Tsukikage Yuri

Tsukikage Yuri (月影 ゆり) is a girl seen in Heartcatch Pretty Cure!, though is considered the fourth Cure to join the heroines, and throughout most of the first half of the season, she is clouded in mystery. She appears in the dreams of Hanasaki Tsubomi, Kurumi Erika and Myoudouin Itsuki before they become Pretty Cure. In the series, she is the first Cure to make an appearance, her identity being Cure Moonlight (キュアムーンライト).

Despite being the first Pretty Cure, she couldn't become one at first because in the battle with Dark Cure, her partner, Colonge, sacrificed himself to save her and ever since she saw that painful experience of seeing her friend die, her Heart Flower had wilted completely and her Pretty Cure Seed had broken, making her incapable of becoming a Pretty Cure. But later, she became a Pretty Cure again and revived her legacy as Cure Moonlight after she met Colonge again as a spirit. After reasoning with her and hearing her friends are in danger, she begged the Tree of Hearts to let her become a Pretty Cure again. After that and seeing Colonge again, her Heart Flower revived too. Her catchphrase is "I'll keep fighting, for everyone's heart!" (私は戦う, みんなの心のために！).

Life as Cure Moonlight
When Yuri was a child, she lived happily with her mother and father. Sharing her father's love for plants, she visited Hanasaki Kaoruko's botanical garden her whole life. However, her father disappeared mysteriously while searching for the Tree of Hearts in France, causing a small rift between Yuri and her mother Haruna. While searching for her father, she met Cologne, and she was chosen to become Pretty Cure with him. With the name Cure Moonlight, she protected the Tree of Hearts and was included in Kaoruko's secret past, the double life as Cure Flower. Despite her different situation compared to Cure Flower's, having to fight both Sabaku and Dark Cure, she was cheerful and positive about the result, ignoring Cologne's attempts to search for a partner to fight with her.

After many fights against the Desert Apostles, Yuri heard about the Heartcatch Mirage and went to the Pretty Cure Palace, readying herself to fight Cure Flower to earn the power-up item. There, however, she met Dark Cure, who had followed the Tree of Hearts to observe Cure Moonlight. They fight while Cologne protects Chypre and Coffret, but with the arrival of Sabaku, Cure Moonlight falls, and is about to be killed by an attack by the general. However, Cologne took the shot for her, disappearing in her hands. She continued to fight, but as she de-transformed after an attack from Dark Cure, she gave the Heart Perfumes to the fairies, telling them to go and find her replacement. Just as they run, her Pretty Cure Seed breaks, and she is almost hit with Dark Cure's attack but saved by Coupe. She found herself back at Kibougahana, but with a broken Pretty Cure Seed, no Heart Perfume and a wilted Heart Flower, she is incapable of becoming Pretty Cure again.

Aftermath
Although Cure Moonlight has not been seen since her downfall, the events that occurred before the Tree of Hearts occasionally appear in Tsubomi's dreams, the same day she becomes a part of Pretty Cure. Unknown to the new Pretty Cure, Yuri keeps the part of the Pretty Cure Seed as a charm while she lives a normal life as Kurumi Momoka's classmate. At the school, it is revealed that Yuri often takes notes from class for Momoka, who often works when school starts, and they are both at first name-basis.

Yuri seems aware that Tsubomi and Erika are the new Pretty Cure, as she gives them advice about friendship and courage while visiting the botanical garden that Kaoruko directs, without revealing her identity. When Dark Cure summons her Dark Tact to finish Pretty Cure, Yuri appears behind the girls so that only she can see her. Yuri seems to give her an unspoken request, which Dark Cure accepts, thereby leaving. Tsubomi and Erika wonder why she left, not seeing Yuri as she leaves, looking at her broken Pretty Cure Seed.



Rebirth of Cure Moonlight
After Pretty Cure obtains the Heartcatch Mirage, they ask Yuri to become a Cure again with the help of the Heartcatch Mirage and the miracle stored in the Heart Pot. However, Yuri refuses and makes them see her Heart Flower, completely wilted. With this, she returns home, not knowing that the girls have used their night to make each of their designs for her presentation at the fashion show. They are then called by the fairies to meet Kaoruko, who shows them an image of the Tree of Hearts, and a silhouette of Cologne there. Dark Cure appears to take down Yuri once and for all in all of this. Aware of this, Tsubomi, Erika and Itsuki decided to fight against her while Yuri is teleported to the Tree of Hearts to meet her late fairy partner. Once she is there, she meets Cologne's spirit, and she apologizes for her stupidity and for letting him down. Cologne, however, tells her how gentle her reasons are, and that she now knows the meaning of companionship. Then, hearing that Pretty Cure are losing, she decides to ask the Tree of Heart to give her back her powers as Cure Moonlight. The Tree of Hearts accept the request, and Yuri appears before Dark Cure, using the Heart Pot to transform into Cure Moonlight once more. A battle quickly erupted between Cure Moonlight and Dark Cure, ending with both using their respected Fortissimo attacks and Dark Cure falling to the ground injured. As Cure Moonlight plans to end the battle, when Sabaku arrives and takes Dark Cure away. Meanwhile Blossom, Marine and Sunshine are losing against Kumojaki, Sasorina and Cobraja. Cure Moonlight arrives and using a different battle tactic on each to gain the upper hand on them quickly in battle hurling them one at a time into a water fountain. This gives her team mates the time to recover and use Shining Fortissimo to end the battle. After the battle, Cure Moonlight returns to the great Heart Tree and Cologne vanishes after saying goodbye one last time.

Trial of the Super Silhouette
During the trial to gain the Super Silhouette forms, Cure Moonlight and the others had to fight a part of themselves. Cure Moonlight had to battle her pain and guilt over losing Cologne and fight all the time alone. Cure Moonlight passed her trial by accepting the sadness that still remains in her heart and by one day turning that sadness into love. Cure Moonlight returned to the Pretty Cure Palace which erected a statue of Cure Moonlight in recognition of her passing the ultimate test. Cure Moonlight along with Sunshine and Marine are forced to hold the Desert Devil at bay while Cure Blossom completes her test. The three fight managing to keep the Desert Devil off balance, buying time, and Cure Blossom arrives, having passing her test and all four summon their new forms, the Super Silhouette.

Part of the Team
Realizing her mistake of not taking Cologne's advice about having comrades, Cure Moonlight has now fully joined the rest of the Cures and has learned the strength to be gained from having friends help you in a fight. Since rejoining the rest she has become an aggressive fighter and tends to strike first in battle. When the group is having difficulty with defeating their enemy she is also the one the other look to for advice. This also becomes more apparent where she tells the others how to defeat the Desertrian she is the one that has noticed when and how it drops its own defenses. Yuri shows a more naive side to normal when a young boy is revealed to have written a love letter for Yuri. Yuri was oblivious to how the boy felt about her due to how she use to play with him when she was younger and saw him more as a little brother, due to her being an only child.

The Return of Dune
At Christmas, Dune returns to Earth and is after his power that Cure Flower sealed during their battle. With Cure Moonlight taking point they attack Dune seemingly getting the upper hand. As the dust settles Dune is still standing and then goes on the offensive against the Cures. Taking out Moonlight first quickly followed by Sunshine and Marine he then turns his attention of Cure Flower. Cure Blossom tries to stop him but is unsuccessful and also falls to his power. Dune and Cure Flower then fight but she also is no match for him in her weakened state and defeats her. Leaving for his fortress with Kaoruko the Cures are left defeated and unconscious. She awakens in the botanical gardens with the others which has been protected but Coupe and hiding them while they recover. When the girls go outside they are met with the shock of seeing their world as a desert. Yuri runs home and is shocked when she sees her apartment building has also fallen to the desert devils. The 4 girls reunite and all are feeling defeated, until Erika's sister Momoka rushes out of nowhere revealed to see her sister is alive. The girls then notice others arriving all of which had been saved by the Pretty Cures which included Itsuki's brother Satsuki. After being reminded of how much faith their friends have in the Pretty Cures Tsubomi declares the Pretty Cures will not give up. A Desert Devil arrives and the girls tell everyone to get into the botanical gardens, they transform and defeat the desert devil using Heartcatch Orchestra. Coupe joins the girls pointing to the sky indicating to the girls he knows where Kaoruko is and puts Cure Marine on his back to let them know he is going with them. Just as the girls are about to leave to rescue Kaoruko they're friends come out of the botanical garden to wish them luck. The Pretty Cures and their mascots arrive at Dune's fortress and begin fighting the Snackeys.

The Final Battle
Cure Moonlight along with Cure Blossom head towards Kaoruko to free her. Along the way they encounter Dark Cure waiting at the top of a pillar, Cure Moonlight tells Cure Blossom that she must defeat Dark Cure so she can finally overcome her former self. As the two prepare to fight, Sabaku arrives waiting to strike if Dark Cure needed help. The two fight and as Cure Moonlight starts to get the upper hand Sabaku shoots power dark energy at her. Cure Blossom, despite following the request from her grandmother she still attacks Sabaku. Chypre lunges at his face allowing Blossom to strike, as he removes Chypre from his face he sees Cure Moonlight about to make the final move on Dark Cure. He lunges into the path of the attack taking the hit, as the dust settles his mask falls to the floor revealing he is Cure Moonlight's long lost father, Tsukikage Hideaki. Dark Cure attacks Moonlight to prove she is the true one and the two use their Fortissimo attacks and using the strength from her friends Moonlight's power increases allowing her to beat Dark Cure with a mighty explosion.

As Dark Cure lays on the floor Moonlight runs to her father wrapping her arms around him. He tells her he does not deserve her embrace and explains he pitted blood sisters against each other where he created Dark Cure out of a piece of Yuri, making Dark Cure her younger sister. He goes and tells Dark Cure she can rest now as Moonlight watches with mixed emotions over her sister's death. Dune arrives and begins to battle her father, Moonlight joins the fight protecting her father from a barrage of energy shots from Dune. Blossom joins the fight only for Dune to create a dark energy bomb which explodes breaking the Pretty Cure transformation and leaving all three on the ground. As Dune prepares to do the same Yuri's father runs to the dark energy and uses himself to shield his daughter and Tsubomi from the explosion. He tells Yuri to look after her mother and as Yuri runs to her father, then the energy explodes leaving only tatters of her father's clothes. Enraged by Dune's actions Yuri prepares to engage him in battle only for Tsubomi to grab her arm begging her not to fight with anger and hatred. Yuri tells Tsubomi that she despises Dune because she has lost Cologne and her father. Tsubomi remind Yuri that the Yuri she looks up to would never fight out of anger and would not be willing to do what she is about to and gives Yuri the remains of her Heart Seed that Dark Cure possessed, helping Yuri remember that Pretty Cures fight with love. The two transform into Moonlight and Blossom and begin to battle Dune. Just managing to keep the battle equal between them until Dune shoots dark energy at them which exploded on impact. As the dust settle Marine and Sunshine are revealed to have saved them from the attack and they join Moonlight and Blossom in fighting Dune. All the Cures use their Forte Wave(and Burst) attacks against Dune followed by Marine and Sunshine combining to use Floral Power Fortissimo and Moonlight and Blossom to combine to use the same. All four hit Dune at the same time and then call forth the Heartcatch Mirage and use Heartcatch Orchestra against Dune.

Appearance
Yuri has long, straight dark purple hair with bangs brushed to the side. Her eyes are matching in color and worn with glasses. Her casual attire consists of a pink top beneath a white jacket with sleeves ending beneath the elbow. Along with dark blue denim Capri and a brown belt. Her shoes are plain white flats, and she can be seen with a royal-blue hair clip sometimes in her hair.

As Cure Moonlight her eyes and hair turn lavender. Her hair comes close to her knees with her bangs much larger in shape, sticking up with two amethyst roses on the side of her head. She wears a silver dress with a long flowing skirt in the back, adorned with a dark purple bow with matching trim, choker, ribbon on her silver boots, and ribbon on her left wrist, attached to a white wrist-let. Her sleeves are in two fluffy layers, with a gem heart attached to an amethyst rose which the Heart Pot turned into. She wears a single amethyst glove reaching past her right elbow, and has a ruffled amethyst skirt sticking out from the middle of her top skirt.

As a Super Cure, her hair lengthens even more, to near her ankles. On her head is a gold and purple crown-like headpiece replacing the roses with the Heartcatch! logo. The sleeves of her dress have also been altered, now resembling small white bird wings. Her skirt has become spiky and the glove on her right arm becomes white. All the purple and dark purple parts of her outfit become lavender while the rest become white.

Personality
Calm and composed, Yuri displays a cold personality to both Tsubomi and Erika. She is frequently at the top of exam scores at school, though does not seem to care about it. In the past, she used to be overconfident in her powerful abilities as Cure Moonlight, thinking that she did not need partners, though Cologne thinks that she simply did not want to burden anyone else with the task of becoming Pretty Cure. When Cologne sacrificed himself to save her, followed by her defeat against Sabaku and Dark Cure, the shock and trauma caused Yuri's Heart Flower to wilt completely. However, her cold and overly negative personality is only the outcome of her sadness, and her true personality is a much more content one. She had often thought that it was impossible for her to become a Pretty Cure again, even to the extent where she was quite stubborn about it, despite her maturity. Ever since she was able to become a Pretty Cure again, she spent a lot of time with the Pretty Cures. She then became more friendly and showed herself to be true and have some positive emotions.

Cure Moonlight
"The flower that shines in the moon's light, Cure Moonlight!" 月光に冴える一輪の花、キュアムーンライト！ Gekkō ni saeru ichirin no hana, Kyua Mūnraito!

Cure Moonlight (キュアムーンライト) is the Cure that Yuri transforms into. As the sole protector of the Tree of Hearts in the past, Cure Moonlight is said to be the "The Legendary Warrior" Pretty Cure by Sabaku. Cure Moonlight is also the strongest Pretty Cure said by Tsubomi. Cure Moonlight is capable of fighting with martial arts and use the attack Floral Power Fortissimo, which Cure Blossom and Cure Marine can only do together, and also use it for further use than purification. She is capable to fight evenly against Dark Cure, who is considered Sabaku's right hand. Along with this, she can use the attack Silver Forte Wave, and a solo version of Floral Power Fortissimo, as well as Floral Power Fortissimo with Cure Sunshine. Moonlight also performs Floral Power Fortissimo with Cure Blossom during the final battle against Dune. Later on in the series, she becomes Heartcatch Pretty Cure Super Silhouette along with Cure Blossom, Cure Marine, and Cure Sunshine is episode 38. In this form, they can use the group finisher, Heartcatch Orchestra.

When Cure Moonlight's Pretty Cure Seed is destroyed, she lost her power to transform. She can still fight using auxillary attacks, though it drains her energy since she cannot transform. She then recovered her powers to transform thanks to the Tree of Hearts and uses the lid of the Heart Pot to transform. Like the others Cure Moonlight can gain access to a cape which allows her to fly. However unlike the other Cures she gains hers by hitting her brooch on her outfit, and the Cure's fairies transform into their capes.

Attacks

 * -|Finishers=
 * Silver Forte Wave - The finishing attack that Moonlight uses to purify a Desertrian.
 * Floral Power Fortissimo - Her single finishing attack, or she uses it with Sunshine or Blossom.

Except for purification attacks (Silver Forte Wave & Floral Power Fortissimo), Cure Moonlight has also offensive attacks on her own for fighting use, some of them are unnamed.
 * -|Sub-attacks=
 * Moonlight Reflection - Cure Moonlight shoots out silver laser lights with palms, directly toward enemy's attacks, and reflects them back.
 * Moonlight Silver Impact - Cure Moonlight concentrates all her powers into her palm and strikes at the enemy; silver light will then shine, and the enemy is knocked away.

Super Cure Moonlight
"The flowers shining around the world, Heartcatch Pretty Cure, Super Silhouette!" 世界に輝く一面の花、ハートキャッチプリキュア・スーパーシルエット！ Sekai ni kagayaku ichimen no hana, Hātokyachi Purikyua Sūpā Shiruetto!

Super Cure Moonlight (スーパーキュアムーンライト) is the Super Silhouette upgrade Cure Moonlight receives after passing the trial in the Pretty Cure Palace. This form is obtained when the items called Heartcatch Mirage and Super Pretty Cure Seed are used.

Super Cure Moonlight has her purple color become shades lighter, and the accessory on her hair, as well as the emblem on her left shoulder, is slightly differed. The fabric covering her shoulders have also been altered, now resembling small white bird wings. Her skirt becomes somewhat spiky. In this form, she can use the group finisher, Heartcatch Orchestra.

Relationships
Sabaku: While they are viewed as enemies in the season's prologue, the opening sets Cure Moonlight and Sabaku together, hinting of a special relationship between them. This relationship is not revealed to be more than that of nemesity. However in episode 47 it was revealed that Sabaku was Yuri's lost father.

Dark Cure: Yuri's relationship with Dark Cure seems to be the antagonistic sort. However, just when Cure Moonlight's Pretty Cure Seed is destroyed, Dark Cure gets a shocked expression, hinting a deeper relationship between the two of them. Yuri herself does not know why Dark Cure has always been obsessed with her, though it is revealed that Dark Cure is the shadow of Cure Moonlight, who is the moon.

Kurumi Momoka: Although they are on first-name basis and Yuri often gives Momoka notes from classes she is absent from and accompany her during lunch. They do not seem that close, but it is later revealed that they are best friends.

Tsukikage Haruna: The disappearance of Yuri's father seems to have strained her relationship with her mother. Despite this, she deeply cares for her.

Cologne: Yuri's fairy partner. Cologne was present with Cure Moonlight when Dark Cure and Sabaku attacked the Great Heart Tree. When Cologne sacrificed himself to protect Yuri the trauma caused Yuri's heart flower to completely wilt due to the guilt she felt for being unable to protect her partner. Yuri's heart was unable to recover from this event until a miracle thanks to heart seeds collected by Blossom, Marine and Sunshine allowing Yuri to reunite with Cologne's spirit.

Hanasaki Kaoruko: Has been a mentor and confidant of Yuri's. She knows details of Yuri's past including the fate of Cologne. It was also Kaoruko's fairy Coupe who rescued Cure Moonlight when she lost to Dark Cure.

Etymology
Tsukikage (月影): Tsuki (月) translates to month; moon, a reference to her alter ego as Cure Moonlight. Kage (影) translates to shadow. Together, they translate to moonlight or moonbeams.

Yuri (ゆり): A name that has a vast variety of meanings depending on how it is written in kanji, and since Yuri's name is written in hiragana instead, it is impossible to find an exact meaning for it. The most common meaning is lily (百合), which would fit with the theme of Heartcatch Pretty Cure!. Also, as her Heart Flower is shown to be lilies, that meaning fits best

Her name means, "moonlight lily." or "moonbeam lily."

Cure Moonlight: Despite the theme of Heartcatch Pretty Cure! being flowers, moonlight is the light that comes to Earth from the moon. However, moonlight is necessary for a plant to survive because without it, a plant may be exposed to too much sunlight and lose water. Also, this pairs her up with Cure Sunshine as opposites like Cure Blossom and Cure Marine.

Songs
Yuri's voice actress, Hisakawa Aya, has provided her voice for several image songs for the character she voices. As a Cure, Yuri has an image song dedicated to her, though only one, compared to the rest of Pretty Cure's two songs, in which Myoudouin Itsuki has one image song and one character song. One of them includes a group song with Mizuki Nana, who voices Hanasaki Tsubomi, Mizusawa Fumie, who voices Kurumi Erika, and Kuwashima Houko, who voices Myoudouin Itsuki.

Singles

 * FULL MOON ~Until The Full Moon~
 * MOON ~Moonlight~ ATTACK (original version and Space Trip remix)
 * Moon Flower

Duets

 * Heart Seeds (along with Mizuki Nana, Mizusawa Fumie and Kuwashima Houko)

Trivia

 * Being 17 years old, Cure Moonlight is the oldest active Cure in the franchise (not counting Cure Ace in her Cure form). Overall, she is the fourth oldest compared to Cure Flower, Cure Ange and Cure Mirage.
 * In KiraKira☆Pretty Cure A La Mode, Kenjou Akira and Kotozume Yukari are the same age as Cure Moonlight.
 * Yuri's birthday is on May 19. Therefore, her zodiac is Taurus.
 * The remaining fragment of Yuri's Pretty Cure Seed resembles a crescent moon, referring to her Cure alter ego, Cure Moonlight.
 * Cure Moonlight has sometimes said, "Courage... Love... Friendship... Kindness... Sadness... Happiness..." though it is not common enough to be a catchphrase.
 * For the Pretty Cure All Stars DX3 Movie Character Polls held by Toei Animation, Cure Moonlight appeared in the following rankings:
 * 4th in "Favorite Pretty Cure"
 * 2nd in "The Pretty Cure you want to team up with most"
 * 1st in "The Pretty Cure you want to be most"
 * In the Pretty Cure All Stars Suite Flower Card Collection, Yuri is represented by the lily, which symbolizes unmatched beauty in the Language of Flowers.
 * Yuri appears as Cure Moonlight at the beginning of the fourth episode of Happiness Charge Pretty Cure!.
 * In the Heartcatch Pretty Cure novelization, it is revealed that Cure Moonlight named herself after Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.

Gallery

 * Main page: Tsukikage Yuri/Image Gallery