Syaoran (Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle)

From CardCaptor Sakura

"Syaoran" is the main protagonist in CLAMP's fictional, crossover manga series Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle and its subsequent anime, Tsubasa Chronicle. His characterization here is mostly independent of his characterization in Cardcaptor Sakura and is discussed further below. He is voiced by Miyu Irino in the Japanese version, and by Jason Liebrecht in the English version. His given name, Syaoran (Chinese pinyin: Xiǎoláng) means Little Wolf.

"Syaoran" has also appeared in Clamp's xxxHolic.

Contents 1 Story 2 "Syaoran" Li 2.1 Events prior to the beginning of the story 3 Syaoran in xxxHolic 4 Spells 5 Trivia 6 References

[edit] Story

In Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, Syaoran is an archaeologist who is excavating ruins in the country of Clow. When his childhood friend, Princess Sakura, visits the ruins with him one day her body triggers a chain of mysterious events that lead to a desperate situation. To save Sakura he must pay the price of "their relationship" in order to cross through worlds and collect her memories.

But for what's just the beginning for Syaoran and Sakura is already the middle for "Syaoran" Li who has been waiting seven years for his story to continue. Although imprisoned "Syaoran" has been watching Syaoran's journey through their shared eye and so when the time comes to break free of Fei Wang Reed, "Syaoran" begins fighting for the sake of more than one person....

[edit] "Syaoran" Li

The original Syaoran appears as a tattooed figure floating in a tank in Fei Wong Reed and Xing Huo's headquarters (who, instead of being blind in his right eye, was blind in his left due to him ripping it out). He was kidnapped and held captive by Fei Wong Reed so that he could make a clone of 'Syaoran.' Because 'Syaoran' knew of Fei Wong Reed's intentions, he was sealed in a chamber while The Clone is sent to Clow Country without any memories. He remains in this tube for roughly 120 chapters, until he regains his power and escapes. With the assistance of Xing Huo, he is sent to the Witch of Dimensions, Yūko Ichihara (he can be seen making a cameo appearance in Volume 9 of xxxHolic). It is then revealed that he is the original Syaoran and was captured and cloned by Fei Wong Reed.

After The Clone becomes an antagonist, Syaoran takes the role of protagonist of the series (now simply known in the series as "Syaoran") and becomes a "leader" of the group, like The Clone was, in order to stop Fei Wong's plans. However, as Syaoran continued to lead the journey with Sakura and the others; Sakura acts very distantly with him and did not see him as a new companion. It is revealed that she acted so coldly towards him because of a vision she saw when Fay touched her back in Tokyo. She finally does call him "Syaoran-kun" (which she used to call the Clone) at the end of the Infinity Arc, saying she heard from Mokona that he too is called Syaoran. Syaoran at first attempts to deny it, saying, "No, I... Right..." ^[1]. Sakura's addressing of Syaoran causes Syaoran to think she was leaving because of him. She denies this, but then Fay, possessed by a curse, stabs her. It is later revealed by Fei Wong Reed (and Sakura, in xxxHolic), that Fay was supposed to stab Syaoran, but Sakura changed the future so that the curse was activated before this event.

When Sakura was stabbed, she split up her body and soul. Yūko tells Kurogane, Fay, Mokona, and Syaoran that the body should be rescued first, then the soul. The group then travels to Celes country (where Fay is originally from) to retrieve Sakura's body. Syaoran develops a severe headache upon arrival, and collapses due to it. This headache is connected to Watanuki, as shown in xxxHolic. It, however, does not stop him from protecting Sakura's soulless body from Ashura, who uses his magic to show Syaoran, Kurogane, and Mokona visions of Fay's dark past.

After King Ashura's defeat, the Tsubasa group returns to Nihon Country where Syaoran wakes up to find Sakura's soulless body in a magical sakura tree which heals the wound Fay gave her. This puts Syaoran at ease for the time being until the arrival of Seishirō, who had sensed Fay's vampire blood. He then goes into battle against his clone's former teacher, proving he too has learned from him by looking through The Clone during his captivity. Before the fight, Seishirō remarks how much Syaoran is like his father, referring to Syaoran's true father and not Fujitaka. Syaoran enters this fight to get back the feather from Outo country. After Syaoran unleashed his ultimate spell (all four of his elemental spells combined) on Seishirō, he reclaimed the feather and was sent into the Dream alone to rescue Sakura's soul.

Within the Dream, Syaoran found Sakura and encounterd The Clone, who had just entered, looking for feathers. The Clone sensed the feather from him and both of them quickly summon their respective blades. The Clone attacked both Syaoran and Sakura, despite Sakura's pleas for The Clone to stop. Syaoran then placed Sakura in a protective wind barrier and then announced to The Clone that since they are one in the same, he will end their dispute once and for all.

As they both reach to grab the feather and strike each other, Sakura gets in the way and saves him from being stabbed by The Clone. As he screamed out in horror, she told him that she was not the real Sakura, merely a clone [a clone of both body & soul]. The Clone Sakura said to the real Syaoran, "Your Sakura is waiting", then she falls into the arms the Clone and confesses her love for him.

After that, Syaoran fell down as he was released from the black goop that invaded the area for the short time Kyle appeared. Fay rushed over to help Syaoran up and then Syaoran glares hard after Fay informs them that The Clone disappeared.

After this, the clone situation regarding Sakura is explained further. Syaoran asks Yuuko to tell them where both of the Sakuras are. He then confidently remarks: "I'll never allow Sakura to die". Kurogane, Fay, and Mokona then agree to help him on what appears to be their final stop. Of course Yuuko says there is a price, which has already been paid for by Watanuki. He paid his memories of his past which is why when he was in the Dream World with Sakura's clone soul he didn't remember his parents' names at all. It was paid beforehand.

He later then sits on a roof remembering Sakura and thanks Fay for being a form of a big brother to her. When the group prepares to leave, Fay and Kurogane wearing their original outfits, Syaoran makes an appearance. The surprise is what he is wearing: the clothes from Clow Country, which Clone Syaoran has only worn beforehand in Tsubasa. Mokona mentions "Those clothes.." and Yūko continues on to say that they are Syaoran's clothes that she had held on to. As well, it should be noted that the outfit 'Syaoran' is wearing is exactly the same as the controversial scene from the beginning of Tsubasa, with 'Syaoran' and Original Sakura separated in a tube. This leads to assumption that 'Syaoran' is about to meet Original Sakura in the tube later. He, Kurogane and Fay then depart to Clow country to save Sakura. Inside the ruins, 'Syaoran' imparts the story of his meeting with Sakura to Fai and Kurogane. Kurogane asks if it is information they will need to know for the battle ahead. "Syaoran" respons by saying that it is one of the reasons, the other being that "Syaoran" has witnessed both Fai's and Kurogane's pasts (through the vision Ashura-ou showed them, and through the eyes of the Clone in Rekord country). He continues the story. When he is finished, he explains that by breaking that taboo he may have altered both Fai and Kurogane - Fai may have been born without a twin and Kurogane's parents might still be alive. He asks Fai and Kurogane if they still want to be with him. Kurogane lightly punches Syaoran on the top of the head as his way of saying yes, and Fai also agrees that he will stay with Syaoran.

[edit] Events prior to the beginning of the story

"Syaoran" is revealed to be the son of Sakura Kinomoto and Syaoran Li from Cardcaptor Sakura.^[2] He was sent to Yūko by his father because his mother had a dream of someone waiting for him. His mother pays the price to allow him to travel to Clow Country, and he then meets Princess Sakura there. He was told by Yūko he would only be able to remain there for seven days before he was transported back to his world: after that, Syaoran would have to make a choice. Syaoran always gives his name as "Li Syaoran", which is his father's name.^[3] His sword is also revealed to be his father's original jian sword. His father gave it to him before he was sent to Clow Country.^[4]

Due to the revelation of him being the son of Syaoran Li, and not actually having the same soul as him; it complicates CLAMP's "soulmate" rule. He is not actually "Syaoran", he is but the son of the actual Syaoran. The end of chapter 190 proves that "Sakura" and "Syaoran" are destined for each other as the last page states he is "Sakura-hime's destined person". Nadeshiko and Fujitaka (Sakura's parents) claim that both Syaoran and Sakura will change each other's destiny. Chapter 191 hints at the "Sakura" of Clow Country actually NOT being Sakura. When Syaoran exclaims that Sakura looks exactly like his mother, Sakura Kinomoto of Cardcaptor Sakura, and shares the same name, Sakura responds by saying "But... My name...". Syaoran responds with a typical "eh?", though Sakura shakes it off and immediately changes the subject.^[5]

The beginning of chapter 192 shows "Syaoran" having a dream/flashback - having the conversation with his father about going to Clow Country. "Syaoran"'s father hands over his sword to "Syaoran", saying it is now "Syaoran"'s turn to bear it, along with "Syaoran"'s father's name. "Syaoran" asks if a time will come when he needs to use the sword, though his father doesn't respond. "Syaoran" wakes up. Touya (along with Yukito) comes in the room, teasing Syaoran again - telling him to put away the sword. "Syaoran" obeys this rule immediately, leading to Yukito saying he's a good kid. Yukito notices how "Syaoran" carried the sword inside of him, and how he has power as well as strength and purity of the heart. Sakura then tells "Syaoran" that she really wanted to hold his hand, but due to the cleansing; she's not able to. It is required for "Syaoran" to go home the day cleansing finishes, so she doubts she'll get to hold his hand. But she asks if it'd be alright to hold his hand if they get time. "Syaoran" agrees. He tells her how to make pinky promises, leading to them making a pinky promise (although they don't actually touch).

At the end of the chapter, there is a lone page of Yuuko gazing at the moon. She explains, "Syaoran.. The choice you make on the seventh day.. will determine your future. And the future of one other." A panel of a child Watanuki appears beside her.

At the end of chapter 193, Sakura takes "Syaoran" up to the top of the castle, to show him the stars. Her eyes suddenly go blank, and her body rises up in the air - she hears the sound of bells coming from the ruins (like chapter 1). In chapter 194, a page is shown of what Sakura is seeing in the future, which includes "Syaoran" running towards her desperately in the ruins. Returning back to the present, "Syaoran"'s running figure is reflected in her eyes (she is still seeing the future); and she screams out "SYAORAN!!". Sakura falls down suddenly, to "Syaoran"'s horror. She tells him it's too dangerous, and to stay back; although Syaoran doesn't know what it could be that is dangerous.

"Syaoran" is aware that something bad is going to happen on the 7th day, and he has been granted permission to go to the cleansing grounds with Sakura on that day; in order to protect her. The cleansing grounds have permitted his presence, so he is able to enter - even though nobody else (not even the priest) is allowed in the 7th day.

During the seventh day, "Syaoran" enters the Ruins with Sakura, who seems to remember nothing of the previous night's vision. When inside the Ruins, Fei Wang opens a rift and attempts to abduct Sakura, but the water protects her. "Syaoran" runs towards Sakura, yelling at her to open her eyes, before screaming "SAKURA!!" as he had in the vision. Syaoran attempts to grab her but hesitates, knowing he cannot touch her. Fei Wong places "the seal of Death" on her (the seal is the wings image seen in Sakura's visions in the first chapter). Fei Wong states this means Sakura's days are numbered from that point. Syaoran attempts to attack Fei Wong but Fei Wong reverses the attack, injuring Syaoran. Before Syaoran can react, he is returned to his own world. Syaoran then wishes to return to Clow Country to attempt to save Sakura from her fate. The price was never seeing his parents or anyone he knows from his home world, unless someone in Clow country learns to travel between worlds.

Seven days later, "Syaoran" returns to Clow Country, in the Ruins, where Sakura is waiting for him. Sakura states she had been waiting for seven days, and that the purification is over. Sakura reaches out to "Syaoran" but he hesitates before hugging her (much to her surprise). Sakura takes "Syaoran" back to the palace, where Nadeshiko tells "Syaoran" that she can see the engraved seal Fei Wong had cast on her, and that "Syaoran" must be able to see it because Fei Wong wants him to. "Syaoran" vows to find a way to break the seal before it engulfs Sakura completely.

The next flashback occurs seven years after. Syaoran returns from visiting another country, trying to find a way to remove the seal. The scenes shown here are almost identical to the scenes shown in the first chapter, but instead of picking up a photo of Fujitaka, Syaoran picks up a photo of his parents, just as Sakura arrives. The two talk for a while, with Sakura about to tell Syaoran something, before deciding that it can wait until her birthday. As she leaves, Syaoran notices the black wings have almost fully grown.

On Sakura's fourteenth, everyone gathers in the ruins for Sakura's "coming-of-age" ceremony. Syaoran wishes her a happy birthday. However, at that point, the black wings rip out of her body (revealing her to be in the same dress hre clone was wearing in the dream world). Nadeshiko stops time, and dies doing so. Syaoran suddenly realises that had he grabbed Sakura's hand on the seventh day ritual, Sakura would not be in this situation, and wishes to go back to that day. The cost of the wish would be the time he spent with Sakura, the relationships he held with everybody (including his own parents) and the freedom, indicating that Syaoran would be held prisoner by Fei Wong. At this point, Sakura's magic circle appears beneath Syaoran as his time is rewound, and Watanuki appears, indicating that Watanuki is, in fact, the son of Syaoran and Sakua in the altered timeline^[6]. This is taken further in chapter 203, where Fei Wong explains Watanuki is going to replace Syaoran as the son of his parents, and that if Fei Wong cannot use either Syaoran or Watanuki, then he will simply create another Syaoran. Fei Wong then takes Syaoran away.

[edit] Syaoran in xxxHolic

Syaoran enters the xxxHolic manga storyline in Volume 9, when he visits Yūko after being freed by Xing Huo. In order to travel to the world where his clone is currently located, Syaoran pays with "the relationship", "the freedom" and "the time" (aka the time he spent in captivity, and the relationship with Sakura paid by the other Syaoran). It is later revealed that Syaoran was one of three people who paid a price (i.e. his freedom and time) to Yūko in order to save Watanuki's life after he had fallen out of a window. ^[7]

In Chapter 140, Watanuki realizes he cannot remember his parents' names, and holds his head in pain, in the exact same way as Syaoran in Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle. Syaoran is also shown telling Watanuki, "Don't disappear." What exactly this connection means has not yet been revealed.^[8]

In Chapter 146, a hand was hovering behind Sakura. Watanuki runs towards her, and the real Syaoran enters, indicating that that hand was the real Syaoran's hand. He comments that it is a dream, when suddenly, cherry blossoms begin to blow rapidly. A second hand appears, and before Watanuki is able to run to Sakura, the cherry blossoms slowly cloud his vision. The real Syaoran, as he holds Sakura, says to Watanuki, "No matter how painful it might be... I'll do everything in my might! So please..." Unfortunately, Watanuki does not hear the rest as he awakens in his own world.^[9]

In Chapter 174 of Tsubasa, it is revealed that Syaoran says, "So please... you, too, act according to what you believe in!"^[10]

Then in Chapter 181 of Tsubasa, it was revealed that Watanuki paid for the price to know the location for both of the Sakuras, his price was his memories of his past. That's why when he was in the Dream World with Sakura's clone soul he forgot his parents' names when Sakura asked something about his parents. Watanuki did this to pay back Syaoran after he paid a price to help save him when he fell out the window.^[11]

[edit] Spells

In Tsubasa Chronicle, "Syaoran" has more power and more control over his spells than his father had, such as using wind-based magic to fly and create protective barriers. He also appears to have a spell that is a combination of all four of his spells; whether it has a specific incantation or if it is a summoning of four spells separately to attack in unison is still unknown. He also does not need the paper seals to perform the spells. One reason to him seeming to be more powerful may be because he is older in this story than his father was in Cardcaptor Sakura.

"Syaoran's" incantations and spells from Tsubasa: RESERvoir CHRoNiCLE:
Lightning Based		Raitei Shourai!	Wind Based		Fuuka Shourai!
Fire Based		Kashin Shourai!	Water Based		Suiryuu Shourai!

[edit] Trivia

• The original Syaoran summons and uses his father's Jian sword in the manga, as well as his trademark "Shourai" spells, without the paper seals.
• Seishirō, in Tsubasa chapter 170, remarks that the real Syaoran is just like his father. Who Syaoran's real father is remained a mystery until the release of chapter 189, which revealed that the real Syaoran's parents are Sakura Kinomoto and Syaoran Li.
• There is a contrast between "Syaoran" and Watanuki in that when entering Yuko's shop, Watanuki gives his real name (and hence birthday, 四月一日 Watanuki, is written as April first), which in Clamp lore offers Yuko control of his destiny, whereas "Syaoran" gives a fake name. The scenes where they meet Yuko are very similar in most other respects (i.e Yuko's outfit, Maro and Moru's behaviour).

[edit] References

1. ↑ Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle chapter 189 reveals "Syaoran" uses the name "Syaoran Li", the name of his father.
2. ↑ Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle: Chapter 189
3. ↑ Chapter 189 in Tsubasa
4. ↑ Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, Chapter 192
5. ↑ Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, Chapter 191
6. ↑ http://ashura-sama.livejournal.com/53906.html?view=1275282#t1275282
7. ↑ Volume 9 in xxxHolic
8. ↑ xxxHolic Chapter 140
9. ↑ xxxHolic Chapter 146
10. ↑ Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle: Chapter 174
11. ↑ Chapter 181

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Timeline of events
Media	Chapters · Episodes · Media information
Theme Songs	BLAZE • Loop • IT'S • A Jet Waiting For Wind • aerial • amrita • synchronicity • Last Fruit
Locations	Clow Country · Celes · Nihon · Japan · Hanshin Republic · Koryo Country · Foggy World · Jade Country · Ōto Country · Edonis Country · Shara Country · Shura Country (Shara's past) · Piffle World · Rekord Country · Tokyo · Infinity • Dream World
Main Characters	Syaoran (Original, Clone) · Sakura · Kurogane · Fay D. Flourite · Mokona · Yūko · Watanuki · Fei Wong
Minor Characters	Xing Huo · Kyle Rondart · Tomoyo · Seishirō · Subaru · Kamui · Fūma · Fujitaka · Touya · Yukito · Clow Reed · Other characters

xxxHolic
Timeline of events
Media	Episodes
Theme Songs
Locations	Japan • Yūko's Shop • Dream World
Main Characters	Kimihiro Watanuki • Yūko Ichihara • Shizuka Dōmeki • Himawari Kunogi • Mokona Modoki • Kohane Tsuyuri
Minor Characters	Fei Wong Reed  · Clow Reed · "Syaoran" · Sakura