Yoko Asahina

Yoko Asahina was an ambitious human who appeared in Episode Two of the Nightwalker anime. She was an actress who made a deal with a nightbreed to gain stardom, becoming the new host of Yukie Tsukimura's breed. Eventually, she lost control of the breed and was killed.

Personality
Yoko was greedy for power and fame, highly ambitious and arrogant. She said multiple times that she and Tsukimura were cut from different cloth, and did not even want to hear her name mentioned to her. She refused to be known as "the understudy", determined to make herself famous in stardom.

She wished for fame so much she talked Tsukimura's nightbreed into possessing her so she could gain "a sparkle" that would "make her shine" on stage. Yoko was determined that she could handle the breed, believing she could handle it as Tsukimura had and she was better than her. She became arrogant, killing the double that was cast for her lead role in her play out of jealousy. Yoko also demanded the theater should adapt to the will of a star like her.

However, she lacked the inner strength to handle the demon's appetite, leading to her accidentally killing the lead actor in the middle of her play and having the breed fully take over her body and manifest. She was so consumed by her persona of an actress she lost sight of her true identity.

History
Yoko became Yuki Tsukimura's understudy, wishing to gain the spotlight herself. She heard the rumors of how Tsukimura gained fame by making a deal with the devil and believed them.

Becoming a Host
Yoko, planning to steal Tsukimura's nightbreed, interrupted her as she was feeding on her manager. Found out, Tsukimura intends to kill her to protect the secret, but Yoko counters by offering the breed a chance to dump Tsukimura's old soul and take hers instead. Tsukimura warns Yoko she won't be able to handle the breed as it leaves her and possesses Yoko.

Rising Star
Yoko showed up on TV after Tsukimura committed suicide, telling the press she intended to take Tsukimura's place in the show, thinking it the best way to honor her. The police also question her about Tsukimura.

During a rehearsal, her instructor praises her, and she thinks to herself that it was only natural she shine as brighter then Tsukimura now that they have the same "sparkle." She and her former mentor were simply cut from different cloth. Her rehersal is interrupted by Shido Tatsuhiko and Yayoi Matsunaga, who came to ask if she knew any reason her mentor would kill herself. She brushes off Yayoi's questions, stating she has a full rehearsal schedule for the approaching opening day and she already spoke to the police. As she leaves, Shido challenges her that she's more concerned with the show than her mentor's death. Yoko counters by saying doing the show the best she can will honor Tsukimura, unaware Shido used the opportunity to confirm with his vampire senses that she was possessed.

Fighting the Breed
Later that night, Yoko has dinner with her manager, who toast over her rise to stardom. She becomes sickened at the sight of her manager heartily eating a steak and flees from the restaurant, unsure what is going on. She stops near a housing development, wondering why her chest is so tight. A dog comes close and growls at her, sensing the breed's presence. Overcome by hunger, she uses her nightbreed's white hair to kill the dog and feed from his flesh. She accidentally leaves a strand of the hair behind around the dog's neck.

Another night some time later, she kills and feeds on two dogs. Back at her apartment, Yoko strips off her bloodstained clothes and takes a shower, stunned that she is covered in blood. She wonders why she's killing and eating dogs and as she looks in the mirror in her shower she sees the breed (in her form) reflected. She realizes it's the one forcing her to hunt and eat bloody meat like an animal. Remembering Tsukimura's warning, she begins to sympathize with her. Determined, she smashes the mirror, telling the breed she won't surrender to it. If Tsukimura could do it so could she.

After she gets out of the shower, she answers the door and finds Shido there, who states, "I knew it was you." Shocked, she slams the door in his face. Shido warns her that no amount of acting can conceal the odor of death on her body. Yoko reluctantly allows Shido to enter, and he explains to her about the world of Nightwalkers. He warns her that she will meet her ruin by consorting with a creature of darkness and advises her to stop before she does something irreparable. Her manager enters and Shido excuses himself. Turning back to a trembling Yoko, he warns her that if she kills a human for the breed, he'll kill her.

After Shido leaves, Yoko's manager berates her about her missing days of rehearsal without his permission. He begs her to be more serious about the show, "A Distant Thunder", in which she's the lead female. She agrees and resumes rehearsals. She says: "Yoko Asahina is destined to be the greatest actress on Earth, grinding out a blood-soaked trail."

Murder
After a day of rehearsal, Yoko's manager enters her dressing room as she is brushing her hair and apologizes, saying the sponsor insisted on having a double cast for her role - the lead - due to her sporadic absences. He introduces the candidate for the double and Yoko greets her calmly, but coldly. She sets down the hairbrush, and the strands of her hair tangled in the tines grow erratically, betraying her anger.

Shown off-screen, she kills the candidate for the double, leaving behind more strands of white hair. Discovering the body, Shido furiously attempts to confront her. His attempt is interrupted by Yoko herself who possesses Shido's shadow and makes it solid enough to skewer him and drag him into the air. Her attempt to kill him is stopped first by Guni and then Yayoi, whose silver-coated bullets break the shadows and forces her to flee. Shido is still injured enough he is left comatose. The bullets physically wound her real arms, forcing her to bandage them and hide the wound. Tonight is the grand opening of "A Distant Thunder."

Opening Night
While putting on her makeup for the show, Yoko's injuries act up and the pain makes her drop the mirror. Noticing the wounds on her arms for the first time, the manager is horrified, saying there's no way she can preform. Yoko angrily disagrees. When the manager insists she demands that he change the script: his job is to create a theater that works for the lead. She tells herself angrily that she is a star and anyone who gets in her way is dead.

The play begins, and Yoko reaches the climax of the play undisturbed. Her lines are interrupted when she realizes the breed, still hungry, is trying to come out. Yoko begs it not to as her performance is about to move the crowd to uncontrollable sobbing. She angrily shouts that she is the greatest star in the world as the nightbreed attacks. Using the shadows, she impales the leading male just like she did Shido. She steps back, horrified, but Yayoi interrupts and shoots at her Yoko flees to the rooftop.

Yayoi pursues her and Yoko has her shadow animate the gargoyles on the roof. They turn and attack her with tongue-like tendrils. Her gun is knocked away and Yoko has one of the tendrils wraps around her throat. Yoko's nightbreed fully manifests and confronts the trapped NOS officer. A badly injured Shido helps kills Yoko's nightbreed. The breed disintegrates, leaving Yoko's naked body lying on the roof.