Darya Nikitina

Darya Nikitina is a minor character in the Dr. Stone anime, appearing primarily through flashbacks and exposition related to the backstory of the petrification event and the International Space Station (ISS).

She is a Russian cosmonaut and medical doctor who was aboard the ISS alongside her husband, Yakov Nikitin, at the time humanity was petrified. As one of the few people in space during the event, she avoided immediate petrification and observed the phenomenon from orbit. In the anime (particularly around the arcs covering the American arc and revelations about the ISS crew), she and Yakov are depicted as survivors who eventually returned to Earth after the petrification, attempting to reach others (including helping with medical needs like treating Connie's illness by sailing out for supplies), but they were tragically lost at sea and presumed deceased.

Her role is mostly background/lore-focused, providing context for how some astronauts survived initially and tying into the larger mystery of the petrification device. She has a very limited on-screen presence compared to the main cast, with her appearances being brief and voiced in the English dub by Rachel Robinson (and Rie Tanaka in Japanese).