Kyo is a handsome and athletic teenage boy with a tall, well-built physique that draws attention from many girls at school. He has bright orange hair with soft spikes and cowlicks, and sharp orange eyes that sometimes appear slit-like.

He typically wears the Kaibara High male uniform, though he keeps it unbuttoned and without a tie since he dislikes tight clothing. Outside of school, Kyo prefers loose-fitting shirts, often in shades of red, orange, or yellow. He is also recognized by the Juzu beads on his left wrist, colored red and white (black and white in the 2001 adaptation).

Tohru Honda is an exceptionally kind, gentle, and optimistic girl who always sees the good in others and helps them without expecting anything in return. Despite enduring great loss and hardship, losing both parents and living in a tent, she remains selfless, cheerful, and hardworking. Her nurturing and empathetic nature draws people to her, allowing her to bring comfort and healing to those around her, especially the cursed Sohma family.

As the Cat of the Zodiac, Kyo was shunned and treated as an outcast among the Sohmas. Whenever he played outside, he was always alone. One day, he met Kagura Sohma, who approached him out of pity after realizing her own situation was easier compared to his. Believing her kindness to be genuine, Kyo happily accepted her friendship.

However, when Kagura forced Kyo’s bracelet off and saw his true form, she was terrified and ran away. After that incident, they began avoiding each other, and Kyo’s mother became even more protective, tightening the isolation that defined his early life.

Kyo had a lonely and confined childhood, rarely allowed outside by his overprotective mother, who feared others discovering his true form. Though she constantly checked his Juzu beads and showered him with affection, Kyo sensed that her love was rooted in fear rather than genuine warmth.

Grieving and lost, Kyoko fell into depression and even attempted suicide, leaving Tohru feeling abandoned. Believing she could win her mother back by becoming like her late father, Tohru began mimicking his polite speech. Kyoko eventually returned home after realizing Tohru still needed her, and from then on, they became deeply close.

Kyoko’s love and wisdom shaped Tohru’s kind and optimistic nature. Tohru adored her mother’s bedtime stories, especially the tale of the Zodiac Cat, for whom she felt deep sympathy, wishing she could have been born in its year.

At school, Tohru was often bullied and excluded, once being called a “rice ball” during the “Fruits Basket” game, symbolizing her feelings of not belonging. Despite this, she remained hopeful and continued to see the best in people.

• The nameKyomeaning “to squeeze/wedge in between”, 夾 (kyō).His status of being the cat of the zodiac as well as representing his wish to find a place inside the Zodiac circle.