survey Ship/Lighthouse Tender/Antarctic Research Vessel)
Artist: Shibafu
Voiced by: Yumi Tanibe
Click here to see her AGL form
Click here to see her AGB form
- "I'm the special operations ship, Souya. Admiral, it's an honour to meet you. I'm a non-combat ship, but... I'll do my best! Pleased to meet you!"
, introduced as a drop in the E-5 map of the Spring 2021 Event. She's the last remnant of the WWII-era IJN that is still afloat as of her introduction.- Born Lucky: Starts with 55 and ends at 77, which can then be maxed to 155, 30 points higher than Grecale, who was the previous record holder before her introduction. He luck stat is extremely warranted, too: Souya had multiple run-ins with Allied naval forces during the war and survived them all, including being seemingly struck by a dud torpedo and escaping the few aircraft attacks she was subject to (though she had to run aground for one of them). Even more remarkable, Souya survived the peace that followed the war as well, including a long career as an Antarctic research vessel before ending as an icebreaking coast guard ship, and finally retiring as a museum ship in 1979. As of the time of her introduction in 2021, Souya remains a museum ship, and is the last surviving vessel of the WWII-era Imperial Japanese Navy.Idle: That's right. I did surveys-in-force and landings at Saipan, Truk, Rabaul, and that fierce battle at the Solomon Islands. My home port was Yokosuka, but... I ended up going all over the place. Now that I think about it... It's probably a miracle that I made it back in one piece.
- Bragging Rights Reward: She's an event-exclusive ship with zero practical use.
- I Have Many Names: Alongside her prior two names of Volochaevets and Chiryō Maru, Souya's been also called "The Miraculous Ship," "White Princess of Lighthouses," "Santa Claus on the Sea," "Guardian of the Northern Sea," and "The Last of IJN Ship" over her long career.
- Joke Character: Souya is a non-combat ship in a combat-centered game. Her base form has a maximum Firepower of 9, maximum Anti-Air of 32, and maximum ASW of 32. And she loses all of those if she remodels.
- Living Museum Exhibit: The only one left from the WWII-era Japanese Navy.
- Power Up Letdown: Since her remodels represent her being reconfigured for civilian applications, Souya loses what little combat ability she has when she remodels.
- Sole Survivor: A Downplayed example. She's the last remaining WWII-era ship from Japan to still exist, having survived the war and still afloat as a museum. However, Souya's introduction into the game was both preceded and followed by several WWII-era museum ships from the United States Navy: Iowa, Intrepid, Massachusetts, and Drum.
- Utility Party Member: Perhaps more egregiously so than any other auxiliary vessels, in the sense that she literally can't carry any weaponry upon being remodeled and her firepower and AA stats are hard-locked to 0 from then on. She's classified as a Fleet Oiler because that's literally the only thing she can actually do that doesn't involve fighting among the ship classes (and she actually carried out such a duty during WWII).
No.101 Transport Ship (Amphibious Assault Ship)
Artist: Shibafu
Voiced by:
- "No.101 Transport Ship... Uhm, yeah. Maybe you'd get it if I said 2nd Class Transport Ship? I'm the 1st ship, No.101 Transport Ship! I was a rush job built during wartime but I can be pretty useful. Yup!"
-class landing ships used by both the IJN and IJA. She's introduced as the E-6 reward in the Early Spring 2023 Event.- Goroawase Number: Suggests that the Admiral uses "Momocchi" when referring to her, given how "No.101 Transport Ship" is a bit of a mouthful."Admiral... Hey, Admiral, are you busy? It's a bit difficult to keep calling me No.101 Transport Ship, isn't it? Since I'm 101, maybe '"Momocchi"' will work? My name I mean. Ah, Admiral, you were listening?"
Asahi (Training cruiser/Repair ship)
Artist: Yuzu Akasaka
Voiced by: Akesaka Satomi
Click here to see her Kai form
- "Admiral, good work. I am Asahi, a training special force officer. Yes, that's right. I was a battleship, Shikishima-class. No, that was a long time ago. Nice to meet you."
, introduced in the Summer 2023 Event as an E-2 map drop. She originally started as a pre-dreadnought, but was later converted to a coastal defense ship, then a submarine depot, and finally a repair ship during WWII.- Artistic License – History: While Aashi's introduction line mentions her having been once a Shikishima-class battleship before her conversion, retroactively she's technically a pre-dreadnought battleship and the Shikisma-class pre-dreadnought battleships preceded her (although part of her designs did follow the Shikishima-class).
- Born Lucky/Born Unlucky: An odd case; she has a pretty good starting luck of 17, but a pathetically low max luck of 33 at Kai (the same as Yamashio Maru, who lasted less than a month in service and never saw action). Presumably, this is because while she had a long and productive pre-WW2 career, including participating in the Russo-Japanese War, but didn't last long in WW2 itself before being torpedoed by USS Salmon, and by that time she was hopelessly obsolete for her role as a battleship.
- Older Than They Look: With her introduction, Asahi is the oldest ship of all introduced characters. note
- Shown Their Work:
- While Asahi originally started out as a pre-dreadnought battleship, she was converted to being a training ship in 1923 after being disarmed for Japan to comply with the 1922 Washington Naval Treaty, and then later into a repair ship in 1937.
- Her 21:00 line mentions about "that battle with Russia," referencing the Battle of Tsushima that had resulted in Japan's victory over Russia.Asahi: 2100... Is it that battle with Russia? Let's see... Now that I think about it, there was a part where I was a bit of a god, but... In the end, I won a great victory. When I think about it...
- Wrench Wench: In her repair ship configuration, although her attitude is more mellow compared to Akashi.
Heian Maru (Submarine Tender)
Artist: Yuzu Akasaka
Voiced by:
Click here to see her Kai form
- "My name is Heian Maru, and I am a Hikawa Maru-class ocean liner. Oh my apologies, I am now the remodeled, converted submarine tender, Heian Maru. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Admiral."
that was converted from one of the Hikawa Maru-class ocean liners. While her sister-ship Hikawa Maru was converted into a hospital ship and later became a museum ship berthed at Yamashita Park, Heian Maru would be attacked and sunk by US aircraft on February 18, 1944. She's introduced as a drop in the E-2 and E-3 Maps from the Early Spring 2024 Event.- Damn You, Muscle Memory!: Initially introduces herself as an ocean liner, and has to correct herself to submarine tender.
- Location Theme Naming: The Hikawa Maru-class liners were all named after famous Shinto shrines. In Heian Maru's case, it's the Heian Shrine in Kyoto.
- Oblivious to Love: Or flirting, at least. One of her lines has the Admiral point out something on her skirt... to which she promptly informs him that those are her torpedo holds and they probably shouldn't be messing with them. She's also initially oblivious to the Admiral's marriage proposal, though she catches on when she sees the ring.
- Shown Their Work:
- Her headpiece and dress matches the dazzle camouflage her historical counterpart was once painted in.
- She reminisces about the planned operation that the Early Spring 2024 event was based on, including how I-41's captain Itakura Mitsuma put the kibosh on it by pointing out some very obvious flaws in the tanks they were planning to use, along with telling a few funny anecdotes about Itakura himself, like the time he got drunk, tried to pee off the side of the submarine, and fell into the ocean.
Imperial Japanese Army Vessels
The Imperial Japanese Army never had a good relationship with its naval counterpart. While many armies more or less possess naval vessels to facilitate their operation, it is unlikely that anyone would exceed the level that the IJA had due to its rivalry with the navy, which was very reluctant and hesitant to provide any support to the former, from landings to transport to escort missions. As it became obvious that relying on the navy for protection was unlikely, and doing without one proved to have an extremely high fatality rate, the IJA decided to work around the problem by starting their own naval units.
The lack of know-how and the worsening war draining the remaining resources meant that most of them were barely sea-worthy. However, because of their upbringing, in-game they tend to have unique functions that no IJN ships can perform. The first batch of them were introduced in 24 December 2013 along with the Large Ship Construction features.
Imperial Japanese Army Vessels
Akitsu Maru (Landing Craft Carrier/Escort Carrier; Amphibious Assault Ship in-game)
Artist: Kuuro Kuro
Voiced by: Mamiko Noto
Click here to view her Kai art
- "My name is Akitsu Maru. It is an honour to be part of this fleet."
. Generally considered the world's first Amphibious Assault Ship, though in real life she never had an opportunity carry out an amphibious assault.- Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: Appeared as one with chalk-white skin in unimpressive grey clothes both before and after remodelling. However, she gained a bit more colour from accessories (and a black outfit) after remodeling and her remodeled form's damaged sprite reveals that she has normal-coloured skin, implying that the white skin could be due to make-up. It is speculated to be based on a combination of army camouflage and the grey colouring scheme that warships in the period used. Fanworks sometimes depict the Abyss Fleet mistaking her for one of their own because of this.
- Fanservice Pack: Gets noticeably bustier in her remodeled form, and the remodeled form's "damaged" illustration has some of the most extreme Clothing Damage in the game, with almost her entire shirt and bra destroyed.
- Lampshade Hanging: A few of her hourly lines are dedicated to how practically wasteful actually getting her through LSC is.Akitsu Maru: 1400. Such a large amount of resources!
Akitsu Maru: 1500. You could build a battleship with what you used for myself, yes?
Akitsu Maru: 1600. That was quite reckless Admiral. One such as I is specialized in amphibious operations. Now that you've spent so much I shall have to... what!? - Loophole Abuse: One of Akitsu Maru's major benefits is that an admiral can take her onto certain event maps that don't allow the use of conventional aircraft carriers. She doesn't count as an aircraft carrier, but since she's able to carry fighter aircraft she's often used in such maps to gain air superiority in battles.
- Paper Talisman: After remodeling, she gains a scroll as well as the ability to launch plane shikigami. Her style is closer to Buddhism compared to Ryuujou and the Hiyou-class' being in the Shinto onmyouji style (also by the same artist), given the Siddham writing all over her scroll and the prayer wheel in her right hand.
- Running Gag: in the 4koma, Akitsu Maru constantly tries to get her remodel in order to carry planes. She actually does remodel a couple of times, only to revert back to her base form by the end of the chapter. Lampshaded in a later chapter where Verniy, addressing the concern of her sister ships, tells them that she could become "black again" by learning from Akitsu Maru.
- This Looks Like a Job for Aquaman:
- Being the only ship who has a Daihatsu Landing Craft by default, she often helps in expeditions to make it more effective.
- Even when remodeled, many players often ignore Akitsumaru due to the fact that she can only carry green (or Combat Air Patrol) planes. However, two events in a row — Summer 2014 (Midway) and Fall 2014 (Operation Kon), whose real-world plans had amphibious landing components — have unusual branching requirements that make her useful on certain maps for providing extra fighter power while sending the fleet on a less random and less battle-intensive path. Events that followed (specifically for the finale of Summer 2015) practically required Akitsumaru to get safely routed to installation bosses.
- She also used to be a necessity for getting Air Superiority if you were using Transport Combined Fleet, due to the fact that CV/Ls are not allowed, and trying to use BBV, CAV, or AV to achieve AS tends to get the seaplane bombers heavily damaged, or wiped out, resulting in complete rank loss, since seaplane bombers participate in bombing and thus are affected by AA, while Akitsumaru's fighters aren't. However, starting from Spring 2017, the concept of actual escort carriers started appearing, beginning with Taiyou and then being implemented outside of the event zone with Zuihou's third remodel turning her into an escort carrier that outclasses Akitsu Maru in just about everything. While a shadow of her former self nowadays, she still gets a small niche in being able to equip Daihatsu-based equipment that Light Carriers cannot.
- Verbal Tic: ~ De arimasu, along with how she pronounced "2" (ni instead of futa) in her hourlies. Part and parcel of her militaristic formalities as it is based on Yamaguchi dialect from western Japan, where the IJA found its root and thus became its lingua franca.
Maruyu (Transport Submarine; simply Submarine in-game)
Artist: Kuuro Kuro
Voiced by: Mamiko Noto
- "Nice to meet you... Maruyu, reporting for duty. Huh? You haven’t heard about it? ...Oh no...!"
. She tries to do her best at everything she does, because she is conscious about the fact that all the other ships look down on her.- All of the Other Reindeer: Maruyu is not a well-respected boat. Surface ships avoid her because submarines are often their Trauma Button, and other subs avoid her either because she's IJA or because she was poorly designed and meant for transport instead of combat.
- Composite Character: Uniquely for a Kanmusu, she's not an individual ship, as dozens of Maruyu were operated during the war. She's not based off any individual one, though.
- Embarrassing Nickname: She is often called a "Mole" or a variant thereof (since she was used for mole runs, which were covert supply missions done with submarines). She doesn't like it all that much though.
- Friendless Background: Hinted through some of her lines. Likely due to the fact that, as an Army ship, all the other Kanmusu would look down on her (although in the 4-koma, they avoid her for a different reason, namely trauma from historically being sunk by submarines).
- Good Luck Charm: As the only shipgirl that can become "luck fodder", she's often seen as one, particularly for the Born Unlucky ships such as Fusou and Yamashiro.
- Not Completely Useless: As a transport submarine, her stats are abysmal, and she is the only ship (as of her introduction) not to have an equipment slot until remodel. However, as modernization material, she can boost a ship's luck, which no other ship currently can. For this reason, Maruyu as a luck boost is actually a desirable outcome of LSC over common battleships/carriers, since anyone experienced and conduct LSC would have abundance of them and have no option other than scrap/modernization on these battleships/carriers.
- Odd Friendship: With Kiso. According to her hourly lines, Kiso even teaches her to cook curry for herself. See Kiso's section for details.
- School Swimsuit: A white swimsuit with her name painted in red on her chest.
- Super Drowning Skills: For a submarine, her swimming skills are exceptionally poor. Both of her docking lines have her fail at taking a bath; if she has minor damage she'll float (a reference to the Maruyu having trouble diving during trials) and if she has major damage she'll nearly drown- a historical reference to a real Maruyu-class ship sinking during its ceremonial launch, of all things.Maruyu: Whew, I’m so tired... I’ll just go take a nice bath and... Huh? N-No! I keep on sinking!
- Verbal Tic: She has a tendency to say "Mogu-mogu", it's another reason why she is often referred to as a mole, as it can be short for 'mogura' (mole) or 'moguru' (submerge).
- Visual Pun: There is a yu hiragana on her swimsuit that is circled. "Circle" is translated as "maru" in Japanese. Ergo, "maruyu".
Shinshuu Maru (Landing Craft Carrier/Escort Carrier; Amphibious Assault Ship in-game)
Artist: Parsley
Voiced by: Megumi Toyoguchi
Click here to view her remodeled art
- "I'm the IJA landing craft carrier Shinshuu Maru. I was built with the capability to provide force projection through combined arms landings, and am the predecessor of full-fledged amphibious assault ships. Please leave the landing operations to me."
. She's introduced as the E-4 Map Reward in the Fall 2019 Event.- Artistic License – Ships: Despite having an aircraft stat, she never loaded any operational planes historically as the catapult she was once equipped with was removed some time before completion.
- Girlish Pigtails: They poke out of her hood.
- I Have Many Names: Lists the multiple nicknames she's had in her career, including but not limited to R1note , GLnote and MTnote .
- In the Hood: Her most distinctive trait is her hood. As the first ship of her kind, featuring many innovative features, she was shrouded by a veil of secrecy throughout her existence due to her capabilities. The hood serves to symbolize this veil of secrecy.
Yamashio Maru (Escort Carrier/Fleet Oiler)
Artist: Sakana Umihara
Voiced by: Misato Matsuoka
- "I'm Yamashio Maru. I was planned to be a wartime large-scale tanker but was completed as a Special 2TL-class custom convoy carrier. Sir Admiral, I hope that... you can... put me to good use."
-class escort carriers, is the personification of Japanese escort carrier/fleet oiler Yamashio Maru, introduced as the reward for the E-3 Map of the Winter 2022 Event.- Born Unlucky: Quite low, starting with 3 at base and 7 at Kai, only maxing out to 33 at base and 47 at Kai. It's mostly that she was only commissioned on 27 January 1945 before being sunk at Yokohoma later on 17 February 1945. The only ship unluckier than her is Taihou, whose crew managed to bungle damage control so badly they lost their ship to a single torpedo, despite being an armored carrier. Even Mutsu, whose construction required the Japanese to allow the British and Americans to build two battleships each, and who proceeded to blow up in dock without seeing major action, and Graf Zeppelin, which was never even completed, are a little luckier than Yamashio Maru.
- Face Death with Dignity: She's just happy to be sunk on the high seas instead of in harbor.Yamashio Maru (Sunk): I-I'm... not sinking at Yokohama harbor this time... but to the bottom... of the sea... Isn't... isn't that... right...
- Heroic Self-Deprecation: Doesn't have that high an opinion of herself on account of not getting to do all that much in the war, and occasionally asks the Admiral if they're sure they want to sortie her.Yamashio Maru (Secretary 1): You'll consider... letting me participate in shelling? That makes me very happy.
Yamashio Maru (Secretary 3): I'm a ship that can do transport missions and escort the convoy at the same time. I'm useful aren't I? But I can't quite do both well because I can't go very fast. Land based aviation... might be a better option. I'd like to contribute though... - Shown Their Work: Her 09:00 and 10:00 hourlies mentions Minato Mirai that was the central business district of Yokohoma, as well her anchor that was apparently discovered during construction of the Minato Mirai center building and now on display near the Minatomirai Station.Yamashio Maru: Sir Admiral, it is 0900. Yokohama... Minato Mirai? That sounds kind of familiar... Minatomirai... I wonder what that name means.
Yamashio Maru: Sir Admiral, it is 1000. My... anchor? Ah, yes! It's right here... Huh? Why is it over there? ...Wh-wha?
Kumano Maru (Landing Craft Carrier; Amphibious Assault Ship in-game)
Artist: Sakana Umihara
Voiced By:Aira Iryou
Click here to view her Kai art
- "I'm the Imperial Japanese Army's special ship, the landing craft carrier Kumano Maru. So you're the Admiral? I see. Oh yes, I shall call you Commander. Is that fine?"
, introduced as the E-3 reward for the Early Spring 2023 Event. She's eager to get in on the action she never historically saw.- Blood Knight: She's often chomping at the bit to get to fight Abyssals and prove herself in combat, especially in her hourlies.Kumano Maru (Battle start): Enemy ships! Perfect. Battle stations! Don't let any get away!
Kumano Maru (Night battle): A night raid? Not a bad idea. Come on, let's go! - Born Lucky: Downplayed. She has above average luck on account of surviving the war... at the cost of never actually doing anything in it, which is why she has nowhere near the luck of fellow survivors like Yukikaze and Souya.
- Face Death with Dignity: If she's sunk, she's just glad she was able to actually fight this time.Kumano Maru (Sunk): I'm... sinking? ...Well, at least I managed to fight first this time... Not bad... Not bad at a—...
- Fish out of Water: A few of her lines show that she's more comfortable as part of the IJA than the IJN, since she's an army ship. She mostly interacts with her fellow IJA shipgirls, and calls the player 'Commander', an army term, instead of 'Admiral'.Kumano Maru: 1900. Wow, this is a good spread. White rice and were these side dishes made by Yamashio Maru? You'll make a great restaurant owner. Well then, let's dig in. Shinshuu Maru, Akitsu Maru, Yamashio Maru, Maruyu, Admiral, cheers! Aaaah! That was good.
- The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: And right annoyed about it, too. Historically, Kumano Maru never saw action as she was completed just as the war was ending. Her shipgirl version is eager to avert the trope under the Admiral.Kumano Maru (Secretary 2): That's right. I have some use on the front.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: Red-eyed, and eager for a fight.
- Signature Headgear: Her cap. While she loses it in Kai, it's a dead giveaway that Remodeled Wartime Cargo Princess is her.
Event-exclusive ships
The Fleet of Fog note
During the Fall 2013 season, the anime Arpeggio of Blue Steel aired, coinciding with much of Kantai Collection's rapid rise in popularity and recognition. Naturally, a collaboration between the two franchises was inevitable. It started with a few endcards in the anime with some Arpeggio ships paired with their KanColle counterparts, and culminated in a crossover event in the KanColle game running from 24 December 2013 to 8 January 2014. During this time, certain ships from the Fleet of Fog were usable as temporary allied units, which were removed when the event ended.
All ships of the Fleet of Fog retained their anime voices, had hourly lines, and could not be remodelled. The ship library did not include them either. They also retained their personalities, and a number of their lines were references to the anime (although there was no mention of Gunzou).
For the tropes depicting the Fleet of Fog in the Arpeggio anime, please see here.
- Big Eater: In fanon, considering the massive amounts of resources required to resupply and repair them, even more so than the likes of Yamato and Musashi (although that's only because they're used a lot more frequently; the Yamato-class ships actually cost more to fully repair or resupply). Commonly attributed to the nanomaterials.
- Born Lucky: At least, they get higher starting luck than their KanColle counterparts, but their maximum luck is lower as well (except for Iona). In particular, Iona's starting luck was 50, which was equal to Yukikaze's. Then again, it capped at a relatively average level (59) if you fed her with Maruyu (not that you'd be likely to).
- Guest-Star Party Member: At least they averted So Long, and Thanks for All the Gear.
- Lightning Bruiser: With the exception of Anti-Air and Evasion for Takao and Haruna, all of them had much higher stats than their KanColle counterparts (including a longer range), and all had a listed speed of Fast. Iona is a particular case, because as a submarine the damage she took was already naturally reduced, and all the KanColle submarines (including her KanColle counterpart, I-401) have a listed speed of Slow, and nowhere near the giant HP pool (by submarine standards) that she had.
- Necessary Drawback: Their soft stats note never increased regardless of level. For Takao and Haruna, they also had the Graviton Cannon in exchange for reduced Anti-Air and evasion. Takao also got only 3 equipment slots (a remodelled heavy cruiser has 4). These, coupled with their high consumption, are pretty much the only drawbacks they have. In addition, when it came to recon seaplanes, their slot size was 0. This did not affect much when they were around (in fact Iona was missing her aircraft complement anyway), but if they were in the game now, they would be unable to conduct artillery spotting.
- No-Sell: The Klein Field, at least in theory. In practice, they were just fancy miss animations. And unlike the anime where the Klein Fields were all of different colours, every Fog ship's Klein Field in the game (both enemies and allies) was pink.
- Target Spotter: Again, they all started with high Line of Sight, far exceeding that of equivalent ship classes in KanColle (except for the Tone-class heavy cruisers' LOS beating Fog Takao's, and even then only at high levels).
- Wave-Motion Gun: Except Iona.
The Fleet of Fog
Iona
- "Submarine I-401, Iona. Crash dive~"
- Catchphrase: Crash dive~ (急速せんこ～, Kyuusoku senko~). Contrast the anime, where she said the line only once (in episode 1), and nowhere in the same cutesy tone as in here.
- Flight, Strength, Heart: So Iona had a high Torpedo stat, high Armor, high Luck, high Line of Sight, fast Speed, high HP, some Anti-Air... wait, what was she doing with long Range and high Firepower, again? note
- Hates Being Alone: Her idle line.Iona: Where are you, Admiral? I don't want to go back to that dark dock. I hate being alone.
- Lampshade Hanging: Poking her would make her lampshade the rarity of Submarines (although with 1-5 coming out some time after the Arpeggio event ended, this may no longer be the case).Iona: Are submarines that rare for you, Admiral? When it's just the two of us, why do you want to look at my stomach?
- Sorry That I'm Dying: If she got sunk, although you really had to be trying for it to happen.Iona: Sorry... I wanted to fight with you to the very end, but I can't surface anymore... Farewell, Admiral.
Takao
- "Heavy Cruiser Takao, launching! All those who would call me the 'Tsundere Heavy Crusier', get out of here now!"
- Cannot Spit It Out: One of her hourly lines.Takao: "Erm.. Admiral? If you're going to take a siesta you can use my... my... la... It's too embarrassing to say!" note
- Determinator: Her line when heavily damaged.Takao: "Love... will never sink!"
- Tsundere: Natch, with a classic tsundere line to boot. She even knew of her fame as the "Tsundere Heavy Cruiser", as shown in her introductory line and the quest to find her.Takao: Don't misunderstand me! It's not like I'm fighting for you or anything!
- Weaksauce Weakness: Her E-1 boss form couldn't touch subs so the easy way to beat her was to just send subs against her.
Haruna
- "Battleship Haruna.... is here."
- Badass Longcoat: As in the anime. Interestingly enough, getting heavily damaged would make her lose her coat, although repairing her somehow let her get it back.
- The Stoic: Most of the time.
