Sakura Kinomoto

### Likes

Syaoran, cherry blossoms, music, skateboarding, sports, roller skating, gym class, the colors pink and white, making new friends, rice omelets, noodles, pancakes, chocomints

### Dislikes

Math, ghosts, scary things, konnyaku (konjac jelly)

## Professional Status

### Occupation

Student
Cardcaptor

### Affiliation

Tomoeda Elementary School (Formerly)
Tomoeda Junior High School (Currently)

## Relationships

### Parents

Fujitaka Kinomoto (Father)
Nadeshiko Kinomoto (Mother) †

### Other relatives

Tomoyo Daidouji (2nd Cousin)
Sonomi Daidouji (1st Cousin once removed)
Tai Kamiya (Cousin)
Kari Kamiya (Cousin)
Yuuko Kamiya (Aunt)
Susumu Kamiya (Uncle)
Masaki Amamiya (Great grandfather)
Unnamed Great grandmother †
Clow Reed (Predecessor)
Yukito Tsukishiro (Brother-in-law)
Moonlight Kinomoto (Niece)
Chibiusa Tsukino (Niece)

### Partner(s)

Syaoran Li (Boyfriend)
Yukito Tsukishiro (Former crush)

## Voice Actors

### English

Monica Rial

**Sakura Kinomoto** (木之本 桜, *Kinomoto Sakura*) is a major character in the series. She is first introduced as a 10-year-old girl who lives in the town of Tomoeda in Japan, where she attends Tomoeda Elementary School.

As of now, she is a freshman attending Tomoeda Junior High School.

## Description

### Appearance

Sakura is a young, beautiful girl with short brown hair, short all-round with 2 raised partings, 2 curved ahoges, and 2 long thin strands on sides, and emerald green eyes.

As a child, she is naturally short in height, but slowly grows as the years pass by. Sakura's outfits change frequently throughout the series. Her most iconic everyday outfit is her school uniform, which is doubled as her battle outfit, the latter of which changes depending on the season. Her winter school uniform is a black long sleeved shirt with red and white sleeve cuffs.

A white neckerchief with a red stripe, and a white pleated miniskirt with a frilly white knee-length petticoat. On particularly cold days, she wears a thick black coat with her schools insignia on the back. Her summer uniform is a white half-sleeved shirt with a red neckerchief and a black pleated miniskirt. All year round, a pair of black shoes are worn along with white socks and a white sailor hat with a black trim.

### Personality

Sakura is a very energetic and cheerful ten-year-old girl. She often comes across as naïve, clumsy, dense and clueless. However, she has her perceptive moments on occasion and cheerfulness is one of her best qualities. She is on the cheer squad, and very athletic, being a member of her school's cheer-leading squad and an excellent runner, a trait she inherited from her father.

Her "invincible spell" "Everything will surely be all right" ("絶対大丈夫だよ", *"Zettai daijoubu da yo"*) has carried her through innumerable trials and obstacles as she masters her magical skills. Her catchphrase is "Hoeh!" ("ほえ！", *"hoe!"*) which is usually stretched and is used whenever she is shocked or scared even the slightest. She also frequently shouts "KERO, NO!!!" when scolding Kero.

Sakura's optimistic and trustworthy character allows her to be friendly with everybody, she is very outgoing and the entire series focuses on the friendships she creates with people, whether strangers, loose acquaintances, or rivals.

In fact, her personality is a dominating factor in her relationships, especially with Syaoran Li. Though sometimes she's quite gullible and believes what everyone tells her, her charm can win over anyone (as shown with Syaoran in the series). She's also known to be very scared of ghosts.

She became scared of ghosts because her brother, who could see spirits, would usually point them out. Though she couldn't see them, the descriptions of having 'one eye' or 'missing a hand' would frighten her. Therefore she felt a deep fear of ghosts from a young age. Ironically, she has no fear of Clow Cards.

This is apparent when Sakura finds out that the ghost in the park is actually a Clow Card and was no longer scared by it. She is known to be clueless about things relating to herself but perceptive of others. Though when she finds out information about her friends, she usually keeps quiet about it.

Despite her sweet nature, cuteness and beauty, Sakura has been shown to have a very vicious temper. This is often seen when Touya teases her by calling her a monster and once when she and Kero got into a fight. Her temper is sometimes so vicious that it once scared Touya.

## Powers and Abilities

Throughout the Clow Card arc, Cerberus' comments seem to imply that Sakura's innate magical powers and abilities strengthen and increase to even higher levels as she battles and captures more Cards. In contrast to this, in the second half of the series, Sakura’s inexperience is shown as she often collapses after transforming the cards. However, as she becomes progressively proficient in changing Clow Cards into Sakura Cards, she becomes less tired and more aware of Clow Reed's presence.

During the last of Eriol's trials, she is able to transform the last remaining eight Clow Cards into Sakura Cards at once. In the aftermath of this final battle it is revealed that Clow Reed reincarnated into two people; the first being Sakura's father, the second being Eriol. Clow Reed designed it this way as to split his power to allow Sakura to become the strongest magician in the world, even greater than himself.

During the Clear Card arc, Sakura's magic power grows enormously without herself noticing it, being able to unconsciously create the Clear Cards as a manifestation of her thoughts and her magic. Eriol informed Syaoran Li of Sakura's supremely powerful magic, that "great power will bring great unhappiness to its owner". Cerberus realizes that her magic has gotten immensely stronger, strong enough to show the past; an ability only Clow Reed and three other top-level magicians were capable of.

### Origin

After the Final Judgment, Clow Reed tells her that her magic seems to be drawn from the power and ability of the stars, which may start small, but are ever-shining with their own brilliant light. Ohkawa and Nekoi stated about Sakura's heart like a starlit in the night sky . However, it should be noted that like Clow Reed's magic, Sakura's is a balance of sun and moon magic.

* **Prophetic Dreaming:** Sakura is able to see future events through her dreams, including the Final Judgement and meeting various characters throughout the series. In the manga Sakura also dreams about the past, including the day Clow died. However it may be that these dreams were due to Clow's supremely powerful magic. It is noted at the end of the manga that, if she wishes, Sakura could see into the future.
* **Magical & Supernatural detection:** During the series, Sakura learned to sense the presence of the Clow Cards as well as to perceive the presence of spirits and powerful magical wielders like Eriol. During the Clear Card arc, Sakura become able to see ghosts and spirits like her brother Touya.
* **Use of the** **Clow Cards:** Sakura's main weapon is the Clow Cards, which first had their own magic, but had to be transformed so that they would draw power from her as "Sakura Cards".

* **Mystical Object** **Creation**: Sakura shows the ability to be able to create new cards. The first example of this is the appearance of The Nameless Card; born of her feelings for Syaoran. In the Clear Card arc, Sakura unconsciously creates the Clear Cards; new Cards based on her thoughts that embody her supremely strong types of magic.
* **Dream Sharing:** Since "losing" her Sakura Cards, she has then subconsciously shared the exact same prophetic dream as her new best friend Akiho.

* **Incredible athletic skills:** Sakura is very athletic, stamina and agility, a member of her school's cheerleader team is one of the most gifted. In Clear Card arc, Sakura uses her athletic skills to catch the cards.

### Staff/Wand

* Sealing Wand
* Star Wand
* Card Chant
* Dream Wand

Chant to release the Sealing Wand.

Oh, key that conceals the power of darkness, reveal your true nature to me, by my power, I command you, release!

Key that hides the power of the dark, show your true form before me. I, Sakura, command you under our contract. Release!

Key that hides the power of darkness, reveal your true powers before me. I, Sakura, command you under our contract. Release!

Key that hides the forces of darkness, show me your true form! By the covenant, I, Sakura, command you. Release!

Oh, key that hides the power of darkness, reveal your true nature before me. I, Sakura, commanding you on our contract. Release!

Chant to release the Star Wand.

Oh, Key that hides the power of the stars, reveal your true power before me. I, Sakura command you under our contract. Release!

Key that hides the power of the stars, show your true form before me. I, Sakura, command you under our contract. Release!

Oh, Key that conceals the power of my star, reveal your true nature to me, by my power I command you! Release!

Oh, Key that hides the power of the stars, reveal your true nature before me. I, Sakura, commanding you on our contract. Release!

Chant to summon a Clow Card.

Oh, Card created by Clow, lend me your powers to this key! By transferring the magic within the card to this key, become my power!

Oh, Card created by Clow, lend your powers my key! Transfer the magic dwelling within the card to this key, and grant me your power!

Oh, Card originally created by Clow, grant me your powers to this key! By sending the magic that's within the card to this key, lend me your powers!

Chant to transform a Clow Card into a Sakura Card.

Card created by Clow, abandon your old form and reincarnate, under the name of Sakura, your new master!

Card created by Clow, leave your old form and reincarnate, in the name of your new master, Sakura!

Card originally created by Clow. Abandon your old form and reincarnate, under the name of your new master Sakura!

Oh, Card created by Clow, abandon your old form and reincarnate! In the name of your new master, Sakura!

Chant to release the New Wand.

Oh, Key that burns with the power of Dreams, reveal your true nature before me! Release!

Oh, Key that hides the power of Dreams, reveal your true nature before me. Release!

## Etymology

* Her given name **Sakura** means "cherry blossom" (桜).
	+ Akiho mentioned Sakura's name was from a beautiful flower (*Sakura/Cherry Blossom*) that blooms in spring.
* Sakura's surname **Kinomoto** consists of "tree, wood" (木, **ki**), "of" (之, **no**) and "base, root, origin, source" (本, **moto**), which literally means "the origin of wood" altogether.
	+ The final character (本, **moto**), also means "book." This could allude to Sakura's adventures with the Clow Cards all starting when she found the Clow Book in her father's library.

## Trivia

* She and her Japanese voice actress Sakura Tange share the name "Sakura".
* Whenever she's distracted or shocked, she says "Hoeeee!".
* Sometimes, during cheer-leading practice, especially during baton throwing, Sakura will occasionally get distracted, causing the baton to hit her on the head which seems to be a running gag in the series.