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2
3[[folder:Sohoku High School]]
4!!'''The Sohoku Team'''
5* AllThereInTheManual: Interviews with the mangaka have provided a lot of extra trivia about them. You can find a collection [[http://great-blaster.tumblr.com/post/86880452600/yowapeda-spoilers-spoilers-if-you-only-follow here.]]
6%%* HuddlePower: On bicycles!
7%% ** HuddleShot
8%% * [[TeamHandStack Team Fist Bump]]
9
10!!'''Sakamichi Onoda'''
11-->Played by: Creator/DaikiYamashita (anime), Ryouta Murai (stage play)
12[[quoteright:125:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/onoda2_3254.png]]
13
14Our main character who specializes in climbing. Onoda's claim to fame is his high cadence climb, honed by his years of riding his low-gear mommy bike.
15----
16* AccidentalAthlete: Has said he's never gotten higher than a D in Physical Education, but shows natural prowess at cycling and improves and learns fast.
17* AllLovingHero: Looks for the good in everyone, even his opponents.
18%% * ApologisesALot
19* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: Onoda's "mommy bike" forced him to bike at a higher cadence, which really helps climbing slopes on a bike.
20* {{Determinator}}: Routinely rides 90km going to and from Akihabara, in order to save on train fare.
21** He also manages to [[spoiler: beat Imaizumi in the climbing stage from last place]] during the Sohoku welcome race due to this.
22** Onoda AGAIN manages to [[spoiler: catch up to Sohoku at the front of the pack after crashing and reaching last place]] on the first day of Interhigh. [[spoiler: He has to pass over 100 riders to do this.]]
23*** He THEN [[spoiler: does the same thing again for Tadokoro, who has fallen to the back of the pack]] at the start of the second day of Interhigh. [[spoiler: Onoda drops back and pulls him along back to the rest of Sohoku.]]
24* DeterminedExpression: His default expression while cycling other than smiling.
25* [[HandshakeSubstitute Fist Bump]]: Does this with Naruko often, almost to the point it's customary they do it before races, they describe it as offering each other spirit.
26* FriendlessBackground: Suffers from this while in middle school. It's the main reason why he's [[IJustWantToHaveFriends trying so hard to revive the anime club]] at the start of the series.
27* GenkiGuy: Is adorably upbeat when he focuses on something he likes. While this part of him can easily be overlooked at the start of the series, due to him tending to be [[ShrinkingViolet very withdrawn]], as time passes and [[CharacterDevelopment he becomes more confident]] it becomes one of his most defining character traits.
28* TheHeart: Onoda is the glue that keeps this team together and in good spirits. Let us count the ways:
29** Imaizumi manages to recover from his [[spoiler: HeroicBSOD by remembering Onoda's determination]] on the second day of Interhigh.
30** Brings Tadokoro from [[spoiler: the back to the front of the pack using the power of optimism and anime openings]] on the second day of Interhigh.
31** Onoda's climbing skill gives Makishima hope to [[spoiler: have a final match with Toudou - something he couldn't do if there wasn't another climber on the team]].
32** Let's just say that if Onoda ever dropped out of the Interhigh race, things wouldn't go well for Sohoku. And in fact, [[spoiler: they actively support him when Onoda [[IWillOnlySlowYouDown feels like he can't go on and finish the race]]]] on the 2nd day.
33** On the third day of Inter-High, [[spoiler:when Kinjou's knee gives out right before the final stretch, Onoda's the one who snaps Kinjou out of his depression and reminds him that Sohoku's dream can still be fulfilled.]]
34* HesBack: Goes through this after both his [[HeroicBSOD Heroic BSODs]] listed below. The one during the freshman race is both heartwarming and hilarious, as, rejuvenated, he pedals dramatically off into the distance...leaving behind all the supplies that the seniors gave to him. Cue the rest of the club's collective FaceFault.
35* HeroicBSOD:
36** Has one at the start of the Freshman Race, complete with BrokenTears, after he realizes he mommy bike simply can't keep up with the others' road racers. While this may seem a bit pathetic at first glance, keep in mind that if he doesn't catch up he'll wind up in last place, which means he won't be able to join the cycle club, which means that he'll very possibly lose the first two friends [[FriendlessBackground that he's ever made.]] With that much riding on the race, it's a little wonder that he's so torn up about being unable to compete.
37** He gets another one during training camp, after he gets it into his head that [[spoiler:he only likes climbing slopes because it's easy for him]].
38** Has a minor one when he [[spoiler: crashes during Interhigh and falls to last place.]]
39* IGaveMyWord: Is incredibly determined to fulfill his orders during Interhigh, [[spoiler: going to such crazy lengths as riding in a gutter to pass 100 riders or dropping to the back of the pack to get Tadokoro]].
40* IJustWantToHaveFriends: His burning desire to have friends is the motivation behind most of his actions at the beginning of the series.
41* TheKnightsWhoSaySquee: Onoda tends to get very impressed by other cyclists, even the ones of his age.
42** The most prominent example is Makishima. Unlike Imaizumi and Naruko, who see respectively Kinjou and Tadokoro as friendly rivals who they want to surpass, Onoda just looks up to Makishima and thinks everything he does is cool.
43*** This comes prepackaged with lots of sparkles and a LuminescentBlush or twelve, so much so in fact that it doesn't only make socially awkward Makishima extremely uncomfortable but thoroughly confuses the rest of the team.
44** Although not the point of [[{{Squee}} squee]], he's also visibly amazed by [[spoiler: Arakita]] after a very badass moment of the latter. It comes to the point that Onoda seems to want to go after him, even though he's an ''opponent'', after he gets left behind.
45* TheLoad: Sometimes sees himself as this to the cycling club, especially when he compares his skill level to the likes of Imaizumi and Naruko. This self doubt is especially noticeable after [[spoiler:the freshmen qualify for the interhigh]], though it's quickly put to rest by the rest of the team's encouragement.
46* MeaningfulName: His first name literally means "slope".
47* MiracleRally: Pretty much the only way he wins.
48* MoralityPet:
49** Onoda can be seen as this for Imaizumi.
50** For Makishima as well. When Tadokoro gets left behind on the second day of the inter-high, Makishima makes the decision to go on without him. Onoda asks Makishima to let him stay behind and help Tadokoro catch up, which he reluctantly agrees to once he sees Onoda's PuppyDogEyes.
51* NaiveNewcomer: The world of competitive cycling is completely foreign to him. This is actually played for drama during the summer training camp, when he [[spoiler:fails to realize that the seniors have modified his bike]], and almost suffers from a [[HeroicBSOD major existential crisis]] after his performance drops.
52%% * NerdGlasses
53* NiceGuy: Essentially a nice boy who is friendly even to opponents and outright hostile riders. He goes as far as respecting the likes of Midousuji.
54* NoOneGetsLeftBehind: His personal philosophy after Kinjou tells him to keep Sohoku together during Interhighs. Goes out of his way to fulfill this. See {{Determinator}} above. [[spoiler: During the third day of Interhigh, he and Imaizumi hava to leave Naruko behind after he wears out all of his stamina and collapses.]]
55* {{Otaku}}: At the start of the series, he's your stereotypical anime otaku.
56* ThePowerOfFriendship: Converts everyone to "Onoda-ism" very quickly. He does this to Imaizumi during their back gate race, Naruko during their meeting in Akihabara, and the seniors and coaches during the Freshman race.
57* SociallyAwkwardHero: Doesn't excel in social situations, but is an incredibly [[{{Determinator}} determined]] [[BadassAdorable badass]] on the road.
58* TearsOfJoy: After catching up to Imaizumi and Naruko in the freshman race.
59* UnskilledButStrong: Onoda in a nutshell. Yes, he has an amazing cycling technique, but because of his lack of training he falls woefully short in both the stamina and overall fitness categories compared to the other club members. Since bicycle racing is mainly an endurance sport, this costs him more than a few races at the beginning of the series.
60* TheWatson: Onoda often asks Makishima and others about cycling and cycling strategy to help readers/viewers understand the sport.
61* WingdingEyes: His eyes briefly turn into spirals in episode 7.
62* WorthyOpponent: To Imaizumi, who comes to respect the effort Onoda puts into growing in cycling, and Manami, who recognized his potential and wished to race against him from the beginning.
63
64!!'''Shunsuke Imaizumi'''
65-->Played by: Creator/KosukeToriumi (anime), Motohiro Oda (stage play)
66[[quoteright:115:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/imaizumi_350.png]]
67
68A first-year and experienced cyclist who first notices Onoda's talent for climbing. He's an all-round cyclist whose main motivation is to defeat Midousuji in a race.
69
70----
71* AnimalMotif: Imaizumi is like a rabbit. He does have a lot of rabbit shirts.
72* ButtMonkey: In the omakes, both in the physical and nonphysical sense.
73* ChildhoodFriends: With Miki.
74* ConvertedFanboy: Imaizumi becomes a serious fan of [[ShowWithinAShow Love Hime]] thanks to Onoda. [[spoiler: He even goes with Onoda to the Love Hime movie and gets just as in to it as Onoda does.]]
75** [[spoiler: He even attended a Love Hime CONVENTION with Onoda, though he was somewhat confused by the whole thing.]]
76* DefrostingIceQueen: A non-romantic version. Opens up after befriending Onoda.
77* DontThinkFeel: Imaizumi, who in his previous races tries to act logically based on his biometrics, decides to ignore his heart rate and cadence monitor and go all-out during his race with Onoda.
78* HeroicBSOD: [[spoiler:Starts having one when he's unable to catch up to Midousuji]] on the last stretch of the first day of the Interhigh, and then on the second day he has a full blown one when [[spoiler: Kyoto Fushimi passes him and Kinjou while Midousuji declares that he never even saw Sohoku as competition.]]
79* InformedAttractiveness: Possesses a group of fangirls, and his looks are frequently commented on.
80* InnerMonologue: Most of his compliments for Onoda are not spoken.
81* [[spoiler: IWillOnlySlowYouDown: Says this to Kinjou]] during the 2nd day [[spoiler: during one of his [[HeroicBSOD Heroic BSODs]]]].
82* JackOfAllStats: As he is an All-Rounder.
83* JerkJock: Subverted. He is aloof and does have a "not here to make friends or play games" attitude in the beginning, as he's completely focused on cycling. That said, he's much nicer than his introduction makes him seem.
84* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Often acts cold and uninterested, but he does genuinely care for people who get hurt - he helps Onoda when he crashes, and an old man when he trips. He also compliments Onoda on his skill and encourages him to better himself and become part of the cycling club.
85* [[LonelyAtTheTop Lonely At The Front]]: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]], as Imaizumi's goal to be in first place is ''because'' it's quiet at the front of the pack.
86* LonelyRichKid: As a child.
87* OddFriendship:
88** It may seem odd that the reserved and aloof Imaizumi and hyper and overtly-friendly Miki are friends, but they've known each other since elementary school. Despite clearly being annoyed by Miki's teasing, he is still close to her.
89** Imiazumi's odd friendship with Onoda could technically be considered the catalyst of the series.
90* SayMyName: Episode 20 of Grande Road, he lets out a loud [[spoiler: Naruko.]]
91%% * SecondPlaceIsForLosers
92* SexyManInstantHarem: This trope is in very much in effect for him, and it's completely PlayedForLaughs.
93--> '''Onoda''': [[LampshadeHanging There's actually something that's been bothering me...]]
94--> *Cut to fangirls*
95--> '''Imaizumi''': [[UnwantedHarem I...I don't know why this is happening either.]]
96* SweetTooth: He loves sweet tamagoyaki that’s loaded with sugar.
97* TallDarkAndHandsome: One of the prettiest looking among the main cast and is a good head taller than the rest of the cycle club freshmen. He also overlaps into TallDarkAndSnarky territory too, especially in his interactions with [[TheRival Naruko.]]
98* TheUnsmile: Teshima tells him he needs to smile while praising Sadatoki for succesfully emulating Onoda's climbing style. The result is… confusing.
99--> '''Sadatoki''': Nii-chan, was he praising me or angry just now?
100--> '''Sugimoto''': Even I don't know!
101* UnwantedHarem: Poor [[TallDarkAndHandsome Imaizumi]] is downright ''[[NoGuyWantsToBeChased horrified]]'' at all the female attention his races get.
102
103!!'''Shoukichi Naruko'''
104-->Played by: Creator/JunFukushima (anime), Yuuki Torigoe (stage play)
105[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/naruko_7242.png]]
106
107A first-year sprinter who transfers to Sohoku from Osaka.
108
109----
110* AffectionateNickname: Was called "Shou-chan" by his childhood friends and elementary school classmates.
111* AnimalMotif: Tigers.
112* BerserkButton: Disrespecting bicycles and their riders.
113* BigBrotherInstinct: Naruko has three younger brothers and is very caring towards them, to the point of spoiling them, as he carries candy on him to give to his brothers.
114** BigBrotherWorship: Receives this, as it is said in his character bio that his little brothers look up to him.
115** [[DotingParent Doting Brother]]: His character bio has a section entitled "Brotherly Love," which says he carries candies on him to give to his brothers and takes good care of them.
116* BigEater: Often has eating competitions with Aoyagi.
117* BreakTheCutie: [[spoiler: His second year is just not going well for him; first he loses a race to Midousuji and has to give up being a Sprinter, then at the first day of Interhigh, after a valiant effort, he winds up losing due to [[HeightAngst the very thing he tried to overcome]] and he has suffered from BrokenTears quite a few times already. These defeats are wearing down on his confidence and could potentially affect him as Interhigh goes on.]]
118* BrokenTears: [[spoiler: Gets this when Tadokoro pulls from the pack on the third day of Interhigh.]]
119** [[spoiler: Gets this again when he loses a race against Midousuji and as per a bet, had to give up being a Sprinter.]]
120** [[spoiler: Happens again on the first day of his second Interhigh. After a valiant effort, he places second and narrowly loses to Ashikiba primarily due to the large difference in size. Naruko keeps up a brave face for the spectators, interviewers, and competitors; making the reader believe he isn't really affected by it. As soon as he is alone, however, he lets go of the emotions he'd been holding back and cries.]]
121%% * CallingYourAttacks
122* CallingYourBathroomBreaks: To the point of it being a minor running gag.
123* CharacterTics: Often licks his lips when particularly excited about the situation in a race.
124* CurtainsMatchTheWindows: Turns out Naruko makes this happen, as he has been dying his hair since he was very young as a way to stand out. Some people think that his red eyes may be caused by color contacts.
125* CuteLittleFangs: Has one pronounced canine.
126* {{Determinator}}: [[spoiler: During the third day of Interhigh during his first year, he pushes his body beyond its limits in an effort for Imaizumi, Makishima, and Onoda to catch up to Hakone, the exhaustion sets in and he even loses his vision and needs Onoda to tell him directions.]]
127* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Imaizumi loves mentioning that Naruko's fans are mainly guys (Watanabe explains this decision is because Naruko is popular amongst the male readers), and as shown in the third day of Interhigh, while catching Sohoku up to Hakogaku, both the girls ''and'' the guys were watching him in awe, almost as if they had fallen for him.
128--> '''Male Spectator after Naruko high-fives him''': (stares at hand) "I'm gonna root for Sohoku."
129* FieryRedhead: Possesses a vibrant head of red hair, which fits in with the whole HotBlooded, [[RedOniBlueOni red oni]] shtick he has going on.
130--> '''Naruko''': A man has to be in red.
131** He's [[InvokedTrope dyed it]] from a young age in a bid to stand out more.
132* HeightAngst: [[spoiler:Often lost races in the past due to his height.]]
133* [[spoiler: HistoryRepeats]]: [[spoiler: Naruko's second Interhigh comes to an end with him burning himself out in an attempt to catch Imaizumi and Onoda up to the leading Midousuji, he succeeds, but pulls from his group and collapses off his bike and is left staring up into the sky and pleading for his friends to win; once again not making it to the finish line with them.]]
134* HotBlooded: ''Hands down'' the most passionate member of the freshmen trio.
135* TheIdiotFromOsaka: Dear ''lord''. If you somehow missed this from [[HotBlooded his whole attitude]] and the obvious accent, his biking gear has [[BroughtToYouByTheLetterS KANSAI]] scrawled across it in block caps.
136--> [[MyNameIsInigoMontoya I am Naruko Shoukichi!]] I'm a man who loves [[SeriousBusiness bicycles]] and his [[TrueCompanions friends!!]]
137* {{Irony}}: [[spoiler: At the first day of Interhigh, he expresses that he wants himself, Onoda, and Imaizumi to cross the finish line and win together on the final day. On the final day, Naruko burns himself out and has to be left behind, being the only one of the three not to cross the finish line.]]
138* ItsPersonal: [[spoiler: In the current Interhigh, Naruko personally challenges Midousuji to a race to get revenge from an earlier encounter that resulted in Naruko losing and having to give up being a Sprinter. He plans on winning to regain his title as a Sprinter.]]
139* JackOfAllStats: [[spoiler: During the Welcome Race, Imaizumi was initially confused on what cyclist type Naruko was, as he excelled at sprinting and was pretty good at climbing; he at first believed him to be an All-Rounder, but after discovering his climbing technique was only effective on light inclines and not steep ones, Imaizumi realized Naruko was only a Sprinter. However, during their Second Year, Imaizumi has a similar thought on Naruko being an excellent Sprinter and has the potential to be a good Climber and suggests to him he becomes an All-Rounder, to which Naruko refuses. Later, Naruko makes a bet with Imaizumi, that if he beats Midosuji in a race, he stays a Sprinter, but if he loses, he has to become an All-Rounder. Naruko winds up losing the bet and goes home to Osaka for awhile to ponder on the soon to come changes, deciding he'll stick to his word and give it a shot; swapping to All-Rounder.]]
140* LargeHam: Loud and proud, being easily the loudest of the PowerTrio.
141* ManlyTears: When he's frustrated that he lost to Imaizumi.
142* MassiveNumberedSiblings: The second oldest of five.
143* MiseryBuildsCharacter: [[spoiler:Learns to accept that his losses when he was younger has made him a better sprinter.]]
144* TheNapoleon: He's the shortest member on the team, his official height is said to be 165cm, the same as Onoda and Aoyagi's, but he is actually slightly shorter than the two of them.
145* TheNicknamer: Gives much of the cast a nickname. Namely: "Hotshot" for Imaizumi, "Quiet Senpai" for Aoyagi, "Captain Shades" for Kinjou, "Old man" for Tadokoro, "Perm [[UsefulNotes/JapaneseHonorifics Sempai]]" for Teshima, "Eyelashes" for Izumida, and so it goes. He also calls one of the other racers in the inter-high "Gorilla".
146* NoOneGetsLeftBehind: Like Onoda, he hates having to leave his teammates behind and will often say they need to either go back or wait for them; especially during the first two days of Interhigh. [[spoiler: {{Irony}} kicks in during day three of Interhigh when he overexerts himself catching Onoda, Makishima, and Imaizumi up to Hakone and winds up collapsing from exhaustion, dropping out of the race, and as a result, is left behind.]]
147* {{Nosebleed}}: [[spoiler: Gets one during a race against Midousuji back in his hometown where he goes all out, this is symbolic of his {{HotBlooded}} nature.]]
148* OddFriendship: Loud, boisterous Naruko gets along with [[TheQuietOne Aoyagi]].
149* OlderThanTheyLook: Enough to be mistaken for a kindergartner while in ''3rd grade''.
150* RealMenCook: He knows how to cook and often cooks for his brothers.
151* RealMenHateSugar: Subverted in an omake. Naruko pretends to enjoy black coffee when hanging out with Onoda, but immediately asks the server that milk be added the second Onoda goes to he bathroom.
152* SignatureLaugh: Has a distinctive "ka ka ka" laugh.
153* TemporaryBlindness: [[spoiler: Is affected by this during the third day of Interhigh when he pushes himself too hard while drafting for Imaizumi, Makishima, and Onoda in an effort to catch up to Hakone. [[{{Determinator}} It doesn't stop him from catching them up.]]]]
154* {{Tsundere}}: Type A towards Imaizumi, on the first day of Interhigh when he first proposes the idea that he, Imaizumi, and Onoda finish on the third day together, Imaizumi is surprised Naruko included him; Naruko's response was to say of course, turn away, and say he didn't want to see Imaizumi cry for leaving him out, while ''blushing''.
155* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Naruko is shown to have a fear of flying in the movie, as shown by his nervous behavior while getting luggage checked and nearly having a panic attack on the plane; telling Sugimoto to not talk, or it'll make the plane crash.
156
157!!'''Shingo Kinjou'''
158-->Played by: Creator/HirokiYasumoto (anime), Naoya Gomoto (stage play)
159[[quoteright:115:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kinjo_4756.png]]
160
161A senior all-rounder for the team. He's the captain for Sohoku.
162----
163* TheAce: Sohoku's overall best rider in the storyline's first Interhigh race.
164* AnimalMotif: Snake.
165* BadassDriver: Has insane control over his bicycle.
166* TheCaptain: Leads the team with a cool head and is treated by them with great trust and respect.
167* CatchPhrase: "I never give up!"
168* CoolShades: Nearly always uses dark, magenta-colored shades. He usually only takes them off when not racing or when [[GlassesPull extremely impressed]].
169* {{Determinator}}: [[spoiler: Doggedly sees his second-year inter-high race to the end, even after suffering a crash at the hands of Fukutomi on the first day and losing the lead he had so desperately worked to win.]]
170** He's even one when he's sewing. After accidentally sewing his lapel and shirt together:
171---> '''Kinjou''': [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments I never give up!]]
172* [[spoiler: GameBreakingInjury: His crash]] during his second year at Interhigh [[spoiler: forces him to drop out of his third-year race.]]
173* HoldingYourShoulderMeansInjury: Averted. [[spoiler: After he crosses the finish line on the second day of his second-year Inter-high, he's constantly holding his ribs, where he's bleeding through his jersey.]]
174* [[spoiler: ICanStillFight: Insists on racing the day after his crash with Fukutomi.]]
175* [[spoiler: ItsAllMyFault: Kinjou blames himself for crashing for not being able to fulfill his expectations as TheAce]] on the second day of his second-year Interhigh, [[spoiler: despite it not being his fault. It's only after Fukutomi's apology that the team realizes what happened.]]
176** He also does this again [[spoiler: when he's forced to drop out of his final Inter High due to a knee injury.]]
177* JackOfAllStats: As an "all-rounder" for the team.
178* ManlyTears: Cries only in special occasions and still maintains his dignity even then.
179* ManipulativeBastard: A rare heroic example, Kinjou is surprisingly good at knowing exactly how to motivate his team to reach their full potential, such as egging on Imaizumi during a sprint and telling Naruko to make sure to act "flashy" [[spoiler: right before he dropped out.]] Notably, it's heavily hinted that he ''wanted'' Makishima to tell Onoda about his secretly altered bike during the [[TrainingFromHell Training Camp From Hell]] in order for them to become closer.
180* RealMenWearPink: Enjoys sewing and embroidery.
181* StageMagician: As a hobby.
182** PickACard: Performs this trick for Onoda, Imaizumi and Naruko.
183* StoicSpectacles: Wears glasses and usually has full contorl of his emotions.
184* TheStoic: Is notably very withdrawn and serious to the point of being intimidating at the beginning of the series, in contrast to the moody and creepy Makishima and loud and brash Tadokoro.
185
186!!'''Yusuke Makishima'''
187-->Played by: Creator/ShowtaroMorikubo (anime), Tomoki Hirose (stage play)
188[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/makishima_9087.png]]
189
190Senior climbing specialist, and mentor to Onoda.
191
192----
193* AffectionateNickname: Toudou calls him "Maki-chan".
194* AnimalMotif: Spiders. Is sometimes associated with goats as well.
195* BerserkButton: Touching his stuff.
196--> '''Makishima''': If you touch things without permission, I'll have you executed.\
197'''Tadokoro''': ''[rummages through fridge]'' Have anything to eat?\
198'''Makishima:''' EXECUTED!
199* CharacterTics: Covering one half of his face with his hand, usually while smiling.
200* CovertPervert: His interests apparently include reading ''gravure'' (which is essentially cheesecake).
201* CreepyGood: He is initially depicted as creepy and intimidating but turns out to be one of the nicest characters in the series.
202* DeadpanSnarker: You wouldn't suspect socially awkward Maki-chan of being capable of this but he gets some pretty deadpan comments in on Toudou occasionally.
203* DoesNotLikeSpam: Doesn't like Grapes.
204* FirstNameBasis: Not with anyone constantly but when he gets fired up he calls Toudou by his first name and later does the same to Onoda.
205* GenericCuteness: The mangaka said that he's supposed to be drawn as creepy and gross, but he's the most popular character in the series and the anime has a lot of fun making his hair as pretty as possible.
206* HatesSmallTalk: He outright states that he's bad at it.
207* HiddenDepths: He is surprisingly good at drawing.
208* HiddenHeartOfGold: While Makishima isn't very easy to talk to, he is nice and does help out Onoda during their joint practice and during the [[TrainingFromHell training camp]] (despite being told by Kinjou not to do so).
209* HideTheEvidence: Cuts out part of the clubhouse's drywall that he used to mark his secret practices after some upperclassmen find out about it.
210* ImpossiblyTackyClothes: His casual wear. The first time you see him out of his school uniform, Makishima is wearing a ''green and yellow stripes shirt with only one blue sleeve''. Onoda thinks it's cool though.
211* KubrickStare: When he sees that Onoda and Naruko have found the hole he made in the team clubhouse.
212* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: With Toudou, to a hilarious degree.
213* LongHairedPrettyBoy: He's supposed to be drawn as creepy and gross. Makishima himself was apparently not aware of that.
214* MrExposition: Answers a lot of Onoda's questions about cycling as a way of informing the reader/viewer about the sport.
215* NightmareFuelStationAttendant: For Onoda and Naruko initially. Now Onoda thinks he's the coolest person ever.
216* NoSocialSkills: He's really bad with people and openly admits he's best at expressing himself with his bicycle.
217* OddFriendship:
218** He and Tadokoro seem to have a friendly bond despite being near polar opposites in both personality and appearance.
219** Also has one with Toudou from Hakone, who is loud and ''very'' flashy, contrasting to Makishima's more withdrawn personality.
220* PickACard: His hobby is playing card tricks.
221* RapidHairGrowth: In flashbacks [[note]]which date less than a year[[/note]] his hair is almost shoulder length. By the time the series starts, it's down to his back. And that's only when he slouches. He has very good metabolism and his hair grows fast as a result of that.
222* SayMyName: JINPACHI!
223* StraightMan: Is the most likely to play this role in the third years, due to being more grounded and realistic than either Kinjou or Tadokoro, and also to the more comical Toudou whenever they meet.
224* TeamMom: Tries to fulfill this role with the 1st and 2nd years but isn't always the best at it. He fits this role especially with Onoda.
225* TearsOfJoy: [[spoiler: When Sohoku manages to win in the last day of Interhigh, Makishima cries when going on the stage with the rest of the team]].
226* {{Tsundere}}: He shows some signs of being a mild one towards Onoda in the beginning, what with waiting for him and then vehemently denying that he waited.
227%% * TheUnSmile
228* VerbalTic: Adds "-sho" to the end of his sentences.
229* WeakButSkilled: Like Onoda, he isn't very strong on flats or sprints but is very skilled at climbing.
230* WorthyOpponent: Though he won't outright admit it, he does consider Toudou as this.
231
232!!'''Jin Tadokoro'''
233-->Played by: Creator/KentaroIto (anime), Masashi Oyama (stage play)
234[[quoteright:120:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/todoroki_7544.png]]
235
236Senior sprinter for Sohoku.
237
238----
239* AffectionateNickname: Makishima calls Tadokoro "Tadokorocchi".
240* AnimalMotif: Bear.
241* BattleCry: '''Ox-y-gen!'''
242* BigBrotherMentor: Is this toward the second years Aoyagi and Teshima.
243** He also seems to have a soft sport towards Onoda. He's the first of the team to see his potential, encouraging him to try and beat Imaizumi when he has to drop out of the first year race and giving him extra food during the training camp so he doesn't drop out. [[spoiler: In his flashback to when he attempts to resign from the club, it's revealed that these are things that happened to him during his first year, hinting that he sees himself in Onoda.]]
244* BigEater: And HOW!
245* TheBigGuy: Physically the biggest, most imposing and boisterous guy of the club. To add, he is a sprinter, which, despite not being a part without its need of wits, is essentially about being the fastest while raising the team's morale and making a show out of it.
246%% * CallingYourAttacks
247* DespairEventHorizon: Almost crosses it when [[spoiler: he realizes he's too sick to catch up to the rest of the pack. Cue Onoda staying back to help him catch up.]]
248%% * FatAndProud
249* HiddenDepths: He has a love of history, specifically Japanese history. He makes a reference to Oda Nobunaga when [[spoiler: signing a message on the Interhigh ribbon.]]
250* HotBlooded: In a series full of hot blooded guys.
251* ImplausibleDeniability: Tells [[spoiler: Fukutomi]] when he visits that the pile of wheels [[BlatantLies totally fell on their own. On top of him.]] Makishima calls him out on it.
252* [[spoiler: IWillOnlySlowYouDown:]] At the end of the first day of his third year Interhigh, [[spoiler: he tells Makishima to leave him behind during Interhighs if he can't keep up.]]
253%% * LargeHam
254* ManlyTears: Sheds them quite a lot.
255** One particular example is on the second day of the inter-high when Onoda stays back and helps him catch up with the team. While he is thanking Onoda and telling him how grateful he is, he starts crying.
256* [[spoiler:MiseryBuildsCharacter: Touji adopts this attitude with respect to Tadokoro. Though Tadokoro lost a lot of races]] as a freshman, [[spoiler: Touji knew that they would drive him and make him a better sprinter.]]
257* NumberTwo: Kinjou's vice-captain, according to Pedal Sign trivia.
258* ObsessedWithFood: It doesn't help that his parents own a bakery.
259* OddFriendship: With the other third years, who are both very different from him: Makishima is quite socially awkward and has a very different style of cycling overall, and Kinjou is much more reserved and taciturn. Despite that, the three of them are very much True companions.
260* PapaBear: To the 2nd years. Doesn't help that he's frequently associated with bears.
261* SignatureLaugh: Written as "ga ha ha."
262* TeamDad: In contrast to the stoic Kinjou and the awkward Makishima, he fufills this role for the 1st and 2nd years.
263* TearsOfJoy: [[spoiler: When he and Onoda catch up to the rest of the Sohoku team]] on the second day of Interhigh.
264* [[spoiler: WeightWoe]]: As a freshman, [[spoiler:one of his reasons for handing in his resignation from cycling club was because he couldn't lose weight, meaning that he wouldn't be able to climb well. Even if he did he would lose power.]]
265
266!!'''Terufumi Sugimoto'''
267-->Played by: Creator/KoukiMiyata (anime)
268[[quoteright:118:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jjjjjjjjjj_5287.jpg]]
269
270Another first-year who joined the bicycle club with Onoda and co.
271
272----
273* BigBrotherMentor: He never displays an envy towrds his BigLittleBrother and instead tries to teach him whatever he can to the best of his abilites.
274* ADayInTheLimelight: From chapter 263 to 273.
275* CharacterTics: The "experienced" DeclarativeFinger.
276* {{Determinator}}: [[spoiler: He's able to match Kaburagi's skilled riding with willpower alone.]]
277* HeroWorshipper: Towards [[spoiler: Imaizumi.]]
278* ICallItVera: Calls his bicycle "Col-chan".
279* KnowNothingKnowItAll: Subverted. Does give his advice and opinions on cycling in a smug way, but his advice is all correct.
280* LittleBigBrother: [[spoiler:Turns out Sugimoto has a brother who is a year younger than him and is massively taller than him and he joins the cycling club in the main trio's Second Year]].
281* SmallNameBigEgo: Loves pointing out how experienced he is.
282* SmugSnake: Downplayed. While he likes to flaunt his "experience", he is rather nice.
283
284!!'''Junta Teshima'''
285-->Played by: Creator/DaisukeKishio (anime)
286[[quoteright:135:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/perm_202.jpg]]
287
288A second-year bicycle club member at Sohoku, who eventually becomes the captain of the team in his third-year.
289
290----
291* AffectionateNickname: Ashikiba calls him "Jun-chan" (a friendly, cutesy honorific).
292* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: He actually felt this way towards [[spoiler:Imaizumi, during middle school, enough to make him consider stop cycling]]. Meeting and teaming up with Aoyagi is what gets him out of it.
293* ArtEvolution: A notable example; especially in the anime, as of his and Aoyagi's third year, Teshima's hair becomes more defined with extra purple with his irises being much larger, giving more depth to his eyes.
294* BrainsAndBrawn: The brains in his partnership with Aoyagi, creating plans to push the other to victory.
295* TheCaptain: Becomes Sohoku's captain when Kinjou graduates.
296* TheCastShowoff: Makes it quite clear that he often goes to karaoke in his spare time; even to the point where in the extra material CD's, via Daisuke Kishio's voice, Teshima's the only one who sings the ''Love Hime'' opening the most seriously, and beautifully on top of that.
297* ChildhoodFriends: With Ashikiba.
298* DeadpanSnarker: Tends to sound like this when he psychologically taunts his foes, which also ties into him being a GuileHero; it was especially noticeable during the training camp challenge and [[spoiler: the second Inter-High preliminaries]], when he easily confuses his enemies with smooth talking and some flashy gestures. He notes that a race is as much a mental battle as a physical one.
299* FirstNameBasis: Both Aoyagi and Koga call him "Junta." He used to call Koga by his given name and returns to the habit during their race. Aoyagi, on the other hand, is always "Aoyagi" [[spoiler: until the second Inter-High.]]
300* GameBreakingInjury: Strains his leg muscles during the 1000 kilometer race, forcing him to quit the race and any chance of going to the Inter-High.
301* GratuitousEnglish: "It's tea time."
302* GreenEyedMonster: Is envious of Imaizumi's talent and seemingly effortless victories, but gets better after the training camp and supports him as well as the rest of Sohoku's team.
303** [[spoiler:He also felt this way towards Koga when the latter was chosen to be a regular in their first year.]]
304* HardWorkHardlyWorks: Despite a year of training with Tadokoro and Aoyagi, he isn't able to defeat first-years Naruko, Imaizumi or even Onoda (who, at this point, is still a beginner, albeit immensely talented).
305** Averted in case of local races – with Teshima's help, Aoyagi wins five of six they've attended.
306* TheHeart: As captain in his third year, he understands his team very well and can quickly manage any personal or motivational issues. His way with talking as the aforementioned GuileHero also makes his words resonate with others strongly whenever he's considered an ally via CharacterizationMarchesOn.
307** Teshima's determined riding motivates Onoda enough to snap him out of his depressive phase and win the Minegayama Hill Climb. Despite him considering himself the weakest member of Souhoku's IH lineup, both Imaizumi and Onoda agree that without Teshima they wouldn't have been able to win the prefecturals.
308* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Aoyagi.
309* RealMenWearPink: He's proficient with cooking, sewing and knitting
310* StoneWall: Acts as a tank for Aoyagi, preventing other racers from getting past him so his partner can speed ahead.
311* TheStrategist: Works with Aoyagi to defeat their opponents with tactics.
312* TearsOfJoy: When, during Interhighs, Tadokoro wins the first checkpoint.
313* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Chocolate and tea.
314* UndyingLoyalty: To Aoyagi and Tadokoro.
315
316!!'''Hajime Aoyagi'''
317-->Played by: Creator/YoshitsuguMatsuoka (anime)
318[[quoteright:120:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aoyaki_9503.jpg]]
319
320A second-year bicycle club member at Sohoku. He doesn't talk much. Eventually becomes the vice-captain of the team in his third-year.
321
322----
323* AdaptationalDyeJob: Both hair and eyes, within both the manga and anime. In the his second year during the manga, he was depicted as having light brown hair, similar to the color in the anime, in his third year, he starts being drawn with blonde hair. Additionally, he has been draw with either blue and gold eyes, it varies often so his "official" eye color isn't stated, in the anime, his eyes are black.
324* ArtEvolution: In both his and Teshima's third year, Aoyagi's hair and eyes become more defined, giving him more physical characterization.
325* BigEater: In emulation of Tadokoro, he often gets in eating competitions with Naruko.
326* BrainsAndBrawn: The brawn in his partnership with Teshima, as the slightly better cyclist.
327* CallingYourAttacks: When he uses [[spoiler: Tadokoro's Human Bullet Train technique.]]
328* CurtainsMatchTheWindows: Only sometimes in the manga where the artist decides to color his eyes gold after he starts being drawn with blonde hair.
329* DeadpanSnarker: Turns out to be this after opening up more during the second year.
330* FirstNameBasis: Calls both Teshima and Koga by their given names.
331* GameBreakingInjury: Strains his leg muscles during the 1000 kilometer race (at the exact same moment as Teshima), forcing him to quit the race and any chance of going to the Inter-High.
332* HardWorkHardlyWorks: Despite a year of training with Tadokoro and Teshima, he isn't able to defeat first-years Naruko, Imaizumi or even Onoda (who, at this point, is still a beginner, albeit immensely talented).
333** Averted in case of local races – with Teshima's help, Aoyagi wins five of six they've attended.
334** Also averted later in his third year, where Aoyagi becomes an incredibly strong sprinter thanks to developing a new technique.
335* HeroWorshipper: Absolutely ''adores'' Tadokoro, to the point of emulating him in his last year.
336* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Teshima.
337* InnerMonologue: Is prone to those, especially in the manga.
338* NumberTwo: Teshima's, as he is named vice-captain in his third year.
339* OddFriendship: With [[HotBlooded Naruko]].
340* TheQuietOne[=/=]TheSilentBob: Rarely speaks, though he starts to be a bit more vocal during his and Teshima's third year.
341* TearsOfJoy: When, during Interhighs, Tadokoro wins the first checkpoint.
342* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Cabbage.
343* UndyingLoyalty: To Teshima and Tadokoro.
344* VisibleSilence: Very often. If a crowd shot with multiple speech bubbles features a "....." one, it will always be Aoyagi's. He also has a distinct "koku" onomatopeia for his silent nods.
345
346!!'''Miki Kanzaki'''
347-->Played by: Creator/AyakaSuwa (anime)
348[[quoteright:127:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mkasaki_5639.jpg]]
349
350The club manager of Sohoku's bicycle club. She also works part-time in her family's cycling store (the same store that sponsors Sohoku's team). Childhood friend of Imaizumi and younger sister of Tooji.
351
352----
353* AwesomenessByAnalysis: A minor case but, like her older brother, Miki has a keen sense of observation. This comes into play in Year 2, where she notices [[spoiler: Imaizumi]] and later [[spoiler: Aoyagi's]] injuries before they tell anyone
354* BewareTheNiceOnes: Didn't like when Naruko talked about her breasts and broke a broom over his head.
355* CharacterTics: Has a habit of pressing her hands together in front of her when she talks.
356* ChildhoodFriends: With Imaizumi. They initially weren't very big fans of one another.
357* CloudCuckooLander: Aya claims she always "has her head in the clouds" unless the topic turns to bicycles.
358%% * CuteSportsClubManager
359* TheGadfly: Has a habit of teasing Imaizumi and Aya. She even teases Makishima after he finally starts cheering for Onoda during the first year race.
360%% * GenkiGirl
361* MotorMouth: Whenever she gets the chance to geek out about bikes.
362* MsExposition: In the early parts of the series.
363** Has now somewhat regained this role during the Second Interhigh now that Aya (who has next to no knowledge of cycling) has joined the support team.
364* NiceGirl: Her friendliness is a big part of why Onoda starts to rethink his "jocks are mean" philosophy.
365* NonActionGirl: Despite loving bicycles and bikes so much, she has not been seen on a bicycle yet, so far.
366* OddFriendship: Two.
367** She's been friends with Imaziumi for years, despite their relationship having a shaky start. Miki's overly friendly nature and tendency to push Imaizumi's buttons visibly annoys him a little, but they're still fairly close.
368** The grumpy and abrasive Aya frequently and loudly complains about Miki's "alien bike talk" whenever she gets on a roll, but she clearly cares about her a lot. In fact, if second year is anything to go by, Aya might be slowly becoming interested in cycling.
369* {{Otaku}}: A self-proclaimed cycling otaku, she talks about bikes the same way Onoda talks about anime, down to the exact same sparkling eyes.
370* PluckyGirl: Definitely hits the "spirited" checkbox. She's also brave in the fact that she is able to speak on a comfortable level with her (intimidating) senpai and coldly shuts down a rival cyclist on Day 3 of the Inter-High.
371* SayItWithHearts: Sometimes when she's speaking to Aya about all the hard work they have to do, giving her a bit of a sarcastic air.
372* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: The girly girl to her tomboyish friend Aya.
373
374!!'''Touji Kanzaki'''
375-->Played by: Creator/JunichiSuwabe (anime)
376[[quoteright:108:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/touji2_2732.jpg]]
377
378Miki's elder brother, who used to be the captain of the club. Now runs the local bike shop and helps out the team on the side (usually by driving everyone around in the shop's van).
379
380----
381* AwesomenessByAnalysis: Seems to share this trait with Miki, he's able to figure out who the club "vandal" is by the distinct slant of their writing.
382* BigBrotherMentor: To Kinjou, Tadokoro and Makishima.
383* TheCaptain: When he was a senior at Sohoku.
384* OralFixation: Pretz or a toothpick. It's dried squid.
385* PassingTheTorch: After retiring, he passes the leadership to the next generation.
386
387!!'''Mr. Pierre'''
388-->Played by: Creator/KenyuHoriuchi (anime)
389[[quoteright:111:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mrpierre_4371.png]]
390
391The coach for the Sohoku bicycle team and an English teacher at Sohoku High.
392
393----
394* CoolOldGuy: An elderly ReasonableAuthorityFigure with great analitical skills who can easily figure out any flaws in his students techiniques and teach them how to overcome those shortcomings without being overtly strict or critical, instead providing purely constructive criticism.
395* CoolTeacher: When the members of his team are in his class for a make-up lesson, he lets them go outside and practice riding instead.
396* EyesAlwaysShut: Though he often opens them in intense situations.
397* FunnyForeigner: While watching Naruko and Imaizumi race:
398--> '''Mr. Pierre''': ''[collapses]'' I just got so excited that I forgot to breathe!
399* GratuitousEnglish: [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], as he is a foreigner.
400* ObfuscatingStupidity: In the beginning. He falls over during the race so that Naruko and Imaizumi would check on him and he would be able to talk to them.
401* PerpetualSmiler: Nearly always seen with a smile on his face.
402
403!!'''Issa Kaburagi'''
404-->Played by: Creator/HiroShimono (anime)
405
406A first year that joins the team after Interhigh in the following school year.
407
408----
409* AnimalMotif: Like Naruko, he's pretty closely associated with the tiger.
410* [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Arrogant Cycling Guy]]: Is quite confident in his cycling abilities. Later subverted: he is still over-confident and bratty sometimes, but at the same time it's quite easy to gain his respect. He's not above thanking and admiring [[spoiler: Sugimoto of all people]] after defeating him.
411* BrattyHalfPint: Imaizumi and Naruko both find him arrogant and as a result, find him annoying because of it. Also, Aoyagi finds it taxing to deal with Kaburagi's arrogance, stupidity and bizarre train of thoughts and is also irritated that at a certain point starting on the second day, Kaburagi stops using ''[[JapaneseHonorifics san]]'' when saying Aoyagi's name.
412* ButtMonkey: Imaizumi and Naruko find a way of bonding through making fun of Kaburagi.
413* ChildhoodFriends: With Danchiku.
414* FearlessFool: [[spoiler: During the first day of second Inter-High every other rider (even [[TheStoic Aoyagi]]) gets intimidated by Doubashi's BattleAura. Kaburagi meanwhile just casually rides up and starts throwing insults at him.]]
415* GeniusDitz: He believes in soda spirits and is amazed by basic math. Good thing he can cycle well.
416* HeterosexualLifePartners: Again, with Danchiku.
417* JackOfAllStats: Claims to be an All-Rounder, everyone else says he's a Sprinter, and is shown to be more suited to being a Sprinter.
418* TooDumbToLive: As mentioned above, it's a good thing for the team that Kaburagi can cycle well, because other than strong instincts for cycling, he's so intensely dumb that his IQ may well be of a single digit.
419* TrademarkFavoriteFood: [[BlandNameProduct Orange Beena]].
420* UndyingLoyalty: To Danchiku.
421
422!!'''Ryuuhou Danchiku'''
423-->Played by: Creator/WataruHatano (anime)
424
425Another first year that joins the team following Interhigh.
426
427----
428* BigOlEyebrows: Has very thick, prominent eyebrows.
429* ChildhoodFriends: With Kaburagi.
430* FirstNameBasis: Calls Kaburagi by his given name, Issa.
431* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Kaburagi.
432* LivingEmotionalCrutch: To Kaburagi, who during the training camp goes into a HeroicBSOD while being forbidden from riding closer than 10 meters to Danchiku.
433* SatelliteCharacter: Evident in this very entry. His existence revolves around being Kaburagi's [[{{Foil}} foil]] and [[CloudcuckoolandersMinder minder]].
434* TheStoic: Is generally serious showing little emotion.
435** NotSoStoic: Gets very nervous before big events.
436* UndyingLoyalty: To Kaburagi.
437
438!!'''Sadatoki Sugimoto'''
439
440Another first year who joins the team following Interhigh and is Sugimoto's younger brother.
441
442----
443* AlliterativeName: ''S''adatoki ''S''ugimoto.
444* BigLittleBrother: Utterly towers over his older brother, and the rest of the team for that matter, he even makes the above average Imaizumi look short.
445* GentleGiant: And how! He has a towering physique, yet is a NiceGuy and is always willing to use his great strength to help other whenever he can.
446* TheKnightsWhoSaySquee: Is a [[{{Pun}} huge fan]] of Onoda.
447* RunningGag: Saying phrases that don't match the situation.
448* SiblingYinYang: Is immensely sweet, not that his brother isn't, but he's a lot less sharp-tongued.
449
450!!'''Kimitaka Koga'''
451-->Played by: Creator/YuuichiNakamura (anime)
452
453A club member from Teshima and Aoyagi's year. Acts as a mechanic for the team.
454
455----
456* FirstNameBasis: With Teshima.
457* GameBreakingInjury: Due to a crash during the previous year's Inter-High (caused by another injury from training camp) he's unable to ride for almost two years.
458* HeroWorshipper: He absolutely idolizes Kinjou.
459* RememberTheNewGuy: He's seen for the first time in chapter 15, but gets proper introduction in volume 33 (266 chapters later). The manga then treats him as if he's always been there. It remains to be seen how the anime (which cut out all of his appearances leaving just a brief mention of his name) deals with the problem.
460
461!!'''Aya Tachibana'''
462
463Miki's friend and a member of Sohoku's tennis club. [[spoiler: Tags along and helps the support team during Onoda's second Interhigh.]]
464
465* HeroOfAnotherStory: Or failed hero, perhaps. Her own team loses their Interhigh qualifiers in second year [[spoiler: hence why she tags along with Sohoku's cycling team to theirs.]]
466* OddFriendship: Loudly voices her dislike of otaku and disinterest in cycling, is close friends with the "cycling otaku" Miki.
467* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: A downplayed example, but forms this with Miki.
468--> ''Miki:'' A woman's touch is vital in the resupply point~!
469--> ''Aya:'' I'm not sure I'll be good with that...
470* {{Tsundere}}: A more platonic example ([[{{Shiptease}} or not?]]) with Onoda, once she learns about his feats in the cycling team, she tries to be friendlier towards him (with somewhat awkward results).
471** Another platonic example (once more, or not?) with Miki. Despite frequently criticizing Miki's tendency to become scarily excited when the topic of bikes comes up, the two are clearly good friends, and Aya worries about her good nature being taken advantage of by boys.
472* TheWatson: Occasionally plays this role with Miki, [[spoiler: especially during the Second Inter-High, being the only member of the support team with no experience in road racing.]]
473
474!!'''Higashido'''
475
476A former teammate of Teshima's from middle school, now is a member of Sohoku's volleyball team.
477
478* ChildhoodFriends: With Teshima [[spoiler: and Ashikiba.]]
479* HeroOfAnotherStory: Or failed hero, perhaps. His own team loses their Inter-High Qualifiers. He causally mentions (with a somewhat solemn air) that his this means his high school volleyball career is essentially over, before hastily changing the subject back to Teshima.
480* NiceGuy: Friendly and supportive of Teshima, even coming all the way to cheer him on during his Interhigh.
481----
482
483[[/folder]]
484
485[[folder:Hakone Academy]]
486!!'''The Hakone Team'''
487* AllThereInTheManual: Just like with Sohoku, interviews with the mangaka has generated a lot of trivia about them. View a collection [[http://great-blaster.tumblr.com/post/86880452600/yowapeda-spoilers-spoilers-if-you-only-follow here.]]
488* BadassCrew: Each of their Interhigh team members are so skilled that it is implied that they'd easily become the ace and/or captain of any other school's cycling team.
489* DreamTeam: Fukutomi describes Hakone as "a team of aces".
490* FriendlyEnemy: With Sohoku.
491* WorthyOpponent: So far the second team to be given screen time and are shown to take sportsmanship seriously, and they seem to consider Sohoku the same.
492
493!!'''Juichi Fukutomi'''
494-->Played by: Creator/TomoakiMaeno (anime), Eiji Takigawa (stage play)
495[[quoteright:131:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fuku_475.jpg]]
496
497The captain of Hakone's bike club.
498
499----
500* [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Arrogant Biker]]: He has a fixation on being the best.
501* TheAtoner: [[spoiler: Wants to defeat Kinjou honorably after injuring him during their second-year Inter-High.]]
502** [[spoiler: Successfully atones when he and Kinjou complete the second day of Inter-High fairly during their third year.]]
503* BigOlEyebrows: His eyebrows are rather thick.
504* TheCaptain: Leader of Hakone in the storyline's first year.
505* CatchPhrase: "I am strong." (''Ore wa tsuyoi.'')
506** He says this so often in inappropriate situations that it's a RunningGag in the anime.
507* DefeatMeansRespect: [[spoiler: He learns to respect Kinjou as a strong cyclist after Kinjou passes him in their second-year Interhigh and continued to compete even after his extensive injuries.]]
508* ADogNamedDog: The trivia states that he has a turtle named Turtle.
509* [[spoiler:EasilyForgiven: By Kinjou.]]
510* GeniusBruiser: He mostly excells with his great
511* GiverOfLameNames: He named his and Arakita's bikes (Giant and Bianchi) "Gian" and "Bian". And there is, of course, [[ADogNamedDog Turtle]].
512* LikeFatherLikeSon: Strives to be a successful cyclist just like his father and older brother.
513* ManlyTears: Rarely cries, but when he does it is for a good reason, and even then he completely averts InelegantBlubbering.
514* [[spoiler:MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Deeply regretted injuring Kinjou during their second year Inter-High race]]
515* [[spoiler:MyGreatestFailure: Wants to make up for injuring Kinjou in their second-year Inter-High by competing with him fairly again during their last competition together.]]
516* NoChallengeEqualsNoSatisfaction: Says this outright to Kinjou during his second interhigh, all while complaining that there are no [[WorthyOpponent Worthy Opponents]] to [[TemptingFate challenge him]].
517* PerpetualFrowner: Is almost always scowling.
518* [[spoiler:PrideBeforeAFall: In Fukutomi and Kinjou's backstory, Fukutomi is only given about a half an episode to gloat about his training and heritage before he [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone causes both him and Kinjou to crash]].]]
519* PrivilegedRival: Comes from a background of successful cyclists, and has had much more instruction and training compared to Kinjou.
520* SweetTooth: Well, if he likes apple pie then he must like sweet food.
521* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Apples, apple pie.
522
523!!'''Hayato Shinkai'''
524-->Played by: Creator/SatoshiHino (anime), Shuuto Miyazaki (stage play)
525[[quoteright:123:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shinkai_6023.jpg]]
526
527A third-year sprinter for Hakogaku.
528
529----
530* AdaptationalMuscles: Downplayed. While he was fit in the manga as well, his anime design makes his physique more obviously muscular.
531* BigEater: Trivia mentions he eats as much as ''Tadokoro''.
532* FatalFlaw: [[spoiler:Can't pass riders on the left after running over a rabbit during a race. See MyGreatestFailure.]]
533** [[spoiler:RemovedAchillesHeel: Gets over his fear of passing when he decides he needs to let go of his past to help the team win.]]
534* FingerGun: His trademark pose.
535* FirstNameBasis: Calls all the other third years by their given names.
536* {{Hunk}}: In contrast to Toudou's {{Bishounen}}.
537* MrFanservice: Less blatant than Izumida, but still prominent. Hayato is a handsome, charismatic young man with a soft spot for animals, and he is muscular enough that his body stretches out his racing uniform, most noticably around his sleeves and shorts.
538* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler:His reaction to running over a rabbit during a race and coming back to realize he also orphaned her child.]]
539* MyGreatestFailure: [[spoiler:Ran over a rabbit during the race while her child looked on.]]
540* NumberTwo: To Fukutomi, as his long time friend and the one who knows and understands him best.
541* OverlyLongTongue: When in his "[[LetsGetDangerous demon]]" mode.
542* RedOnesGoFaster: More so in the manga. Shinkai is one of the fastest sprinters in the series, and according to trivia, the author is careful to add red to everything when coloring him, including his skin.
543* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Powerbars.
544
545!!'''Jinpachi Toudou'''
546-->Played by: Creator/TetsuyaKakihara (anime), Ryou Kitamura (stage play)
547[[quoteright:142:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/makichan_5010.jpg]]
548
549Third-year of Hakone's bicycle club. He's also a climber.
550
551----
552* BishieSparkle: Whenever he's posing or just being charming, these will follow.
553* ChickMagnet: He has a fanclub, and it's been stated that none of his fans are male. Trivia also says he gains a lot of chocolate on Valentine's Day, all from girls who want to date him.
554* CurtainsMatchTheWindow: His hair and eyes are dark purple.
555* GiftedlyBad: He believes himself to be a great singer. According to Watanabe-sensei, it's not really the case. [[http://cherryfetish.tumblr.com/post/110063144766/you-can-download-this-ver-all-the-others-here Here's Toudou's rendition of the Love Hime theme.]]
556* GivingSomeoneThePointerFinger: His signature pose.
557* IconicItem: His hairband. According to the mangaka, he owns over 100 of them and always carries at least five with him.
558* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: With Makishima, to a hilarious degree.
559* NiceGuy: He may be bratty and annoying, but he does care a lot about his teammates and kouhai. He even comforts Manami and helps him [[spoiler: snap out of his guilt after the first Inter-High.]]
560** After losing to Makishima for the first time he is frustrated for a whole ten seconds before he jumps right into teaching Makishima how to smile. It doesn't work but he tries and that with a person he a) doesn't know and b) just lost to. He's nicer than he'd admit.
561* NoChallengeEqualsNoSatisfaction: In a flashback, he refused to accept [[spoiler: Makishima being forced to quit due to flat tires]] as a win on his part.
562* NumberTwo: To Fukutomi, though not like Shinkai. Toudou is the vice captain of the team and the most likely to take charge if Fukutomi isn't around.
563* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: When Makishima is forced to stay with his team [[spoiler: because Onoda fell and landed in last place]] he shows nothing of his usually boisterious personality. His teammates think he's not be feeling well, saying they've never seen him like this before, and his fangirls are shocked when he completely ignores them. Of course, [[spoiler: when Makishima does catch up he's downright glowing.]]
564* ProudBeauty: A RareMaleExample. He constantly displays almost narcisstic levels of pride about his good looks (and phyisical abilites).
565* RealMenCook: Cooks best among the Hakone third-years and is even good at food arrangements, thanks to being taught by his older sister.
566* RedBaron: Multiple nicknames are associated with Toudou. "God of the Mountains" corresponds to his career as a mountain climber. "Sleeping Climber" refers directly to his silent style of cycling; Toudou prefers it as "Sleeping Beauty", though according to Makishima most people actually call him "Forest Ninja".
567* TheRival: To Makishima.
568* SayMyName: MAKI-CHAN MAKI-CHAN MAKI-CHAN!
569* SignatureLaugh: "Wahaha!"
570* SpeedEchoes: When pulling off his Sleeping Climb.
571* StalkerWithoutACrush: Poor Makishima can't catch a break from him. The anime takes it up a notch in its stinger extras, where it's shown that Makishima receives several phone calls from Toudou a day. [[HoYay Though the without is debatable]].
572
573!!'''Yasutomo Arakita'''
574-->Played by: Creator/HiroyukiYoshino (anime), Hiroki Suzuki (stage play)
575[[quoteright:131:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hadtousde_5490.jpg]]
576
577A third year all-round cyclist.
578
579----
580* AnimalBattleAura: Once he stops ranting and goes all-out, he displays a wild aura around him.
581* AnimalMotif: Wolf. Bonus points for his backstory revealing him to be a former IneffectualLoner.
582* BigEater: Is the second biggest eater on the team after Shinkai.
583* BrutalHonesty: Doesn't mince words complaining about how Shinkai [[spoiler:lost a race to Midousuji during the Interhigh]]. It actually helps Shinkai getting over it. Trivia also mentions that Arakita is a character who "says what's wanting to be said".
584* [[DrivesLikeCrazy Bikes Like Crazy]]: When he's fired up.
585* [[spoiler: CareerEndingInjury: He was a promising baseball pitcher until he hurt his elbow.]]
586** [[spoiler: ICouldaBeenAContender]]
587* ADayInTheLimelight: A whole chapter in the manga and a couple of episodes in the second season of the anime are devoted to his backstory. One episode is even named after him.
588* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: [[spoiler: Used to style his hair into a pompaudor typical of [[JapaneseDelinquents delinquents]]. He cuts it shortly after his run-in with Fukutomi, symbolizing his definitive advance towards the cycling world, and him moving on from the past]].
589* [[spoiler: FriendlessBackground: In the beginning of high school, he had no friends, underlings, or anyone to count on other than his Vespa.]]
590* GenericCuteness: A meta example. Arakita is meant to be drawn ugly. Fangirls probably wouldn't agree to that.
591* HiddenHeartOfGold: For all his rudeness, Arakita definitely has a soft side, even if he doesn't show it. In a special comic, he tries to give Pocari water bottles to his teammates as a gift for being in their care, but finds that too embarrassing. Trivia also states he'd be the first to text Toudou "Happy Birthday", because that's how he is.
592* IronicName: "Yasutomo" means "peaceful friend."
593* [[spoiler: JapaneseDelinquent]]: When he was younger.
594* KindheartedCatLover: In his backstory we see Arakita trying to get along with a cat (though it basically ignores him), and in the present we see he still interacts with the same cat and even feeds it. In a drama CD as well, when a stray cat is brought to the Hakone cycling club, Arakita [[HiddenDepths shows a surprising knowledge of how to deal with it]].
595* MouthScreen: Gets quite a few shots of his mouth.
596* TheNicknamer: Adds the suffix ''-chan'' onto the names of characters he acknowledges, such as Fukutomi, Manami and [[spoiler:Onoda]]. Also coins the nickname "Wonder Boy" for Manami, and used to call Fukutomi "[[TheStoic Stone Face]]".
597* NoChallengeEqualsNoSatisfaction: Only likes competing when he has someone to challenge, otherwise [[VictoryIsBoring he won't try]].
598* SirSwearsALot: Speaks more rudely than anyone else on his team.
599* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Bepsi.
600* {{Tsundere}}: Extremely abrasive towards everyone on the team and won't shy from calling them out when needed, but also cares deeply about each of his teammates.
601* YouRemindMeOfX: He never says it out loud, but one of the reasons he helped [[spoiler:Onoda]] to break away from the pack is because he reminded him of Fukutomi.
602
603!!'''Touichirou Izumida'''
604-->Played by: Creator/AtsushiAbe (anime), Takuya Kawaharada (stage play)
605[[quoteright:145:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/abuis_158.jpg]]
606
607A second-year sprinter for Hakogaku.
608
609----
610* AmbiguouslyBrown: His skin color is a bit darker than the other characters.
611* BattleCry: '''ABS'''!
612* TheCaptain: Becomes captain of Hakogaku after Fukutomi graduates, though he was initially met with self-doubts to him not being able to earn a colored-tag on his prior Inter-High. He eventually snaps out of his guilt and becomes a worthy captain.
613* ChildhoodFriends: With Kuroda.
614* CloudCuckooLander: The guy talks to his pecs as though they were real people.
615* CrazyJealousGuy: Is depicted as comic relief at the end of the first stage play where he gets jealous of Shinkai "having taught" Onoda about his "Bang" pose; getting upset that Shinkai didn't teach him. It results in him screaming "Shinkai-san" several times before running off stage after him; his reaction causes both Naruko and ''Kinjou'' to say he's dangerous.
616* FormerlyFat: Was rather heavy in one of his earliest flashbacks.
617* HardWorkHardlyWorks: Wasn't able to defeat either Tadokoro or Naruko; [[SubvertedTrope subverted]], in that Tadokoro explains to him that his loss was due to lack of experience in racing, rather then anything to do with his abilities. Being able to move the fastest doesn't help you if you blink (since both Tadokoro and Naruko just sped through incoming obstacles while thanks to his muscles' senses, Izumida instead reacted and dodged. [[spoiler:He learns his lesson during the next Inter-High versus Kishigami]].
618* HeroWorshipper: Towards Shinkai, it's even more noticeable in the stage plays.
619* LetsGetDangerous: Whenever he decides to zip up his jersey, but it also doubles as a reaction to anyone who's dangerous in the case of his first Inter-High when he senses Midousuji's presence.
620* ManlyTears: [[Creator/StudioGhibli Ghibli style]].
621* MeetMyGoodFriendsLeftyAndRighty: [[ExaggeratedTrope Exaggerated]]. Named his pecs Andy and Frank, but he talks to them and have their [[SplitPersonality own personalities]].
622** His hobbies include naming his own muscles.
623** In a scene from 3DS game, he tries to think up names for his teammates' pectorals.
624* MrFanservice: And HOW! He is quite possibly the most blatantly fanservice-friendly character in the story, being a ShamelessFanserviceGuy with a penchant for WorkoutFanservice.
625* PecFlex: [[HotBlooded Especially when he calls out "abs!" and "bua!"]]
626* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Frank and Andy, respectively.
627* SpikyHair: His hairstyle in the next year, which basically counts as an ExpositoryHairstyleChange.
628* ShirtlessScene: Tons. Bikes in races with his jersey open as well as works out constantly while shirtless.
629* TalkingToPlants: He names them.
630* TalkingToThemself: His pecs do have their own personalities and they do communicate with Izumida, but not verbally. However, Izumida does talk back to them.
631* TookALevelInBadass: Ever since he was promoted to captain in the next year, most of Izumida's more quirkier traits subsided into being more calculating, serious and confident.
632* WorkoutFanservice: Poster boy for it.
633
634!!'''Sangaku Manami'''
635-->Played by: Creator/TsubasaYonaga (anime), Keisuke Ueda (stage play)
636[[quoteright:151:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/manami_7403.png]]
637
638First-year member of Hakone's bike club and a friendly rival to Onoda.
639
640----
641* AffectionateNickname: Arakita calls him "Wonder Boy". Given that it's Arakita, the "affectionate" part is kind of doubtful, but it does seems to be half sarcasm, half sincerity.
642* ChildhoodFriends: With Miyahara.
643* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Always late, falls asleep right before a super important competition (when he's already on the top of his bike!) and is almost scarily easygoing.
644* CreepyChild: When he was younger.
645--> '''Manami''': I wonder what it feels like to be stabbed.
646* CurtainsMatchTheWindow: Blue hair and eyes.
647* DayInTheLimelight: Episode 20. It's even named after him.
648* DelicateAndSickly: As a child, he spent most of his time sickly and bedridden.
649* {{Expy}}: Oddly good-natured, despite being on the rival sports team, bishounen of the highest degree, and has an oddly intimate relationship with the cowardly protagonist as well as an association with angels. [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Kaworu Nagisa]], is that you?
650* IdiotHair: It's included in his height as well.
651* InHarmonyWithNature: Uses the wind to his advantage in races.
652* InnocentBlueEyes: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in that he's not that innocent (at least not to Onoda's extent), but PlayedStraight in that it alludes to his apparent naivety and cements his [[HeavenlyBlue angelic motifs]].
653* MeaningfulName: His first name's prefix literally means "mountain".
654* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: At one point, in the middle of the race, [[ItMakesSenseInContext he grabs Onoda by the waist and starts talking to him really closely]]. Onoda is understandably quite startled at first.
655* ObliviousToLove: Doesn't realize that his ChildhoodFriend has had a crush on him for quite some time. It's gotten to the point where she fears that he might be in love with [[CargoShip his bicycle]].
656* PerpetualSmiler: He's usually giving a peaceful or excited smile. If he isn't, chances are [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness something's not quite right]].
657* SecondPlaceIsForLosers: Manami may not look like it, but he's obsessed with reaching the goal first so that it remains "untainted." [[spoiler:He hates Onoda for beating him on the third day of their first inter-high and throws away the bottle he gave back to him....until by his second year thanks to Jinpachi's pep-talk with him, he grows out of this and looks forward to another honest competition with Onoda along with another bottle-returning-gimmick once more]].
658* SugarAndIcePersonality: He's nice to Onoda during his first few meetings with him, but he's a completely different animal during a race.
659
660!!'''Yukinari Kuroda'''
661-->Played by: Creator/KenjiNojima (anime)
662
663Izumida's friend and one of Hakone's climbers.
664
665----
666* AdaptationDyeJob: A weird case. In the first anime season, his hair is light brown, but later the colored pages in the manga revealed it's supposed to be white. Grande Road corrects this and paints his hair white (even in flashbacks using footage from the first season). But in 3DS game published ''after'' those anime changes, it's inexplicably back to brown.
667* AffectionateNickname: Gets called "Yuki" by Izumida and "Yuki-chan" by Ashikiba.
668* BokeAndTsukkomiRoutine: With Ashikiba as ''boke''.
669* ChildhoodFriends: With Izumida.
670* CloudcuckoolandersMinder: Acts like this towards Ashikiba sometimes.
671* FirstNameBasis: Calls Izumida by his given name, Touichirou.
672* NumberTwo: To Izumida, in his third year.
673
674
675!!'''Takuto Ashikiba'''
676-->Played by: Creator/MamoruMiyano (anime)
677
678Hakone's extremely tall and awkward climber and [[spoiler: TheAce for the second Inter-High.]]
679
680----
681* TheAce: [[spoiler: Takes up the mantle of Hakone's ace in the storyline's second year.]]
682* AffectionateNickname: "Shikiba," courtesy of Teshima.
683* BokeAndTsukkomiRoutine: With Kuroda as ''tsukkomi''.
684* ChildhoodFriends: With Teshima. [[spoiler: So much so that even when they face off as representatives from different schools, they experience it as a sentimental moment constantly exchanging kind words and sincere compliments.]]
685* GeniusDitz: He's a spectacular climber and very talented piano player, but his way of thinking is a bit... unique. It surely takes a special kind of mind to mistake [[TallDarkAndHandsome Imaizumi]] for [[FieryRedhead Naruko]].
686* GentleGiant: His physical height is roughly proportional to his gentle and caring personality.
687* OddFriendship: He has good relationship with loud, violent Doubashi, due to their similar situations with abnormally huge bodies.
688* SarcasmBlind: A RunningGag about him is that GeniusDitz personality makes him take blatant exaggerations (usually initiated by Kuroda) way too seriously.
689
690
691!!'''Masakiyo Doubashi'''
692-->Played by: Creator/DaisukeOno (anime)
693
694Hakone's loud, boisterous sprinter.
695----
696* AffectionateNickname: Ashikiba calls him "Basshi."
697* AnimalBattleAura: When he goes all out, a fierce animalistic aura menifests aaround him.
698* AnimalMotif: Bull/bison. Although in Kaburagi's opinion, he's more like a pig.
699* HairTriggerTemper: Has a history of punching upperclassmen who tried to provoke him. Was even forced to quit the club ''several times'' because of that.
700* OddFriendship: He's friends with gentle, emotional Ashikiba, due to their similar situations with abnormally huge bodies.
701* YoungerThanTheyLook: Onoda is shocked to learn Doubashi is his age.
702* RapidHairGrowth: In the span of a ''single race''.
703
704!!'''Miyahara'''
705-->Played by: Creator/ChinaKitahara (anime)
706
707Manami's next door neighbor and childhood friend.
708
709----
710* CharacterTics: Fiddling with her twintails.
711* ChildhoodFriends: She's known Manami since they were very young.
712* ClassRepresentative: And takes her job very seriously.
713* CloudcuckoolandersMinder: Since they were young. She's actually the one who introduced him to cycling in an attempt to help his poor health, and later helped tutor him so he could get into the prestigious Hakone Academy. She's also constantly trying to get him to do his schoolwork and stop skipping on sleeping through class, to little success.
714* CrushBlush: Makes her feelings obvious enough that even Onoda's mom is able to pick them up.
715* FirstNameBasis: As they've known each other since they were very young, Miyahara actually refers to Manami by his given name, making the fact he only ever calls her by her title somewhat odd.
716* GirlishPigtails: Plays with them when she's nervous.
717* NoNameGiven: Manami only ever refers to her as "iinchou" (confusing some English speaking fans who didn't know that's the word for ClassRepresentative). Readers didn't even learn her surname until a flashback. Her name may be revealed during the second Inter-High.
718* {{Tsundere}}: Despite all her scolding, she clearly cares deeply for Manami.
719[[/folder]]
720
721[[folder:Kyoto Fushimi]]
722!!'''The Fushimi Team'''
723* {{Foil}}: To both Hakone and Sohoku.
724** Hakone is an elite school whose cycling team is among the strongest in the country, has repeatedly won te Interhigh and each of their members could easily be TheAce in another team. Kyoto Fushimi isn't a very prominent school and their placements in the Interhigh up until Midousuji's arrival were modest at best (Top 16), and has been structured around Midousuji with the rest being mostly CannonFodder.
725** Sohoku strongly values comradery and each of their members excells in ''at least'' one role. In Kyoto Fushimi, aside of a few dedicated climbers and [[AwesomeYetImpractical Komari]], the only true powerhouse is Midousuji who is a MasterOfAll and commands the team with an iron fist.
726* OpposingSportsTeam: The third most prominent team in the story.
727
728!!'''Akira Midousuji'''
729-->Played by: Creator/KojiYusa (anime), Mitsu Murata (stage play)
730[[quoteright:145:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/midousuji_711.png]]
731
732A first year and ace of Kyoto Fushimi's bike club. He is also Imaizumi's rival.
733
734----
735* AbnormalLimbRotationRange: He regularly distorts his body at grotesque angles - pinwheeling his arms and rotating his neck, especially when he gets particularly excited, or is trying to intimidate another rider.
736* TheAce: Despite of being a first year, he is so powerfull that he quickly overwhelms the older members and forcufelly establishes himself as Kyoto Fushimi's ace. He can also go toe-to-toe against any of the Hakone's BadassCrew.
737* AttackItsWeakPoint: Considers this an acceptable strategy during a race, using significant research on the other racers against them.
738* BadBoss: Isn't afraid to abuse his own team, with the excuse that he's TheAce.
739* BreakThemByTalking: Uses this often to try to beat the competition.
740* CharacterTics: A number of them. His weird hand and body movements when he chants "gross", his clacking his teeth, sliding his tongue out of his mouth, pulling down on the skin of his face to reveal the underside of his eyeball, and occasionally tilting his head to the side as he talks.
741* CripplingOverspecialization: Midousuji [[DiscussedTrope discusses]] this trope in a InternalMonologue when [[spoiler: he's bullied for not being good in anything aside from cycling]]. He decides that it's weirder to excel at everything (academics, popularity and athletics), rather than to just be incredibly competent in one thing.
742* CripplingTheCompetition: In the backstory, he lied to Imaizumi during a race, saying the race personnel were looking for him because his mother had been hit by a car.
743* [[spoiler: FreudianExcuse: The reason Midousuji is so nasty while riding is that as a child he was ridiculed for wanting to be an athlete due to his poor physical ability, but was encouraged to pursue cycling by his sickly mother, who died before she could make it to one of his races. This drives Midousuji to keep moving forward and become the best at any cost.]]
744** [[spoiler: Also "explains" why he tricked Imaizumi into losing a past race by saying that Imaizumi's mother had just been hit by a car.]]
745* InsistentTerminology: If you’re on his team, you ''better'' add ''-kun'' to the end of his name.
746** Alternatively, some fansubs will have him demanding to have "Ace" added before his name.
747* ItsAllAboutMe: He's really only in it for himself. [[spoiler:Until we find out that he took up cycling because he wasn't good at anything else, and also because of his mother.]]
748* LeanAndMean: He is very lanky and mean-spirited as they come.
749* LonersAreFreaks: Midousuji was constantly bullied at school at a young age and made fun of because he wanted to be a sports star, yet wasn't good at sports.
750* [[spoiler:MissingMom: Midousuji's own mother is dead. Part of why he took up cycling was to make her proud and he rode 20 km. to the hospital every day to visit her.]]
751* NightmareFace: See his mugshot.
752* NightmareFuelStationAttendant: His face wouldn't be out of place on a [[Manga/AttackOnTitan Titan]], and the way he moves makes it look like he doesn't have any bones.
753* OverlyLongTongue: Add it to the list of reasons why this guy is creepy.
754* PerpetualSmiler: Downplayed. Interestingly, he's probably not ''always'' smiling; he just keeps his teeth showing for so long that the effect is the same.
755* PowerCopying: [[spoiler: Copies Manami's ability to use the wind for help]] during the 3rd day mountain race.
756* PowerLimiter: [[spoiler: His taped fingers preventing him from using his outer gear during the second day of Interhigh. Also has bands on his legs.]]
757* PracticallyJoker: Has a preference for the color purple, constantly displays a SlasherSmile, eager to manipulate and riducules both enemies and allies, all while being TheDreaded. Oh, and he corrupts another character into becoming his NumberTwo thanks to his twisted charisma.
758* SecondPlaceIsForLosers: Says this outright during his duel with [[spoiler: Shinkai]].
759* ShadowArchetype: Is easily this to Onoda. [[spoiler: As revealed in his flashback, like Onoda, he was never any good at athletics growing up with the sole exception of bicycling, which he had already gotten strong at for personal reasons and which he started pursuing as a serious sport with an outside nudge and plenty of determination. While Onoda has a family who doesn't seem to quite "get" it, has many supportive friends, and puts his all into cycling because it's something fun he can do with and "for" them, Midousuji had absolutely no friends, was encouraged to road race by his mother, and gets way less enjoyment from cycling itself than he does from succeeding, which he insists on doing by himself, "for" himself now that his mom's dead. Comes full circle when Onoda tells him that the difference in their reasons for smiling when they ride is that Onoda just enjoys riding with his team and Midousuji uses that to snap himself out of his post-Day 2 funk.]]
760* SlasherSmile: His most common facial expression is a wide creepy smile.
761* SmallNameBigEgo: For all his bluster, he's a first year. Doesn't stop him from barging onto the stage where the previous year's champions were gathered and declaring himself the best racer there. And to be fair, he has the power to back up his trash talking but is still unable to defeat the aces, at least as far as we've seen.
762* TheStrategist: Makes detailed plans on how to crush everyone at Interhigh, researching everyone to know their weaknesses and how (and when) to exploit them. He also studies the entire race course extensively and matches his strategies to specific areas.
763* TenMinuteRetirement: [[spoiler: After his loss on day two of the Interhighs, Midosuji announces that he is quitting the team. This lasts until the morning of the next day, when he nonchalantly shows up right before the race starts.]]
764* TombstoneTeeth: His teeth are drawn with extreme detail, and he takes pride in how perfect they are. He is frequently seen clacking and gnashing them together, adding to his uncanny aura - but this habit backfires on him during the second day of the Interhigh when [[spoiler: he accidentally chips a tooth and his shocked reaction gives the other riders a chance to pass him.]]
765* {{Troll}}: In spades. Once he gets going, he does not shut up.
766* UnsportsmanlikeGloating
767* VerbalTic: Kimoi[[note]]"Gross" in english[[/note]]
768* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler: Suffers a major breakdown during the second day when both Sohoku catch up as well as Fukutomi choosing Shinkai as his assistant, both things he didn't plan for.]]
769** [[spoiler: Has his ultimate breakdown at the end of the second day, when he hits his limit and both Fukutomi and Kinjou pass him while they're only a few meters in front of the goal.]]
770* VillainyFreeVillain: Downplayed. He is a massive {{Jerkass}} and just ''barely'' avoids crossing the line into straight-out villainy.
771
772!!'''Kyoutarou Ishigaki'''
773-->Played by: Creator/HirofumiNojima (anime), Toshiyuki Someya (stage play)
774[[quoteright:140:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/615c6dc29f904bf92db962faaf594fc0.png]]
775
776The previous ace for Kyoto Fushimi before Midousuji entered the club.
777
778----
779* AffectionateNickname: His teammates of the same year call him Ishiyan.
780* BeautyEqualsGoodness: The most conventionally good-looking member of the team and also the most ethical among them.
781* TheCaptain: Though any real authority belongs to Midousuji.
782* MoralityPet: Seems to become this to Midousuji at some point during the last day of Interhigh. Ishigaki also begins to address him without honorifics, which is a big deal given Midousuji's InsistentTerminology.
783* NiceGuy: He really is just... nice to everyone, for all that he's dragged along in his team's wake. He even seems to genuinely like and care about ''Midousuji'' of all people.
784* TokenGoodTeammate: So far, the only Kyoto Fushimi member we've seen to be respectful/sportsmanlike.
785
786!!'''Tomoya Ihara'''
787-->Played by: Yukitoshi Kikuchi (anime)
788
789A third-year sprinter for Kyoto Fushimi.
790
791----
792* BitCharacter: Has a little bit of characterizations early on as one of Kyoto Fushimi's more resonable members, but quickly gets DemotedToExtra, staying in the background with little to no displays of emotion.
793* TheLoad: [[spoiler: Midousuji dubs him and the other Kyoto Fushimi sprinter this, as he breaks away with the rest of the team on a slope during the second day of Interhigh.]]
794
795!!'''Nobuyuki Mizuta'''
796-->Played by: Creator/ChihiroSuzuki (anime), Kento Masui (stage play)
797
798A second-year at Kyoto Fushimi.
799
800----
801* TheCaptain: After Ishigaki retires from the club.
802* GloryHound: Mizuta is painfully average as a cyclist, yet he still craves accomplishments and fame. This in turn is exploited by Midousuji to coax Mizuta into undertaking difficult endeavors by promising him (at best symbolic) rewards in return, with Mizuta usually ending up as little more than a glorified decoy for Midousuji.
803* PuppetKing: ''De jure'' leader of the team, while Midousuji stays ''de facto'' leader.
804* SuperGullible: It is very easy for Midousuji to manipulate Mizuta.
805* YesMan: He's this to whoever is in charge, to the point of imitating them. When Ishigaki was the captain, Mizuta tried to be just like him, including copying his hair style, but now that Midousuji is in charge, Mizuta acts like the most eager and obedient member of the team towards him and tries to imitate Midousuji with his attitude and SlasherSmile, which Arakita calls him out on in the manga.
806
807!!'''Komari Kishigami'''
808-->Voiced by: Creator/JunFukuyama
809
810A newcomer to Kyoto Fushimi who first debuts in the storylines second year. [[{{Understatement}} Has a particular fixation with muscles.]]
811
812----
813* ArtisticLicenseLaw: His penchant for grabbing his competitors muscles would have gotten anyone in real life disquilified long ago.
814* AwesomenessByAnalysis: He can accurately estimate his opponents next move by observing the subtle movements of their muscles.
815* AxCrazy: Due to Midousuji's ToxicFriendInfluence, his loss of inhibition also made him undergo a lot of SanitySlippage.
816* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: His backstory is akin to a ComingOutStory GoneHorriblyRight.
817** His interaction with Midousuji when the latter finally lets him feel his muscles happens behind closed doors, while everyone else is wondering what are they doing inside...
818* {{Expy}}: Due to his StartOfDarkness and his SanitySlippage subsequently going into overdrive thanks to the influence of Midousuji, who is PracticallyJoker, Komari can be seen as a sports manga version of Harley Quinn.
819* FanDisservice: The character who praises the muscles of other characters the most, yet resorts to deplorable means in order to enjoy them himself.
820* {{Fetish}}: For muscles, to the point of invading the privacy of other men to feel their muscles.
821* GogglesDoNothing: Subverted. His special glasses let him better observe his opponents from a distance and greatly enchance his analitical abilities.
822* HardWorkHardlyWorks: Averted. Ironically, despite of being a villain, having a relatively slender physique and him being a relative unknown to the cycling world until his debut, Komari is a legitimately trained cyclist (with some supervision/mentoring by Midousuji).
823* {{Mangst}}: Since he has a thin and frail body, and his parents raising him like a lady, it is implied that these circumstances were the impetus that lead to development of his sthenolagnia.
824* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: ZigZagged. If he is intrigued by someone's muscles and approaches them, he will try to give himself some PlausibleDeniability as part of an excuse to touch their muscles without repercussions. That being said, during races he completely looses any self restraint and maniacally tries to touch other people's muscles.
825* SanitySlippage: He was brought up in a strict, conservative background, forcing him to hide his fascination with muscles at the cost of severely damaging his psyche.
826* SlowlySlippingIntoEvil: [[spoiler: At first, his fixtation on muscles started in elementary school with Komari innocently wondering why another classmate had thicker arms. Over time, Komari slowly became aware of his compulsion to touch muscles. Then he met Midousuji who gave him an unique chance to finally get an outlet by promising him to let him touch Midousuji's muscles if Komari becomes a cyclist, catches up to him and passes him. Komari worked hard and after completing the challenge Midousuji keeps his word, with Komari being content with what he got... which only lead to Midousuji encouraging Komari to completely discard any semblence of self-restraint and fully embrace his obssesion.]]
827* VillainousFriendship: Komari gets far better treatment from Midousuji than the rest of the team and is a lot more privy to Midousuji's more elaborate plans.
828* WildCard: So much so that even ''Midousuji'' is unable to fully control him. [[spoiler: This come back to bite in the worst possible time during the third day of the storyline's second Interhigh.]]
829[[/folder]]
830
831
832[[folder: Hiroshima Kureminami Technical School]]
833!!'''The Hiroshima Team'''
834* DemotedToExtra: A secondary antagonist threat in the storyline's first Interhigh, but are DemotedToExtra the following year.
835* HufflepuffHouse: The fourth most prominent school in the story, but they only get very brief focus.
836* OpposingSportsTeam: While the MeleeATrois between Sohoku, Hakone and Kyoto Fushimi is the focus of the story, Hiroshima along with Kumamoto Daiichi has the most prominent role amongst all the other teams.
837
838!!'''Eikichi Machimiya'''
839[[quoteright:153:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/67a450a3jw1ekokz3zpcfj20jg0cxtbp_7586.jpg]]
840-->Played by: Creator/TomokazuSeki (anime)
841
842Third year ace sprinter for Hiroshima.
843
844----
845* AffectionateNickname: Ibitani calls him "Miya."
846* AnimalBattleAura: A visual rperesentation of his dog animal motig appears behind him when he goes all out.
847* AnimalMotif: A fighting dog.
848* DeliberateInjuryGambit: Machimiya's aggressive climbing style involves him repeatedly hitting his chest against his handlebars.
849* DisproportionateRetribution: Machimiya is so insanely determined to get revenge on Hakogaku because [[spoiler:Fukutomi refused to give Machimiya a ''water bottle'' during the last Interhigh]].
850** Though it ''did'' cost Machimiya that day's race, with his own unluckiness also playing a part, so it might be [[JustifiedTrope justified]], to an extent.
851* {{Foil}}: Is one to [[spoiler: Arakita]], which is even lampshaded by the latter himself. [[spoiler: Like a young Arakita, Machimiya feels trapped and angered by his unsuccessful past, but while he's still stuck in his own failure, Arakita was able to move forward. Even their AnimalMotifs are similar, both being dog-like.]]
852* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler: He made a bet with members form Sohoku and Hakogaku that whichever group overtakes the other by 20 meters will be allowed to catch up with the aces, and the other group will have to let them go. He ends up losing that bet.]]
853* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: Uses this as a form of intimidation against his opponents on the 3rd day. He's incredibly grabby.
854* ThePowerOfHate: [[spoiler: Machimiya is hugely fueled by the desire for revenge.]]
855* UnluckilyLucky: Machimiya claims to be BornUnlucky, which has some basis: he didn’t manage to get on the podium in the second day of the previous Interhigh just because he didn’t have a water bottle. However, his bad luck also seems to work on his favor, by [[TheJinx becoming others’ misfortune]]: he did manage to place third at that same Interhigh thanks to other competitors having a flat tire, misjudging the course and such.
856
857!!'''Ryou Ibitani'''
858-->Played by: Creator/YoshiyukiShimozuma (anime)
859
860Third year sprinter for Hiroshima.
861
862----
863* CheshireCatGrin: His default facial expression, which helps to alert the audience to his nastier side.
864* SayMyName: "Miyaaaa!"
865* YesMan: Utterly obeys Machimiya. That being said, he seems to be because he is sincerily admiring him. Made more prominent in the anime.
866
867[[/folder]]
868
869[[folder:Kumamoto Daiichi High]]
870!!'''Kumamoto Daiichi High'''
871* FailureIsTheOnlyOption: They always get the shorter end of the stick no matter how hard they try.
872* OpposingSportsTeam: Nominally the fifth most prominent school in the story. With Hiroshima getting their screentime in the first Interhigh race in the story, Kumamoto Daiichi gets a little more screentime as the next year's major secondary threat, but are quickly outmaneuvered even faster than Hiroshima and left in the dust.
873* SuperGullible: BOTH Kyoto Fushimi and Hiroshima easily trick them into becoming their UnwittingPawn in similar circumstances.
874
875!!Yoshiaki Taura
876
877-->Voiced by: Tajiri Hiroaki
878
879The loud, yet charismatic captain of the Kumamoto Daiichi team.
880----
881* AnimalMotifs: Gorillas.
882* DumbMuscle: Strong enough to be his team's captain, yet is easy to outsmart.
883* HotBlooded: Sadly, guts alone can only get you so far...
884* ReligiousBruiser: Downplayed. He pray in front of shrine before the race.
885
886!!Shinya Ise
887
888-->Voiced by: Yukitoshi Kikuchi (2nd year); Creator/MakotoFurukawa (3rd year)
889
890Taura's successor as the Kumamoto Daiichi bycicle teams captain.
891----
892* AmbiguouslyBrown: Subverted. He merely got a tan between his second and third year in high school, implied to be due to a lot of training outdoors.
893* FourEyesZeroSoul: Downplayed. While he is a bit of a jerk and wears glasses, it is clear that he is desperate to squize any sort of accomplishment before his time in high school ends, and partly to avenge his captain's humiliation from the previous year.
894* RedBaron: 'Higo's Demon Sergeant'.
895* TookALevelInBadass: In his third year race, he has taken charge of the team after Taura retiring, underwent TrainingFromHell and gained some extra muscle mass. It is still nowhere near enough to win.
896

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