Ichigo

Ichigo (イチゴ) is one of the main characters in DARLING in the FRANXX. She is a former Parasite with the codename "015" of the Thirteenth Plantation., where she is partnered in boy-girl pair with Goro to pilot a FRANXX called Delphinium. She is the official leader of Squad 13.

Appearance
Ichigo has a petite build and is the shortest among the parasites in Squad 13. She has soft green eyes. She has straight, razor-cut blue hair that mostly covers her right eye with a white hair clip holding back the bangs on her left side. She dons the standard Pistil Parasite uniform.

Personality
Ichigo is an honor student who is seen as a natural-born leader. Because of her high aptitude, she was chosen as Squad 13's Leader. While normally a very considerate and level-headed person, her crush on Hiro impairs her judgment, especially as regards to his possible partnership with Zero Two. She initially hated the possibility of a stranger like Zero Two becoming Hiro's partner. One of her motivations for agreeing to be Hiro's partner in the training match was because she believes she should be the one to bring out his full potential. Even though she's supposed to be the leader, she tends to put her own interests above those of others, even at the cost of their well-being. At first she tries to get Zero Two removed from the squad even though Zero Two is the only pistil that Hiro can ride with, as well as the fact that her presence greatly increased the team's battle effectiveness against the Klaxosaurs.

As a leader though, she is reliable and very considerate and caring for her friends. She tries to see everything in a good light, even if she herself doesn't want to. She can also be encouraging towards her squadmates and insist that teamwork is important for all of them to survive. This is further emphasized when VIRM left earth and abandoned humanity; Ichigo becomes so dedicated to looking after the others and ensuring they have enough food, clean water, etc. for survival that she forgets to take care of herself, until she collapses outright in the fields. However, she is strongly emotional and has always been impulsive and driven by her feelings. She is forced between acting as a leader and her own feelings, such as knowingly putting Hiro's life on the line while also acknowledging he's needed, this strain of commanding weighs her down. She would initially let her personal feelings get to her head when in a crucial mission, only to reflect over it when being placed in a dangerous situation. She would think about her poor skills as a leader and blame herself for her putting her friends in danger. She also expresses her anxiety far more inside her FRANXX than she does outside of it, and is seen breaking down only to be supported by her FRANXX partner, Goro.

She is fiercely protective of Hiro since she has known him since childhood, and supports Hiro the best she can. She is not afraid to voice her own opinions and get people to follow her orders as a leader. She has been deemed by Zero Two on several occasions as "bossy". She is a straight-laced person but also always follows the orders she receives, and holds a deep respect for Papa. Despite her serious disposition, Ichigo is capable of giving some notably snippy remarks, as seen in her interactions with Nine Alpha. Ichigo feels that failure of any kind, no matter how justifiable, reflects laziness on her part. In Episode 09, it is seen that she tends to panic when the slightest thing goes wrong, which of itself leads to more things going wrong.

Over the series, Ichigo slowly learns to put Hiro's feelings and Squad 13's well-being before her own. She learns to accept and support Hiro and Zero Two's relationship, and become nicer to Zero Two to the point of considering her an integral part of Squad 13. She becomes just as fiercely protective of Hiro as the others. She also becomes a much better leader; she learns to see the big picture and not let her tunnel-visioned emotions consume her, making decisions that benefit the whole group rather than just Hiro or her designs for him, and she isn't as badly shaken when things go wrong.

History
Like the other members of her unit, Ichigo was raised in the Garden where she was trained to become a pistil. Because of her high parasite potential, she obtains her number of 015 and received special treatment.

One day, when Hiro tosses a ball, it rolls into Ichigo's feet. She sits crying and doesn't look up. Ichigo wonders if she's strange, since everyone else has stopped showing emotion, though she continues to cry and says she wants to be like everyone else. She asks if she should get more injections.

Episode 1: Alone and Lonesome
Ichigo attended the welcoming ceremony alongside the other parasites thus becoming an official pistil. Ichigo is leader of the Parasites. Ichigo and Goro were about to ceremonially pilot the Delphinium, when a sudden klaxosaur attack interrupted the ceremony. She, Goro and the Delphinium were almost vaporized were it not for the timely rescue of Strelizia.

Episode 2: What It Means to Connect
When Nana was looking for volunteers to test Hiro's ability to pilot a FranXX in a mock battle, Zero Two volunteered. As the leader of the Parasites, she vetoed Zero Two's proposition effectively taking her place as Hiro's temporary partner. During the mock battle. Ichigo and Hiro reached 100% on the compatibility rating, higher than any other pairing amongst the Parasites (even that of Ichigo-Goro). Due to unknown reasons, Ichigo and Hiro got "de-synced" shortly after making Delphinium walk towards Argentea. Ichigo inquires Hiro into what Zero Two did in order to "awaken his abilities". Hiro could not recall any of it, but he remembers the kiss. Although previously unknown to the concept of a kiss, she kissed Hiro, which Hiro remarked "I don't feel a thing, It didn't work". This put Ichigo on the brink off tears only to be prevented by the Argentea's attack. Forcing Ichigo to pilot Delphinium by herself against the orders of Nana. This led to Hiro and Ichigo losing the mock battle and Hiro being grounded once again. Hiro apologises but Ichigo tells him not, implying it wasn't his fault. Ichigo breaks into tears and glances back at Hiro, silently telling herself "You were awful!."

Episode 14: Punishment and Confession
Zero Two and Hiro realize they knew each other as children. Ichigo suddenly interrupts and throws her off of him.

Zero Two goes to talk to Hiro, but is stopped by Ichigo. She blames her for his hospitalization and says she can't see him again. Goro and Miku tell her to calm down. When Ichigo reveals that Hiro will lose his humanity, the rest of the parasites don't believe her and ask Zero Two. She tells them to shut up and mind their own business. Ichigo stops her again from seeing him and says that she isn't a member of their team.

Hiro wakes up and is surrounded by his teammates. He asks where Zero Two is and Ichigo says she stopped her. Hiro has strangulation marks on his neck. They all leave, but Hiro stops Mitsuru.

Hachi announced they must neutralize every klaxosaur inhabiting Grand Crevasse. Nana says that it is a joint operation with the 9's and FRANXX squad from each plantation. He says that Squad 13 is schedules to be part of the sixth wave. Nana says it will be their most difficult mission and Ichigo raises her hand. She asks that Zero Two is removed from Squad 13 as of that mission and, if not, Squad 13 will not participate in the operation. Nana says that she was set to return to the 9's as of the mission anyway. Zero Two protests, but the parasites stop her from seeing him.

When Hiro gets up, he is stopped by Miku. Zero Two is also guarded and prevented from leaving her room. Ichigo comes in to see Hiro and they chat. She gives him an apple. She tells him that Zero Two is returning to the 9's the next night. She asks if he hates her and says that, even if he does, not to go anywhere.

Hiro apologizes and Ichigo cuts her thumb, so Hiro bandages it for her. Zero Two remembers what Ichigo said and thinks that she knew she could never be a human. Ichigo leaves the knife and apple. Zero Two breaks out of her room as Ichigo returns. She roughly throws Goro against a window.

Goro tells Ichigo to let her see him and Kokoro agrees. Ichigo says that she can meet him, but they're all going to be there. When they enter the room, it's empty as Hiro used the knife to escape. Zero Two becomes enraged and says that they tricked her. Hiro goes to her room.

Hiro asks through the door if Zero Two knew about their past all along, but opens the door to find the room destroyed. Afterwards Hiro returns to the hospital to find all his teammates strangled with Zero Two attacking Ichigo. Ichigo tells him to run and Zero Two asks to speak with Hiro, who calls her a monster for attacking his friends.

Zero Two leaves as everyone watches. As she goes away, Hiro cries and begins to go after her, only to be immediatley stopped by Ichigo who begs him to not to leave before kissing him and confessing her to him. Ichigo tells Hiro that she doesn't regret their kiss in the mock fight and that she wants to be with him forever, which Goro overhears. She says that she's always loved him whilst Zero Two's ship flies overhead.

Hiro
Hiro and Ichigo are childhood friends and worries mutually for the well-being of the other. It is presumed that Ichigo has feelings for Hiro, as she is very protective of him and is jealous of Hiro riding with Zero Two, but due to her upbringing she doesn't fully understand her feelings and doesn't understand why seeing the two of them together hurts her so much. Though she comes around to accept it for some time. When Zero Two was deported from Cerasus, Hiro tried chasing after her but Ichigo comes to confess her feelings to him and steal a kiss, to which he doesn't comply. As she tells him she loves him, he watches the sky, tragically paying more attention to the plane separating him from his dearest.

In the end, after Ichigo synchronizes with Hiro, she sees that Hiro's thoughts are encompassed with Zero Two. She finally realizes that there is no place for her in Hiro's heart and supports him by using Delphinium to send Hiro directly to Strelizia.

Ichigo tearfully mourns Hiro's death in Episode 24.

Goro
Goro is Ichigo's FRANXX co-pilot. He often supports Ichigo's actions and decisions, and is able to calm her down whenever she has a breakdown. Ichigo cares for Goro's safety, as demonstrated when she desperately tried to save him from death after Delphinium was swallowed by a klaxosaur with him inside. Although Goro admittedly holds romantic feelings for her, and although she's grateful for his true feelings, she only sees him as nothing more than her partner and a friend. Nevertheless, they made a good pair.

In Episode 24, Ichigo sees Goro off before he departs to travel the world, but not before he surprises her with a kiss. They then get married during the eight-year timeskip, with Goro taking time off from his travels to care for their unborn child.

Zero Two
Ichigo first saw Zero Two carrying a limp Hiro out of her Strelizia. When she was told by Nana that she is a klaxosaur-human hybrid with the APE Special Forces Unit, she had warned Hiro to distance himself from Zero Two as she was rumoured to be the "Partner Killer", in that none of her partners ever survive more than 3 rides with her.

During breakfast, she was visibly uncomfortable with Zero Two being around Hiro and was in shock when Zero Two refers to Hiro as "Darling", although not knowing the meaning of the word. She later encountered Zero Two in the hangar. Ichigo warns Zero Two to "stay away" from Hiro so he doesn't get hurt. Zero Two retorts "What are you to my darling?", to which Ichigo replies she is the squad leader. Zero Two licks her and say that she is "sweet" and that she likes how Ichigo tastes.

When being allowed to take Hiro for a ride in the mock battle, Zero Two told Ichigo to take care of her "Darling", to which Ichigo reacted coldly.

Later it has been seen that Ichigo had grown to care about Zero Two, and even said she’s part of her team.

After hearing about Zero Two's past as a "Partner Killer", Ichigo starts to see her as a threat again. Her suspicions come out true as Zero Two tries to suck Hiro's life inside Strelizia. Ichigo later takes her away from him and their relationship rapidly deteriorates. Ichigo then pledges to separate her from Hiro and cast her out from the squad, calling her a monster for her actions. Zero Two almost broke into tears upon hearing this, telling Squad 13 (Hiro excluded) that they are all wrong. Kokoro and Goro, feeling sad seeing Zero Two and Hiro apart, convinced Ichigo to allow her to visit Hiro. She reluctantly accepts. But upon arriving at Hiro's treatment room, they were surprised to find that Hiro had escaped. Zero Two, thinking that she's been tricked, beats the entire squad unconscious. She then held Ichigo by the neck and throws her to the ground in front of Hiro. Hiro then scolds Zero Two for being such a monster while holding Ichigo. She was then deported as punishment.

After Zero Two got deported due to her aggressive action, Ichigo told Hiro that this is for the best.

In episode 15, It's revealed that Ichigo hostility towards Zero Two was due of Ichigo jealousy towards Zero Two as Hiro only had his eyes on her, and not Ichigo. Finally giving up on Hiro, Ichigo decides to support them and renews her friendship with Zero Two. Like with Hiro, she breaks down upon realizing her death.

Ikuno
The two have been good friends since they were children. Ichigo reassures Ikuno that she can connect and pilot Chlorophytum again, and Ikuno blushes at the statement. She then recalls this moment before she connects and activates Chlorophytum before setting off to battle a Klaxosaur.

Etymology

 * Ichigo's nickname may use some of the numeral's readings from her real name "Code:015": ichi from 1 and go from 5.
 * Sharing the same name pun scheme with other characters, 'Ichigo' is also Japanese for 'strawberry'.

Trivia

 * Ichigo is the only member of Squad 13 outside of Hiro to give another Squad member a name, as everyone else’s name was given to by Hiro.
 * Ichigo was the one who gave Ikuno her name.
 * She likes cats, and often plays with them off-duty.

Ichigo Ichogo Ichigo Итиго