Chris Yukine (Bruno)

c**Chris Yukine** (雪音 クリス *Yukine Kurisu*?) is one of the six main characters of the *Senki Zesshō Symphogear* series. She is a Symphogear user who wields the Ichaival relic.

She was initially an antagonist working under the main villain, Finé, wielding the Nehushtan Armor stolen from the Zwei Wing concert two years prior to S1. During S1, Chris switches sides and joins the protagonists to work against Finé, symbolized by her change of relic from the Nehushtan Armor to the Ichaival Symphogear. By *G*, Chris has become a full-fledged protagonist wielding Ichaival and is working to move on from her past.

## Etymology

**Chris** (クリス *Kurisu*?) is short for 'Christine' or 'Christina', given her gender. It was initially deprived from a Greek word meaning 'anointed' ('to rub in holy oil').

**Yukine** (雪音?) is written with the kanji for 'snow' and 'sound'.

## Appearance

Chris is a short girl with purple eyes and long lavender hair that falls to her knees, separated into twin-tails that further split into three curly strands each, and an ahoge. She wears a maroon skin-tight one-piece with a black choker, short puffy sleeves and shorts, a translucent red-violet cutout exposing some of her chest and upper back, detached long sleeves with black accents that go past her wrist, black lace trim on the end of the shorts, black stockings with maroon ribbon garters attached to the dress, and maroon pumps. She wears her relic pendant around her neck. In the manga, this outfit lacks the translucent material in her chest and back cutouts, leaving those areas bare; her relic pendant is attached to her choker (the choker itself disconnected from her one-piece), and Chris' hair is tied with pink scrunchies. The manga also shows that the one-piece is done up at the back with a zipper.

When she was eight years old, Chris wore a pink dress with a light-pink front tied with cross-laces, short puffy sleeves, long light-pink or white sleeves, white lace-trimmed knee-high socks, and red-brown shoes. Her hair is still in twin-tails that separate slightly, but shorter and at the front of her head instead of her back, draped over her shoulders, and tied with pink bows. In the manga, this outfit is significantly different: Chris' dress buttons up at the front and has a more flared skirt with white frills, and she wears a long-sleeved white shirt with arm cuffs and a buttoned-up collar. Instead of knee-high socks, she has socks rolled up just above her foot, and she has buckle shoes instead of slip-ons.

Briefly in episode 5, Chris is seen dressed in a skin-tight leather/latex bondage outfit consisting of a black choker with a silver ring, tied at the back with a long ribbon, a black zip-up bustier that exposes her cleavage and upper back, with straps attached to the ring and belts running down her exposed stomach and back attaching to straps on her thighs, black elbow gloves, and either black or pale-purple underwear (the color changes in different shots, which was not corrected in the Blu-ray releases). The concept art shows her wearing heels with this outfit, but she is barefoot in the anime.

Though not seen in the anime or manga, Chris wears a long, loose pink dress with frills that exposes her upper shoulders and back as pajamas.

In *G*, Chris' hair color has changed to white, and she wears pink scrunchies in her hair. Her casual outfit is a low-collar, long-sleeved, and multi-layered red and maroon dress with lace trim and puffy white shorts underneath, white thigh-highs done with red bows and garters, and maroon pumps.

In *GX*, Chris' casual outfit consists of a sleeveless pink button-up shirt with frills, maroon shorts, black thigh-highs with garters with rose buttons on them, and maroon pumps. She wears a light-blue, low-collar shirt and shorts with pink trim and a red bow as pajamas; while wearing these, she has her twin-tails tied together with red ribbons.

As of *G*, Chris has joined Lydian Music Academy and is subsequently seen wearing the school uniform. Her cardigan is reasonably loose-fitting due to her large bust and smaller stature, and the cuffs of her sleeves are occasionally seen to go past her wrists.

## Personality

As a result of her harsh life, Chris is hot-headed, antagonistic and aggressive, quick to distrust others, especially adults, who have only ever treated her like objects. Chris wishes to bring about world peace by putting a stop to the flames of war; with Finé's manipulation, Chris initially decides to go about this by destroying everyone else with the power and will to fight,[5] and willingly cooperates with Finé in order to achieve that goal, under the false impression that Finé is working for the same goal of bring peace to the world as her. However, Chris actually hates the thought of hurting innocent people.

Though Chris is aware that Finé is only using her and openly shows resentment towards Finé for using and mistreating her like all other adults, being regularly subjected to torture and sexual abuse at Finé's hands for Finé's amusement, she still holds some affection for Finé, seeking Finé's approval and believing that Finé is the only person who understands her.[6] This is most prominently seen when Chris breaks down in tears after Finé abandons her,[7] and later openly cries after she witnesses Finé "die".[8] However, Chris' affection for Finé is largely born of Finé's isolation and grooming of Chris.

Chris claims to hate singing because of the destruction she can cause with her relic, which is why she never uses the Ichaival. The manga and season 2 further expand on this, with Chris hating singing because her song was used to activate Solomon's Cane, which Finé made frequent use of to cause death and chaos. As a result of being reached out to by Hibiki Tachibana and Miku Kohinata, and abandoned by Finé, Chris relearns how to be kind and caring, culminating in her sacrificing herself and using her once-hated singing to protect the world, following in the footsteps of her parents and the dreams they wished to fulfil when they were still alive.

After the events of season 1, though Chris is still hot-headed and rough-natured, she has become much gentler in nature, open and honest to herself and others. She gets embarrassed easily and is somewhat socially maladjusted and awkward as a result of her near-constant isolation and friendlessness since she was eight years old. Notably, Chris shows an aversion to physical displays of affection, often getting flustered and telling the people to "Do that at home", sometimes going as far as hitting them (which she has so far only done to Hibiki) to make them stop.[9] Other physical, intimate, or romantic gestures often lead to Chris getting flustered, even simple gestures such as hand-holding.[10] This is most likely a lingering aftereffect of her time in slavery and being abused by Finé.

Despite her temper and apparent impulsiveness, Chris is actually skilled at improvising on the spot and making intelligent decisions, plans, and gambits with quick thinking, acting rather than hesitating in desperate situations. However, as Chris' decisions often lead to destruction or suffering, usually unintentionally, Chris often feels guilt and responsibility for the decisions she makes; still, she tries her best to fix them, rather than run away, such as with Solomon's Cane, shooting off Stephan Virena's leg, or blaming Sonia Virena for killing her parents as a child.

*Symphogear AXZ* reveals that even before being enslaved as a child, Chris was quick to lash out and blame others in a situation gone wrong.[11] However, this may be simple childishness from her young age and her previous happy and sheltered life, on top of an impulsive stress reaction to a traumatic situation.

Generally speaking, Chris grew up in a situation where her relations with other people were incredibly confined. Even when compared to Shirabe Tsukuyomi and Kirika Akatsuki, who grew up isolated in the F.I.S.’s orphanage, and especially when compared to girls of her same age. Due to this, Chris developed what would best be considered a type of “fear” when it came to relations with other people. She had an inclination to be incredibly cautious when around others. When she met with Hibiki and the others, they extended their hands out to her and she considers her bonds with them to be very precious. However at the same time, when Chris reached her own hand out to others, she found it very awkward, and that fact cast a shadow on her heart. In *GX*, with the arrival of Kirika and Shirabe, new students and new gear users younger than her, Chris found herself anguishing over a perceived need to fill the role of “a senior”, as Tsubasa Kazanari had done for her. However, thanks to Shirabe and Kirika’s efforts, Chris came to realize that being able to accept other people is a way of forming bonds with them. She lost the conditioned “fear” she had of making relationships, and the wall that isolated her from the rest of the world came tumbling down. And at the same time, she finally understood the feelings of her parents who wished for world peace through their songs.[12]

Though Chris is a latecomer to studying, she is actually well-learned and quick to memorize many things. She often obtains high grades in classes, as she reveals to Shirabe and Kirika.[13]

## History

Chris was the only daughter born to a famous musician couple, Masanori Yukine and Sonnet M. Yukine, a violinist and a vocalist respectively. Eight years prior to S1, as part of a non-government volunteer organization, Masanori and Sonnet took a young Chris with them to a republic that recently suffered from a coup and had suspended all diplomatic relations with other countries: Val Verde. They entered the country through Guatemala and put on public music performances in different places while traveling, with the ultimate goal of lending aid to refugees. At first, the family traveled along with delegates from the United Nations, including a woman native to Val Verde named Sonia Virena, who shared the dream of Chris' parents and acted as an older sister to the young Chris. However, the Yukine family eventually got trapped by the expanding front-lines of the ongoing war and became isolated from their organization. The Yukine family were later declared missing. Shortly after that, outside sources confirmed that Masanori and Sonnet had died in a terrorist bombing, with terrorists managing to sneak the bomb into their camp due to Sonia's carelessness.[14] However, outside sources were continually unable to determine what exactly had become of Chris herself.[15]

It turned out that Chris had been kidnapped by the terrorists after being separated from Sonia in the chaos, and was sold into slavery, implied to be of a sexual nature.[16][17][18][19] Two years prior to S1, Chris was rescued from the clutches of a local gang by the United Nations during their intervention in Val Verde. She was fourteen at the time, and had been missing for five years and eight months.[20] Chris was then returned to Japan and placed in a lodging house[21]. At the time, famous musicians were being looked into by Section Two in order to find candidates for the Symphogear, and Genjuro Kazanari volunteered to take the lonely Chris in. However, Chris went missing again, as she was kidnapped by Finé to be used as a tool in Finé's plans and experiments. Though many agents, Genjuro included, were sent by Section Two to find Chris, Finé sabotaged all their efforts and made several die or even disappear. Thus, the search for Chris was called off.[22]

Chris has since been living in isolation with Finé in Finé's Mansion in the remote country. Sometime during the two year gap between the Zwei Wing concert tragedy and Hibiki's awakening of Gungnir, Finé gave Ichaival to Chris and, after obtaining Solomon's Cane from the American government, proceeded to exploit her song to awaken Solomon's Cane and allow Finé full control over the Noise. Chris was trained for half a year in order to raise her coeffiency link with Ichaival so that she could produce a sufficient amount of Phonic Gain to awaken Solomon's Cane.[23][24] However, Chris refuses to actually use Ichaival in battle, out of her guilt over awakening a weapon of destruction, and her hatred of songs caused by her refusal to accept the deaths of her musician parents, who had wished to use the power of song to save the world.

## Attacks

**ARTHEMIS CAPTURE** -

**ARTHEMIS ROAR**[25] -

**ARTHEMIS SPIRAL** - Chris turns her Armed Gear into a longbow and fires a missile from it. Once fired, the missile expands from the size of an arrow to its full size.

**BILLION MAIDEN** - Chris transforms her crossbows into a pair of double tri-barrel gatlings that fit over each of her arms, trading the homing properties of her crossbows for raw firepower. This is Chris's favored configuration, and she is rarely seen not using it to the extent that her official art usually displays her with BILLION MAIDEN active.

**Change †he Future** -

**DESTRUCTION SABBATH**[25] - In her X-Drive form, Chris uses her Gear launch an omnidirectional barrage of red beam at the surrounding Alca-Noise.

**ETERNAL SABBATH**[25] - With her X-Drive, Chris unfold her X-Drive Gear to fire powerful red beam from inside the body of the Red Dragon of Revelations, creating an opening for Tsubasa's attack.

**GIGA ZEPPELIN** - An attack introduced in *Symphogear G*, wherein Chris expands the length and width of her crossbows to load them with a pair of enormous crystal spikes. Once fired the spikes each break apart into a large number of smaller spikes which rain down on the targets.

**HORNET PISTOLS** -

**MEGA DETH FUGA** - Essentially the same as the weaker version of Mega Deth Quartet, she launches two large missiles at her enemies.

**MEGA DETH INFINITY** -

**MEGA DETH QUARTET** - A supercharged version of MEGA DETH PARTY where Chris's armor transforms into a large, braced backpack which produces a quartet of missiles several times larger than Chris herself. While it can destroy large Noise in a single shot, Chris is vulnerable while the attack is charging. As a supplementary function MEGA DETH PARTY is enhanced to fire a set of large triangular block missiles which release twelve of the normal Megadeth Party missiles apiece. A variation of this attack only creates two missiles and has no supplementary fire, but is much faster to charge as a result.

* When used while Chris has the Ignite Module activated, the attack is very different and requires no time to charge. After creating the four large missiles, she launches a MEGA DETH PARTY, then fires the large missiles afterwards. The sides of the large missiles then split open, and multiple smaller missiles are launched from the larger missiles.

**MEGA DETH PARTY** - Chris unleashes a barrage of twenty-four missiles from the missile launchers that open up at her sides. While the X-Drive is active, this attack instead becomes a continual stream of homing lasers. While the Ignite Module is active, it seems to become a continuous barrage of missiles instead of a single volley.

**MEGA DETH SYMPHONY** -

**QUEEN'S INFERNO** - An enhancement to Chris's basic homing crossbows which adds an additional firing lane on either side of the main ones, tripling her rate of fire.

**RED HOT BLAZE** - An attack introduced in *Symphogear G*, which transforms Chris's armor into a large crossbow-like sniper rifle with targeting scope. It bears the questionable distinction of being the only attack in the series to have a title card without ever actually being used.

* It was used again in GX, but instead of being fired, it was used as a club.
* It was finally used properly in XV.

**Reflector** - The rear compartments on Chris's skirt armor can open to release dozens of diamond-shaped remote weapons which together can project a barrier capable of reflecting or augmenting attacks. This was initially only used in her superb song, but she later used them on their own in an effort to defend against the Shénshòujìng in G. In AXZ, she used it to defend herself from Cagliostro's Aggressive Burst.

**ROSES OF DEATH**[25] - Chris'Superb Song, She release her Reflector Bits and fire a round from each of her pistols into them, the energy from the rounds gradually augmenting with each reflection until it forms the shape of a vast set of butterfly wings. The pistols are then combined into an enormous rifle which fires a single large beam, augmented by the energy from the wings against Kadingir's round, but unable to stop it, alter its trajectory instead.

**S2CA Tri Burst** - To win against a Noise with a very high growth ability Chris, Hibiki and Tsubasa sing their Superb Song. The energy created, which destroys most of the Noise, is then taken upon by Hibiki with a great effort of her part, in which she combines the Gears of her arms together to form a new one on her right arm. Once the energy is fully concentrated in it, she jumps towards the main body of the Noise using the Gear of her waist as rocket, and punches it while her Gear spins furiously to make the final thrust, creating a rainbow light tornado destroying the Noise completely and rising high in the sky.

**Synchrogazer** - This is a technique that was used by Tsubasa, Chris and Hibiki using the complete Relic, Durandal. Most of the power in this attack was from Hibiki, but Tsubasa, Chris and Hibiki's friends helped keep Hibiki grounded to her real self and they contributed to the attack.

**TRINITY RESONANCE** -

**Vitalization** - A six-member combination attack accessible only in X-Drive, which forms a pair of large arms out of Gungnir and Airgetlám's armor components that deliver a combined punch fuelled by the energy of all six Symphogears.

**∀∀ De Re Metallica** (∀∀デ・レ・メタリカ *∀∀ De Re Metarika*?) -

## Songs

* Makyū Ichaival
* Tsunaida Te Dake ga Tsumugu Mono
* Bye-Bye Lullaby
* Kyōshitsu Monochrome
* TRUST HEART
* Hōkago Key Holder
* GUN BULLET XXX
* Todoke Happy♡Uta Zukin!
* Take this! "All loaded"
* Ashita no Atashi

## Relationships

**Hibiki Tachibana** — Hibiki was the first person to reach out to Chris, trying to reason with her despite Chris' attempts to kidnap, and then kill, her. Chris eventually becomes friendly towards Hibiki, though she often physically assaults Hibiki in response to seeing her being physically affectionate in public or with Chris herself,[29][30] and Chris insults Hibiki by calling her stupid. Despite this, Chris is protective of Hibiki,[31][32] and they have good teamwork in battle.

**Miku Kohinata** — Miku first met Chris by finding her collapsed in an alley one rainy morning, and took her to a safe place (Flower) to tend to her. Miku and Chris, despite being strangers, then share a vulnerable moment as they open up to each other about their pasts, following which Miku offers to become Chris' friend, though Chris initially rebukes her out of guilt for putting Miku in danger.[33] Chris thinks highly of Miku regarding this event, and has since come to care for her deeply and wish to return her kindness in some way.[34][35]

**Tsubasa Kazanari** — During their first meeting, Chris and Tsubasa attempted to kill each other,[36] and they continue to be antagonistic towards each other until Hibiki encourages them to open up to each other.[37] Tsubasa and Chris still share a mostly tense relationship during *G*, until Tsubasa encourages Chris to call her her senior[38] and that Chris can rely on her for help,[39] which greatly eases the antagonism between them. Though Tsubasa and Chris are not very affectionate, they instead express concern for each other through small acts of vulnerability.

**Genjuro Kazanari** — Genjuro had volunteered to be Chris' legal guardian following her rescue from Val Verde; however, Finé kidnapped her before he and Chris could meet.[40] Chris is initially antagonistic and distrustful towards Genjuro, due to her history of abuse by adults, but after he reminds her of what her parents wanted to accomplish and convinces Chris her parents would still love her, Chris begins to open up to him.[41] She is later seen getting Genjuro to help her move furniture into her apartment, and borrowing action movies from him.[42]

**Finé** — Chris' former, abusive mistress who isolated her and abused her physically, emotionally, and sexually for two years. Chris had a largely antagonistic relationship with Finé, often questioning her actions and motives to her face, even when strapped to a torture device.[43] Still, Chris obeyed Finé's orders regardless, and attempted to prove herself to Finé when Finé began taking interest in Hibiki over Chris.[44] Finé's abandonment of Chris leaves Chris distraught, and she attempts several times to confront Finé, demanding answers, before eventually siding against her with Hibiki and Tsubasa.[45][46] Chris is later seen crying when Finé crumbles to ash in front of her.[47] It is unknown how much of Chris' "affection" for Finé is genuine or because of Finé's grooming. It is also unknown what Chris has come to think of Finé since, but G Episode 4 suggests Chris does not hold Finé in high regard, as Chris attempts to head-shot Maria after Ver announces her to be Finé's most recent vessel.

**Masanori and Sonnet M. Yukine** — Little has been seen of Chris' relationship with her parents. She claimed to hate them and believe their goals of saving the world with music to be pathetic,[48] but later admitted she had always loved them and wanted to carry on their dream — even if it had become twisted by her abusers' violence — just before her apparent sacrifice to stop Kadingir.[49] Chris later buys herself a Buddhist shrine for her apartment so her parents have a place there with her.[50]

**Maria Cadenzavna Eve** — Chris and Maria have interacted very little, and the details of their relationship are largely unknown. It can be presumed Chris initially held hatred for Maria, attempting to kill her at least once in G Episode 4 under the belief she was Finé's newest vessel. By *AXZ*, however, Chris and Maria have become close enough for Chris to call Maria by her name in a moment of panicked concern, and for them to perform Unison together.[51]

**Kirika Akatsuki** — Chris sees Kirika as her junior, and thus believes herself obligated to mentor Kirika, doing things such as helping her with schoolwork.[52] However, in contrast to Maria, Chris prefers to protect Kirika against going into danger by taking the responsibility upon herself, despite Kirika's wishes to stand on her own two feet and be reliable in battle.[53]

**Shirabe Tsukuyomi** — Chris acts towards Shirabe the same as with Kirika. Though Shirabe was temporarily Finé's vessel and the person Finé sacrificed her life for, how this affects her relationship with Chris is never touched on by canon material.

**Sonia Virena** — Sonia acted as a big-sister figure to Chris while the Yukine family were doing war relief work in Val Verde. However, Chris' image of Sonia was shattered when her carelessness led to her parents' deaths by a terrorist bombing, and Chris blamed it entirely on Sonia.[54] Though not directly stated, Chris' anger and hatred was likely further exacerbated when Sonia then lost Chris in the commotion[55] and Chris was kidnapped and enslaved by gangsters. While Chris and Sonia meet again in *AXZ*, their reunion is not a happy one, as Sonia hates Chris for shooting off Stephan's leg to save his life from Alca-Noise.[56] They eventually reconcile in Japan with the help of Stephan before the Virena siblings leave for their home country.[57]

**Stephan Virena** — Chris was traumatized by shooting Stephan's leg off to save his life, and she agonizes throughout most of *AXZ* over if she could have done something different, despite her attempts to convince herself she did the only thing she could. Chris eventually moves past her guilt when Stephan berates her and Sonia for focusing too much on the past rather than the future.[58]

**Noble Red** — The majority of Chris' interactions with Noble Red are against them in battle. However, in XV Episode 12, Chris reveals she empathizes with Noble Red's suffering and understands they just want a place to call home, like she once did.