Hagikaze

Overview

Hagikaze is a character from Kantai Collection who represents the seventeenth ship of the Kagerou-class destroyers. Serving as a key member of the 4th Destroyer Division, she is a diligent, cheerful, and highly attentive girl who takes on a responsible role within her squad. Dedicated to maintaining the health and well-being of both the Admiral and her fellow fleet members through strictly nutritious meals, she combines a motherly, structured demeanour with a deeply vulnerable side regarding the dark.

Appearance

Hagikaze has semi-long purple hair arranged in a left side-up with a 7:3 side part, a prominent ahoge, and golden eyes. She wears a white short-sleeved shirt under a fully buttoned black sleeveless blazer vest, a black pleated skirt, grey kneehigh socks, black loafers, white gloves, and a red neck ribbon. A small pouch is attached to her left waist by a white belt. Exceptionally well-endowed for a destroyer, her damaged appearance reveals a deep purple bra matching her hair. Her naval equipment features mechanical arms extending from a back unit that hold a 12.7 cm twin gun mount on the right and 61 cm quad torpedo tubes on the left, complemented by twin 25 mm anti-aircraft guns strapped to her calves with brown belts and a handheld 12.7 cm twin gun mount equipped with grips and a shoulder strap. In her Christmas attire, her top features a deep neckline exposing cleavage.

Personality

Hagikaze is polite, earnest, and deeply caring, naturally stepping into a guiding role for the 4th Destroyer Division. Despite her responsible nature, she can be slightly anxious and airheaded. She is fanatically health-conscious, routinely preparing low-sodium, low-sugar vegetable dishes for others, which leaves her own palate unaccustomed to heavy sweets. Beneath her cheerful demeanor lies severe nyctophobia stemming from nighttime battle trauma; dark surroundings make her extremely uneasy, even causing her to tremble while bathing. Toward the Admiral, she acts with formal respect, though seasonal moments reveal a quiet, earnest affection.

Abilities

Compared to the average baseline of Kagerou-class destroyers, Hagikaze possesses slightly higher firepower and anti-submarine capabilities, offset by somewhat lower evasion stats. In combat, she utilizes a back-mounted 12.7 cm twin gun mount alongside 61 cm quad oxygen torpedo tubes. She also wields a secondary 12.7 cm twin gun mount carried by hand with specialized grips and a shoulder strap, while twin 25 mm anti-aircraft guns secured to her calves provide defense against airborne targets.

Background

Hagikaze was first introduced in November 2015 as the completion reward for the final area of the Autumn Event "Charge! Maritime Transport Operation." In August 2018, with the launch of the game's Phase 2 update, she became permanently obtainable through normal map operations in the offshore waters of Brunei Anchorage (Map 7-1). Her character backstory heavily reflects the real-world destroyer's demise, where she was ambushed and sunk during the Battle of Vella Gulf, providing the historical basis for her in-game phobia of night operations.

Relationships

Hagikaze shares a close bond with Arashi, a fellow member of the 4th Destroyer Division who fondly nicknames her "Hagii"; in turn, Hagikaze constantly worries about Arashi's impulsive tendencies. Unlike her squadmates who address Nowaki with an informal shorthand nickname, Hagikaze's formal disposition leads her to use Nowaki's proper name. She also maintains warm ties with Maikaze within the division. Regarding the Admiral, she shows utmost professional respect, looking after his physical health while quietly showing deeper emotional reliance during seasonal occasions.

Trivia

Hagikaze was illustrated by Konishi as part of the Kagerou-class lineup. Her obsession with health extends so far that even her holiday sweets and Valentine's Day chocolates feature low-sugar, health-oriented ingredients. Additionally, fans and Admirals frequently draw comparisons between her visual design and a prominent idol character from another popular media franchise.