page_title: Kite (.hack)
section_title: Creation and design
hierarchical_section_title: Kite (.hack) / Creation and design
caption_attribution_description: English: Mona Marshall in 2019
context_page_description: Kite, also known as "Kite of the Azure Flame", is a fictional character from CyberConnect2's video game series .hack. Introduced in .hack//Infection, Kite is player character avatar in a fictional massively multiplayer online role-playing game known as the "The World". Kite's whose school-friend Yasuhiko, who uses the alias Orca, introduces Kite to The World. When Orca is killed in combat by an unknown enemy, Yashuhiko falls into a coma. Kite forms a team in The World to investigate Orca's case alongside those of other players to whom the same fate befalls after similar encounters. Kite also appears in finale of the series' anime sequel .hack//Sign and in a manga adaptation of the games. Although the teenager behind Kite leaves The World in following games, his avatar was used to create characters who appear in sequels.
  Kite was created by CyberConnect2 CEO Hiroshi Matsuyama and writer Kazunori Itō, who aimed to create a character who is immersed in an MMORPG alongside the player. He was designed by artist Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, who was inspired by the manga character Naruto Uzumaki from the manga Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto.
context_section_description: CyberConnect2 CEO Hiroshi Matsuyama considered Kite as a relatable character when making the game and wanted the next game to feature a different version of the lead character for .hack//G.U. . CyberConnect2 said Kite had become a popular character following its release. In retrospect, Matsuyama found the original Kite had little personality and wanted to try out another character. Matsuyama described Kite as an enthusiastic hero, saying the main reason he became one was the fate of his friend Yasuhiko. Writer Kazunori Itō stated the concept for .hack was mainly focused on the actions of Kite and Black Rose in The World. As a result, in later projects related with the series, the writers and developers shifted the focus onto their personal lives; the staff found the shift challenging because there were more areas to explore. 
  In writing Kite, CyberConnect2 provided different takes of character to contrast him. Itō said casting the player into the role of a subscriber to The World creates a unique story-telling situation that draws the player more deeply into the plot. Kite is a friendly character so Itō wanted to write Tsukasa: a contrasting, antisocial character for the television series .hack//Sign, an anime that takes place at the same time than the games. Matsuyama described a kind character with no individuality because the player was directly controlling him. As a result, the next character for .hack was Haseo, whose antisocial personality was meant to reflect shonen manga. 
  While making the .hack games, character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto used the manga character Naruto Uzumaki as a model for Kite. Shortly afterwards, CyberConnect2 started developing the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja games although Sadamoto was unaware of this. One of the most important areas of Kite's design is Kite's hat, which Sadamoto used to make him unique. He wanted the character to look realistic, a trait Sadamoto thought when seeing Naruto. Multiple revisions were done until the artist was satisfied with the character's appearance. Sadamoto wanted Kite's design to suggest a high-school pupil was controlling the PC, so he revised the character's trousers. Matsuyama oversaw Kite's design.
  Kite is voiced by Sayaka Aida in Japanese and Mona Marshall in English. Aida enjoyed the character and thanked fans of the series for supporting her. When working on the first four games, Aida was intrigued by the appeal of the .hack games since her auditions for the part of Kite. She felt Kite was not the most popular character in the franchise, and that Haseo and Endrance are more appealing heroes. Marshall enjoyed her character, stating she "had lots of levels to play" because Kite displays both a strong and weak personality depending on the situation. She was sad she could not play .hack because she had neither a console nor the time needed to play the games she worked on.
caption: Mona Marshall voices Kite in the English dub of the games.
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