Kyou is a unique member among the Souma Clan. While he is able to transform into an animal, he’s the only Souma Clan member who transforms into an animal that isn’t a part of the Chinese zodiac. Thanks in part to Tooru’s story about the cat being tricked out of being a part of the Chinese zodiac, Kyou becomes a sympathetic character almost instantly in his quest to fit in with the rest of the Souma Clan. Also, we’re certain that it’s his ability to transform into a cat that’s made him so good at making rice balls.

Kyou’s sole goal is to be able to defeat Yuki. He actually took a sabbatical from his all-boys school in order to train so that he could return to the Souma Clan house and defeat Yuki once and for all. Unfortunately for Kyou, much like the story of how the Cat was tricked by the Rat, Kyou is constantly defeated and conquered by Yuki. He doesn’t look remotely close to beating him. Kyou knows the only way he can become a full-fledged member of the Souma Clan is by defeating Yuki, and he refuses to give up on those ambitions no matter how often he fails.

Kyou already has a fiancée, another member of the Souma Clan. Kagura Souma transforms into a boar, but because she is also a member of the Souma Clan, the pair do not cause each other to transform when they touch each other. Their relationship starts off sweetly because Kagura was the only one willing to stay with Kyou when no one else would. Nowadays, their relationship is the cause of many hilarious situations as Kagura’s infatuation with Kyou often turns cartoonishly violent. Even so, it’s entertaining to see Kyou use his martial arts to deflect Kagura’s attack only for her to have something else in her bag of tricks.

While Kyou may give off the impression that he’s learning to fight solely to defeat Yuki, that’s not actually true. Kyou has shown that his dedication to martial arts isn’t just a means to an end, but a passion that fills him with a great deal of pride and happiness. Much like Tooru, we can’t help but share in his excitement as he sings the praises of martial arts. Who doesn’t find passion infectious?

Between constantly fighting Yuki and being dragged into anything remotely competitive, Kyou is never short of competition, and he loves it. Alas, Kyou also has a tendency of losing anything he competes in, especially if it’s against Yuki. Nevertheless, it’s Kyou’s hyper-competitiveness that makes him the sort willing to engage in nearly any activity, and that has helped endear him to many of his classmates.