Kaname Chidori - Character History

Character History

In the light novels, it is mentioned that her father and younger sister live in New York. Her mother died of cancer roughly 4 years before the start of the series. Shortly after that Kaname ran away from home but returned the next day. Kaname's relationship with Shizu, her late mother and Ayame, her younger sister, is apparently friendly, but she is more tense towards her father, Shunya, who works for the United Nations as its environmental High Commissioner. Her late mother's family also seems to have strained relations with the Chidori family, at least until her grandfather from that side makes amends. Because of her sensitive past, she develops a tough-lady attitude, which helps her deal with her past and survive several life-threatening situations. In the novel A Dancing Very Merry Christmas and in the Full Metal Panic! Anime Mission fan book, it is also revealed that she shares her birthday with Tessa on December 24, 1984 (Christmas Eve).

Kaname lives alone in her own apartment across from the complex at which Sousuke stays . She takes on multiple part-time jobs and sometimes invites friends to join her, which often ends with a catastrophe because of Sousuke. She begins attending Jindai High School at the age of 15 and is in her second year at the start of the storyline. She leads a normal lifestyle and is the class representative and vice president for the student council. She is quite popular at school. However, after Sousuke is transferred to her class, her life is turned upside down and she becomes involved in various Mithril operations. Kaname's bravery and determination come to a head in the climax of the novel Continuing on My Own. Following Sousuke's defeat by the hands of Leonard Testarossa, she gives herself up to Leonard and Amalgam to save his life. As she is picked up by the Belial's giant hand, she whispers something to Sousuke before being whisked off. After being taken by Leonard, she is imprisoned by Amalgam at an island villa. In the novel Come Make My Day, Sousuke arrives at the island in order to save her, but is unable to do so as she is taken away in a helicopter.

In the novel Approaching Nick of Time, the origin of the Whispered is revealed to be caused by an accident during a Soviet experiment using an Omni-Sphere that occurred on December 24, 1984, when all the Whispered were born. Leonard Testarossa takes Kaname back to the Omni-Sphere after recovering from wounds in Come Make My Day. She is then forced to resonate with Sophia, a key Whispered, who overtakes Kaname's personality. Under Sophia's control, Kaname is shown the illusion of shooting and killing Tessa and Sousuke, and then leaves with Leonard for Merida Island, where Amalgam has built a machine to utilize the final ability.

Still under the influence of Sophia, in novel Always, Stand by Me - Part 1, Chidori feverishly assist in creating the TARTAROS, Telechrono Alternation Reactor Transfer and Response Omni-sphere, the largest and most powerful TAROS in the world. As weeks pass during construction of TARTAROS, she begins to forget of Sousuke's meaningful existence and still believes he and Tessa are no longer alive. With Sophia overtaking her personality, she constantly feels an internal resistance to her defensive fiery personality that normally dominates her as the 'real' Kaname Chidori. She even so much as allow Leonard to almost kiss her, however she rejects him at the last minute feeling an overwhelming 'dreadful unpleasant feeling' as if someone internally was angry at herself. In Amalgam, Chidori is no longer treated as a prisoner but a leading savior to bring forth their new 'peaceful world' using the TARTAROS which she devotedly tells them her motto I'll grant everyone's wishes. However, she is completely unaware that Sousuke is pursuing her or even aware of the very existence of Sophia camouflaged inside her.

In Part 2, Sousuke is able to get an open communication to Kaname. He calls to inform her that he is coming for her, when she retorts back that it's too late and she is going to change the world, he calls her liar and a coward. While annoyed, Kaname enters the TARTAROS anyway and activates the machine. While there though, Kaname's true personality comes out at Sousuke's words in her mind and she and Sophia argue about wether to change the world or not. Sophia shows the images of her friends all dying or about to die. Finally the image of Sousuke's death propels her to give up and she sees what the new world holds. Her family whole and her mother alive again, she goes to school and is confessed to by Sousuke but as just as they are about to kiss, she notices that he doesn't have the scar. She makes the realization that this is not HER Sousuke. She then reverts the world to back to what it was and then faints. Eventually Tessa is able to recover her and take her off the island where she rests and recovers for two weeks before returning to Tokyo.

She goes back to her room and gets her uniform and goes to school where graduation is happening. Her friends all welcome her back. When they ask where Sousuke is, she is about to tell them that he died when he arrives. He goes up to Kaname and tells her that he will always be her guard and reminds her of her promise when Leonard took her in Mexico, that when they next saw each other they would kiss. Unfortunately, Kaname is too embarrassed, so Sousuke grabs her and kisses her with the entire crowd cheering.