Karin Yuuki (結城夏凛 Yūki Karin?), former name Isht Karin Orte (イシュト・カリン・オーテ Ishuto Karin Ōte?), is also known as the "Saintess of Steel". She is an immortal and a member of UQ Holder, numbered 4.
Appearance
Karin has short black hair and black eyes. When on missions she wears a school uniform, but when seen outside of battle, she wears a maid outfit. She has a developed, toned body and has a tattoo in the back with the roman numeral "XIII" under a star in between what appears to be wings. Karin is usually seen with a long hammer and a sword placed horizontally across her lower back.
Personality
Karin is shown to be somewhat hard to read. She keeps a poker face wherever or whoever she meets. She harbors strong admiration for Evangeline, and distaste for Touta. However, she has shown to have a softer side, as she hid her tears from a girl, or at that moment smiled warmly at her. She also felt some regret about Sayoko's fate, as if she had found her eight years ago she could have prevented her mind from deteriorating to the extent that it did.
She also has a detest for perverts. That, and she has a nasty habit of deciding other people's futures, such as for example, she suggested Tota stay a chef for his eternal life, and Kuromaru to choose the path of becoming a woman when he reaches sixteen.
Story
UQ Holder Arc
Karin meets Touta
Karin appears for the first time at the base of UQ Holder as soon as Yukihime arrives, along with Touta and Kuroumaru. When Touta attempts to greet her, Karin stares at him with a cold expression, just to turn away afterwards.[1] Later, when Touta and Kuroumaru are about to undergo the test, Karin is the one to use her hammer and knock the two into the underground.[2] Karin then, while wearing a maid's outfit, questions the identity of Touta and Kuroumaru, but after hearing the story, Karin is not amused to hear Yukihime's words about Touta's immortality and her own being the best, claiming that she is ready to 'sever this destiny'.[3]
Karin is then shown thinking about how Touta having lived with Yukihime is unforgivable, but then recalls that Touta is also an immortal, while scaring a bunch of kids by unintentionally destroying their ball. After a short discussion with Ikkuu Ameya, they witness the arrival of Touta and Kuroumaru from underground, however, Karin proceeds to hit the former with her hammer, much to Touta's annoyance, who begins fighting her. However, their quarrel is stopped by Gengorou Makabe.[4]
First Mission arc
Karin defeats the attacker
When Touta receives his first job from Vasago, Karin is to accompany him along with Kuroumaru. She enters their room just to find a naked Kuroumaru and after Karin states that she clearly saw everything, Kuroumaru begs her not to tell Touta about this. The trio then heads to the slums to help children in danger. While on their way, Karin explains the existence of the slums and how UQ Holder protects people who are rejected by others. After arriving, Touta attacks the UQ Holder bodyguards, mistaking them for enemies, for which Karin calls him an idiot.[5]
After noticing Touta's child-like behavior, Karin briefly talks to Kuroumaru about the slum and its problems. They then watch the everyday life of the children and nuns, until a Demolition Man appears, attempting to attack the children. Karin and Touta briefly argue about who should defeat him. Eventually, Karin lands a hit with her hammer, however, her enemy returns the favor. Unbeknownst to him, his attack has no effect and Karin appears unharmed, effortlessly striking the man down with her sword.[6]
Later on she's attacked by a shadow-user and then gets sent to the moon by Nagumo and has to make her way back.
Imprison Fate arc
Returning from the Moon, she goes to attack Fate with the others only to be held back by a contractor of Ala Alba and then support Kirie until the petrification spell wore off. She then returned to the past with them and asked Fate if Yukihime loved Negi, essentially wasting the question.
Investigation arc
Karin provides more information
Karin appears to join Touta, Kuroumaru and Ikkuu on their job to investigate a dangerous immortal. They are to infiltrate a private boarding school as students in order to reach their target. In order to "protect her relationship with Yukihime", Karin switches Kuroumaru's uniform to a girl one, much to his protests and Touta's amusement. They soon arrive at the Amano-Mihashira Academy City, not knowing that they are being watched by a mysterious boy.[7] Later, Karin joins Touta and others during the lunch break. She reveals that she used to attend this school due to a similar mission and insist that they stop the killer this time. That is when Michiel and one more student approaches them, belittling them for being non-wielders. Karin steps in, questioning such rule and then watches as Touta challenges Michiel to a duel.[8]
After Sayoko gives them information on Santa that leads to them believing he's the killer, she prepares to attack only to relent to think over facts once informed that he couldn't be responsible because of the dates. Sayoko then ambushes her and buries her 1000 meters below the ground, and she was only freed in time to return to the past and handle the paperwork report.
Relationships
UQ Holder
Yukihime
Karin is fiercely loyal to Yukihime and works under her as a member of UQ Holder. Her devotion and loyalty towards her is so great that she intially disliked Touta Konoe simply because he was close to her and has actually tried to get rid of him. One may wonder if Karin holds any romantic affection towards Yukihime as during the group's encounter with Fate Averruncus, she asked him who loved Touta's Grandfather the most between him and Yukihime as she was curious. Naturally, this earned her a reprimand from Yukihime.
Touta Konoe
Despite her initial (and present) dislike of him due to Touta's relationship with Yukihime, she seems to tolerate him enough to work with him whenever they're paired up together on a mission. She seems to get irritated at Touta's lack of discipline and is constantly berating him for his reckless actions. Though, Karin has been shown to be impressed with Touta's strength on occasion, showing that she has gained some form of respect for him. She even admitted that his strength and willpower to resist Sayoko's power from being zombified was rather impressive, saying that he and Santa had saved them. When Touta stated he was going to leave UQ Holder for a while after Evangeline ordered him to stay at UQ Holder HQ, she seemed delighted to help him and possibly encouraged him not to come back.
Kuroumaru Tokisaka
Even though they engaged each other in a short battle during their initial meeting, Karin and Kuroumaru can call each other comrades and have a much calmer friendship than she has with Touta. Karin even wanted Kuroumaru to become a female when has to choose between the two genders (as dictated by his tribe) so that he could be together with Touta (which would solidify her relationship with Yukihime).
Ikkuu Ameya
She is on friendly terms with Ikkuu and values his abilities in battle.
Abilities
Karin is a skilled combatant and possesses arguably the strongest form of immortality, making her one of the strongest Numbers.
Immortality:
Karin's immortality is a "Divine-Curse of Inviolability" and is ranked at "Immortality Level: S" [9] which is the highest level seen in the series. She is "not permitted to die or get hurt" no matter what the circumstances, meaning she can be teleported to outer-space or buried beneath the earth and she will survive without the need to eat or breathe. However, she can still feel pain. It was later revealed that her immortality wasn't done as a malevolent curse, but rather, an act of love.[10] It's theorized that even when the human race is gone she'll be around. According to Karin, her immortality is actually a punishment from God for betraying someone she believed in even more than Yukihime.[11]
Combat Techniques
- Shundō (Instant Movement) - A movement technique that allows the user to move faster than the eye can follow. This is used by concentrating ki or magic power into the feet to get from point A to point B in the least amount of steps. It's important that when going from point A to point B that you hold to the ground with the inside of your feet or you will simply trip.
- Swordsmanship: Karin appears to be well skilled with swords, as well as having skills in using her hammer weapon.
- Nimbus Holy Light: Karin shrouds herself in an aura of light magic, capable of banishing certain classes of spells.
- Holy Fist: Her curse is divine in nature, allowing her to use it as a source of power. Channeling it into her fist, she becomes capable of an empowered punch capable of sending a skilled combatant flying.
- Purification Techniques: She possesses techniques meant to deal with spirit-based enemies, such as wraiths.
- Purification Fist: Charging her fist, she can use it to damage wraiths and spirits.
- Purification Blade: Charging her sword to shroud it in an aura meant to purify, it is meant to damage wraiths and spirits.
Battles
| Opponent | Result |
|---|---|
| Karin vs Touta | Interrupted |
| Karin and Touta vs Demolition man | Won |
| Karin vs Chao Xinzqai | Won |
|
Karin vs Nagumo |
Interrupted |
|
Karin vs Shaba |
Interrupted |
| Karin vs. Sayoko | Loss |
| Karin, Touta, Kuroumaru, Santa, Yukihime & Fate VS Mage of the Beginning, Negi Springfield, Albireo Imma, Jack Rakan, Yue Ayase, Nodoka Miyazaki & Cutlass | Incomplete |
Trivia
- Her past life is likely a reference to Judas Iscariot and Jesus Christ.[12]
- Her former name, Isht Karin Orte, sounds similar to the japanese pronunciation of Iscariot, giving further reference.
- Karin has been given the unofficial title of "Useless Sempai" in the series as despite how powerful her immortally and skills are, she seems to end up in situations where she is the most useless to the others.
References
- ↑ UQ Holder! Manga: Chapter 7, Page 8
- ↑ UQ Holder! Manga: Chapter 7, Page 10
- ↑ UQ Holder! Manga: Chapter 10, Pages 1-2
- ↑ UQ Holder! Manga: Chapter 11, Pages 4-11
- ↑ UQ Holder! Manga: Chapter 12, Pages 8-16
- ↑ UQ Holder! Manga: Chapter 13, Pages 1-15
- ↑ UQ Holder! Manga: Chapter 43
- ↑ UQ Holder! Manga: Chapter 44
- ↑ Chapter 45: Page 13
- ↑ UQ Holder! Manga: Chapter 14, Page 13
- ↑ Chapter 109: Page 10
- ↑ Chapter 109: Page 10