A master swordsman, Ruka was once the captain of the fencing team and occasionally a member of the Student Council. He holds Juri in high regard, considering her the most talented club member and viewing himself as her mentor.
Rose: Blue
Rose Bride: Shiori Takatsuki
Sword: Rapier
(Anime) Drive to Duel: To grant Juri, whom he loves, the power of miracles.
In the manga, Anthy served as Ruka's Rose Bride several times before he left school due to an unspecified illness. After a prolonged absence, he reappears claiming recovery, though not well enough for dueling. He encourages Juri to duel Utena again, but she throws the match upon overhearing what she believes is Ruka manipulating her with Touga. When Juri refuses to duel, Ruka takes on Utena himself, which causes his illness to relapse. As he lies on the dueling field, he confesses to Juri that he believed she was worthy of Dios' power. He is hospitalized and dies, leaving Juri in disbelief. Touga comments that Juri initially loved Ruka, switching her affections to him after Ruka's departure. Ruka explains he left without saying goodbye to avoid a painful farewell.
In the anime, it's unclear if Ruka was a Duelist before his return. Upon returning, he dates Shiori but manipulates her. He duels Utena once with Shiori as his Rose Bride and loses, then dumps Shiori and pursues Juri. It is revealed that Juri told him, "If you believe in miracles, they will occur." Ruka professes his love for Juri, kissing her during a fencing match, asserting she loved him before he vanished. Like in the manga, his motivation stems from his feelings for her, wanting her to claim Dios' power and defeat Utena to free her from burdens. Juri denies ever loving him. Ruka later appears as Juri's Rose Bride in her final duel, after which he leaves the school. The Shadow Girls report his "death," although the reality of this death is debatable in the anime.
