The majority of the main characters in Eyeshield 21.
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Deimon Devilbats
Sena Kobayakawa
"Little by little... it's as if the lies are becoming true."The titular character of the series, Sena (alias: Eyeshield 21) entered high school always running from and running errands for bullies, with his remarkable foot speed. Of course, his talents are spotted by the school's resident Shadow Dictator and captain of the two man American Football team and Sena is promptly blackmailed recruited into the team.
Position: Running back/Free Safety
Jersey: 21
40 yard dash: 4.2 seconds
Bench Press: 45 kg (99 lbs)
Height: 155 cm (5' 1")
Weight: 48 kg (105 lb)
Blood Type: A
Birthday: December 21
1st Year Student (Grade 10)
Nickname: Eyeshield 21
Accidental Athlete: His abilities would have gone relatively unnoticed had it not been for a certain someone.
Becoming the Mask: As he eventually becomes the Ace running back from Notre Dame High School like the person whose name he took.
Butt Monkey: Is subject to this throughout the series, though admittedly, most of the Devilbats are when they're subjected to Hiruma's various schemes.
Clark Kenting: Subverted; the eyeshield and helmet (along with a self-modified "deeper" voice) don't make his true identity glaringly obvious, it's just that he never bothers to check his speed when out of uniform.
Cowardly Lion: He is the Ace running back of the Deimon Devilbats. And of course, starts out as a complete wimp, who'd rather run from fights than face them head on.
Fragile Speedster: 40 yard dash in 4.2 seconds. At the physical peak limit of human ability, where no one can theoretically run faster. And he's weaker than the average high school male.
Goggles Do Nothing: The eyeshield is only to hide identity, and it even does that pretty poorly.
He is All Grown Up: A subtler take in that it's more about his emotional than physical growth.
I Just Want to Be Normal: If only it wasn't for this crazy quarterback shooting his guns all over the place. He does eventually learn to enjoy football, however.
Just a Kid: The reason why Mamori doesn't let him join the team, and why she can't imagine Eyeshield 21's true identity.
Nice Guy: Aside from being a bit spineless at times, he's a good kid.
Older than They Look: Though to be fair, he's constantly near people who look WAY older then their actual age.
Worthy Opponent: It'd be easier to name the characters he wasn't a worthy opponent to.
Youichi Hiruma
If they score 99 points on us, we score 100 points on them! In football, offense wins!Undoubtedly the most memorable character of the series, Hiruma is the demonic, gun-toting co-founder and captain of the Devil Bats who will do anything short of outright cheating to help his team win (and get away with it, too). "Anything" includes blackmail, threats (with guns, lots of guns), psychological warfare, trick plays, Training from Hell, and that's just to his own team. A brilliant chessmaster and Magnificent Bastard, Hiruma seems to care little for his teammates other than their abilities to win football games. But through Character Development, he shows that he does care for and believe in his friends. In his own special way.
Badass Bookworm: While no stronger than an average high-schooler, he is a brilliant (if unconventional) strategist, has incredible stamina, and is the god of blackmail.
Belligerent Sexual Tension: Something like this is implied to be the deal with him and Mamori, though by the end of the series they bicker considerably less...which can be taken as even moreShip Tease...
Blackmail: He is the God of it and has blackmail material for most people on Earth, including the security guards at the Tokyo Dome, a few cops in Houston, and a motel owner somewhere along on the Death March.
Eagleland: An interesting example. Although he's ethnically Japanese and has lived in Japan his entire life, he spent a lot of his childhood hanging out at an American military base (and it shows). As a result, he exhibits nearly every type 2 trait, such as:
Loudness, lack of personal space, rudeness, crudeness, violence, sadism, trigger happy, militant leadership, boisterousness, use of intimidation, a "might-equals-right" mindset, ruthless ambition, fluency in English, cheerful psychoticness, and, of course, an undying love of football.
Hyperspace Arsenal: He carries innumerable pistols, rifles, and bazookas and other items of various uses on his body without it ever being discernible. And then he showed up with a tank. During a sports festival.
Intelligence Equals Isolation: Well, there are severalreasons why people would steer clear of him for the most part, but the fact that he'd rather hustle money and write football strategies than actively seek friends is pretty telling.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He doesn't show it often, but it's there. It's also been stated after the last chapter that he financially helps Kid start his own stunt company...probably not without ulterior motives of some sort...
Know When to Fold 'Em: Two varieties: in the early days, he packs up to go home once there's a zero percent chance of winning, later on he uses the tactical retreat to his advantage (and to piss off his opponent).
Never Tell Me The Odds: Played with, as he always knows and often announces the odds, but will not give up unless the possibility of success is an absolute zero. What happens in that situation is part of his Character Development.
The Nicknamer: He calls a number of characters, including his team-mates, "Fucking (something)" (changed to "damn (something)" in the English translation).
Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: Well, he prefers Blackmail but it's been stated that he's the richest character in the series and his most expensive possession is an island.
Troll: Used in two ways: to rile up his opponents (which surprisingly fails a lot) and to enrage people to fight the Devil Bats' opponents (which is more successful; it's how Monta got on the team.)
Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: He could play poker like a pro at age 10 and proceeded to hustle a bunch of soldiers out of their money.
Villainous Friendship: He and Agon used to be friends, or as close to friends as a guy like Agon can get. It's broken now though.
Vitriolic Best Buds: The greatest extent of friendship one can hope to achieve with this guy.
Ryokan Kurita
The strongest and slowest player in the Deimon Devilbats by far, Kurita lives with his father, who is a leader of a Buddhist sect. As a boy, he was overfed by his father who believed that a young boy had to eat a lot. A soft and kind fellow, he contrasts sharply to Hiruma, the devlilish captain of the team. His battle cry of "Funuruba" is shouted often on the field. He loves American football and is passionate about the sport, to the point of sometimes attending morning practice as early as 2:00am. He originally wanted to attend Shinryuuji, but Agon, disliking the fact that a slow player like Kurita could get into Shinryuuji, took the athletic scholarship despite being talented enough to enter the school normally. Hiruma and Musashi left with Kurita and instead attended Deimon.
Beware the Nice Ones: Quite possibly the friendliest, kindest person in the entire series. He's also the premiere lineman of Japanese high school football, and is willing to kill to protect his team.
Determinator: Less obvious than many others, but Kurita's a perfect offensive lineman. It's been shown that his strength actually increases the more people he has to protect, to the point where he stopped Mr. Don singlehandedly just before Agon would have been broken in two.
Stout Strength: Built like a sumo wrestler; easily one of the strongest characters in the series.
Mamori Anezaki
Position: ManagerSena's childhood friend, she's always been there to protect him. Sena originally keeps her in the dark about his identity as Eyeshield 21 to stop her worrying (and to prevent friction between her and Hiruma).
Acceptable Feminine Goals: Everyone notes that with her intelligence she could be anything she wanted. But for the most part, she's content to become a daycare worker and the perfect yamato nadeshiko.
But Not Too Foreign: While Hiruma is American by osmosis, Mamori had an American grandfather. Her mother thinks that this is where she gets her interest in football. Word Of God is that the author came up with it after color art showed her with brown hair. Blackmailing quarterbacks can dye their hair, managers who are on the discipline committee? (worse than being The Class Rep) forget it.
Women Are Wiser: Though really, considering the cast, it's not that hard.
My Beloved Smother: Has some shades of this in the start towards Sena, though she eventually lets go of it.
The Not-Love Interest: An interesting example as it was hinted that Mamori was supposed to be Sena's love interest in the beginning, but became a not-love interest when it became clear their relationship was too much like that of a mother and son (and the fans found her relationship with Hiruma to be much more interesting).
Rose-Haired Girl: Blurs a line between this and a stylized brown in the anime.
Ship Tease: With Hiruma. Nothing came out of it since no romance in this manga. Though it's pretty telling that she chose to go to the same college with Hiruma instead of Sena when everyone, including the Hiruma, Kurita, Musashi combo, went their own seperate ways.
Tomboy and Girly Girl: With Suzuna. Though interestingly, which is which depends on the context. On the field, Mamori is the perceptive, football-savvy manager dressed in a t-shirt and track pants while Suzuna is the cutesy cheerleader in a mini-skirt. Off the field, Mamori is the ladylike Team Mom in frilly clothing while Suzuna is the snarky shorttank who hangs around Sena and Monta.
Position: Full BackA plain (very plain) fellow who was drafted from the track team as a support player. Paradoxically, his lack of remarkable features is the only thing remarkable about him; his lack of presence occasionally lets him slip through the opposing line and gain some yardage, but that's about all you can say about Ishimaru. Wait, who were we talking about again?
Butt Monkey: Everyone calls him plain. Like everything else, he's alright with this.
Demoted to Extra: As more characters got introduced, he became less and less represented in the show and manga because, let's face it, he's by far the least interesting member of the team. Or any of the teams for that matter.]]
Nice Guy: His second most prominent feature is that he's ridiculously nice (it's pretty much impossible to anger him), which Hiruma exploits mercilessly.
Running Gag: "I always like this moment before a match. It feels like your blood is running cold."
Taro "Monta" Raimon
A hot-headed first-year student with an uncanny resemblance to a monkey. Originally a member of Deimon's baseball team, he always wanted to be a great baseball player like his hero, Masaru Honjo of the Shuhei Bears. But while Monta's skills weren't well-rounded enough for baseball, he was still an excellent catcher, and was eventually convinced to join the Devil Bats as a receiver. Eventually develops the "Devil Bat Backfire", where he catches the ball from behind his head.
Position: Wide Receiver / Cornerback
Jersey: 80
40 yard dash: 5.0 seconds
Bench Press: 50 kg (110 lb)
Height: 155 cm (5' 1")
Weight: 51 kg (112 lbs)
Birthday: August 31st
1st Year Student (Grade 10)
Alternate Character Reading: He got his nickname from Sena misreading "Raimon Taro" as "Kaminari Montaro" on the baseball team's roster. He didn't like it at first, but changed his mind once Hiruma told him that the name came from Joe Montana.
Crippling Overspecialization: The reason he fails as a baseball player, but also the reason he succeeds as an American football player.
Determinator: It actually works to his disadvantage at first, as he originally refused to quit baseball despite having far more potential as a football player.
Position: LinemenKazuki Juumonji (the one with the scar), Kouji Kuroki (the one with dark hair), and Shozo Togano (the one with sunglasses who's always reading manga) were originally just three delinquents who targeted Sena on his first day at Deimon. However, Sena managed to dodge them, and Hiruma managed to get some embarrassing pictures, using them to blackmail the trio into leaving Sena alone. While scouring the Devil Bats' clubhouse for the negatives of those photos, they got dragged into an exhibition game with the Zokugaku Chameleons, and from then on were blackmailed into acting as linemen. However, they gradually built up a camaraderie with the rest of the team and start taking the sport more seriously as time goes on.
Divergent Character Evolution: All three started out as typical delinquents, but eventually became a smart guy who ran in the wrong crowd (Juumonji), big fan of manga and aspiring artist (Togano), and... a typical delinquent (Kuroki)
A typical delinquent who really freaks out about love letters.
The Drag Along: Up until the showdown with the Nasa Aliens.
A diminutive but powerful first-year student who looks up to Kurita. Communicates almost exclusively in "Power-Speak", a language of grunts and one-word sentences that can only be understood by strong men such as Kurita (and Mamori, for some reason).
A second-year student who had grown tired of being pressured by his mother, and everyone around him, into spending all his free time studying. He joined the Devil Bats in search of something more, and managed to stick with the team through all the hellish training. While he wasn't good enough to be more than a benchwarmer, he eventually got to prove himself during the Fall Tournament.
Position: Wide Receiver (occasionally a lineman or assorted defensive position)
Jersey: 16
40 yard dash: 5.6 seconds
Bench Press: N/A
Height: 179 cm (5' 10")
Weight: 67 kg (147 lb)
Birthday: February 29th
2nd Year Student (Grade 11)
Awesomeness by Analysis: Yukimitsu is capable of making very good split-second decisions during play—he's the only receiver in the series that runs the option route because he's the only one who can observe and calculate as quickly as Hiruma, and he figures out Ojou's plan in time to keep them from running the time clock out.
Badass Bookworm: He becomes this eventually, putting his eidetic & photographic memory and fast thinking to good use.
Determinator: It's how he goes from bookworm to athlete.
Geek Physique: He's the only one who can rival Hiruma in skinniness.
My Beloved Smother: His mom is obsessed with making him study harder and harder.
The Smart Guy: Even before he started playing physically he helped Hiruma and Mamori make calls from the bench; easily the smartest guy on the field once he gets out there.
Took a Level in Badass: A top contender for this trope's poster child. He went from stick-thin bookworm who couldn't remotely keep up with the rest of the Devil Bats, to getting a touchdown on two undisputed athletic geniuses.
A good-looking, flamboyant idiot with a highly exaggerated sense of his own skills. After flunking out of a football team tryout in America during the Death March arc, he decides to go back to Japan with the Devil Bats and play for them.
Camp Straight: He's very flamboyant (he likes to call himself a gentle prince), but never has his sexuality questioned or mentioned like Kisaragi or Sanzo.
Catch Phrase: "My success rate is 100%!" when things are going well for him, and "That's impossible!" when they aren't.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Taki can off like a jackass, what with his colossal ego, but he's a remarkably nice guy under it all, and he certainly brings a lot of enthusiasm to the team.
The third founding member of the Devil Bats, he has the stone-faced demeanor of a man at least twice his age. He was forced to leave school and help the family construction business after his father fell ill, but he finally returned as the Devil Bats' kicker during the game with the Seibu Wild Gunmen.
Position: Kicker / Punter / Linebacker
Jersey: 11
40 yard dash: 5.6 seconds
Bench Press: 90 kg (198 lb)
Height: 177 cm (5' 10")
Weight: 77 kg (169 lb)
Birthday: April 2nd
2nd Year Student (Grade 11)
Badass: Makes kicking look very cool. This is frequently lampshaded.
Chekhov's Gunman: Introduced as a carpenter long before we had any idea he the mysterious Musashi.
Cool Old Guy: What the first years thought he was.
Position: CoachAn old man with a weakness for drink who taught Kurita, Hiruma, and Musashi a few things about football. Back in college, he played football alongside Gunpei Shoji, coach of the Ojou White Knights.
Position: Head CheerleaderNatsuhiko's considerably smarter younger sister. A petite, perky girl with a fondness for roller skates whose patience is constantly tried by her idiotic brother.
A fierce mongrel dog who sleeps outside the Devil Bats' locker room. Not quite Hiruma's pet, but Hiruma does seem to be the only one he'll leave alone.
Two guys from the basketball team who were blackmailed into acting as support players. Not much to say about them, but Satake once stole underwear from the girls' swim team locker room (which turned out to belong to the cleaning lady), and Yamaoka is a fanboy of Ai Kago from Morning Musume.
A sumo club member who is so lazy, he can't even be bothered to open his eyes. When Sena and Natsuhiko took the wrong bus to the game with the Amino Cyborgs, he was dragged in as a stand-in, and has since stayed on as a support player.
The man widely regarded as the best defense player in the high school league. Shin is a hard-working genius who is constantly training to improve himself. At 4.4 seconds, he used to hold the record of the fastest 40 yard dash, until Sena surpassed him. His signature move is the spear tackle, which he later evolves into the trident tackle.
Position: Linebacker / Fullback / Running Back
Jersey: 40
40 yard dash: 4.4 seconds , in the Kanto Tournament, 4.2 seconds
Genre Savvy: He doesn't usually display elements of this, but in one memorable case he left the Deimon-Kyoshin game early while Deimon was behind — because he knew Eyeshield 21 would use some crazy new technique to win it all like he's done so many times before.
Butt Monkey: A rather mild example, but he does put up with a lot of (unintentional) comical injuries from Ootawara.
Can't Catch Up: Does angst over an understandable inferiority complex for a bit before Takami assures him just how much he and the team overall needs him.
Position: Defensive LinemanA cheerful buffoon who's Ojou's strongest lineman. He considers himself to be Kurita's rival. Has the unfortunate tendency to forget to wear pants.
Dumb Muscle: At least he's aware of it. "[Ikari]'s got muscle for brains. That's better than me, I've got no brains at all!"
Fan Disservice: His tendency to forget to wear pants, as well as him farting.
Flanderization: Not in terms of personality, but his habit of forgetting to wear his pants eventually evolved into him becoming Mizumachi's streaking buddy.
Idiots Cannot Catch Colds: He's the only on the entire team to never miss a practice. Shin comes at a close second, only because he broke the ticket machine at an airport.
Lightning Bruiser: By the Fall Tournament he had developed a level of speed that is freaking ridiculous for someone his size.
Naked People Are Funny: Later on he goes from forgetting to wear pants, to parading around stark naked just cause he can.
Position: QuarterbackOujou's quarterback and team captain. Takami is Hiruma's intellectual equal. He has a leg wound that keeps him from running fast, but he makes up for it with his height and the accuracy of his passes.
Heroic BSOD: Just as he thinks his efforts have finally paid off, he's told that the scholarship he had worked so hard for was meant for his brother. In contrast to other break downs, he doesn't work any less harder afterward, he simply stops seeing his own self-worth.
Identical Twin ID Tag: When in football uniform, his lack of hair distinguishes him from Agon.
Surrounded by Idiots: Well in the case of Shinryuuji, he was surrounded by perverts. At Enma, it seems like he's constantly on the verge of saying this.
Position: Many; typically Linebacker or QuarterbackUnsui's brother, whose fast nerve control caused him to become brilliant but lazy, as well as a smug, arrogant jerk. He worked with Hiruma prior to the events of the story.
Ambiguously Brown: Although anyone whose read or watched Eyeshield past the Taiyou match will know there's no point basing a character's ethnicity off their physical appearance, a lot of newcomers to the series assume Agon's black.
Not to mention in the colored illustrations his skin color varies from being the same shade as everyone else's to being the token brown guy. The anime went with him being tan.
A Lady On Each Arm: Every time he's shown on a date it's always with two girls.
Broken Ace: He gets the best grades out of the entire cast, is popular with girls, has great social skills (when he bothers with that sort of stuff), and is the most talented athlete of a century. He's also a huge douche.
Although it doesn't make his actions any more excusable, his huge ego and superiority complex are somewhat more understandable when you consider he's been called a prodigy and a "once-in-a-century" genius his entire life with nothing to prove him otherwise.
Disc One Final Boss: In the Kantou Regionals. Given the amount of build-up they get one could be forgiven for expecting Agon (and by extent, the Shinryuuji Naga) to be the main antagonists of the Kantou Arc. Instead they're knocked out in the first round and Marco Reiji and his Hakushuu Dinosaurs take over as the Climax Bosses of the arc.
The Dreaded: During the build-up to the Kantou Arc. Sena (and everyone who isn't Hiruma) are terrified of him, and even his own teammates shake in his presence. During the Youth World Cup Arc he instills that same fear in a number of opposing players, and is the on the recieving end of it from Mr. Don.
Dreadlock Rasta: Subverted. Despite constantly being referred to as "the reggae head", he attends a Buddhist school.
Evil Former Friend: Is implied to be this with Hiruma. Of course they've both always been evil.
Evil Is Petty: Aimed a football at Sena's right eye, threw a football at the knees of a kid in a wheelchair, stole a car, threatened injury on Kid and Hiruma while driving a stolen car, stole Kurita's scholarship, shoved Mamori to the ground, calls you a fat loser when you're feeling down and gives his older brother noogies. PURE EVIL.
Lets not forget his underage drinking and promiscuity.
For the Evulz: He doesn't especially like football, he just likes "putting people in their place" (according to him).
Freudian Excuse: From day one, he's been told he's special. His coach threatens horrific retribution on any team member who mimics Agon, but lets him get away with his behaviour solely because of his talent. Is it any surprise he turned out the way he did?
Good Eyes, Evil Eyes: His eyes are normally quite beady, but he can actually make them look almost moe when he puts on his good guy act.
Gold Digger: When asked what the most expensive thing he's ever bought was, he stated that his girlfriends buy him anything he wants.
For example, his goggles alone cost $350.
Hoist by His Own Petard: Ends up being beaten by the Devil Bats, a team he inadvertently created with his antics.
Identical Twin ID Tag: Although he doesn't like to admit it, without his dreads and sunglasses he and Unsui are difficult to tell apart.
I Have You Now, My Pretty: A mild example. During his first appearance, he quite bluntly tells Unsui that he wants to get into Mamori's pants (while leering at her through goggles, no less). During his second appearance he's a bit too touchy when hitting on Mamori and shoved her to the ground when she rejected his advances.
Laser-Guided Karma: When the Devil Bats make their final two-point coversion, knocking him and his team out of the tournament, it's Kurita who pins Agon down before he can grab Sena.
Lightning Bruiser: Agon's frighteningly strong, and while he's not as fast as Sena or Shin, his incredible reaction time means he might as well be.
Mutant: Pretty much. His reaction time is explicitly stated to be inhuman.
One-Man Army: Fast enough and strong enough to play any position and with his ridiculous reaction time and high intelligence he can both read opposing plays at lightening speed and cover the entire field in time to halt them. He's a One Man Opposing Sports Team.
Product Placement: Beginning in the Kantou tournament, sunglass aficionados will notice he starts wearing Oakley Juliet sports goggles with Ice Iridium lenses.
Position: Cornerback / ReceiverAnother Shinryuuji powerhouse, Ikkyu tends to be the butt monkey of his own team and can be very shy around women. However, once he enters the field, he becomes an arrogant kung fu guy who can run backwards at high speeds and is unstoppable in the air.
Evil Counterpart: A short, super competitive wide receiver who prides himself on his area of expertise? Who also acts like a total dork around his one-sided crush(es)? Sounds familiar...
Position: Center / LinebackerA third-year and the eldest of the Shinryuuji players. Despite entering Shinryuuji on a sports merit scholarship, he's quite humble and tries his best to be the mature one of the team (with mixed results).
Bruiser with a Soft Center: Rivals Kurita in sensitivity. He sheds manly tears when he realizes Agon's slowly becoming more of a team player. He later sheds tender tears when he realizes he can finally play football with Agon as a serious teammate, right before the Japan vs USA game. On the cover of volume 23 he's even shown sharing tears with Kurita.
Covert Pervert: Is often torn between keeping up his warrior monk persona and being a normal, hormone-ridden teenager.
Younger than They Look: Apparently the one with the worst case of it out of all of Team Japan. And that's saying something.
The Saiyuki Brigade
Position: Line (Gojyo, Goku, and Hakkai) and Runningback (Sanzo)As the name implies, four players in the Nagas who resemble the main characters of Journey to the West. Mainly act as the plucky comic relief.
Incompatible Orientation: Sanzo has a crush on both Ikkyu and Unsui. Ikkyu's obviously straight and Unsui doesn't seem to have any interest in romance all together.
Pet Homosexual: While we never see him flirt with other players, the extras show he's very open about his opinions on other players. (Evidently the only player he doesn't find the least bit attractive is Monta.)
Shout Out: To the TV show Monkey more then the original story. For example, Sanzo being a transvestite is a reference to Monkey's Sanzo being a woman.
Position: QuarterbackReal name Shien Mushanokoji, son of an ace pistol competitor. A very down-to-earth fellow whose talent lies in throwing the ball at high speeds.
Genre Blind: "Nothing good ever comes from chasing your dreams." Although given the instant he decided to chase his dreams, Gao broke his arm, he may be right...
Genre Savvy: "Things tend to go bad when they start looking good." When you're in the world of Eyeshield 21, this is a fundamental law.
The Gunslinger: Though calling him one would probably bring up bad memories.
Well Done Son Guy: He was pressured from a young age to be no less than a perfect marksman, which explains how he has such an analytical look to football.
Jou Tetsuma
Position: Wide ReceiverAn old friend of The Kid, Tetsuma is a stone-faced powerhouse who plows through the defensive line like a freight train and always sticks to his route. He hardly ever says a word, and tends to take orders a bit too far: when his coach reminded him not to overeat before a game, he fasted for three days. However, this literal-minded dedication is part of what makes him a great receiver.
Extreme Doormat: To Kid, at least at first. In the beginning he seemed barely sentient, doing ONLY what Kid told him to do. After Monta defeated him in a catching battle he began to develop his own ambitions.
Position: Running BackA childhood friend of Sena's and the one who taught him to run. Although Seibu mainly works on their passing game, Riku can be an unstoppable force on the football field. His signature move is the Rodeo Drive, which adopts the goose-step from rugby to cause a sudden burst of speed.
The Ace: He's mature, smart, studious, brave, heroic, cool, good looking, popular with girls, and taught Sena how to run. Almost any scene that features him prominently will be about him leaving everyone impressed. Needless to say, he'd make an incredibly boring protagonist.
Do Not Go Gentle:After Kid and Tetsuma are benched due to injuries, and painfully aware Seibu is about to lose to Hakushu, he refuses to let his team just throw in the towel against Gao and even plays till he drops. Riku has balls.
Only Known by Their Nickname: There was an extra that revealed his actual first name, however... It's "Baharou", which is pronounced identically to his nickname.
Taiyou Sphinx
Kiminari Harao
Position: Quarterback / Team CaptainA very beautiful young man who prides himself on being rich, refined, and elegant.
A Lady On Each Arm: Or rather a constant entourage of scantily clad groupies...
Alpha Bitch: At first. He was introduced as seeming to be very elitist and bossy, blaming others for his shortcomings. Of course it's mostly just an act because he's insecure.
Break the Haughty: Twice. The tie with Deimon was embarrassing but beneficial to his character development. The defeat by Hakushuu (and seeing his best friend get hurt protecting him) elevated him to woobie status.
The Casanova: Not as bad as Agon, but he isn't above taking advantage of his popularity.
Fake Ultimate Hero: Is a mediocre quarterback at best, yet is perceived as the team's ace.
Position: Running BackA jovial fellow who keeps a positive attitude despite the many hardships he's had to face. Desires to join the NFL so his grandmother no longer has to work. Originally forced to be a ball boy by his racist coach, he eventually wins him over and becomes the Aliens/Shuttles' ace running back. Would later join Team America for the World Cup.
Fragile Speedster: Not as fragile as Sena, but he's the weakest guy in the Pentagram.
Friendly Rivalry: Towards pretty much everyone, but especially Sena. Clifford even scolds Panther for being too nice a guy.
Heartwarming Orphan: Although it's not being an orphan that makes Apollo warm up to him, there's no denying Panther is one.
The Messiah: Kind and caring towards everyone? Check. Believes the best of others? Check. Repaying cruelty with kindness and forgiveness? Check. Redeeming a bad guy with the power of friendship? CHECK. Lets face it, if this were a shonen adventure series, Panther would be the hero.
Skilled, but Naive: At first. While he's always been incredibly fast and agile, his lack of playing experience meant he didn't really know how to defend against opponents.
Super Speed: Deconstructed. While he's no Flash he isone of the few people on Earth with a 4.1 second 40-yard-dash. It isn't actually impossible - Deion Sanders ran a 4.1 without even stretching, though to this day it's the fastest 40 ever recorded at the NFL Combine.
Position: QuarterbackPanther's best friend and teammate. Helped Panther endure Apollo's racism and generally looks out for him. Noted for having a powerful, but uncontrolled long pass.
Black Best Friend: Inverted, he's Panther's underdeveloped, white best friend.
Also said to have the 3rd most friends out of the entire cast.
Implacable Man: A somewhat muted example, but it's there; he can throw the Shuttle Pass while being tackled, and he's pretty hard to take down in the first place.
This isn't that unrealistic, but the writer probably assumed the drinking age was closer to 18 in the US.
Jeremy Watt
Position: Wide ReceiverA well-meaning but very misinformed Japan-o-phile who often confuses both Japanese and Americans alike.
Cloudcuckoo Lander: After seeing a skilled Japanese linebacker, he becomes fascinated with samurais. No one is able to figure out that train of thought.
Occidental Otaku: Though unlike most, he's doesn't appear to be an anime otaku, and likes the culture as a whole (though his ideas about Japanese culture are a bit...off.)
Teen Genius: It's obvious that he's a very bright kid when it comes to non-Japan related stuff — for instance, he does the legwork for the Shuttle Pass by calculating where it'll end up and being there to catch it.
The Gonzales Brothers (Nathan "Big Shit" Gonzales and Otto "Piss" Gonzales)
Positions: LinemenTwo linemen who are ridiculously muscular (even by the standards of the team), the older being the tallest on the team and the younger being the shortest. Both pride themselves on being "useful", which translate...oddly into written Japanese, to say the least.
Pintsized Powerhouse: The younger Gonzales, who does NOT like being underestimated.
Leonard Apollo
Position: CoachA former NFL player, Apollo's racial prejudice and mistreatment of Panther both trace back to the raw deal he received when he was a pro.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: It's arguable whether you say he has a heart of gold (maybe bronze...), but he does become a great trainer to Panther out of respect for his skill and work ethic. But as a person, he's still a blow hard and a bit racist.
Loophole Abuse: By renaming the team to the NASA Shuttles, he feels he technically lives up to the stipulation that the NASA Aliens wouldn't go back home.
Pet the Dog: When he puts Panther in the game and becomes a good coach and mentor to him.
Put Me In, Coach!: Unfortunately, Apollo's coach didn't listen and he never got the chance to prove himself on the field.
Position: LinebackerA buff, intellectual man who takes the idea of "brains over brawn" a little too far. Is almost always smiling and has a freakishly shiny face.
Affably Evil: Off the field he's rather gentlemanly.
Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: Did not hesitate to brag about his superior intelligence and training to Deimon.
Muscles Are Meaningless: Somewhat justified, as Munakata (and all of Amino) got their muscles through drugs and other forms of artificial stimulation while Deimon actually got their muscles naturally through an incredibly straining training regimen.
Thus the difference between Amino and Deimon could be compared to the difference between a weight lifter and body builder, while the body builder is more likely to be bigger and toned, the weight lifter has more pure strength and stamina.
As Ikari best put it, "Are those muscles just for show?" Yes. Yes they are.
Opposing Sports Team: His methods of "training" go completely against the ideals of the series...
Perpetual Smiler: If he's not smiling it means he's in serious trouble...
Celebrity Resemblance: He used to looked exactly like Weird Al, complete with curls and geek glasses. After starting his training regimen, he looked like Weird Al on steroids.
Like Yankovic, he's also incredibly geeky, but what stops him from being another weird Eyeshield football expy is that he's a jerk and a mild masochist.
Too Kinky to Torture: Their manager can be quite cruel to the team and Aoyanagi loves it.
Bando Spiders
Hayato Akaba
Position: Tight EndVoted Tokyo MVP the year prior, Akaba is the ace of the Bando Spiders. Obsessed with music, he often strums his electric guitar when thinking and uses musical metaphors to state his opinions. Claimed to be the real "Eyeshield 21" until Bando was defeated by Deimon, where he then passed on the title (and blue eyeshield) to Sena.
Genius Bruiser / Muscles Are Meaningless: The genius part? After his contract cancelling with Teikoku, he spends almost entire season becoming technical advisor for his team, developing Spider Poison, which he taught to almost every player of his team, turning the team from mediocre kick- team into decent team. The bruiser part? Well, he can stop Kurita in his track singlehandedly. The "muscles are meaningless" thing is somewhat justified in that the Spider Poison was specifically designed to overcome opponents with greater physical strength.
Large Ham: Despite his reserved personality, he's every bit as dramatic as Kotaro.
Meaningful Name: Aka means red. Kotaro refers to him as Aka-baka, which means "red idiot".
Red Eyes, Take Warning: Subverted then parodied. When the Devilbats first encounter Akaba he comes off as frightening but is actually a pretty nice guy. In the bonus material, the principal reveals they're just contacts.
Position: KickerThe ace kicker for the the Bando Spiders said to have a success rate of 100%. Declared himself Musashi's rival even before actually meeting him due to his (false) reputation as the "60-yeard Magnum". Takes kicking very seriously and wants to prove that it's every bit as important as offense and defense in football. Is perpetually combing his hair back.
Large Ham: Feels the need to accompany anything he says or does with a dramatic pose. Once called a time-out in the middle of a game JUST to explain his team's tragic back story.
Tsundere: According to the bonus material, while she calls Kotaro an idiot, she's never outright rejected his advances.
You Gotta Have Blue Hair: According to the colored artwork. Considering she's has black eyebrows, she probably dyed it.
Kyoshin Poseidons
Kengo Mizumachi
Position: LineA fun-loving, extremely lanky lineman who came to Kyoshin from the swimming team. His special ability is "The Swim", where he uses his height to push down opponent's linemen. Takes his clothes off a lot.
Position: LinebackerA very serious lineman and the other half of Kyoshin's aces. Also very tall, but he failed to put this to use back in middle school and was crushed by the real Eyeshield 21, Yamato. This inspired him to new heights (so to speak).
Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: Used to have little drive in using his height to his advantage in football. When he started to play in America and saw just how outclassed he was, this trait died out quickly.
Berserk Button: Don't try to sully the original Eyeshield 21's reputation in any way.
The Comically Serious: Continues talking placidly about Akaba's running style as Sena and Monta attempt to take down Mizumachi at the bathhouse (long story). Kobanzame lampshades this by noting that he's too used to this.
Position: Quarterback/Team CaptainKyoshin's quarterback and over-shadowed team captain. Generally unremarkable save for his ability to dump the ball fast enough that he's never had an interception. Never actually "leads" the team, just sort of... agrees with Kakei.
Positions: LinebackersKakei's self-proclaimed "apprentices" (fanboys) who constantly argue over whose the better player.
Hell-Bent for Leather: How Ohira dresses in his down time. Sena refers to his sense of style as "old fashioned" (presumably due his resemblance to the classic biker image).
Hotblooded: Oohira is so hot-blooded he cries perpetual manly tears.
Position: Quarterback/Safety/QB SpyA shifty, well-dressed fellow with a penchant for colas and secrecy. Marco wants to lead a team to victory in the Christmas Bowl to impress his would-be girlfriend, the team manager, and to do that strengthened Hakushu's football team immensely. Has the ability to follow the ball unflinchingly, and he can pry the ball out of a back's hands with his "Screwbite".
Affably Evil: A rather pleasant young man, willing to negotiate with opponents, sends flowers to the injured and perfectly willing to let Gaou demolish the team's competition if it advances his goals.
Animal Motifs: The raptor to Gaou's T-rex, and Kisiragi's Pteranodon.
Attack! Attack! Attack!: Played with. Marco, like Hiruma and Kid, advocates an all-offense strategy, focussing on using Gaou as a bludgeon and forcing his way down the field in a north-south game. Yet he also makes sure to recruit a very good cornerback in Kisiragi, and is himself one of the best safeties in Japan, serving as the only quarterback spy that the Devil-Bats encounter in the series.
Big Bad/The Heavy: Comes very close to being this during the Kantou Regionals, particularly after Agon's defeat and the revelation that Hakushuu is nobody to be screwed with during the Taiyou match. It's a sports series, but Marco's scheming drives much of the plot during the Kantou Arc, and leads to a whole lot of upsets, with his team serving as the Climax Boss of the arc. He's also this in a Five-Bad Band sense, given his position as leader of Hakushuu.
Chekhov's Gunman: The only thing that distinguishes Marco from the other throwaway captains at the start of the Kantou Arc is the fact that he comes over to speak to Sena, and is given some small focus when he draws the team he'll be facing. He's the closest thing the arc has to a Big Bad.
Cowardly Lion: Marco may be prone to panic, and he talks a lot about how he prefers to avoid facing strong teams, and finds the likes of Hiruma, Kurita, etc. to be terrifying, but he has no problem putting himself in harms way, and is in fact one of most active quarterbacks/safeties in the series.
Determinator: One who's gone way too far. Marco's inability to Know When to Fold 'Em is what has turned him into the screwed-up person he is today. He's also one on the field, recovering from a tackle by Kurita of all people, and returning to play.
Evil Counterpart: Hiruma's first one. They both compensate for lack of physical ability through intelligence, lead darkhorse teams built around a couple of key players, favour winning by any means necessary, Determinator their way through serious injuries, are much Younger than They Look, and want to take down the Alexanders/go to the Christmas Bowl no matter what it takes.
Evil Genius: Absolutely. He's smart enough to play Xanatos Speed Chess with Hiruma and to shut Sena down using only his brains.
Friendly Enemy: Especially to Sena. Off the field though, he's pretty nice to everyone.
Heel Face Turn: Post-Kantou Regionals. Unlike Agon and Gaou, who are Token Evil Teammates to the end, Marco seems to have straightened out his act by the World Cup.
Love Makes You Evil: Or at least a very brutal player. He wants to impress Maria badly enough that he's more than willing to use Gaou as a weapon, turn Kisiragi into a psycho, and break other team's quarterbacks in order to win.
Made of Iron: Recovers after having Kurita land on him at full speed, picks himself up and keeps on playing. Despite being somewhat shaken, he shows no visible damage, and gets right back in the action.
Manipulative Bastard: To Takami's Chessmaster and Hiruma's Trickster Archetype. They make and modify plans. Marco messes with your emotions, relying on a combination of brute power and fear to help him win.
Save Our Team: A dark take on the trope. Marco is explicitly stated to have massively improved Hakushuu's team, saving them from being just another also-ran. He did it by advocating Unnecessary Roughness, allowing Gaou off of his leash, turning Kisaragi into a Psycho Supporter, and injuring several of his own players. And making Maria go the Emotionless Girl route, VERY ironically since he did this to impress her.
Position: LineHakushu's ace, a massively beefy freshman who holds the high school record in the bench press. Up until their game with Deimon, Hakushu relied on Gao to smash through the opponent's line and break the quarterback's arms. However, Gao refuses to break the rules of football (i.e. he won't tackle quarterbacks if they don't have the ball) and is generally an honorable opponent...for what good that'll do.
Affably Evil: In a bizarre way. Gaou doesn't actually have a malicious bone in his body, and off the field is a cheerfully crazed Boisterous Bruiser who considers Banba and Kurita (two guys he nearly killed on the field) to be his buddies.
Animal Motif: Tyrannosaurus, though he looks like a caveman.
Blue and Orange Morality: Although he does have his own code of honor, it doesn't make him any less terrifying. While his main objective is simply to challenge worthy opponents, he feels no guilt if others get hurt in the process. On the other hand, if whoever he faces proves themselves to be brave and strong-willed, he's a surprisingly loyal friend and will defend them in every sense of the word (including attacking ANYONE who insults them).
Good Scars, Evil Scars: He has one on his forehead from a car he smashed. More "chaotic" than good/evil, though.
Hero Killer: Breaks Banba, Kid, Tetsuma, Riku, and Hiruma in rapid succession. Most the Kantou Arc is spent trying to find a way to put this bastard out of commission.
Made of Iron: Not only did he survive getting hit by a car (as a kid, no less!), but the car took more damage than he did!
Large and in Charge: Subverted. As the story progresses it becomes apparent that Marco is quite scared of Gaou, creating the impression that Gaou is really leading the team. However, we also discover that Gaou has nothing but respect for Marco and has no desire to challenge his leadership, meaning that Marco really is the one in charge.
Pet the Dog: His honest admiration for Marco and open liking for anybody (Banba, Riku, Kurita) who is willing to stand up to him help to humanise Gaou. His absolute belief that Marco will get up after getting tackled by Kurita is oddly touching in a way.
Testosterone Poisoning: Cranked up to 11. He's 6'7 (2m), has muscles that would make the cast of DBZ jealous, eats nothing but meat, looks like a cave man, and punched a car head on when he was in grade school.
Unskilled, but Strong: Kurita finally manages to win by using Gaou's lack of football experience against him. Gaou swears to gain more experience and have a rematch.
Villainous Friendship: He honestly considers Marco to be a friend and role-model. Marco, for his part, is terrified of Gaou, although they seem to get closer during the Youth World Cup.
World's Strongest Man: Japan's strongest man anyway. Mr. Don is the world's strongest.
Would Hit a Girl: Demands that Kurita tackle Karin even knowing that she's a girl (in sharp contrast to Banba and Yamabushi, who were opposed to it).
Position: CornerbackA wilting pretty-boy with an enormous man-crush on Gaou. He's impressed with "strength" in general due to Gaou saving him from bullies and tends to wax eloquent on how wonderful strength is. He's not one to overlook, though, as he can knock the ball out of a back's grip with his slender arms (known as the "Ptera-Claw").
Affably Evil: Self-deprecating, unfailingly polite, and willing to break a reciever's arms if it will impress Marco and Gaou.
All of the Other Reindeer: Relentlessly bullied by the other kids due to his girliness. He became a member of the football a) because Gaou saved him at one point and he wants to impress him, and b) because Marco, Gaou, and the other players were among the first to accept him for who he was.
Ambiguously Gay: Comes off as very, very gay for Gaou, though it's at least partly hero worship.
Blood Knight: He's not as obvious about it as Gaou is, but given that he sees football as a place to prove his own power—while crushing other people—definitely. He's this short of being a Psycho for Hire.
Co Dragons: To Marco, along with Gaou. He's the team's Left Hand.
Hidden Badass: Completely average or weaker than average in terms of his stats, but psychotically determined enough that it doesn't matter. Hiruma and Monta both lampshade this long before we see Kisiragi play, noting that he must have some sort of hidden talent.
Ill Boy: If his constant fevers are any indicator.
Made of Iron: Wierdly, yes. Tackled by Gaou along with Hiruma, Kisiragi is out of action for a few plays, but breaks nothing. He then returns to play and finishes the game, seemingly fine. For all his Ill Boy status and lack of stamina, he's got one hell of a skeletal system.
Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: Word Of God is that Kisiragi is straight, but is only attracted to muscular, powerful women. He would be the feminine boy is such a set-up.
Psycho Supporter: Of Marco and Gaou. Kisiragi is devoted, fanatically loyal, and very quietly insane. He's fairly pleasent off-field though.
Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: With Gaou. Though he's obviously the sensitive one, he would probably rather be the manly man (or at least date one).
Sissy Villain: Played very straight (he's an Ambiguously GayPsycho Supporter), but also nicely justified. Before joining the football team, Kisiragi was constantly bullied due to his girly interests, weak body, and feminine looks. Inspired by Gaou, he joined the team, and let Marco turn him into a Psycho Supporter so that he could be as strong as his hero.
Weak, but Skilled: Small and slender, but will seriously hurt you if he can. With just his skill, he singlehandedly shuts down Monta, who is possibly the best Wide Reciever in-show.
Position: LinebackerHakushu's former ace, a Dirty Coward who tends to overreact to everything and generally regarded as the "bottom of the top". Did they score a touchdown? We're doomed! Did we score a touchdown? Ha! They're weak!He also resembles a tengu.
The Brute: Was supposed to fill this role, being the team's best linebacker and the centre of their defence, but made the mistake of ticking off Gaou. Marco has to take his place on defence.
Meaningful Name: In addition to the obvious, "hana" means "nose", and his is very long. Like that of a tengu, in fact.
Too Dumb to Live: Yeah, go ahead. Insult Gaou's Worthy Opponent in front of him. It's not like you've been on a team with him all year and know how he's going to react...oh wait.
Position: Running BackThe real Eyeshield 21. He's friendly and plays along with the other team, but he won't hesitate to tell them he's going to crush everyone. His special ability is the "Caesar's Charge", where he flat-out refuses to be tackled.
The Ace: Frequently hailed as being the "perfect runner" LONG before he actually appeared and completely lived up to this expectation when he finally revealed himself; on top of being good looking, charming, and honorable.
Determinator: His greatest skill is simply that he refuses to be tackled.
Implacable Man: Yamato has places to go. You will not stop him. You may slow him down. You may impede his progress. But he will get there, even if he has to drag you with him.
Jack-of-All-Trades: He's a very well-rounded player but he he's not the best in any particular area other then possibly determination.
Akaba: On the other hand, Yamato has everything. Speed. Power. Technique. Body balance. Height. Kinda good-looking.
Unsui: What has the last one got to do with the rest?
Lightning Bruiser: Not as fast as Shin, but he appears to be stronger.
Position: Wide RecieverA stone-faced, utterly bored wide reciever, Taka's also the son of Monta's favorite baseball player Masaru Honjo. His well-deserved nickname comes from his ability to jump ridiculous distances.
Victory Is Boring: Having been trained since childhood by his father to be a great baseball player, Taka became the unstoppable force that he is today.
Acceptable Feminine Goals: Hilariously inverted. Poor sensitive Karin just wants to draw shoujo mangas and play the piano; too bad everyone else thinks she's more cut out for playing football and making shonen manga.
Distaff Counterpart: Recruited against her will? Check. Considered the best in her specialty? Check. Low self-esteem and highly apologetic? Check. The only difference between her and Sena seems to be apparance and gender.
Samus Is a Girl: Yes, she is a quarterback. Yes, she is the country's best quarterback.
Smurfette Principle: Granted, it's certainly an anomaly to the sport, but she's the only female football player in the entire series.
Hera "Heracles" Kureji
Position: CenterA third-year and captain of the Alexanders. Although he enjoys playing up his "Osakan" persona, he's actually a very hardworking and responsible individual.
Genius Bruiser: There's a reason Heracles is the team captain.
The Idiot From Osaka: His dream is to be a famous Osakan-style entertainer so he does all he can to invoke this trope. In reality, he's actually a very capable leader who simply likes to keep the atmosphere lighthearted.
The Leader: Of the Alexanders. On the surface he looks like a Type III, but he's more of a Type II, leading on the basis of his cheerful nature and level-headedness.
Aki "Achilles" Reisuke
Position: LineA hot blooded, but gullible player with a strong desire for a girlfriend.
Position: QuarterbackAn arrogant but extremely talented player, he shares Hiruma's keen intellect and passion for head games but has speed that nearly rivals Sena's.
Big Bad Duumvirate: With Mr. Don. Unlike the rest of the team, Clifford isn't scared of Don, and provides the field leadership, strategy, and cool-headed calculation to Mr. Don's brutal play and charismatic leadership. He's a also one of the best players on the field, and his intelligence coupled with his smarts makes him one of the two biggest threats to the Japanese team's survival.
Brains and Brawn: The brains to Mr. Don's brawn. Mr. Don is far from stupid, but Clifford (like Hiruma) is in a league of his own when it comes to intelligence.
Evil Counterpart: Hiruma's had a few of these before, but Clifford has so much in common with him it's not even funny. The only notable difference in their play is that Clifford isn't quite as fond of trick plays and is much quicker.
Big Bad/Final Boss/The Heavy: The captain of Team USA, and a tremendous problem for the team during the final arc. He's also The Leader of The Pentagram, making him one in the Five-Bad Band sense.
Big Bad Duumvirate: At times he and Clifford seem to form one, given the level of independence that Clifford has and the fact that most of the plans are his. Clifford is the mastermind and field leader, Mr. Don the face and the charismatic leadership.
Defeating the Undefeatable: More than any other opponent Sena & Co. face, Mr. Don is played like this. No one has ever moved him before, let alone knocked him down. When Gaou and Yamato finally pull it off, everyone, including Mr. Don himself is stunned because it's honestly never happened before.
The Dreaded: Mr. Don manages to put the fear of God into Agon of all people. In fact the only characters who aren't frightened of him on some level are Clifford, Gaou, and of course, Hiruma (who seems to be missing the fear gene).
Even Evil Has Standards: When Panther refuses to cheat (despite Bud's suggestions to the contrary) Mr. Don agrees that it's better this way. After all you don't prove anything if you win by breaking the rules.
Hero Killer: He's only mentioned in whispers and his face is kept unrevealed even after the rest of his team has been revealed. During his first appearance he beats up Gaou and terrifies Agon of all people. During the actual match he steamrolls over Gaou, Kurita, Banba, Agon, Yamato, and Shinn in rapid succession, frightens Sena half to death, and worries even Hiruma.
Honour Before Reason: Surprisingly yes. For all his other flaws, Mr. Don has no desire to win through cheating.
Jerk Jock: With the ultimate "rich dad who gets him out of trouble".
Laser-Guided Karma: Gaou, whom he used as a punching bag, and Yamato, who he ran out of Notre Dame, are the two who end up beating him for the first time.
The Leader: He and Clifford split this role. Mr. Don's a Type III/IV.
Pet the Dog: Stops a stampeding crowd of fans so he can sign a little kid's football and give him a speech about what it means to be an athlete. He passes up on the opportunity to hit on a very attractive girl in the process, and it's not so he can showboat—the kid was honestly first in line and that matters to Don.
Politically Incorrect Villain: He's quite racist towards the Japanese, though not it's worth noting towards Panther or Tatanka.
Rousing Speech: Gives one to both his team and the crowd when the game starts going against the Americans.
World's Strongest Man: Explicitly referred to as the strongest lineman in their age-group.
Worthy Opponent: How Gaou sees him. As the final match progresses, Mr. Don begins to see the Japanese team in the same light, as they challenge his views on natural talent.
Younger than They Look: An 18-year-old who looks older then his own father. Than again, he barely looks human, so this isn't a surprise.
Tatanka
Position: LinebackerThe tallest player in the entire World Cup, Tatanka is of Native American heritage and idolizes Mr. Don.
Dumb Muscle: Slow enough that after studying to learn multiple languages his English skills somehow decreased.
Genius Ditz: His Japanese appears to be good enough that Team Japan can to understand him.
Mighty Glacier: Big, but not quick. His long reach, however, makes him an interception machine.
Rapunzel Hair: His hair's pretty long even when braided up.
Other Football Players
Rui Habashira
Position: LinebackerCaptain and only dedicated player of the Zokugaku Chamelions, Rui is a delinquent who appears to be "threatening" in order to motivate his team. Grudgingly respects Hiruma and occasionally helps out the Devilbats.
Corner of Woe: Played seriously in a flashback. She's shown standing around a corner looking deeply depressed while Rui brandishes his knife at one of their players.
Position: LineAn experienced, technical linemen who lost early on in the Tokyo tournament. Most well-known for being a talkative combat commentator whose predictions are never right.
Rated M for Manly: Was viewed as this during his introduction (he had "manly charisma") and many linemen were quite GAR for him until he became a victim of...
Wise Beyond Their Years: Subverted, he acts wise and experienced, but everything he says is always wrong.
Kaoru Hatsujou
Position: Quarterback and KickerThe only decent player for the bottom-of-the-barrel Cupids. Mainly known for having a hot girlfriend despite being smug and unattractive.
Position: Running BackThe captain and ace of the Misaki Wolves, Kamiya is a long-legged, fast-moving player with a high opinion of himself. In the manga, his team was easily defeated by the Seibu Wild Gunmen; in the anime, he is a far more serious threat, and is only barely defeated, after giving Seibu's ace, Riku, a serious run for his money.
Adaptational Badass: A joke in the manga, the anime turned him into a high-speed powerhouse, capable of matching Riku in terms of speed, and leading a team whom the Gunmen were only barely able to overcome.
Worthy Opponent: To Sena, a fact that both of them acknowledge. On a less personal note, his team serves as the first real challenge that the Japanese team encounters, a fact that Gaou and Sena both state aloud.
Other Characters
Riku Kumabukuro
A reporter from a sports magazine known for his ridiculously large afro. Has a daughter, Riko, who is studying to be a journalist and sometimes stands in for him.
Straight Man: To his loud and abrasive co-worker "Machine Gun" Sanada.
Riko Kumabukuro
Daughter of Riku Kumabukuro, she takes her father's place as announcer during the Kanto tournament. Tends to stutter when she's excited or nervous, but is otherwise an excellent announcer and journalist who just wants to be taken seriously.
Funny Afro: In the anime she grows an afro whenever she gets too excited.
Genki Girl: Not nearly as energetic as Sanada but is still very enthusiastic about her job.
Hot Scoop: Her good looks were how she managed to get an interview with Agon.
"Machine Gun" Sanada
Kumabukuro's loud, fast-talking fellow commentator. A rather hammy fellow with an outlandish hair-cut that resembles a set of lawn-mower blades sticking out of his head.
President of Jari Productions, and somewhat sleazy manager to Haruto Sakuraba. Originally depicted as just a money-grubbing social climber seeking to make a fortune off Sakuraba's good looks, he naturally flips out when Sakuraba quits being a model to focus on sports. However, he shows a softer side after he comes to accept Sakuraba's wishes.
Kick the Dog: When he tries to throw out the sweatband Sakuraba got from a young fan.
Pet the Dog: When he eventually accepts Sakuraba's desire to focus on football, and even starts cheering him on.
Torakichi
Sakuraba's biggest fan, stuck with him even after discovering his actual abilities. One of Sakuraba's biggest motivators for improving himself. Is currently bound to a wheelchair, but desires to become a football player once he recovers.
