Lenalee Lee

Lenalee Lee
D.Gray-man character
Lenalee Lee as drawn by Katsura Hoshino
First appearanceD.Gray-man manga chapter 6 (2004)
Created byKatsura Hoshino
Voiced byJapanese
Shizuka Itō
Ai Kakuma (Hallow)
English
Luci Christian
Notable relativesKomui Lee (brother)

Lenalee Lee (Japanese: リナリー・リー, Hepburn: Rinarī Rī) is a fictional character in the manga series D.Gray-man, created by Japanese writer and artist Katsura Hoshino. Within the series, set in a fictional 19th century, Lenalee is an exorcist of the Black Order organization tasked with destroying demonic beings called Akuma created by the Millennium Earl, and aiding the Black Order in its fight against the Earl's group, the Noah Family. To facilitate this, she uses a type of weapon called "Innocence" that, in her case, takes the shape of a pair of boots. Lenalee was originally forced to become an exorcist when she was a child, but ended up appreciating it after her older brother, Komui Lee, moved to the Black Order to avoid being left, alone and at the same time became friends with all the staff. Lenalee has also appeared in the series' light novels and video games as well.

Lenalee was one of the first characters Hoshino created for the manga, most notably before the series' protagonist, Allen Walker. She originated in Hoshino's one shot, Zone, where she is depicted as a teenager who wants the Earl to revive her boyfriend. Hoshino's design changes across the D.Gray-man series led to arguments between Hoshino and her editor who argued how Lenalee's hairstyle should look.

Lenalee has been well received by the series' readers. She has kept fourth place in every character popularity poll of the series, and has also appeared in polls to decide the most popular manga characters in Japan. Reviewers have praised Lenalee's easygoing character, as well as her role in the story. Merchandising based on her has also been released.