Tsukikage Yuri

Tsukikage Yuri is the person 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).

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.

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 doublelife 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 detransformed after an attack from Cure Moonlight, 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 hit with Dark Cure's attack. 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 occured 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 againts 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 stupidy 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 Sabaku arrives and takes Dark Cure away. Meanwhile the rest of the Blossom, Marine and Sunshine are loosing 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 recover and use Shining Fortissimo to end the battle. After the battle Cure Moonlight returns to the Great Heart Tree and sees Cologne one last time saying goodbye before he vanishes into points of light and floating away.

Trial of the Super Silhouette
During the trail to gain the Super Silhouette for their Super Pretty Cure forms, Cure Moonlight and the others had to fight a part of themselves. Cure Moonlight had to battle her pain and guilt over loosing Cologne and fight all the time alone. Cure Moonlight passed her trail 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 errected a statue of Cure Moonlight in recognition of her passing the ultimate test.

Cure Moonlight
"The flower that glistens in the moonshine, Cure Moonlight!" 月光に冴える一輪の花、キュアムーンライト！ Gekkou ni saeru ichirin no hana, Kyuamuunraito! 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 early past, 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. Later on in the series, she becomes Heartcatch Precure 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.

Attacks
Except for purification attacks, Cure Moonlight can use offensive attacks on her own for fighting use:

Moonlight Reflection (ムーンライトリフレクション): Cure Moonlight shoots out silver laser lights with palms, directly toward enemy's attacks, and reflects them back.

Moonlight Silver Impact (ムーンライトシルバーインパクト): 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 all over 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 ichirin no hana, HātoKyatchi PuriKyua...Sūpā Silhouette!!" 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.

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, they do not seem that close, but it is later revealed that they are best friends.

Tsukikage Haruna: The disappearence 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.

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

Cure Moonlight: Despite the theme of Heartcatch Pretty Cure! being flowers, moonlight is the light that comes to Earth from the moon.

Songs
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. However, there will be a new single with new character songs for Itsuki and Yuri.
 * FULL MOON ~Tsuki ga Michi Rumade~
 * MOON ~Gekkou~ ATTACK

Trivia

 * As Amaryllis is shown after she tells Tsubomi her heart flower stopped blooming, it is widely believed that Amaryllis is her Heart Flower. However, when Cure Blossom looks at her Heart Flower it shows wilted lilies.
 * Being 17 year old, Cure Moonlight is be the oldest on-going Cure in the franchise. She is also the second oldest Cure overall, losing only to former Cure Flower.
 * It is speculated by fans that Cure Moonlight's name comes from the fact that the moon manipulates the sea, which Cure Marine has the power of, in the case that Cure Sunshine has the name of the sun which keeps life in flowers, which Cure Blossom controls. Because of this, many fans believed Cure Sunshine to be Cure Moonlight's partner in her generation. However, Cure Sunshine belongs to the newest generation of Pretty Cure, despite her name theme matching Cure Moonlight rather than Cure Blossom and Cure Marine. But if she is indeed Cure Sunshine's partner, it would fit because the sun and moon are opposites.
 * The remaining fragment of Tsukikage Yuri's Pretty Cure Seed resembles a cresent moon, referring to her alter ego, Cure Moonlight.
 * Although Cure Moonlight's powers are the same as the rest of the Cures, her outfit is very different from theirs. This might be explained by the fact that Cure Moonlight is from the generation before.
 * Cure Moonlight may be more similar to Cure Passion than Cure Sunshine, for she is more out of place than Itsuki. Her outfit also resembles Cure Passion's more than Cure Sunshine's, as it splits below the hips just like Cure Passion. She is also the fourth Cure to fight alongside the heroines in Heartcatch Pretty Cure!.
 * Although Cure Moonlight's theme colour is believed to be purple due to her Pretty Cure Seed, there are times where her theme colour is shown to be silver such as in her attacks. She is thus a rare Cure who has 2 theme colours.