Ryūko Matoi

Ryūko Matoi (纏 流子) is the main protagonist of the Kill la Kill anime and its manga adaptation. She is a nomadic transfer student who transfers to Honnōji Academy in search of the other half of a red Scissor Blade she carries, who murdered her father, Isshin Matoi.

Appearance
Ryūko is a teenage girl of medium height. She has mid-length, black, feathery hair and a single red streak on her bangs. Her blue eyes have peculiar gear-shaped pupils with eight grooves around the edges. Her outfit at the beginning of the series is a simple white shirt with a red ribbon tie, a black miniskirt, white sneakers, and a black jacket with white and black-striped, rolled up sleeves.

Her clothes are later replaced by Senketsu, a living, navy blue sailor uniform. Her shirt (Senketsu's upper jaw) is a crop top that bares her midriff. Her sleeves are rolled up and have two red stripes near the rims. She wears a sailor-style collar with red lines tied by a red ribbon. The ribbon also serves as Senketsu's "eye", folding into a triangular shape striped with red and yellow just above her left breast; her right breast is covered by a black "eyepatch" with an X-shaped scratch on it. Her skirt (Senketsu's lower jaw) is held up by three belts attached to her shirt. Aikurō Mikisugi later provides her with a Seki Tekkō (赤手甲), a red, fingerless, left-handed glove with a built-in syringe designed for Ryūko to conveniently draw blood and feed it to Senketsu.

Ryūko's appearance changes when using Senketsu's powers. Her hair becomes more feathery and is accented with red undertones. Ryūko's outfit also transforms into a black, scanty suit of armor with red stripes: her top covers her neck, arms, and upper chest, and is connected to her skirt by three red bands, leaving everything between her breasts and waist exposed. Her legs are covered with thigh-high boots. Senketsu's "eyes" extend into a wing-shaped crest on her chest; his left eye becomes yellow with an orange and red iris, while his right eye appears closed with a red stripe. On Ryūko's upper back is a red, triangular ventilation grill.

Personality
Ryūko displays herself to be a fierce school girl. She is not afraid of anything seemingly, shown in how she easily stands up to Satsuki Kiryūin and demands her questions be answered. She also shows no fear when she fights with the Boxing Club head who clearly overpowers her. Later on, she is shown to be quite embarrassed when she is forced to fight in her very revealing outfit, showing that while she is not afraid of fighting to her death, she is quite conscious of her body. She also shows fierce determination in finding her father's killer.

History
Ryūko lived alone with her father Isshin Matoi since an early age. One day she found him dead with a red Scissor Blade sticking from his chest, and spotted a long-haired woman running off with a blue Scissor Blade. Vowing revenge, Ryūko became a vagrant looking for clues behind the woman's identity and whereabouts.

Episode 1
Ryūko's search for her father's killer brings her to the city of Honnōji, where she enrolls in its academy as a transfer student. On her way to the school she encounters Mako Mankanshoku, who she ends up sitting next to in class. Mako informs Ryūko of the Student Council that rules the academy under its president, Satsuki Kiryūin. She immediately confronts Satsuki, showing her the red Scissor Blade used to kill her father, and is convinced by Satsuki's surprised reaction that she knows something about it. Ryūko is intercepted by council member Takaharu Fukuroda, who overwhelms her with the power of his Two-Star Goku Uniform.

Beaten and faced with the confiscation of her Scissor Blade, Ryūko flees to her old home near the city. As she laments her weakness, Ryūko is dropped down a trapdoor by her homeroom teacher Aikurō Mikisugi, who had followed her against her knowledge. She lands in a large basement atop a massive pile of clothes, the blood from her reopened wound seeping into it and awakening a Kamui—a living sailor uniform—created by her father. The Kamui springs to life and forcefully puts itself on her, craving more of her blood. Ryūko discovers that the uniform possesses immense power, and names it Senketsu.

Imbued with Senketsu's power, Ryūko returns to Honnōji Academy and battles Takaharu again in a boxing match, this time overcoming his Goku Uniform powers with Senketsu's indestructible armored form, and destroying his uniform with her Scissor Blade. She reveals to Satsuki that both her outfit and weapon are keepsakes from her father, and once more demands Satsuki to reveal what she knows. However, she is fatigued from her battle and retreats.

Powers and Abilities
Ryūko wields the scissor blade.