Waifu Wednesday: Chrome Dokuro (Katekyo Hitman Reborn!)

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Lilia Hellal
June 28, 2023
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I’m back at it again with a beloved “protect at all costs” type of gal this time around for Waifu Wednesday. I’ll be the first to admit that while Katekyo Hitman Reborn! offers up a delightful amount of potential Hump Day Hubby candidates, the same cannot be said for its rather limited and sidelined female characters. But that does not mean it’s a complete loss when you have Chrome Dokuro, an absolute cutie-pie whose badassery is a gradual but endearing build-up over time.

The only female guardian of Katekyo Hitman Reborn!’s main group will always have a special place in my heart for everything she is and represents.

Who is Chrome Dokuro?

Chrome’s position in Akira Amano’s signature Katekyo Hitman Reborn! series is established when she becomes a part of the Vongola Famiglia, taking on the role of the Tenth Generation Mist Guardian. Her initial appearance as a diehard loyalist to antagonist Mukuro Rokudo makes her an already interesting supporting character.

That is because she is not exactly like the rest of the members of the Kokuyo Gang, compiled as they are of mostly prison escapees. Chrome’s deal becomes apparent quick enough, particularly as her Romaji name (“Kuromo Dokuro”) is an anagram of “Mukuro Rokudo”, and from there, a touching and personal journey of becoming independent and strong in her own right begins.

Why we love her

Chrome has a very troubled past, with her childhood resulting in her being extremely closed off to everyone around her. She suffers from extreme shyness and disbelief in the kindness of others due to her neglectful upbringing.

That is, until Mukuro grants her another chance at life. Having been barely hanging on by a thread after a near-fatal car accident – which happened because Chrome has always been a sweetheart and intended to save a cat – Mukuro uses her as a vessel while he remains trapped in prison. But he does care for her over time — so much so that he lets her go to grow and develop as her own person upon becoming involved with Tsuna and company.

Having just recently discussed Hinata from Naruto, it should be clear that Chrome is not all that different from her. Both are shrinking violets, although in Chrome’s case she is extremely critical of herself. She actively deems herself as unworthy of any sort of time, effort or attention from anyone, and she goes out of her way to avoid being involved in any kind of social happening for this reason alone. But her low self-esteem and critical view of herself is what makes her such an endearing and captivating character for what it leads into.

Why you will love her

Chrome’s development is a lot more on the nose than you might expect, but that does not mean that it isn’t exciting to witness. This character development reaches its peak when we catch glimpses of her after the time-skip, where we see her hit her untapped potential as a powerful illusionist. Having once been dependant on Mukuro for providing her with new organs, she is now able to provide for herself.

While she once would follow Mukuro’s every order and feels forever indebted to him, this soon becomes a reason for her to get stronger. Chrome would no longer feel duty-bound to Mukuro but instead actively builds herself up to be able to stand alongside him – and we mean this literally when Mukuro separates himself from her entirely. Chrome works at becoming his equal in order to protect him and those she values most. Who she eventually becomes is a far cry from the timid and unconfident shrinking violet she was introduced as.

Chrome’s desire and drive in always wanting to be accepted and loved for who she is was always one of the most touching ambitions of any character of this series. How her parents did not give her any thought when turning down an organ transplant and never spending time with her during her recovery is beyond tragic and terrible. So when we get to witness her gradual and eventual camaraderie in becoming a key part of Tsuna’s group – mostly thanks to fellow females like Kyoko, Haru and I-Pin who are immediately accepting and affectionate with her – it brings a joyful tear to my eye.

You should really get to know her, and you can do so by watching the anime on Crunchyroll!

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