Clow Cards

File:CCS Sakura Card01.jpg

The rear-face design of the Sakura Cards

The Clow Cards (クロウカード, Kurō Kādo) are fictional magical items and characters from Clamp's manga and anime series Cardcaptor Sakura.

In the second half of the series, they become known as Sakura Cards (さくらカード Sakura Kādo).

History

The Clow Cards were created in Hong Kong by the sorcerer Clow Reed. They were the result of a combination of both Eastern and Western magic that formed the basis of an entirely new type of wizardry unlike anything else seen at the time.

To contain the incredible power of the Clow Cards after his passing, Clow Reed locked them into the Clow Book. In addition, he assigned two magical beings (whom he also created) to guard the Clow Cards--Cerberus (represented by a golden, winged lion on the Clow Book's front cover) and Yue (represented by a winged, crescent moon on the Clow Book's back cover). The two guardians watch for anyone who would be capable of becoming the new master of the Clow Cards, with Cerberus, Beast of the Seal and The Selector, being the advocate of the new candidate and Yue, the Judge, passing the final judgment of worthiness.

Role

Each Clow Card has its own personality, ranging from good-natured to mischievous, and its own special powers which are mostly centered around an elemental force or a specific task.

Each Card also has an alternative form used to interact with others. This form varies with each Card but is usually a humanoid (often female) or an animal. Other forms include regular objects, such as a book, sword, and padlock. At the start of the anime, Sakura Kinomoto accidentally releases the Cards from the Clow Book in which they were sealed. The first half of the series follows Sakura as she recaptures all of the Clow Cards.

In the second half of the series, Sakura has passed the Final Judgment and is declared the new Master of the Clow. As a result, the Clow Cards lose their affinity with Clow Reed. Sakura must realign all of them under her magic, thus transforming them into Sakura Cards (Star Cards in Cardcaptors). These have a pink color scheme as opposed to the red scheme of the Clow Cards.

Sakura is also capable of creating new Cards, evidenced by the creation of the nameless card at the end of the anime (Episode 70).

There are 19 Cards in the manga and 53 Cards in the anime. The original 19 Cards from the manga also have some new abilities in the anime. Also, like most manga-to-anime transitions, the plots are not exactly the same. In this case, the Cards were captured in a different order and also through different plots and tactics.

The Clow Cards fall into three categories: those under a specific sign, those under a specific element, and those created for a task or purpose. Some Cards may belong to more than one category.

• Elements: Fire, Earth, Wind, Water
• Signs: Sun, Moon
• Tasks: Various (i.e movement, levitation, reflection)

Alphabetical order

Main articles: Clow Cards: A-F, Clow Cards: G-R, and Clow Cards: S-Z

矢 The Arrow 大 The Big 泡 The Bubbles 替 The Change 雲 The Cloud 創 The Create 闇 The Dark 駆 The Dash 夢 The Dream 地 The Earthy 消 The Erase 闘 The Fight 火 The Firey 浮 The Float

花 The Flower 翔 The Fly 凍 The Freeze 灯 The Glow 希望 The Hope 幻 The Illusion 跳 The Jump 秤 The Libra 光 The Light 小 The Little 錠 The Lock 輪 The Loop 迷 The Maze 鏡 The Mirror

霧 The Mist 移 The Move (nameless card) 無 The Nothing 力 The Power 雨 The Rain 戻 The Return 砂 The Sand 影 The Shadow 盾 The Shield 撃 The Shot 静 The Silent 眠 The Sleep 雪 The Snow

歌 The Song 嵐 The Storm 甘 The Sweet 剣 The Sword 抜 The Through 雷 The Thunder 時 The Time 双 The Twin 声 The Voice 水 The Watery 波 The Wave 風 The Windy 樹 The Wood

Order by capture

Here the Clow Cards are listed in the order of capture in the original Japanese anime and with their original names. In the English dub, the capture order is slightly different, and the naming convention is changed (i.e. The Watery becomes Water Card). In the American adaptation, most Cards are not shown at all or shown very briefly (in a flashback, for example).

風 The Windy 翔 The Fly 影 The Shadow 水 The Watery 雨 The Rain 樹 The Wood 跳 The Jump 幻 The Illusion 静 The Silent 雷 The Thunder 剣 The Sword 花 The Flower 盾 The Shield 時 The Time

力 The Power 霧 The Mist 嵐 The Storm 浮 The Float 消 The Erase 灯 The Glow 移 The Move 闘 The Fight 輪 The Loop 眠 The Sleep 歌 The Song 小 The Little 鏡 The Mirror 迷 The Maze

戻 The Return 撃 The Shot 甘 The Sweet 駆 The Dash 大 The Big 創 The Create 替 The Change 凍 The Freeze 火 The Firey 矢 The Arrow 泡 The Bubbles 波 The Wave 秤 The Libra 抜 The Through

雪 The Snow 声 The Voice 錠 The Lock 雲 The Cloud 夢 The Dream 砂 The Sand 闇 The Dark 光 The Light 双 The Twin 地 The Earthy 無 The Nothing 希望 The Hope (nameless card)

Order by transformation

Here the Clow Cards are listed in the order of transformation into Sakura Cards in the original Japanese anime. This order may be different from what is aired in the English dub (where they are called Star Cards after transformation).

火 The Firey 歌 The Song 剣 The Sword 跳 The Jump 翔 The Fly 消 The Erase 力 The Power 甘 The Sweet 錠 The Lock 秤 The Libra 砂 The Sand 声 The Voice 替 The Change 波 The Wave

風 The Windy 駆 The Dash 輪 The Loop 花 The Flower 大 The Big 小 The Little 眠 The Sleep 浮 The Float 泡 The Bubbles 盾 The Shield 影 The Shadow 凍 The Freeze 鏡 The Mirror 霧 The Mist

夢 The Dream 水 The Watery 時 The Time 幻 The Illusion 迷 The Maze 樹 The Wood 雷 The Thunder 灯 The Glow 雪 The Snow 戻 The Return 雨 The Rain 撃 The Shot 静 The Silent 闘 The Fight

嵐 The Storm 雲 The Cloud 闇 The Dark 光 The Light 無 The Nothing Transformations not shown: 矢 The Arrow 創 The Create 地 The Earthy 移 The Move 抜 The Through 双 The Twin

Captured in Manga

Here the cards captured in the Manga are listed in alphebetical order. The manga only featured 19 cards, unlike the anime.

闇 The Dark 火 The Firey 地 The Earthy 消 The Erase 花 The Flower 翔 The Fly 灯 The Glow 風 The Windy 幻 The Illusion 跳 The Jump 光 The Light 迷 The Maze 鏡 The Mirror 影 The Shadow 盾 The Shield 剣 The Sword 雷 The Thunder 水 The Watery 樹 The Wood