Lunar Month

NAME: Syaoran.
NICKNAMES: Brat; kid; "Syaoran Li".
AGE: 14 (Syaoran), 21 ("Syaoran" Li).
DATE OF BIRTH: April 1 (given birthday by Sakura), Unknown (actual birthday).
NATIONALITY: Japanese and Chinese.
GENDER: Male.
OCCUPATION: Archaeologist; Oni Hunter.
KNOWN RELATIVES: Fujitaka (Adopted father, deceased), Sakura Kinomoto (Mother), Syaoran Li (Father), Clow Reed (ancestor, deceased).
RESIDENCE UNTIL START OF JOURNEY: Tomoeda (Original residence), Japan; Kingdom of Clow.
POWERS AND ABILITIES: Highly skilled martial artist, Expert archeologist, Skilled Swordsman, Excellent use of magic, spells, barriers, and detection.

As a young child he was found in the street by the kindhearted archeologist, Fujitaka. At that time he had no name, no memories of his past, and no sight in his right eye. Fujitaka readily adopts him as a son and names him Syaoran. The two travel across the country for excavation work which leads Syaoran to meet Princess Sakura of Clow Country. Even though Syaoran is blunt and emotionless from his mysterious past, Sakura takes an immediate interest in him. Instead of pitying him or rejecting him for not having memories or a birthday, Sakura readily gives Syaoran her birthday (April 1st) so they can share it and tells him that it doesn't matter if he has no memories--they can create many happy ones together. Because of her warm friendship, Syaoran is able to smile for the first time and her friendship becomes the thing he cherishes most in life.

Although he does become increasingly cheerful and friendly, Syaoran feels he is a burden to others because of his inferiorities and is constantly concerned about worrying his father or upsetting Sakura when he hurts himself. And though Sakura urges him not to hide his pain and tells Syaoran to let her worry about him, even later in the journey Syaoran hides his true feelings because he doesn’t want to trouble others or make them sad. Ashura-ou at one point warns him that if he continues keeping things to himself "nothing will change."

To compensate for his lack of reliable depth perception (due to being blind in his right eye) he asks for fighting lessons from Seishiro in exchange for translating books. Syaoran is shown to be an excellent fighter despite his blind eye, and his style is centered around his devastating kicks. Later on in the journey he also asks Kurogane to teach him swordsmanship so that he can become stronger. The sword Syaoran uses is called Hien, "scarlet flame."

Heavily due to his bond with his adoptive father, Syaoran is also an aspiring archaeologist with the attendant skills and experience of a hardened adventurer somewhat reminiscent of Indiana Jones. One of his quirks is taking an animate interest in history and is often very excited when they stumble on new books or artifacts in the countries they visit. His knowledge is useful on their journey so that he can read on leads to Princess Sakura's feathers.

It's obvious in the first chapter that Syaoran and Sakura are both in love with each other romantically and though Sakura is on the verge of confessing, Syaoran seems embarrassed at her wish to be called "Sakura" instead of "Princess" and he tells himself it's wrong to be in love with a Princess. He even turns down Sakura's offer to live in the castle with her after Fujitaka died, because he said only people with royal blood should live there. After she loses her feathers, Syaoran takes an uncomfortable backseat as her protector instead of "precious friend," and when Sakura shares with him the memories she gains (which exclude him) he's noticably hurt.

Although body memories aren't explained until Sakura unconsciously kisses Syaoran's sore eye, they can be seen much earlier in the series. She isn't supposed to know him, but Sakura is often shown intimately taking his hand, leaning towards him, or touching his face. And though most of these body memories result in excessive blushing, some are caused by Syaoran hiding his pain from her or pushing himself too hard.

But despite the misery he feels from the fact that Sakura will never remember him, Syaoran continues to fight passionately for his "most precious person."

These desires come to a complete stop when the magical seal in his right eye breaks. It's revealed that Syaoran is actually a clone of "Syaoran" Li II, and was created by Fei Wong Reed in order to collect Princess Sakura's feathers. The seal on his eye also contained a piece of "Syaoran"'s heart but the exact impact this heart had on Syaoran isn't entirely clear yet.

Although "Syaoran" tells him "the reason you consider that Sakura most precious to you doesn't come from my heart, it comes from you!" Syaoran loses that part of himself completely in exchange for his desire to collect feathers. Kakyou and Seishiro both comment that he ignores "pain of the body and the heart" in order to achieve his goal. This, along with the magical eye he steals from Fay D. Flourite, makes Syaoran impossibly strong but horribly ruthless. After he ignores Sakura's heartbreaking pleas of not leaving, Syaoran is depicted as an emotionless figure covered in blood while he stands in the devasting aftermath of the worlds he effortlessly destroys for feathers.

While searching for feathers in the Dream World Syaoran impales Sakura with his sword but his body refuses to kill her completely because of his body memories. He aims to kill "Syaoran" for the feathers instead but Sakura throws herself directly in the line of both their swords, resulting in Syaoran inadvertently stabbing her through the heart.

Syaoran is last seen screaming in agony and clutching a Sakura petal. His current location is unknown.

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, Yuuko 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...". 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. Yuuko 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 Seishiro, 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, Seishiro 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 Seishiro, 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 Yuuko 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.

In a flashback, "Syaoran" is revealed to be the son of individuals also named "Sakura" and "Syaoran". He was sent to Yuuko 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 Yuuko 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. 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. Syaoran also bore his father's name after he was given the sword.

Nadeshiko and Fujitaka (Sakura's parents) claim that both "Syaoran" and "Sakura" will change each other's destiny.

Later, 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 (similar to what happened in chapter 1). Then, Sakura has a vision of "Syaoran" running towards her desperately in the ruins. Returning back to the present, "Syaoran"'s running figure is reflected in her eyes while she is still having a vision; and she screams out his name. Sakura falls down suddenly, to "Syaoran"'s horror. She warns 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 Wong Reed 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 her name. Syaoran suddenly remembers how he cannot touch her, and hesistates. Fei Wong tells Syaoran that his moment's hesitation right there decided his path from here on. Black "goop" forms the shape of wings around Sakura, sealing the "Seal of Death" onto Sakura. When the seal fully covers her body, 'that moment will be the last'. A furious Syaoran uses his spell Raitei Shourai on Fei Wong. Fei Wong quickly counters, knocking Syaoran to the ground using just a finger. At the end of the chapter, Syaoran is seen disappearing back into his home world, uttering Sakura's name.

In chapter 197, Syaoran was returned to Yuuko's shop dying (he used his strength to stop the dimension travelling). Syaoran was cured by Yuuko with a price which his father paid. But then, Syaoran wished to go to Clow country to remove the seal of death from Sakura. Yuuko's price is that Syaoran would never go back to Japan while there exists none in Clow Country who can cross dimensions. At the end of the chapter, Syaoran agreed, thus, leaving his family and the happiness he is bearing.

When Syaoran arrives back in Clow Country, he is reunited with Sakura. Seven days have past since the cleansing finished. Beginning to tear up after seeing the seal on her chest, he grabs her hand and pulls her close into an embrace. Sakura blushes madly, but eventually hugs him back. They are shown holding hands, until Syaoran has a talk with Sakura's mother, and Sakura goes off to tell her father of Syaoran's arrival. Although Sakura's mother explains that she can only see the seal of death, Syaoran claims that he can see it as well - most likely what Fei Wong Reed intended. Enraged with Fei Wong Reed, Syaoran states that he will search the country for a way to remove the seal, and won't allow Sakura to die.