Kyle

Kyle was one of two acolytes that took the Bishop's Apprentice Exam as a pair, first seen taunting Teito and the former assistant Archbishops. He and his partner managed to last until the end of the first exam, where only Kyle passed after he forgave his partner for punching him and running through the door of victory.

Kyle is later seen again in the Barsburg Church, serving under Bishop Lance. It is unknown what happened to him after Lance's death, but it is possible that he went on to work under another bishop.

Etymology
Kyle is a name of Gaelic origin. It means "narrow, straight". In English, the saying "the straight and narrow" means the way of proper conduct and moral integrity (source: TFD), thus referring to Kyle's integrity in contrast to his partner Wade.

Physical appearance
Kyle has a square jaw with pale skin, a large nose, full lips, and sports a mean-looking expression at first. His hair and eyes are a pale grey and his hair is spiked up with a few strands falling over his forehead. His eyebrows are thick. He has a sturdy build and is estimated around 178cm. He looks to be somewhere in his late teens or early twenties. Possibly due to the grey hair, Kyle resembles his grandfather greatly.

Clothing
He is first seen wearing the typical Bishop's apprentice uniform: consisting of a long, white robe down to the ankles, having two slits, going from the bottom of the robe to the hips, at each side of the body, and long, white sleeves with large, dark blue sleeve cuffs. Down the back of the robe is a criss-cross stitching like that of a corset with dark blue thread. A small, white poncho (mid-back length) with a high collar and dark blue around the edges is worn over the robe, and he wears his Exam Badge at the front of his collar. He wears dark blue trousers and knee-length brown boots.

Later in the series, Kyle becomes Lance's apprentice, and is shown wearing what appears to be a shawl decorated with the cross of the Church on the left, over a long, plain white shirt with full-length sleeves and long, plain white trousers.

Personality
Kyle first appears to be an aggressive and unkind individual, as during his first appearance he shouts at an old man and mocks Teito Klein when his Zaiphon does not start. He was also shown to be personal, as he called Hakuren "fox-face" as a result of his characteristic Oak features.

However, during the exam the more flattering aspects of his personality are shown, and he exhibits bravery and determination that eventually lead him to success. Despite panicking initially, he was able to overcome his fears quite quickly and walked through the hall of shadows, face several monsters and Kor, and cross a tightrope above a chasm. A quality that set him apart from his partner was the ability to control his anger, as when wronged, Kyle was able to calm himself and forgive Wade for punching him, whereas Wade simply lashed out.

Kyle also demonstrated great humility during the exam, as he said his partner deserved to pass over him and listed his partner's talents, none of which were shown during the exam, instead of becoming angry. He also showed respect for the Church, as he was appalled upon hearing Teito had damaged the Church.

In the manga, he is shown to become friendlier and more cheerful after the exam. He also shows an adventurous side, willingly accompanying Lance on mountain-climbing and Ribidzile-jumping trips.

Superiors
Lance: Kyle became Lance's apprentice after passing the exam. From what little has been shown of their relationship, they got along well, and Kyle was apparently obedient to Lance. Kyle's reaction to Lance's death (it is likely that he was informed of it) has not been shown.

Peers
Wade: Kyle at first appeared to be friends with Wade, but they had an argument over who should walk through the door of the victor, which resulted in Wade punching Kyle. Kyle was shocked by Wade's actions, and complimented Wade's skills by saying they were better than his own, suggesting he may have considered him a friend. Even after this, Kyle bore no ill will towards Wade for what he had done.

Teito Klein: The first time they appeared, Kyle taunted Teito. Upon meeting him again, Kyle seemed unimpressed at Teito's lack of knowledge of the Ghost marks, and appalled that he had previously destroyed a part of the Church. However, he may not dislike Teito as much as initially thought, as when Teito looked upset, he asked him what was wrong. He has had no further contact with Teito since the Bishop's Apprentice Exam.

Hakuren Oak: Kyle initially disliked Hakuren due to the argument they had prior to the exam, where Hakuren retaliated after Kyle taunted Teito by calling Kyle a 'failure face'. Kyle took exception to the insult, and his fury at Hakuren and desire to best him was his motivation for passing the first half of the exam. However, it seems that their relationship improved somewhat after the exam, though they did not interact much.

Ouida: Ouida and Kyle seem to be friends. Kyle once called Ouida a 'brother-complexed weirdo'. When Kyle informed Ouida and Hakuren that he (Kyle) was going mountain climbing with Lance, Ouida told him to 'try to come back unharmed'. Ouida also helped Kyle when Kyle was feeling unwell.

Family
Unnamed parents: Kyle has been shown to have an unnamed mother and father. He shares no resemblance to his mother, and instead looks like his grandfather. Kyle's parents may have been abusive to him, as he took exception to Hakuren's insult of "failure face", wondering how he knew what his parents said. It is possible that Kyle decided to become a clergyman and move to District 7 because he wants to distance himself from his parents.

Abilities and Attributes
During the Bishop's exam Arc, Kyle demonstrated a quick mind, considerable physical fitness and skill with a Baculus. He was shown to possess enough strength to best the monster in the exam simply by kicking it.

Early childhood
Little is known of Kyle's early years. A panel in the manga suggests Kyle's parents may have been abusive to him, as he took exception to Hakuren's insult of "failure face", wondering how he knew what his parents said. It is possible that one of the reasons Kyle moved to the Church and began pursuing the path of the clergy is a desire to distance himself from his parents.

Joining the Church
At some point, he enrolled in the bishop's apprentice exam and met Wade, eventually becoming partners for the exam with him. Considering that partners for the exam share a room before the exam starts, it is presumed that Kyle and Wade shared a room previously.

Part one of the exam
He is first seen bumping into one of the former assistant archbishops, and is shouted at by Teito Klein. He leaves without argument, but is later shown laughing at Teito and Hakuren Oak when Teito is unable to start his Zaiphon.

"How pitiful! What are those guys even doing here? That pipsqueak put together with fox-face are in trouble."

- Kyle

When he insults Teito and Hakuren, Teito attempts to argue, but Hakuren stops him and calls him (Kyle) a "failure face" which insults him greatly. After Teito's Zaiphon is restored the exam begins, and Kyle is forced to walk through fear to enter. Despite screaming as he does so, he walks through unharmed.

Making it through to the next stage, Kyle is faced with a difficult arithmetic question, and manages to solve it despite being initially overwhelmed. He then goes on to solve more questions; angrily facing a monster and kicking it into submission, and is then sent to the Kor's palace where he answers 50 questions and passes through.

"He was smart... He could always study better than me and always taught me. It was a shock to be hit by him, but thanks to him I was able to come this far in the exam. If he accepted it, I'm rewarded by being hit."

- Kyle

He and his partner do very well during the duration of the exam, mostly due to Kyle. When the pair face the last challenge: where only one of the pair can pass through the door of the victor, Wade attacks Kyle- punching him in the face, writes his own name on the wall, and runs through the door of the victor. Kyle is left to walk through the door of the defeated, where he says he failed because he wasn't as good as his comrade, and upon saying this, he passes.

Part two of the exam
As the remaining candidates pass through to the next exam, Teito Klein asks what the marks engraved in the walls were, much to the annoyance of Hakuren Oak and Kyle. Lance interrupts, and explains the marks are the signs of each of the Ghosts, and that the Ghosts are unable to enter heaven.

The Bishops and candidates then part, and Kyle then enters the second part of the exam, where he is confronted with an image of Wade.

"We've come this far to the winners door! I don't have a grudge. If it's me I'll forgive you. So let's get going!"

- Kyle

Kyle is initially shocked at the sight, but passes the exam when he tells his partner that he bears no ill will towards him for what he has done. Kyle takes Wade's hand and tells him that they can go together.

After the exam
"It's things Bishop Lance wants brought with him for mountain climbing."

- Kyle

Kyle passes the exam, and later goes on to work under Bishop Lance, and presumably has a cross tattooed on his back to show he has been chosen to "pursue the path of a Bishop".

Regrouping with Hakuren Oak and Ouida, Kyle informs them he will be leaving the 7th District to go rock climbing with Lance, whose desire to travel was not sated by his earlier adventure. The two other acolytes think the idea is terrible, yet wish him a safe return.

He is shown parachute-jumping from a Ribidzile at 7500 metres, and Lance mentions that he (Kyle) went to rest in the break room of the Barsburg Church, hinting that Kyle felt unwell after the incident. The last time he appears in the series, Kyle is seen talking to Ouida as they watch a group of children play a 'Seven Ghosts' hide-and-seek game in the Church. Kyle calls Ouida a "brother-complexed weirdo" when Ouida reminisces about how Liam used to play that game, and the two friends muse out loud about why the Statue of Vertrag had fallen. Kyle has not appeared again since.