Like body language, symbolism is a very important aspect in SKU. There’s symbolism in every episode, and because of it, sometimes things can be very confusing. Personally, I’ve always felt that watching SKU without being aware the symbolism is like watching a movie without being able to see the screen.

I’m a symbolism-whore, so I love interpreting the symbolism in SKU. Hopefully some of you are interested in symbolism as well, which is why I made this thread so that I could ramble on about my views on some of the symbolism. I’ll be interpreting minor symbols, the Shadow Girl scenes, those wacky student council meetings, and even some of the duel songs. Keep in mind, however, that my interpretation might not always be accurate, and it’s usually very difficult for me to explain. Also, please feel free to add anything.


Let’s start with the items on the tables during the Black Rose Saga. They symbolize the reason why the duelist is fighting. (Keep in mind that this post isn’t as long as it first appears. It’s just because I added pictures.)


The first duel is Kanae’s duel. Vases of lilies are on the tables during her duel. Lilies are a bit harder to place than any other, because we never see them during the episode. The first thing that you should notice is that they’re very similar to her hair color. They’re white flowers, the color of purity, yet they’re held inside of a black vase. In Christianity, lilies symbolize the resurrection of Christ, perhaps relating to how she is a pawn in the game to resurrect the Power of Dios. Generally, they symbolize purity, chastity, and innocence. Kanae is the daughter of the chairman, born into a wealthy family, and so she is expected to act in a certain manner. They’re flowers, and so they could also relate to the park in the picture of Akio, Anthy, and herself, which undoubtedly plays a big role in her motivation to fight.


Utena: “Kanae, what you said before, about swearing on the black rose to win the duel…”
Kanae: “To kill the Rose Bride!”
She shatters the vases of lilies, destroying her false self that she had been playing as all this time, or a gesture related to her battle to kill the Rose Bride.



The milkshakes symbolize the childhood Kozue shared with Miki. Earlier in the episode, the two butterflies drinking milkshakes symbolize the two of them, and as we see in Kozue’s memories, the two butterflies eventually left the garden. The milkshakes also symbolize purity. During the present time, Miki offers Kozue a milkshake, but Kozue refuses, saying that she could never drink something that sweet.


Anthy drinks from Miki’s glass, because she is now the one who is together with Miki in that garden, rather than with Kozue. It also symbolizes Kozue’s fear that Anthy will rob Miki of his innocence.



(You’ll be hearing more about this from me later.)
The birds on the tables during Shiori’s duel symbolize her power over Juri. Early on in the episode, a bird flies over Juri as she stands outside the Student Council meeting room, with her hand on her locket. At that time, Shiori still has power over Juri. However, when Juri expresses indifference towards their past, a bird rams its head into a nearby window. Juri watches the dying bird as she explains to Shiori that she never had any feelings for that boy. Because Shiori has lost her power over Juri, the bird dies.

The bird also symbolizes Shiori. Notice that the bird is black and white, with an orange beak. In Juri’s memories, she recalls Shiori in black and white, and only the orange rose is colored. The birds on the table each face a different direction, each viewing the world in a different way.


In this duel, Anthy symbolizes the part of Shiori that was living a miserable life in the shadow of Juri’s brilliance. Shiori is fighting to destroy that part of herself, but when she loses, the birds fly over her, casting the shadows over her that she had been trying to break free from.


The clay figures on the tables during Mitsuru’s duel symbolize adulthood, and the chocolate bars they hold symbolize his childhood. The first thing he does in this duel is swing his sword at Utena, hitting one of the clay statues instead. “Experience alone doesn’t make you an adult! With the experience, you defeat the adults and become one yourself!” By destroying the clay figure on the table, he also destroyed the adults that stood before him, as well as his childhood.


“The Absolute Man: More than a sum of his parts.” His sword sliced the clay figure of an adult, reveling that inside, he is still just a child.


“You and that girl and the student council, too! You all look down on me! Without a care in the world, you use the special gifts you were born with, and without a second thought, trample the rest of us!”
The leaves on Wakaba’s table symbolize the student council, or rather, special people. Each of the leaves are the color of one of the student council member’s hair. While she was with Saionji, she was special too, and so she wore a brown leaf in a hair, which ended up being given to Anthy. Anthy is special, and so she stands in the way of a normal girl like her.


For Keiko’s duel, I’m sorry, but I’m going to put more thought into her duel episode before I decide exactly what the umbrellas mean. I rewatched that episode today, and there’s a lot of symbolism that I haven’t interpreted yet. Her hair, for example, is very symbolic, but I don’t know what it symbolizes. All I can really say at the moment is that the umbrellas seem to symbolize her and her relationship with Touga, and that Anthy symbolizes Nanami.


The pictures of Tokiko and Mamiya on Mikage’s tables are rather self-explanatory. He stands her because of his illusion of Mamiya, and his desire to make his memories eternal.