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Cross Academy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorm, they cross paths with the Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, protecting the Day Class from the Academy's dark secret: the Night Class is full of vampires!

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 5, 2008

92 people are currently reading
5260 people want to read

About the author

Matsuri Hino

98 books1,702 followers
Name in Japanese: 樋野 まつり

Matsuri Hino was born on January 24 in Hokkaido. She was a bookshop keeper who one day decided to become a manga artist, and all of nine months later, in 1995, she published her first manga title, Kono Yume ga Sametara (When This Dream Is Over), in Japan's LaLa DX magazine.

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5 stars
11,416 (59%)
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3,974 (20%)
3 stars
2,628 (13%)
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429 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews
Profile Image for Mikky.
979 reviews276 followers
July 25, 2021
I wish I may I wish I might
forget this one damn plot line.




I’d also like to mention how confusing the action sequences were. The drawings were very vague and jumped around to different characters quite a bit. It was much less impactful than it was intended to be because I was floundering for 70%+ of it. This was also the first volume in this series so far that felt very rushed.
Profile Image for Briar's Reviews.
2,316 reviews579 followers
May 17, 2020
Vampire Knight Volume 9 continues the epic plot from the previous volumes and ramps it up!

Things are getting messier for the Night and Day class. It seems that a war is on, and brutal secrets are being revealed. Relationships will be tested in this volume, as many friends are reunited and drama is going down. Rido Kuran, Ichiru and more characters are being tested...

There's still a lot of volumes left, so I'm curious to see what's going to happen. This series keeps getting more intense and is honestly surprising me with the plot twists it takes. I haven't seen half of this coming!

Three out of five stars.
Profile Image for Katherine.
786 reviews
September 14, 2010
This series has gotten weird and all the supporting characters look alike. After nine volumes, I have no idea who most of the people in the character list at the back of the book are.
Profile Image for Alison (AlisonCanRead).
513 reviews2 followers
March 20, 2011
I'm not sure how I feel about where Vampire Knight is going. Volume 9 exemplifies my ambivalence. It is a rollicking adventure. Rido Kuran, Kaname and Yuki's uncle has been awakened from a deep sleep. He was in love with Kaname and Yuki's mother and killed their father. He is now intent on killing Yuki.

Zero has been imprisoned. His brother Ichiru visits him and shoots him with the vampire-killing gun, but it doesn't kill Zero. It turns out that Ichiru is dying and Zero devours his twin to increase his own powers. This sounds really twisted and disgusting, but it actually makes sense with the vampire hunter mythology. Twins of vampire hunters usually devour themselves in the womb and only one child is born. Zero partially devoured Ichiru in the womb, so he was born as a sickly, weak child. Now Ichiru encourages Zero to finish what he once (unconsciously) started.

The Academy is in chaos with Rido's awakening. Evil vampires are popping up out of the woodwork and scaring the day students. The Night students are now protecting the Day students. Headmaster Cross was once a great vampire hunter. Yet he now insists that not all vampires are bad nor should they be killed. He is protecting his school.

Finally, you have the big battles: between Yuki, Zero, and Rido and between Kaname and the Senate. It's all very dramatic.

My problem with this volume and the way the series is going is that it's become so complex. There are so many characters who look so much alike that it's hard to tell what's going on. I had to read the summary in Volume 10 and read Volume 9 twice to really understand what happened. I also still find the fact that Yuki and Kaname are both lovers and siblings rather uncomfortable. I'm curious to see where Vampire Knight goes, but I'm not enjoying it quite as much.
Profile Image for Beth.
1,436 reviews199 followers
August 28, 2020
Yuki and Zero's new superpowers are cool and visually striking. The way that Zero obtained his is in keeping with the rest of the lore in this series, where life force and even identity can be moved around from person to person. Though it's hard not to think that Ichiru only ever existed in the story to be a disposable battery and yet another source of Zero-angst.

The rest of it is very much "take it or leave it." I couldn't care less about the Senate, the Hunters, or whoever else among the adult characters. Court intrigue is boring when the characters involved have no personality. Fight scenes are hard to parse visually, which causes impatience. The school being a supposed refuge for vampires and humans to live in peace together has been a sham from the beginning, and the human students may as well be sent home at this point. They'd be safer!

Is Kaname Yuki's ancestor, or her brother? It doesn't really matter, does it. Either way, their being in a love relationship is gross.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ivy.
1,506 reviews76 followers
April 9, 2017
5 stars

Good to finally be able to see Rido Kuran. Hope they will be able to stop him. Poor Zero. Sad that he had to kill his brother. Also sad that he is basically a pawn for the vampires. Kaname and Yuki's relationship is very interesting. Hope they will be able to get to know each other better when they leave the academy.

Can't wait to read Vampire Knight volume 10!!!!!
Profile Image for Steph | bookedinsaigon.
1,640 reviews432 followers
April 7, 2010
Why are these books getting so dull and slow in plot and misogynistic/uncomfortably incestuous in content?
Profile Image for Gokce G.
479 reviews69 followers
July 5, 2010
Poor. Poor Zero. It's a pity things turned out the way they did with Zero insisting he wants to kill all purebloods possibly including Yuki, not that I think he can manage that. But he keeps saying they're enemies now and that annoys me Zero -that's right! You heard me dude!-

And I was sad for Ichiru -sp?- I kinda liked him, it was a pity he died. At least his death fed Zero new powers and made him the branch-arm.

Again, I enjoyed reading the sidebars and I was pretty much like this, o_0, when Matsuri Hino listed the drawing material she uses.

Can't wait for the next one, seriously. I got a bit confused if it was out already but we'll see. It was left off at such a scene that I'm dying with anticipation. -omgomgomgomg!!!-

I'm glad Yuki decided to stay back in the Academy and was there to be on Zero's side, although, like I said, I don't like Zero's take on things very much now. And Yuki's sudden devotion and love to Kaname. I'm hoping they'll work things out, soon.

It was quite funny the bit she put in the end where Yuki wants to sit down until volume 10 :D

The nxt one should be out yesterday!! :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Arlene.
1,200 reviews622 followers
October 18, 2010
Spoilers from here on out!

Wow!!!! Just when I thought the story couldn’t get any more dramatic, a whole new level is achieved!

Zero has become the strongest vampire hunter of all time.
1. He unconsciously stole the powers of his twin and was born into the family with one and half vampire hunter abilities.
2. Shizuka made him into a vampire.
3. He devoured Yuki’s blood many times.
4. Yuki’s blood is now awakened so that it is suffusing in Zero.
5. He fed from Kaname’s blood which contained Shizuka’s blood.

War among the vampires continues to threaten the safety of the Cross Academy students. Kaname reveals to Zero what his plans are and Zero much choose a side and commit a horrendous act.

These books are addicting. I’m moving on to VK10 because I can’t wait to see how all this ends.
Profile Image for Megan M.
354 reviews12 followers
May 11, 2012
No more. Just no. The first five volumes of this series are awesome. Read them. Enjoy them. Fall in love with Zero. Just don't read any further than that. Vampire Knight goes from being a fun vampire-human-vampire love triangle story to being a poorly plotted attempt by the writer to create a political world for her vampires. This is accompanied by awkward art, characters that no one can tell apart, and surprise incest - which is apparently so perfectly acceptable that instead of running to the bathroom to scrub themselves with bleach, they just keep making out. Epic battles are so stuffed with pretty artwork that the story just fails to keep up.

I will not be looking for any more volumes of this manga. I've heard the anime is far superior so I may give a couple episodes a try, but in general, I'm done with Vampire Knight.
Profile Image for Anna 'Bookbuyer'.
665 reviews88 followers
January 14, 2019
Go Night Class! Protecting the Day Class!

Yuuki's reaction to the tattoo! OMG. lol

I love seeing the twins when they were younger. :)

Ewww. I don't want Zero to eat his twin. -.-

Each time she kisses him I'm reminded he's her brother. :/ Spoils it.

Why is everyone wanting to eat each other? It's weird!?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for MissAnnThrope.
561 reviews3 followers
March 24, 2013
24 March 2013



With as much drama that happens in Vampire Knight, Volume 9, I should feel pretty excited by all of the action. Instead, I just feel meh. The narrative has become so convoluted that it's more confusing than intriguing. The story has me so lost at times that it feels like I've accidentally skipped a few pages. Another thing that adds to the confusion is so many characters are drawn to look nearly identical. Is that Rido? No, it's Kaname. Oh, wait. It's Toga Yagari. Don't even get me started on Akatsuki and Hanabusa.

In all honesty, I don't read this series for its quality writing or groundbreaking ideas. I read it because it's ridiculously cheesy, strangely addictive, and it helps me temporarily escape the seriousness of life. With that said, the direction this series has been headed in the past couple of volumes makes me reconsider whether or not I will continue turning to this as my guilty pleasure read.

Profile Image for Chelsea.
2,098 reviews63 followers
July 23, 2019
I already started reading volume 10...so I honestly don't remember what happened in this volume specifically. Things were going crazy though, Vampire Senate vs. Vampire Hunters vs. Each Other really. Kaien Cross has joined the war but defending the vampires. I *think* this is the one that shows the connection of Juri and Kaien. Zero is being taken over by his rose gun and his arm has become a wild bush of brambles and thorns. And he points his gun at Yuki intending to kill her.

It's just confusing with too broad a sweep of characters and everyone looking too similar to really know who's on who's side plus all these revelations are making my head spin.
Profile Image for Anna.
271 reviews19 followers
February 1, 2017
Anche questo volume non mi ha convinto!La parte dei vampiri seguaci di Kaname non riesco a seguirla! Secondo me è confusionaria e non si capisce chi sta dalla parte di chi e cosa vogliano. La storia tra Kaname e Yuki è sempre piú creepy. Inoltre non ho capito cosa cavolo ha fatto il fratello di Zero! Ma non era cattivo? Mah..non ci sto più capendo nulla sinceramente
Profile Image for R..
330 reviews123 followers
March 1, 2020
I would write something about this volume but because, after finishing it, I inmediatley picked up the next one I don't remember what happened exactly so it wouldn't be fair. Had a blast reading it tho!
Profile Image for Elina Mäkitalo.
1,851 reviews57 followers
October 18, 2025
Ehkä 1 1/2 mutta kallistuu kyllä enemmän kakkoseen kuin ykköseen. Tähditykseen on samoja syitä kuin aikaisemmissakin osissa eli samankaltaiset henkilöhahmot sekottavat, kuvat ovat sekasia ja teksti on todella pientä. Myös tarinana jokseenkin hidastempoinen. Tässä osassa oli liikaa myös taisteluja, ne sentään ovat pysyneet suurimmaksi osaksi poissa tästä mangasta.
Profile Image for Fany G.
83 reviews7 followers
May 12, 2025
Aún sigo molesta por la tonta (por no decir otra cosa) trama que metieron, sólo lo leo para ver que pasa con Zero.

Es el ÚNICO personaje qué me importa...hasta este momento.

Muchas escenas de acción qué me confundieron un poco, y lo que pasó con su hermano es una lástima.

Lo único rescatable es que lo hizo más fuerte o algo así entendí!
Profile Image for Strangerealms.
162 reviews15 followers
July 20, 2015
Spoilers ahead!!!

This is for the whole serie so far...

I really liked this manga at the beginning. It's about vampires and vampire hunters. I really like the different vampires and their society, which is better explained in the official Fanbook. The vampire hunters are interesting as well. The art is beautiful.

The story revolves around a girl Yuki, who is raised by an ex vampire hunter, who is the administrator of a school that have both human teenagers during the day, and young vampires at night. Cross has also taken under his roof another kid, Zero, the sole survivor of a massacre of a vampire hunter family, killed by a powerful vampire. They both act as guardians in the school to protect both the teenagers and the vampires. Zero, who saw his family massacred by a vampire, is obviously not happy about this, and would rather use his vampire hunter skills to kill the vampires instead. The leader of the vampires is Kaname, a pureblood, which very powerful in their kind and also very rare. Kaname found Yuki when she was a child and was chased by a vampire, he killed said vampire and took her to Cross. Yuki has no memory before that. So the story happens at school for the most part, or I should say for the first part.

Both Zero and Kaname have their eyes on Yuki and well, Yuki has her eyes on both, who can blame her? Both are handsome. I personally prefer Zero, I have a thing for tormented character. There are a few twists in the manga I did not see coming, the one about Zero being a vampire, and the other about Yuki being a vampire too. It changed the dynamics of some relationships, especially between Zero and Yuki. Zero who already hates what he is and he's angry at himself because of what it makes him do, doesn't take well the news about Yuki... at all. Who can blame Yuki who then throws herself in Kaname's arms? No matter how much I prefer Zero, how far can a relationship go if one is that hateful? So they separate and Zero stays while Kaname and Yuki go away.

That is the first part.

In the second part is the part where I started to seriously dislike Kaname. In the first part Yuki is an active girl, full of life, responsible and independent. I had noticed moments when Kaname was treating her like a child, which is something Zero has never done, and even Yuki told him about that and told him to stop. So I was really disappointed to see that kaname had treated Yuki for a whole year, while they were living together, like an infantile child and forbid her to go out. It's really sad to see her character regress like that. All her pep is gone. When the serie starts Yuki is 16, so a year later she's 17. It's a way too late to treat someone like a baby.

The manga started turning for the worse from the second part and ended really badly. The author completely ignored all the characters and focused on Kaname and Yuki. Also, the art went from good to bad as well, making it looks bad, and the characters all look the same, making it hard to differenciate them. The ending was bad and confusing. It's sad to see that the manga had so much potential but it went AWOL after Yuki leaves with Kaname at the end of the first part.

I don't plan to finish getting the manga volumes, I'll keep the good part of the manga and ignore the rest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Michelle Elizabeth .
773 reviews65 followers
January 28, 2015
3.75*

I actually like Rido as a villian a lot.

I don't get how Yuki can want to protect all the other students as a Gaurdian, yet she's acting so distant From Zero. Zero is angry that Yuki is ; if that was true, she wouldn't try to protect the other students.

I thought maybe it was some attempt to spare Zero's feelings by having him angry rather than sad that things weren't the same anymore (if that makes sense), but it would be all Yuki's fault if Zero missed her because she was always pushing herself on him when . 0.o

{Reread}
Profile Image for Michelle Elizabeth .
773 reviews65 followers
August 1, 2017
I really love Kaname, but I'm feeling a lot more sympathy towards Zero, even though he can be a complete and utter jackass. I'm really starting to see him as being in love with Yuki, while simultaneously repulsed by his own existence. I'm softening towards him because I see that it's his own revulsion affecting his attitude, not necessarily a blind hate towards vampires as I previously thought. He is trying to reconcile his upbringing as a Hunter and his life as a vampire, and it's not easy for him. Poor Zero.
Profile Image for Lady Entropy.
1,224 reviews47 followers
March 16, 2012
I feel I'm repeating myself a lot in these reviews, but here's the short version:

- Art good
- Concept good
- Story bad
- Characters okay

If you love this type of manga, you'll probably don't let that stop you. If don't (especially if you like good and well crafted stories) avoid it.
Profile Image for Amy Gideon.
1,044 reviews47 followers
December 30, 2013
Poor storytelling. Everything is rushed and I feeling like there is too much telling and not enough showing. Which is a ridiculous predicament for any manga to have given that it uses pictures. The dialogue and narrative should add to the artwork and so far it isn't.

1 review
March 22, 2017
Absolutely amazing. The anime is good, but the manga is way better! Not gonna leave in any spoilers because I don't want to ruin it for those who haven't read it. This is highly recommended from me to everyone!
Profile Image for Rosibel.
709 reviews34 followers
February 7, 2020
Vampire knight

Awesome book and is getting better love the graphics and the story that is fun and difficult to stop reading.
Profile Image for B 🩶.
87 reviews3 followers
January 4, 2026
Ichijo's plotline is confusing (I have seen the anime twice and now read the manga and still don't understand it) and Yuuki keeps reminding me that Kaname is her brother, but Zero in this chapter was fire. He nearly kills Yuuki because he wants to kill himself and that's fire.

Rido also seemed to be a pretty interesting villain, having an extreme devotion to Juri and having competed with his brother for her affection, but he dies before we even find out what that's about, so...that went absolutely nowhere.

Kaname is still a disgusting, weird bastard who manipulates and plays mental 4D chess with everyone while he purposefully keeps Yuuki, "the girl who was born to be his bride" stupid and innocent, when she's fully capable of fighting and handling herself. He disgusts me. He sees her as and object to be had and toyed with. It's nauseating, and it only ever gets worse throughout the series and as we discover that he's behind all of Zero's misfortune.

As such I'm really only here for Zero and Yuuki. Zeki 4eva
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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