Iowa

Overview

Iowa is a ship girl in Kantai Collection based on the lead ship of the US Navy's Iowa-class battleships, USS Iowa (BB-61). Representing the game's first fully Allied and American ship, she originally debuted in the PlayStation Vita title Kantai Collection Kai before being introduced as an event reward in the web browser game. As a fast battleship boasting high firepower and anti-air capabilities, she plays a prominent heavy-hitter role within the fleet.

Appearance

Iowa is characterized by long blonde hair, voluptuous physical proportions, and grayish eyes with star-shaped pupils. Her standard outfit features a front-tied blue shirt layered over a fitted grey corset that displays her hull number '61' on the right side, paired with a tight miniskirt. She wears asymmetrical thigh-high stockings—black and grey stripes on the left leg, and red and white stripes reminiscent of the American flag on the right—alongside black fingerless gloves worn over white elbow-length gloves, and rudder-accented knee boots. Her rigging incorporates 16-inch triple Mk.7 main gun turrets, 5-inch twin mounts, anti-aircraft guns, and a reconnaissance seaplane. On New Year's occasions, she dresses in a formal kimono patterned after the American flag, wrapped with a sash featuring a golden embroidered bald eagle and paired with a white fur shawl.

Personality

Iowa possesses a bright, outgoing, and distinctly energetic demeanor. She habitually intersperses her speech with excessive English words and addresses both herself and others with casual informality. Even when sustaining severe damage, she maintains a confident and relaxed composure. She is attentive to others, frequently offering compliments and serving meals such as steaks and scrambled eggs. While preferring heartier portions, she also expresses genuine appreciation for traditional Japanese cuisine.

Abilities

Iowa possesses exceptional combat power characterized by extremely high armor metrics and top-tier firepower, second only to the Yamato-class. Reflecting American anti-air doctrines, she features a remarkably high anti-aircraft rating alongside strong reconnaissance stats and high luck. Due to her long hull design, her evasion is comparatively lower, and her fuel and ammunition consumption rates are notably heavy. In combat, she utilizes formidable armaments including 16-inch triple Mk.7 guns, 5-inch twin Mk.28 Mod.2 dual-purpose guns, Bofors 40mm quad anti-aircraft mounts, and OS2U reconnaissance aircraft.

Background

Historically the lead ship of her battleclass in the United States Navy, Iowa was constructed during World War II and saw service across multiple conflicts including the Korean War and Gulf War, maintaining one of the longest service records prior to her final decommissioning and preservation as a museum ship. Within the game, she marks the landmark arrival of Allied forces, originally introduced as a clear reward for event operations before becoming available through select high-difficulty drop locations.

Relationships

Iowa forms a warm relationship with Yamato, praising her as a magnificent battleship without lingering animosity and often dining together. She shows affection toward the Kongou-class battleships, calling them pretty, though this occasionally draws a wary response from Kirishima. She is also close friends with the aircraft carrier Saratoga, sharing a common origin from the same shipyard and enjoying late-night drinking sessions together.

Trivia

All four completed Iowa-class battleships (Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri, and Wisconsin) survived past their military service and remain preserved as museum ships today. Having stayed on the naval register until her official strike in 2006, Iowa holds the distinction among the game's ship girls of having the latest official decommissioning date. Historically, her real-life counterpart was also unique for having been equipped to carry nuclear artillery shells.