Differences in Vampire Knight anime + manga

This review is based on the 'title'. These are my thoughts and opinions. This post is Highly DANGEROUS and infectious! Its updated with the latest gossip~ It took a lot of effort to write this, I appreciate your comments when you have had a look at it :)

The voice actors/actress of Vampire Knight really suit the style of characters that the author is trying to convey in the manga. The person who does Zero is really versatile too...especially when much is demanded of Zero's character.

With the anime in actual fact, it is enhanced with the mystery of music whereas manga uses definitive shading and angles to convey the storyline and to depict the characters' moods effectively. There are pros and cons to using colour or just black and white.


Colours are more visible and it is easier for us to distinguish objects clearly since we can see colour. However, with the manga using black/white/grey shades, the use of angles to enhance the setting is needed to create a more dramatic atmosphere and sometimes, it can confuse the brain. That was how I felt....which was why I decided to watch the anime because I sometimes cannot tell the difference between Hanabusa Aidou and Akatsuki Cain (plus they use different names at times and its not clear to who is speaking to whom..so that confuses me even more).

MAJOR major Spoilers!!!! Do not reveal if you haven't seen the full anime series or that you have not read up to Chapter 51 of VK manga, you are warned~ As far as I am concerned, I am pretty sure that Chap 45 of VK manga is released before the last episode of Vampire Knight Guilty is made. However, the last 2 episodes of Guilty is actually made up by the producers/directors. Things that I will share are the final battle, love relationships, Kaien Cross, Bloody rose etc.


1. Image differences
I personally like the drawings of the 3 main characters in the 1st chapter of the manga. Now that I look back, they are actually pretty young. As the manga goes on, their looks have changed~ It becomes really nice! As mentioned before, the use of colour can lack depth of emotions, so the reliance of voices and music will help to filter out those aspects.

1st chapter manga drawing. L-R: Zero & Yuuki, Kaname.

Vampire Knight imagery - click to enlarge

Vampire Knight Guity Counterparts

Not much has changed between Vampire Knight anime and Guilty. But at least in the manga, the looks of the characters have somewhat matured. I really like Zero's look though....those lilac eyes...For some strange reason, Kaname doesn't look at all like what is portrayed in the manga. His eyes pierces in the manga...but in the anime...its so cloudy and you have no idea what he is thinking.

2. The Promise
Between Kaname and Yuuki, the promise of sealing a rose that blooms every 10 years in resin was suddenly remembered by Yuuki. Although in the anime, she had a restoration of those memories but what happened after that was not shown. I reckon the manga's story line was much better where she had to reassure Kaname that she will return back into his arms and both are set out to do what is supposed to be done. This scene happened before Kaname set off to kill the vampire council without telling Yuuki and she went off to deal with Rido by herself.

Look at the distance between the 2! Its shocking in the anime! A lot of apologies and a lot of grief....and no reassurances.

3. Kaien Cross

He confronted the president of the Hunter's association in the manga in front of many hunters as witnesses by using the anti-vampire blade to pierce through the flesh. Although in the manga, it was a pureblood's (unknown) that the president took in exchange for an ambiguous and "inconclusive" reason. Perhaps the author will explore this further into the manga.

In the anime, it was Ichiou who had killed the president and it was concluded that the president wanted the vampire blood for eternal beauty in exchange for being under Ichiou's collaborative agreements.

In the anime, he protected the school and fought against the Level E vampires. Something which he is not responsible for in the manga. I thought it was pretty heroic. I guess the director just wanted to show the 'legendary hunter' side of our beloved Cross principal hehe.

4. Rido Kuran's appearance

Bah! People throwing themselves onto Rido giving themselves up as food in the anime was just silly. I mean was it the council's doing to allow humans that want to waste their lives away to be pet food for Rido??? But Rido was the one chasing after vampires in the manga....including the attempt to control Aidou to come to him and devour him.

5. The Battle
The battle between Rido, Yuuki and Zero has exchanged many epic moments.

I wonder why the directors of the anime decided to cut it short with a lot of action in the anime among the noble vampires, even though the manga showed nothing of that sort except Aidou having a go at Rido but was pushed off the roof by Yuuki. Plus Bloody Rose was way more powerful than that!!! Ah...too tired to talk about this...I am sure you know this whole scene was a mess.

Yuuki actually wounded Rido through the heart with the scythe and Zero did the finishing blow in the manga. In the anime, Zero completely eliminated Rido with the Bloody Rose.

6. Bloody Rose

Is the pureblood in Zero's body acting out of its own will and it takes on the form of vines along with the combined powers of the gun? But on the other hand, because Zero is a vampire hunter, he is also able to wield the anti-vampire weapon? In that case, Bloody Rose is similar to how Yuuki's artemis has evolved into a scythe. But why is it that in the anime it still goes out of control even though he had taken back the power from Ichiru??




Zero had better control of Bloody Rose in the manga though and it was much more powerful...except for the fact that Bloody Rose can act out of its own will by drinking Zero's blood.

When Yuuki removed Bloody rose from Zero's hands, I think that the blood within Zero may have started to become toxic within him instead...much like the Hunter's association president. It acted against its master's will.

The use of Bloody Rose in the anime...so weak!!

7. Zero and Yuuki's emotions

In the anime, Zero refused to believe that Yuuki is a vampire. If she is, then she will drink his blood. That was what she did; and she got to know about his feelings for her. Because of this, Zero acknowledged that she is a vampire for she drank blood. LAME LAME LAME!!!!! Manga: she did not drink his blood!!


The next time Zero and Yuuki meet again, Zero will kill her. In the anime, she said she will "I will wait for you". It was a dire moment and to say..."I will wait"....its just not enough!!!


Sorry...the manga depicted it so much better - "I will keep on running away, so that you will have a reason to live..by having enemies to go after".

In that sense, Yuuki still holds the same feelings when she first gave Zero her blood in order to provide a purpose for him to live even though the act of doing so is unforgivable (plus the promise that she made with him - to kill him if he ever goes crazy - that was how strong the bond was between the 2). From Zero's point of view and belief that he will hunt down vampires no matter what (now that Yuuki became a vampire), she altered her promise but still retained the purpose and 'gave him a reason to live'. I thought that was really powerful compared to the lame 'waiting' and the acknowledgement in the anime.


He finally gives in to her blood once more because of his love for her. The kiss scene!! Whoo! And what happened in the anime?? The opposite....Yuuki drank off Zero instead and she understood his feelings. How shallow...and the kiss was not shared between the 2! You crazy??! The famous scene...is not present. I am pretty sure that this manga chapter was already out before the final episode of Vampire Knight Guilty was completed, or else the outcome wouldn't have been sooo similar.

8. Yuuki's declaration of love - not shown in the anime, I will just talk more about what happened with the manga.

She has been strongly and willfully protecting Zero by making sure that he doesn't reduce to a Level E vampire. I am sure that many readers feel that she can hold her own fort, I did. But because its taboo to give a vampire your blood to make sure that he stays alive, let alone keeping it a secret, Yuuki knows that it is unforgivable. (What can you do though?! She doesn't want Zero to die).

At the time that Kaname and Yuuki are running away from the vampire society because Kaname killed off the vampire council, she suddenly declared that she will fall to the depths of hell with Kaname and wants to be branded as sinful as well...

I was thinking hang on...she was a super strong female model and now she wants to plunge into the depths of hell with the person she loves...doesn't that phrase strike you as odd?

Then...Yuuki claims that she cannot be fully satisfied with just Kaname's blood but part of it is still with Zero in chap 51! The author spun and twisted the storyline to create more drama between the 3 main characters. So now Yuuki loves Zero....but she wants to be with Kaname forever....(I think Zero can now live on forever too having absorbed his twin brother and the blood of Kuran and Shizuka's - making him the most powerful ally but now rival/enemy). SO WHAT NOW?? In the anime, she already drank his blood!! So now...the intensity of her 'thirst' cannot be conveyed as well in the manga for she had not drunk it. Or maybe, she had a taste, and wants a lot more...haha

Anyway, enough of my babbling mouth...I will let you do the talking if you had something you agree with, disagree with or is just as confused as I am~

Scan credits goes to onemanga Thank you!