Follow TV Tropes

Following

Characters / Eyeshield 21 Teikoku Alexanders

Go To

Main Character Index | Deimon Devil Bats | Ojo White Knights | Shinryuji Naga | Seibu Wild Gunmen | Taiyo Sphinx | NASA Aliens | Kyoshin Poseidon | Bando Spiders | Hakushu Dinosaurs | Teikoku Alexanders | The Pentagram | College and Semi-Pro Football Teams | Other Football Players | Other Characters

    open/close all folders 

    General 

The ultimate team in Japanese high school football, dominating the whole Kansai district and winning the Christmas Bowl every year since its initiationnote . Their strength stemmed mainly from their policy: They recruited top players from other schools in order to build up their ranks. Run on a meritocracy, the Alexanders divided these players into six ranks and advanced them based on performance and nothing else. During the main event of the story, they were gifted with two new recruits - Takeru Yamato and Taka Honjo, who were hailed as very outstanding, even among the generations of Alexanders lineups. With this, Teikoku seemed set to continue their winning streak when the Deimon Devil Bats became their opponents in the Christmas Bowl. They didn't.


  • The Aces: They were the best players in Japan.
  • Always a Bigger Fish: The Naga's Kanto nine-year winning streak was nothing compared to the Alexanders'. The last nine Christmas Bowls were the former getting trounced by the latter.
  • Ancient Rome: These guys seemed to have a Roman Empire theme going on, which fitted their meritocratic philosophy (and having The Prankster as a captain) pretty well.
  • Asskicking Leads to Leadership: In this team, authority was only for players who kicked asses.
    Ibarada (Walking ahead): Damn it, Karin, you're slow!
    Karin (Carrying Ibarada's luggage): S-s-s-sorry!
    Yamato (Passing by): Wait, Iba... What is it? Ah, yeah! Ibarada! Why're you using Karin as a luggage carrier?
    Karin: Yamato! It's alright. I don't really mind...
    Yamato (Smiled): Underclassmen aren't slaves to their senpai. Instead... you should have that fourth string player carry them. You know?
  • Badass Crew: The best team in Japan's highschool football.
  • Chekhov's Gunman: The Alexanders were first mentioned in Kotaro's flashback, in which they're responsible for most of the Spiders' best players leaving the team. They were mentioned again during the Devil Bats vs Dinosaurs match, in which Kisaragi flustered that the Dinosaurs were to crush the Alexanders using Gaou's brute strength. It turned out the Alexanders were the all-time football champions of Japan and Final Boss.
  • Color-Coded Characters: They're the Final Boss and associated with black.
  • Consummate Professionals: They're so pro, they had no trouble cooperating with each other on the field despite the intense rivalries among them.
  • Curb-Stomp Battle: They did this to the NAGA. It's offscreen, but still...
  • Dark Is Not Evil: They have black uniforms, and are the Final Boss, but outside the field, are not at all hostile to the opposing players.
  • Defeating the Undefeatable: Had been undefeated since the first Christmas Bowl, and hailed as Japan's undisputed aces.
  • The Dreaded: Everyone, even the Shinryuji Naga, feared the Alexanders.
  • Dream Team: The Alexanders recruited ace players from all of Japan and grouped these players into six teams based on merits. The first string players were literally the best of the best.
  • Explaining Your Power to the Enemy: An unusual sports variant. When Sena, Monta, and Suzuna went to Teikoku High to scout their players, they also tried stealing the team's playbook. When they were caught, Yamato figured out what they wanted to do and handed them a copy, then stated that they didn't have to go through all the effort and should've simply asked or bought a copy at the school souvenir shop. This shows that Teikoku doesn't really mind showing other teams their playbook since the information becomes useless if they cannot stop the Alexanders from winning. Yamato reassures them that he doesn't mean it as an insult either, the playbook contains a thousand plays the Alexanders mastered and no other team in Japan can feasibly counter all of them.
  • Final Boss: Before the Youth World Cup, anyway.
  • Genius Bruiser: A requirement to be a first string player was to memorize 1000 football plays.
  • Lightning Bruiser: Another requirement to be a first string player is to be able to run the 40-yard dash in 5 seconds or less. Yes, even the linemen have to do this. This makes their line both fast and strong.
  • Master of All: It's hard to talk about the Alexanders' weak points... because there are none.
  • Might Makes Right: The Alexanders ran on a meritocracy. Ages, friendships and other such stuffs didn't matter. The only thing they cared was what you bring to the team.
  • Name To Run Away From Really Fast: "Teikoku" literally means Emperor Black.
  • Opposing Sports Team: They weren't a bunch of bad guys, but their status as the undefeated champions and the fact that the rivalry within the team was as great or greater than that with their opponents still made them a fairly classic case of this.
  • Serious Business: The only highschool - not coach or player - to take football that seriously, they recruited every ace player in Japan they could get. That was why they were the Christmas Bowl champions for decades.
  • Worthy Opponents: Notably, these seemed to happen within the team.
    Taka (While curb-stomping an unnamed Alexanders player): Yamato, if you're not my opponent, this won't really be a practice...
    • They also take the Devil Bats seriously - they have, after all, proven themselves the best team in the East and defeated the Nagas and the Dinosaurs, they're clearly a strong team.

    Takeru Yamato (大和 猛) 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Yamato_Takeru_9585.jpg
"It's settled... It's my win!"

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

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

  • Academic Athlete: Implied, since he got into the Saikyodai University.
  • The Ace: Frequently hailed as being the "Perfect Runner" long before he actually appeared, and completely lived up to this expectation when he revealed himself; on top of being good-looking, charming, and honorable, as lampshaded by Akaba.
  • Always Someone Better: Yamato was crushed by Panther on one occasion because of nothing but the latter's superior talents in running.
  • Awesomeness by Analysis: Yamato, like Sena, possessed the ability to find run routes. However, unlike Sena, who can find one or two routes, Yamato can find all possible run routes, making him just as difficult to reach as it was to take him down. He could also predict opposing plays with frightening accuracy, being so confident in his predictions that the rest of the Alexanders never doubted him. Finally, he was able to counter Sena's Devil Fourth Dimension immediately after seeing it.
  • Bash Brothers: With Taka, similar to Sena and Monta, who he seems to hold more or less of a friendly rivalry with.
  • Boisterous Bruiser: Downplayed, but it stood out when compared to Taka.
  • Broken Ace: While Yamato was unmistakably a top running back in Japan, it was implied that he was seen by some (i.e., Mr. Don) as not-of-the-top-tier when he's in the USA. Thus, his attempt to crown himself the ace by seizing the title "Eyeshield 21" earned him the contempt of Mr. Don, who eventually had him expelled from Notre Dame.
  • Catchphrase: "It's settled. It's my win." The official translation made it "I am certain to win."
  • Charles Atlas Superpower: How could he shrug off tackles and steamroll any line in Japan? His training in America, where being beaten off the field for being a better running back made him used to being attacked by people stronger than he was. Yamato earned the "Eyeshield" title by puking blood.
  • Chaste Hero: Not to the same degree as Shin, but Yamato didn't have a girlfriend, and seemed not to be interested in finding one.
  • Chick Magnet: If Achilles's words were to be taken, Yamato was popular with ladies. It's not hard to believe given all the other tropes listed here.
  • Combat Compliment: Yamato is always ready to acknowledge others' accomplishments.
    Yamato (Halfway through the Devil Bats vs Alexanders game): Sena, Monta... no matter how many times you're knocked down, there's still fire in your eyes. You aren't losers. Without doubt, you're first-class players.
  • Comically Missing the Point: Yamato tended to do this when he interacted with Karin. Running Gag below provides the details.
  • Cool Big Bro: Considering the other tropes listed here, Yamato was very likely to be this trope to his unseen younger brother.
  • Curb-Stomp Battle: Almost always inflicted this when someone challenged him. Yamato suffered this at the hands of Panther and Mr. Don, though.
  • Defeat Means Friendship: Not that Yamato was mean to start with.
  • Determinator: His greatest skill was actually simple: He refused to be taken down when tackled. And just this was good enough to make him a very formidable running back. Even three people tackling him only made him fall to his knees.
  • The Emperor: The Roman variant of this was Yamato's primary Motifs, if his "Caesar's Charge" and his team's Roman theme hadn't made this obvious enough.
  • Foil: He was apparently comparable to Shin and Agon in terms of sheer talents. Yamato was, like Shin, a genius who trained himself hard, but he's talkative and charismatic, while Shin was The Quiet One. On the other hand, Yamato had aptitude outside speed and power, like Agon. But he's a Nice Guy while Agon was a full-on Jerkass.
  • Genius Bruiser: Even Hiruma had a hard time outsmarting Yamato.
  • The Gift: More or less implied given his interaction with Agon. His backstory showed that he was gifted with physical prowess (height and athleticism) as well as intelligence and improved himself more through sheer hard work.
  • Graceful Loser: When Sena defeated him.
    Yamato (Sweating; The Alexanders just lost to the Devil Bats): I'm sorry, Sena... Since I am the one who lost, I should be praising you as the winner. But right now... I can't help feeling excited.
  • The Hero: To the Alexanders.
  • Honor Before Reason: He promised to use only his left hand in the match against the Devil Bats when he saw that Hiruma hadn't recovered. That's saying something about this guy. He ended up using both hands not for pragmatism but because Sena proved to be a real challenge and it would be an insult if he kept doing it.
  • 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. It's an oddly unique example of the trope, which is usually used to describe someone who's coming after you. In Yamato's case, it was more like he's trying to get away from you, and something as simple as failing to get away from you wasn't going to deter him one bit.
    • Played straight whenever Yamato played in defense, as his superior physical strength and speed as well as having a near perfect balance made it almost impossible for anyone to stop him in his tracks. Thus, he can either avoid blockers or simply shove them out of the way and get to the ball carrier. In fact, all the Devil Bats tried to stop him from reaching Musashi during their final field goal play, yet Yamato still managed to touch the ball.
  • Jack of All Stats: He was a very all-rounded player, but he wasn't the best in any particular area other than possibly determination, something Yamato himself admitted.
    • Master of All: He's still near top-notch in terms of speed, power and... everything.
    Akaba: On the other hand, Yamato has everything. Speed. Power. Technique. Body balance. Height. Kinda good-looking.
    Unsui: What has the last one got to do with the rest?
  • Kiai: He always shouts after he gets tackled during his Caesar's Charge to express his determination.
  • The Leader: He served as the de facto on-field leader of the Alexanders, although he's more on the charismatic than the mastermind side.
  • Lightning Bruiser: Yamato was just slightly slower than Sena, but he is as strong as players like Shin and Agon. There's a reason why his usual tactic is to shove the defense out of the way.
  • Living Legend: It's Eyeshield 21, the Japanese star running back from Notre Dame, whom Sena impersonated as part of Hiruma's scare tactics, whom Kakei basically worshipped, whom Akaba imitated to reclaim the Spiders' glory, and whom Marco marked as a prey. Yamato lived up to the name too. There is a reason why in America he was referred as "the miracle from the East", before Mr. Don put a stop to this.
  • Magnetic Hero: He's quite charismatic, and had 2479 entries in his mobile phone contacts.
  • Messy Hair: As pictured above.
  • Might Makes Right: Downplayed, but it's there. Yamato only cared about whether a person could get the job done. He failed to remember Ibarada's name apparently due to the latter's fourth string status.
  • Named After Somebody Famous: "Yamato Takeru" was also the name of an ancient Japanese prince who was... the King Arthur of Japan, in a nutshell.
  • Nice Guy: What he was off the field. Even on the field he was surprisingly nice, changing subject when he accidentally implied Sena was a weakling.
  • Noodle Incident: How Yamato was run out of Notre Dame was never explained during the Devil Bats vs Alexanders game. Later subverted when the truth about the incident was revealed in the World Cup Arc.
  • No-Sell: The "Caesar's Charge" was basically him refusing to go down after being tackled, often dragging the opposing player with him as he ran. He was also the only player who'd taken Shin's Trident Tackle directly without going down.
  • The Real Remington Steele: The original Eyeshield 21 whom Kakei had met.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: He was the red to Taka's blue. It wasn't that Yamato was impulsive, but he was quite a charismatic and talkative guy when compared to the emotionless Taka.
  • Running Gag: Karin tried to avoid being competitive (i.e., declining to join the team or saying that she's afraid of being tackled). The very competitive Yamato misinterpreted her words and thought she considered herself not good enough, and ended up forcing her to train even harder.
  • Signature Move: The Caesar's Charge, a move that can be used both on offense and defense. As a defensive move, it creates a perfect seal around the ball carrier through Yamato's height, reach and speed. As an offensive move, see No-Sell above.
  • Smug Super: An interesting example. Yamato is more or less made of confidence and, without a doubt, a super. BUT, (1) He never rubs his superness in others' faces; (2) He never compares others to himself; and (3) If you do accomplish an impressive feat, Yamato will be the first person to acknowledge it. In short, Yamato is this trope, but unlike Agon, he isn't a douche about it.
    Sena (Staring at Yamato in awe): Self-confidence. Every word brimming with strength behind that friendly speech. There isn't a part of him that thinks he is going to lose.
  • Spirited Competitor: He would gladly take on any challenger, regardless of the gap between him and his opponent. He even thanked Sena for allowing him to go all-out.
  • Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Seen his stats and picture?
  • Unperson: Not only was he expelled from Notre Dame because Mr. Don didn't find him worthy of the title Eyeshield 21, Mr. Don also ensured that all traces of Yamato's time and achievements in the school were erased as well.
  • Unstoppable Force Meets Immovable Object: The first thing he did upon meeting Shin was to test if Shin's Trident Tackle could stop his Caesar's Charge. It turned out Shin could stop Yamato's run, but could not completely take him out, and Yamato was able to push Shin back for a yard.
  • Willfully Weak: When the Devil Bats vs Alexanders match began, Yamato offered to use only one hand when he saw that Hiruma hadn't yet recovered. It didn't last long, however.
  • Worthy Opponent: Came to see Sena as this. Also, Sena and Kakei both saw him as this.

    Taka Honjo (本庄 鷹) 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/taka.png
"It's the same thing. It's useless. You won't be a match for me, either."

The stone-faced and bored wide receiver of the Alexanders. Taka was the record holder of the Long Jump at Japan's highschool league. He was also the son of Masaru Honjo, the pro baseball player renowned for his skills in catching and Monta's idol. Before the Devil Bats vs Alexanders match, it was revealed that Masaru Honjo had been seeking to find a good challenge for his son, who was bored by the lack of players skilled enough to fight him, and saw the potential in Monta. Despite this, Taka decided at the first glance that Monta wasn't good enough to defeat him and came to regard the latter with apathy. In the Devil Bats vs Alexanders match, however, Monta at last proved himself an equal to Taka, and the two developed a Friendly Rivalry. Taka also became notably warmer afterwards.

  • Position: Wide Receiver / Cornerback
  • Jersey: 10
  • 40-yard Dash: Unspecified
  • Bench Press: Unspecified
  • Long Jump Record: 8.25 m
  • Height: 178 cm (5' 10")
  • Weight: 67 kg (148 lbs)
  • Birthday: June 26
  • 1st Year Student (Grade 10)
  • Nickname: The Bird-man

  • Academic Athlete: Again, implied since he got into the Saikyodai University.
  • The Ace: This guy was the absolute, indisputable ace among all of the wider receivers in Japan, and he could jump like he's flying, full stop.
  • Animal Motifs: Hawk, which is quite Hilarious in Hindsight because several species of hawks have been known to be natural predators of monkeys.
  • Badass Bookworm: His badass status is combined this with his Bookworm status.
  • Bash Brothers: With Yamato, much like the way Sena and Monta worked together. Heracles lampshaded this, saying that Yamato and Taka alone were off the chart among the generations of the Alexanders' first string.
  • Bookworm: He's constantly seen reading novels, even during practices and matches. For once, Heracles swapped his novel for a Fanfic written by Karin, and Taka finished the book all the same.
  • Brilliant, but Lazy: Played with. Taka was obviously brilliant and he used to practice a lot (as his father wanted him to) when he was young. These days, he practiced mostly out of habit but seldom exerted real effort when playing, though he's still good enough to be the best wide receiver in all of Japan. When Monta proved to be on equal footing to him, Taka came to drop this attitude.
  • Broken Pedestal: In a way. Monta used to idolize Masaru Honjo, and neither Masaru nor Taka failed to live up to that expectation (in fact, Taka more than lived up to it). But it turned out that Masaru had been following Monta not out of any concern for him, but simply to pit him against the bored Taka. That dealt a severe emotional blow to Monta.
  • Butt-Monkey: Averted, surprisingly. You would have expected this from one of Monta's rivals.
  • Charles Atlas Superpower: How exactly could this guy jump like he was walking in air and catch any flying object that came his way? His flashback revealed that his father had been training him every single day since he's young. That's why.
  • Chick Magnet: According to Achilles, Taka, like Yamato, was popular among ladies, which is plausible given the other tropes Taka has got here.
  • The Comically Serious: During the World Cup Arc, Taka sometimes filled this role.
  • Curb-Stomp Battle: Spent most of the Devil Bats vs Alexanders game wiping the floor with Monta. Also, he seemed to have done this to all top-tier wide receivers in Japan.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Among the Alexanders, he was usually the only one cool-headed enough to quickly point out how ridiculous the situation was.
  • Defeat Means Friendship: With Monta.
  • Defrosting Ice King: He was at first quiet and stoic, feeling bored from having wiped the floor with every wide receiver he had faced. Then he slowly warmed up to Monta as the latter finally gave him a good challenge.
  • Determinator: Taka would never yield and always try to catch the ball, which he learnt from his father.
    Honjo: In the catching dictionary, there's nothing like "I can't catch it." There's only "I couldn't catch it." Do you understand, Taka?
  • Fragile Speedster: Taka could freaking fly and, presumably, finish the 40-yard dash in less than 5 seconds, but when compared to Yamato, he seemed to be (relatively) frail.
  • Friendly Rivalry: Eventually established this with Monta.
  • Gender Is No Object: He nonchalantly proposed to recruit Karin onto the team despite the latter's being a girl.
  • The Gift: Apparently on par with Yamato. Again, he might as well be flying.
  • Good Eyes, Evil Eyes: His eyes had a notably blank look to him, before befriending Monta at the end of the Devil Bats vs Alexanders match.
  • Heroic Lineage: The son of Masaru Honjo, the legendary baseball player renowned for his catching skills. It was even referred as the "bloodline of sky riders" in one chapter.
  • Hopeless with Tech: Taka wasn't as ridiculous as Shin, of course. But he seemed to have difficulty with his cellphone when he exchanged phone numbers with Monta.
  • Jerkass: It's probably unintentional on the part of the author, but Taka's attitude of bored superiority, his refusal to even look at any player he considered inferior, and his insistence that anyone who tried to stand up to him was engaged in a futile act made him very punchable. It didn't help that his so-called "problem" of being better than everyone around him was (a) not very relatable; and (b) the same one that Agon suffered from. He got a lot better during the World Cup Arc, though.
  • The Lancer: To Yamato.
  • Long-Haired Pretty Boy: As pictured.
  • Lonely at the Top: Taka was the undisputed best at being a receiver. It left him bored and apathetic because being the best at what you do meant that almost nobody can be considered as competition.
  • Meaningful Name: "Taka" is the Japanese word for hawk.
  • Not Quite Flight: He wasn't the only one in the manga who could stay a long time in air after jumping because he was a good wide receiver. But still...
    Honjo (Spectating the Devil Bats vs Alexanders game): ... Monta, you're excellent. But what you did, in the end, is still just a jump. Taka... is walking in air.
  • Out-Gambitted: Taka was smart enough to see through Hiruma's scheme, but what he didn't see was that Hiruma was planning for Monta to do a second cut.
  • Pride: Carrying the lineage of his father, Taka was shown to have a lot of pride in his catching. It was the reason why he'd never surrender in an aerial battle and would literally come flying at you if you challenge him. He even requested to face Monta head-on during the climax of the Christmas Bowl.
  • The Quiet One: Especially when compared to Yamato or Heracles. When he wasn't playing, he usually just sat on the bench, quietly reading.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: The quiet and stoic blue to Yamato's magnetic and charismatic red.
  • Sacrificed Basic Skill for Awesome Training: Taka was trained since childhood to catch balls. While this resulted in him being the best Wide Receiver in Japan, it also turned him into an apathetic person who trained out of habit without a set goal. His top notch ability developed through years of training also left him bored because he curb-stomps any receiver he faces.
  • Serious Business: Halfway through the Devil Bats vs Alexanders game, It turned out that Taka treated catching as this, much like Monta did.
  • Signature Move: Oh, Taka could do the Devil Backfire, too. Damn it. A better example is the way he looks when he jumps to catch the ball which is described by his father as akin to walking on air.
  • Smug Snake: Just look at his quote above!
  • Smug Super: Taka is almost inhuman when it comes to his skills as a wide receiver. He's so filled with smug that he simply took a side glance at Monta and decided that the latter wasn't good enough for him. Unlike Yamato, Taka was a bit of a douche about it (though not as bad as Agon).
  • So Proud of You: When Taka managed to snatch away Monta's first successful catch in the Christmas Bowl, Masaru Honjo stood up, astonished, knowing that even he wouldn't have been able to do that catch, and admitted that his son had already outclassed him.
  • The Stoic: Taka stood out among the Alexanders, in that he was forever stone-faced, which nicely balanced Yamato, Heracles, Achilles and Karin.
    • Not So Stoic: When Hiruma was about to pass the ball to Monta during the failed Chris Cross antics, Taka felt that he would have lost to Monta had Hiruma not been forbidden from passing at that moment. He was visibly shaken.
  • Straight Man: How Taka reacted to the antics of Yamato, Heracles and Achilles.
  • Sugar-and-Ice Personality: His is a friendship version towards Monta. At first, Taka was all ice, but eventually came to acknowledge Monta. He became in general warmer afterwards.
  • Victory Is Boring: Having been trained since childhood by his father to be a great baseball player, he became Japan's ace wide receiver. Spending all his time winning had bored Taka. Until he faced Monta in the Christmas Bowl.
  • When He Smiles: Taka had spent the vast majority of his screen time being stoic and stone-faced, but he did show a noticeable smile for the first time, at the end of the Devil Bats vs Alexanders game when he exchanged phone numbers with Monta.
  • Worthy Opponent: Monta viewed him as this. Taka didn't return the favor, until the end of the Christmas Bowl. Also, he recognized that Agon was as good as him and Yamato were.

    Karin Koizumi (小泉 花梨) 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Karin_Koizumi_3593.jpg
"Um... Please be gentle to me."

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

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


  • Accidental Athlete: Her great throwing skills came from drawing and playing piano. Luckily, she's fast too. Who knows a shy, quiet girl would make a top quarterback?
  • Action Girl: Played with. Karin was the only female football player in the entire series, but she lacked the headstrong personality typically associated with this trope.
  • Alliterative Name: Karin Koizumi, the Quarterback of the Strongest Empire.
  • Apologises a Lot: Being Sena's Distaff Counterpart, she naturally had this in spades.
  • Badass Adorable: To the point that most of the Devil Bats had to be tricked into believing she's a guy to be willing to tackle her. As for the badass part... If she throws a ball, the pass is complete. No interception. No problem catching the ball. She's the perfect quarterback.
  • Braids of Action: As pictured above.
  • Character Blog: After being "recruited" into the team, Karin started a blog about her training, something that the rest of the team found out rather soon, much to her dismay. The blog was the source of some funny anecdotes.
  • Charles Atlas Superpower: Downplayed. Karin's extremely accurate passes came from the skills and precision she gained through drawing and playing piano, both of which, while not "tough" in the usual sense of the word, do require a lot of manual dexterity. Also, her dodging was a result of hard work and training to compensate for the fact that she couldn't take a hit. She became so good at dodging defenders that she's basically untouchable by anybody slower than Sena. In short, Karin may not have developed the physical strength usually associated with this trope, but her skills are, nonetheless, a result of constant training and practice.
  • Cute Sports Club Manager: Her first appearance has her acting like one for Teikoku, with Ibarada being the one who makes her do manager stuff (and some people positively identifying Ibarada as a Teikoku player). Subverted in that Karin's actually Teikoku's ace quarterback and, as stated by Yamato, should be the one giving Ibarada orders.
  • The Cutie: Just look at her picture!
  • Distaff Counterpart: Okay, let's see... Recruited against her will? Check. Seen as the best in her specialty? Check. Low self-esteem and highly apologetic? Check. The only ways to tell her apart from Sena seemed to be position and gender. Lampshaded during the Devil Bats vs Alexanders game, where Heracles suggested that she would need to watch out for Sena's blitz. She spinned on her heel. She and Sena faced each other off... before bowing repeatedly at each other at the same time, clearly not wanting any hard feelings between them.
    Karin (Bowing): Um... please be gentle to me.
    Sena (Also bowing): Oh, no. I should be the one... saying that.
    Suzuna: You wouldn't think they were football players. Acting like that.
    Mamori: Those two are really similar, aren't they...?
  • Dude Looks Like a Lady: Invoked by Hiruma. Karin's 100% girl, but Hiruma told his team otherwise so that they would go all out against her - that she was just a really girly-looking guy named "Karinro" (with "ro" being a Japanese suffix for male names). Most of the Devil Bats ended up thinking of her as this.
  • Everyone Loves Blondes: She has hoards of fans due to being the only female quarterback and the most skilled quarterback in Japan. She's also a genuinely nice person off the field and a blonde haired beauty.
  • Extreme Doormat: Yamato basically forced Karin to join. Somehow, she went along with it.
    Karin (Trying to decline to joint the football team): W... Wai... Wai... But I am... Thanks for thinking of me and all, but...
    Yamato (Patted her on the shoulder): You're worried right. Well, don't be. It will be alright! You may start off at the sixth string, but you will surely be in the first string in no time!
    Karin: Ehhhhhhhhhhhh... Why does it feel like it's useless trying to argue with this person~~~?!
    The next day, Karin was training. In the Alexanders' football uniform.
  • Flower Motifs: Whenever Karin does something during a football match, it'll be accompanied by images of petals. Her signature move is even called the "Floral Shoot".
  • Fragile Speedster: She couldn't take a hit. Luckily, she didn't have to, because her agility meant that no one other than Sena could even touch her anyway.
  • Generic Cuteness: Her drawing style, even when drawing Hiruma, Agon and Gaou.
  • Got Volunteered: Or rather, scouted by Taka and convinced to join by Yamato. Really, she stood no chance. The side comics also showed that she sometimes got mistaken for a cheerleader and made do some cheerleading.
  • Groupie Brigade: She had a fairly big one, consisting of male fans and other football players (such as Yamabushi). "Miracle" Ito was even selling products with images of Karin on them.
  • Heroine of Another Story: How Karin became the quarterback of the best team in Japan despite her shy personality and being recruited against her will (and the massive rivalry within the team) could make for a pretty good story in and of itself.
  • Improbable Aiming Skills: So, you want Karin to throw something to a certain place? Just ask her and she will do it. The pass will be impossible to intercept and it won't be even hard to catch due to how gentle it is. The side comics showed how she curbstomped the opposing team in a Snowball Fight.
  • I Wrote Our Story: Karin became a manga artist after highschool. Her editor asked her to write a football manga about the legendary runner Eyeshield 21.
  • Long Hair Is Feminine: Is by far the most typically "girly" of the females in Eyeshield 21, and has long hair to boot.
  • Meaningful Name: "Karin" meant Pear Flower, which goes with her Flower Motifs.
  • Most Fanfic Writers Are Girls: She's said to own a whole shelf of Fanfics.
  • Nice Girl: Karin just couldn't stop being polite and gentle. It's one of the reasons she went along when Yamato more or less forced her into joining.
  • Oblivious to Love: Karin seemed to be totally unaware of Achilles' affection for her, despite the latter's (rather blatant) attempts to signal her about it.
  • Running Gag: Karin's attempts to avoid competition ended up creating the opposite effects when Yamato came around and misinterpreted her words.
  • Samus Is a Girl: Yes, she is a quarterback. Yes, she is Japan's most skilled quarterback.
  • Shrinking Violet
  • Signature Move: The Floral Shoot, a pass so perfect and gentle that it is impossible to intercept for the opponents and effortless to catch for the wide receiver.
  • The Smurfette Principle: Granted, it's certainly an anomaly to the sport, but she's the only female football player in the entire series.
  • Weak, but Skilled: Karin may not be as strong as a male quarterback, but her passes are nigh-impossible to intercept, pinpoint accurate, and gentle enough to be caught by almost anybody she throws it to. And while she really doesn't need to dodge incoming defenders due to being protected by Teikoku's powerful line, she is agile enough to be able to avoid anyone slower than Sena when the defense does break through.

    Kureji "Heracles" Hera (平良 呉二) 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Hera_Kureji_Heracles_5482.jpg

A boisterous third-year, Kureji (nicknamed "Heracles") served as the centre and official captain of the Alexanders. Despite his "Osakan" persona and occasional apparent silliness, he's actually a cool-headed leader who frequently gave sound tactical advice to the other members of the team. He took great pride in being a first-string player and did not tolerate players who didn't respect the rules of the team. Later, he was recruited for Team Japan during the Youth World Cup.

  • Position: Centre
  • Jersey: 78
  • Height: 177 cm (5' 9")
  • Weight: 100 kg (220 lbs)
  • Birthday: May 14
  • Blood Type: O
  • 3rd Year Student (Grade 12)
  • Nickname: Heracles

  • Berserk Button: As Ibarada found out, don't defy the Alexanders' string pecking order.
    (The Alexanders were in a meeting to discuss their upcoming Christmas Bowl.)
    Ibarada (Left his seat): Aaah! Yeah! Yeah! It's that kind of meeting, it seems. It's alright if you only do it for the first string guys, huh!
    Heracles: Hey, Ibarada, where are you going? Sit down.
    Ibarada (Headed for the door): Like hell... you stinking idiots.
    Heracles: SIT DOWN!! (with a voice so loud Ibarada, Karin and Sena all flinched.) GET BACK TO YOUR SEAT! THE COMMANDS OF THE FIRST STRING ARE ABSOLUTE! THOSE WHO DISTURBS THE ALEXANDERS' ORDER WON'T BE FORGIVEN!
  • Beware the Nice Ones: If you actually succeeded in pissing Heracles off, watch out.
  • Big Brother Mentor: According to the extras, he's always looking out for the other club members.
  • The Big Guy: Heracles was the centre and was facing off against Kurita during much of the Devil Bats vs Alexanders game. He also had a strong leadership presence, though.
  • Boisterous Bruiser: He came with being a very "Osaka-esque" person.
  • The Captain: He's the captain, and unlike the other captains that were overshadowed by their teams' stronger players, Heracles did fulfill his job of giving advice and keeping the morale up. It's just that he didn't need to give many orders, as the Alexanders were all aces who knew what to do.
  • Combination Attack: The "Cross Stunts" he did with Achilles.
  • Dumb Muscle: Subverted. With his boisterousness, Heracles could look like this at first, especially when the Devil Bats vs Alexanders match began showing him with an "idiot rating" of 20% (Yamato, Taka, and Karin were all 0%, by the way). However...
    • Genius Bruiser: ... During the actual game, Heracles was capable of seeing through several of Hiruma's trick plays and came up with quite a few useful tactics. He's the team captain for a reason.
  • Gentle Giant: The biggest guy in the Alexanders, but he's also a friendly guy, as long as you don't push his Berserk Button.
  • Gonk: Not too apparent. But Heracles could come off as this trope when standing alongside the likes of Yamato, Taka, and Karin.
  • Hard Work Hardly Works: Averted. Unlike Yamato and Taka who went up from sixth to first string in a day, Heracles had been up and down the Teikoku lineups during his tenure. This was one of the reasons why he took pride in being a first string player; with all the luxuries it entailed (professional-grade personal locker rooms, authority over lower-tier players, popularity, etc), and encouraged everyone to think the same - believing it to be the proof that hard work does pay off.
  • Hidden Depths: Quite a bit. He first came off as a stereotypical "crude but funny" Osakan. But his character suddenly became far more serious when he showed his pride in being a first-string player and leadership competence.
  • The Idiot from Osaka: His dream was to become a famous Osaka-style entertainer, so he did all he could to invoke this trope. In reality, he's actually a very capable leader who simply liked to keep the atmosphere lighthearted.
  • Large and in Charge: He's a stout, muscular guy who was the Alexanders' official captain.
  • The Leader: Of the Alexanders. He seemed like a straight headstrong type at first, but he hid a very level-headed side under his cheerful nature.
  • Lightning Bruiser: Since he's a lineman who could wrestle with Kurita (though not without the help of lots of tactics and techniques), he's fairly powerful. Despite this, being a first-string player of Alexanders, he could also do 40-yard dash in less than 5.0 seconds.
  • Meaningful Name: "Hera Kureji" (in the Japanese order, where family names came before given names) sounded like "Heracles", a divine hero in classical mythology known for extraordinary strength. Naturally, this goes with his team's Roman theme and highlighted Heracles' role as the centre.
  • Might Makes Right: Heracles believed in and, as the captain, enforced the rules of the meritocratic Alexanders.
  • Nice Guy: He really kept the mood light for a meritocracy where everyone was competing against each other. He was also the only Alexanders player who had teamwork play (with Achilles), while the others were mostly just aces who did solo play.
  • Obfuscating Stupidity: He deliberately hid a sharp mind beneath his apparent boisterousness, though no one seemed to be fooled by the "stupidity" as much as thinking he had Osakan humor.
  • The Prankster: One of the ways he kept the atmosphere lighthearted. He often played practical jokes on other players of the team, such as swapping Taka's novel for a fanfic written by Karin. Fittingly, the Ancient Romans were big on pranks and jokes at the most inopportune times.
  • The Smart Guy: Surprisingly, yes. If one of the Alexanders was seen giving tactical advice to the rest of the team, it's most likely Heracles.
  • Worth It: It's tough working to become a member of the first string in the Alexanders, but he considered this all worth it with the pride that came with it.
    Heracles: The pride of fighting for the "top". The first string of the Teikoku Academy. That is our reward.

    Reisuke "Achilles" Aki 

A Hot-Blooded, but gullible player with a strong desire for a girlfriend.

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

  • All Guys Want Cheerleaders: He was deceived to join the team when a Teikoku scout told him that he could date the cheerleaders on the team.
  • Bash Brothers: With Hercules, their teamwork allowed them to beat Yamato and Taka during the world cup try-out.
  • Butt-Monkey: Among the Alexanders.
  • Combination Attack: The "Cross Stunts" he does with Heracles.
  • Dogged Nice Guy: To Karin.
  • Dumb Muscle: As suggested by his status as a lineman and an idiot (According to Hiruma, Achilles's "idiot rating" is a whooping 60%). Downplayed, as he is still a part of Teikoku's first string players, thus implying he has textbook knowledge of 1000 football plays. So, he is dumb at things other than American Football, like how to win Karin's affection.
  • Hot-Blooded: Heracles is the fun loving boisterous Kansai, Achilles is the impatient loud Kansai.
  • The Idiot from Osaka: And unlike with Heracles, it's not an act.
  • Lightning Bruiser: Like all of Teikoku's linemen, teamed up with Heracles they can best Kurita's strength.

    Doujirou Tenma 

The Alexanders' second running back and Naga's former ace, Tenma was a cheerful running back with five fangirls always cheering for him.

  • Position: Running Back
  • Jersey: 33
  • Nickname: The Sideline Edge's Magican

  • The Ace: Was scouted from Shinriyuji before the Kongo brothers and Ikkyu joined the team, Yamabushi said he was picked on his first year.
  • Boring, but Practical: Running that close to the sideline would be impressive if Yamato was not the other runningback. It still allowed steady lead since he only need to speed up to avoid tackles and can gain a lot of yards with that.
  • The Casanova: He had five girlfriends, and got bonus point for the fact that all the five girls were aware of this.
  • Chick Magnet: He also has 5 girls who are head over heels for him. And an omake reveals that was popular with girls since was a little child.
  • Cool Shades: He looks like a younger Agon with them.
  • Evil Counterpart: Inverted, he would be Agon's good counterpart, being Naga's ace, popular with ladies in a team where no one had a girlfriend and sharing a taste for Cool Shades.
  • Groupie Brigade: Five of them who might also be his girlfriends.
  • Nice Guy: Really liked his teammates, declaring how much he loved them a bunch of time when they assist him.
  • Oh, Crap!: Dropped his happy-go-lucky attitude for an instant when he realized Komusubi just tackled him out of bounds, he couldn't see the line because of the snow.
  • Older Than They Look: He started football the same time as Yamabushi. He looked like a first-year.

    Kirio Ibarada 

Formerly the Bando Spiders' quarterback and Tokyo's best quarterback the season prior. Ibarada transferred to the Teikoku Highschool together with most of the rest of the Spiders' ace players. However, he only got up to the fourth string team in the Alexanders, and had greatly resented Karin, who was the first string quarterback, because of it.

  • Position: Quarterback
  • Jersey: 9

  • Butt-Monkey: Quickly degenerated into this upon the revelation that he's just a forth-string player.
  • Curb-Stomp Battle: Got easily blitzed by Sena during an impromptu match at the Teikoku Highschool.
  • Driven by Envy: He's pissed off that a player of his caliber can only make it to fourth-string in the Alexanders and resents first stringer Karin because of it.
  • Heroic Wannabe: Subverted. In Tokyo, he was the best quarterback, and together with Akaba and Kotaro, made the Spiders a top tier team. After he transferred to Teikoku, his career went sorta downhill, as he couldn't advance beyond the fourth string lineup. Yet, he still thought he's hot stuff.
  • Laser-Guided Karma: Ditched the Bando Spiders saying he was wasting his talents and couldn't get better in such a mediocre team. He arrived in the Teikoku, where he was a four stringer and didn't even seem to improve himself, and just whined that he should be higher in the ranking.
  • Jerk Jock: If his treatment of Karin is any indication.
  • Red Herring: Kotaro introduced Ibarada as the possible ace of the Teikoku Alexanders, given that he was Tokyo's best quarterback, and even warned Sena to watch out for his scrambling pass. When we saw Ibarada, he was making Karin carry his stuff, and shouted at her when she couldn't keep up. It turned out, however, that Ibarada is only a forth-string player in the Alexanders, and the real first string quarterback was Karin.
  • Signature Move: According to Kotaro, Ibarada had a running pass called the Rose Whip. He tried doing it during his match with Sena, but he was easily blitzed.

Top