Yu Kanda is a character from D.Gray-man, a manga series created by Japanese artist and writer Katsura Hoshino. Kanda is a young adult who is an exorcist from an organization known as the Black Order. Like the other exorcists in the order, he is in charge of destroying demonic enemies known as Akuma, created by a man known as the Millennium Earl. For this, he uses an object referred to as "Innocence" sealed within a Japanese sword. Kanda sides with the Black Order in their fight against the Earl's group, the Noah Family. Kanda is often cold and antisocial toward his allies, even disliking it when people refer to him by his given name, Yu. He often engages in fights with his frequent ally, the series' protagonist Allen Walker. As the series proceeds, it is revealed he is the result of an experiment from the Black Order that created his artificial body and merged it with the brain of a deceased exorcist. Outside the main series and the two anime adaptations, Kanda has also appeared in the D.Gray-man light novels, the two video games of the series, and the crossover game Jump Ultimate Stars.

D.Gray-man is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Katsura Hoshino. Set in an alternate 19th century, it tells the story of a young Allen Walker, who joins an organization of exorcists named the Black Order. They use an ancient substance, Innocence, to combat a man known as the Millennium Earl and his demonic army of Akuma who intend to destroy humanity. Many characters are adapted from Hoshino's previous works and drafts, such as Zone. The series is noted for its dark narrative; Hoshino once rewrote a scene she thought too violent for her young readers.