Shidou, Hikaru
Summary
Born on August 8 under the Leo zodiac sign, Hikaru Shidou is a fourteen-year-old girl with red hair, red eyes, and a height of 4'9" or 145cm. With blood type O, she enjoys ice cream and biology, while disliking spicy food and music. She spends her free time playing with her dog Hikari and practices kendo as part of her extracurricular activities, aiming to become a dog trainer. She is one of the three Magic Knights summoned to Cephiro by Princess Emeraude, serving as the knight of fire, a title that reflects her name which means Light of the Lion Shrine. As the smallest of the trio, she is often mistaken for an elementary school student and viewed as tomboyish by her peers. Despite her petite stature and seemingly naive demeanor, she possesses a fierce strength and a warrior’s spirit dedicated to protecting her friends and their happiness, even at the cost of her own life. This determination takes a heavy physical and mental toll on her as the series progresses and the brutality of war intensifies. She maintains a strong facade to shield Umi and Fuu, her most precious friends whom she met just before being dragged into Cephiro. As the truth behind their summoning emerges, Hikaru is forced to help Umi and Fuu kill Zagato and a grief-stricken Emeraude. Overwhelmed by pain and self-hatred, she inadvertently burns a shadow named Nova across the surface of Cephiro before being transported back to Earth. In the second season, she battles her other self, Nova, who is vengeful and possessive, while also navigating her growing feelings for Kail Lantis. Initially approaching Lantis with guilt over his brother’s death, she begs him to direct his hatred solely at her. When Lantis absolves her of blame, attributing the tragedy to destiny, she begins to fall for him without realizing it. Circumstances repeatedly bring them together, and it is only when Nova points out her love that Hikaru acknowledges her feelings. After a grueling mental battle to reforge a sword broken by Nova, she emerges victorious and confesses her love to Lantis while on the verge of passing out in his arms. Although she forgets the confession upon waking, her feelings remain, and Nova exploits them repeatedly. Despite the hostility between Cephiro and the invading nations, she befriends Eagle Vision of Autozam, serving as a bridge between the two sides. Both become candidates for the Pillar position, but Hikaru is chosen and wishes for an oppressive system to be replaced by one created by those who love Cephiro. In the manga adaptation, her feelings for Lantis are less mature, and she expresses a desire to marry both Lantis and Eagle Vision. The bond between her and Eagle Vision is stronger in this version, as she defeats him for the Pillar position and later saves his life against the Creator’s will.
