Kuroshio

Overview

Kuroshio is a ship girl from Kantai Collection representing the third vessel of the Kagerou-class destroyers. Because her real-life historical namesake was constructed at a shipyard in Osaka, she is characterized by her natural Kansai dialect. Introduced as one of the original destroyer units available from the game's launch, she later received a Kai Ni upgrade. Friendly and easygoing, she initially maintained a modest presence among her sisters, but over time gained a dedicated cult following within the fan community.

Appearance

Kuroshio features silver-tinted black bob-cut hair with a gold clip on the left temple, along with green eyes. Her standard uniform consists of a black vest over a white shirt, a blue neck ribbon, a pleated skirt with bike shorts underneath, white gloves, grey kneehigh socks, and brown loafers. Her combat gear includes a back-mounted bridge structure with a 12.7 cm twin gun mount and torpedo tubes, a handheld twin gun mount, and thigh straps carrying an anti-aircraft gun and depth charges.

Personality

She possesses a cheerful, approachable, and friendly demeanor. Kuroshio speaks in a distinctive Kansai dialect, maintaining a casual and welcoming tone toward others. Compared to many of her more eccentric peers, her balanced and down-to-earth personality makes her comforting and easy to get along with.

Abilities

As a standard destroyer available early on, she relies on high evasion to survive surface engagements and deliver strong night-battle attacks. While her base anti-submarine stats required reaching maximum levels or special items to perform preemptive anti-submarine attacks, her Kai Ni form granted her substantial stat upgrades.

Background

Embodying the historical memory of the IJN Kagerou-class destroyer Kuroshio, she was assigned to the 16th and later 15th Destroyer Divisions in her past life. Available since the inception of the game, she served alongside her sister ships like Kagerou and Shiranui. Though initially overshadowed by more prominent characters, periodic seasonal updates and her eventual Kai Ni release solidified her standing.

Relationships

She is the third sister of the Kagerou class, directly following Kagerou and Shiranui. She shares strong historical ties with her 15th Destroyer Division teammates Oyashio and Hayashio, as well as Yukikaze, with whom she served in the 16th Destroyer Division. Fan works frequently pair her with Ryujou due to their shared Kansai dialect.

Trivia

The name 'Kuroshio' has been handed down to modern Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force submarines and Japanese express train lines. A sudden rise in her popularity years after launch led to the coining of the fan term 'Kuroshio disease' to describe those captivated by her subtle charm.