History Manga / Kurokonobasuke

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kuroko-no-basket-3328057_9730.jpg]]

->''Teikou Middle School Basketball Club. A super strong school with more than 100 club members, boasting several successive championship wins. But even within that glorious history, there is still a team that can without fail be called the "strongest"--a generation of five players with talents that you would see once every ten years called the "Generation of Miracles." But there was a strange rumor that there was still one person the five geniuses acknowledged as superior...''

''Kuroko no Basuke'' (''Kuroko's Basketball'') is a sports manga by Fujimaki Tadatoshi, which ran from 2008 to 2014 in [[Magazine/ShonenJump Weekly Shonen Jump]]. It chronicles the high school adventures of Kuroko Tetsuya who, despite having been a regular player on the famed Generation of Miracles team, cannot dribble, fails at shooting, has low stamina, and often goes completely unnoticed while on the basketball court. Needless to say, when Kagami Taiga, the other protagonist of the story who has come back ''bored'' from American basketball standards, plays Kuroko, he easily wins. With that effortless victory, he advises the other to stop playing basketball forever, noting that talent and skill are more important than passion at times.

Kuroko, in response, demonstrates to Kagami--and the rest of the Seirin High basketball team--that his unique talent from the Generation of Miracles is his ability to quickly relay passes based on his lack of presence on the court. He makes it onto the Seirin regulars as a result and gains an ounce of Kagami's respect in the process. Kuroko's goal in his high school years is to defeat all the members of the Generation of Miracles, using his limited presence (as a Shadow) to help Kagami (as a Light) achieve greatness.

Of course, the Generation of Miracles (who have all gone their separate ways after middle school) do not take Kuroko and Kagami's challenge seriously--in fact, they do not take ''Seirin'' seriously, as its basketball club is only a year old and its team used to be comprised entirely of freshmen. Along the way in the manga, Kuroko and Kagami meet - and subsequently defeat (or are defeated by)--other members of the Generation of Miracles who, on a whole, have grown apathetic towards the sport as they believe themselves to be too good for defeat. ''Kuroko no Basuke'' is a good example of the shonen genre, especially for sports, in that there are extended training montages, ridiculous skills on-and-off-court (even by manga and anime standards), and a decent mix of humor, friendship, action, and drama. The romance, on that note, is minimal at best, and generally played for laughs.

After the end of the series, Tadatoshi wrote a sequel manga-- ''Kuroko no Basuke: Extra Game'', which follows the characters after Kuroko's second Inter-high.

An anime adaptation by Creator/ProductionIG aired in the Spring2012Anime season. A second season was released on [[Fall2013Anime October 2013]], with a third premiering in [[Winter2015Anime January 2015.]] The series also received a series of compilation films, and a wrap-up movie, ''Kuroko no Basuke: Last Game'', which adapts ''Extra Game'' and the match against Jabberwock in May 2017.

The franchise also had a series of stage play adaptations, beginning in 2016. The fourth and final play, ''Ultimate Blaze'', was performed in 2018.

After the series finished up, Tasaoshi went on to write another Shonen Jump sports manga, ''Manga/RobotXLaserbeam'', but centering around golf rather than a more aggressive sport.

Now has a [[Characters/KurokoNoBasuke character page]] that desperately NeedsWikiMagicLove.
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!!This manga provides examples of:

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[[folder:A-F]]
* TheAbridgedSeries: There are two of them so far on youtube. By CrisisAniBridged and TheStacheBrigade respectively.
* TheAce:
** Each member of the Generation of Miracles is TheAce for his team, while Kagami is for Seirin.
** Aomine is especially notable, as during middle school he the ace for the whole Generation of Miracles.
** Hanamiya Makoto is TheAce for Kirisaki Dai-Ichi; he's of special note as the only one of the Uncrowned Kings who still functions as TheAce after the advent of the Generation of Miracles (with Kiyoshi surrendering that position to Kagami for Seirin, and [[spoiler:the other three surrendering to Akashi as part of Rakuzan]]).
* ActionGirl:
** Aida Riko, a second-year student at Seirin who is the coach of the boys' basketball team and managed to lead the team of first-year to regionals.
** Although they're far from girls now, in her early heyday years both Alex and Araki could have easily qualified.
* ACupAngst: Poor Aida in a one-piece, especially when Momoi introduces herself in a stylish bikini...
* {{Adorkable}}: Turns out, despite them living up to their name, the Generation of Miracles, along with several of the other characters and their teammates, have some very ridiculous moments. And yet people consider them to be monsters/aces on the court.
* AllForNothing: [[spoiler: The first Seirin versus Touou match.]]
* AllMenArePerverts: Well, except [[OnlySaneMan Izuki and Kiyoshi]]. Case in point? The hot spring incident.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter:
** The Generation of Miracles were this for the entire middle school basketball circuit.
** Kagami is this for Himuro.
** Haizaki was this for Kise from when the latter joined the first string, up until [[spoiler:Kise's Perfect Copy, after which the roles get reversed.]]
* AmbiguouslyBrown:
** Aomine - this is lampshaded by Kise during one of his flashbacks
** Kagami has a bit of this too.
---> '''Kagami:''' [[LampshadeHanging "Am I the only tanned indoor sportsman?"]]
* ApologisesALot: Sakurai. Until he [[LetsGetDangerous gets annoyed and starts throwing three-pointers while pouting]].
* ArmorPiercingQuestion:
** Kise to Kagami in Quarter 162.
--->'''Kise''' "I thought you were somebody I knew, but... who are you? [[spoiler:I don't know any idiots who ''rely'' on anything when they play basketball!]]"
** Ogiwara gives one to [[spoiler:Akashi]], of all people, in Quarter 226.
--->'''Ogiwara:''' "Do you... enjoy playing basketball?"
** Mayuzumi gives one to Akashi [[spoiler:right at the critical moment of the Rakuzan vs. Seirin final, which provides him the last push he needs for his original self to resurface.]]
--->'''Mayuzumi:''' "You're completely different from the man I met on the roof that day. As a matter of fact... [[spoiler:just who are you]]?"
* ArtEvolution: Substantially. Comparing the first and latest appearances of any character introduced early into the series will show drastic leaps in style and ability, as with [[http://knbmangacaps.tumblr.com/post/37733882616/character-design-evolution-kise-ryouta Kise]] or [[http://knbmangacaps.tumblr.com/post/37953849082/character-design-evolution-midorima-shintarou Midorima]]. Even [[http://knbmangacaps.tumblr.com/post/40188070732/character-design-evolution-akashi-seijuro Akashi]], who appears last of the Generation of Miracles, Fujimaki becomes visibly more comfortable drawing.
* ArtisticLicensePhysics: Hilariously [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] in Quarter 156 when Aomine apparently starts talking physics in order to explain why [[TheBigGuy Murasakibara]] is so hard to block.
-->'''Subtitle:''' "He's not strictly correct."
* AwesomeButImpractical: Kuroko's Misdirection Overflow. Sure it gives Seirin a big advantage on court, but it can only be used at the very end of a game and [[spoiler:can only be used once on any team.]] This is especially problematic when facing teams that Seirin are sure to go up against again sooner or later.
** [[spoiler:Kise's [[HourOfPower Perfect Copy]] is a usable technique, despite the short time limit, but when he combines it with the Zone, it becomes this, big time. It makes him [[SuperMode the strongest player in the game]], capable of destroying even [[TheJuggernaut Jason Silver]] one-on-one, but he can barely sustain it for two minutes before he gets [[HeroicRROD completely exhausted]] and is no longer able to play.]]
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: At the end of the Touou vs Kaijou match, Kasamatsu [[spoiler:[[http://www.batoto.net/read/_/14241/kuroko-no-basuke_v9_ch73_by_imangascans/6 helps an utterly defeated Kise to his feet]] and escorts him to the player lineup]], which is a marked contrast from his [[DopeSlap normal behavior]] when dealing with him.
* {{Backstory}}: A lot of it for pretty much every main character, from Kuroko to Kagami to Kise to Midorima to Aomine to Kiyoshi to Hyuuga to Aida to Momoi to... you get the point.
* BadassNormal: Only a handful, as pretty much everybody has some unique ability or skill that sets them apart from the rest. However, Otsubo and Kasamatsu are the two perfectly straight examples. Otsubo has nothing special except being pretty big, and yet he goes toe-to-toe with [[spoiler:Kiyoshi]] and [[spoiler:Nebuya]] and equals them completely ([[spoiler:he outright outperforms Nebuya, though it's implied that he wasn't giving it his all]]). Kasamatsu, on the other hand, is of average height and weight, and has no unique skills, but he's so blindingly fast that predicting him is almost meaningless, as [[spoiler:Imayoshi (with Momoi's predictions)]] and [[spoiler:Izuki]] found out the hard way.
* BagOfKidnapping: How Touou get Aomine to watch the Winter Cup qualifiers in Quarter 100.
* BeatPanel: Seirin's reaction to anything [[CloudCuckooLander Kiyoshi]] does in Quarter 55, to the point of it being a running gag.
* BelligerentSexualTension: Between Hyuuga and Aida most notably (he's the only guy she hits for staring, blushing, and drooling at Momoi's ample cleavage)
* {{Benched Hero}}: [[spoiler:Kuroko and Kagami]] during the Seihou game. [[spoiler:Kagami]] is also benched at the critical moment in the [[spoiler:Seirin vs Touou]] match, due to his [[GameBreakingInjury injury]] acting up.
* BerserkerTears: [[spoiler:Himuro]] gets these in Quarter 165, while yelling at [[spoiler:Murasakibara]].
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Kuroko is this ''in spades''. [[spoiler:Hanamiya]] learns ''very'' quickly that just because the dude can't score on his own and is more polite than most customer service reps does ''not'' mean that he can't absolutely wreck you on the court if you actually manage to make him angry.
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:Kiyoshi]] becomes this during Seirin's match against Yousen, since he comes in and tips the scales in Seirin's favor during the crucial part of the match.
* {{Bishonen}}: Being a shounen sports manga, naturally the series runs with this. However, particular mention goes to Kise, who is acknowledged as one InUniverse--he even works as a model!
* BlandNameProduct:
** The burger joint where Kagami and Kuroko often hang out.
** The clock in Episode 10 of the anime, "Citizon" instead of Citizen.
* BoringButPractical: Furihata's entire playstyle. While he doesn't have the raw skill and special shots of most of the other players, his presence on the court slows down Seirin's pace, which prevents them from making silly mistakes while caught in the pressures of the match.
* BreakTheBadass: Hanamiya and Kirisaki Dai-Ichi have a particular love of doing this; they routinely target the aces of opposing teams and try to cripple them. It almost borders on a fetish for Hanamiya in particular. While they prefer doing it physically, they also try to destroy their opponents' spirits, making them fit this trope.
** [[spoiler:Murasakibara]] does this to [[spoiler:Kiyoshi]], driving him to exhaustion and then breaking his spirit by mockingly throwing his words back in his face. [[TheDeterminator He manages to shake it off with the support and determination of his teammates]], but it's a near thing; [[spoiler:Kiyoshi barely makes it back in time for the last minute of the game]].
* BreakTheCutie: The Teikou arc is essentially this for the entire Generation of Miracles, but particularly Kuroko and Aomine.
* BreatherEpisode: Quarter 94, which follows the Seirin team as they attempt clean up their club room, happens directly after the climax of the second Seirin and Shuutoku match and [[spoiler:the revelation about Kiyoshi's injury]]. It's even mentioned to be one in universe, as the team is supposed to use the day for relaxing before resuming training.
* TheBusCameBack: For the Seihou team in Quarter 75.
* ButtMonkey: Kise's teammates really like treating him as one of these.
* CallingYourAttacks: Or rather, calling your moves/skills. In the beginning of the series, it's mostly the observers naming the moves, though toward the second half of the series, the players will sometimes yell out the names themselves.
* CantCatchUp: Though he looks to be on par with the Generation of Miracles, the truth is that [[spoiler:Himuro]] will never be able to catch up to players like [[spoiler:Kagami]] and reach the level of a prodigy. It's something of a complex for him.
* CareerEndingInjury:
** [[spoiler:Kiyoshi's knee. It's so bad that the Winter Cup is the last tournament he'll ever be able to play in.]]
** Alex's eyesight deteriorated bad enough to cut her WNBA career short.
* CastFullOfPrettyBoys: So much that it hurts!
* CastOfSnowflakes: A great amount of detail is put into the spectators at the matches.
* CatchPhrase:
** Hanamiya, after tricking someone: [[ILied "There's no way I'd say that, dumbass."]]
** Aomine's "The only one who can beat me is me."
** Kiyoshi often runs into games with a "Let's have some fun~!" [[BorrowedCatchphrase Quite a bit of his teammates have used this one as well.]]
** Midorima's "Man proposes, God disposes."
** Akashi has two: "I am absolute," and "Lower your head."
** Hyuuga has "You worry too much, idiot!" [[spoiler: Kiyoshi steals it once while Hyuuga is in full-on HeroicBSOD mode.]]
* CharacterTitle: This manga is about Kuroko's basketball style.
* TheChessmaster:
** Riko Aida and Momoi act as these for their teams, predicting opponents' moves and thinking of countermeasures. When their teams play against each other, [[GambitPileup they try to outwit each other]].
** Hanamiya Makoto is this, to a degree only slightly less than Akashi. [[spoiler:The Spider's Web lets him entirely shut down enemy pass networks, but relies entirely on his ability to read the opposing team's pass course throughout the game.]]
** Akashi's best skill lets him [[spoiler:throw perfect passes at his teammates, improving their performances instead of scoring by himself]].
*** Not to mention that he's a ludicrously good strategist; often times he deliberately lets his opponent break past one layer of Rakuzan's defense, thus screwing themselves over in the process.
* ChickMagnet:
** Kise always has hordes of fangirls coming to watch his matches.
** Izuki too, at least in Seirin. Though they always run away when he starts [[PungeonMaster telling jokes.]]
* ChildhoodFriends: Aomine and Momoi, Kagami and Himuro. The Teikou era WholeEpisodeFlashback shows us that Kuroko and Ogiwara were this. Coincidentally, two of the three pairs listed have had major falling outs over basketball.
* CloseCallHaircut: Kuroko gets this ''with a basketball'' during Seirin vs. Kaijou when [[spoiler:Kise copies his Ignite Pass Kai]].
* CloudCuckooLander:
** Kiyoshi manages to be both this and a GuileHero.
** Murasakibara usually thinks more about the snacks he's eating than what's happening around him.
* ColourCodedCharacters: And to what a degree! All the members of the Generation of Miracles have a color as part of their names and - with the exception of Kuroko and his ''blue'' hair (Kuro = black) - their names all match the color of their hair (and eyes). Aomine (Ao = blue) has blue hair, Midorima (Midori = green) has green hair, Momoi (Momo = peach/pink) has pink hair, Murasakibara (Murasaki = purple) has purple hair, Akashi (Aka = red) has red hair, and Kise (Ki = yellow) has yellow hair. Also Haizaki (Hai = grey), before [[spoiler: Akashi kicked him out of the team and Kise replaced him]], though Haizaki's hair was actually blonde in his middle school years. [[spoiler: The newly revealed Nijimura, captain of Teikou before Akashi, even follows it (Niji = rainbow) despite his hair being the least colorful of the lot (black). Though he does, apparently, have rainbow-colored wristbands.]]
* ColorFailure:
** The Seirin regulars suffer from this after they see the picture of Shinkyou's ace.
** Happens after the rest of the team see [[BookDumb Kagami's]] grades.
** The default reaction after tasting [[LethalChef Riko's]] cooking.
** When the Seirin team get caught by Riko [[OutdoorBathPeeping trying to peep into the girls' side of the hot spring.]]
* CombatCommentator: Though the series has no set commentator, this duty often falls to the coaches, managers and players watching in the stands.
* CombinationAttack: Several, but [[spoiler:Midorima and Takao's Sky Direct Three Pointer]] definitely takes the cake. It requires [[spoiler:ludicrously good timing from both parties, immense trust between both passer and shooter, and is only usable by Takao and Midorima because they're the only ones accurate enough to make both the pass and the shot. It's also damn near [[AlwaysAccurateAttack completely unstoppable]], with a grand total of one weakness that only [[GameBreaker Akashi]] can exploit, and even for him, it's very hard to do.]]
** [[spoiler:As of Extra Game, Akashi and Midorima can do it too, with Akashi filling in for Takao.]]
* TheComicallySerious: Both in-series and in the joke intervals, nearly all of the characters, even the Generations of Miracles themselves, have a ton of moments like these. Kuroko, Kise, Midorima and Aomine having the most common of these moments.
* ComicBookTime: The anime manages to stretch the first Yousen game over five and a half episodes, which is more than twice the actual match duration.
* CripplingOverspecialization: Both Kuroko and Kagami have this in the beginning. For Kagami, it's his tendency to always go for dunks, as they can be easily blocked if his opponent is skilled enough. And Kuroko's whole Misdirection skill is pretty useless if the player he's shadowing isn't on court.
* CripplingTheCompetition: Kirisaki Daiichi make this a habit. They were the ones who gave [[spoiler:Kiyoshi]] his GameBreakingInjury after all.
* CrowdSurfing: Kagami tosses Fukuda on top of the lunch crowd and tries to demonstrate his American surfing skills.
* CurbStompBattle:
** During middle school, every time the Generation of Miracles played, this ensued. After the GOM spilt up, any team ''without'' another a GOM member suffers from this with no exceptions.
** [[spoiler: The first Touou versus Seirin match, as Aomine nets Touou the win by practically double the points despite showing up at the halftime mark]].
** An offscreen example (we only get to see the final score), but Kirisaki Dai Ichi beats the absolute ''crap'' out of Meisei in the Winter Cup prelims, winning 180-45, thus ''quadrupling'' their score.
** Yousen in their first two matchups of the Winter Cup, winning 81-0 and 72-0, respectively.
** Team Jabberwock utterly destroys Team STRKY 86-6, in the first chapter of "Kuroko no Basket: Extra Game," this is taken up a notch when you realize that Team STRKY is composed of the graduated captains/third years from the schools the GOM attend.
* CurtainsMatchTheWindow: [[http://www.zerochan.net/875757 All seven members of the Generation of Miracles team]], [[http://4.p.s.mfcdn.net/store/manga/5259/12-105.0/compressed/kims_kuroko_no_basket_ch105.knb_v12_108-109.jpg including the manager Satsuki Momoi]]. They practically form a rainbow when they stand together. As an unofficial member, Kagami has this too.
* CutenessProximity: Riko for TeamPet Tetsuya #2.
* DatePeepers: Kise and Aomine spy on Momoi and Kuroko's date in the extra of Quarter 108.
* ADayInTheLimelight:
** Furihata, one of the freshmen benchwarmers, finally gets some serious match time during the Seirin vs. Kaijou game.
** During the last match, ''everybody'' gets its screentime. Especially notable with Furihata again, who figures out before anybody else that [[spoiler:Kuroko is losing his lack of presence]] and then manages to subvert his role as TheLoad by [[spoiler:being used to mark ''Akashi'']].
* DeadpanSnarker: Kuroko, definitely.
* DeathSeeker: Or rather, ''Defeat'' Seeker. [[spoiler:Aomine is this. He plays with the hope that somebody will surpass him, or at the very least push him to the absolute limit.]] Imayoshi spells it out for him [[spoiler:when he recruits him]].
-->'''Imayoshi:''' While you're sure you'll win, you play like somewhere inside you, you actually want to lose. [...] Because you can't bear it, you're waiting for an opponent to be your equal, or perhaps even stronger than you.
* DefeatingTheUndefeatable: Kagami to each member of the Generation of Miracles.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: Kise says as much to Midorima, to justify eating with Kuroko and Kagami. [[{{Tsundere}} Midorima of course doesn't agree.]]
* DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength: At the start of the manga, Kagami doesn't know how to regulate the strength of his jumps, and thus unknowingly puts a lot of pressure on the body when he does so. He spends most of the first training arc trying get some control over this.
** Murasakibara also seemed to have this in middle school, as his pats on the head and similar gestures would often hurt Kuroko a bit if he wasn't careful. He also didn't seem to notice [[spoiler:just how much his strength and speed had improved, when he first bloomed.]]
*** This gets turned into a plot point in Extra Game Chapter 7. Turns out that Murasakibara knew his strength was so great, he could potentially hurt his teammates or opponents just by playing seriously, and so he consciously limited himself. [[spoiler:However, faced with [[TheJuggernaut Jason Silver]], who is even bigger and stronger than he is, Murasakibara takes off all the limits, which allows him to come close to him in strength. This gives him the advantage, as while Silver is still stronger than him, Murasakibara is more skillful because he trains exceptionally hard, whereas Silver refuses to even work out, let alone practice seriously.]]
* DopeSlap:
** [[ButtMonkey Kise]] is often on the receiving end of dope ''kicks'' from Kasamatsu.
** Kuroko's inflicted a few hits on Kagami, ostensibly to reign in his [[HotBlooded temper]].
** Hyuuga has a tendency to do this as well, though he favors a karate chop to the top of the head instead.
* DoubleTake: Common reaction in people who get surprised by [[StealthHiBye Kuroko.]]
* DownToTheLastPlay: Happens often in climatic matches.
* DramaticWind: Often. Kuroko and Murasakibara get it almost every other play... which makes ''very'' little sense, as they're usually indoors.
* TheDreaded: Anyone from the Generation of Miracles is automatically this, and to a lesser extent the teams they come to join in high school. Kagami eventually becomes this as well, [[spoiler: since he managed to defeat them all]].
* DreamTeam:
** The Generation of Miracles, during their middle school years. Becomes a DeconstructedTrope, as being on a team that powerful [[DownerEnding turned most of the members into jerkasses when playing basketball, prompting Kuroko to leave the team, and is also what caused the team to fall apart]]. This is averted in the present day, as though they're collectively still through of as this, they are no longer a 'team' since they all go to different schools.
** In the sequel manga "Kuroko no Basket: Extra Game" the Generation of Miracles, Kuroko, and Kagami all form a street-ball team called Team Vorpal Swords to take on Team Jabberwock, a visiting street-ball team from America that utterly defeated the Generation of Miracle's sempai and disrespected Japanese basketball.
* DualityMotif: Akashi has heterochromia. In the anime his eyes were mismatched even before [[spoiler:his SplitPersonality took over his body]].
* EleventhHourSuperpower:
** Kagami managing to [[spoiler:master ball-handling with his off hand]] during the last ''five seconds'' of the Seirin vs. Touou game during the Winter Cup. [[LampshadeHanging Riko even says it happened "in the eleventh hour".]]
** [[spoiler:Murasakibara]] activating the Zone during the final few seconds of the Seirin vs. Yousen game.
** Averted during the [[spoiler:Seirin vs. Rakuzan]] match, where Kagami activates the Zone mere [[LetsGetDangerous seconds after the game begins.]]
* EmbarrassingOldPhoto: The [[http://www.batoto.net/read/_/24614/kuroko-no-basuke_v11_ch95_by_imangascans/4 photo]] of Hyuuga that Kuroko and Kagami dig up in Quarter 95. It's so bad that even [[NotSoStoic Kuroko cracks a grin at it]].
* EmbarrassingSlide: After Riko scouts out Shinkyou, she comes back armed with pictures of their star player. However the first picture she accidentally shows Seirin is that of a cute kitten.
* EpicFail:
** Whenever Kuroko attempts a basketball move that doesn't involve Misdirection.
** Kagami has a few in Quarter 83. First he jumps too high when going for a dunk and hits his head on the basket, and then, after scoring the winning shot with an epic dunk, he loses his grip on the basket and falls.
** The NG gag reels at the end of just about every chapter spoof this mercilessly. For example, in the NG for Quarter 90, Kuroko fails his [[spoiler:Vanishing Drive]] during a dramatic one-on-one with Midorima.
--->'''Kagami:''' [[LampshadeHanging "Hey... there's a limit to how much you can fail!!"]]
* ExpositoryHairstyleChange:
** Hyuuga goes through two in quick succession during his first year at Seirin. The first was him gaining DelinquentHair after losing his passion for basketball and the second was him going back to his original style after regaining it.
** Riko cuts her hair short after [[spoiler:Seirin reaches the finals of the Winter Cup]].
* TheFaceless: Akashi, who is always shown from the back or the neck down. When he's face-to-face with the main characters, he has a FaceFramedInShadow. [[TheReveal The reveal]] of his face at the end of Quarter 113 is pretty scary, complete with HellishPupils.
* {{Fanservice}}: Plenty, especially during the HotSpringsEpisode.
* FeminineWomenCanCook: Averted with a vengeance, as both [[CuteSportsClubManager Riko and Momoi]] are [[LethalChef lethal chefs]]. Sort of played straight with [[ShrinkingViolet Sakurai]], who is the most feminine guy on the Touou team and is also a SupremeChef.
* FetchQuest: Quarter 12, in which the Seirin freshmen attempt to buy a Black Iberia Pig sandwich for the second years.
* FiveManBand: The original Generation of Miracles.
** TheLeader: Akashi, point guard and captain of the team.
** TheLancer: Aomine, the best scorer.
** TheBigGuy: Murasakibara, the center and best defender.
** TheSmartGuy: Midorima, cold and rational shooter.
** TheChick: Kise, the least experienced and weakest starter.
*** Or Moimoi because [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin she's actually a chick.]]
** SixthRanger: Kuroko, who wasn't a starter but could turn difficult games around.
** Also, Seirin's main five.
*** TheLeader: Hyuuga, the Captain and the cornerstone of Seirin's outside.
*** TheLancer: Kiyoshi, despite not being the Vice-Captain, is this because of his strength, his status as the cornerstone of Seirin's inside, and his backhanded but excellent advice. Borders on being a HypercompetentSidekick.
*** TheBigGuy: Kagami, being the team's ace and the only one capable of going one-on-one with the Generation of Miracles.
*** TheSmartGuy: Kuroko, with his incredible play-reading skills, excellent strategic mindset, and his ability to constantly use his Misdirection in new ways despite being physically the weakest on the team. Despite being the "Phantom Sixth Man", he actually fits this trope better than the SixthRanger, mainly because he plays in [[TheProtagonist damn near every game]].
*** TheChick: Izuki, surprisingly. He's physically the weakest player after Kuroko, and his Eagle Eye is outclassed by Takao's Hawk Eye early on, but he keeps his teammates spirits up with jokes and encouragement, and his technical skills as a point guard allow him to support his team despite his weakness.
*** SixthRanger: Varies from game to game, but [[TheVoiceless Mitobe]] is the most common, as he often replaces Kuroko at small forward and was Kiyoshi's placeholder at center.
* ForegoneConclusion:
** Runs rampant in Quarter 128, where everyone is absolutely convinced that Seirin will be defeated by [[spoiler:Touou]]. [[spoiler: However, Seirin has a [[HeroicSecondWind few]] [[IAmNotLeftHanded tricks]] up their sleeve...]]
** Opposing teams generally didn't even bother to put up fight when they played against the Miracles post-bloom, as to according to them every match would turn out the [[CurbStompBattle same way]]. [[spoiler:This type of behavior from their opponents caused most of the Miracles (especially Murasakibara) to lose their passion for basketball, which resulted in them seeing each game as something of a chore.]]
* FunnyBackgroundEvent: In Quarter 36, Kise's monologue is littered with fun shots of the rest of Seirin's attempts at okonomiyaki flipping.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:G-L]]
* GameBreakingInjury:
** The leg injury that Kagami receives during the the first Shuutoku game, which causes him to be benched during the most important part of the [[spoiler:Seirin vs. Touou match.]]
** [[spoiler:Kiyoshi's]] knee injury, which he got [[spoiler:the year previous during the match against [[CripplingTheCompetition Kirisaki Daiichi]]]] starts acting up in the climax of the second Shuutoku match, which causes him to [[spoiler:miss the free throw that would have won the game]].
* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan:
** Kuroko to Kagami in Quarter 32, when Kagami starts thinking he needs to stop being a team player to win.
** Done once more to Kagami in Quarter 77 by ''Tetsuya #2'' (The [[TeamPet team dog]]).
** Himuro does this to [[spoiler:Murasakibara]] in Quarter 165.
** Quarter 179 has [[spoiler:Miyaji]] do this to [[spoiler:Midorima, after they're stuck by a 20-point gap in the fourth quarter against Rakuzan]].
* {{Gonk}}: Kaijou's coach. Lampshaded during Kaijou's match against Touou that he attempts to dress sharply to match Touou's coach that looks like a host, but the Kaijou players all scream at him that it won't work. It doesn't, he got choked with the tight suit and tie instead. Then he reveals that [[IWasQuiteALooker He Was Quite A Looker]] [[http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/kurokonobasuke/images/0/0c/Japanese_national_team.png/revision/latest?cb=20130805165024 when he was in Japan's National Team]] (he's the one in front of the others with V sign. In case you didn't recognize the others, from left to right is Rakuzan's coach, Shutoku's, Touou's, Riko's dad, and Yosen's )
* GracefulLoser: Subverted by [[InSeriesNickname Dad]] in Quarter 15. Though his first lines of dialogue to Kagami (complete with LoveBubbles!) seem to indicate this, [[SoreLoser he quickly starts cussing him out and has to be dragged away by his captain.]]
* GratuitousEnglish:
** Quarter 76, where Kagami and [[spoiler:Himuro]] have an entire conversation in English. It's [[JustifiedTrope justified though]], as the two knew each other in the States and are probably more used to chatting to each other in English.
** Done as well in the anime, sounding ''far'' more natural than most examples of this trope.
** Kagami tends to lapse into English if he's angry or shocked enough.
--->'''Kagami:''' "THIS IS JAPANESE RUNCH TIME RUSH!"
* HairTriggerTemper: Kagami. He gets somewhat better as he befriends Kuroko and his other teammates.
* HardWorkHardlyWorks: Murasakibara is a firm believer of this. It's averted for Kuroko, who gained this Misdirection skills through lots of hard training. This is the main reason why the two are [[{{Foil}} foils]] for each other.
* HaveWeMet:
** Midorima asks this when Kagami introduces himself to him. The fact that he clearly ''does'' know (having attended every Seirin game to that point) is promptly lampshaded by Takao.
** Something similar happens with Murasakibara and Kiyoshi; they played against each other in middle school, but the former initially doesn’t remember.
* TheHeart: Kuroko tried to be this in the end of his time at the Teiko basketball team, but failed. He is getting to his old teammates now about the importance of team spirit, especially Kise.
* HeroicBSOD:
** [[spoiler:Kuroko]] suffers from a short-lived one halfway through the [[spoiler:second]] Seirin vs. Touou game.
** [[spoiler:Kiyoshi]] gets hit with this ''hard'' during the Seirin vs. [[spoiler:Yousen]] match.
** [[spoiler:[[http://www.batoto.net/read/_/189018/kuroko-no-basuke_ch226_by_ata/19 Kuroko]]]] and [[spoiler:[[http://www.batoto.net/read/_/189018/kuroko-no-basuke_ch226_by_ata/18 Ogiwara]]]] get hit with ''massive'' ones after [[spoiler:Teikou's third national victory]], which also doubles as serious BreakTheCutie moments.
* HeroInsurance: {{Averted}}. Moments after Kagami destroys Kaijou's backboard, the rest of Seirin are seen worrying about how they're going to pay for it.
* HeroicSecondWind: Seirin get an epic one during [[spoiler:the second match with Touou.]]
** It happens ''all the time''. By the end of the series, it repeatedly happens [[UpToEleven multiple times in one match]]: case in point, [[spoiler:Seirin v. Rakuzan. Direct Drive Zone is more like Seirin's Heroic ''Sixth'' Wind between Kuroko rejoining the game, Kagami ''re-activating'' the Zone despite having been forced out of it earlier, Izuki tricking Hayama by out-predicting him, Hyuuga's triumphant return and overcoming Mibuchi, and Kuroko and Kagami's epic team-up to stop Akashi]].
* HeroKiller: Aomine and Akashi both fit this trope for different reasons... at least, as much as possible, given that this is a sports anime.
** Aomine, because he's just so much more powerful than literally everyone else. [[spoiler:He annihilates Seirin by double their score during his first match with them, then slaughters Kise and Kaijou, winning by twelve points despite being part of the same group as Kise, and Kise getting a huge boost in strength partway through the game. Even in defeat, it takes everything Seirin has, Kuroko using his trump card, and Kagami both activating the Zone and managing to master off-hand ball handling at the last second in order to win.]]
*** In addition to that, in Aomine's case, [[spoiler:he is the ONLY person to completely defeat Kagami and Kuroko while they're working together]]. Not even Akashi manages that.
** Akashi, because his goal is to prove himself superior over everyone else, and he's more than capable of doing so. [[spoiler:Between destroying Midorima and Shutoku despite Midorima and Takao's CombinationAttack, and the insanity that was the Seirin v. Rakuzan final, Akashi is about as close as it gets to this trope in a sports anime.]]
* HeterosexualLifePartners: If the characters aren't interpreted with HoYay [[ShippingGoggles Goggles]] on, then they're probably this.
** Kagami and Himuro pre-series.
** Kasamatsu and Kise. (Especially with their [[LikeAnOldMarriedCouple bickering]].)
** Kagami and Kuroko are probably the crowning example.
** Kuroko and Aomine while in middle school, before Aomine's change in attitude.
** Midorima and Takao.
** Kiyoshi and Hyuuga, though [[{{Tsundere}} Hyuuga]] will deny it to the end.
* HotBlooded: Seeing as it's a sports manga, lots of characters qualify as this, but especially Kagami.
* HotSpringsEpisode: the training session between Touou and Seirin which culminated with [[spoiler: Momoi and Aida pressed chest-to-chest.]]
* HourOfPower: Kise's Perfect Copy, which allows him to copy moves from the Generation of Miracles, can only be sustained for five minutes. That is, until the Seirin vs Kaijou rematch where [[spoiler:his [[{{Determinator}} sheer determination to win]] allows him to make it last for two extra minutes.]]
* HowWeGotHere: Quarter 140.
* IAmNotLeftHanded: Kuroko unleashing [[spoiler:Misdirection Overflow]] during the Winter Cup match against [[spoiler:Touou.]]
** Akashi [[spoiler:reveals near the end of the Shutoku vs. Rakuzan game that he subtly lowered his speed ''just'' enough to get the drop on [[SuperSenses Takao]], thus enabling him to defeat his and Midorima's otherwise-unstoppable CombinationAttack]].
* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: Episodes/chapters are called Quarters, the anime episode titles are taken from the episodes' dialogue.
* ILetYouWin:
** It is hinted that Kiyoshi let Kagami win during their faceoff in Quarter 55, due to the fact that he was wearing his indoor shoes at the time.
** During their final one-on-one in America, Kagami deliberately allowed Himuro to win. Contrary to his expectations, this did more harm than good, as he failed to realize that [[spoiler:Himuro has a ''huge'' CantCatchUp complex concerning him.]]
* IronicEcho: "I believe you could jump". During the final minutes of the first Seirin vs. Shuutoku match, it's first said by [[spoiler:Midorima, after he successfully predicts that Kagami could find the strength to pull off a [[InASingleBound third jump]] and moves to counter it]]. Then, seconds later, it's repeated by [[spoiler:Kuroko, who has predicted ''both'' Kagami's and Midorima's actions, and thus ends Midorima's counter before it could even start]].
* ItsPersonal:
** The main reason why the second years [[spoiler:[[BenchedHero bench Kagami and Kuroko]]]] during the match against Seihou: they want to get revenge for their defeat last year themselves.
** The Kirisaki Daiichi match is another one for the second years, especially for Kiyoshi and Hyuuga, since they were the team that [[spoiler:[[CripplingTheCompetition injured Kiyoshi's knee the previous year.]]]]
** The reason for the formation of Team Vorpal Swords in "Kuroko no Basket: Extra Game," after watching Team STRKY get crushed by Team Jabberwock and seeing the Jabberwock disrespect Japanese basketball, Kuroko and Kagetora quickly assemble the series's DreamTeam of the GOM, Kuroko, and Kagami.
** Chapter 2 of "Kuroko no Basket: Extra Game" takes it up another level after [[spoiler: Nash hurts Kuroko]].
* JapaneseDelinquents:
** [[spoiler:Hyuuga]], of all people, tried to become one of these during his first year at Seirin, even going as far as [[DelinquentHair dyeing his hair blonde.]]
** Later on we have [[spoiler:Haizaki, a former regular of Teikou.]]
* JerkJock: Hanamiya Maktoto and the rest of the Kirisaki Daiichi team, who actively participate in CripplingTheCompetition. Aomine has shades of this too. And Haizaki is all asshole all the time.
* TheJuggernaut: [[spoiler: Extra Game's Jason Silver is definitely this. It takes Kagami and Aomine working together just to stop him ''once'', and even then, he just [[UpToEleven takes it up a notch]]. It takes Kise and Aomine activating Perfect Copy and Zone, respectively, and then working together to stop him, at that point. Kise using [[SuperMode Perfect Copy and Zone simultaneously]] is the only one who can stop him one-on-one, and even then, he can't sustain it.]]
* {{Keet}}: Kise.
* LastNameBasis: Almost everywhere; notable in that even the fans refer to virtually all the characters by their last names.
* LethalChef: The series seems hell bent on averting the FeminineWomenCanCook stereotype, as both [[CuteSportsClubManager Riko and Momoi]] are this.
* LightDarknessJuxtaposition: This contrast is present in the dynamic between Kuroko and Kagami, as well as Kuroko and Aomine. Kuroko is a 'shadow' player who is nigh-invisible on the court; he focuses on supporting flashy 'light' players like Aomine and Kagami instead of making himself shown.
-->'''Kuroko:''' I am a supporting actor, a shadow. But a shadow will become darker if the light is stronger and it will make the white of the light stand out. As the shadow of the main actor, I will make you, the light, the number one in Japan.
* LightningBruiser: Almost every ace in one way or another, but Murasakibara is of special note for being just as fast if not faster than Kagami even though he outsizes him by ''18 centimeters and 17 kilograms (7.1 inches and 37.5 pounds)''.
* LimitBreak: The Zone, a state of extreme concentration which lets a player play with the full 100% of their potential. This is TruthInTelevision: the Zone has been proven scientifically as an extremely mentally focused state where one's physical and mental abilities are dramatically increased. [[http://news.yahoo.com/human-brains-could-hacked-162320290.html Here]]
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Well, there's the original 7 from Teikou and 7 from Seirin (not to mention Kiyoshi), and then the various teams and teammates that get a ton of development time. There are 4 from Kaijou, 4 from Touou, 3 from Shuutoku, and that's not even counting the random opponents that Seirin fights really hard against and wins... only to appear as spectators (with dialogue!) some 50-odd chapters later--still wanting a rematch!
* LoveBubbles: [[TheStoic Kuroko]], of all people, gets them after he tries a [[ItMakesSenseInContext delicious sandwich.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:M-R]]
* ManlyTears:
** Kise is moved to tears after he [[spoiler:experiences his first ever defeat.]]
** Kise (again) and Kasamatsu after [[spoiler:losing to Touou in the Inter-High, despite giving it their all.]]
** [[spoiler:[[http://www.batoto.net/read/_/108789/kuroko-no-basket_ch169_by_akashi-scans/11 Murasakibara]] after losing to Seirin, [[http://www.batoto.net/read/_/134125/kuroko-no-basket_ch183_by_akashi-scans/11 Midorima]] after losing to Rakuzan, and [[http://www.batoto.net/read/_/159394/kuroko-no-basket_ch203_by_akashi-scans/12 Kise]] ''again'' after losing to Seirin again.]]
* MartialArtsAndCrafts: The Seihou team base their playstyle around basic martial arts movements.
* MassOhCrap: Seirin suffer from this at the end of Quarter 155 after [[spoiler:Murasakibara switches to offensive play.]]
** ''Everyone'' during the Seirin vs. Yousen Match when Murasakibara [[spoiler:breaks the godforsaken goalpost with his dunk]]. Even his teammates are terrified.
-->'''Fukui:''' Honestly, I've never been more glad he's on our side.
* MeaningfulName:
** Quite a few examples; for the Generation of Miracles, they have the ThemeNaming of colors, parts of their last names mean the color their hair is (i.e. "Ki" in Kise means "yellow" and he has blonde hair)
** In the sequel manga, "Kuroko no Basket: Extra Game" the three prominent street-ball teams are Team STRKY, Team Jabberwock, and Team Vorpal Swords; STRKY is an acronym for the high schools the members went to (Shutoku, Touou, Rakuzan, Kaijo, and Yosen, in order). The Jabberwock was a dragon-like creature that served as an antagonist in "Alice: Through the Looking Glass," which was slain by a boy wielding a Vorpal Sword (Team Jabberwock is a street-ball team from America and serves as the antagonist and Team Vorpal Sword is a team composed of Kuroko, Kagami, and the Generation of Miracles).
* MementoMacGuffin:
** Kagami's ring, which was given to him by [[spoiler:Himuro.]]
** Also, [[spoiler:Kuroko's single wristband]], which originally belonged to [[spoiler:[[ChildhoodFriends Ogiwara]]]]. This ''definitely'' doubles as as TragicKeepsake, seeing as he only got it after [[spoiler:Ogiwara quit basketball]].
* MrFanservice: Kagami. He gets tons of shirtless scenes, especially in the anime. There's even a scene where he only uses a small towel to cover his lower body.
* MsFanservice:
** Momoi generally, especially with her F-cup breasts (as analyzed by [[ACupAngst a very jealous Aida Riko]]) and bikini/bath/shower scenes.
** Alex, the woman who taught Kagami basketball in America, [[ShamelessFanserviceGirl enjoys walking around naked or in her underwear]], greets everyone by kissing them on the mouth ([[BiTheWay including Riko]]), and has by far the biggest bust in the series.
* MyGreatestFailure:
** Kasamatsu has never forgiven himself for making the mispass that caused Kaijou to be eliminated from the Inter-High preliminaries the previous year.
** Though it's never stated outright, it's heavily implied that [[spoiler:failing to fulfill his promise with Ogiwara]] and indirectly being the reason why [[spoiler: he quit basketball]] are this for Kuroko.
* NakedFirstImpression: [[MsFanservice Alex]] is first seen when Koganei [[NotWhatItLooksLike catches her in Kagami's bed wearing nothing but panties.]] She is still mostly undressed when introducing herself to the Seirin team.
* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: Kuroko is the most blatant offender, seemingly unveiling a new skill in every important match. To date we have Cyclone Pass, Ignite Pass, Vanishing Drive, Ignite Pass Kai, Misdirection Overflow and Phantom Shot. It's slightly justified though, as the moves are picked to pieces by opposing teams almost as soon as they're shown, or in the match right after.
* TheNicknamer: Riko's dad. Kise and Murasakibara may count to a lesser extent, as Kise adds "cchi" to the end of the names of people he's acknowledged, whether they want him to or not, while Murasakibara adds a "-chin" to a shortened version of the name.
** Momoi is this as well; she has a nickname for every member of the Generation of Miracles, and eventually, Kagami.
* NoSell:
** At first, Kuroko's Misdirection has no effect on [[spoiler:Takao, due to his 'Hawk's Eye' ability.]]
** This happens again during the second Seirin vs Touou match, due to [[spoiler:Imayoshi marking him and Aomine's ability to read his playstyle]].
** Hyuuga's [[spoiler:Barrier Jumper]] gets hit hard with this; it's awesome at first and then gets countered by pretty much everybody after they see it one time, for no discernible reason.
* NotSoStoic: [[spoiler:Kuroko]] suffers from a major HeroicBSOD and then [[FreakOut utterly]] [[http://www.batoto.net/read/_/189018/kuroko-no-basuke_ch226_by_ata/20 shatters]] in the aftermath of [[spoiler:Teikou's third national victory]]. The chapter after that, it's clear that he's close to tears after discovering that he has no chance to fulfill his promise to [[spoiler:Ogiwara]], due to him [[spoiler:transferring out of the area, and quitting basketball]].
* NotWhatItLooksLike: Quarter 140. Koganei finds a naked woman in Kagami's bed. And then said naked woman passionately kisses Kagami on the lips while proclaiming that she's missed him. [[spoiler:The woman is Kagami's old coach. Why she's naked is another matter entirely.]]
* ObfuscatingStupidity: A few characters have been noted to be much sharper than their usual attitudes would suggest, like Kiyoshi and Kise.
* OnceMoreWithClarity: The scene where the Generation of Miracles pass by Seirin. When it [[http://www.batoto.net/read/_/26759/kuroko-no-basuke_v11_ch98_by_imangascans/11 first shows up]] in Seirin's WholeEpisodeFlashback, it's really only a nice little throw in. However, when it's [[http://www.batoto.net/read/_/186317/kuroko-no-basuke_ch224_by_akashi-scans/16 seen again]] in ''Teikou's'' WholeEpisodeFlashback, it's the prelude to [[spoiler:Kuroko being reintroduced to the joy and passion of basketball.]] Also, it's heavily implied that [[spoiler:the memories of that run-in is what convinced him to attend Seirin in the first place.]]
* OnlySaneMan:
** A duty which, sadly, falls upon Midorima more often than not, especially with Kise's antics and Kuroko's indifference towards said antics.
** It's getting hilarious when this duty in Seirin team falls upon [[PungeonMaster Izuki]] of all people. Especially noted in hot spring chapter when Seirin boys tried to peek on woman's bath. That he pointed out that his and Kuroko's skill is not for peeking.
** [[TheCaptain Kasamatsu]] is this for the Kaijou team.
* PapaWolf:
** Riko's dad, big time. He pulls a ''gun'' on the Seirin team after he finds out that they [[OutdoorBathPeeping attempted to peek on Riko in the hot spring.]]
** [[TeamDad Kiyoshi]] is one for the Seirin team when things get serious.
* PaperFanOfDoom: Riko uses one a lot in the anime.
* PaperThinDisguise: Midorima's idea of a good disguise seem to be [[TheComicallySerious exchanging his usual specs for sunglasses]]. It fools nobody.
* PinkGirlBlueBoy: Childhood friends Momoi and Aomine have, respectively, pink and dark blue hair.
** Momoi and Kuroko fit this trope as well.
* PleasePutSomeClothesOn: When Alex [[NakedFirstImpression introduces herself to the team wearing nothing but underwear]], Kagami does this.
-->'''Kagami:''' "Just shut it and put some pants on!"
* PornStash: The previous year, Riko found a [[HotTeacher sexy teacher]] stash during the clubroom cleanup and punished the members by making them do [[TrainingFromHell five times the normal training menu.]] This year, the team tries to clean everything out beforehand[[spoiler:... but miss one.]]
* PowerCopying: Kise. It eventually turns out that [[AwesomenessByAnalysis he just has extremely good visual comprehension skills]].
* PowerGlows: Often; the Zone gives this off, and occasionally people's fighting spirit or power will be shown like this. Murasakibara is the most common offender; he practically radiates purple whenever he gets mad.
* PowerPerversionPotential: Lampshaded in Quarter 109, where Seirin theorize that Izuki's Eagle Eye and Kuroko's Misdirection will be good for [[ThePeepingTom peeping.]]
-->'''[[OnlySaneMan Izuki:]]''' "IT'S NOT THAT KIND OF SKILL!!"
* PreviouslyOn: Previously on Kuroko no Basuke, [[NotWhatItLooksLike a deep kiss was unleashed.]]
* PungeonMaster: Izuki.
* ReactionShot:
** The series has several, but the one that takes the cake has to be the [[http://www.batoto.net/read/_/95765/kuroko-no-basuke_v15_ch129_by_imangascans/2 entire crowd (including the Generation of Miracles!) gawking]] at Kuroko's [[spoiler:Misdirection Overflow.]]
** [[spoiler:Akashi's shot into ''his own hoop'' against Shuutoku]] deserves an honorable mention. [[LiteralMinded Bonus points for it playing this trope literally as well.]]
* RealMenCook: Kagami and Sakurai, with Sakurai showing definite signs of being a SupremeChef. It's a good thing they can too, as both their managers are [[LethalChef lethal chefs.]]
* RedOniBlueOni: Kuroko's calm, calculating demeanor and lack of presence to Kagami's hot blooded nature, rashness, and his position as the team's ace.
** Kagami and Aomine are a subversion. Their personalities are different, but they're both still firmly on the 'red' end of the spectrum.
** Akashi and Kuroko are a color-inverted example. Akashi is more stoic than Kuroko, and Kuroko gets worked up ''far'' more when he wants to win than Akashi does, [[spoiler:at least until Akashi snaps]].
* RetiredBadass: Alex was a skillful player by herself, all the coaches with at least one Generation of Miracles member in their school all were members of Japan's national basketball team at a point with Riko's dad. And Nijimura.
* TheRival: It's a basketball manga so this pops up pretty often. The Generation of Miracles are all rivals to each other now that they've separated into different schools, the Crownless Generals were the rivals for the Generation of Miracles, and Kagami aims to defeat all five members of the Generation of Miracles.
** Hanamiya and Kiyoshi are less of this and more ''mortal enemies'', but they still treat it like a rivalry.
** Kiyoshi is this to Nebuya, but it's mostly one-sided until Kiyoshi needs to beat him in order to win.
* RousingSpeech:
** [[TheCaptain Hyuuga's]] speech in Quarter 19 almost falls flat, as him bringing up their loss the previous year depresses all the second years. He quickly turns it around, though.
** Though [[spoiler:they lost]], [[TheCaptain Kasamatsu]] gives an epic one to Kaijou in order to snap them out of their funk in Quarter 73.
--->'''Kasamatsu:''' "Buck up everybody! [[spoiler:You've tried your best!]] We're among the best eight teams in the entire nation! Go back with pride!"
* RunningGag:
** Kuroko seemingly appearing out of nowhere, only to reveal that he's been there the whole time.
** Invoked by Kuroko at one point. At a team gathering, he claims he's been there the whole time, when that time, he actually was late.
** And hilariously inverted later on. Kagami goes to talk to Kuroko when he's concentrating on practicing by himself. When Kuroko notices him, he says, [[HypocriticalHumor "Please don't sneak up on me like that. I'll get angry."]]
** Kagami being so excited for upcoming matches that he forgets to sleep the night before.
** Someone from Seirin always ordering alcoholic drinks whenever the team goes out.
** [[HotSpringsEpisode Kagami scrubbing Hyuuga's back]] with the wrong kind of brush. (And the rest of Seirin's SayMyName moment afterwards.)
[[/folder]]

[[folder:S-Y]]
* SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl: Kuroko and Momoi, especially in her [[http://www.batoto.net/read/_/13423/kuroko-no-basket_v5_ch38_by_shinratensei/12 introduction scene]].
* SayMyName:
** Midorima is a common offender, particularly in the first Seirin vs. Shuutoku match.
** Aomine and Kise exchange this trope constantly during the match between their teams. Quickly reaches over-the-top levels, especially with Kise, who is executing this trope while calling Aomine "Aominecchi".
** Quarter 58: Hyuuga? HYUUGAAAAA!!
** Kagami and [[spoiler:Himuro's]] one-on-one clash in Quarter 162. KAAAGAMIII! [[spoiler:HIIMUROOO!]]
* SerialEscalation: There are plenty of examples - the amount of time Kagami manages to stay in the air, many of Aomine's shots (notably the one against the backboard), and, of course, Kuroko's ability to stay below the radar despite the fact that he has blue hair in a world where the vast majority of other people have normal hair colors.
* SeriousBusiness: Of course, basketball.
* ShoutOut:
** In Chapter 94, look very closely at this [[http://i10.mangareader.net/kuroko-no-basket/94/kuroko-no-basket-2594265.jpg image]], you may just see someone [[Manga/OnePiece familiar.]]
** In that same chapter, when Hyuuga orders the first years to decide who cleans the fungus infested locker using jan-ken-pon and Kagami objects to the hierarchy:
--->'''Hyuuga:''' "You're in Japan. [[Film/ThreeHundred Dis!]] [[GratuitousEnglish Iz!]] [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Zapan!!]]"
** [[Manga/AzumangaDaioh Tsuchida being bit by a cat before the Touou game]].
* ShrinkingViolet: Sakurai is a RareMaleExample.
* SmartPeopleWearGlasses:
** This trope does ''not'' apply for Hyuuga, much to Kagami's surprise.
---> '''Kagami:''' "I thought guys in glasses are supposed to be..."\\
'''Hyuuga:''' [[LampshadeHanging "YOU THOUGHT ALL MEN IN SPECTACLES ARE GEEKS?!"]]
** It does apply to Riko (who scored the second best grades out of the entire school) and Midorima.
** Also applies to Imayoshi, who is called incredibly smart by acknowledged tactical genius Hanamiya Makoto, and is even pointed out as possibly being smarter than him.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Momoi with the Generation of Miracles [[spoiler: with Akashi joking about how unfair it was that Aomine got the only girl]] and later Touou High. Aida with Seirin High. Somewhat justified as it's a shonen manga about boy's basketball.
* SmoochOfVictory: In Quarter 19, Riko attempts to motivate the guys by promising them this. It's not very effective...
* SpiritualSuccessor: Of the other famous basketball manga series, ''Manga/SlamDunk''.
* SpitTake: Common reaction in people who get surprised by [[StealthHiBye Kuroko.]]
* SplitPersonality: [[spoiler:Akashi]] as first noted by Midorima Shintarou and later, when [[spoiler:"the other Akashi"]] takes over everyone else notices as well.
* SpockSpeak: Kuroko speaks pretty formally for a teenage boy. When he stops doing so, you know [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness shit's getting serious]].
* SpotlightStealingSquad: The Generation of Miracles were this for the Uncrowned Generals.
* StealthHiBye: People never notice when Kuroko enters the room, until when he says something.
* TheStoic: Kuroko.
* StoppedCaring: By the time the Teikou years draw to a close, all of the Miracles suffer from this. [[spoiler:And also Ogiwara.]]
* TalkingIsAFreeAction: ''Very'' notable when spectators are able to calmly talk about how a player's move works while he's doing it. {{Lampshaded}} and PlayedForLaughs in the Quarter 107 bloopers omake, where Kuroko misses the ball because of the speech he's making.
* TeamDad: Kiyoshi is occasionally this for the Seirin team, with definite overtones of PapaWolf.
* TeamPet: In the 74th Quarter, Kuroko picks up an adorable black puppy that Aida ''immediately falls in love with'' and the rest of the team decides to name Tetsuya #2 because the dog's eyes and lack of expression look ''just like Kuroko's''.
* TeamSpirit: A running theme throughout the series. It's especially important to Kuroko.
* TeenGenius: Both Hanamiya Maktoto and Seto Kentaro of Kirisaki Daiichi, with Seto having an IQ of 160.
* ThemeNaming: For [[DayOfTheWeekName Seirin]] and the [[ColorfulThemeNaming Generation of Miracles]]. Also for the [[FloralThemeNaming Uncrowned Generals]]. Also, excluding Kuroko and Akashi, all Teikou graduates, including Momoi, Haizaki and Nijimura, when the first kanji in their surname means the ColorfulThemeNaming, the second kanji in their names means LocationThemeNaming.
** Seirin (in order starting from Sunday): Hyuuga(日), Izuki(月), Kagami(火), Mitobe(水), Kiyoshi(木), Koganei(金), and Tsuchida(土).
** The Uncrowned Generals: Kiyoshi(木 = tree/wood), Hanamiya(花 = flower), [[spoiler:Hayama(葉 = leaf), Mibuchi(実 = fruit/seed), Nebuya(根 = root).]]
** Teikou: Kise (瀬 = shoal), Midorima (間 = chamber), Aomine (峰 = peak), Murasakibara (原 = prairie) , Momoi (井 = well), Haizaki (崎 = small peninsula ), Nijimura (村 = village)
* ThoseTwoGuys: Furihata, Kawahara, and Fukuda--the other three Seirin freshman besides Kuroko and Kagami.
** [[TheVoiceless Mitobe]] and [[RidiculouslyAverageGuy Koganei]] have this kind of dynamic, despite not actually being an example, as they get a good amount of screentime and character development.
* TitleDrop: In every single chapter; you just have to look for it. The last page of Quarter 227 gets a special mention though; not only does it drop the chapter's title (which is itself a CallBack to Quarter 1), [[spoiler:Akashi drops the title of the series itself. Especially notable in that the Akashi at that point was on a FirstNameBasis with Kuroko and yet still used his last name then.]]
* TournamentArc: The Inter-High, Winter Cup and Nationals make up the three big ones in the basketball calendar.
* {{Tsundere}}: Midorima. Takao even says as much.
* UnderdogsNeverLose: Averted in the first [[spoiler:Seirin vs. Touou]] game.
* UsedToBeASweetKid: The last years of Teikou really did a number on the Generation of Miracle's personalities. Standouts are Aomine and [[spoiler: Akashi.]]
* VitriolicBestBuds: Kiyoshi and Hyuuga are the crowning example; according to Izuki, the more they argue, the more in sync their teamwork is!
* WeakButSkilled: Kuroko. He doesn't have the talent or the build for basketball, but because of his highly refined and practiced skill at Misdirection, he was able to achieve the status of the "Phantom Sixth Player" of the legendary Generation of Miracles, and is respected by the rest for his skill of Misdirection.
** Izuki is this as well. He even acknowledges it himself [[spoiler:right at the end of Seirin vs. Rakuzan]].
--->'''Izuki:''' [[spoiler:"Point guards with weak specs have to win with their heads!"]]
* WeMeetAgain: [[http://www.batoto.net/read/_/13461/kuroko-no-basuke_v2_ch16_by_colonnine/9 Kagami pulls a rather intimidating one]] on the Meijou Institute team (A.K.A the thugs that he, Kuroko and Kise [[CurbStompBattle completely trashed]] in a street game some chapters before) in Quarter 16. It freaks them out so badly that they practically throw the game, losing 41 to 108.
* WhamLine:
** In Quarter 128. Also counts as a PreAssKickingOneLiner.
--->'''Izuki:''' "It didn't run out. [[IAmNotLeftHanded We made it run out.]]"
** Quarter 226 gives us this line from [[spoiler:Akashi]], who has just being asked whether he enjoys basketball.
--->'''[[spoiler:Akashi]]:''' "...[[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove I'm afraid I don't understand the question.]]"
* WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove: Or rather, "what is this thing you call enjoyment"? Turns out, by the end of their Teikou days, some of the Miracles, [[spoiler:such as Akashi]], can't even answer the question of whether they enjoy basketball or not.
* WhenItAllBegan: Not a ''direct'' example, but throughout the series other members of the Generation of Miracles constantly ask Kuroko why he left after they won the third championship at Teikou. This gets later shown in a flashback.
* WholeEpisodeFlashback:
** Quarters 95 to 99, which show the forming of the Seirin basketball team and explain [[spoiler:how Kiyoshi got his GameBreakingInjury.]]
** Quarters 204 to 227 chronicle the forming, blooming and breaking of the Generation of Miracles. Apart from clearing up a bunch of lingering plot points (such as the whole debacle between Kise and Haizaki and what exactly is going on with Akashi), it also introduces a bunch of new characters, like their old captain and, more importantly, [[spoiler:Kuroko's [[ChildhoodFriends childhood friend]], who has a central part in the chain of events that lead to Kuroko quitting the team]].
* WhyWontYouDie: Non-lethal variation; [[spoiler:Murasakibara]] says it to [[spoiler:Kiyoshi]] once the latter comes back onto the court despite being completely destroyed, physically and mentally, by the former.
---> '''[[spoiler:Murasakibara:]]''' How many times do I have to crush you? You're way too tough.
* WildTake: Common reaction in people who get surprised by [[StealthHiBye Kuroko.]]
* TheWorfEffect:
** Many new opponents get introduced with no other badge of honor than 'better than/able to defeat Kise'.
** It gets reversed when Haizaki gets introduced as "the guy who was stronger than Kise"... [[spoiler:and then Kise gets to show how much he improved by utterly demolishes him]].
* WorthyOpponent: Over the course of the manga, Kagami evolves from UnknownRival to this in the eyes of the Miracles. Before he arrived on the scene, the Miracles considered each other as their only worthwhile opponents. [[spoiler: The lack of these during their Teikou days is a huge part of the reason why the Miracles are what they are today.]]
* YearsTooEarly: Touou taunts Seirin this way during their Winter Cup match. [[spoiler:Unfortunately for them, it triggers Seirin's HeroicSecondWind.]]
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Pretty much all of the Generation of Miracles (and Kagami!) but most notably Kuroko, who has this weird mix between teal and light blue and ''somehow still manages to blend into the background''.
* YouMustBeCold: Kagami brings Kuroko his jacket in Quarter 124, after the latter goes to brood outside in the cold.
-->'''Kagami:''' "You'll get cold, idiot."
[[/folder]]
----

''Kuroko no Basuke'' (''Kuroko's Basketball'') is a sports manga by Fujimaki Tadatoshi which chronicles the high school adventures of Kuroko Tetsuya who, despite having been a regular player on the famed Generation of Miracles team, cannot dribble, fails at shooting, has low stamina, and often goes completely unnoticed while on the basketball court. Needless to say, when Kagami Taiga, the other protagonist of the story who has come back ''bored'' from American basketball standards, plays Kuroko, he easily wins. With that effortless victory, he advises the other to stop playing basketball forever, noting that talent and skill are more important than passion at times.

* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: At the end of the Touou vs Kaijou match, Kasamatsu [[spoiler:[[http://www.batoto.net/read/_/14241/kuroko-no-basuke_v9_ch73_by_imangascans/6 helps an utterly defeated Kise to his feet]] [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments and escorts him to the player lineup]]]], which is a marked contrast from his [[DopeSlap normal behavior]] when dealing with him.

* HeroicSecondWind: Seirin get an [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome epic one]] during [[spoiler:the second match with Touou.]]

* PornStash: The previous year, Riko found a [[HotTeacher sexy teacher]] stash during the clubroom cleanup and punished the members by making them do [[TrainingFromHell five times the normal training menu.]] This year, the team tries to clean everything out beforehand[[spoiler:...[[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments but miss one.]]]]

* PreviouslyOn: [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments Previously on Kuroko no Basuke]], [[NotWhatItLooksLike a deep kiss was unleashed.]]

* SmoochOfVictory: In Quarter 19, Riko attempts to motivate the guys by promising them this. [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments It's not very effective...]]

* {{Gonk}}: Kaijou's coach. Lampshaded during Kaijou's match against Touou that he attempts to dress sharply to match Touou's coach that looks like a host, but the Kaijou players all scream at him that it won't work. It doesn't, he got choked with the tight suit and tie instead. Then he reveals that IWasQuiteALooker [[http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/kurokonobasuke/images/0/0c/Japanese_national_team.png/revision/latest?cb=20130805165024 when he was in Japan's National Team]] (he's the one in front of the others with V sign. In case you didn't recognize the others, from left to right is Rakuzan's coach, Shutoku's, Touou's, Riko's dad, and Yosen's )

* JerkJock: Hanamiya Maktoto and the rest of the [[TryingToCatchMeFightingDirty Kirisaki Daiichi]] team, who actively participate in CripplingTheCompetition. Aomine has shades of this too. And Haizaki is all asshole all the time.

* TryingToCatchMeFightingDirty:
** Tsugawa does this by provoking Kagami into fouling him, and then deliberately stepping into the path of his movement to ''force'' a foul, despite not needing to do that to keep him in check. He just does it because [[ItAmusedMe he likes to mess with people]].
** The Kirisaki Daiichi team are the champions of this, what with their love of CripplingTheCompetition and all.
** Kaijou skirts the line during their match against Touou, when they [[spoiler:deliberately provoke [[TheAce Aomine]] into fouling four times in an attempt the neutralize him.]] To the surprise of no one, [[spoiler:all it does is piss him off.]]
** [[JerkAss Haizaki]] [[spoiler:deliberately stomps on Kise's injured foot after Kise starts crushing him with his Perfect Copy]]. It amounts to absolutely nothing.

* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: At the end of the Touou vs Kaijou match, Kasamatsu [[spoiler:[[http://www.batoto.net/read/_/14241/kuroko-no-basuke_v9_ch73_by_imangascans/6 helps an utterly defeated Kise to his feet]] [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming and escorts him to the player lineup]]]], which is a marked contrast from his [[DopeSlap normal behavior]] when dealing with him.

* HeroicSecondWind: Seirin get an [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome epic one]] during [[spoiler:the second match with Touou.]]

* PornStash: The previous year, Riko found a [[HotTeacher sexy teacher]] stash during the clubroom cleanup and punished the members by making them do [[TrainingFromHell five times the normal training menu.]] This year, the team tries to clean everything out beforehand[[spoiler:...[[CrowningMomentOfFunny but miss one.]]]]

* PreviouslyOn: [[CrowningMomentOfFunny Previously on Kuroko no Basuke]], [[NotWhatItLooksLike a deep kiss was unleashed.]]

* SmoochOfVictory: In Quarter 19, Riko attempts to motivate the guys by promising them this. [[CrowningMomentOfFunny It's not very effective...]]

The franchisr also had a series of stage play adaptations, beginning in 2016. The fourth and final play, ''Ultimate Blaze'', was performed in 2018.

** Kagami and Aomine are actually ''not'' an example despite their colors, as they're both hotheaded, somewhat selfish players who constantly scowl at everything.
** Akashi and Kuroko are a color-inverted example, amusingly enough. Akashi is more stoic than Kuroko, and Kuroko gets worked up ''far'' more when he wants to win than Akashi does, [[spoiler:at least until Akashi snaps]].

After the series finished up, Tasaoshi went on to write another Shonen Jump sports manga, ''Robot X Laserbeam'', but centering around golf rather than a more aggressive sport.