Kaori Tadokoro

(田所カオリ, Tadokoro Kaori?)

“Even if your body dies... Your heart won't, will it? I know it won't...”

—Kaori`s thoughts

**Kaori Tadokoro** is a character from the Near Future chapter, The Outsider. She is the sickly younger sister of Akira Tadokoro.

## Profile

### Appearance

Kaori is a young girl with brown hair tied into two ponytails. She wears a yellow shirt and a red skirt.

### Personality

Afflicted with an unknown illness from a young age, Kaori is a frail, melancholic girl. Her inability to act due to her sickness leaves her feeling helpless and despondent when times get tough. Still, even in her sickly state her empathy shines through, caring deeply for her family figures, including Akira and Matsu.

## History

### The Near Future: The Outsider

Kaori and her brother Akira were the children of Tadashi Tadokoro, the chief of a riot police squadron who would regularly cross paths with the Crusaders. After their father was killed during an altercation with the leader of the Crusaders, she and her brother became orphans and were taken to Bright Sparks Orphanage. While at the orphanage, Kaori was gifted a pet turtle by Kazu, which she named Tarokichi.

Due to her worsening condition, Kaori remains confined to her room for the majority of the chapter. When her pet turtle Tarokichi becomes deathly ill, she watches over it as her brother brings over Doc Tobei, who saves Tarokichi's life by transforming him into a robot through organic liquefaction, renaming him Taroimo in the process.

When Matsu recovers Kazu from the Crusaders, he briefly pays Kaori a visit; she is the only person he confesses his plans to infiltrate the Tsukuba Research Facility to, and though she tries to keep his request to not tell her brother, it is from her that Akira surmises Matsu's intent. Later, Kaori is present as the heroes discuss the matter of the Conspirators. As they discuss how to power the Steel Titan, Kaori volunteers to be liquefacted to power the Titan in the same manner as Taroimo, saying that because of her sickness, he fate doesn't matter. Akira vehemently refuses her request, however, and her insistence inspires Matsu to attempt to move the Titan himself.

When the Crusaders attack the Bright Sparks Orphanage and set it ablaze, Kaori is unable to escape, and is trapped inside. Akira attempts to rescue her, but as the building begins to come down around them, the pair are saved by Matsu, who had successfully woken the Steel Titan. After Matsu's death, Kaori, along with the other Bright Sparks Orphanage residents, watch as Akira pilots the Steel Titan to Odeo Temple, and destroy Odeo.

In the chapter's ending, Kaori remains lying in her bed, with Taroimo watching over her.

### Final Chapter: The Dominion of Hate

In the true ending, Kaori is seen among the other children of the Bright Sparks Orphanage, watching Tobei's experiment in the basement of his antique's shop.

## Etymology

Kaori is a Japanese name *香* means "smell, perfume, fragrance". It can also come from*香 (ka)* "smell, perfume" and *織 (ori)* "weaving". It is often written *かおり* using the hiragana writing system.

## Gallery

Kaori asleep in bed. (SFC)Kaori and Akira together as children. (SFC)
## Trivia

* Kaori is likely named after the identically-named character from the manga *AKIRA*, which was a large inspiration for The Outsider.
* Kaori appears in the chapter's Game Over sequence, calling out to her brother as he dies. This would suggest the existence of a psychic bond between the two.