Kyuu

Kyuu (キュー) (also known as Number 9 (９番か)) is a recurring character in Beastars. She, along with San, is Louis's former cellmate from when they were raised as livestock and locked up with other herbivore children in the Black Market.

Appearance
Kyuu is a small, well-endowed lop-eared rabbit with colorpoint markings. She has light cream fur, with brown fur covering her muzzle and ears. A stripe of brown fur can also be seen going from her neck down to her stomach. She has thick, dark brown eyebrows and large brown eyes.

Kyuu typically wears a crimson tracksuit with two white stripes on the sleeves and legs, with a white tank top on underneath. Like Louis and San, Kyuu also has her livestock brand (the number "9") imprinted on her right foot. In the cover for Chapter 160, she can be seen wearing a long-sleeved crop-top, short denim shorts, and a choker with a heart-shaped pendant.

Personality
Kyuu appears to be cold and calculating, and is clearly hardened by surviving as a herbivore in the world of the Black Market. She shows no hesitation when it comes to taking on a larger predator like Legoshi and her skills even allow her to overpower him within seconds of meeting him. Although abrasive and distant, Kyuu does eventually drop her guard after recognizing Louis as her old friend, but refuses to apologize to Legoshi for attacking him and justifies her actions by saying that she was simply doing what it takes for a herbivore to survive.

Underneath her hardened exterior, however, Kyuu seems to have several insecurities about herself, particularly towards her mentor Gohin. It is, in fact, Legoshi's revealing of being his student as well that triggers her first emotional outburst since being introduced, showing that she has strong memories of him. Legoshi even believed at one point that she had romantic feelings for him, which Kyuu vehemently denies.

As Legoshi gets to know her more, it is revealed that she still sees herself as a weakling thanks to her inability to be big like carnivores. She trains Legoshi to try and see the true strength that he, a large carnivore, can possess. At one point, she tries to go as far as to kill a civilian to make Legoshi attack her all-out, only to be surprised, and mildly amused, when she learns of his dentures. After selling out his current predicament to Melon for a large sum of money, she expresses regret for doing so, believing herself to be weak and distrustful. She calls herself "petty and shameful" compared to Legoshi, who she deems straightforward and honest. She has shown to genuinely care for him now, as she was visibly touched by him trusting her enough to obey her command for him to "stay."

Equipment

 * Knives: Kyuu keeps a pair of butterfly knives hidden in her ears, and can dual-wield them with great skill. She also uses them for her imaginary chimera, in order to manifest claws.
 * Rope: Kyuu wields a long rope, which she uses with great skill. The rope is shown to be strong enough to not only choke large carnivores like Legoshi but also lift him off the ground without any sign of wear. Kyuu also uses the rope for her imaginary chimera; she spins it around very fast to make her body appear as a larger, more intimidating animal.

Skills

 * Imaginary Chimera: According to Kyuu, an imaginary chimera is when you "compensate for what you lack by conjuring an image" of a larger, stronger animal. Her chimera, in particular, is a mix between a panda and a rabbit (a reference to her master, who taught her the skill), which is conjured from strong feelings towards other species, Kyuu's, in particular, being hatred and envy towards carnivores. It is later revealed that this skill was taught to her by Gohin.
 * Knife Fighting: Kyuu is extremely skilled with her knives, able to dual wield them against larger animals without fear or hesitation. While never seen in the manga or anime, Kyuu has stated that she has used her daggers for dismemberment in order to sell opponents' body parts on the Black Market.

Trivia

 * Her name comes from the other Japanese pronunciation of the number nine (九 in kanji), 「く」meaning also "sufferance" (苦 in kanji).
 * By combining her name with San, the word "Sankyu" (「サンキュー」) is formed, which means "thank you" in Japanese.

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