Yayoi

Overview

Yayoi is a character in Kantai Collection representing the third ship of the Mutsuki-class destroyers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Assigned to the 30th Destroyer Division, she is characterized by her quiet and serious demeanor. Due to her difficulty in displaying feelings, her neutral gaze is often misread as sourness. Economical to operate, she excels in expeditionary support while harboring a surprisingly passionate drive during night battles.

Appearance

She features light purple bob-cut hair with extended side locks, adorned with a crescent moon clip, alongside deep green or blue eyes. Her base outfit consists of a navy sailor top that reveals her stomach, paired with a purple neck ribbon, a black pleated skirt, striped thigh-high socks, and grey shoes. Her back rigging includes a funnel decorated with white plum blossoms, with torpedo tubes strapped around her thighs. She carries an arm-mounted 12cm single gun with a worn red ribbon tied around its barrel. When heavily damaged, her inner sarashi wrapping is exposed. Alternate looks include a Valentine attire holding cookies and a spring casual outfit featuring a pale purple dress with a rose-patterned overskirt, a jacket, and a white shoulder bag.

Personality

Yayoi is reserved, sincere, and emotionally awkward. Because her natural rest face appears dour, she is frequently misunderstood by those around her as being in a foul mood. She places immense trust in the Commander and wishes to cultivate a more casual bond, though her own stoicism sometimes causes others to keep a respectful distance. Beneath her quiet exterior lies a formidable fighting spirit that emerges during night engagements and when her efforts are disrupted.

Abilities

In combat terms, her basic attributes are modest compared to other destroyers, but she boasts exceptionally low resource consumption, making her ideal for expeditionary fleet missions. She battles using her arm-mounted 12cm single gun mount and thigh torpedo tubes, exhibiting strong initiative and high combat focus during night operations.

Background

She was introduced to the game in late January 2014 alongside Uzuki. Her historical counterpart was constructed at Uraga Dock and served in the 30th Destroyer Division during South Pacific operations around Guadalcanal. In September 1942, while assisting in troop evacuation efforts following operations near Rabi, she suffered severe stern damage from enemy air attacks, losing propulsion and sinking. This operational background is represented in-game through designated fleet assembly and sortie quests.

Relationships

She shares close ties with her Mutsuki-class sisters Mutsuki and Kisaragi; the tattered red ribbon on her cannon represents a memento of her fallen sisters. Uzuki was released at the same time and provides a lively contrast to Yayoi's quiet demeanor while sharing a similar arm-mounted weaponry configuration. Mochizuki frequently acts as a caregiver to her, a relationship rooted in Mochizuki historically rescuing Yayoi's surviving crew. Toward the Commander, she feels complete comfort merely remaining nearby and silently hopes to bridge the emotional distance between them.

Trivia

Her historical vessel utilized a imported British Ratteau turbine, making maintenance famously intricate—a technical detail often linked to her perceived diffidence. The white plum blossoms decorating her back funnel carry language-of-flowers meanings such as elegance, nobility, and perseverance. Her seasonal casual artwork was crafted by illustrator Kusada Souta, who specifically envisioned a shy, feminine impression for her outfit.