Clow Cards: S-Z

The Sand

The Sand is able to create sand and move it as smoothly as water, often creating vortexes of it to trap targets. Sakura and Syaoran captured Sand in a joint effort using both Watery to wet the sand and Freeze to solidify and immobilize it. As a result, Sand hovers between Sakura and Syaoran after capture, open to either captor as its master. They both reach for the card, but Sakura kindly lets Syaoran keep it.

Appearance

Sand's visible form is that of flow of sand that moves vaguely like a serpent. Its card form shows a woman dressed in Arabic clothes made of sand.

Captured

• Episode 41 (Japanese Original)

Transformation

Sand is transformed in Episode 53 during Sakura's frantic wave of transformations.

The Shadow

The Shadow is a mysterious card able to manipulate shadows. It can gather shadows from people or things to increase its own power, but these shadows fade when they are exposed to bright light, leaving only Shadow itself behind. According to Cerberus, "Shadow can touch us, but we can't touch it."

When first seen in the anime, Shadow causes mayhem at Sakura's school by stealing all the shadows of the students and piling up the school desks. When Sakura tries to capture it, Shadow forms all of the surrounding shadows into one big shadow monster. Tomoyo Daidouji and Cerberus help to disperse the extra shadows by using the school's floodlights, weakening Shadow enough for Sakura to capture it with Windy. Shadow became very loyal to Sakura, used to capture the Silent and Thunder Cards.

In volume 2 of the manga, Shadow appears in a sweets shop where it tries to tip over shelves on the customers. After seeing that Syaoran Li's thunder wards are able to dissolve the shadows captured by Shadow, Sakura uses Thunder to the same effect and was able to capture it after pinning it with Sword. This is the first time that Syaoran and Sakura work together to capture a Clow Card. (The roles reverse in the anime, where the first Card they catch together is Thunder, with Sakura using Shadow to halt it.)

Appearance

Shadow looks like a cloaked figure in a black cloak and hood, resembling such fictional characters like Dementors and Ringwraiths. With the dark cloaked appearance, the Shadow seems to look like a phantom and is often what people think of when they imagine the Grim Reaper or the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come from Charles Dicken's book A Christmas Carol.

Captured

• Episode 2 (Japanese Original)
• Episode 2 (Full English Dub)

Note: In the United States, capture of The Shadow was only shown as a flashback.

Transformation

In Episode 59, Sakura used Shadow to lead her to Tomoyo.

The Shield

The Shield is Sakura's most-used defensive card, able to create a shell around its target that is impenetrable to almost all physical and magical attacks, including the effects of other Cards (i.e. Time). Shield has a protective personality and is first seen in the anime protecting a box containing keepsakes belonging to the Daidouji family, even to the point of keeping Tomoyo and Sonomi from opening the box at all. In the second movie, Shield is the final card Sakura has against the Nothing, who absorbed all of the others. Sakura used it to protect herself from the Nothing's powers, but it was soon captured.

Appearance

When guarding an object, Shield appears as a blue-white-green sphere or dome. For all other uses it is a single 'Clow Wing' shield with a red jewel on one side.

Captured

• Episode 11 (Japanese Original)
• Episode 11 (Full English Dub)
• Not shown (American Adaptation)

Transformation

Shield is transformed in Episode 58. Sakura used it to shut out the magic that was preventing Cerberus and Yue from returning to their disguises.

The Shot

The Shot is one of the more dangerous cards. Unless sealed, it can be activated simply saying "shoot" or "aim" (even if the person calling it has no magical powers), at which point it will either target the person to which the command refers (e.g. "aim at Syaoran" or "shoot Syaoran" would cause the card to attack him) or the first person that it sees, attacking him or her relentlessly until either the target is destroyed or the card is forced to return to its card form.

Once activated, Shot transforms into a body of light that fires out beams of energy, like lasers, that become increasingly more accurate with each attack. Shots can be neutralized by Shield, but only for a short time as Shot has more endurance than Shield. Shots can also be deflected using Mirror.

In the anime, Shot is discovered by Meiling, hiding in its card form amongst a store display of charms, and is accidentally activated when she says she will use it to shoot Syaoran's heart. Shot then attacks Syaoran but is defeated when Sakura uses Mirror to deflect one of its attacks back at it.

Appearance

When attacking, Shot appears as a fast moving bolt of energy. Its visible form is a young girl with fiery red and yellow hair and large pink eyes.

Captured

• Episode 28 (Japanese original)
• Episode 25 (Full English Dub)
• Episode 14 (American Adaptation)

Transformation

Shot is transformed in Episode 69 when Sakura transforms the last remaining Clow Cards.

The Silent

The Silent is a mysterious card that shuns loud noises. It is able to stifle all forms of sound, rendering even the noisiest room completely silent. It also has the power to "move" away anything that is making noise, though such movement has limited range. Cerberus admittingly revealed he did not know Silent's special power, either because he forgot it or because Silent doesn't talk and hasn't told him.

Because Silent automatically removes anything that causes noise, it is very difficult to capture. Every time Sakura approaches it or tries to say the sealing incantation, Silent simply teleports her out of reach. Sakura eventually manages to seal Silent by using Shadow to extend her reach, so that she could capture Silent from a quiet distance.

When first encountered in the anime, Silent takes up residence in an oil painting in the Tomoeda art gallery.

Appearance

Silent appears as a tall slender woman wearing a long blue-black dress and wrapped in dark cape with a high collar. She has long, straight blue hair and a jewel with bat wings on her forehead. She is usually seen standing up with one finger raised to her lips.

Captured

• Episode 7 (Japanese Original)
• Episode 7 (Full English Dub)
• Not shown (American Adaptation)

Transformation

Silent is transformed in Episode 69 when Sakura transforms the last remaining Clow Cards.

The Sleep

The Sleep is able to put people to sleep, whether it be one person or a whole festival full of people. Sleep is often used in combination with The Time, in which Time stops time while Sleep is activated on all the people. When Time wears off, everyone falls asleep at once. This prevents people from noticing others falling asleep before they do and also from seeing Sleep while it does its work. In the anime, Sleep took up residence at the university where Sakura's father worked. Sleep put everyone except Sakura to sleep, who cornered Sleep in her father's study where she captured it using Windy. Sleep became one of Sakura's most used cards.

Appearance

Sleep resembles a tiny periwinkle fairy with a star on its forehead. Sleep sometimes carries a small wand, which usually produces the magical dust that induces sleep.

Captured

• Episode 22 (Japanese Original)
• Episode 20 (English dub)
• Not shown (American Adaptation)

Though its capture is not shown in the American adaptation, Sleep is seen being used in the show, first appearing in Episode 13.

Transformation

The Sleep is transformed into a Sakura Card in episode 56 (episode 52 of the English dub) in order to conceal the activities of Spinel Sun after he becomes 'drunk' on sugar at a sweets fair.

The Snow

The Snow Attacking

The Snow is able to cause a considerable amount of snow to fall, even during weather that does not promote snow. Snow is quite aggressive, usually attacking in the form of a blizzard. However Snow is far weaker than Firey, which Sakura summoned in order to defeat it.

Appearance

Snow's visible form resembles a traditional Japanese 雪女 yuki-onna, or Snow Woman. She wears a blue-white kimono with a blue obi and a necklace that appears to be made from teeth (though, in context, they are probably icicles). She has a yellow, upwards facing, crescent moon on her forehead. Snow displays a notable amount of wit compared to the other Clow Cards.

Captured

• Episode 36 (Japanese Original)
• Episode 33 (English Dub)
• Episode 15 (English Adaptation)

Transformation

Snow is transformed in Episode 68 when Sakura is attacked by a horde of snowmen during one of Eriol's magical trials. Sakura attempts to evade the incoming snowballs but, after becoming overwhelmed by the snow (and angry as a result), then transforms and summons Snow, neutralizing all the snow that had appeared.

The Song

Like The Voice, The Song loves singing. It is attracted to any beautiful songs that it hears, often copying them (to memory). However, unlike Voice, Song cannot steal people's voices. Song is very shy and is easily scared away by loud sounds or sudden movements, but it can be coaxed into its visible form if it feels safe.

In the anime, Sakura first encounters Song in the school music room while investigating a rumor that it was haunted. According to the rumor, a young girl can be heard singing in the music room after everybody else has left. While investigating the mysterious singing, Sakura discovers that it is emanating from Song, but every time she tries to get close enough for capture, Meiling accidentally makes noise that frightens the card away. After a continued pursuit, Sakura realizes that Song is singing a song that Tomoyo was rehearsing earlier that day. Tomoyo starts singing, too, which draws the card out and into its visible form, where it sings a duet with Tomoyo and then is immediately captured by Sakura.

Appearance

Song's visible form resembles a young girl wearing a blue and lavender dress and bluish-lavender headgear. The headgear resembles a treble clef, and the dress resembles the front of a string instrument.

Captured

• Episode 23 (Japanese Original)
• Episode 21 (Full English Dub)

Transformation

Song is transformed in Episode 49, when Sakura uses it to lure a cursed piano, which follows the sound of Tomoyo's voice, off the roof of her school.

The Storm

Closely related to Cloud, Rain, Watery, and Windy, The Storm is a powerful and aggressive card that is capable of summoning huge rainstorms and tornados that can be used both to attack an opponent and to bind them. However, despite its power, Storm is vulnerable to attacks directed towards its center (the eye of the storm) and is easily defeated by Syaoran's "Raitei Shourai." Because Syaoran is the one who forces it to return to its visible form, Storm belongs to him.

Syaoran rarely uses the Storm card but does so notably in the first movie, when he calls Storm to distract Madoushi (Su Yung) in order to buy Sakura time to escape her dimension.

Appearance

Storm appears as a young elf with curly shoulder length hair and also appears to be wearing some form of armor. Storm bears some simularity to The Cloud and The Rain. It has also been surmised that Storm is a male card.

Captured

• Episode 15 (Japanese Original)
• Not shown (American Adaptation)

Transformation

Storm is transformed in Episode 69 when Sakura transforms the last remaining Clow Cards.

The Sweet

The Sweet is able to turn objects into edible sweets or make other foods taste sweet. It dislikes being sprinkled with salt. Sealing the card causes everything changed by Sweet to revert to its original form.

In the anime, Sweet caused mayhem on the cakes baked within Tomoeda Elementary School for over a week. On Sakura's class's second attempt, Kero mentioned to Sakura that it could be the work of Sweet. Sakura and Syaoran managed to capture sweet by throwing a bag of salt over Sweet.

Appearance

Sweet's visible form is a small fairy with afro-like hair resembling cotton candy and a yellow dress with a similarly shaped skirt resembling cream puffs. She also holds a wand.

Captured

• Episode 29 (Japanese original)

Transformation

Sweet is transformed in Episode 53, the first card that Sakura transforms in her frantic wave of transformations.

Rika possessed by The Sword

The Sword is able to cut through almost anything, including magical barriers. The card gains its strength from the heart of the person who wields it and gives the wielder the skills of a master swordsman. However, Sword can also overwhelm and take control the person holding it, especially if he or she is non-magical.

Although Sword has its own form, Sakura is only able to use it by binding its power to the sealing wand, turning it into a sword.

In both the anime and manga (volume 2), Sword possesses Sakura's friend Rika Sasaki (Rita) and forces her to attack Sakura. In both instances, Sakura is saved by Syaoran and then uses Illusion to distract Rika in order to separate her from Sword.

In the English dub, Illusion shows Rika what she feared most at that moment in time, but in the original series, it shows her an image of her true love.

Curiously, Syaoran's 長剣 (Tsurugi) Sword (Jian in Mandarin, and Gim in Cantonese) is able to deflect several blows from Sword with relative ease. Presumably, its magical nature protected it from damage.

Appearance

The Sword has two forms: a sword-shaped brooch and a sword. In both forms it resembles an European rapier. Its hilt and hand-guard resemble Clow's wing emblem. Unusually for a sword, Sword finishes in a diamond shaped tip, rather than a conventional tapered or chiseled tip.

Captured

• Episode 9 (Japanese Original)
• Episode 9 (Full English Dub)
• Episode 5 (American Adaptation)

Transformation

Sword is transformed into a Sakura Card in episode 51 when Syaoran is bound by strange threads. Sakura uses Sword to release Syaoran from his prison. In a later episode, Sakura finds the need to fight with both Sword and Fly, but she was limited in that both cards involved the sealing wand and could not be used together. This prompts Sakura to transform Fly, merging with it, so that the wand is left free to turn into Sword.

Note: Due to the deletion of a number of episodes, the transformation of Sword is not in the American adaptation and is seen seveal episodes earlier (around episode 47) in the English dub.

Appearance

Through's card form shows a woman dressed in a flowing gown jumping through a silver, presumably solid, disk.

Captured

Through's capture is not shown directly in the series, but Episode 36 shows that Sakura had captured it over winter break (the time period following Episode 35).

Transformation

Through's transformation is not shown in the series.

Sakura and Syaoran face The Thunder

The Thunder is able to summon a bolt of lightning, similar to Syaoran's often-used "Raitei Shourai" spell, and is one of Sakura's early offensive cards. In the anime, Thunder is the first card that Syaoran and Sakura capture together. In the manga (volume 2), Sakura captures it alone.

The English dub of the anime names the visible form of Thunder as Raijū (雷獣, Raijū^?) (Rai (雷) means thunder and Jū (獣) means beast: literally - Thunder Beast). This is done in order to fill in 'surplus' lip movement after a dialogue change. The visible form of Thunder is never named in the original anime nor in the manga. Raijū is an actual name for a mythical Japanese creature with many forms, though a wolf is not one of them.

Appearance

In its visible form, Thunder resembles a large wolf and is made out of crackling blue-white energy. Its appearance is similar to Japanese mythology, resembling a raiju or thunder creature.

Captured

• Episode 8 (Japanese Original)
• Episode 8 (Full English Dub)
• Episode 1 (American Adaptation)

Transformation

In Episode 67, Sakura used Thunder to defeat a magical horse that was attacking her.

The Time

The Time has the ability to influence the passage of time in the world: speeding it up, slowing it down, stopping it entirely, and even turning back the passage of time by a whole day. Altering the passage of time is extremely taxing for all but the most powerful of sorcerers, and a great deal of magic is required even to activate it. At their present magic levels, neither Sakura nor Syaoran are able to do more than pause time for a matter of minutes.

Time is one of the most powerful cards and, when activated, is even able to freeze other cards (except The Nothing, which appears to be immune to Time's powers).

Curiously, magic users like Syaoran and Sakura are able to tell if time has been reversed and also retain their memories of the period of time that has been wound back. However they are unable to tell if time has been paused. Time first appeared in the clock tower of Sakura's school and repeated the same day three times before it was eventually captured. It is also one of the last cards used by Sakura in the second movie against the Nothing. It saves her from being hit by a rollercoaster, but it is captured soon after.

In the anime, Time is the first card that goes to Syaoran instead of Sakura. This occurs because it is Syaoran who forces time to return to its visible form, not Sakura. The English dub excludes this explanation, instead suggesting that the way that cards 'choose' their holders is a mystery yet to be solved.

Appearance

Time's visible form is a robed old man with a long beard (similar to Father Time and the Hermit in Tarot) and pointed ears, carrying a large hourglass. Despite rumours that Time appears as an old woman as a Sakura Card, Time is still of the male sex.

Captured

• Episode 12 (Japanese Original)
• Episode 12 (Full English Dub)
• Episode 2 (English Adaptation)

Transformation

Time is transformed into a Sakura card in episode 64. Because of the deletion of a number of episodes, the transformation of Time is not seen in the English adaptation, and it is seen several episodes earlier (about episode 60) in the English dub.

The Twin

The Twin is an aggressive card, able to produce duplicates of objects, including people. In the anime, Keroberos informs Sakura that both entities that comprise Twin must be captured at the same time and that the only way to successfully attack them is by using two simultaneous attacks. Syaoran and Meiling are able to achieve this through their martial arts training.

Appearance

Twin's visible form is two yellow-colored small children wearing long sleeves. One of them has a pink tuft of hair on the forehead, while the other one has a blue tuft.

Captured

• Episode 43 (Japanese Original)

Transformation

Twin's transformation is not shown in the series.

The Voice

The Voice is a mischievous card that is able to steal people's voices. Usually, Voice is content with listening to people, but if it hears a voice that it likes, it is capable of stealing it, rendering that person completely mute. Tomoyo (Madison) becomes victim to Voice's thievery in episode 37. In order to capture Voice and return Tomoyo's voice, Sakura lures it by summoning Song, which sings one of Tomoyo's songs from memory.

Appearance

Voice's visible form is a young girl with long feather-like ears and long wavy hair similar to that of a Harpy.

Captured

• Episode 37 (Japanese Original)

Transformation

Voice is transformed in Episode 53 during Sakura's frantic wave of transformations.

The Watery

The Watery is one of the four elemental cards. It has a very temperamental personality and is able to control water and create whirlpools and tidal waves. Watery appears to be female; her looks are somewhat tomboyish.

In the anime, Watery makes a home in an aquarium where she attacks the animals and keepers, and later Sakura, too. In the manga (Volume 1), Watery first appears in school's swimming pool, where she tries to drown a number of students. In both cases Sakura manages to capture Watery by luring it into a walk-in freezer (in the aquarium cafeteria and school kitchen respectively) and locking it in until it froze.

Watery is able to absorb power from other water-based cards like Rain and is one of the two elemental cards directly linked to Yue (the other being The Windy).

Appearance

Watery resembles a blue mermaid with webbed fingers and large ears that appear to be a cross between webbed flippers and pointed elf's ears. It has no legs but instead rides on a column of water that resembles a tail. Watery can also dissolve itself into any body of water, becoming indistinguishable from its surroundings.

Captured

• Episode 3 (Japanese Original)
• Episode 3 (Full English Dub)

Note: Because of alterations in the episode order and content in America, Watery is captured in Episode 16 of the English dub.

Transformation

In Episode 63, Sakura uses Watery to save Rika from drowning in a pool gone haywire. In Volume 11 of the manga, Sakura transforms Watery to avoid Eriol's fire attack.

Appearance

Wave's card form shows a stream, implying some affiliation with water.

Captured

Wave's capture is not shown directly in the series, but episode 36 shows that Sakura had captured it over winter break (the time period following episode 35).

Transformation

Wave is transformed in Episode 53 during Sakura's frantic wave of transformations.

The Windy

The Windy is one of the four elemental cards. It has a gentle personality and is able to control winds and create powerful whirlwinds. It is one of Sakura's most useful cards, as it helps her capture other Clow Cards by binding them in its winds. Windy is also the only Clow Card that Sakura does not have to capture, as it is in her hand at the time the other Cards scatter. In the anime, Windy can be used by the other cards as a conduit to communicate with each other.

Windy is one of the two elemental cards directly linked to Yue (the other being The Watery).

Windy is first seen in volume 1 of the manga, by which time it had already been captured.

Appearance

Windy is mostly yellow-colored and looks like a woman with wings (like a Butterfly) on her shoulders and coming out of her forehead.

Captured

• Episode 1 (Japanese Original)
• Episode 1 (Full English Dub)

Note: Due to alterations to the episode order and content, the capture of the Windy card is shown only as a flashback in the United States. It is shown in episode 1 in other English-speaking countries.

Transformation

Windy is transformed in Episode 53. Sakura uses it to try to catch the frantic Dash, unsuccessfully at first, but later with success.

The Wood

The Wood is a gentle spirit that is able to create trees, branches, and vines. Sakura often uses Wood to form cages with which to trap other Clow Cards.

Although gentle in nature, Wood sometimes becomes 'overexcited' when exposed to water cards like Rain, and it can even draw enough power from them to escape its card form even after capture.

In the anime, Sakura simply finds Wood in card form in her basement, but she forgets to sign her name on the card, leading to Wood's escaping and ransacking Sakura's house.

Appearance

Although Wood can form herself into trees and branches, her natural form appears to be a small mossy green and yellow wood nymph about 8 inches high. She has long green leaf-like hair with vines and wears tiara made of leaves.

Captured

• Episode 4 (Japanese Original)
• Episode 4 (Full English Dub)
• Not shown (American Adaptation)

Transformation

In Episode 67, Sakura used Wood to constrain a magical horse that was attacking her.