Kyo Sohma is a fictional character in the manga and anime series Fruits Basket. He transforms into an orange cat whenever he is hugged by a member of the opposite gender or if he is under a great deal of stress. The cat is not an animal in the Chinese Zodiac, but legend has it that the cat may have been included had the rat not tricked it. This may be the reason that he and Yuki Sohma (the rat) do not get along well. However, it is said that Kyo had made a bet with Akito Sohma that if he could beat Yuki, he would not be confined.
When his Juzu beads are removed, he turns into a grotesque rabbit-like monster with a revolting scent. After Kazuma Sohma (AKA Shihan or Shishou) removes his beads, Tohru Honda chases after him. After being injured by Kyo, she tells him that he's scaring her. But she also says that she wants them to be together, with Yuki Sohma
watching the whole time (in the anime). He changes back into a human and tells Tohru that his mother lied and told him that she loved him, but Kyo knew she was afraid. He said that he had no problem with his mother being afraid of his true form. Then he hugged Tohru and asked, "Why?" He changed into a cat and Tohru carried him home.
Nature
Shigure Sohma has said that the cat was the creature that was left out. His only purpose, he said, was to make the other Zodiac members feel better. 'Good' they think, 'At least I'm better off than him.' Kyo is short-tempered, competitive, impulsive and rude, but he also has a soft side that he doesn't like people seeing. He gets embarrassed quickly and is overprotective of those he cares about. Some of his classmates call him Kyo-Kyo (in episode three of the anime, which made him angry), Kyon or Kyon-Kyon (normally by Arisa Uotani), or Kyonichi which means 'Lucky Kyo', normally by Ayame Sohma and Shigure Sohma who both enjoy teasing him. An example would be that at one point Shigure pesters him about the reason he hates Yuki and Kyo stomps off to the forest, ready to cry. He also has a strong hatred for leeks, and the smell makes him sick. He also hates green onions and miso, unless it's in soup form. His mother committed suicide because she gave birth to Kyo. Kyo's father hates him with a burning heart, and said very cruel things to him. Kazuma is much more like a father to Kyo.
Kyo's secret
Kyo has known Tohru Honda's mother as a kid. She told him all about her story. Revealed to Tohru in Volume 20, he said that he saw her mom at a sidewalk corner, and he feels guilty about not grabbing her to save her. He tells Tohru that if he had just "held her close, she wouldn't have died." Komaki's (Kakeru Manabe's girlfriend) dad was the one in the car who killed Tohru's mom, and he died as well. Kakeru had a deep hatred for Tohru by this time, for he felt that she was "annoying" and that she felt that she was the only one who was affected by the accident. Kyo tells Tohru that she said, 'I'll never forgive you...', when she was trying to say, 'I'll never forgive you if you don't keep your promise to protect Tohru.' but, as her life slowly waned away, she was unable to finish her expression. Kyo ran back to Kazuma Sohma's home with the guilt of the fact that he'd killed Kyoko Honda (or so he thought). This was the reason that Shishou (Kazuma) took Kyo to the mountains to train. When Kyo returned, he decided that he wanted to shoulder all the guilt and blame to Yuki Sohma, who he'd already developed a deep hatred for, for being the Rat.
Relationships
Relationship with Tohru
The first time Kyo meets Tohru is when she also finds out about the Sohma curse. At first Kyo seems to hate Tohru and even shouts at her when she accidentally transforms him at school. Later he apologises for the incident due to the guilt of Kyoko's death. At the time, Tohru is unaware of his guilt. In episode 24 and 25 of the anime, and chapter 33 in the manga, Kazuma, Kyo's master at the dojo, arrives for reasons unknown to everyone at first. His reasons for being here are to reveal Kyo true form. He puts all his hopes on Tohru that she will "heal his heart". When he transforms into his true form, she is frightened and scared by the form. She purses him when he runs away from her. When she finds him she tries to convince him to come home and tells him she accepts him. She wants "to have our meals together, to study together and worry together...I just want us all to be together!!" When Kyo becomes human again, he embraces her and is overcome with joy.
As the story progresses, Kyo and Tohru become nervous and anxious around each other. While throughout the series, Kyo's strong affection for Tohru are quite obvious, he comes to realize he is in love with Tohru in volume 11 when Akito confronts him. Tohru later gets in a fight with Kagura and this pushes her to confess her feelings for Kyo. He brushes her feelings off saying that she made him disillusioned. As he walks off Tohru collapses into tears. In chapter 122 and 123, when Tohru tries to offer a hand of friendship to Akito, she falls off the cliff and hurts her head leaving her only half conscious. When Kyo comes to the scene, he finally admits his feelings for her. But being only half conscious, she didn't really understand what he was saying. When she becomes unconscious, Kyo kisses her and begs her to live.
Whilst Tohru is in hospital, Kyo attempts to visit her, only to have his own fear and Tohru's friends, Arisa (more commenly known as Uo) and Hana, change his mind. When she is discharged from hospital, Kyo waits for her outside. Tohru, due to the rejection of her feelings, runs away from him. Kyo runs after her and eventually catches up with her. He now fully confesses his feelings for her and kisses her. Then the two embrace and realise that Kyo hasn't changed into a cat. This was how the curse was broken.It is read "When one who was never loved is loved, that ancient promise nears the end" suggesting that the curse is broken when the cat is loved, seeing as the cat has never been truly loved by another.
At the end of the series, Tohru and Kyo can be seen living a happy life with a granddaughter.
Relationship with Parents
Kyo's Father
When Kyo's mother commits suicide, Kyo's father puts all the blame on Kyo. This is because she loved her child more then anything in the world. It is seen in volume 9 when Kazuma pays a visit to Kyo's father, he shifts all the blame onto his son for all the bad things that have happened to him. In chapter 126, Kyo tried to reconcile and apologise to his father, but is violently rejected. While the argument continues, Kyo come to realise that his mother was also shunned like he was. This somewhat hints that she may have committed suicide because of her protectiveness of Kyo. Towards the end of the confrontation, Kyo comes to realise what a pitiful man his father is and leaves. It is unknown whether or not the two have reconciled, most likely not.
Kyo's Mother
Kyo's mother was very protective of Kyo like when Momiji said "They'll become over protective or reject them compeletly " Kyo's Mother was over protective and loved her child more than anything in the world .Kyo's Mother eventually commited suicide . Kyo's dad blames Kyo so this .
