History Characters / Eyeshield21

* [[Characters/Eyeshield21KyoshinPoseidons Kyoshin Poseidons]][[note]]Shun Kakei, Kengo Mizumachi, Osamu Kobanzame, Hiroshi Onishi and Hiroshi Ohira[[/note]]

* [[Characters/Eyeshield21TaiyoSphinx Taiyo Sphinx]][[note]]Kiminari Harao, Mamoru Banba, Niinobu Kasamatsu[[/note]]

* [[Characters/Eyeshield21TeikokuAlexanders Teikoku Alexanders]][[note]]Takeru Yamato, Taka Honjo, Karin Koizumi, Kureji Hera ("Heracles"), Reisuke Aki ("Achilles"), Doujirou Tenma, Kirio Ibarada[[/note]]

* [[Characters/Eyeshield21AminoCyborgs Amino Cyborgs]][[note]]Atsushi Munakata, Suguru Aoyanagi[[/note]]

* [[Characters/Eyeshield21OtherFootballPlayers Other Football Players]][[note]]Players introduced in the Tournament (Kaoru Hatsujou, Rui Habashira, Megu Tsuyumine, Sasuke Kanagushi, Yamamoto Onihei, Taiga Kamiya), Players introduced in the World Youth Cup (Akira "Chuubou" Nakabou, Heinrich Schultz, Rodchenko, Team Militaria)[[/note]]

* [[Characters/Eyeshield21OtherCharacters Other Characters]]

* [[Characters/Eyeshield21CollegeAndSemiProFootballTeams College and Semi-Pro Football Teams]]
* [[Characters/Eyeshield21OtherFootballPlayers Other Football Players]]

* [[Characters/Eyeshield21BandoSpiders Bando Spiders]]Hayato Akaba, Kotaro Sasaki, Juri "Julie" Sawai[[/note]]
* [[Characters/Eyeshield21HakushuDinosaurs Hakushu Dinosaurs]]
* [[Characters/Eyeshield21TeikokuAlexanders Teikoku Alexanders]]
* [[Characters/Eyeshield21ThePentagram The Pentagram]]

* [[Characters/Eyeshield21ShinryujiNaga Shinryuji Naga]]
* [[Characters/Eyeshield21SeibuWildGunmen Seibu Wild Gunmen]]
* [[Characters/Eyeshield21TaiyoSphinx Taiyo Sphinx]]
* [[Characters/Eyeshield21NASAAliens NASA Aliens]]
* [[Characters/Eyeshield21AminoCyborgs Amino Cyborgs]]
* [[Characters/Eyeshield21KyoshinPoseidons Kyoshin Poseidons]]
* [[Characters/Eyeshield21BandoSpiders Bando Spiders]]

* [[Characters/Eyeshield21OjoWhiteKnights Ojo White Knights]]

* [[Characters/Eyeshield21DeimonDevilBats Deimon Devil Bats]]

* [[Characters/Eyeshield21UniversityFootballTeams [[spoiler: University]] Football Teams]]

!!Teikoku Alexanders

[[folder:In General]]
The [[FinalBoss ultimate team]] in Japanese highschool football, dominating the whole Kansai district and winning the Christmas Bowl ''every'' year since its initiation. They had a policy of recruiting top players from other schools in order to build up its own ranks. Run on a meritocracy, the Alexanders divided their players into ranks and advanced them based on performance and nothing else.
----
* [[TheAce The Aces]]: They were the best players in Japan.
* [[DreamTeam All-Star Team]]: The Alexanders recruited ace players from all of Japan and grouped their players into six teams according to merits. The first string players were literally the best of the best.
* AlwaysABiggerFish: The Naga's nine-year Kanto winning streak was nothing compared to the Alexanders: The last nine Christmas Bowls were the former getting trounced by the latter.
* AncientRome: These guys seemed to have a Roman Empire [[{{Motifs}} theme]] going on, which fitted their meritocratic philosophy pretty well.
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: In this team, authority was only for players who kicked asses.
--> '''[[{{Jerkass}} Ibarada]]''' (Walking ahead): Damn it, Karin, you're slow!
--> '''[[{{NiceGirl}} Karin]]''' (Carrying Ibarada's luggage): S-s-s-sorry!
--> '''Yamato''' (Passing by): Wait, Iba... What is it? Ah, yeah! Ibarada! Why're you using Karin as a luggage carrier?
--> '''Karin''': Yamato! It's alright. I don't really mind...
--> '''Yamato''' (Smiled): Underclassmen aren't slaves to their senpai. Instead... you should have that ''forth string player'' carry them. You know?
* BadassCrew: Duh.
* ChekhovsGunman: The Alexanders were first mentioned in Kotaro's flashback, in which they're responsible for most of the Spiders' best players leaving the team. They were mentioned again during the Devil Bats vs Dinosaurs match, in which Kisaragi flustered that the Dinosaurs were to crush the Alexanders using Gaou's brute strength. It turned out the Alexanders were the all-time football champions of Japan and FinalBoss.
* ColorCodedCharacters: They're the FinalBoss and associated with ''black''.
* [[ConsummateProfessional Consummate Professionals]]: They were so pro, they had no trouble cooperating with each other on the field despite the intense rivalries within the team.
* CurbStompBattle: They did this to the '''NAGA'''. It's offscreen, but still...
* DefeatingTheUndefeatable: Had been undefeated since the first Christmas Bowl, and hailed as Japan's undisputed aces.
* TheDreaded: Everyone, even the ''Shinryuji Naga'', feared the Alexanders.
* FinalBoss: [[spoiler: Before the World Cup, anyway]].
* FiveBadBand: They're not really evil, though...
** BigBadDuumvirate (de facto): Yamato and Taka.
** TheDragon and TheEvilGenius (de facto): Heracles.
** TheBrute: Achilles.
** TheDarkChick: Karin.
** BiggerBad: The Teikoku Highschool itself was the one who put forth that ridiculous policy of stealing ace players from other teams.
* {{Genius Bruiser}}s: A requirement to be a first string player was to memorize 1000 football plays.
* {{Lightning Bruiser}}s: Another requirement to be a first string player is to be able to run the 40 yard dash in under 5 seconds. Yes, even the linemen have to. This makes Teikoku's line both fast and strong.
* MasterOfAll: It's hard to talk about the Alexanders' weak points... because there's none.
* MightMakesRight: The Alexanders ran on an extreme meritocracy. Ages, friendships and other such stuffs didn't matter. The only thing they cared was what you bring to the team.
* NameToRunAwayFromReallyFast: "Teikoku" literally means '''Black Emperor'''.
* OpposingSportsTeam: They were not a bunch of bad guys, but their status as '''the''' undefeated champions and the fact that the rivalry within the team was as great or greater than that with their opponents still made them a fairly classic case of this.
* SeriousBusiness: The only highschool - not coach or player - to take football that seriously, they recruited ''every'' ace player in Japan they could get. That was why they were the Christmas Bowl champions for decades.
* WorthIt: As lampshaded by Heracles, the pride that came with being Teikoku's first string made it worthwhile to undergo all the TrainingFromHell.
* [[WorthyOpponent Worthy Opponents]]: Notably, these seemed to happen ''within'' the team.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Takeru Yamato (大和 猛)]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Yamato_Takeru_9585.jpg]]
''"It's settled... It's my win!"''

[[LateArrivalSpoiler The original Eyeshield 21,]] Yamato was a friendly and charismatic young man who played along well with other players. He was also filled with self-confidence and wouldn't hesitate to crush his opponents on the field. While Yamato was a ''very'' [[MasterOfAll well-rounded]] player with top-tier power and speed, his greatest strength was his perfect body balance and willpower, which made him nigh impossible to take down with tackles - a technique he named the "Caesar's Charge". [[spoiler: Yamato had a feud with Mr. Don, the leader of the USA ace players group "Pentagram": [[SmugSnake Mr. Don]], regarding Yamato as unworthy of the title of "Eyeshield 21", used his power as the son of the US President to ''kick Yamato out of Notre Dame''. During the Youth World Cup, Yamato went to the United States with Team Japan, fully intending to have his revenge against Mr. Don on the field]].

* Position: Running Back / Defensive Back
* Jersey: 22; [[spoiler: 21 during the match against the Devil Bats; 20 during the World Cup.]]
* 40-yard dash: 4.4 seconds
* Bench Press: Unspecified
* Height: 190 cm (6' 3")
* Weight: 79 kg (174 lbs)
* Birthday: October 10
* 1st Year Student (Grade 10)
* Nicknames: Eyeshield 21, "The Emperor"
----
* TheAce: Frequently hailed as being the "Perfect Runner" long before he actually appeared, and '''completely''' lived up to this expectation when he revealed himself; on top of being good looking, charming, and honorable, as lampshaded by Akaba.
* [[spoiler: AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Yamato was crushed by Panther on one occasion because of nothing but the latter's superior talents in running]].
* {{Badass}}: Even ''[[{{Jerkass}} Ag]][[SmugSnake on]]'' respected Yamato.
** BadassInCharge: He was the one who really led the Alexanders on the field.
* BashBrothers: With Taka, similar to Sena and Monta.
* BoisterousBruiser: Downplayed, but it stood out when compared to [[TheQuietOne Taka]].
* [[spoiler: BrokenAce: While Yamato was unmistakably a top running back in Japan, it was implied that he was seen by some (i.e., Mr. Don) as [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter not-of-the-top-tier]] when he's in the USA. Thus, his attempt to crown himself ''the'' ace by seizing the title "Eyeshield 21" earned him the contempt of Mr. Don, who eventually [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections had him expelled from Notre Dame]]]].
* CatchPhrase: ''"It's settled. It's my win."'' The official translation made it ''"I am certain to win."''
* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: How could he shrug off tackles and steamroll ''any'' line in Japan? His training in the USA, where [[spoiler: being beaten outside the field for being a better running back made him used to being attacked by people stronger than he was. Yamato earned the "Eyeshield" title by puking blood]].
* ChasteHero: Not to the same degree as [[AmbiguousDisorder Shin]], but Yamato did not have a girlfriend, and seemed not to be interested in finding one.
* ChickMagnet: If Achilles's words were to be taken, Yamato was popular with ladies.
* CombatCompliment: Yamato is always ready to acknowledge others' accomplishments.
--> '''Yamato''' (Halfway through the Devil Bats vs Alexanders game): Sena, Monta... no matter how many times you're knocked down, there's still fire in your eyes. You aren't losers. Without doubt, you're first-class players.
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Yamato tended to do this whenever he interacted with Karin. Also see RunningGag below.
* CurbStompBattle: ''Almost always'' inflicted this when someone challenged him. [[spoiler: He suffered this at the hand of [[BigBad Mr. Don]] along with Gaou, though]].
* [[spoiler: DefeatMeansFriendship: Not that Yamato was mean to start with]].
* {{Determinator}}: His greatest skill was actually simple: He refused to be taken down when tackled. And just this was good enough to make him a very formidable running back. Even '''three''' people tackling him ''only made him fall to his knees''.
* TheEmperor: "Roman Emperor" was Yamato's primary {{Motif}}s... if his "'''Caesar''''s Charge" and his team's Roman theme hadn't made this obvious enough.
* {{Foil}}: He is apparently comparable to Shin and Agon in terms of sheer talents. Yamato was, like Shin, a genius who trained himself hard, but he is talkative and charismatic, whilst Shin was TheQuietOne. Of course, Yamato had aptitude outside speed and power, like Agon, but he's a NiceGuy while Agon was a full-on {{Jerkass}}.
* GeniusBruiser: Even ''[[TheSmartGuy Hiruma]]'' had a hard time outsmarting Yamato.
* TheGift: More or less implied given his interaction with Agon.
* [[spoiler: GracefulLoser: When Sena defeated him]].
--> '''Yamato''' (Sweating; [[spoiler: The Alexanders just lost to the Devil Bats]]): [[spoiler: I'm sorry, Sena... Since I am the one who lost, I should be praising you as the winner. But right now... I can't help feeling excited]].
* TheHero: To the Alexanders.
** [[spoiler: BrokenHero: See BrokenAce above]].
* HonorBeforeReason: He promised to use only his left hand in the match against the Devil Bats when he saw that Hiruma hadn't recovered. That's saying something about this guy.
* ImplacableMan: Yamato has places to go. You will ''not'' stop him. You ''may'' slow him down. You ''may'' impede his progress. But he ''will'' get there, even if he has to drag you with him. It's an oddly unique example of the trope, which is usually used to describe someone who's coming after you. In Yamato's case, it was more like he's trying to get away from you, and something as simple as failing to get away from you wasn't going to deter him one bit.
** Played straight whenever he played in defense, as his superior physical strength and speed as well as having a near perfect balance made it almost impossible for anyone to stop him in his tracks. Thus, he can either avoid blockers or simply shove them out of the way and get to the ball carrier. In fact, [[spoiler: all the Devil Bats tried to stop him from reaching Musashi during the final field goal play, yet he '''still managed to touch the ball''']].
* JackOfAllTrades: He is a very well-rounded player, but he isn't the best in any particular area, other than possibly determination, something Yamato himself admitted.
** MasterOfAll: But he's still near top-notch in terms of speed, power and... everything.
-->'''Akaba''': On the other hand, Yamato has everything. Speed. Power. Technique. Body balance. Height. Kinda good-looking.
-->'''[[StraightMan Unsui]]''': What has the last one got to do with the rest?
* LightningBruiser: Yamato was just slightly slower than Sena but even stronger than the likes of Shin and Agon. There's a reason why his usual tactic is to shove the defense out of the way.
* MagneticHero: He's quite charismatic, and had ''2479'' entries in his mobile phone contacts.
* MeaningfulName: "Yamato Takeru" was the name of an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamato_Takeru ancient Japanese prince]] who's... the King Arthur of Japan, in a nutshell.
* MessyHair: As pictured above.
* MightMakesRight: Downplayed, but it's there. Yamato only cared about whether a person could get the job done. He failed to remember Ibarada's name apparently due to the latter's forth string status.
* NiceGuy: What he was off the field.
* NoodleIncident: How Yamato was run out of Notre Dame was never explained during the Devil Bats vs Alexanders game. [[spoiler: Later subverted when the truth about the incident was revealed in the World Cup Arc]].
* NoSell: The "Caesar's Charge" was basically him refusing to go down after being tackled, often ''dragging the opposing player with him'' as he ran.
* TheRealRemingtonSteele: The original Eyeshield 21 whom Kakei had met.
* RedOniBlueOni: He was the red to Taka's blue. It wasn't that Yamato was impulsive, but he's quite a charismatic and talkative guy when compared to TheStoic Taka.
* RunningGag: Karin [[NiceGirl tried to avoid being competitive]] (i.e., declining to join the team or saying that she's afraid of tackles)... The very competitive Yamato misinterpreted her words as meaning that she thought she wasn't strong enough, and forced her to train even harder.
* SignatureMove: The Caesar's Charge.
* SmugSuper: An interesting example. Yamato is more or less made of confidence and without a doubt a super. '''BUT''', (1) He ''never'' rubs his superness on others' faces; (2) He ''never'' compares others to him; and (3) If you do accomplish an impressive feat, Yamato [[CombatCompliment will be the first person to acknowledge it]]. In short, Yamato is this trope, but unlike [[{{Jerkass}} Agon]], he isn't a douche about it.
--> '''Sena''' (Staring at Yamato in awe): Self-confidence. Every word brimming with strength behind that friendly speech. There isn't a part of him that thinks he is going to lose.
* TallDarkAndHandsome: Seen his stats and picture?
* WorthyOpponent: Came to see Sena as this. Also, Sena and Kakei both saw him as this.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Taka Honjo]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Taka_Honjo_7259.jpg]]

A stone-faced, utterly bored wide reciever, Taka's also [[spoiler:the son of Monta's favorite baseball player Masaru Honjo.]] His well-deserved nickname comes from his ability to jump ridiculous distances.

* Position: Wide Reciever / Cornerback
* Jersey: 10
* Birthday: June 26
* 1st Year Student (Grade 10)
* Nickname: The Bird-man
----
* TheAce: To the same ridiculous degree as Yamato.
* AnimalMotifs: Hawk.
* BashBrothers: With Yamato.
* {{Bookworm}}: He's constantly seen reading.
** BadassBookworm
* BrilliantButLazy: Downplayed. He practices just out of habit but almost never exerts effort when playing, simply because he's already the best wide receiver there is. When Monta proves to be an equal to him, he decides to give it his all when playing.
* BrokenPedestal: [[spoiler: Monta realizes that Honjo was following him just so he can set him up against his son]].
* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: How exactly can this guy jump like he's walking in air and catch '''any''' flying object that comes his way? It's said that his father has been training him every day since he's young. That's why.
* TheComicallySerious: During the World Cup Arc, he sometimes fills this role.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: With Monta.
* [[DefrostingIceQueen Defrosting Ice King]]: He was at first quiet and stoic, feeling bored from having wiped the floor with every wide receiver he had faced. Then he warmed up to Monta.
* GenreSavvy: Possibly the ''only'' player in Japan (besides Hiruma) to have this quality. Taka was able to counter Clifford's trick plays in the Japan vs. America match. As he himself pointed out, he ''learned'' from his match against the Deimon Devil Bats, and as a result, never defends against the obvious play, instead tightly marking receivers no matter what.
* GoodEyesEvilEyes: His eyes have a notably blank look to him before befriending Monta at the end of the Deimon-Teikoku match.
* {{Jerkass}}: It's probably unintentional on the part of the author, but Taka's attitude of bored superiority, his refusal to even look at any players he considers inferior, and his insistence that anyone who tries to stand up to him is engaged in a futile act makes him ''very'' punchable. It doesn't help that his so-called "problem" of being better than everyone around him is (a) not very relatable, and (b) the same one that [[TheSociopath Agon]] suffers from. He gets a lot better during the World Cup Arc, though.
* TheLancer: To Yamato.
* LongHairedPrettyBoy
* MeaningfulName: "Taka" means "hawk".
* TheQuietOne: Especially when compared to Yamato or Heracles. When not playing he usually sits on the bench, quietly reading.
* RapunzelHair
* RedOniBlueOni: The blue to Yamato's red.
* TheStoic: His [[TheQuietOne quiet]] behavior sometimes becomes this.
* SugarAndIcePersonality: A friendship version towards Monta.
* VictoryIsBoring: Having been trained since childhood by his father to be a great baseball player, Taka became the unstoppable force that he is today.
* WhenSheSmiles
* WorthyOpponent: Came to see Monta as this.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Karin Koizumi (小泉 花梨)]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Karin_Koizumi_3593.jpg]]
''"Um... Please be gentle to me."''

Karin was, at first glance, only a cute, young freshman girl... who served as the Alexanders' ''official quarterback''. [[strike: Forced to join]] ''[[InsistentTerminology Scouted]]'' by Yamato, she was unwilling to play football at the beginning. But, after some training, her natural talents as a quarterback soon brought her to the first string of the Alexanders, making her a top-tier quarterback in Japan and the only [[ActionGirl female player]] in the whole tournament. [[spoiler: As revealed in the epilogue, Karin became a manga artist after highschool, and her editor told her to [[IWroteOurStory write an american football manga using Eyeshield 21 as the main protagonist]]]].

* Position: Quarterback
* Jersey: 6
* 40-yard Dash: 4.9 seconds
* Bench Press: 35 kg (77 lbs)
* Height: 157 cm (5' 1")
* Weight: 44 kg (97 lbs)
* Birthday: July 7
* 1st Year Student (Grade 10)

----
* AccidentalAthlete: Her [[ImprobableAimingSkills great throwing skills]] came from drawing and playing piano. Luckily, she's fast too. Who knows a shy, quiet girl would make a top quarterback?
* ActionGirl: The only one in the series.
* AlliterativeName: '''K'''arin '''K'''oizumi, the Quarterback of the Strongest Empire.
* ApologisesALot: Being Sena's DistaffCounterpart, she naturally had this in spades.
* BadassAdorable: To the point that most of the Devil Bats had to be tricked into believing she's a guy to be willing to tackle her. As for the {{Badass}} part... If she throws a ball, the pass is complete. ''No'' interception. ''No'' problem catching the ball. She's the perfect quarterback.
* BraidsOfAction: As pictured above.
* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: Played with. Karin's extremely accurate passes came from the skills and precision she gained through drawing and playing piano, both of which, while not "tough" in the usual sense of the word, do require a lot of manual dexterity.
* TheChick: '''Double Subverted'''. In her first appearance, Karin showed up with Ibarada spectating the Devil Bats vs Dinosaurs game. When they left, some passersby ''appeared'' to refer to Ibarada as the Alexanders' quarterback (but they were in truth talking about Karin, of course). This would make readers think that Karin was the manager, and most likely TheChick... until it was shown that Karin, ''not'' Ibarada, was the quarterback of the team, and you'd think that Karin was going to have lots of actions... In the actual Devil Bats vs Alexanders games, however, it turned out even though Karin was very talented, she lacked the [[TheLeader authoritative personality]] to be a control tower like the other quarterbacks. So... she's TheChick, after all.
* CuteSportsClubManager: Subverted. Karin's actually the ''quarterback''.
* TheCutie: Just look at her picture!
* DistaffCounterpart: Okay, let's see... Recruited against her will? Check. Seen as the best in her specialty? Check. Low self-esteem and ''highly'' apologetic? Check. The only ways to tell her apart from [[TheHero Sena]] seemed to be position and gender.
** Lampshaded during the Devil Bats vs Alexanders game, where Heracles suggested that she would need to watch out for Sena's blitz. She spinned on her heel. She and Sena faced each other off... before [[ApologisesALot bowing repeatedly at each other]] ''at the same time'', clearly not wanting any hard feelings between them.
--> '''Karin''' (Bowing): Um... please be gentle to me.
--> '''Sena''' (''Also'' bowing): Oh, no. I should be the one... saying that.
--> '''Suzuna''': You wouldn't think they were football players. Acting like that.
--> '''Mamori''': [[{{Lampshaded}} Those two are really similar]], aren't they...?
* DudeLooksLikeALady: Well, Karin's 100% girl, but [[TricksterArchetype Hiruma]] told the team otherwise so that they would [[WouldntHitAGirl go all out against her]]. [[DumbJock Most of the Devil Bats]] ended up thinking of her as this.
* EveryoneLovesBlondes: Come on, how can you not love Karin?
* ExtremeDoormat: Yamato basically forced Karin to join. And somehow, ''she went along''.
--> '''Karin''' (Trying to decline to joint the football team): W... Wai... Wai... But I am... Thanks for thinking of me and all, but...
--> '''Yamato''' (Patted her on the shoulder): You're worried right. Well, don't be. It will be alright! [[ComicallyMissingThePoint You may start off at the sixth string, but you will surely be in the first string in no time]]!
--> '''Karin''': Ehhhhhhhhhhhh... Why does it feel like it's useless trying to argue with this person~~~?!
--> (The next day, [[NiceGirl Karin]] was training. In the Alexanders' football uniform.)
* FlowerMotifs: Whenever Karin does something during a football match, it'll be accompanied by images of petals.
** Let's not forget that her signature move is called the '''"Floral Shoot"'''.
* FragileSpeedster: She couldn't take a hit. Luckily, she didn't have to, because her agility meant no one other than Sena [[http://read.mangashare.com/Eyeshield-21/chapter-285/page017.html could even touch her anyway]].
* GroupieBrigade: Karin had a large one, consisting of male fans and other football players (such as Yamabushi). "Miracle" Ito was even selling products with images of Karin on them.
* [[HeroOfanotherStory Heroine Of Another Story]]: How Karin became the quarterback of the best team in Japan despite her shy personality and being recruited against her will ('''and''' the massive rivalry within the team) could make for a pretty good story in and of itself.
* ImprobableAimingSkills: So, you want Karin to throw something to a certain place? Just ask her and she will do it. The pass will be impossible to intercept and it won't be even hard to catch due to how gentle it is.
* [[spoiler: IWroteOurStory: Karin became a manga artist after highschool. Her editor asked her to write a football manga about the legendary runner Eyeshield 21]].
* LongHairIsFeminine: Is by far the most typically "girly" of the females in ''Eyeshield 21'', and has long hair to boot.
* MeaningfulName: "Karin" meant '''Pear Flower''', which goes with her FlowerMotifs.
* NiceGirl: Karin just could not stop being polite and gentle. It's one of the reasons she went along when Yamato pressured her into joining.
* ObliviousToLove: Karin appeared to be totally unaware of [[DoggedNiceGuy Achilles]]' affection for her, despite the latter's constant attempts to signal her about it.
* RunningGag: Karin's attempts to [[NiceGirl avoid competition]] ended up creating the opposite effects when Yamato came around.
* SamusIsAGirl: Yes, she ''was'' a quarterback. Yes, she was the country's ''best'' quarterback.
* ShrinkingViolet
* SignatureMove: The Floral Shoot, a pass so perfect and gentle that it is impossible to intercept for the opponents and effortless to catch for the wide receiver.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Granted, it's certainly an anomaly to the sport, but she's the only female football player in the entire series.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kureji Hera ("Heracles")]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Hera_Kureji_Heracles_5482.jpg]]

A third-year and captain of the Alexanders. Although he enjoys playing up his "Osakan" persona, he's actually a very hardworking and responsible individual.

* Position: Centre
* Jersey: 78
* Height: 177 cm
* Weight: 100 kg
* Birthday: May 14
* Blood Type: O
* 3rd Year Student (Grade 12)
* Nickname: Heracles
----
* BerserkButton: Don't defy the string pecking order.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: If you actually succeed in pissing Hera off, watch out.
* BigBrotherMentor: According to the extras, he's always looking out for the other club members.
* TheBigGuy: Albeit in a primary leadereship role.
* BoisterousBruiser: Comes with being a very "Osaka-esque" person.
* CombinationAttack: The "Cross Stunts" he does with Achilles.
* DumbMuscle: Subverted. He appeared to be this at first, with an "idiot rating" of 20% (Yamato, Taka, and Karin are all 0%). See GeniusBruiser below.
* GeniusBruiser: Heracles is capable of seeing through many of Hiruma's trick plays and came up with quite a few useful tactics. There's a reason he's the team captain.
* {{Gonk}}: Downplayed, but he can give off this vibe when standing alongside more handsome characters like Yamato and Taka.
* TheIdiotFromOsaka: His dream is to be a famous Osakan-style entertainer so he does all he can to invoke this trope. In reality, he's actually a very capable leader who simply likes to keep the atmosphere lighthearted.
* TheLeader: Of the Alexanders. He seems a straight headstrong type, but he hides a ''very'' levelheaded side under his cheerful nature.
* LightningBruiser: Since he's a lineman who can wrestle with Kurita, he's fairly powerful, but supposedly he can do 40-yard dash in 5.0 seconds too.
* NiceGuy: He really keeps the mood light for a meritocracy where everyone is competing against each other and is the only one who has teamwork play with Achilles while other are just aces who do solo play.
* TheSmartGuy: Surprisingly, yes. If one of the Alexanders is seen giving tactical advice to the rest of the team, it is most likely Heracles.
* StoutStrength
* WorthIt: It's tough working to become a member of the top string in Teikoku, but he considers this all worthwhile with the pride that comes with it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Reisuke Aki ("Achilles")]]

A {{hot blooded}}, but gullible player with a strong desire for a girlfriend.

* Position: Lineman
* Jersey: 76
* Height: 173 cm
* Weight: 80 kg
* Birthday: August 18
* Blood Type: B
* 2nd Year Student (Grade 11)
* Nickname: Achilles
----
* AllGuysWantCheerleaders: He was deceived to join the team when a Teikoku scout told him that he could date the cheerleaders on the team.
* BaldOfAwesome
* ButtMonkey: Among the Alexanders.
* CombinationAttack: The "Cross Stunts" he does with Heracles.
* DoggedNiceGuy: To Karin.
* DumbMuscle: As suggested by his status as a lineman and an idiot (According to Hiruma, Achilles's "idiot rating" is a whooping 60%). Downplayed, as he is still a part of Teikoku's first string players, thus implying he has textbook knowledge of 1000 football plays. So, he is dumb at things other than American Football, like how to win Karin's affection.
* HotBlooded
* TheIdiotFromOsaka: And unlike with Heracles, it's not an act.
* LightningBruiser
[[/folder]]

!!The Pentagram

[[folder:In General]]
The nickname for the five star players of the American National Team at the World Cup. Consisting of Running Back [[TookALevelInBadass Patrick "Panther" Spencer]], Quarterback [[SmugSnake Clifford D. Louis]], Linebacker [[JerkJock Tatanka]], Cornerback [[LightningBruiser Bud Walker]], and Lineman [[TheJuggernaut Donald "Mr. Don" Oberman]], the Pentagram were widely hailed as the best highschool-level football players in the world.
----
* {{The Ace}}s: Even more so than the [[ClimaxBoss Alexanders]]. These guys were the very best football players at the highschool level, in the '''WHOLE FREAKING WORLD'''.
* BadassCrew: Pretty much a given.
* BadGuyBar: When the other national teams were doing the drawing at the Empire Building, the five... were chilling out at a ''strip club''. [[TokenGoodTeammate Panther]] was rather disturbed by it.
* [[spoiler: BreakTheHaughty: The Japan vs USA match did this to them]].
* [[ChickMagnet Chick Magnets]]: Clifford and Bud both had their {{Groupie Brigade}}s. Mr. Don was also frequently shown to be hanging out with ALadyOnEachArm. Justified, since these guys are [[TheAce The Aces]] in just about everything. Panther and Tatanka didn't have as much luck with ladies, though.
* CurbStompBattle: Inflicted this on ''every team they'd faced'', [[spoiler: except Team Japan]]. At a personal level, it's also very notable that [[spoiler: Mr. Don did this to ''Gaou and Yamato at the same time'', Panther to ''Shin'', while Clifford had one such moment against ''Agon'']].
* [[spoiler: DefeatMeansFriendship: Well, the Japan vs USA game ended in a '''tie'''. But these five did lose personal battles, and seemed to warm up to Team Japan afterwards]].
* DreamTeam: They were recruited from all around the United States.
* {{Eagleland}}: They certainly fitted into quite a few American stereotypes, including Mr. Don's pride over the greatness of his home country and, of course, a burning passion for football.
* [[EvilCounterpart Evil Counterparts]]: Bar Tatanka, each of the five was this to somebody from Team Japan. They were also clearly meant to be unpleasant. [[spoiler: Tatanka sort of got a counterpart in Rui, though]].
* FinalBoss: Of the World Cup Arc, and the series as a whole.
* FiveBadBand: These five formed a neat one.
** BigBad: Mr. Don, and he's [[LargeAndInCharge literally big]] as well.
** TheDragon: Panther.
** TheEvilGenius: Clifford.
** TheBrute: Tatanka.
** TheDarkChick: Bud.
** BiggerBad: ''Morgan''. He's, after all, the one who started the World Cup and hence the whole "Team USA decimates other national teams" thing, and he was in general obnoxiously smug. Of course, this man hosting the World Cup only fueled the Pentagram's [[JerkJock jerkish]][[SmugSnake ness]].
* TheGift: It's heavily implied that '''all''' five of them had this.
* {{Jerk Jock}}s: Aside from [[NiceGuy Panther]], they and Morgan were this trope taken UpToEleven.
* [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Jerks With Hearts of Gold]]: General jerkishness and smug aside, they did have redeeming traits. [[spoiler: Mr. Don was a [[HonorBeforeReason guy of honor and refused to cheat]]. Clifford later seemed impressed by Sena and offered him a chance to play football at Notre Dame, during which Tatanka and him helped train Sena together. Lastly, Bud appeared to go on friendly terms with Team Japan and ''gave Taki a shot at becoming an actor in Hollywood'']].
* {{Motifs}}: Averted, these guys were the only team without any major gimmick except that they were top-tier american football players. Best illustrated by [[http://read.mangashare.com/Eyeshield-21/chapter-320/page008.html Mr. Don]]. The national stereotypes weren't applied to every major player as in the case for Team Russia or Germany.
* RatedMForManly: With [[TheJuggernaut Mr. Don]] going all the way into TestosteronePoisoning.
* {{Signature Move}}s: Averted. The Pentagram didn't rely on any flashy move. They instead focused on crushing opponents with their sheer superior stats. And '''this''' alone was enough to make them very formidable.
* [[SmugSnake Smug Snakes]]: Mr. Don, Clifford, and Tatanka. These three just could not stop looking down on the other national teams, or talking as though the World Cup was nothing more than a show in which Team USA decimated the other teams, etc.
* {{Smug Super}}s: A '''quintet''' of these, no less.
* OpposingSportsTeam: Panther was a NiceGuy, but Mr. Don and Clifford were both filled with smug and needed to be taken down a peg.
* SecondPlaceIsForLosers: [[spoiler: So were ties]].
* UpToEleven: Many of the tropes in the Pentagram's lists were shared by the other teams in the series... only taken to ridiculous extremes.
* VillainousFriendship: Despite being rather unpleasant, these five appeared to be on fairly good terms with one another.
* [[spoiler: VillainRespect: Team Japan's [[{{Determinator}} determination]] earned them the respect of these five]].
* YoungerThanTheyLook: They were highschoolers? ''[[SarcasmMode Riiiiiiiiight]]''...
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Clifford D. Louis]]
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Clifford_D_Louis_1629.jpg]]
''"Do you understand how to handle cards now? I win as long as I can make you think "Maybe he will play this card." Brat."''

An arrogant but very gifted quarterback, Clifford was in a league of his own when it came to intellect and passion for head games, while having speed that rivaled ''Sena''. Said to be [[BlueBlood descended from French royalties]], Clifford acted as the [[TheEvilGenius brains]] of Team USA, and served as a cool-headed leader during offense using a rich arsenal of tricks and wits. [[spoiler: After the Japan vs USA match, Clifford appeared impressed by Team Japan, especially Sena. Later, he invited Sena to play football at Notre Dame and, along with Mr. Don and Tatanka, gave the latter training, thus making the lies about Sena being Eyeshield 21 come true. Also, the part about him being royal was a fraud. His father was in fact a genius computer hacker]].

* Position: Quarterback
* Jersey: 1
* 40-yard dash: '''4.2 seconds'''
* Bench Press: Unspecified
* Nicknames: "The Prince", The Invincible Gambler

----
* AbsurdlyHighStakesGame: The night right before the Japan vs USA match, he played Texas hold'em with Hiruma betting ''millions of dollars''. Hiruma '''lost''' and could only avoid being routed by retreating at the last moment.
* AristocratsAreEvil: [[spoiler: Subverted. He was [[ConsummateLiar lying]] about being descended from French royalties]].
* AwesomenessByAnalysis: One of his skills.
* {{Badass}}: This gentleman could do a completely accurate pass ''while running at a speed that can finish 40 yards in 4.2 seconds''. [[ThisIsGonnaSuck Damn it]].
** BadassBookworm: Being the brains of his team while committing such badassery.
* BigBadDuumvirate: With Mr. Don. Unlike the rest of the team, Clifford wasn't afraid of Don and provided the field leadership, tactics, and cool-headed calculations to Mr. Don's brutal plays and charismatic leadership.
* BlondeGuysAreEvil: Apparently a natural blonde and natural jerk.
* BlueBlood: [[spoiler: Subverted. It's a lie]].
* BrainsAndBrawn: The brains to Mr. Don's brawn. Well, Mr. Don was [[GeniusBruiser far from stupid]], but Clifford was nigh beyond human when it came to intelligence.
* BreakTheHaughty: Within the Pentagram, Clifford was the one most full of [[SmugSnake smug]], [[spoiler: which made it more fun to watch when Shin tackled Clifford and brought him to the ground]].
* BullyingTheDragon: Telling '''[[SmugSuper Agon]]''' that [[BerserkButton you didn't give a damn about him]] wasn't exactly a good idea, Clifford.
--> '''Agon''' (Trying to bring down Clifford): Die, trash...
--> '''Clifford''' (Running at max speed, doing his pass ''and'' ignoring Agon): ... I don't even need to pay attention to guys like you. (Passed the ball, uninterrupted.)
* TheChessmaster: Like Takami and Hiruma.
* ChickMagnet: Even more so than ''Bud''.
* ConsummateLiar: [[spoiler: Somehow, he managed to get away with lying about his being royal]]. He also seemed to have no qualm at all ''lying to his own teammates'', seeing that he tricked Panther into believing that he would let him play against Shin at Team USA's first play.
* CurbStompBattle: He did this to ''Agon''.
* DeadpanSnarker: Given he was TheStoic, EvilGenius and SmugSnake in one, it's no surprise that Clifford regularly delivered snarky comments to '''anyone''' who wasn't [[TheLeader Mr. Don]].
* [[spoiler: DefeatMeansFriendship: Okay, "Friendship" may be too strong a word, but after losing a battle of wits against Hiruma, Clifford dropped his smug attitude towards Team Japan]].
* EvilCounterpart: A blonde-haired, unscrupulous quarterback, in a #1 Jersey with a love of head games and refusal to ever lose his cool? Hiruma had got several counterparts over the course of the series, but Clifford had so much in common with him it's not even funny.
* TheEvilGenius: Was as smart as he's jerkish.
* FragileSpeedster: If his stats was any indication, Clifford seemed to be the second fastest (after Panther) '''and''' the second weakest (after Panther again) member of the Pentagram.
* FurAndLoathing: His style off the field.
* TheGambler: Clifford's primary {{Motif}}s.
* GroupieBrigade: A pretty large group of girls cheered for Clifford during football games, and Bud lamented that Clifford's group of fangirls was larger than his.
* ImprobableAimingSkills: ''Even when he's running at full speed''.
* {{Jerkass}}: Especially towards Bud.
* JerkJock: Superior, condescending, and totally convinced of his team's superiority.
* TheLeader: He and Mr. Don split this role. He took care of the mastermind part, while Don was the charismatic leader who gave {{Rousing Speech}}es and held the team together.
* ManipulativeBastard: Like Hiruma and Marco before him, Clifford enjoyed screwing around with his adversaries' heads. ''And'' occasionally his teammates'.
* [[spoiler: MultipleChoicePast: Did it deliberately, like Hiruma]].
* PerpetualFrowner: In contrast to Hiruma's manic-ness, Clifford had a perpetual poker face.
* PetTheDog: Unlike Morgan, Clifford did not have a problem with letting Panther invite Homer to the National Team's try-outs, even noting that they could make use of Homer's long pass. [[spoiler: Also, he invited Sena to play at Notre Dame for a semester after the Youth World Cup]].
* PlayingCardMotifs: All the freaking time. Just look at his quote above.
* SmugSnake: Samples...
--> '''Clifford''' (To a room full of reporters, and being told that he and Panther were the two best runners of USA): ''Two'' best...? Mister, in your country, Japan, do they teach you maths starting with the number 2? I, Clifford D. Louis, am the one best.
--> '''Clifford''' (To ''Morgan''): ... Strong-minded fellows? My strong attitude is a tool. If I can make opponent think "This guy is a fool who won't withdraw!" I will push him out of the way. So I'd like not to be put into the same class as you, a vulgar guy self-conceited about America.
** ''Sort of'' subverted in that Clifford mentioned that he did these only to "show a strong spirit". In private, he wasn't really that smug, so he might just be trying to intimidate opponents.
* SmugSuper: Need I say more?
* TheStoic: A poker face was Clifford's default expression.
** NotSoStoic: [[spoiler: When he was tackled to the ground by Shin, Clifford started to lose his cool]]. [[spoiler: It was [[SubvertedTrope part of a trick to fool Team Japan]], though]].
* StraightMan: Sometimes. Mostly when he interacted with Panther.
* TheStrategist: Could outsmart even '''Hiruma'''.
* VillainousFriendship: With the rest of the Pentagram, especially Panther and Mr. Don. For some reason, Clifford avoided this with [[TheDarkChick Bud]], much to the latter's displeasure.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Bud Walker]]
[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/278370_bud_walker_2_large24.jpg]]
''"Yeah. Something like [[spoiler: a draw]]... It's like kissing your own sister."''

A highschool action movie star '''and''' top athlete. Bud was a showy young man who loved to entertain his audience, whether if he's on a film set or football field. Always eager to turn up the mood, Bud was the first Pentagram member to greet Team Japan upon the latter's making to the finals of the Youth World Cup. He instantly developed a rivalry with the wide receivers of Team Japan, especially Monta, and vowed to take them down.

* Position: Wide Receiver / Cornerback
* Jersey: 31
* 40-yard dash: 4.4 seconds
* Bench Press: 150 kg (330 lbs)
* Nickname: The Wild Guy From Hollywood

----
* AffablyEvil: Bud's a well-mannered guy... and won't hesitate to tell his opponents that he's going to wipe the floor with them.
--> '''Bud''' (To Monta): Raimon, you're the closest man to the Pentagram, the top of the world. So, I, Bud Walker of the Pentagram, will personally tear off your wings.
* AlwaysSecondBest: He often lost against Clifford, be it popularity with girls or ratings during the Japan vs USA game. Naturally, this annoyed Bud to no end.
* {{Badass}}: When Team Japan defeated Germany at the semi-finals, Bud came to greet them and offer congratulations... in a helicopter ''at least a hundred feet above ground''. He then proceeded to ''jump down from the said copter''. And ''land unscathed''.
* BestFriend: Bud wanted to be this with Clifford...
* ButtMonkey: ... But this was how [[{{Jerkass}} Clifford]] treated him.
* ChickMagnet: Given that he's an action movie star ''and'' top athlete, it's no surprise that he had a large group of fangirls.
* [[spoiler: CombatPragmatist: The only Pentagram member to advocate cheating]].
* TheDarkChick: Not only was he a famous actor, but he's also the only member of Team USA to [[spoiler: advocate cheating, attempting to talk Panther into doing so]].
* EvilCounterpart: A competitive wide receiver eager to fight players who shared his specialty? Loves showing off and attention from ladies? Bud sounded like Monta, Taki and a standard JerkJock mixed together.
* FlatCharacter: Compared to Clifford, Mr. Don and Panther, Bud got little development. This may be due to the fact that all of the other wide receivers (i.e., Monta, Ikkyu, Tetsuma...) had finished their growth already, so Bud didn't really have much to do.
* GroupieBrigade: See ChickMagnet above. Bud had an army of fangirls cheering for him during football games.
* ImprobableAge: Highschool-aged movie star? Not that unusual. Highschool-aged '''action''' movie star? That's a little less likely.
* JerkJock: He amplified the "love showing off" part.
* LightningBruiser: Bud had the most well-balanced stats out of the whole Pentagram, and by the standards of his position was ''very'' fast, ''very'' strong, and ''highly'' skilled technically, making him a huge problem for the more slightly built Monta.
* NiceGuy: Probably the nicest Pentagram member, other than [[TokenGoodTeammate Panther]]. Bud was definitely more pleasant than Mr. Don, Clifford and Tatanka.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Of Johnny Depp.
* PetTheDog: After the World Cup, he [[spoiler: offered Taki a chance to ''become a Hollywood actor'']].
* TheProtagonist: In the movie he starred in.
* SecondPlaceIsForLosers: [[spoiler: So were ties, which Bud described as the equivalent of [[BrotherSisterIncest kissing your sister]], which is [[ShownTheirWork an actual slang for a tied football game in America]]]].
* SmugSuper: Though not as annoyingly so as Clifford or Tatanka.
* TallDarkAndHandsome
* VillainousFriendship: He ''tried'' to be this with Clifford, but failed. He seemed to have little trouble with Panther and Tatanka, though.
* YoungerThanTheyLook: You can mistake him for a man in his early thirties.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tatanka]]
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tatanka.jpg]]
''"You shouldn't get the wrong idea. This tournament isn't a game. It's just a slaughter show for America."''

The tallest player in the whole World Cup, Tatanka was well-known for being "The Human Dome", using his great height and long limbs to stop all of his opponents' passes. He idolized Mr. Don and had a firm belief in the superiority of Team USA over other national teams.

* Position: Linebacker
* Jersey: 47
* 40-yard dash: Unspecified
* Bench Press: Unspecified
* Height: '''210 cm (7' 0")'''
* Nickname: The Human Dome

----
* {{Badass}}: Naturally came with being a Pentagram member.
** BadassNative: And the only native american in the whole series, no less.
* BreakTheHaughty: [[spoiler: When Takami and Sakuraba got past his interceptions]].
* TheBrute: Tall and strong, but not exactly bright.
* DumbMuscle: Was slow enough that after studying to learn multiple languages, his English skills somehow decreased.
* EvilCounterpart: '''Subverted'''. Tatanka was the only Pentagram member who lacked an obvious counterpart from Team Japan. [[spoiler: [[DoubleSubversion Until]] a certain linebacker with very long arms and (formerly) cocky attitude showed up]].
* FlatCharacter: Along with Bud, Tatanka got rather little character development compared to Mr. Don, Panther and Clifford. We ''still'' haven't learnt why he idolized Mr. Don.
* GeniusDitz: His Japanese appeared to be good enough that Team Japan could understand him, despite his problems with the other languages.
* HeroWorship: Tatanka idolized [[TheLeader Mr. Don]].
* HonorBeforeReason: Not to the same degree as Mr. Don, but he had some shades of this. His main reason for entering football was that "He respected Mr. Don very much", for instance. Also, he said that he's attracted to women with "pure hearts".
* JerkJock: Okay, watch this.
--> '''Tatanka''' (Addressing players of Team Japan): You shouldn't get the wrong idea. This tournament isn't a game. It's just a slaughter show for America. For you, who are physically inferior to us, the World Cup is not an arena where you could compete to begin with.
* MightyGlacier: Big but not quick. His long reach, however, made him an interception machine.
* PetTheDog: [[spoiler: Despite coming off as an arrogant JerkJock, Tatanka helped train Sena along with Mr. Don and Clifford when Sena was invited to Notre Dame for a semester]].
* RapunzelHair: His hair's pretty long even when braided up.
* SmugSnake: Towards other national teams. Tatanka's nonetheless respectful towards the other members of the Pentagram. This contrasted him against Clifford, who's smug towards ''everyone'' except for Mr. Don.
* SmugSuper: As filled with smug as he's superhuman as a linebacker.
* TheStoic: The only other Pentagram member to rival Clifford in lack of emotions.
** NotSoStoic: See VillainousBreakdown below.
* TattooedCrook
* TokenMinority: Far more so than Panther. Whilst we had multiple black characters in the series (e.g., Morgan, Panther's grandma), Tatanka was ''the only native american ever seen''.
* VillainousBreakdown: The stoic Tatanka grew increasingly nervous over the course of the Japan vs USA game, as the other Pentagram members were taken down one by one.
--> '''Tatanka''' (Sweating heavily; Mr. Don and Clifford were already down): There's no way we will break down! The five men of America's Pentagram... are the strongest players in the world!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Donald "Mr. Don" Oberman]]
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Mr__Don_1214.jpg]]
''"Yeah, it's better this way. This is how a king should be like."''

An unstoppable goliath, Donald Oberman, aka "Mr. Don", was hailed as '''the''' best highschool-level lineman in the entire world. He was the official captain of Team USA, and a ''very'' charismatic leader who was regularly giving {{Rousing Speech}}es that energized his team and the spectators alike. He was also the son of Arnold Oberman, President of the United States. Mr. Don held a firm belief in the superiority of individuals who're naturally born talented and regarded these people (himself included) as "Those chosen by God". [[spoiler: This brought him into conflict with '''Takeru Yamato''' from Team Japan, when the latter was playing at Notre Dame. Yamato trying to become TheAce by calling himself "Eyeshield 21" despite being less gifted than Panther earned him disdain from Mr. Don, who [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections had him expelled from Notre Dame]] in no time]].

* Position: Centre
* Jersey: 69
* 40-yard dash: Unspecified
* Bench Press: Unspecified
* Nicknames: "Mr. Don", The Man Who Controls Everything

----
* AffablyEvil: Mr. Don was BigBad and physically outright '''monstrous'''... but these didn't stop him from being a charismatic bastard.
* ALadyOnEachArm: Almost every time he appeared with women, he was doing this.
* TheAlcoholic: Even though he's supposed to be ''highschooler''.
** When he's asked what truly made him sad, Mr. Don replied that it was his doctor telling him to ''watch his blood sugar levels'' upon seeing the amount of alcohol he consumed.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: The son of a ''President'' and arguably the biggest {{Badass}} in a series already filled with outlandish badassery.
* {{Badass}}: And '''[[UpToEleven HOW]]'''!!!
** BadassBeard: Nicely combined with BeardOfEvil.
** BadassInANiceSuit: What he was off the field.
** BadassInCharge: Let's not forget that Mr. Don was also TheLeader of Team USA.
* BigBad: He's TheCaptain of Team USA and a tremendous problem for Team Japan in the final game. He also led the Pentagram, making him this trope in the FiveBadBand sense.
* BigBadDuumvirate: At times, he and Clifford seemed to form one, given the independence that the latter had and the fact that most of the plans were his. Clifford was the mastermind and field leader, while Mr. Don was the charismatic leadership.
* BeardOfEvil: Which made him look even less human.
* BlondeGuysAreEvil
* BrainsAndBrawn: With Clifford. Whilst Mr. Don's [[GeniusBruiser no dummy]], Clifford was in a league of his own in terms of intellect, so Don usually left the heavy thinking to him.
* TheCaptain: One of the few in the series that was also a de facto leader.
* CatchPhrase: ''"It makes me sad..."''
* ChickMagnet: Though for some unknown reason, Mr. Don didn't have a GroupieBrigade, unlike Clifford and Bud.
* CurbStompBattle: Notably [[http://read.mangashare.com/Eyeshield-21/chapter-320/page008.html inflicted this]] on ''Goau'' and ''Yamato'' '''at the same time'''.
* DefeatingTheUndefeatable: More than '''any''' other opponent Sena & co. faced, Mr. Don's played like this. Nobody [[TheJuggernaut had ever moved him before]], much less knocked him down. [[spoiler: When Gaou and Yamato finally pulled it off, everyone, including Mr. Don himself, was totally stunned because it'd honestly never happened]].
* TheDreaded: Mr. Don managed to put the fear of God into '''[[TheSociopath Agon]]''', of all people. In fact, the only characters who weren't frightened of Mr. Don on some level were Clifford, Tatanka, Gaou and of course, Hiruma (who seemed to be missing the fear gene anyway).
* EvenEvilHasStandards: When Panther refused to cheat, despite [[CombatPragmatist Bud]]'s urges to the contrary, Mr. Don agreed that it's better this way. After all, you don't prove anything if you win by breaking the rules.
--> '''Bud''' (Panther had been brought to the ground by Sena, but the ball he carried was almost in the end zone): Now, Panther! Sneak the ball inside the end zone! Only 10 cm left! Go on!
--> '''Panther''' (Sweating): ... (Did what Bud told him.)
--> '''Referee''': Tou...!!
--> '''Panther''' (Smiled, and held back the ball): Nishinishi! Just kiddin'! I didn't reach the goal line! This one is Sena's win!
--> '''Bud''': ... (Smiled awkwardly.)
--> '''Mr. Don''': Yeah, it's better this way. This is how a king should be like.
* EvilCounterpart: Okay, here's the recipe: Get Gaou, use hair dyes or skin bleach or whatever to turn him into a blonde whitey, inject more [[TestosteronePoisoning excess testosterone]] into him to crank all of his tropes UpToEleven, and you will get Mr. Don.
* TheFace: A charismatic leader for Team USA.
* FangsAreEvil: Like Hiruma, he had got quite the set of teeth.
* GeniusBruiser: Multilingual, a solid leader, and a '''totally unstoppable goliath'''.
* HeroKiller: He's only mentioned in whispers and his face was kept shadowed even after the rest of his team had been revealed. In his first appearance, he destroyed '''Gaou''' and terrified '''Agon'''. During the actual match, he steamrollered over [[MightyGlacier Kurita]], [[TheJuggernaut Gaou]], [[StoneWall Banba]], [[TheGift Agon]], [[ImplacableMan Yamato]], and [[LightningBruiser Shin]] in rapid succession, scared Sena half to death, and worried even '''Hiruma'''.
* HonourBeforeReason: Surprisingly, yes. For all of his other flaws, Mr. Don had no desire to win through cheating. See EvenEvilHasStandards above.
** Moreover, he even [[spoiler: chose to engage Gaou in a power contest when it was impossible for him to take the delta dynamite, just because if he simply avoided the hit, it would affect the morale of Team USA. That ended up giving him a blue sky and Team Japan a touchdown]].
* JerkJock: Finished with the ultimate "Rich dad who gets him out of trouble".
* TheJuggernaut: UpToEleven. He was this even compared to ''Gaou'' or ''Kurita''.
* LargeAndInCharge: The largest character in the series, and leading Team USA.
* LargeHam: Called for a pause mid-game just to "apologize to the American audience for having not wiped the floor with Team Japan yet and giving Team Japan false hope."
--> '''Mr. Don''' (Addressing the spectators): WE KNOW!! What did the men and women in this coliseum come to see!? They came to see the men chosen by God as they easily and gallantly hunt down a tiger! I have to apologize for this disappointing match! And also... (Turned towards Team Japan) For making you see a fleeting dream, I also have to apologize to you guys.
--> '''[[NervesOfSteel Riku]]''', '''[[TheStoic Taka]]''' and '''[[TheSmartGuy Hiruma]]''' (Not agitated): ...
--> '''[[HotBlooded Monta]]''', '''[[ArrogantKungFuGuy Ikkyu]]''' and '''[[DumbMuscle Achilles]]''' (Boiling in anger): ...
* LaserGuidedKarma: [[spoiler: Gaou, whom he used as a punching bag, and Yamato, who he ran out of Notre Dame, were the two who ended up sending Mr. Don ''falling face-up'' for the first time]].
* TheLeader: He and Clifford split this role. Mr. Don took care of the headstrong and charismatic part and left the mastermind part to Clifford.
* LightningBruiser: He was ''the'' strongest man in the world, but he's also fast.
* ManOfWealthAndTaste: Off the field, Mr. Don tended to be quite well-dressed, and he enjoyed tasting wine with his friends during leisure. He's the son of a President, after all...
* NobleDemon: Mr. Don was a very flawed person, but he still had a code of conduct that he held himself to. For instance, he didn't like insulting his opponents by withholding his own strength in football games.
--> '''Mr. Don''' (Addressing a kid who idolized him): Young man, remember that If you are someone who's chosen, you will understand too, one day... As long as you draw your sword on the battlefield, you have to kill your opponent with all your strength. This is the manner of those who stand at the top.
* PetTheDog: Stopped a stampeding crowd of fans so he could sign a little kid's football and gave him a speech about what it meant to be an athlete. He passed up on the opportunity to hit on a very attractive girl in the process, and it wasn't so he can showboat - the kid was honestly first in line, and ''that'' mattered to Mr. Don.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He was racist towards the Japanese, although not towards Panther or Tatanka. He may be more of a ''Patriotically'' Incorrect Villain: Every time he referred to Japanese as inferior, it's comparing them to Americans, but not any particular race.
* ReligiousBruiser: Maybe implied. Mr. Don seemed to believe in God. In fact, he's the only one in this series to so actively refer to the Abrahamic God. All other characters merely talked of God in football slangs or gods outside the Abrahamic one.
** Although, like Taki, it's always to refer himself and his team as "God's gift", so it might just be theatrics.
** But if we consider that American Presidents and their families tend to be Christians...
* RousingSpeech: Gave one to his team and the crowd when the game started going against the Americans. See LargeHam above for what he'd said.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: He's the son of ''President of the United States''. He can do whatever he wants. [[spoiler: Like having someone expelled from Notre Dame, for instance]].
* SharpDressedMan: The suit he wore off-field was quite classy.
* SmugSnake: He's on par with Clifford.
--> '''Panther''' (They were at a ''strip club''): Wait, whaaat!? Isn't it already time for the drawing!? (Turned to Mr. Don) Err... shouldn't we go (meet up other national teams) soon, Mr. Don...?
--> '''Mr. Don''' (Surrounded by pretty women): Pantheeeer... [[CatchPhrase It makes me sad]]... I'm saddened by the weakness in your heart. There's no need for the king to thoughtlessly run around. Embrace both calm and girls. Just watch the ants crawling up, Panther.
* SmugSuper: ''Every bit'' as super as he's made of smug.
* SpikesOfVillainy: His hairdo is so spiky it doesn't look human, like the rest of him.
* TattooedCrook
* TestosteronePoisoning: '''The biggest offender in this series'''.
* {{Troperiffic}}: Mr. Don's right after Hiruma and Agon.
* UnnecessaryRoughness: He's as bad as or worse than ''Gaou'' in this regard. During the Japan vs USA match, he was basically using Gaou as a punching bag, and called a time out to say he will kill Shin to the crowd. [[spoiler: He proceeded to do so (figuratively)]].
* UpToEleven: Seen how much ''italic'' and '''bold''' we have to use on this list?
* VillainousFriendship: He and Clifford honestly appeared to be friends, which may be part of why they're such an effective BigBadDuumvirate.
* [[spoiler: VillainRespect: Team Japan's [[{{Determinator}} sheer determination]] eventually won them the respect of Mr. Don, who came to discard his better-than-thou attitude]].
* WorldsStrongestMan: Explicitly referred to as the strongest lineman in their age group.
* WorthyOpponent: How Gaou saw him. [[spoiler: Over the course of the final match, Mr. Don began to see Team Japan in the same light as they challenged his view on natural talents]].
* YoungerThanTheyLook: An 18-year-old who... looked older then his own '''[[http://read.mangashare.com/Eyeshield-21/chapter-315/page002.html father]]'''. Then again, he barely looked human, so this wasn't much of a surprise.
[[/folder]]

!!Other Football Players
[[folder:Sasuke Kanagushi]]
Position: Quaterback

Captain of the Dokubari's Scorpion, he uses his ability to pick up football player habits to read the opponent plays. His technique allowed him to defeat 10 admittedly weak team. Admittedly weak turned out to be the operative word.
* AdaptationalVillainy: He is smug in the manga but in the anime he is trying to get the other team disqualified or injured before the match.
* AwesomeByAnalysis: Parodied, he can see small habits such as quaterback licking their finger to indicate a pass but it doesn't do him any good against Hiruma who can read his opponent better than him and love confusing the other team. An Omake even has his father smacking him after he analyzed that he will smack him.
* ButtMonkey: Worse than Amino, the match was pretty much Hiruma toying with him.
* SmugSnake: His reading of body language is really basic and Hiruma pointed out how it only work on team that are garbage.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Rui Habashira]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Rui_Habashira_8512.jpg]]
Position: Linebacker

Captain and only dedicated player of the Zokugaku Chameleons, Rui is a delinquent who appears to be "threatening" in order to motivate his team. Grudgingly respects Hiruma and occasionally helps out the Devilbats.
----
* AnimalMotif: Chameleon, obviously.
* AntiHero: Becomes this as the series goes on, especially during the World Cup arc.
* BadassBiker: Whatever you might think about his badassery as a football player, he's one hell of a BadassDriver on his bike.
* BadassLongcoat
* ButtMonkey: He becomes this whenever Hiruma is around.
* CantCatchUp: He is a decent linebacker and [[spoiler: was good enough to qualified for Japan team during world cup]] but he is no top tier player.
* CoolBike
* DefeatMeansFriendship: Though originally it was more like "defeats means slavery".
* {{Delinquent}}s: His entire team is made of these.
* {{Determinator}}: He's definitely one. Too bad the rest of his team isn't. [[spoiler: He get swat away by american players but still goes even if it's humiliating and makes him look like a joke, because he does not care what people think if he can play.]]
* EvilerThanThou: Even one of the ''heroes'' is eviler than him...
* {{Foil}}: To Hiruma. They're both dedicated players who act like thugs in order to motivate their teams.
* JerkassFacade: He only acts that way to motivate his team and intimidate his opponents.
* KnifeNut: To compliment Hiruma's {{trigger happy}}.
* NotSoDifferent: With Hiruma, after Rui's defeat. Hiruma silently acknowledges this.
* OverlyLongTongue
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: Why he drove Sena to the Amino game.
* SheIsNotMyGirlfriend: Or so he says...
* TookALevelInBadass: [[spoiler:For the World Cup]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Megu Tsuyumine]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Megu_Tsuyunime_1982.jpg]]

The manager of the Chameleons and one of Rui's closest friends.
----
* BikerBabe
* CornerOfWoe: Played seriously after the Chameleons' loss to the Poisedons. She's shown standing around a corner looking deeply depressed while Rui breaks down after the game.
* CuteSportsClubManager: She looks the part...than she opens her mouth.
* DrillSergeantNasty: She helps Rui force the other players to train harder.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Does not seem to approve of just how violent Rui can get.
* HeIsNotMyBoyfriend: With Rui, despite referring to him by his first name and everything.
* IronLady
* WoodenKatanasAreEvenBetter: Never seen without one.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Yamamoto Onihei]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Yamamoto_Onihei_3323.jpg]]
Position: Line

An experienced, technical linemen who lost early on in the Tokyo tournament. Most well-known for being a talkative combat commentator whose predictions are ''never'' right.
----
* ButtMonkey: Torakichi's butt monkey anyways.
* CombatCommentator: {{Parodied}}. Whenever he says something, the exact opposite instantly happens.
* GeniusBruiser: What he likes to think he is...
* IntergenerationalFriendship: With Torakichi.
* KnowNothingKnowItAll: As far as Torakichi's concerned.
* OddCouple: He and Torakichi act as [[CombatCommentator CombatCommentators]].
* RatedMForManly: Was viewed as this during his introduction (he had "manly charisma") and many linemen were quite GAR for him until he became a victim of TheWorfEffect.
* TheWorfEffect: He was considered the most experienced lineman in the high school league, to the point that people were lining up for his autograph, in his first appearance. He gets defeated during his first onscreen game, and later doesn't even become a World Cup regular. (He does play as a second-stringer during the match against Russia)
* YoungerThanTheyLook: He's only 18, but he looks like someone's dad.
* WiseBeyondTheirYears: {{Subverted}}. He acts wise and experienced, but everything he says is ''always'' wrong.
* WrongGenreSavvy: His knowledge is useless since all the players think outside the box.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kaoru Hatsujou]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Kaoru_Hatsujou_1640.jpg]]

Position: Quarterback and Kicker

The only decent player for the bottom-of-the-barrel Cupids. Mainly known for having a hot girlfriend despite being smug and unattractive.
----
* ButtMonkey: His only role in the story, even during the epilogue.
* {{Jerkass}}
* LaserGuidedKarma
* RunningGag: Mocking other players for not having a girlfriend.
* UglyGuyHotWife: After every game you can't help but feel that Hatsujou's the real winner, you know?
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Taiga Kamiya]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Taiga_Kamiya_298.jpg]]

Position: Running Back

The captain and ace of the Misaki Wolves, Kamiya is a long-legged, fast-moving player with a high opinion of himself. In the manga, his team was easily defeated by the Seibu Wild Gunmen; in the anime, he is a far more serious threat, and is only barely defeated, after giving Seibu's ace, Riku, a serious run for his money.
----
* AdaptationalBadass: A joke in the manga, the anime turned him into a high-speed powerhouse, capable of matching Riku in terms of speed, and leading a team whom the Gunmen were only barely able to overcome.
* AnimalMotifs: Wolf
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: On the subject of speed.
* CuteLittleFangs
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Heinrich Schultz]]

Captain of the German football team.
----
* AwesomenessByAnalysis
* BadassBookworm
* BlondGuysAreEvil: Averted. Schultz is actually a pretty cool guy.
* TheLeader: Of the German Youth World Cup team
* PhotographicMemory
* TheQuietOne
* TheStoic
* WorthyOpponent: To Sena, a fact that both of them acknowledge. On a less personal note, his team serves as the first real challenge that the Japanese team encounters, a fact that Gaou and Sena both state aloud.
[[/folder]]

!!Other Characters

[[folder:Riku Kumabukuro]]

A reporter from a sports magazine known for his ridiculously large afro. Has a daughter, Riko, who is studying to be a journalist and sometimes stands in for him.
----
* CombatCommentator
* FunnyAfro
* StraightMan: To his loud and abrasive co-worker "Machine Gun" Sanada.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Riko Kumabukuro]]
Daughter of Riku Kumabukuro, she takes her father's place as announcer during the Kanto tournament. Tends to stutter when she's excited or nervous, but is otherwise an excellent announcer and journalist who just wants to be taken seriously.
----
* CombatCommentator
* FunnyAfro: In the anime she grows an afro whenever she gets too excited.
* GenkiGirl: Not nearly as energetic as Sanada but is still very enthusiastic about her job.
* HotScoop: Her good looks were how she managed to get an interview with Agon.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:"Machine Gun" Sanada]]
Kumabukuro's loud, fast-talking fellow commentator. A rather hammy fellow with an outlandish hair-cut that resembles a set of lawn-mower blades sticking out of his head.
----
* AnimeHair
* CombatCommentator
* ExpressiveHair: His hair starts rotating when he gets sufficiently excited.
* LargeHam
* HotBlooded
* MotorMouth
[[/folder]]

[[folder:"Miracle" Ito]]
President of Jari Productions, and somewhat sleazy manager to Haruto Sakuraba. Originally depicted as just a money-grubbing social climber seeking to make a fortune off Sakuraba's good looks, he naturally flips out when Sakuraba quits being a model to focus on sports. However, he shows a softer side after he comes to accept Sakuraba's wishes.
----
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold
* KickTheDog: When he tries to throw out the sweatband Sakuraba got from a young fan.
* PetTheDog: When he eventually accepts Sakuraba's desire to focus on football, and even starts cheering him on. There is even a flashback where he stopped some thugs from beating Sakuraba even though he was already badly beaten himself.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Torakichi]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Torakichi_1156.jpg]]

Sakuraba's biggest fan, stuck with him even after discovering his actual abilities. One of Sakuraba's biggest motivators for improving himself. Is currently bound to a wheelchair, but desires to become a football player once he recovers.
----
* BrutalHonesty
* CheerfulChild
* DisabledMeansHelpless: Averted quite nicely, aside from not being able to play football, he's treated just like any other bratty kid.
* IntergenerationalFriendship: With Onihei, or atleast Torakichi thinks so (Onihei probably sees him more as the below).
* MouthyKid
* OddCouple: With Onihei.
* [[PluckyGirl Plucky Boy]]
* TagAlongKid: Amongst the combat commentators. Often steals Wakaba's camera. Lampshaded in Chapter 50, "Who's that kid?"
[[/folder]]

!!Bando Spiders

Once the best team in Tokyo after the White Knights, the Spiders were the runners-up in the previous year's Tokyo Tournament, narrowly losing to the Knights in a 7-6 game (and it should be recalled that no other team in Tokyo was able to score '''any''' point against the White Knights in that year). [[spoiler: When the [[ChekhovsGunman Teikoku Highschool]] of Kansai recruited away most of the team's best players, the Spiders were left struggling to rebuild, with only Tight End Hayato Akaba and ace Kicker Kotaro Sasaki remaining from their original lineup]].

* AnimalMotifs: Guess. No point for getting the right answer.
* ClimaxBoss: Of the Tokyo Tournament Arc. They're the last team that the Devil Bats faced, and the one the Bats absolutely ''had'' to beat to make it to the Kanto Regional.
* CombinationAttack: Downplayed since it only relied on two players. The Spider's Web revolved around using repeated onside kicks and Akaba's invincible lead blocking to pull an endless cycle of "Onside kick, Akaba got the ball, then Kotaro kicked to score".
* FreudianTrio:
** '''Id''': Kotaro, who's emotional and often [[HotBlooded impulsive]].
** '''Superego''': Akaba, the most [[AwesomenessByAnalysis analytic]] of the three.
** '''Ego''': Julie, who [[TeamMom kept the peace]] between the two.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: Downplayed, but the story of how the Spiders managed to make it to the Tokyo Tournament's semi-finals, despite Akaba being benched and lack of any top player other than Kotaro would probably make for an interesting story.
* {{Large Ham}}s: It seems that one must be this trope to be admitted to the Bando Highschool, if the behavior of Akaba and Kotaro plus the fact that individual students had ''theme songs composed for them'' were any indication.
* SignatureMove: All the players knew how to use the Spider Poison.
* StealthPun: The Spiders relied on kicking. They're all ''legs''.
* ThreeAmigos: Akaba, Kotaro, and Julie.
* UnderdogsNeverLose: Not in the Tokyo Tournament, anyway. With Akaba benched and Kotaro the only star player they had left, the Bando Spiders still succeeded to plow their way through a succession of higher-ranked teams before running up against the White Knights, and even there they're the first team to score on the Knights during the tournament. By the time of the Devil Bats' match against them, Akaba could play again so the Spiders lost the underdog status.
* WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer: Because [[spoiler: their offensive and defensive teams were recruited into the Teikoku Highschool]], the Spiders only had a kick team. Therefore, the only way they could score is through field goals. They're ridiculously good at it.

[[folder:Hayato Akaba]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Hayato_Akaba_5388.jpg]]

Voted Tokyo MVP the year prior, Akaba is the ace of the Bando Spiders. Obsessed with music, he often strums his electric guitar when thinking and uses musical metaphors to state his opinions. Claimed to be the real "Eyeshield 21" until Bando was defeated by Deimon, where he then passed on the title (and blue eyeshield) to Sena.

* Position: Tight End / Full Back
* Jersey: 21
* Nickname: [[spoiler: The Real Eyeshield 21]]

* TheAce: The Spiders' best player, and the previous year's Tokyo MVP. He is the best tight end in the series.
* AwesomenessByAnalysis: Hiruma's only rival in this area. His "Spider Poison" technique is the result of countless hours of research to learn every player he face shift point.
* BenchedHero: Due to his quitting the Teikoku team to return to Bando in the middle of the football season, Akaba was sidelined as part of the game's rules. The only game he's ever played (not counting the World Youth Cup) was their match with Deimon.
* {{Bishonen}}: Pretty enough to be noticed by Jari Productions.
* TheChessmaster: Akaba has a tactic called "Run Force", in which he places his players in specific positions in order to make the opposing ball carrier think there's a wide open path for them, only for Akaba to suddenly appear and stop them dead in their tracks.
* TheComicallySerious:
** Likes to strike corny rock star poses for no other reason than RuleOfCool, while keeping his usual [[TheStoic stoic expression]].
** He also tends to make rather ridiculous music metaphors with a straight face.
* CoolShades
* GeniusBruiser: After his contract cancelling with Teikoku, he spends almost entire season becoming technical advisor for his team, developing the "Spider Poison", which he taught to ''almost every player of his team'', turning the Spiders from mediocre team into decent team. The bruiser part? Well, he can stop Kurita in his track single-handed, by using his superior technique to compensate for Kurita's superior strength.
* LargeHam: Despite his reserved personality, he's every bit as dramatic as Kotaro.
* TheLeader: A levelheaded type, with some mastermind.
* MeaningfulName: "Aka" means red. Kotaro refers to him as Aka-baka, which means "red idiot".
* RedEyesTakeWarning: {{Subverted}} then {{Parodied}}. When the Devilbats first encounter Akaba he comes off as frightening, but is actually a pretty nice guy. In the bonus material, the principal reveals they're just contacts.
* RedOniBlueOni: The blue (ironically) to Kotaro's red.
* SitcomArchNemesis: To Kotaro.
* TheStoic: To the point that his teammates are shocked when he even chuckles.
* SugarAndIcePersonality: Despite his coldness, it's evident that he cares for his team and Kotaro.
* VerbalTic: He tends to begin his sentences with "Fuu..."
* VitriolicBestBuds: He and Kotaro can't stand each other. They also deeply respect and trust each other when it comes to football.

[[folder:Kotaro Sasaki]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Kotaro_Sasaki_3144.jpg]]

The ace kicker for the the Bando Spiders said to have a success rate of 100%. Declared himself Musashi's rival even before actually meeting him due to his (false) reputation as the "60-yeard Magnum". Takes kicking very seriously and wants to prove that it's every bit as important as offense and defense in football. Is perpetually combing his hair back.

* Position: Kicker
* Jersey: 99
* 40-yard dash: 5.5 seconds
* Bench Press: 65 kg
* Birthday: November 30th
* Blood Type: B
* 2nd Year Student (Grade 11)

* TheAce: Akaba gets all the attention, but Kotaro is every bit as important to the Spider's success as he is, and is the one who gets them through most of the Fall Tournament.
* AssKickingPose: Even when there's no ass-kicking to be done.
* {{Badass}}: Kotaro's a goof, but he's also the only player in Tokyo to have scored any points against Ojo's so-called "Golden Generation", landing two field goals for a score of 7 to 6. He also carries his team through the following year's Tokyo Tournament while Akaba is benched, scoring almost all of their points for them, and even managing to score a field goal against this year's Ojo - explicitly stated to be even stronger than last year's team - for a 10-3 game, despite the fact that this year's Spiders are made almost entirely of second-stringers.
* CatchPhrase: Uses "smart" as an adjective for anything good and "not smart" for anything bad. Changed to "cool" in the American manga release.
* HotBlooded: Lets his emotions get the better of him constantly.
* ImprobableAimingSkills: Can make a kick-in even during a typhoon.
* LargeHam: Feels the need to accompany anything he says or does with a dramatic pose. Once called a time-out in the middle of a game JUST to explain his team's tragic back story.
* ManlyTears: Shed this when [[spoiler: the Spiders lost to the Devil Bats]].
* RedOniBlueOni: The red to Akaba's blue.
* SeriousBusiness: Kicking is ''very'' serious business for him.
* SitcomArchNemesis: To Akaba.
* TrainingFromHell: In order to make Bando the ultimate kick team. This is how Kotaro can score points even during a typhoon, by training ''during'' a typhoon.
* UnknownRival: Although it's not that Musashi doesn't know about him as much as he doesn't care.
* VitriolicBestBuds: He and Akaba can't stand each other. They also respect and trust each other, when it comes to football.
* WeakButSkilled: Musashi has more raw power, but Kotaro's kicks land with perfect precision, even in adverse weather conditions.
* WorthyOpponent: Sees Musashi as this.

[[folder:Juri "Julie" Sawai]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Juri_Sawai_Julie_6235.jpg]]

The manager of the Bando spiders and the one usually responsible for keeping the peace between [[SitcomArchNemesis Akaba and Kotaro]].

* Position: Manager

* TheChick
* CuteSportsClubManager
* DeadpanSnarker: Often does this whenever Akaba or Kotaro say/do something crazy or wacky.
* [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]]: Given that the team's aces are both such {{large ham}}s.
* TeamMom: Constantly seen keeping peace between [[SitcomArchNemesis Akaba and Kotaro]].
* ThreeAmigos: Together with Akaba and Kotaro.
* [[TheStraightMan The Straight Woman]]: Her normal-ness stands in stark contrast to Akaba and Kotaro.
* {{Tsundere}}: According to the bonus material, while she calls Kotaro an idiot, she's never outright rejected his romantic advances.
* WomenAreWiser
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: According to the colored artwork. Considering she's has black eyebrows, she probably dyed it.

!!Hakushu Dinosaurs

[[folder:In General]]
SIC District Champions and Kanto Regional dark horses, the Hakushu Dinosaurs were, like the Devil Bats, a young team, composed mostly of first-year [[RagtagBandOfMisfits rookies and misfits]]. Led by the unscrupulous Reiji "Marco" Maruko, the Dinosaurs ran on a very brutal playing style: using their [[TheJuggernaut gigantic lineman Rikiya Gaou]] to break the bones of '''all''' quarterbacks they'd faced. Having turned the SIC District Tournament into a proverbial bloodbath, the Dinosaurs were now gunning for the title of Kanto's champions, and a shot at the Christmas Bowl.

* AnimalMotifs: Each of their star players was associated with a particular dinosaur.
* ArcVillain: The need to stop the Dinosaurs, ''particularly'' Gaou, dominated much of the Kanto Arc and hanged over every match after the Devil Bats vs Naga game.
* AttackAttackAttack: Subverted. The Dinosaurs became infamous for their north-south game, using Gaou's inhuman strength to hammer through '''any''' team in the way. [[spoiler: But their other two ace players (Marco and Kisaragi) were a safety and a cornerback respectively and their defense was at least as good as their offensive, repeatedly halting the Devil Bats in their tracks]].
* BadassCrew: Gaou was not the only top player in this team, just the best.
* ChekhovsGunman: The Dinosaurs first got mentioned in a football magazine shown in an extra material, as a SIC District team currently recruiting "massive" new talents. It's not until the Kanto Regional that we finally got to meet Marco, and not until after the Devil Bats vs Naga game that we saw the [[TheJuggernaut massive talents]] in question.
* ClimaxBoss: Of the Kanto Tournament Arc, stepping into the role of the series' key antagonists [[spoiler: after the [[DiscOneFinalBoss Naga]] had been knocked out]].
* CurbStompBattle: Inflicted this on the Sphinx, and then [[spoiler: the Wild Gunmen]].
* EvilCounterpart: As a group, the Dinosaurs served as the evil counterparts to the Deimon Devil Bats. Both were [[RagtagBandOfMisfits Ragtag Bands Of Misfits]] led by a manipulative captain with a love for offensive plays. The difference was that whilst the Devil Bats genuinely enjoyed the sports, the Dinosaurs were all out to prove something individually and didn't care who they hurt in the process.
* FiveBadBand:
** BigBad and TheEvilGenius: MARCO.
** CoDragons: [[TheJuggernaut Gaou]] and [[WeakButSkilled Kisaragi]].
** TheBrute: Tengu.
** TheDarkChick: Maria.
* FreudianTrio:
** '''Id''': Gaou, the one most [[BloodKnight aggressive and eager to fight]].
** '''Superego''': Kisaragi, the most idealistic of the three.
** '''Ego''': Marco, who was [[TheSmartGuy the team's brain]] and kept Gaou in check.
* IAmNotLeftHanded: Once Gaou finally got stopped and they couldn't just do force plays, they [[spoiler: were shown to have a strong defense and the third best kicker in Kanto]]. Marco made a point to keep most of their true strengths secret aside from Gaou (and a giant lineman who broke arms was hard to hide, anyway).
* OpposingSportsTeam: A '''classic''' example. Obsessed with winning instead of actually enjoying the sports, the Dinosaurs used UnnecessaryRoughness to injure or even cripple their opponents but not played ethically.
* UnnecessaryRoughness: So you're playing against [[BloodKnight Ga]][[TheJuggernaut ou]]? Well... ''good luck''.
* WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer: The north-south game was this team's favorite tactic, because no opposing line can defend against their monstrously powerful lineman Gaou. [[spoiler: Until Kurita TookALevelInBadass]].

[[folder:Reiji "Marco" Maruko]]
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Marco_Reiji_5889.jpg]]
''"For woman there is love, for man there is strength and for [[spoiler:Hiruma Yoichi]] there is death."''
A shifty, well-dressed fellow with a penchant for colas and secrecy. Marco wants to lead a team to victory in the Christmas Bowl [[spoiler:to impress his would-be girlfriend, the team manager]], and to do that strengthened Hakushu's football team immensely. A capable quarterback, he's actually at his most effective on defense, where he follows the ball with unerring precision, before prying it out of the runner's hand with his "Screwbite".

* Position: Quraterback / Safety
* Jersey: 4
* 40-yard Dash: 5.2 seconds
* Bench Press: 60 kg
* Height: 177 cm
* Weight: 66 kg
* Birthday: May 1st
* Blood Type: AB
* 1st Year Student (Grade 10)
* Nicknames: Marco, "Ball Handling Expert"

* AcademicAthlete: Again, the quarterbacks in this series tend to be this.
* AffablyEvil: A rather pleasant young man who is willing to negotiate with opponents, send flowers to the injured and allows [[TheJuggernaut Gaoh]] to demolish the team's competitor if it advances his goals.
* AnimalMotifs: The raptor to Gaoh's T-rex and Kisaragi's Pterosaur.
* AttackAttackAttack: PlayedWith. Marco, like Hiruma and Kid, advocates an all-offense strategy, focusing on using Gaoh as a bludgeon and forcing his way down the field in a north-south game. Yet, he also makes sure to recruit a very good cornerback in Kisaragi, and is himself one of the best safeties in Japan, serving as the only quarterback spy that the Devil Bats encounter in the series.
* AwesomenessByAnalysis: His defensive role is "Quarterback Spy", which means he needs to anticipate and counter every move the opposing quarterback plays.
* BigBad: Comes very close to being this during the Kanto Regional, particularly after Agon's defeat and the revelation that Hakushu is nobody to be screwed with during the Hakushu-Taiyo match. It's a sports series, but Marco's scheming drives much of the plot during the Kanto Arc, and leads to a whole lot of upsets, with his team serving as the ClimaxBoss of the said arc.
* ButNotTooForeign: He's half Italian.
* CatchPhrase: "I'd say", spoken at the end of most sentences. Rendered "I think" in the official translation.
* ChekhovsGunman: The only thing that distinguishes Marco from the other throwaway captains at the start of the Kanto Arc is the fact that he comes over to speak to Sena, and is given some small focus when he draws the team he'll be facing. He's the closest thing the arc has to a BigBad.
* CombatPragmatist: Will do anything for victory.
* CowardlyLion: Marco may be prone to panic, talks a lot about how he prefers to avoid facing strong teams, and finds the likes of Hiruma, Kurita, etc. to be terrifying, but he has no problem putting himself in harm's way, and is in fact one of most active quarterbacks in the series.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: With Hiruma, who admits he ''would'' have gone to the same lengths Marco did, if he found himself in the same position.
* {{Determinator}}: One who's gone way too far. Marco's inability to KnowWhenToFoldEm is what has turned him into the screwed-up person he is today. He's also one on the field, recovering from a full-power tackle by [[TheJuggernaut Kurita]] and returning to play.
* EmbarrassingFirstName: Last name anyway, which is why he calls himself "Marco" and Maruko Himuro "Maria."
* EvilCounterpart: Hiruma's first one. They both compensate for lack of physical ability through intelligence, lead darkhorse teams built around a couple of key players, favor winning by any means necessary, {{Determinator}} their way through serious injuries, are YoungerThanTheyLook, and want to take down the Alexanders no matter what it takes. His dynamic with Gaoh is a reversed one to Hiruma and Kurita, though.
* EvilGenius: He's smart enough to play XanatosSpeedChess with Hiruma and shut Sena down using only his brains.
* FriendlyEnemy: Especially to Sena. Off the field though, he's pretty nice to everyone.
* HeelFaceTurn: Post-Kanto Regionals. Unlike Agon and Gaoh, who are {{Token Evil Teammate}}s to the end, Marco seems to have straightened out his act by the World Cup.
* HeelRealisation: After being defeated by the Devil Bats.
* HiddenBadass: An average athlete, Marco doesn't look especially threatening on defense, particularly after the likes of Agon and Shin. He's actually more dangerous to the Devil Bats than either of them, as his ability to steal the ball from Sena, rather than tackling him, enables Hakushu to easily score touchdowns during Deimon's offense. Sena acknowledges how well Marco's kept his abilities hidden right before their first clash, noting that despite having talked to Marco frequently, he has no idea what the Hakushu captain is like as a player.
* IAmNotLeftHanded: Marco's a better defensive player than he is an offensive one, but keeps this concealed throughout the Taiyo and Seibu matches, only taking up his safety position when Tengu is injured and Hakushu's remaining defenders prove unable to stop Sena.
* LaughablyEvil: Marco's nervousness put him on the receiving end of a ''lot'' of comedic moments, but never detracts from his on-field threat.
* TheLeader: The mastermind leader of Hakushu.
* LoveMakesYouEvil: Or at least a very brutal player. He wants to impress Maria badly enough that he's more than willing to use Gaoh as a weapon, turn Kisaragi into a psycho, and break other team's quarterbacks in order to win.
* MadeOfIron: Recovers after having Kurita land on him at full speed, picks himself up and keeps on playing. Despite being somewhat shaken, he shows no visible damage, and gets right back in the action.
* TheMafia: What his suits, Italian heritage, and general demeanor are meant to evoke.
* ManipulativeBastard: To Takami's {{Chessmaster}} and Hiruma's TricksterArchetype. They make and modify plans. Marco messes with your emotions, relying on a combination of brute power and fear to help him win.
* ManOfWealthAndTaste: Dresses and conducts himself like a Mafia don. Somewhat justified, as his father is a former Mafia member turned investor and his mother is a fashion designer. Flashbacks for him and his teammates show that the pinstriped suits are Hakushu school uniforms to go with the theme.
* NotSoDifferent: From Hiruma, who admits it without problems.
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: Marco's got a bad case of nerves, and his jittery demeanor (and failed attempts to cover it up) makes him the target of much of the series' humor from his first appearance on, in a way that characters like [[TheSociopath Agon]] or [[FinalBoss Mr. Don]] never are. Then Sena goes one-on-one with him in the Hakushu game, and we discover that while Marco absolutely ''is'' an anxiety-ridden geek, he's also a highly-talented safety and quarterback spy who is every bit the menace that his CoDragons, Gaoh and Kisaragi are.
* PunchClockVillain: When he wants to make it to the Christmas Bowl, he is the worst person to meet in the field. Off the field, he is a friendly guy who offers cola.
* SaveOurTeam: A dark take on the trope. Marco is explicitly stated to have massively improved Hakushu's team, saving them from being just another also-ran. He did it by advocating UnnecessaryRoughness, allowing [[BloodKnight Gaoh]] off of his leash, turning Kisaragi into a PsychoSupporter, and injuring several of his own players. [[spoiler: And making Maria go the EmotionlessGirl route, which is very ironic since he did all this to impress her.]]
* SecondPlaceIsForLosers: Or is if you're trying to impress an upperclassman.
* SignatureMove: The screwbite, he is so good at ball-handling he can snatch the ball without tackling the runner.
* SharpDressedMan: Pretty impressively for a highschooler.
* ShipTease: Has loads of this with Maria.
* TheStrategist: He's the one who figures out the best way to use [[TheJuggernaut Gaoh]]'s brute strength to the advantage of the team.
* TallDarkAndHandsome: {{Subverted}} to hell and back. Don't be fooled by the expensive Italian suits and [[AffablyEvil suave demeanor]], at his core, Marco's a panicky dork (and an [[ManipulativeBastard unpleasant guy to boot]]).
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Cola.
* TrialByFriendlyFire: Orders Gaoh to go through Kisaragi to get to Hiruma.
* UnnecessaryRoughness: Advocates it as part of his overall strategy.
* VillainRespect: After Sena finally bypasses him to score Deimon's final touchdown Marco informs Sena that he is already worthy of being called "Eyeshield 21".
* VillainousValour: Marco's scared to death but keeps on playing (and risking his own neck) because winning is far more important to him.
* WeakButSkilled: Much like Hiruma, and the reason why he needs [[UnskilledButStrong Gaoh]].
* WorthyOpponent: To Sena and Hiruma. He's the first player to prove capable of snatching the ball out of Sena's hands without tackling him, and he forces Sena to rethink his playing style, while also spurring him to think outside the box during his tenure as backup quarterback. He's also one of the few team captains who can equal Hiruma in sneakiness, a fact that Hiruma makes no attempt to downplay. As Sena notes "Reiji Maruko is our worst foe yet".
* YoungerThanTheyLook: Another freshman, which means he's, ''at best,'' '''16.'''

[[folder:Rikiya Gaou (峨王 力哉)]]
[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/61294.jpg]]
''"Yeah, it's just like you said... Let's begin this battle. Right now...!!"''

The Dinosaurs' ace player, Gaou's a massively muscular freshman who held the highschool record in bench press. Up until the game with the Devil Bats, the Dinosaurs had relied on him to smash through opponents' line and break quarterbacks' arms, causing a bloodbath at SIC District Regional Tournament. [[spoiler: Brutal as he might be, Gaou was shown to possess a sense of honor and refused to break rules on the field (i.e., he wouldn't tackle a quarterback if the latter didn't have the ball). Also, he genuinely treated Marco as friend and had lots of respect towards the latter for his determination to win]].

* Position: Lineman
* Jersey: 70
* 40-yard dash: Unspecified
* Bench Press: '''Over 200 kg (Over 440 lbs)'''
* Height: 204 cm (6' 8")
* Weight: 130 kg (287 lbs)
* Birthday: April 4
* 1st Year Student (Grade 10)

* AffablyEvil: In a weird way. Gaou did ''not'' actually have a malicious bone in his body and, off the field, was a cheerfully crazed BoisterousBruiser who saw Banba and Kurita (the former of whom he '''sent to a hospital''') as his buddies.
* AnimalMotifs: Tyrannosaurus Rex, though he looked more like a caveman.
* {{Badass}}: The strongest, most savage football player in all of Japan's highschools.
** BadassCreed: Strength is absolute, and Gaou demonstrated it nicely.
* BerserkButton: If anyone showed the guts to stand up to Gaou, you had better not make fun of him when Gaou is around.
* TheBigGuy: [[spoiler: To Team Japan during the World Cup]].
* BloodKnight: [[spoiler: Began playing american football simply because Marco told him there'd be strong people he could fight]]. When he did meet people who were his equals in strength, or at least not afraid of standing up to him, Gaou gave them the highest respect.
* BoisterousBruiser: He can't stop talking about how absolute strength is absolute, how he wants to find strong opponents to compete against, etc.
* CoDragons: To Marco, alongside Kisaragi. Gaou was the team's Right Hand.
* CurbStompBattle: ''Nearly every time'' when somebody dared to face him. [[spoiler: Gaou himself came to the receiving end when he challenged [[BigBad Mr. Don]], though]].
* DefeatMeansFriendship: Given his BloodKnight tendency, this should surprise nobody.
* {{Determinator}}: [[spoiler: Against Mr. Don, where Gaou demonstrated that one became TheJuggernaut by starting out as this trope]].
* TheDreaded: Nearly everyone who wasn't [[BigFun Kurita]], [[InLoveWithYourCarnage Kisaragi]], or [[spoiler: Mr. Don]] was terrified of Gaou.
* DumbMuscle: '''Subverted'''. Gaou could come off as this trope, due to his lack of tactics beyond brute strength and rather single-minded ways of thinking. But the former had more to do with his lack of field experience and the philosophy that strength is absolute, whilst the latter was due to his determination. Gaou was rather eloquent when he spoke and, as the [[TricksterArchetype Devil Bats]] found out on the field, ''not'' easy to fool or trick.
* EvilDuo: [[spoiler: Formed a sort-of-friendship with [[JerkJock Agon]] at the World Cup when the latter decided to go all-out against Militaria, giving the two a common goal: To ''crush'' the opposing team]].
* FriendlyEnemy: You can miss it due to his [[BloodKnight personality]], but Gaou was never anything other than respectful of his opponents, especially Riku and Kurita. And he appeared to want nothing but to establish a FriendlyRivalry.
* GladHesOnOurSide: [[spoiler: As lampshaded by Sena during the World Cup]].
* GoodScarsEvilScars: He had one on his forehead from ''a car he smashed''. It's more "chaotic" than good or evil, however.
* GracefulLoser: When [[spoiler: Kurita finally bested him]], Gaou's reaction was to promise him a rematch and wish him well.
--> '''Gaou''' (While falling): [[spoiler: Go, Ryokan Kurita. Go, with your spirited friends, to the Christmas Bowl]].
* HeroKiller: Destroyed Banba, [[spoiler: Kid, Tetsuma, Riku, and Hiruma]] in rapid succession. Most of the Kanto Arc was spent trying to find a way to put this bastard out of commission.
* TheJuggernaut: Trying to stop Gaou is a surefire way to get yourself to the hospital, unless you are one of this trope yourself.
* LargeAndInCharge: '''Subverted'''. As the story unfolded, it became obvious that Marco was quite scared of Gaou, creating an impression that Gaou was truly leading the team. However, we later learnt that Gaou only had respect for Marco, and did not want to challenge his leadership, which meant that Marco was the one in charge after all.
* MadeOfIron: Not only did he survive being hit by a car (as a kid, no less!) but ''[[PedestrianCrushesCar the car took more damage than he did]]''.
* MeaningfulName: His first name, "Rikiya", meant ''great might'' or ''strength''.
* PetTheDog: His honest admiration for Marco and open liking for anybody (Banba, Riku, Kurita) who was willing to stand up to him helped humanize Gaou. [[spoiler: His absolute belief that [[{{Determinator}} Marco]] would get up after being tackled by Kurita was, in a way, oddly touching]].
* RunningGag: Gaou does not open doors. He knocks doors off their hinges.
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: The Manly Man to Kisaragi's Sensitive Guy.
* SignatureMove: [[spoiler: He managed the Delta Dynamite halfway through the Japan vs USA game]].
* {{Slasher Smile}}s: When he does get excited, he tends to smile in ways that are... quite psychotic. See [[http://read.mangashare.com/Eyeshield-21/chapter-243/page018.html this]] for an example.
* [[spoiler: SpotlightStealingSquad: Alongside Agon, Gaou was the focus of the World Cup Arc]].
* TestosteronePoisoning: The '''second''' biggest offender in this series. He's 6'7 (2m), had muscles that would have made the cast of DBZ jealous, ate nothing but meat, looked like a caveman, and ''punched a car head-on when he was in grade school''.
* TookALevelInBadass: And he is ''the last person who needed it''. Like Sena, Gaou was a rookie who had raw talent and could develop real fast during games when facing a strong team. [[spoiler: When Marco started trusting Gaou as a lineman instead of only using him to break bones, Gaou grew even more dangerous and stopped Kurita from tackling Marco '''with one hand''']].
* UnnecessaryRoughness: Gaou didn't care. He just used all his strength against opponents.
* UnskilledButStrong: Gaou lacked in football techniques, but he ''more than made up'' with sheer brute strength, in so much as the Dinosaurs' strategy was basically letting him steamroll past the opposing team. [[spoiler: Kurita managed to win by using Gaou's lack of experience against him]].
* VillainousFriendship: [[spoiler: He honestly regarded Marco to be a friend and role model. Marco, for his part, was scared of him, though they got closer towards the end of the Devil Bats vs Dinosaurs game, and more so during the Youth World Cup]].
--> '''Gaou''' [[spoiler: (Bruised and charging towards [[BigBad Mr. Don]])]]: [[spoiler: When you find a path to the top... none of that matters! You just have to "climb"!! At the very least... that's what the man who taught me football... That's what '''Marco''' did]]!!!
* VillainRespect: Anyone who dared stand up to Gaou earned his appreciation. Banba, [[spoiler: Riku, Kid, Sena, Hiruma, and, of course, Kurita]] had all won it by the end of the Kanto Arc.
* WorldsStrongestMan: Japan's strongest, anyway. [[spoiler: The world's strongest was [[EvilerThanThou Mr. Don]]]].
* WouldHitAGirl: He urged Kurita to tackle [[ActionGirl Karin]], fully knowing that she's a girl (in sharp contrast to Banba and Yamabushi, who were against it).
--> '''Gaou''' (Spectating the [[FinalBattle Devil Bats vs Alexanders game]]): Completely destroy that woman, Kurita. You will be able to do it, if it's a powerful man like you.
--> '''[[WouldntHitAGirl Yamabushi]]''' (Sweating): You... you really know no mercy...
* YoungerThanTheyLook: This guy was '''16''' during the Christmas Bowl.

[[folder:Hiromi Kisaragi]]
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/106965_3396.jpg]]

A wilting pretty-boy with an enormous man-crush on Gaoh. He's impressed with "strength" in general due to Gaoh saving him from bullies and tends to wax eloquent on how wonderful strength is. He's not one to overlook, though, as he can knock the ball out of a back's grip with his slender arms (known as the "Ptera-Claw"), and has no qualms about injuring them in the process.

* Position: Cornerback
* Jersey: 96
* Bench Press: 10 kg
* Height: 160 cm
* Weight: 49 kg
* Birthday: July 4th
* 1st Year Student (Grade 10)

* AffablyEvil: Self-deprecating, unfailingly polite, and willing to break a receiver's arms if it will impress Marco and Gaoh.
* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: Relentlessly bullied by the other kids due to his girliness. He became a member of the football (a) because Gaoh saved him from bullies and he wants to impress him, and (b) because Marco, Gaoh, and the other players were the first to accept him for who he was.
* AmazonChaser: WordOfGod is that Kisaragi '''is''' straight, but is only attracted to muscular, powerful women.
* AmbiguouslyGay: Comes off as very, very gay for Gaoh, though it's at least partly hero worship.
* AnimalMotif: Pterosaur.
* BishieSparkle: All the damn time.
* {{Bishonen}}: It makes him seem pretty out of place in the team that has caveman Gaoh and Mafia don Marco.
* BloodKnight: He's not as obvious about it as Gaoh is, but given that he sees football as a place to prove his own power (read: crushing other people) definitely. He's ''this'' short of being a PsychoForHire.
* CoDragons: To Marco, along with Gaoh. He's the team's Left Hand.
* {{Determinator}}: The very fact that he manages to play football despite his GeekPhysique is this.
* EvilCounterpart: To Komusubi. Both are praising the strength of their team lineman and despite their physique they can be useful to their team thanks to their arms (Komusubi is short but his short arm are powerful for a rip and Kisiragi has a frail slender arm that can break receiver's bone by entangling it). Kisiragi however looks insane.
* TheFightingNarcissist: His philosophy is that "strength is beautiful", and thus he wants to win his games with physical strength.
* GeekPhysique: Skeletally thin and the physically weakest high school football player, able to bench press just 10 kg. In comparison, Sena, who is also physically weak, can bench press 45 kg.
* HeroWorshipper: For Gaoh.
* HiddenBadass: Completely average or weaker than average in terms of his stats, but psychotically determined enough that it doesn't matter. Hiruma and Monta both lampshade this long before we see Kisaragi play, noting that he must have some sort of hidden talent.
* IllBoy: If his constant fevers are any indicator.
* InLoveWithYourCarnage: The source of his admiration for/attraction to Gaoh.
* KillUsBoth: Lighter variant. He grabbed Hiruma and told Marco to order Gaoh to go through both of them. Marco obliged.
* LeanAndMean: Rail skinny, and rather ill-looking to boot.
* LongHairedPrettyBoy
* MadeOfIron: Weirdly, yes. Tackled by Gaoh along with Hiruma, Kisaragi is out of action for a few plays, but breaks nothing. He then returns to play and finishes the game, seemingly fine. For all his IllBoy status and lack of stamina, he's got one hell of a skeletal system.
* PsychoSupporter: Of Marco and Gaoh. Kisaragi is devoted, fanatically loyal, and very quietly insane. He's pleasant off-field though.
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: With Gaoh. Though he's obviously the Sensitive Guy, he would probably rather be the Manly Man.
* SissyVillain: Played very straight, but also nicely justified. He's an AmbiguouslyGay PsychoSupporter. Before joining the football team, Kisaragi was constantly bullied due to his girly interests, weak body, and feminine looks. Inspired by Gaoh, he joined the team, and let Marco turn him into a PsychoSupporter so that he could be as strong as his hero.
* UnnecessaryRoughness: Less notable than with his teammates, but it's there. He doesn't aim to injure Monta, but he doesn't mind hurting him, and he later threatens to permanently cripple Hiruma's throwing arm.
* VillainousFriendship: With Marco and Gaoh, whom he sees as role models and friends.
* VillainRespect: Kisaragi is unfailingly respectful of Monta's talents, and is among the first of Hakushuu's players to recognize Deimon as {{Worthy Opponent}}s.
* WeakButSkilled: Small and slender, but will seriously hurt you if he can. With just his skill, he single-handedly shuts down Monta, who is possibly the best Wide Receiver in-series.
* WorthyOpponent: Comes to see Monta as one.

[[folder:Hanataka Tengu]]

Hakushu's former ace, a DirtyCoward who tends to overreact to everything and generally regarded as the "bottom of the top". Did they score a touchdown? We're doomed! Did we score a touchdown? Ha! They're weak!

[[MeaningfulName He also resembles a tengu.]]

* Position: Linebacker

* TheBrute: Was supposed to fill this role, being the team's best linebacker and the center of their defense, but made the mistake of ticking off Gaoh. Marco has to take his place.
** Marco used him only because he does not want to get hurt, not because he is the best for the job.
* CatchPhrase: "Yahyooo!"
* DirtyCoward: Flies into a panic whenever things don't go ''exactly'' as planned.
* JokeCharacter: He doesn't even get to play in the finals, and other players notice that the team is probably better off this way.
* MeaningfulName: In addition to the obvious, "hana" means "nose", and his is very long. Like that of a tengu, in fact.
* TooDumbToLive: Yeah, go ahead. Insult Gaoh's WorthyOpponent in front of him. It's not like you've been on a team with him all year and know how he's going to react... Oh, wait.
* TheUnfought: After he [[BerserkButton made fun of Kurita and Banba]], Gaoh broke his ribs. And his nose.

[[folder:Himuro "Maria" Maruko]]
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Maria_Himuro_9727.jpg]]

The beautiful and quiet assistant for the Hakushu team. She has serious problems with the way Marco runs the team, and tries to keep a limit on the casualties that he and Gaou inflict on other teams.

* Position: Manager.

* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: [[SubvertedTrope No they don't]]. Maria likes Marco, but for who he [[NiceGuy used to be]], rather than [[ManipulativeBastard who he is now]].
* AloofDarkHairedGirl: Incredibly pretty, but also incredibly intimidating.
* BoyishShortHair: As part of her rather scary demeanor.
* TheChick: Before [[SecondPlaceIsForLosers Marco]] took over the team. She's more of TheDarkChick now.
* CuteSportsClubManager: Though the players find her scary rather than cute.
* EmotionlessGirl: After Marco recruited Gaoh.
* TheHeart: She was this for the team, until Marco became a ManipulativeBastard.
* NamesTheSame: She and Marco share a first name. Hence the nicknames.
* ShipTease: Has loads of this with Marco.
* TheStoic: After the changes in her team, she puts on a stoic face.
* SugarAndIcePersonality: Towards Marco until he recruited Gaoh.
* TokenGoodTeammate: To [[ManipulativeBastard Marco]], [[BloodKnight Gaoh]], [[DirtyCoward Tengu]], and [[InLoveWithYourCarnage Kisaragi]].
* WhenSheSmiles: Finally cracks a smile after Marco's defeat and HeelRealisation.

!!Teikoku Alexanders

[[folder:In General]]
The [[FinalBoss ultimate team]] in Japanese highschool football, dominating the whole Kansai district and winning the Christmas Bowl ''every'' year since its initiation. They had a policy of recruiting top players from other schools in order to build up its own ranks. Run on a meritocracy, the Alexanders divided their players into ranks and advanced them based on performance and nothing else.

* [[TheAce The Aces]]: They were the best players in Japan.
* [[DreamTeam All-Star Team]]: The Alexanders recruited ace players from all of Japan and grouped their players into six teams according to merits. The first string players were literally the best of the best.
* AlwaysABiggerFish: The Naga's nine-year Kanto winning streak was nothing compared to the Alexanders: The last nine Christmas Bowls were the former getting trounced by the latter.
* AncientRome: These guys seemed to have a Roman Empire [[{{Motifs}} theme]] going on, which fitted their meritocratic philosophy pretty well.
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: In this team, authority was only for players who kicked asses.
--> '''[[{{Jerkass}} Ibarada]]''' (Walking ahead): Damn it, Karin, you're slow!
--> '''[[{{NiceGirl}} Karin]]''' (Carrying Ibarada's luggage): S-s-s-sorry!
--> '''Yamato''' (Passing by): Wait, Iba... What is it? Ah, yeah! Ibarada! Why're you using Karin as a luggage carrier?
--> '''Karin''': Yamato! It's alright. I don't really mind...
--> '''Yamato''' (Smiled): Underclassmen aren't slaves to their senpai. Instead... you should have that ''forth string player'' carry them. You know?
* BadassCrew: Duh.
* ChekhovsGunman: The Alexanders were first mentioned in Kotaro's flashback, in which they're responsible for most of the Spiders' best players leaving the team. They were mentioned again during the Devil Bats vs Dinosaurs match, in which Kisaragi flustered that the Dinosaurs were to crush the Alexanders using Gaou's brute strength. It turned out the Alexanders were the all-time football champions of Japan and FinalBoss.
* ColorCodedCharacters: They're the FinalBoss and associated with ''black''.
* [[ConsummateProfessional Consummate Professionals]]: They were so pro, they had no trouble cooperating with each other on the field despite the intense rivalries within the team.
* CurbStompBattle: They did this to the '''NAGA'''. It's offscreen, but still...
* DefeatingTheUndefeatable: Had been undefeated since the first Christmas Bowl, and hailed as Japan's undisputed aces.
* TheDreaded: Everyone, even the ''Shinryuji Naga'', feared the Alexanders.
* FinalBoss: [[spoiler: Before the World Cup, anyway]].
* FiveBadBand: They're not really evil, though...
** BigBadDuumvirate (de facto): Yamato and Taka.
** TheDragon and TheEvilGenius (de facto): Heracles.
** TheBrute: Achilles.
** TheDarkChick: Karin.
** BiggerBad: The Teikoku Highschool itself was the one who put forth that ridiculous policy of stealing ace players from other teams.
* {{Genius Bruiser}}s: A requirement to be a first string player was to memorize 1000 football plays.
* {{Lightning Bruiser}}s: Another requirement to be a first string player is to be able to run the 40 yard dash in under 5 seconds. Yes, even the linemen have to. This makes Teikoku's line both fast and strong.
* MasterOfAll: It's hard to talk about the Alexanders' weak points... because there's none.
* MightMakesRight: The Alexanders ran on an extreme meritocracy. Ages, friendships and other such stuffs didn't matter. The only thing they cared was what you bring to the team.
* NameToRunAwayFromReallyFast: "Teikoku" literally means '''Black Emperor'''.
* OpposingSportsTeam: They were not a bunch of bad guys, but their status as '''the''' undefeated champions and the fact that the rivalry within the team was as great or greater than that with their opponents still made them a fairly classic case of this.
* SeriousBusiness: The only highschool - not coach or player - to take football that seriously, they recruited ''every'' ace player in Japan they could get. That was why they were the Christmas Bowl champions for decades.
* WorthIt: As lampshaded by Heracles, the pride that came with being Teikoku's first string made it worthwhile to undergo all the TrainingFromHell.
* [[WorthyOpponent Worthy Opponents]]: Notably, these seemed to happen ''within'' the team.

[[folder:Takeru Yamato (大和 猛)]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Yamato_Takeru_9585.jpg]]
''"It's settled... It's my win!"''

[[LateArrivalSpoiler The original Eyeshield 21,]] Yamato was a friendly and charismatic young man who played along well with other players. He was also filled with self-confidence and wouldn't hesitate to crush his opponents on the field. While Yamato was a ''very'' [[MasterOfAll well-rounded]] player with top-tier power and speed, his greatest strength was his perfect body balance and willpower, which made him nigh impossible to take down with tackles - a technique he named the "Caesar's Charge". [[spoiler: Yamato had a feud with Mr. Don, the leader of the USA ace players group "Pentagram": [[SmugSnake Mr. Don]], regarding Yamato as unworthy of the title of "Eyeshield 21", used his power as the son of the US President to ''kick Yamato out of Notre Dame''. During the Youth World Cup, Yamato went to the United States with Team Japan, fully intending to have his revenge against Mr. Don on the field]].

* Position: Running Back / Defensive Back
* Jersey: 22; [[spoiler: 21 during the match against the Devil Bats; 20 during the World Cup.]]
* 40-yard dash: 4.4 seconds
* Bench Press: Unspecified
* Height: 190 cm (6' 3")
* Weight: 79 kg (174 lbs)
* Birthday: October 10
* 1st Year Student (Grade 10)
* Nicknames: Eyeshield 21, "The Emperor"

* TheAce: Frequently hailed as being the "Perfect Runner" long before he actually appeared, and '''completely''' lived up to this expectation when he revealed himself; on top of being good looking, charming, and honorable, as lampshaded by Akaba.
* [[spoiler: AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Yamato was crushed by Panther on one occasion because of nothing but the latter's superior talents in running]].
* {{Badass}}: Even ''[[{{Jerkass}} Ag]][[SmugSnake on]]'' respected Yamato.
** BadassInCharge: He was the one who really led the Alexanders on the field.
* BashBrothers: With Taka, similar to Sena and Monta.
* BoisterousBruiser: Downplayed, but it stood out when compared to [[TheQuietOne Taka]].
* [[spoiler: BrokenAce: While Yamato was unmistakably a top running back in Japan, it was implied that he was seen by some (i.e., Mr. Don) as [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter not-of-the-top-tier]] when he's in the USA. Thus, his attempt to crown himself ''the'' ace by seizing the title "Eyeshield 21" earned him the contempt of Mr. Don, who eventually [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections had him expelled from Notre Dame]]]].
* CatchPhrase: ''"It's settled. It's my win."'' The official translation made it ''"I am certain to win."''
* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: How could he shrug off tackles and steamroll ''any'' line in Japan? His training in the USA, where [[spoiler: being beaten outside the field for being a better running back made him used to being attacked by people stronger than he was. Yamato earned the "Eyeshield" title by puking blood]].
* ChasteHero: Not to the same degree as [[AmbiguousDisorder Shin]], but Yamato did not have a girlfriend, and seemed not to be interested in finding one.
* ChickMagnet: If Achilles's words were to be taken, Yamato was popular with ladies.
* CombatCompliment: Yamato is always ready to acknowledge others' accomplishments.
--> '''Yamato''' (Halfway through the Devil Bats vs Alexanders game): Sena, Monta... no matter how many times you're knocked down, there's still fire in your eyes. You aren't losers. Without doubt, you're first-class players.
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Yamato tended to do this whenever he interacted with Karin. Also see RunningGag below.
* CurbStompBattle: ''Almost always'' inflicted this when someone challenged him. [[spoiler: He suffered this at the hand of [[BigBad Mr. Don]] along with Gaou, though]].
* [[spoiler: DefeatMeansFriendship: Not that Yamato was mean to start with]].
* {{Determinator}}: His greatest skill was actually simple: He refused to be taken down when tackled. And just this was good enough to make him a very formidable running back. Even '''three''' people tackling him ''only made him fall to his knees''.
* TheEmperor: "Roman Emperor" was Yamato's primary {{Motif}}s... if his "'''Caesar''''s Charge" and his team's Roman theme hadn't made this obvious enough.
* {{Foil}}: He is apparently comparable to Shin and Agon in terms of sheer talents. Yamato was, like Shin, a genius who trained himself hard, but he is talkative and charismatic, whilst Shin was TheQuietOne. Of course, Yamato had aptitude outside speed and power, like Agon, but he's a NiceGuy while Agon was a full-on {{Jerkass}}.
* GeniusBruiser: Even ''[[TheSmartGuy Hiruma]]'' had a hard time outsmarting Yamato.
* TheGift: More or less implied given his interaction with Agon.
* [[spoiler: GracefulLoser: When Sena defeated him]].
--> '''Yamato''' (Sweating; [[spoiler: The Alexanders just lost to the Devil Bats]]): [[spoiler: I'm sorry, Sena... Since I am the one who lost, I should be praising you as the winner. But right now... I can't help feeling excited]].
* TheHero: To the Alexanders.
** [[spoiler: BrokenHero: See BrokenAce above]].
* HonorBeforeReason: He promised to use only his left hand in the match against the Devil Bats when he saw that Hiruma hadn't recovered. That's saying something about this guy.
* ImplacableMan: Yamato has places to go. You will ''not'' stop him. You ''may'' slow him down. You ''may'' impede his progress. But he ''will'' get there, even if he has to drag you with him. It's an oddly unique example of the trope, which is usually used to describe someone who's coming after you. In Yamato's case, it was more like he's trying to get away from you, and something as simple as failing to get away from you wasn't going to deter him one bit.
** Played straight whenever he played in defense, as his superior physical strength and speed as well as having a near perfect balance made it almost impossible for anyone to stop him in his tracks. Thus, he can either avoid blockers or simply shove them out of the way and get to the ball carrier. In fact, [[spoiler: all the Devil Bats tried to stop him from reaching Musashi during the final field goal play, yet he '''still managed to touch the ball''']].
* JackOfAllTrades: He is a very well-rounded player, but he isn't the best in any particular area, other than possibly determination, something Yamato himself admitted.
** MasterOfAll: But he's still near top-notch in terms of speed, power and... everything.
-->'''Akaba''': On the other hand, Yamato has everything. Speed. Power. Technique. Body balance. Height. Kinda good-looking.
-->'''[[StraightMan Unsui]]''': What has the last one got to do with the rest?
* LightningBruiser: Yamato was just slightly slower than Sena but even stronger than the likes of Shin and Agon. There's a reason why his usual tactic is to shove the defense out of the way.
* MagneticHero: He's quite charismatic, and had ''2479'' entries in his mobile phone contacts.
* MeaningfulName: "Yamato Takeru" was the name of an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamato_Takeru ancient Japanese prince]] who's... the King Arthur of Japan, in a nutshell.
* MessyHair: As pictured above.
* MightMakesRight: Downplayed, but it's there. Yamato only cared about whether a person could get the job done. He failed to remember Ibarada's name apparently due to the latter's forth string status.
* NiceGuy: What he was off the field.
* NoodleIncident: How Yamato was run out of Notre Dame was never explained during the Devil Bats vs Alexanders game. [[spoiler: Later subverted when the truth about the incident was revealed in the World Cup Arc]].
* NoSell: The "Caesar's Charge" was basically him refusing to go down after being tackled, often ''dragging the opposing player with him'' as he ran.
* TheRealRemingtonSteele: The original Eyeshield 21 whom Kakei had met.
* RedOniBlueOni: He was the red to Taka's blue. It wasn't that Yamato was impulsive, but he's quite a charismatic and talkative guy when compared to TheStoic Taka.
* RunningGag: Karin [[NiceGirl tried to avoid being competitive]] (i.e., declining to join the team or saying that she's afraid of tackles)... The very competitive Yamato misinterpreted her words as meaning that she thought she wasn't strong enough, and forced her to train even harder.
* SignatureMove: The Caesar's Charge.
* SmugSuper: An interesting example. Yamato is more or less made of confidence and without a doubt a super. '''BUT''', (1) He ''never'' rubs his superness on others' faces; (2) He ''never'' compares others to him; and (3) If you do accomplish an impressive feat, Yamato [[CombatCompliment will be the first person to acknowledge it]]. In short, Yamato is this trope, but unlike [[{{Jerkass}} Agon]], he isn't a douche about it.
--> '''Sena''' (Staring at Yamato in awe): Self-confidence. Every word brimming with strength behind that friendly speech. There isn't a part of him that thinks he is going to lose.
* TallDarkAndHandsome: Seen his stats and picture?
* WorthyOpponent: Came to see Sena as this. Also, Sena and Kakei both saw him as this.

[[folder:Taka Honjo]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Taka_Honjo_7259.jpg]]

A stone-faced, utterly bored wide reciever, Taka's also [[spoiler:the son of Monta's favorite baseball player Masaru Honjo.]] His well-deserved nickname comes from his ability to jump ridiculous distances.

* Position: Wide Reciever / Cornerback
* Jersey: 10
* Birthday: June 26
* 1st Year Student (Grade 10)
* Nickname: The Bird-man

* TheAce: To the same ridiculous degree as Yamato.
* AnimalMotifs: Hawk.
* BashBrothers: With Yamato.
* {{Bookworm}}: He's constantly seen reading.
** BadassBookworm
* BrilliantButLazy: Downplayed. He practices just out of habit but almost never exerts effort when playing, simply because he's already the best wide receiver there is. When Monta proves to be an equal to him, he decides to give it his all when playing.
* BrokenPedestal: [[spoiler: Monta realizes that Honjo was following him just so he can set him up against his son]].
* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: How exactly can this guy jump like he's walking in air and catch '''any''' flying object that comes his way? It's said that his father has been training him every day since he's young. That's why.
* TheComicallySerious: During the World Cup Arc, he sometimes fills this role.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: With Monta.
* [[DefrostingIceQueen Defrosting Ice King]]: He was at first quiet and stoic, feeling bored from having wiped the floor with every wide receiver he had faced. Then he warmed up to Monta.
* GenreSavvy: Possibly the ''only'' player in Japan (besides Hiruma) to have this quality. Taka was able to counter Clifford's trick plays in the Japan vs. America match. As he himself pointed out, he ''learned'' from his match against the Deimon Devil Bats, and as a result, never defends against the obvious play, instead tightly marking receivers no matter what.
* GoodEyesEvilEyes: His eyes have a notably blank look to him before befriending Monta at the end of the Deimon-Teikoku match.
* {{Jerkass}}: It's probably unintentional on the part of the author, but Taka's attitude of bored superiority, his refusal to even look at any players he considers inferior, and his insistence that anyone who tries to stand up to him is engaged in a futile act makes him ''very'' punchable. It doesn't help that his so-called "problem" of being better than everyone around him is (a) not very relatable, and (b) the same one that [[TheSociopath Agon]] suffers from. He gets a lot better during the World Cup Arc, though.
* TheLancer: To Yamato.
* LongHairedPrettyBoy
* MeaningfulName: "Taka" means "hawk".
* TheQuietOne: Especially when compared to Yamato or Heracles. When not playing he usually sits on the bench, quietly reading.
* RapunzelHair
* RedOniBlueOni: The blue to Yamato's red.
* TheStoic: His [[TheQuietOne quiet]] behavior sometimes becomes this.
* SugarAndIcePersonality: A friendship version towards Monta.
* VictoryIsBoring: Having been trained since childhood by his father to be a great baseball player, Taka became the unstoppable force that he is today.
* WhenSheSmiles
* WorthyOpponent: Came to see Monta as this.

[[folder:Karin Koizumi (小泉 花梨)]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Karin_Koizumi_3593.jpg]]
''"Um... Please be gentle to me."''

Karin was, at first glance, only a cute, young freshman girl... who served as the Alexanders' ''official quarterback''. [[strike: Forced to join]] ''[[InsistentTerminology Scouted]]'' by Yamato, she was unwilling to play football at the beginning. But, after some training, her natural talents as a quarterback soon brought her to the first string of the Alexanders, making her a top-tier quarterback in Japan and the only [[ActionGirl female player]] in the whole tournament. [[spoiler: As revealed in the epilogue, Karin became a manga artist after highschool, and her editor told her to [[IWroteOurStory write an american football manga using Eyeshield 21 as the main protagonist]]]].

* Position: Quarterback
* Jersey: 6
* 40-yard Dash: 4.9 seconds
* Bench Press: 35 kg (77 lbs)
* Height: 157 cm (5' 1")
* Weight: 44 kg (97 lbs)
* Birthday: July 7
* 1st Year Student (Grade 10)

* AccidentalAthlete: Her [[ImprobableAimingSkills great throwing skills]] came from drawing and playing piano. Luckily, she's fast too. Who knows a shy, quiet girl would make a top quarterback?
* ActionGirl: The only one in the series.
* AlliterativeName: '''K'''arin '''K'''oizumi, the Quarterback of the Strongest Empire.
* ApologisesALot: Being Sena's DistaffCounterpart, she naturally had this in spades.
* BadassAdorable: To the point that most of the Devil Bats had to be tricked into believing she's a guy to be willing to tackle her. As for the {{Badass}} part... If she throws a ball, the pass is complete. ''No'' interception. ''No'' problem catching the ball. She's the perfect quarterback.
* BraidsOfAction: As pictured above.
* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: Played with. Karin's extremely accurate passes came from the skills and precision she gained through drawing and playing piano, both of which, while not "tough" in the usual sense of the word, do require a lot of manual dexterity.
* TheChick: '''Double Subverted'''. In her first appearance, Karin showed up with Ibarada spectating the Devil Bats vs Dinosaurs game. When they left, some passersby ''appeared'' to refer to Ibarada as the Alexanders' quarterback (but they were in truth talking about Karin, of course). This would make readers think that Karin was the manager, and most likely TheChick... until it was shown that Karin, ''not'' Ibarada, was the quarterback of the team, and you'd think that Karin was going to have lots of actions... In the actual Devil Bats vs Alexanders games, however, it turned out even though Karin was very talented, she lacked the [[TheLeader authoritative personality]] to be a control tower like the other quarterbacks. So... she's TheChick, after all.
* CuteSportsClubManager: Subverted. Karin's actually the ''quarterback''.
* TheCutie: Just look at her picture!
* DistaffCounterpart: Okay, let's see... Recruited against her will? Check. Seen as the best in her specialty? Check. Low self-esteem and ''highly'' apologetic? Check. The only ways to tell her apart from [[TheHero Sena]] seemed to be position and gender.
** Lampshaded during the Devil Bats vs Alexanders game, where Heracles suggested that she would need to watch out for Sena's blitz. She spinned on her heel. She and Sena faced each other off... before [[ApologisesALot bowing repeatedly at each other]] ''at the same time'', clearly not wanting any hard feelings between them.
--> '''Karin''' (Bowing): Um... please be gentle to me.
--> '''Sena''' (''Also'' bowing): Oh, no. I should be the one... saying that.
--> '''Suzuna''': You wouldn't think they were football players. Acting like that.
--> '''Mamori''': [[{{Lampshaded}} Those two are really similar]], aren't they...?
* DudeLooksLikeALady: Well, Karin's 100% girl, but [[TricksterArchetype Hiruma]] told the team otherwise so that they would [[WouldntHitAGirl go all out against her]]. [[DumbJock Most of the Devil Bats]] ended up thinking of her as this.
* EveryoneLovesBlondes: Come on, how can you not love Karin?
* ExtremeDoormat: Yamato basically forced Karin to join. And somehow, ''she went along''.
--> '''Karin''' (Trying to decline to joint the football team): W... Wai... Wai... But I am... Thanks for thinking of me and all, but...
--> '''Yamato''' (Patted her on the shoulder): You're worried right. Well, don't be. It will be alright! [[ComicallyMissingThePoint You may start off at the sixth string, but you will surely be in the first string in no time]]!
--> '''Karin''': Ehhhhhhhhhhhh... Why does it feel like it's useless trying to argue with this person~~~?!
--> (The next day, [[NiceGirl Karin]] was training. In the Alexanders' football uniform.)
* FlowerMotifs: Whenever Karin does something during a football match, it'll be accompanied by images of petals.
** Let's not forget that her signature move is called the '''"Floral Shoot"'''.
* FragileSpeedster: She couldn't take a hit. Luckily, she didn't have to, because her agility meant no one other than Sena [[http://read.mangashare.com/Eyeshield-21/chapter-285/page017.html could even touch her anyway]].
* GroupieBrigade: Karin had a large one, consisting of male fans and other football players (such as Yamabushi). "Miracle" Ito was even selling products with images of Karin on them.
* [[HeroOfanotherStory Heroine Of Another Story]]: How Karin became the quarterback of the best team in Japan despite her shy personality and being recruited against her will ('''and''' the massive rivalry within the team) could make for a pretty good story in and of itself.
* ImprobableAimingSkills: So, you want Karin to throw something to a certain place? Just ask her and she will do it. The pass will be impossible to intercept and it won't be even hard to catch due to how gentle it is.
* [[spoiler: IWroteOurStory: Karin became a manga artist after highschool. Her editor asked her to write a football manga about the legendary runner Eyeshield 21]].
* LongHairIsFeminine: Is by far the most typically "girly" of the females in ''Eyeshield 21'', and has long hair to boot.
* MeaningfulName: "Karin" meant '''Pear Flower''', which goes with her FlowerMotifs.
* NiceGirl: Karin just could not stop being polite and gentle. It's one of the reasons she went along when Yamato pressured her into joining.
* ObliviousToLove: Karin appeared to be totally unaware of [[DoggedNiceGuy Achilles]]' affection for her, despite the latter's constant attempts to signal her about it.
* RunningGag: Karin's attempts to [[NiceGirl avoid competition]] ended up creating the opposite effects when Yamato came around.
* SamusIsAGirl: Yes, she ''was'' a quarterback. Yes, she was the country's ''best'' quarterback.
* ShrinkingViolet
* SignatureMove: The Floral Shoot, a pass so perfect and gentle that it is impossible to intercept for the opponents and effortless to catch for the wide receiver.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Granted, it's certainly an anomaly to the sport, but she's the only female football player in the entire series.

[[folder:Kureji Hera ("Heracles")]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Hera_Kureji_Heracles_5482.jpg]]

A third-year and captain of the Alexanders. Although he enjoys playing up his "Osakan" persona, he's actually a very hardworking and responsible individual.

* Position: Centre
* Jersey: 78
* Height: 177 cm
* Weight: 100 kg
* Birthday: May 14
* Blood Type: O
* 3rd Year Student (Grade 12)
* Nickname: Heracles

* BerserkButton: Don't defy the string pecking order.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: If you actually succeed in pissing Hera off, watch out.
* BigBrotherMentor: According to the extras, he's always looking out for the other club members.
* TheBigGuy: Albeit in a primary leadereship role.
* BoisterousBruiser: Comes with being a very "Osaka-esque" person.
* CombinationAttack: The "Cross Stunts" he does with Achilles.
* DumbMuscle: Subverted. He appeared to be this at first, with an "idiot rating" of 20% (Yamato, Taka, and Karin are all 0%). See GeniusBruiser below.
* GeniusBruiser: Heracles is capable of seeing through many of Hiruma's trick plays and came up with quite a few useful tactics. There's a reason he's the team captain.
* {{Gonk}}: Downplayed, but he can give off this vibe when standing alongside more handsome characters like Yamato and Taka.
* TheIdiotFromOsaka: His dream is to be a famous Osakan-style entertainer so he does all he can to invoke this trope. In reality, he's actually a very capable leader who simply likes to keep the atmosphere lighthearted.
* TheLeader: Of the Alexanders. He seems a straight headstrong type, but he hides a ''very'' levelheaded side under his cheerful nature.
* LightningBruiser: Since he's a lineman who can wrestle with Kurita, he's fairly powerful, but supposedly he can do 40-yard dash in 5.0 seconds too.
* NiceGuy: He really keeps the mood light for a meritocracy where everyone is competing against each other and is the only one who has teamwork play with Achilles while other are just aces who do solo play.
* TheSmartGuy: Surprisingly, yes. If one of the Alexanders is seen giving tactical advice to the rest of the team, it is most likely Heracles.
* StoutStrength
* WorthIt: It's tough working to become a member of the top string in Teikoku, but he considers this all worthwhile with the pride that comes with it.

[[folder:Reisuke Aki ("Achilles")]]

A {{hot blooded}}, but gullible player with a strong desire for a girlfriend.

* Position: Lineman
* Jersey: 76
* Height: 173 cm
* Weight: 80 kg
* Birthday: August 18
* Blood Type: B
* 2nd Year Student (Grade 11)
* Nickname: Achilles

* AllGuysWantCheerleaders: He was deceived to join the team when a Teikoku scout told him that he could date the cheerleaders on the team.
* BaldOfAwesome
* ButtMonkey: Among the Alexanders.
* CombinationAttack: The "Cross Stunts" he does with Heracles.
* DoggedNiceGuy: To Karin.
* DumbMuscle: As suggested by his status as a lineman and an idiot (According to Hiruma, Achilles's "idiot rating" is a whooping 60%). Downplayed, as he is still a part of Teikoku's first string players, thus implying he has textbook knowledge of 1000 football plays. So, he is dumb at things other than American Football, like how to win Karin's affection.
* HotBlooded
* TheIdiotFromOsaka: And unlike with Heracles, it's not an act.
* LightningBruiser

!!The Pentagram

[[folder:In General]]
The nickname for the five star players of the American National Team at the World Cup. Consisting of Running Back [[TookALevelInBadass Patrick "Panther" Spencer]], Quarterback [[SmugSnake Clifford D. Louis]], Linebacker [[JerkJock Tatanka]], Cornerback [[LightningBruiser Bud Walker]], and Lineman [[TheJuggernaut Donald "Mr. Don" Oberman]], the Pentagram were widely hailed as the best highschool-level football players in the world.

* {{The Ace}}s: Even more so than the [[ClimaxBoss Alexanders]]. These guys were the very best football players at the highschool level, in the '''WHOLE FREAKING WORLD'''.
* BadassCrew: Pretty much a given.
* BadGuyBar: When the other national teams were doing the drawing at the Empire Building, the five... were chilling out at a ''strip club''. [[TokenGoodTeammate Panther]] was rather disturbed by it.
* [[spoiler: BreakTheHaughty: The Japan vs USA match did this to them]].
* [[ChickMagnet Chick Magnets]]: Clifford and Bud both had their {{Groupie Brigade}}s. Mr. Don was also frequently shown to be hanging out with ALadyOnEachArm. Justified, since these guys are [[TheAce The Aces]] in just about everything. Panther and Tatanka didn't have as much luck with ladies, though.
* CurbStompBattle: Inflicted this on ''every team they'd faced'', [[spoiler: except Team Japan]]. At a personal level, it's also very notable that [[spoiler: Mr. Don did this to ''Gaou and Yamato at the same time'', Panther to ''Shin'', while Clifford had one such moment against ''Agon'']].
* [[spoiler: DefeatMeansFriendship: Well, the Japan vs USA game ended in a '''tie'''. But these five did lose personal battles, and seemed to warm up to Team Japan afterwards]].
* DreamTeam: They were recruited from all around the United States.
* {{Eagleland}}: They certainly fitted into quite a few American stereotypes, including Mr. Don's pride over the greatness of his home country and, of course, a burning passion for football.
* [[EvilCounterpart Evil Counterparts]]: Bar Tatanka, each of the five was this to somebody from Team Japan. They were also clearly meant to be unpleasant. [[spoiler: Tatanka sort of got a counterpart in Rui, though]].
* FinalBoss: Of the World Cup Arc, and the series as a whole.
* FiveBadBand: These five formed a neat one.
** BigBad: Mr. Don, and he's [[LargeAndInCharge literally big]] as well.
** TheDragon: Panther.
** TheEvilGenius: Clifford.
** TheBrute: Tatanka.
** TheDarkChick: Bud.
** BiggerBad: ''Morgan''. He's, after all, the one who started the World Cup and hence the whole "Team USA decimates other national teams" thing, and he was in general obnoxiously smug. Of course, this man hosting the World Cup only fueled the Pentagram's [[JerkJock jerkish]][[SmugSnake ness]].
* TheGift: It's heavily implied that '''all''' five of them had this.
* {{Jerk Jock}}s: Aside from [[NiceGuy Panther]], they and Morgan were this trope taken UpToEleven.
* [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Jerks With Hearts of Gold]]: General jerkishness and smug aside, they did have redeeming traits. [[spoiler: Mr. Don was a [[HonorBeforeReason guy of honor and refused to cheat]]. Clifford later seemed impressed by Sena and offered him a chance to play football at Notre Dame, during which Tatanka and him helped train Sena together. Lastly, Bud appeared to go on friendly terms with Team Japan and ''gave Taki a shot at becoming an actor in Hollywood'']].
* {{Motifs}}: Averted, these guys were the only team without any major gimmick except that they were top-tier american football players. Best illustrated by [[http://read.mangashare.com/Eyeshield-21/chapter-320/page008.html Mr. Don]]. The national stereotypes weren't applied to every major player as in the case for Team Russia or Germany.
* RatedMForManly: With [[TheJuggernaut Mr. Don]] going all the way into TestosteronePoisoning.
* {{Signature Move}}s: Averted. The Pentagram didn't rely on any flashy move. They instead focused on crushing opponents with their sheer superior stats. And '''this''' alone was enough to make them very formidable.
* [[SmugSnake Smug Snakes]]: Mr. Don, Clifford, and Tatanka. These three just could not stop looking down on the other national teams, or talking as though the World Cup was nothing more than a show in which Team USA decimated the other teams, etc.
* {{Smug Super}}s: A '''quintet''' of these, no less.
* OpposingSportsTeam: Panther was a NiceGuy, but Mr. Don and Clifford were both filled with smug and needed to be taken down a peg.
* SecondPlaceIsForLosers: [[spoiler: So were ties]].
* UpToEleven: Many of the tropes in the Pentagram's lists were shared by the other teams in the series... only taken to ridiculous extremes.
* VillainousFriendship: Despite being rather unpleasant, these five appeared to be on fairly good terms with one another.
* [[spoiler: VillainRespect: Team Japan's [[{{Determinator}} determination]] earned them the respect of these five]].
* YoungerThanTheyLook: They were highschoolers? ''[[SarcasmMode Riiiiiiiiight]]''...

[[folder:Clifford D. Louis]]
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Clifford_D_Louis_1629.jpg]]
''"Do you understand how to handle cards now? I win as long as I can make you think "Maybe he will play this card." Brat."''

An arrogant but very gifted quarterback, Clifford was in a league of his own when it came to intellect and passion for head games, while having speed that rivaled ''Sena''. Said to be [[BlueBlood descended from French royalties]], Clifford acted as the [[TheEvilGenius brains]] of Team USA, and served as a cool-headed leader during offense using a rich arsenal of tricks and wits. [[spoiler: After the Japan vs USA match, Clifford appeared impressed by Team Japan, especially Sena. Later, he invited Sena to play football at Notre Dame and, along with Mr. Don and Tatanka, gave the latter training, thus making the lies about Sena being Eyeshield 21 come true. Also, the part about him being royal was a fraud. His father was in fact a genius computer hacker]].

* Position: Quarterback
* Jersey: 1
* 40-yard dash: '''4.2 seconds'''
* Bench Press: Unspecified
* Nicknames: "The Prince", The Invincible Gambler

* AbsurdlyHighStakesGame: The night right before the Japan vs USA match, he played Texas hold'em with Hiruma betting ''millions of dollars''. Hiruma '''lost''' and could only avoid being routed by retreating at the last moment.
* AristocratsAreEvil: [[spoiler: Subverted. He was [[ConsummateLiar lying]] about being descended from French royalties]].
* AwesomenessByAnalysis: One of his skills.
* {{Badass}}: This gentleman could do a completely accurate pass ''while running at a speed that can finish 40 yards in 4.2 seconds''. [[ThisIsGonnaSuck Damn it]].
** BadassBookworm: Being the brains of his team while committing such badassery.
* BigBadDuumvirate: With Mr. Don. Unlike the rest of the team, Clifford wasn't afraid of Don and provided the field leadership, tactics, and cool-headed calculations to Mr. Don's brutal plays and charismatic leadership.
* BlondeGuysAreEvil: Apparently a natural blonde and natural jerk.
* BlueBlood: [[spoiler: Subverted. It's a lie]].
* BrainsAndBrawn: The brains to Mr. Don's brawn. Well, Mr. Don was [[GeniusBruiser far from stupid]], but Clifford was nigh beyond human when it came to intelligence.
* BreakTheHaughty: Within the Pentagram, Clifford was the one most full of [[SmugSnake smug]], [[spoiler: which made it more fun to watch when Shin tackled Clifford and brought him to the ground]].
* BullyingTheDragon: Telling '''[[SmugSuper Agon]]''' that [[BerserkButton you didn't give a damn about him]] wasn't exactly a good idea, Clifford.
--> '''Agon''' (Trying to bring down Clifford): Die, trash...
--> '''Clifford''' (Running at max speed, doing his pass ''and'' ignoring Agon): ... I don't even need to pay attention to guys like you. (Passed the ball, uninterrupted.)
* TheChessmaster: Like Takami and Hiruma.
* ChickMagnet: Even more so than ''Bud''.
* ConsummateLiar: [[spoiler: Somehow, he managed to get away with lying about his being royal]]. He also seemed to have no qualm at all ''lying to his own teammates'', seeing that he tricked Panther into believing that he would let him play against Shin at Team USA's first play.
* CurbStompBattle: He did this to ''Agon''.
* DeadpanSnarker: Given he was TheStoic, EvilGenius and SmugSnake in one, it's no surprise that Clifford regularly delivered snarky comments to '''anyone''' who wasn't [[TheLeader Mr. Don]].
* [[spoiler: DefeatMeansFriendship: Okay, "Friendship" may be too strong a word, but after losing a battle of wits against Hiruma, Clifford dropped his smug attitude towards Team Japan]].
* EvilCounterpart: A blonde-haired, unscrupulous quarterback, in a #1 Jersey with a love of head games and refusal to ever lose his cool? Hiruma had got several counterparts over the course of the series, but Clifford had so much in common with him it's not even funny.
* TheEvilGenius: Was as smart as he's jerkish.
* FragileSpeedster: If his stats was any indication, Clifford seemed to be the second fastest (after Panther) '''and''' the second weakest (after Panther again) member of the Pentagram.
* FurAndLoathing: His style off the field.
* TheGambler: Clifford's primary {{Motif}}s.
* GroupieBrigade: A pretty large group of girls cheered for Clifford during football games, and Bud lamented that Clifford's group of fangirls was larger than his.
* ImprobableAimingSkills: ''Even when he's running at full speed''.
* {{Jerkass}}: Especially towards Bud.
* JerkJock: Superior, condescending, and totally convinced of his team's superiority.
* TheLeader: He and Mr. Don split this role. He took care of the mastermind part, while Don was the charismatic leader who gave {{Rousing Speech}}es and held the team together.
* ManipulativeBastard: Like Hiruma and Marco before him, Clifford enjoyed screwing around with his adversaries' heads. ''And'' occasionally his teammates'.
* [[spoiler: MultipleChoicePast: Did it deliberately, like Hiruma]].
* PerpetualFrowner: In contrast to Hiruma's manic-ness, Clifford had a perpetual poker face.
* PetTheDog: Unlike Morgan, Clifford did not have a problem with letting Panther invite Homer to the National Team's try-outs, even noting that they could make use of Homer's long pass. [[spoiler: Also, he invited Sena to play at Notre Dame for a semester after the Youth World Cup]].
* PlayingCardMotifs: All the freaking time. Just look at his quote above.
* SmugSnake: Samples...
--> '''Clifford''' (To a room full of reporters, and being told that he and Panther were the two best runners of USA): ''Two'' best...? Mister, in your country, Japan, do they teach you maths starting with the number 2? I, Clifford D. Louis, am the one best.
--> '''Clifford''' (To ''Morgan''): ... Strong-minded fellows? My strong attitude is a tool. If I can make opponent think "This guy is a fool who won't withdraw!" I will push him out of the way. So I'd like not to be put into the same class as you, a vulgar guy self-conceited about America.
** ''Sort of'' subverted in that Clifford mentioned that he did these only to "show a strong spirit". In private, he wasn't really that smug, so he might just be trying to intimidate opponents.
* SmugSuper: Need I say more?
* TheStoic: A poker face was Clifford's default expression.
** NotSoStoic: [[spoiler: When he was tackled to the ground by Shin, Clifford started to lose his cool]]. [[spoiler: It was [[SubvertedTrope part of a trick to fool Team Japan]], though]].
* StraightMan: Sometimes. Mostly when he interacted with Panther.
* TheStrategist: Could outsmart even '''Hiruma'''.
* VillainousFriendship: With the rest of the Pentagram, especially Panther and Mr. Don. For some reason, Clifford avoided this with [[TheDarkChick Bud]], much to the latter's displeasure.

[[folder:Bud Walker]]
[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/278370_bud_walker_2_large24.jpg]]
''"Yeah. Something like [[spoiler: a draw]]... It's like kissing your own sister."''

A highschool action movie star '''and''' top athlete. Bud was a showy young man who loved to entertain his audience, whether if he's on a film set or football field. Always eager to turn up the mood, Bud was the first Pentagram member to greet Team Japan upon the latter's making to the finals of the Youth World Cup. He instantly developed a rivalry with the wide receivers of Team Japan, especially Monta, and vowed to take them down.

* Position: Wide Receiver / Cornerback
* Jersey: 31
* 40-yard dash: 4.4 seconds
* Bench Press: 150 kg (330 lbs)
* Nickname: The Wild Guy From Hollywood

* AffablyEvil: Bud's a well-mannered guy... and won't hesitate to tell his opponents that he's going to wipe the floor with them.
--> '''Bud''' (To Monta): Raimon, you're the closest man to the Pentagram, the top of the world. So, I, Bud Walker of the Pentagram, will personally tear off your wings.
* AlwaysSecondBest: He often lost against Clifford, be it popularity with girls or ratings during the Japan vs USA game. Naturally, this annoyed Bud to no end.
* {{Badass}}: When Team Japan defeated Germany at the semi-finals, Bud came to greet them and offer congratulations... in a helicopter ''at least a hundred feet above ground''. He then proceeded to ''jump down from the said copter''. And ''land unscathed''.
* BestFriend: Bud wanted to be this with Clifford...
* ButtMonkey: ... But this was how [[{{Jerkass}} Clifford]] treated him.
* ChickMagnet: Given that he's an action movie star ''and'' top athlete, it's no surprise that he had a large group of fangirls.
* [[spoiler: CombatPragmatist: The only Pentagram member to advocate cheating]].
* TheDarkChick: Not only was he a famous actor, but he's also the only member of Team USA to [[spoiler: advocate cheating, attempting to talk Panther into doing so]].
* EvilCounterpart: A competitive wide receiver eager to fight players who shared his specialty? Loves showing off and attention from ladies? Bud sounded like Monta, Taki and a standard JerkJock mixed together.
* FlatCharacter: Compared to Clifford, Mr. Don and Panther, Bud got little development. This may be due to the fact that all of the other wide receivers (i.e., Monta, Ikkyu, Tetsuma...) had finished their growth already, so Bud didn't really have much to do.
* GroupieBrigade: See ChickMagnet above. Bud had an army of fangirls cheering for him during football games.
* ImprobableAge: Highschool-aged movie star? Not that unusual. Highschool-aged '''action''' movie star? That's a little less likely.
* JerkJock: He amplified the "love showing off" part.
* LightningBruiser: Bud had the most well-balanced stats out of the whole Pentagram, and by the standards of his position was ''very'' fast, ''very'' strong, and ''highly'' skilled technically, making him a huge problem for the more slightly built Monta.
* NiceGuy: Probably the nicest Pentagram member, other than [[TokenGoodTeammate Panther]]. Bud was definitely more pleasant than Mr. Don, Clifford and Tatanka.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Of Johnny Depp.
* PetTheDog: After the World Cup, he [[spoiler: offered Taki a chance to ''become a Hollywood actor'']].
* TheProtagonist: In the movie he starred in.
* SecondPlaceIsForLosers: [[spoiler: So were ties, which Bud described as the equivalent of [[BrotherSisterIncest kissing your sister]], which is [[ShownTheirWork an actual slang for a tied football game in America]]]].
* SmugSuper: Though not as annoyingly so as Clifford or Tatanka.
* TallDarkAndHandsome
* VillainousFriendship: He ''tried'' to be this with Clifford, but failed. He seemed to have little trouble with Panther and Tatanka, though.
* YoungerThanTheyLook: You can mistake him for a man in his early thirties.

[[folder:Tatanka]]
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tatanka.jpg]]
''"You shouldn't get the wrong idea. This tournament isn't a game. It's just a slaughter show for America."''

The tallest player in the whole World Cup, Tatanka was well-known for being "The Human Dome", using his great height and long limbs to stop all of his opponents' passes. He idolized Mr. Don and had a firm belief in the superiority of Team USA over other national teams.

* Position: Linebacker
* Jersey: 47
* 40-yard dash: Unspecified
* Bench Press: Unspecified
* Height: '''210 cm (7' 0")'''
* Nickname: The Human Dome

* {{Badass}}: Naturally came with being a Pentagram member.
** BadassNative: And the only native american in the whole series, no less.
* BreakTheHaughty: [[spoiler: When Takami and Sakuraba got past his interceptions]].
* TheBrute: Tall and strong, but not exactly bright.
* DumbMuscle: Was slow enough that after studying to learn multiple languages, his English skills somehow decreased.
* EvilCounterpart: '''Subverted'''. Tatanka was the only Pentagram member who lacked an obvious counterpart from Team Japan. [[spoiler: [[DoubleSubversion Until]] a certain linebacker with very long arms and (formerly) cocky attitude showed up]].
* FlatCharacter: Along with Bud, Tatanka got rather little character development compared to Mr. Don, Panther and Clifford. We ''still'' haven't learnt why he idolized Mr. Don.
* GeniusDitz: His Japanese appeared to be good enough that Team Japan could understand him, despite his problems with the other languages.
* HeroWorship: Tatanka idolized [[TheLeader Mr. Don]].
* HonorBeforeReason: Not to the same degree as Mr. Don, but he had some shades of this. His main reason for entering football was that "He respected Mr. Don very much", for instance. Also, he said that he's attracted to women with "pure hearts".
* JerkJock: Okay, watch this.
--> '''Tatanka''' (Addressing players of Team Japan): You shouldn't get the wrong idea. This tournament isn't a game. It's just a slaughter show for America. For you, who are physically inferior to us, the World Cup is not an arena where you could compete to begin with.
* MightyGlacier: Big but not quick. His long reach, however, made him an interception machine.
* PetTheDog: [[spoiler: Despite coming off as an arrogant JerkJock, Tatanka helped train Sena along with Mr. Don and Clifford when Sena was invited to Notre Dame for a semester]].
* RapunzelHair: His hair's pretty long even when braided up.
* SmugSnake: Towards other national teams. Tatanka's nonetheless respectful towards the other members of the Pentagram. This contrasted him against Clifford, who's smug towards ''everyone'' except for Mr. Don.
* SmugSuper: As filled with smug as he's superhuman as a linebacker.
* TheStoic: The only other Pentagram member to rival Clifford in lack of emotions.
** NotSoStoic: See VillainousBreakdown below.
* TattooedCrook
* TokenMinority: Far more so than Panther. Whilst we had multiple black characters in the series (e.g., Morgan, Panther's grandma), Tatanka was ''the only native american ever seen''.
* VillainousBreakdown: The stoic Tatanka grew increasingly nervous over the course of the Japan vs USA game, as the other Pentagram members were taken down one by one.
--> '''Tatanka''' (Sweating heavily; Mr. Don and Clifford were already down): There's no way we will break down! The five men of America's Pentagram... are the strongest players in the world!

[[folder:Donald "Mr. Don" Oberman]]
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Mr__Don_1214.jpg]]
''"Yeah, it's better this way. This is how a king should be like."''

An unstoppable goliath, Donald Oberman, aka "Mr. Don", was hailed as '''the''' best highschool-level lineman in the entire world. He was the official captain of Team USA, and a ''very'' charismatic leader who was regularly giving {{Rousing Speech}}es that energized his team and the spectators alike. He was also the son of Arnold Oberman, President of the United States. Mr. Don held a firm belief in the superiority of individuals who're naturally born talented and regarded these people (himself included) as "Those chosen by God". [[spoiler: This brought him into conflict with '''Takeru Yamato''' from Team Japan, when the latter was playing at Notre Dame. Yamato trying to become TheAce by calling himself "Eyeshield 21" despite being less gifted than Panther earned him disdain from Mr. Don, who [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections had him expelled from Notre Dame]] in no time]].

* Position: Centre
* Jersey: 69
* 40-yard dash: Unspecified
* Bench Press: Unspecified
* Nicknames: "Mr. Don", The Man Who Controls Everything

* AffablyEvil: Mr. Don was BigBad and physically outright '''monstrous'''... but these didn't stop him from being a charismatic bastard.
* ALadyOnEachArm: Almost every time he appeared with women, he was doing this.
* TheAlcoholic: Even though he's supposed to be ''highschooler''.
** When he's asked what truly made him sad, Mr. Don replied that it was his doctor telling him to ''watch his blood sugar levels'' upon seeing the amount of alcohol he consumed.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: The son of a ''President'' and arguably the biggest {{Badass}} in a series already filled with outlandish badassery.
* {{Badass}}: And '''[[UpToEleven HOW]]'''!!!
** BadassBeard: Nicely combined with BeardOfEvil.
** BadassInANiceSuit: What he was off the field.
** BadassInCharge: Let's not forget that Mr. Don was also TheLeader of Team USA.
* BigBad: He's TheCaptain of Team USA and a tremendous problem for Team Japan in the final game. He also led the Pentagram, making him this trope in the FiveBadBand sense.
* BigBadDuumvirate: At times, he and Clifford seemed to form one, given the independence that the latter had and the fact that most of the plans were his. Clifford was the mastermind and field leader, while Mr. Don was the charismatic leadership.
* BeardOfEvil: Which made him look even less human.
* BlondeGuysAreEvil
* BrainsAndBrawn: With Clifford. Whilst Mr. Don's [[GeniusBruiser no dummy]], Clifford was in a league of his own in terms of intellect, so Don usually left the heavy thinking to him.
* TheCaptain: One of the few in the series that was also a de facto leader.
* CatchPhrase: ''"It makes me sad..."''
* ChickMagnet: Though for some unknown reason, Mr. Don didn't have a GroupieBrigade, unlike Clifford and Bud.
* CurbStompBattle: Notably [[http://read.mangashare.com/Eyeshield-21/chapter-320/page008.html inflicted this]] on ''Goau'' and ''Yamato'' '''at the same time'''.
* DefeatingTheUndefeatable: More than '''any''' other opponent Sena & co. faced, Mr. Don's played like this. Nobody [[TheJuggernaut had ever moved him before]], much less knocked him down. [[spoiler: When Gaou and Yamato finally pulled it off, everyone, including Mr. Don himself, was totally stunned because it'd honestly never happened]].
* TheDreaded: Mr. Don managed to put the fear of God into '''[[TheSociopath Agon]]''', of all people. In fact, the only characters who weren't frightened of Mr. Don on some level were Clifford, Tatanka, Gaou and of course, Hiruma (who seemed to be missing the fear gene anyway).
* EvenEvilHasStandards: When Panther refused to cheat, despite [[CombatPragmatist Bud]]'s urges to the contrary, Mr. Don agreed that it's better this way. After all, you don't prove anything if you win by breaking the rules.
--> '''Bud''' (Panther had been brought to the ground by Sena, but the ball he carried was almost in the end zone): Now, Panther! Sneak the ball inside the end zone! Only 10 cm left! Go on!
--> '''Panther''' (Sweating): ... (Did what Bud told him.)
--> '''Referee''': Tou...!!
--> '''Panther''' (Smiled, and held back the ball): Nishinishi! Just kiddin'! I didn't reach the goal line! This one is Sena's win!
--> '''Bud''': ... (Smiled awkwardly.)
--> '''Mr. Don''': Yeah, it's better this way. This is how a king should be like.
* EvilCounterpart: Okay, here's the recipe: Get Gaou, use hair dyes or skin bleach or whatever to turn him into a blonde whitey, inject more [[TestosteronePoisoning excess testosterone]] into him to crank all of his tropes UpToEleven, and you will get Mr. Don.
* TheFace: A charismatic leader for Team USA.
* FangsAreEvil: Like Hiruma, he had got quite the set of teeth.
* GeniusBruiser: Multilingual, a solid leader, and a '''totally unstoppable goliath'''.
* HeroKiller: He's only mentioned in whispers and his face was kept shadowed even after the rest of his team had been revealed. In his first appearance, he destroyed '''Gaou''' and terrified '''Agon'''. During the actual match, he steamrollered over [[MightyGlacier Kurita]], [[TheJuggernaut Gaou]], [[StoneWall Banba]], [[TheGift Agon]], [[ImplacableMan Yamato]], and [[LightningBruiser Shin]] in rapid succession, scared Sena half to death, and worried even '''Hiruma'''.
* HonourBeforeReason: Surprisingly, yes. For all of his other flaws, Mr. Don had no desire to win through cheating. See EvenEvilHasStandards above.
** Moreover, he even [[spoiler: chose to engage Gaou in a power contest when it was impossible for him to take the delta dynamite, just because if he simply avoided the hit, it would affect the morale of Team USA. That ended up giving him a blue sky and Team Japan a touchdown]].
* JerkJock: Finished with the ultimate "Rich dad who gets him out of trouble".
* TheJuggernaut: UpToEleven. He was this even compared to ''Gaou'' or ''Kurita''.
* LargeAndInCharge: The largest character in the series, and leading Team USA.
* LargeHam: Called for a pause mid-game just to "apologize to the American audience for having not wiped the floor with Team Japan yet and giving Team Japan false hope."
--> '''Mr. Don''' (Addressing the spectators): WE KNOW!! What did the men and women in this coliseum come to see!? They came to see the men chosen by God as they easily and gallantly hunt down a tiger! I have to apologize for this disappointing match! And also... (Turned towards Team Japan) For making you see a fleeting dream, I also have to apologize to you guys.
--> '''[[NervesOfSteel Riku]]''', '''[[TheStoic Taka]]''' and '''[[TheSmartGuy Hiruma]]''' (Not agitated): ...
--> '''[[HotBlooded Monta]]''', '''[[ArrogantKungFuGuy Ikkyu]]''' and '''[[DumbMuscle Achilles]]''' (Boiling in anger): ...
* LaserGuidedKarma: [[spoiler: Gaou, whom he used as a punching bag, and Yamato, who he ran out of Notre Dame, were the two who ended up sending Mr. Don ''falling face-up'' for the first time]].
* TheLeader: He and Clifford split this role. Mr. Don took care of the headstrong and charismatic part and left the mastermind part to Clifford.
* LightningBruiser: He was ''the'' strongest man in the world, but he's also fast.
* ManOfWealthAndTaste: Off the field, Mr. Don tended to be quite well-dressed, and he enjoyed tasting wine with his friends during leisure. He's the son of a President, after all...
* NobleDemon: Mr. Don was a very flawed person, but he still had a code of conduct that he held himself to. For instance, he didn't like insulting his opponents by withholding his own strength in football games.
--> '''Mr. Don''' (Addressing a kid who idolized him): Young man, remember that If you are someone who's chosen, you will understand too, one day... As long as you draw your sword on the battlefield, you have to kill your opponent with all your strength. This is the manner of those who stand at the top.
* PetTheDog: Stopped a stampeding crowd of fans so he could sign a little kid's football and gave him a speech about what it meant to be an athlete. He passed up on the opportunity to hit on a very attractive girl in the process, and it wasn't so he can showboat - the kid was honestly first in line, and ''that'' mattered to Mr. Don.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He was racist towards the Japanese, although not towards Panther or Tatanka. He may be more of a ''Patriotically'' Incorrect Villain: Every time he referred to Japanese as inferior, it's comparing them to Americans, but not any particular race.
* ReligiousBruiser: Maybe implied. Mr. Don seemed to believe in God. In fact, he's the only one in this series to so actively refer to the Abrahamic God. All other characters merely talked of God in football slangs or gods outside the Abrahamic one.
** Although, like Taki, it's always to refer himself and his team as "God's gift", so it might just be theatrics.
** But if we consider that American Presidents and their families tend to be Christians...
* RousingSpeech: Gave one to his team and the crowd when the game started going against the Americans. See LargeHam above for what he'd said.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: He's the son of ''President of the United States''. He can do whatever he wants. [[spoiler: Like having someone expelled from Notre Dame, for instance]].
* SharpDressedMan: The suit he wore off-field was quite classy.
* SmugSnake: He's on par with Clifford.
--> '''Panther''' (They were at a ''strip club''): Wait, whaaat!? Isn't it already time for the drawing!? (Turned to Mr. Don) Err... shouldn't we go (meet up other national teams) soon, Mr. Don...?
--> '''Mr. Don''' (Surrounded by pretty women): Pantheeeer... [[CatchPhrase It makes me sad]]... I'm saddened by the weakness in your heart. There's no need for the king to thoughtlessly run around. Embrace both calm and girls. Just watch the ants crawling up, Panther.
* SmugSuper: ''Every bit'' as super as he's made of smug.
* SpikesOfVillainy: His hairdo is so spiky it doesn't look human, like the rest of him.
* TattooedCrook
* TestosteronePoisoning: '''The biggest offender in this series'''.
* {{Troperiffic}}: Mr. Don's right after Hiruma and Agon.
* UnnecessaryRoughness: He's as bad as or worse than ''Gaou'' in this regard. During the Japan vs USA match, he was basically using Gaou as a punching bag, and called a time out to say he will kill Shin to the crowd. [[spoiler: He proceeded to do so (figuratively)]].
* UpToEleven: Seen how much ''italic'' and '''bold''' we have to use on this list?
* VillainousFriendship: He and Clifford honestly appeared to be friends, which may be part of why they're such an effective BigBadDuumvirate.
* [[spoiler: VillainRespect: Team Japan's [[{{Determinator}} sheer determination]] eventually won them the respect of Mr. Don, who came to discard his better-than-thou attitude]].
* WorldsStrongestMan: Explicitly referred to as the strongest lineman in their age group.
* WorthyOpponent: How Gaou saw him. [[spoiler: Over the course of the final match, Mr. Don began to see Team Japan in the same light as they challenged his view on natural talents]].
* YoungerThanTheyLook: An 18-year-old who... looked older then his own '''[[http://read.mangashare.com/Eyeshield-21/chapter-315/page002.html father]]'''. Then again, he barely looked human, so this wasn't much of a surprise.

!!Other Football Players
[[folder:Sasuke Kanagushi]]
Position: Quaterback

Captain of the Dokubari's Scorpion, he uses his ability to pick up football player habits to read the opponent plays. His technique allowed him to defeat 10 admittedly weak team. Admittedly weak turned out to be the operative word.
* AdaptationalVillainy: He is smug in the manga but in the anime he is trying to get the other team disqualified or injured before the match.
* AwesomeByAnalysis: Parodied, he can see small habits such as quaterback licking their finger to indicate a pass but it doesn't do him any good against Hiruma who can read his opponent better than him and love confusing the other team. An Omake even has his father smacking him after he analyzed that he will smack him.
* ButtMonkey: Worse than Amino, the match was pretty much Hiruma toying with him.
* SmugSnake: His reading of body language is really basic and Hiruma pointed out how it only work on team that are garbage.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Rui Habashira]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Rui_Habashira_8512.jpg]]
Position: Linebacker

Captain and only dedicated player of the Zokugaku Chameleons, Rui is a delinquent who appears to be "threatening" in order to motivate his team. Grudgingly respects Hiruma and occasionally helps out the Devilbats.

* AnimalMotif: Chameleon, obviously.
* AntiHero: Becomes this as the series goes on, especially during the World Cup arc.
* BadassBiker: Whatever you might think about his badassery as a football player, he's one hell of a BadassDriver on his bike.
* BadassLongcoat
* ButtMonkey: He becomes this whenever Hiruma is around.
* CantCatchUp: He is a decent linebacker and [[spoiler: was good enough to qualified for Japan team during world cup]] but he is no top tier player.
* CoolBike
* DefeatMeansFriendship: Though originally it was more like "defeats means slavery".
* {{Delinquent}}s: His entire team is made of these.
* {{Determinator}}: He's definitely one. Too bad the rest of his team isn't. [[spoiler: He get swat away by american players but still goes even if it's humiliating and makes him look like a joke, because he does not care what people think if he can play.]]
* EvilerThanThou: Even one of the ''heroes'' is eviler than him...
* {{Foil}}: To Hiruma. They're both dedicated players who act like thugs in order to motivate their teams.
* JerkassFacade: He only acts that way to motivate his team and intimidate his opponents.
* KnifeNut: To compliment Hiruma's {{trigger happy}}.
* NotSoDifferent: With Hiruma, after Rui's defeat. Hiruma silently acknowledges this.
* OverlyLongTongue
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: Why he drove Sena to the Amino game.
* SheIsNotMyGirlfriend: Or so he says...
* TookALevelInBadass: [[spoiler:For the World Cup]].

[[folder:Megu Tsuyumine]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Megu_Tsuyunime_1982.jpg]]

The manager of the Chameleons and one of Rui's closest friends.
----
* BikerBabe
* CornerOfWoe: Played seriously after the Chameleons' loss to the Poisedons. She's shown standing around a corner looking deeply depressed while Rui breaks down after the game.
* CuteSportsClubManager: She looks the part...than she opens her mouth.
* DrillSergeantNasty: She helps Rui force the other players to train harder.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Does not seem to approve of just how violent Rui can get.
* HeIsNotMyBoyfriend: With Rui, despite referring to him by his first name and everything.
* IronLady
* WoodenKatanasAreEvenBetter: Never seen without one.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Yamamoto Onihei]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Yamamoto_Onihei_3323.jpg]]
Position: Line

An experienced, technical linemen who lost early on in the Tokyo tournament. Most well-known for being a talkative combat commentator whose predictions are ''never'' right.
----
* ButtMonkey: Torakichi's butt monkey anyways.
* CombatCommentator: {{Parodied}}. Whenever he says something, the exact opposite instantly happens.
* GeniusBruiser: What he likes to think he is...
* IntergenerationalFriendship: With Torakichi.
* KnowNothingKnowItAll: As far as Torakichi's concerned.
* OddCouple: He and Torakichi act as [[CombatCommentator CombatCommentators]].
* RatedMForManly: Was viewed as this during his introduction (he had "manly charisma") and many linemen were quite GAR for him until he became a victim of TheWorfEffect.
* TheWorfEffect: He was considered the most experienced lineman in the high school league, to the point that people were lining up for his autograph, in his first appearance. He gets defeated during his first onscreen game, and later doesn't even become a World Cup regular. (He does play as a second-stringer during the match against Russia)
* YoungerThanTheyLook: He's only 18, but he looks like someone's dad.
* WiseBeyondTheirYears: {{Subverted}}. He acts wise and experienced, but everything he says is ''always'' wrong.
* WrongGenreSavvy: His knowledge is useless since all the players think outside the box.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kaoru Hatsujou]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Kaoru_Hatsujou_1640.jpg]]

Position: Quarterback and Kicker

The only decent player for the bottom-of-the-barrel Cupids. Mainly known for having a hot girlfriend despite being smug and unattractive.
----
* ButtMonkey: His only role in the story, even during the epilogue.
* {{Jerkass}}
* LaserGuidedKarma
* RunningGag: Mocking other players for not having a girlfriend.
* UglyGuyHotWife: After every game you can't help but feel that Hatsujou's the real winner, you know?
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Taiga Kamiya]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Taiga_Kamiya_298.jpg]]

Position: Running Back

The captain and ace of the Misaki Wolves, Kamiya is a long-legged, fast-moving player with a high opinion of himself. In the manga, his team was easily defeated by the Seibu Wild Gunmen; in the anime, he is a far more serious threat, and is only barely defeated, after giving Seibu's ace, Riku, a serious run for his money.
----
* AdaptationalBadass: A joke in the manga, the anime turned him into a high-speed powerhouse, capable of matching Riku in terms of speed, and leading a team whom the Gunmen were only barely able to overcome.
* AnimalMotifs: Wolf
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: On the subject of speed.
* CuteLittleFangs
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Heinrich Schultz]]

Captain of the German football team.
----
* AwesomenessByAnalysis
* BadassBookworm
* BlondGuysAreEvil: Averted. Schultz is actually a pretty cool guy.
* TheLeader: Of the German Youth World Cup team
* PhotographicMemory
* TheQuietOne
* TheStoic
* WorthyOpponent: To Sena, a fact that both of them acknowledge. On a less personal note, his team serves as the first real challenge that the Japanese team encounters, a fact that Gaou and Sena both state aloud.
[[/folder]]

!!Other Characters

[[folder:Riku Kumabukuro]]

A reporter from a sports magazine known for his ridiculously large afro. Has a daughter, Riko, who is studying to be a journalist and sometimes stands in for him.
----
* CombatCommentator
* FunnyAfro
* StraightMan: To his loud and abrasive co-worker "Machine Gun" Sanada.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Riko Kumabukuro]]
Daughter of Riku Kumabukuro, she takes her father's place as announcer during the Kanto tournament. Tends to stutter when she's excited or nervous, but is otherwise an excellent announcer and journalist who just wants to be taken seriously.
----
* CombatCommentator
* FunnyAfro: In the anime she grows an afro whenever she gets too excited.
* GenkiGirl: Not nearly as energetic as Sanada but is still very enthusiastic about her job.
* HotScoop: Her good looks were how she managed to get an interview with Agon.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:"Machine Gun" Sanada]]
Kumabukuro's loud, fast-talking fellow commentator. A rather hammy fellow with an outlandish hair-cut that resembles a set of lawn-mower blades sticking out of his head.
----
* AnimeHair
* CombatCommentator
* ExpressiveHair: His hair starts rotating when he gets sufficiently excited.
* LargeHam
* HotBlooded
* MotorMouth
[[/folder]]

[[folder:"Miracle" Ito]]
President of Jari Productions, and somewhat sleazy manager to Haruto Sakuraba. Originally depicted as just a money-grubbing social climber seeking to make a fortune off Sakuraba's good looks, he naturally flips out when Sakuraba quits being a model to focus on sports. However, he shows a softer side after he comes to accept Sakuraba's wishes.
----
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold
* KickTheDog: When he tries to throw out the sweatband Sakuraba got from a young fan.
* PetTheDog: When he eventually accepts Sakuraba's desire to focus on football, and even starts cheering him on. There is even a flashback where he stopped some thugs from beating Sakuraba even though he was already badly beaten himself.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Torakichi]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Torakichi_1156.jpg]]

Sakuraba's biggest fan, stuck with him even after discovering his actual abilities. One of Sakuraba's biggest motivators for improving himself. Is currently bound to a wheelchair, but desires to become a football player once he recovers.
----
* BrutalHonesty
* CheerfulChild
* DisabledMeansHelpless: Averted quite nicely, aside from not being able to play football, he's treated just like any other bratty kid.
* IntergenerationalFriendship: With Onihei, or atleast Torakichi thinks so (Onihei probably sees him more as the below).
* MouthyKid
* OddCouple: With Onihei.
* [[PluckyGirl Plucky Boy]]
* TagAlongKid: Amongst the combat commentators. Often steals Wakaba's camera. Lampshaded in Chapter 50, "Who's that kid?"
[[/folder]]

!!Kyoshin Poseidons

The Fall Tokyo Tournament's biggest dark horse after the Devil Bats themselves, the Poseidons were traditionally a fairly weak team, before [[SaveOurTeam Shun Kakei joined up]]. Recruiting a batch of new recruits, all of whom were ''5'11'' or taller, and using their heights to dominate both the line and the back, the team took out the veteran Hashiritani Deer and the thuggish Zokugaku Chameleons, before facing off against the Devil Bats in the semi-finals.

* ColorCodedCharacters: Their uniforms were ocean blue, which goes with their {{Motif}}s.
* CombinationAttack: [[spoiler: Their ultimate tactic, the '''"Poseidon"''', involved all their star players - Kakei, Mizumachi, Ohira and Onishi - becoming linebackers and using their heights to block '''all''' of their opponents' running and passing]]. That gave the Devil Bats a hard time.
* CurbStompBattle: They inflicted this on the Deer, and then the Chameleons. [[spoiler: They came on the receiving end when they fought the ''[[TheDreaded Naga]]'' in a practice match]].
* FiveManBand:
** TheLeader (de facto) and TheSmartGuy: Kakei.
** TheLancer: Mizumachi.
** [[TheBigGuy The Big Guys]]: Onishi and Ohira, both literally and figuratively.
** TheChick: Kobanzame, despite being the official captain.
* JackOfAllStats: They seemed fairly good at both offense and defense.
* MakingASplash: They did not have real ElementalPowers, of course, but their {{Motif}}s can evoke this trope. Like [[http://read.mangashare.com/Eyeshield-21/chapter-124/page008.html this scene]] (Note: the water isn't real).
* MythicalMotifs: '''Poseidon'''s.
* RedOniBlueOni: Notably, Kakei is the blue to ''all'' of his teammates.
* SaveOurTeam: The Poseidons were a [[ButtMonkey rather weak team]]... until Kakei joined and helped recruit the current star players.
* TrueCompanions: They had undergone some really crazy training regimens, and they managed to endure it because they trained together.
* TheWorfEffect: [[spoiler: Their being steamrollered showed how tough the Naga were]].

[[folder:Kengo Mizumachi]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Kengo_Mizumachi_4101.jpg]]

A fun-loving, extremely lanky lineman who came to Kyoshin from the swimming team. His special ability is "The Swim", where he uses his height to push down opponent's linemen. Takes his clothes off a lot.

* Position: Lineman / Tackle / Defensive End
* Jersey: 71
* Height: 203 cm (6' 8")
* 1st Year Student (Grade 10)

* {{Adorkable}}
* BlondeGuysAreEvil: {{Subverted}}. He seems like a {{Jerkass}} at first, but in actuality, he's just incredibly tactless.
* BokeAndTsukkomiRoutine: With Kakei. And Kobanzame. And Agon. Pretty much everyone actually.
* {{Determinator}}: Part of the reason he joined the football team was because his teammates on the swim team didn't have his drive and passion.
* FunPersonified
* IKnowMaddenKombat: Who knew swimming translated so well to football?
* JerkJock: Subverted. Mizumachi came off like this at first, but is subsequently revealed as a SpiritedCompetitor with [[NoSocialSkills no sense of tact]].
* {{Keet}}
* TheLancer: To Kakei.
* ManlyTears: Shed this when [[spoiler: the Poseidons lost to the Devil Bats]].
* NoSocialSkills: Whatever goes into Mizumachi's head comes out of his mouth, for good or ill.
* RedOniBlueOni: The red to Kakei's blue.
* RunningGag: His interactions with the very powerful girl.
* SaveOurTeam: Suckered into joining the swim team through this, he later joins the football team to actually do it.
* SpiritedCompetitor
* SurferDude: In the official translation. "Like, dude."
* WalkingShirtlessScene: Being a former swimmer, he's used to being half-naked and he likes it. He did this so much he later became Ootawara's streaking buddy.
* WorthyOpponent: To Komosubi, whom he later acknowledged as such. For the most part Mizumachi has the upper hand throughout their clashes on the line, but the two times that Komosubi manages to knock him down both lead to significant gains for the Devil Bats, and earns Mizumachi's respect.

[[folder:Shun Kakei]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Shun_Kakei_9291.jpg]]

A very serious linebacker and the other half of Kyoshin's aces. Also very tall, but he failed to put this to use back in middle school, ignoring his coach's advice, and was crushed by American players when he moved to the US to play. Met the real Eyeshield 21, [[spoiler: Yamato]] while playing and this inspired him to new heights (so to speak).

* Position: Lineman / Linebacker / Safety
* Jersey: 41
* Height: 202 cm (6' 8")
* Birthday: June 6
* 1st Year Student (Grade 10)

* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Used to have little drive in using his height to his advantage in football. When he started to play in America and saw just how outclassed he was, this trait died out quickly.
* BerserkButton: Don't try to sully the original Eyeshield 21's reputation in any way.
* BreakTheHaughty: What happens to him in America, breaking him out of his ArrogantKungFuGuy attitude.
* {{Bishonen}}
* TheComicallySerious: Continues talking placidly about Akaba's running style as Sena and Monta attempt to take down Mizumachi at the bathhouse (long story). Kobanzame lampshades this by noting that he's too used to the other players' wackiness.
* {{Guyliner}}
* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: His ability to stop another player with one hand.
* IcyBlueEyes: Both a reflection of his personality and a reference to his team's ocean motif.
* LargeAndInCharge: Kobanzame's the team captain, but the towering Kakei is the one giving the orders.
* TheLeader: A levelheaded de facto leader, despite not being the captain.
* RedOniBlueOni: The blue to all his teammate's red.
* TheSmartGuy: He's the Poseidon's brain when it comes to strategies.
* TheStoic: He very rarely lets his emotions show.
** NotSoStoic: Anger showed on him when Sena and him talked about the fake Eyeshield 21.
* TallDarkAndHandsome: The guy was 5'7" in ''grade school''.
* WorthyOpponent: To both Sena and the ''real'' Eyeshield 21, [[spoiler: Yamato]], who acknowledges Kakei as one of the few linebackers who might be able to stop him.
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair

[[folder:Osamu Kobanzame]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Osamu_Kobanzame_6346.jpg]]

Kyoshin's quarterback and overshadowed team captain. Generally unremarkable save for his ability to dump the ball fast enough that he's never had an interception. Never actually "leads" the team, just sort of... [[InsistentTerminology agrees]] with Kakei.

* Position: Quarterback
* Height: 163 cm (5' 4")
* Weight: 54 kg (119 lbs)
* Blood Type: O
* 3rd Year Student (Grade 12)

* {{Adorkable}}
* CowardlyLion: Despite his nerves, he tries hard and is a capable quarterback.
* {{Determinator}}: He endures all the crazy training regimes Mizumachi proposed.
* DirtyCoward: Has a brief moment of this when he went to spy on the Devil Bats.
* LargeAndInCharge: Inverted. The (official) captain and the smallest of the key players.
* TheLoad: Sees himself as this, since he does not really bring much to the team and is the least physically remarkable. None of his teammates sees him as useless and his determination is actually what convinced Mizumachi to join the football team.
* ManlyTears: Shed this alongside Mizumachi when [[spoiler: the Poseidon lost]].
* MeaningfulName: His last name literally means "Little Shark".
* {{Mondegreen}}: His speech habit.
* StraightMan: Arguably the most "normal" person in his team.
* WeakButSkilled: He doesn't have the physical strength or talent of the star players in his team, but his experience makes him a competent quarterback.

[[folder:Hiroshi Onishi and Hiroshi Ohira]]
[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Hiroshi_Onishi_Ohira_9804.jpg]]

Kakei's self-proclaimed "apprentices" (fanboys) who constantly argue over whose the better player.

* Position: Linebackers
* Jersey: 32 (Onishi); 31 (Ohira)
* Height: 204 cm (Onishi); 205 cm (Ohira)
* 1st Year Student (Grade 10)

* [[TheBigGuy The Big Guys]]: To the Poseidons. Both literally and figuratively.
* HellBentForLeather: How Ohira dresses in his down time. Sena refers to his sense of style as "old fashioned" (presumably due his resemblance to the classic biker image).
* HotBlooded: Ohira is so hot-blooded he cries perpetual manly tears.
* {{Jerkass}}: Onishi tends to be this towards Ohira.
* ManlyTears: Ohira, almost constantly.
* {{Meaningful Name}}s: Their names literally mean "Atlantic Ocean" and "Pacific Ocean" respectively.
* OneSteveLimit: Averted, much to their displeasure.
* RedOniBlueOni: Ohira is a parody of the typical "hot-blooded" character while Onishi is supposedly "refined".
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Ohira is the Manly Man while Onishi is the Sensitive Guy.
* SmartPeopleWearGlasses: Onishi claims to be this.
* StoicSpectacles: Onishi.
* UnskilledButStrong: They're very tall, but aren't as skilled as Kakei.

!!Bando Spiders

[[folder:In General]]
Once the best team in Tokyo after the White Knights, the Spiders were the runners-up in the previous year's Tokyo Tournament, narrowly losing to the Knights in a 7-6 game (and it should be recalled that no other team in Tokyo was able to score '''any''' point against the White Knights in that year). [[spoiler: When the [[ChekhovsGunman Teikoku Highschool]] of Kansai recruited away most of the team's best players, the Spiders were left struggling to rebuild, with only Tight End Hayato Akaba and ace Kicker Kotaro Sasaki remaining from their original lineup]].

* AnimalMotifs: Guess. No point for getting the right answer.
* ClimaxBoss: Of the Tokyo Tournament Arc. They're the last team that the Devil Bats faced, and the one the Bats absolutely ''had'' to beat to make it to the Kanto Regional.
* CombinationAttack: Downplayed since it only relied on two players. The Spider's Web revolved around using repeated onside kicks and Akaba's invincible lead blocking to pull an endless cycle of "Onside kick, Akaba got the ball, then Kotaro kicked to score".
* FreudianTrio:
** '''Id''': Kotaro, who's emotional and often [[HotBlooded impulsive]].
** '''Superego''': Akaba, the most [[AwesomenessByAnalysis analytic]] of the three.
** '''Ego''': Julie, who [[TeamMom kept the peace]] between the two.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: Downplayed, but the story of how the Spiders managed to make it to the Tokyo Tournament's semi-finals, despite Akaba being benched and lack of any top player other than Kotaro would probably make for an interesting story.
* {{Large Ham}}s: It seems that one must be this trope to be admitted to the Bando Highschool, if the behavior of Akaba and Kotaro plus the fact that individual students had ''theme songs composed for them'' were any indication.
* SignatureMove: All the players knew how to use the Spider Poison.
* StealthPun: The Spiders relied on kicking. They're all ''legs''.
* ThreeAmigos: Akaba, Kotaro, and Julie.
* UnderdogsNeverLose: Not in the Tokyo Tournament, anyway. With Akaba benched and Kotaro the only star player they had left, the Bando Spiders still succeeded to plow their way through a succession of higher-ranked teams before running up against the White Knights, and even there they're the first team to score on the Knights during the tournament. By the time of the Devil Bats' match against them, Akaba could play again so the Spiders lost the underdog status.
* WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer: Because [[spoiler: their offensive and defensive teams were recruited into the Teikoku Highschool]], the Spiders only had a kick team. Therefore, the only way they could score is through field goals. They're ridiculously good at it.

[[folder:Hayato Akaba]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Hayato_Akaba_5388.jpg]]

Voted Tokyo MVP the year prior, Akaba is the ace of the Bando Spiders. Obsessed with music, he often strums his electric guitar when thinking and uses musical metaphors to state his opinions. Claimed to be the real "Eyeshield 21" until Bando was defeated by Deimon, where he then passed on the title (and blue eyeshield) to Sena.

* Position: Tight End / Full Back
* Jersey: 21
* Nickname: [[spoiler: The Real Eyeshield 21]]

* TheAce: The Spiders' best player, and the previous year's Tokyo MVP. He is the best tight end in the series.
* AwesomenessByAnalysis: Hiruma's only rival in this area. His "Spider Poison" technique is the result of countless hours of research to learn every player he face shift point.
* BenchedHero: Due to his quitting the Teikoku team to return to Bando in the middle of the football season, Akaba was sidelined as part of the game's rules. The only game he's ever played (not counting the World Youth Cup) was their match with Deimon.
* {{Bishonen}}: Pretty enough to be noticed by Jari Productions.
* TheChessmaster: Akaba has a tactic called "Run Force", in which he places his players in specific positions in order to make the opposing ball carrier think there's a wide open path for them, only for Akaba to suddenly appear and stop them dead in their tracks.
* TheComicallySerious:
** Likes to strike corny rock star poses for no other reason than RuleOfCool, while keeping his usual [[TheStoic stoic expression]].
** He also tends to make rather ridiculous music metaphors with a straight face.
* CoolShades
* GeniusBruiser: After his contract cancelling with Teikoku, he spends almost entire season becoming technical advisor for his team, developing the "Spider Poison", which he taught to ''almost every player of his team'', turning the Spiders from mediocre team into decent team. The bruiser part? Well, he can stop Kurita in his track single-handed, by using his superior technique to compensate for Kurita's superior strength.
* LargeHam: Despite his reserved personality, he's every bit as dramatic as Kotaro.
* TheLeader: A levelheaded type, with some mastermind.
* MeaningfulName: "Aka" means red. Kotaro refers to him as Aka-baka, which means "red idiot".
* RedEyesTakeWarning: {{Subverted}} then {{Parodied}}. When the Devilbats first encounter Akaba he comes off as frightening, but is actually a pretty nice guy. In the bonus material, the principal reveals they're just contacts.
* RedOniBlueOni: The blue (ironically) to Kotaro's red.
* SitcomArchNemesis: To Kotaro.
* TheStoic: To the point that his teammates are shocked when he even chuckles.
* SugarAndIcePersonality: Despite his coldness, it's evident that he cares for his team and Kotaro.
* VerbalTic: He tends to begin his sentences with "Fuu..."
* VitriolicBestBuds: He and Kotaro can't stand each other. They also deeply respect and trust each other when it comes to football.

[[folder:Kotaro Sasaki]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Kotaro_Sasaki_3144.jpg]]

The ace kicker for the the Bando Spiders said to have a success rate of 100%. Declared himself Musashi's rival even before actually meeting him due to his (false) reputation as the "60-yeard Magnum". Takes kicking very seriously and wants to prove that it's every bit as important as offense and defense in football. Is perpetually combing his hair back.

* Position: Kicker
* Jersey: 99
* 40-yard dash: 5.5 seconds
* Bench Press: 65 kg
* Birthday: November 30th
* Blood Type: B
* 2nd Year Student (Grade 11)

* TheAce: Akaba gets all the attention, but Kotaro is every bit as important to the Spider's success as he is, and is the one who gets them through most of the Fall Tournament.
* AssKickingPose: Even when there's no ass-kicking to be done.
* {{Badass}}: Kotaro's a goof, but he's also the only player in Tokyo to have scored any points against Ojo's so-called "Golden Generation", landing two field goals for a score of 7 to 6. He also carries his team through the following year's Tokyo Tournament while Akaba is benched, scoring almost all of their points for them, and even managing to score a field goal against this year's Ojo - explicitly stated to be even stronger than last year's team - for a 10-3 game, despite the fact that this year's Spiders are made almost entirely of second-stringers.
* CatchPhrase: Uses "smart" as an adjective for anything good and "not smart" for anything bad. Changed to "cool" in the American manga release.
* HotBlooded: Lets his emotions get the better of him constantly.
* ImprobableAimingSkills: Can make a kick-in even during a typhoon.
* LargeHam: Feels the need to accompany anything he says or does with a dramatic pose. Once called a time-out in the middle of a game JUST to explain his team's tragic back story.
* ManlyTears: Shed this when [[spoiler: the Spiders lost to the Devil Bats]].
* RedOniBlueOni: The red to Akaba's blue.
* SeriousBusiness: Kicking is ''very'' serious business for him.
* SitcomArchNemesis: To Akaba.
* TrainingFromHell: In order to make Bando the ultimate kick team. This is how Kotaro can score points even during a typhoon, by training ''during'' a typhoon.
* UnknownRival: Although it's not that Musashi doesn't know about him as much as he doesn't care.
* VitriolicBestBuds: He and Akaba can't stand each other. They also respect and trust each other, when it comes to football.
* WeakButSkilled: Musashi has more raw power, but Kotaro's kicks land with perfect precision, even in adverse weather conditions.
* WorthyOpponent: Sees Musashi as this.

[[folder:Juri "Julie" Sawai]]
[[quoteright:170:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Juri_Sawai_Julie_6235.jpg]]

The manager of the Bando spiders and the one usually responsible for keeping the peace between [[SitcomArchNemesis Akaba and Kotaro]].

* Position: Manager

* TheChick
* CuteSportsClubManager
* DeadpanSnarker: Often does this whenever Akaba or Kotaro say/do something crazy or wacky.
* [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]]: Given that the team's aces are both such {{large ham}}s.
* TeamMom: Constantly seen keeping peace between [[SitcomArchNemesis Akaba and Kotaro]].
* ThreeAmigos: Together with Akaba and Kotaro.
* [[TheStraightMan The Straight Woman]]: Her normal-ness stands in stark contrast to Akaba and Kotaro.
* {{Tsundere}}: According to the bonus material, while she calls Kotaro an idiot, she's never outright rejected his romantic advances.
* WomenAreWiser
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: According to the colored artwork. Considering she's has black eyebrows, she probably dyed it.

!!Hakushu Dinosaurs

[[folder:In General]]
SIC District Champions and Kanto Regional dark horses, the Hakushu Dinosaurs were, like the Devil Bats, a young team, composed mostly of first-year [[RagtagBandOfMisfits rookies and misfits]]. Led by the unscrupulous Reiji "Marco" Maruko, the Dinosaurs ran on a very brutal playing style: using their [[TheJuggernaut gigantic lineman Rikiya Gaou]] to break the bones of '''all''' quarterbacks they'd faced. Having turned the SIC District Tournament into a proverbial bloodbath, the Dinosaurs were now gunning for the title of Kanto's champions, and a shot at the Christmas Bowl.

* AnimalMotifs: Each of their star players was associated with a particular dinosaur.
* ArcVillain: The need to stop the Dinosaurs, ''particularly'' Gaou, dominated much of the Kanto Arc and hanged over every match after the Devil Bats vs Naga game.
* AttackAttackAttack: Subverted. The Dinosaurs became infamous for their north-south game, using Gaou's inhuman strength to hammer through '''any''' team in the way. [[spoiler: But their other two ace players (Marco and Kisaragi) were a safety and a cornerback respectively and their defense was at least as good as their offensive, repeatedly halting the Devil Bats in their tracks]].
* BadassCrew: Gaou was not the only top player in this team, just the best.
* ChekhovsGunman: The Dinosaurs first got mentioned in a football magazine shown in an extra material, as a SIC District team currently recruiting "massive" new talents. It's not until the Kanto Regional that we finally got to meet Marco, and not until after the Devil Bats vs Naga game that we saw the [[TheJuggernaut massive talents]] in question.
* ClimaxBoss: Of the Kanto Tournament Arc, stepping into the role of the series' key antagonists [[spoiler: after the [[DiscOneFinalBoss Naga]] had been knocked out]].
* CurbStompBattle: Inflicted this on the Sphinx, and then [[spoiler: the Wild Gunmen]].
* EvilCounterpart: As a group, the Dinosaurs served as the evil counterparts to the Deimon Devil Bats. Both were [[RagtagBandOfMisfits Ragtag Bands Of Misfits]] led by a manipulative captain with a love for offensive plays. The difference was that whilst the Devil Bats genuinely enjoyed the sports, the Dinosaurs were all out to prove something individually and didn't care who they hurt in the process.
* FiveBadBand:
** BigBad and TheEvilGenius: MARCO.
** CoDragons: [[TheJuggernaut Gaou]] and [[WeakButSkilled Kisaragi]].
** TheBrute: Tengu.
** TheDarkChick: Maria.
* FreudianTrio:
** '''Id''': Gaou, the one most [[BloodKnight aggressive and eager to fight]].
** '''Superego''': Kisaragi, the most idealistic of the three.
** '''Ego''': Marco, who was [[TheSmartGuy the team's brain]] and kept Gaou in check.
* IAmNotLeftHanded: Once Gaou finally got stopped and they couldn't just do force plays, they [[spoiler: were shown to have a strong defense and the third best kicker in Kanto]]. Marco made a point to keep most of their true strengths secret aside from Gaou (and a giant lineman who broke arms was hard to hide, anyway).
* OpposingSportsTeam: A '''classic''' example. Obsessed with winning instead of actually enjoying the sports, the Dinosaurs used UnnecessaryRoughness to injure or even cripple their opponents but not played ethically.
* UnnecessaryRoughness: So you're playing against [[BloodKnight Ga]][[TheJuggernaut ou]]? Well... ''good luck''.
* WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer: The north-south game was this team's favorite tactic, because no opposing line can defend against their monstrously powerful lineman Gaou. [[spoiler: Until Kurita TookALevelInBadass]].

[[folder:Reiji "Marco" Maruko]]
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Marco_Reiji_5889.jpg]]
''"For woman there is love, for man there is strength and for [[spoiler:Hiruma Yoichi]] there is death."''
A shifty, well-dressed fellow with a penchant for colas and secrecy. Marco wants to lead a team to victory in the Christmas Bowl [[spoiler:to impress his would-be girlfriend, the team manager]], and to do that strengthened Hakushu's football team immensely. A capable quarterback, he's actually at his most effective on defense, where he follows the ball with unerring precision, before prying it out of the runner's hand with his "Screwbite".

* Position: Quraterback / Safety
* Jersey: 4
* 40-yard Dash: 5.2 seconds
* Bench Press: 60 kg
* Height: 177 cm
* Weight: 66 kg
* Birthday: May 1st
* Blood Type: AB
* 1st Year Student (Grade 10)
* Nicknames: Marco, "Ball Handling Expert"

* AcademicAthlete: Again, the quarterbacks in this series tend to be this.
* AffablyEvil: A rather pleasant young man who is willing to negotiate with opponents, send flowers to the injured and allows [[TheJuggernaut Gaoh]] to demolish the team's competitor if it advances his goals.
* AnimalMotifs: The raptor to Gaoh's T-rex and Kisaragi's Pterosaur.
* AttackAttackAttack: PlayedWith. Marco, like Hiruma and Kid, advocates an all-offense strategy, focusing on using Gaoh as a bludgeon and forcing his way down the field in a north-south game. Yet, he also makes sure to recruit a very good cornerback in Kisaragi, and is himself one of the best safeties in Japan, serving as the only quarterback spy that the Devil Bats encounter in the series.
* AwesomenessByAnalysis: His defensive role is "Quarterback Spy", which means he needs to anticipate and counter every move the opposing quarterback plays.
* BigBad: Comes very close to being this during the Kanto Regional, particularly after Agon's defeat and the revelation that Hakushu is nobody to be screwed with during the Hakushu-Taiyo match. It's a sports series, but Marco's scheming drives much of the plot during the Kanto Arc, and leads to a whole lot of upsets, with his team serving as the ClimaxBoss of the said arc.
* ButNotTooForeign: He's half Italian.
* CatchPhrase: "I'd say", spoken at the end of most sentences. Rendered "I think" in the official translation.
* ChekhovsGunman: The only thing that distinguishes Marco from the other throwaway captains at the start of the Kanto Arc is the fact that he comes over to speak to Sena, and is given some small focus when he draws the team he'll be facing. He's the closest thing the arc has to a BigBad.
* CombatPragmatist: Will do anything for victory.
* CowardlyLion: Marco may be prone to panic, talks a lot about how he prefers to avoid facing strong teams, and finds the likes of Hiruma, Kurita, etc. to be terrifying, but he has no problem putting himself in harm's way, and is in fact one of most active quarterbacks in the series.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: With Hiruma, who admits he ''would'' have gone to the same lengths Marco did, if he found himself in the same position.
* {{Determinator}}: One who's gone way too far. Marco's inability to KnowWhenToFoldEm is what has turned him into the screwed-up person he is today. He's also one on the field, recovering from a full-power tackle by [[TheJuggernaut Kurita]] and returning to play.
* EmbarrassingFirstName: Last name anyway, which is why he calls himself "Marco" and Maruko Himuro "Maria."
* EvilCounterpart: Hiruma's first one. They both compensate for lack of physical ability through intelligence, lead darkhorse teams built around a couple of key players, favor winning by any means necessary, {{Determinator}} their way through serious injuries, are YoungerThanTheyLook, and want to take down the Alexanders no matter what it takes. His dynamic with Gaoh is a reversed one to Hiruma and Kurita, though.
* EvilGenius: He's smart enough to play XanatosSpeedChess with Hiruma and shut Sena down using only his brains.
* FriendlyEnemy: Especially to Sena. Off the field though, he's pretty nice to everyone.
* HeelFaceTurn: Post-Kanto Regionals. Unlike Agon and Gaoh, who are {{Token Evil Teammate}}s to the end, Marco seems to have straightened out his act by the World Cup.
* HeelRealisation: After being defeated by the Devil Bats.
* HiddenBadass: An average athlete, Marco doesn't look especially threatening on defense, particularly after the likes of Agon and Shin. He's actually more dangerous to the Devil Bats than either of them, as his ability to steal the ball from Sena, rather than tackling him, enables Hakushu to easily score touchdowns during Deimon's offense. Sena acknowledges how well Marco's kept his abilities hidden right before their first clash, noting that despite having talked to Marco frequently, he has no idea what the Hakushu captain is like as a player.
* IAmNotLeftHanded: Marco's a better defensive player than he is an offensive one, but keeps this concealed throughout the Taiyo and Seibu matches, only taking up his safety position when Tengu is injured and Hakushu's remaining defenders prove unable to stop Sena.
* LaughablyEvil: Marco's nervousness put him on the receiving end of a ''lot'' of comedic moments, but never detracts from his on-field threat.
* TheLeader: The mastermind leader of Hakushu.
* LoveMakesYouEvil: Or at least a very brutal player. He wants to impress Maria badly enough that he's more than willing to use Gaoh as a weapon, turn Kisaragi into a psycho, and break other team's quarterbacks in order to win.
* MadeOfIron: Recovers after having Kurita land on him at full speed, picks himself up and keeps on playing. Despite being somewhat shaken, he shows no visible damage, and gets right back in the action.
* TheMafia: What his suits, Italian heritage, and general demeanor are meant to evoke.
* ManipulativeBastard: To Takami's {{Chessmaster}} and Hiruma's TricksterArchetype. They make and modify plans. Marco messes with your emotions, relying on a combination of brute power and fear to help him win.
* ManOfWealthAndTaste: Dresses and conducts himself like a Mafia don. Somewhat justified, as his father is a former Mafia member turned investor and his mother is a fashion designer. Flashbacks for him and his teammates show that the pinstriped suits are Hakushu school uniforms to go with the theme.
* NotSoDifferent: From Hiruma, who admits it without problems.
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: Marco's got a bad case of nerves, and his jittery demeanor (and failed attempts to cover it up) makes him the target of much of the series' humor from his first appearance on, in a way that characters like [[TheSociopath Agon]] or [[FinalBoss Mr. Don]] never are. Then Sena goes one-on-one with him in the Hakushu game, and we discover that while Marco absolutely ''is'' an anxiety-ridden geek, he's also a highly-talented safety and quarterback spy who is every bit the menace that his CoDragons, Gaoh and Kisaragi are.
* PunchClockVillain: When he wants to make it to the Christmas Bowl, he is the worst person to meet in the field. Off the field, he is a friendly guy who offers cola.
* SaveOurTeam: A dark take on the trope. Marco is explicitly stated to have massively improved Hakushu's team, saving them from being just another also-ran. He did it by advocating UnnecessaryRoughness, allowing [[BloodKnight Gaoh]] off of his leash, turning Kisaragi into a PsychoSupporter, and injuring several of his own players. [[spoiler: And making Maria go the EmotionlessGirl route, which is very ironic since he did all this to impress her.]]
* SecondPlaceIsForLosers: Or is if you're trying to impress an upperclassman.
* SignatureMove: The screwbite, he is so good at ball-handling he can snatch the ball without tackling the runner.
* SharpDressedMan: Pretty impressively for a highschooler.
* ShipTease: Has loads of this with Maria.
* TheStrategist: He's the one who figures out the best way to use [[TheJuggernaut Gaoh]]'s brute strength to the advantage of the team.
* TallDarkAndHandsome: {{Subverted}} to hell and back. Don't be fooled by the expensive Italian suits and [[AffablyEvil suave demeanor]], at his core, Marco's a panicky dork (and an [[ManipulativeBastard unpleasant guy to boot]]).
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Cola.
* TrialByFriendlyFire: Orders Gaoh to go through Kisaragi to get to Hiruma.
* UnnecessaryRoughness: Advocates it as part of his overall strategy.
* VillainRespect: After Sena finally bypasses him to score Deimon's final touchdown Marco informs Sena that he is already worthy of being called "Eyeshield 21".
* VillainousValour: Marco's scared to death but keeps on playing (and risking his own neck) because winning is far more important to him.
* WeakButSkilled: Much like Hiruma, and the reason why he needs [[UnskilledButStrong Gaoh]].
* WorthyOpponent: To Sena and Hiruma. He's the first player to prove capable of snatching the ball out of Sena's hands without tackling him, and he forces Sena to rethink his playing style, while also spurring him to think outside the box during his tenure as backup quarterback. He's also one of the few team captains who can equal Hiruma in sneakiness, a fact that Hiruma makes no attempt to downplay. As Sena notes "Reiji Maruko is our worst foe yet".
* YoungerThanTheyLook: Another freshman, which means he's, ''at best,'' '''16.'''