open/close all folders
General
SIC District Champions and Kanto Regional dark horses, the Hakushu Dinosaurs were, like the Devil Bats, a young team, composed mostly of first-year rookies and misfits. Led by the unscrupulous Reiji "Marco" Maruko, the Dinosaurs ran on a brutal playing style - using their gigantic lineman Rikiya Gaou to break the bones of all quarterbacks they'd faced. Having turned the SIC District Tournament into a proverbial bloodbath, the Dinosaurs were now gunning for the title of Kanto's champions, and a shot at the Christmas Bowl.
- Animal Motifs: Each of their star players was associated with a particular dinosaur.
- Arc Villain: The need to stop the Dinosaurs, particularly Gaou, dominated much of the Kanto Arc and hanged over every match after the Devil Bats vs Naga game.
- Attack! Attack! Attack!: Subverted. The Dinosaurs became infamous for their north-south game, using Gaou's inhuman strength to hammer through any team in the way. But their other two ace players (Marco and Kisaragi) were a safety and a cornerback respectively and their defense was at least as good as their offensive, repeatedly halting the Devil Bats in their tracks.
- Badass Creed: Strength is absolute.
- Badass Crew: Gaou was not the only top player in this team, just the best.
- Chekhov's Gunman: The Dinosaurs were first mentioned in a football magazine shown in the extra materials, as a SIC District team currently recruiting "massive" new talents. It's not until the Kanto Arc that we finally got to meet Marco, and not until after the Devil Bats vs Naga match that we saw the massive talents in question.
- Climax Boss: Of the Kanto Tournament Arc, stepping into the role of the series' key antagonists after the Naga had been knocked out.
- Color-Coded Characters: They uniforms were green, a color commonly used to contrast against red... which was the color of the Devil Bats, to whom the Dinosaurs were Evil Counterparts.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Inflicted this on the Sphinx, and then the Wild Gunmen.
- The Dreaded: Marco hid most of their exploits in the SIC tournament which leads to a Mass "Oh, Crap!" during the Kanto tournament when they see Gaou and the record that says all their previous match ended with the other team forfeiting for massive injuries.
- Evil Counterpart: As a whole, the Dinosaurs served as the evil counterparts to the Deimon Devil Bats. Both were Ragtag Bands Of Misfits led by a manipulative captain who'd a love for offensive plays. The difference was that whilst the Devil Bats genuinely enjoyed the sports, the Dinosaurs went all-out to prove something individually and didn't care who they hurt in the process.
- Freudian Trio:
- Id: Gaou, the one most aggressive and eager to fight.
- Superego: Kisaragi, the most idealistic of the three.
- Ego: Marco, who was the team's brains and kept Gaou in check.
- Hero Killers: The Dinosaurs focused on injuring the opposing team's players either by breaking the arms of the quarterback or sending the entire team's roster to the hospital. They'd steamrolled through the SIC district with that tactic, destroyed the Sphinx's near immovable "Pyramid Line"note , and the Wild Gunmen got run over the moment Gaou managed to break Kid's throwing arm and send Tetsuma and Riku to the hospital. Finally, Hiruma got his arm broken as well.
- I Am Not Left-Handed: Once Gaou was finally stopped and they couldn't just do force plays, they were shown to have a strong defense, and the third best kicker in Kanto. Marco made a point to keep most of their true strengths a secret apart from Gaou (and a giant lineman who broke arms was impossible to hide, anyway).
- Noodle Incident: According to Marco what they did during the SIC district tournament makes their Curb-Stomp Battle with the Sphinx (where the whole line were rendered unconscious) pretty tame. Maria shows Sena and Riku footages of what the team did in an effort to convince them to back out of the tournament. Based from their reactions, it was not a pretty sight.
- Opposing Sports Team: A classic example. Obsessed with winning instead of enjoying the sport, the Dinosaurs used brutal tactics to injure or even cripple their opponents but not played ethically. Judging by the sound it wasn't pretty.
- Planet of Hats: Extra materials revealed that Hakushu Highschool was build near an archaeological site by an archaeologist, and that excavating the site is a part of the school’s curriculum. Also, a fossil of a dinosaur’s head is displayed at the school’s entrance. However, since none of the known students exhibit traits often associated with archaeologists and opted to go with their dinosaurs Animal Motifs instead, this is ultimately downplayed.
- Put on a Bus: Downplayed. Despite being important plot-wise, Marco, Kisaragi and Maria were notably absent from the epilogue, where nearly all major characters had their closures, though Gaou did show up in there, as an ace player of the Takekura Construction Babel alongside Musashi, Kid and Tetsuma. It is not impossible given their motivations they just moved on to other things.
- Ragtag Band of Misfits: The core members of this team consisted of a cunning but nervous quarterback, an inhumanly muscled lineman who joined the team to fight strong foes, and a sickly Bishōnen who had a warped sense of beauty. They were the Evil Counterpart to the Devil Bats, after all...
- Rookie Red Rangers: All of the team's star players were first-years, with Marco being the only one who actually had prior experience in football.
- Straight for the Commander: The Hakushuu Dinosaurs win their games by having Gaou crush the opposing Quarterback during their defense, though its more like Gaou couldn't hold back his immense power. Marco does go out of his way to take Hiruma Yoichi out during the Kanto finals because with Gaou having met his match with Kurita, the Dinosaurs aren't capable of handling Deimon's Offensive and getting Hiruma out of the picture would greatly cripple Deimon and bring them down to Hakushuu's actual level.
- Unnecessary Roughness: So you're playing against Gaou? Well... good luck.
- Unskilled, but Strong: Enforced, Marco knew he couldn't shape his team to win the Christmas Bowl in time (i.e., before Maria graduated), so he relied on brute strength and power plays, such as using Gaou for a north-south play and having Kisaragi injure opposing receivers.
- And yet, it's ultimately Played With. While the team's most remarkable moves were all based on arm strength, the Hakushuu Dinosaurs wouldn't be such a threat without a clever application of said strength or a set of skills totally unrelated to physical prowess - after all, one wrong move and Gaou could be thrown out of the field. Marco's Screw Bite relied on him being able to follow the ball with his eyes, and Kisaragi's Ptero Claw was a difficult technique normally named "Reach and Grab". On a team level, without Marco to direct his players and devise their strategies, they wouldn't even have reached the Kanto Tournament.
- Take Gaou away from the equation and the unskilled asset of the team becomes ridiculously clear as day. Outside of Gaou's North-South game, Hakushu's offense is so lackluster that Deimon's weak defense can stop them dead on their tracks. The other ace players Marco and Kisaragi are dangerous in their own right, but can be easily played around and circumvented as Hiruma proved multiple times during the Kanto Finals. Basically, the Dinosaurs have been carried by Gaou's power throughout the Fall Tournaments and they immediately lost once Gaou is able to be neutralized by a player just as strong as him (Kurita). The only reason the Deimon Devilbats struggled against them at all is because Gaou crushed Hiruma's arm early on, severely crippling the control tower of their plays.
- When All You Have Is a Hammer…: The north-south game was this team's favorite tactic, because no opposing line can defend against their monstrously powerful lineman Gaou. Until Gaou meets his match in Kurita Ryokan.
Reiji "Marco" Maruko
"For woman there is love, for man there is strength and for Hiruma Yoichi there is death."
A shifty, well-dressed fellow with a penchant for colas and secrecy. Marco wants to lead a team to victory in the Christmas Bowl to impress his would-be girlfriend, the team manager, and to do that strengthened Hakushu's football team immensely. A capable quarterback, he's actually at his most effective on defense, where he follows the ball with unerring precision, before prying it out of the runner's hand with his "Screwbite".
- Position: Quraterback / Safety
- Jersey: 4
- 40-yard Dash: 5.2 seconds
- Bench Press: 60 kg
- Height: 177 cm
- Weight: 66 kg
- Birthday: May 1st
- Blood Type: AB
- 1st Year Student (Grade 10)
- Nicknames: Marco, "Ball Handling Expert"
- Academic Athlete: Again, the quarterbacks in this series tend to be this.
- Affably Evil: A rather pleasant young man who is willing to negotiate with opponents, send flowers to the injured and allows Gaoh to demolish the team's competitor if it advances his goals.
- Animal Motifs: The raptor to Gaoh's T-rex and Kisaragi's Pterosaur.
- Apologetic Attacker: Downplayed, he says he feel bad about hospitalizing quarterback and send flowers to the team but he sounds pretty half-hearted and has set his mind about it a while ago.
- Attack! Attack! Attack!: Played With. Marco, like Hiruma and Kid, advocates an all-offense strategy, focusing on using Gaoh as a bludgeon and forcing his way down the field in a north-south game. Yet, he also makes sure to recruit a very good cornerback in Kisaragi, and is himself one of the best safeties in Japan, serving as the only quarterback spy that the Devil Bats encounter in the series.
- Awesomeness by Analysis: His defensive role is "Quarterback Spy", which means he needs to anticipate and counter every move the opposing quarterback plays.
- Battle of Wits: His position as a QB Spy forces this upon the enemy quarterback, constantly watching their every move and maneuvering to stop their plays. He is very effective against Sena, but Hiruma is a completely different beast altogether.
- Big Bad: Comes very close to being this during the Kanto Regional, particularly after Agon's defeat and the revelation that Hakushu is nobody to be screwed with during the Hakushu-Taiyo match. It's a sports series, but Marco's scheming drives much of the plot during the Kanto Arc, and leads to a whole lot of upsets, with his team serving as the Climax Boss of the said arc since his ambitions to reach the Christmas Bowl is what drives him to win even at the cost of literally destroying the bodies and dreams of the teams that oppose him.
- But Not Too Foreign: He's half Italian.
- Chekhov's Gunman: The only thing that distinguishes Marco from the other throwaway captains at the start of the Kanto Arc is the fact that he comes over to speak to Sena, and is given some small focus when he draws the team he'll be facing. He's the closest thing the arc has to a Big Bad.
- Combat Pragmatist: Will do anything for victory. He plays with the Unnecessary Roughness to almost foul play with Gaou breaking quarterback's arm and himself willing to rush an injured player to put him out of commission for good.
- Cowardly Lion: Marco may be prone to panic, talks a lot about how he prefers to avoid facing strong teams, and finds the likes of Hiruma, Kurita, etc. to be terrifying, but he has no problem putting himself in harm's way, and is in fact one of most active quarterbacks in the series.
- Defeat Means Friendship: With Hiruma, who admits he would have gone to the same lengths Marco did, if he found himself in the same position. Plus, when Sena and Monta were gathering Kanto’s players for World Cup, Hiruma had already called Marco beforehand.
- 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 full-power tackle by Kurita and returning to play.
- Embarrassing First Name: Last name anyway, which is why he calls himself "Marco" and Maruko Himuro "Maria."
- 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, favor winning by any means necessary, Determinator their way through serious injuries, are Younger Than They Look, and want to take down the Alexanders no matter what it takes. His dynamic with Gaoh is a reversed one to Hiruma and Kurita, though.
- Evil Genius: He's smart enough to play Xanatos Speed Chess with Hiruma and shut Sena down using only his brains.
- Friendly Enemy: Especially to Sena. Off the field though, he's pretty nice to everyone.
- Foreshadowing: Marco made a point to hide his own skills during the Kanto tournament, by only carrying the ball behind Gaou. The only hints of his talent as a safety are when he deduces Riku's running technique from the bench and Maria saying the team will be way stronger with Marco taking Tengu's place on defense.
- Heel–Face Turn: Post-Kanto Regionals. Unlike Agon and Gaoh, who are Token Evil Teammates to the end, Marco seems to have straightened out his act by the World Cup.
- Heel Realisation: Marco first got his slice of humble pie when he ends up going 1 v 1 against Kurita, who is for all intents and purposes Deimon's Gaou. This causes him to realize what he himself had subjected all the quarterbacks he had Gaou destroy after having a first-hand taste of the power he espouses all too much and changes his perceptions of strength. After Hakushuu lost to Deimon, Marco is forced to live with the fact that even with all the power in the world he still failed to reach the Christmas Bowl and his actions alienated him from Maria who always liked him, causing Marco to change for the better.
- Heroic BSoD: Seeing the Teikoku Alexanders inflicted that to him. With his unflinching will to win the Christmas Bowl in one hand and the monstrous difference in strength and skill between the Alexanders and everyone else in the other, Marco had no choice but taking a level in Jerkass and become the most ruthless player in and out of the field, using Gaouh to break other quarterbacks' arms.
- Hidden Badass: An average athlete, Marco doesn't look especially threatening on defense, particularly after the likes of Agon and Shin. He's actually more dangerous to the Devil Bats than either of them, as his ability to steal the ball from Sena, rather than tackling him, enables Hakushu to easily score touchdowns during Deimon's offense. Sena acknowledges how well Marco's kept his abilities hidden right before their first clash, noting that despite having talked to Marco frequently, he has no idea what the Hakushu captain is like as a player.
- Horrible Judge of Character: Because of Marco's nervousness he tends to misjudge the motive of those around. For example he thinks Maria hates him forever after his decision to have Gaou in the team and Gaou won't listen to him and just wants to find strong lineman to crush. Truth is Maria still loves him and Gaou basically sees him as a role model and would have never take over his leadership.
- I Am Not Left-Handed: Marco's a better defensive player than he is an offensive one, but keeps this concealed throughout the Taiyo and Seibu matches, only taking up his safety position when Tengu is injured and Hakushu's remaining defenders prove unable to stop Sena.
- Jack of All Stats: Players mention that he isn't especially gifted in American football but he practice hard and has average skills, like Hiruma he makes up for it with mind games.
- Laughably Evil: Marco's nervousness put him on the receiving end of a lot of comedic moments, but never detracts from his on-field threat.
- The Leader: The mastermind leader of Hakushu. Even more impressive as he is a first year who didn't have any particular talent for football but earned the leadership.
- 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 Kisaragi 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.
- The Mafia: What his suits, Italian heritage, and general demeanor are meant to evoke.
- 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.
- Man of Wealth and Taste: Dresses and conducts himself like a Mafia don. Somewhat justified, as his father is a former Mafia member turned investor and his mother is a fashion designer. Flashbacks for him and his teammates show that the pinstriped suits are Hakushu school uniforms to go with the theme.
- Motive Decay: The main reason he wanted to play football was to woo Maria ,who was the team manager, by winning the Christmas Bowl. When he realized it would be impossible with the current team and despite Maria insisting that it doesn't matter if he fights what is a desperate battle he decided to recruit Gaou (using sheer power and brutality to close the talent gap) and drew himself apart from Maria. Subverted in that Marco wanted victory for himself as much as for Maria from the start.
- Not-So-Harmless Villain: Marco's got a bad case of nerves, and his jittery demeanor (and failed attempts to cover it up) makes him the target of much of the series' humor from his first appearance on, in a way that characters like Agon or Mr. Don never are. Then Sena goes one-on-one with him in the Hakushu game, and we discover that while Marco absolutely is an anxiety-ridden geek, he's also a highly-talented safety and quarterback spy who is every bit the menace that his Co-Dragons, Gaoh and Kisaragi are.
- Oblivious to Hints: Maria points out that for all his cunning he was clueless to the fact she reciprocate his feelings, Marco thought the only way to impress her was to win the Christmas Bowl.
- Punch-Clock Villain: When he wants to make it to the Christmas Bowl, he is the worst person to meet in the field. Off the field, he is a friendly guy who offers cola.
- Save Our Team: A dark take on the trope. Marco is explicitly stated to have massively improved Hakushu's team, saving them from being just another also-ran. He did it by advocating Unnecessary Roughness, allowing Gaoh 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, which is very ironic since he did all this to impress her.
- Second Place Is for Losers: Or is if you're trying to impress an upperclassman.
- Sharp-Dressed Man: Pretty impressively for a highschooler.
- Ship Tease: Has loads of this with Maria.
- Signature Move: The Screw Bite. He is so good at ball-handling, he can snatch the ball without tackling the runner, even from somebody as fast as Sena. This technique is so fearsome that Sena, faced with the choice of being crushed by Gaoh or facing Marco, chose the former despite knowing he could end up in the hospital because having the ball stolen would mean the Devil Bats' defeat.
- Significant Name Overlap: His surname is the same as Maria's real given name. He uses it as a commonality between them, but he's also embarrassed by how feminine it sounds that he took up his nickname of Marco as a result.
- The Strategist: He's the one who figures out the best way to use Gaoh's brute strength to the advantage of the team.
- Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Subverted to hell and back. Don't be fooled by the expensive Italian suits and suave demeanor, at his core, Marco's a panicky dork (and an unpleasant guy to boot).
- Take Athird Option: A dark take, either try his hardest to win the Kantou tournament and be content with that or try his hardest and lose to the Alexanders at the Christmas Bowl. He chose to become the most ruthless team that injured all their opponents so he can have a chance at winning.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Cola.
- Trial by Friendly Fire: Orders Gaoh to go through Kisaragi to get to Hiruma.
- The Unfettered: A milder example than most, he doesn't do anything illegal in order to win, but we couldn't blame you if you thought that was the case.
- Using a lineman to break opposite player's bones on purpose is against the rules but since Gaou was doing it by sheer strength instead of downright punching the player and he technically just said that Gaou will have his power contest if Hiruma was not there to devise trick play.
- Unnecessary Roughness: Advocates it as part of his overall strategy.
- Verbal Tic: "I'd say", spoken at the end of most sentences. Rendered "I think" in the official translation.
- Villainous Friendship: Some shades of this with Kisaragi.Marco: I can't believe you did such a rash thing. I'd say.
Kisaragi: But I did a good job right?
Marco: Yeah, you did. - Villain Respect: After Sena finally bypasses him to score Deimon's final touchdown Marco informs Sena that he is already worthy of being called "Eyeshield 21"."Sena. You're already... The real deal, I'd say..."
- Villainous Valour: Marco's scared to death but keeps on playing (and risking his own neck) because winning is far more important to him.
- Weak, but Skilled: Marco himself isn't anything special in terms of physique, but what makes him dangerous is his cunning mind and specialization in both Quarterback and QB Spy roles, allowing him to stop most plays that his opponent would attempt.
- Worthy Opponent: To Sena and Hiruma. He's the first player to prove capable of snatching the ball out of Sena's hands without tackling him, and he forces Sena to rethink his playing style, while also spurring him to think outside the box during his tenure as backup quarterback. He's also one of the few team captains who can equal Hiruma in sneakiness, a fact that Hiruma makes no attempt to downplay. As Sena notes "Reiji Maruko is our worst foe yet".
- Younger Than They Look: Another freshman, which means he's, at best, 16.
Rikiya Gaou (峨王 力哉)
"Yeah, it's just like you said... Let's begin this battle. Right now...!!"
The Dinosaurs' ace player, Gaou's a massively muscular freshman who held the highschool record in bench press. Up until the game with the Devil Bats, the Dinosaurs had relied on him to smash through opponents' line and break quarterbacks' arms, causing a bloodbath at SIC District Regional Tournament. Brutal as he might be, Gaou was shown to possess a sense of honor and refused to break rules on the field (i.e., he wouldn't tackle a quarterback if the latter didn't have the ball). Also, he genuinely treated Marco as friend and had lots of respect towards the latter for his determination to win.
- Position: Centre / Defensive Tackle
- Jersey: 70
- 40-yard Dash: Unspecified
- Bench Press: Over 200 kg (Over 440 lbs), 210 kg to be exact
- Height: 204 cm (6' 8")
- Weight: 130 kg (287 lbs)
- Birthday: April 4
- 1st Year Student (Grade 10)
- Affably Evil: In a weird way. Gaou did not actually have a malicious bone in his body and, off the field, was a cheerfully crazed Boisterous Bruiser who saw Banba and Kurita (the former of whom he sent to a hospital) as his buddies.
- Animal Motifs: Tyrannosaurus Rex, though he looked more like a caveman.
- The Apprentice: Somewhat hilariously, he asked the tiny Chubo to mentor him on the Delta Dynamite the night before the finals of the World Cup.
- Badass Creed: Strength is absolute, and Gaou is the living embodiment of it.
- Berserk Button: If anyone had shown the guts to stand up to Gaou, you had better not make fun of him when Gaou is around.
- Brains and Brawn: The brawn to Marco's brain, Gaou just doesn't care about anything other than go through the other team so he leaves everything else to Marco.
- The Big Guy: To Team Japan during the World Cup. Probably also this on the Takekura Construction Babel.
- Blood Knight: Began playing american football simply because Marco told him there'd be strong people he could fight. When he did meet people who were his equals in strength, or at least not afraid of standing up to him, Gaou gave them the highest respect.
- Boisterous Bruiser: He can't stop talking about how absolute strength is absolute, how he wants to find strong men to compete against, etc.
- The Brute: What he seemed to be at first, until it's shown that his status in the team was more akin to The Dragon.
- Challenge Seeker: Maybe not as much as Shin, but Gaou was still very obsessed with finding men who could stand up to him in the strength department.
- Co-Dragons: To Marco, alongside Kisaragi. Gaou was the team's Right Hand.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Nearly every time when somebody dared to face him. Gaou himself came to the receiving end of this when he challenged Mr. Don, though.
- Defeat Means Friendship: Given his Blood Knight tendency, this should surprise nobody.
- Determinator: Against Mr. Don, where Gaou demonstrated that one became The Juggernaut by starting out as this trope.
- The Dreaded: Nearly everyone who wasn't Kurita, Kisaragi, or Mr. Don was terrified of Gaou.
- Dumb Muscle: Subverted. Gaou could come off as this, due to his lack of tactics beyond brute strength and rather single-minded ways of thinking. But the former had more to do with his lack of field experience and the philosophy that strength is absolute, whilst the latter was due to his determination. Gaou was rather eloquent when he spoke and, as the Devil Bats found out on the field, not easy to fool or trick.
- Evil Duo: Formed a sort-of-friendship with Agon at the World Cup.
- Evil Is Bigger: Unambiguously portrayed as a villain and towering over nearly everyone.
- Friendly Enemy: You may miss this due to his personality, but Gaou was never anything other than respectful of his opponents, especially Riku and Kurita. And he appeared to want nothing but to establish a Friendly Rivalry.
- The Giant: He's just after Mr. Don.
- Glad He's On Our Side: As lampshaded by Sena during the World Cup.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: He had one on his forehead from a car he'd smashed. It is more "chaotic" than good or evil, however.
- Graceful Loser: When Kurita finally bested him, Gaou's reaction was to promise him a rematch and wish him well.Gaou (While falling): Go, Ryokan Kurita. Go, with your spirited friends, to the Christmas Bowl.
- Hero Killer: Destroyed Banba, Kid, Tetsuma, Riku, and Hiruma in rapid succession. Most of the Kanto Arc was spent trying to find a way to put this bastard out of commission.
- Hero-Worshipper: Apparently to Rodchenko, the world's record holder for bench press, though he quickly lost interest in Rodchenko after seeing how much of a money-grubber the latter was during the Japan vs Russia match. He also revealed that he always looked up to Marco.Gaou: That man will immediately stand up by himself.
- Hidden Depths: Gaou may look like a savage brute, but he's a genuinely nice guy off the field, so long as you earn his respect. And as rough as his playstyle is, Gaou will follow the rules, such as not tackling non-linemen without the ball, something that Kid tried to use to his advantage.
- The Juggernaut: Trying to stop Gaou is a surefire way to get yourself to the hospital, unless you are one of this trope yourself.
- Killing Intent: Gaou's raw power come not only from his huge body but from his complete lack of reservation. It's his major advantage over Kurita who is fine with losing if his teammates go through until Kurita gains a will to kill for the sake of protecting his friends.
- Large and in Charge: Subverted. As the story unfolded, it became obvious that Marco was scared of Gaou, creating the impression that Gaou was truly leading the team. However, we later learnt that Gaou only had respect for Marco, and did not want to challenge his leadership, which meant that Marco was the one in charge after all.
- Large Ham: At times. Gaou roared and started giving a speech at the start of the Devil Bats vs Dinosaurs game when Hiruma showed that he'd let Gaou fight Kurita one-on-one at the first play on, to the point that Hiruma cut him off and told him to shut up.
- Let's Fight Like Gentlemen: Strictly adheres to the rules of football. The Wild Gunmen exploit this by turning their entire line into receivers and relying on Kid to pass faster than Gaou can tackle him (since he won't tackle someone not carrying the ball).
- Lightning Bruiser: Don't let his size fool you. Gaou can move frighteningly fast. Demonstrated in the Dinosaurs vs Wild Gunmen match, in which Kid observed that Gaou was getting faster after each pass, until he's fast enough to reach Kid before the latter could throw.
- Made of Iron: Not only did he survive being hit by a car (as a kid, no less!) but the car took more damage than he did.
- Meaningful Name: His first name, "Rikiya", means great might or strength and his last name, "Gaou", is the Japanese onomatopoeia for a dinosaur's roar.
- Muscles Are Meaningful: Unlike Amino's bodies, which seemed to be inflated, Gaou was ripped yet somewhat slender for his size. Not only does his muscles tells you he has great strength but a speed more akin to a shaved gorilla than a bodybuilder.
- Noble Male, Roguish Male: Gaou was the Roguish to Mr. Don's Noble: the former relied only on brute strength, looked like a caveman, and was obsessed with fighting, while the latter had great techniques on top of strength, wore classy suits off-field, and was a charismatic leader.
- Obviously Evil: He is scarred, inhumanly muscular, and smiling in an unsettling way. It shouldn't take too long to figure out he was going to be a villain.
- Pet the Dog: His honest admiration for Marco and open liking for anybody (i.e., Banba, Riku, Kurita) who was willing to stand up to him helped humanize Gaou. His absolute belief that Marco would get up after being tackled by Kurita was, in a way, oddly touching.
- Phrase Catcher: Gaou going easy on someone? That is impossible.
- Rookie Red Ranger: A rookie to the Dinosaurs, but arguably the team's most threatening player throughout the course of the story.
- Running Gag: Gaou does not open doors. He knocks doors off their hinges.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The Manly Man to Kisaragi's Sensitive Guy.
- Signature Move: Unlike his team mates Marco and Kisaragi, Gaou didn't have a signature move, unless of course you consider breaking opposing quarterbacks' arms as a move. He did manage the Delta Dynamite halfway through the Japan vs USA game, however.
- Slasher Smiles: When he does get excited, he tends to smile in ways that are rather... psychotic, such as this
. - Spirited Competitor: To the point he forced a match with Team Russia just to challenge Rodchenko.
- Spotlight-Stealing Squad: Alongside Agon, Gaou was the focus of the World Cup Arc.
- Testosterone Poisoning: The second biggest offender in the series. He's 6'8" (2m), had muscles that would have made the cast of DBZ jealous, ate nothing but meat, looked like a caveman, and punched a car head-on when he was in grade school.
- Took a Level in Badass: And he is the last person who needed it. Like Sena, Gaou was a rookie who had raw talent and could develop real fast during games when facing a strong team. When Marco started trusting Gaou as a lineman instead of only using him to break bones, Gaou grew even more dangerous and stopped Kurita from tackling Marco with one hand.Banba: learning from the battle assimilating. He keeps improving!
- Troperiffic: At this point, Gaou's list is not much shorter than Mr. Don's.
- Uncanny Family Resemblance: To his younger brother, who was more or less just a mini-Gaou. Fortunately averted for his younger sister.
- The Unfettered: Gaou didn't care about how many people he severely injure, as long as it gave him a challenge that satiated his thirst for power. He learned it from Marco.Gaou: If you're lacking the talent, then ask for the help of others without shame. Dirty your own hands, even if you have to bear the contempt of the ones you love. In order to get to the top.
- Unnecessary Roughness: Gaou simply used all of his strength against his opponents. When The Juggernaut did this, it was no surprise that things weren't pretty.
- Unknown Rival: He saw Kurita as the greatest genuine heavy player since the start of the tournament, Kurita for his part either didn't know or was too scared of Gaou to have a rivalry until halfway through their match.
- Unskilled, but Strong: Gaou lacked in football techniques, but he more than made up with sheer brute strength, in so much as the Dinosaurs' strategy was basically letting him steamroll past the opposing team. Kurita managed to win by using Gaou's lack of experience against him.
- Villainous Friendship: Gaou honestly regarded Marco to be a friend and role model. Marco, for his part, was scared of him, though they got closer towards the end of the Devil Bats vs Dinosaurs game, and even more so during the Youth World Cup.Gaou (Bruised and charging towards Mr. Don): When you find a path to the top... none of that matters! You just have to "climb"!! At the very least... that's what the man who taught me football... That's what Marco did!!!
- Villain Respect: Anyone who dared stand up to Gaou earned his respect. Banba, Riku, Kid, Sena, Hiruma, Komusubi and, of course, Kurita had all won it by the end of the Kanto Arc.
- World's Strongest Man: Japan's strongest, anyway. The world's strongest was Mr. Don.
- Worthy Opponent: After he Took a Level in Badass, Kurita viewed him as this. Before that, Gaou was just a brute who tried to hurt Kurita's friends, but now he had became a rival as Japan's best lineman.
- Would Hit a Girl: He urged Kurita to tackle Karin, fully knowing that she's a girl (in contrast to Banba and Yamabushi, who were against it).Gaou (Spectating the Devil Bats vs Alexanders game): Completely destroy that woman, Kurita. You will be able to do it, if it's a powerful man like you.Yamabushi (Sweating): You... you really know no mercy...
- Younger Than They Look: This guy was 16 during the Christmas Bowl.
Hiromi Kisaragi
A wilting pretty-boy with an enormous man-crush on Gaoh. He's impressed with "strength" in general due to Gaoh saving him from bullies and tends to wax eloquent on how wonderful strength is. He's not one to overlook, though, as he can knock the ball out of a back's grip with his slender arms (known as the "Ptera-Claw"), and has no qualms about injuring them in the process.
- Position: Cornerback
- Jersey: 96
- Bench Press: 10 kg
- Height: 160 cm
- Weight: 49 kg
- Birthday: July 4th
- 1st Year Student (Grade 10)
- Affably Evil: Self-deprecating, unfailingly polite, and willing to break a receiver's arms if it will impress Marco and Gaoh.
- Agent Peacock: In spite of his slim build and pretty-boy looks, his sheer tenacity makes him quite a threat on the field.
- All of the Other Reindeer: Relentlessly bullied by the other kids due to his girliness. He became a member of the football (a) because Gaoh saved him from bullies and he wants to impress him, and (b) because Marco, Gaoh, and the other players were the first to accept him for who he was.
- Amazon Chaser:
Word of God is that Kisaragi is straight, but is only attracted to muscular, powerful women. - Ambiguously Gay: Comes off as very, very gay for Gaoh, though it's at least partly hero worship.
- Animal Motif: Pterosaur.
- Bishie Sparkle: All the damn time.
- Blood Knight: He's not as obvious about it as Gaoh is, but given that he sees football as a place to prove his own power (read: crushing other people) definitely. He's this short of being a Psycho for Hire.
- Co-Dragons: To Marco, along with Gaoh. He's the team's Left Hand.
- Determinator: The very fact that he manages to play football despite his Geek Physique is this.
- Evil Counterpart: To Komusubi. Both are praising the strength of their team lineman and despite their physique they can be useful to their team thanks to their arms (Komusubi is short but his short arm are powerful for a rip and Kisaragi has a frail slender arm that can break receiver's bone by entangling it). Kisaragi however looks insane.
- The Fighting Narcissist: His philosophy is that "strength is beautiful", and thus he wants to win his games with physical strength.
- Geek Physique: Skeletally thin and the physically weakest high school football player, able to bench press just 10 kg. In comparison, Sena, who is also physically weak, can bench press 45 kg. Even Karin and Mamori can bench more than him.
- Hero-Worshipper: For Gaou since he beat up a bunch of bullies without breaking a sweat, showing that a man with that strength can do anything.
- 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 Kisaragi play, noting that he must have some sort of hidden talent. He can entwined his arm with a receiver's one like a snake.
- In Love with Your Carnage: The source of his admiration for/attraction to Gaoh.
- Imagine Spot: He sees other people’s appearance according to their physical prowess. The stronger they are, the prettier they look to him.
- Kill Us Both: Lighter variant. He grabbed Hiruma and told Marco to order Gaoh to go through both of them. Marco obliged.
- Lean and Mean: Rail skinny, and rather ill-looking to boot. He isn't exactly mean until he starts playing seriously.
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy: He is prettier than Maria.
- Made of Iron: Weirdly, yes. Tackled by Gaoh along with Hiruma, Kisaragi is out of action for a few plays, but breaks nothing. He then returns to play and finishes the game, seemingly fine. For all his lack of stamina, he's got one hell of a skeletal system.
- Psycho Supporter: Of Marco and Gaoh. Kisaragi is devoted, fanatically loyal, and very quietly insane. He's pleasant off-field though.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: With Gaoh. Though he's obviously the Sensitive Guy, he would probably rather be the Manly Man.
- Sissy Villain: Played very straight, but also nicely justified. He's an Ambiguously Gay Psycho Supporter. Before joining the football team, Kisaragi was constantly bullied due to his girly interests, weak body, and feminine looks. Inspired by Gaoh, he joined the team, and let Marco turn him into a Psycho Supporter so that he could be as strong as his hero.
- Unnecessary Roughness: Less notable than with his teammates, but it's there. He doesn't aim to injure Monta, but he doesn't mind hurting him, and he later threatens to permanently cripple Hiruma's throwing arm.
- Villainous Friendship: With Marco and Gaoh, whom he sees as role models and friends.
- Villain Respect: Kisaragi is unfailingly respectful of Monta's talents, and is among the first of Hakushuu's players to recognize Deimon as Worthy Opponents.
- Weak, but Skilled: Small and slender, but will seriously hurt you if he can. With just his skill, he single-handedly shuts down Monta, who is possibly the best Wide Receiver in-series.
- Worthy Opponent: Comes to see Monta as one.
Hanataka Tengu
- Position: Linebacker
- The Brute: Was supposed to fill this role, being the team's best linebacker and the center of their defense, but made the mistake of ticking off Gaoh. Marco has to take his place.
- Marco used him only because he does not want to get hurt, not because Tengu is the best for the job.
- Catchphrase: "Yahyooo!"
- Dirty Coward: Flies into a panic whenever things don't go exactly as planned.
- Joke Character: He doesn't even get to play in the finals, and Maria straight up said that the team is probably better off this way.
- 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 Gaoh'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.
- The Unfought: After he made fun of Kurita and Banba, Gaoh broke his ribs. And his nose.
Maruko "Maria" Himuro
The beautiful and quiet assistant for the Hakushu team. She has serious problems with the way Marco runs the team, and tries to keep a limit on the casualties that he and Gaou inflict on other teams.
- Position: Manager.
- All Girls Want Bad Boys: No they don't. Maria likes Marco, but for who he used to be, rather than who he is now.
- Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: Incredibly pretty, but also incredibly intimidating. Tengu calls her their empress and Marco trying to woo her was what the team found the most unsettling and bold about him.
- Boyish Short Hair: As part of her rather scary demeanor.
- Cute Sports Club Manager: Though the players find her scary rather than cute.
- Emotionless Girl: After Marco recruited Gaoh.
- The Heart: She was this for the team, until Marco became a Manipulative Bastard.
- Ignore the Fanservice: Walks into the locker room telling all the naked athletes to hurry the hell up if they don't want to miss the train.
- Ship Tease: Has loads of this with Marco.
- Significant Name Overlap: Her given name is the same as Marco's, something he tried to bond with her over.
- The Stoic: After the changes in her team, she puts on a stoic face.
- Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Towards Marco until he recruited Gaoh.
- Token Good Teammate: To Marco, Gaoh, Tengu, and Kisaragi.
- When She Smiles: Finally cracks a smile after Marco's defeat and Heel Realisation.
Saburo Mitsui
Hakushu's kicker, third best kicker in Kantou.
- Ambiguously Brown: Not like the Sphinx but he is clearly of darker complexion.
- The Brute: Physically imposing, playing linebacker when he isn't kicking, and not useful enough to be a right hand like Gaou or Kisaragi.
- Can't Catch Up: He knows he can't beat Kotarou or Musashi so he'll make sure to be the bronze medal.
- Flat Character: He is a simple stoic man with a simple goal.
- Numerological Motif: Three.
