Main Characters | Sternbild First League Heroes
Sternbild City | Heroes’ Friends & Family | Enemies
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The Kaburagis
Kaede Kaburagi
Voiced by: Rina Hidaka (JP), Eden Riegel (EN)
Kotetsu's only daughter; 10-years-old in Season One, then grew up to 12-years-old in Season Two.
She lives with her dad’s clan and was initially unaware of her father's work as a hero during Season One. After the events from Season One with her father’s business revealed to her, Kaede comes to take pride as a “Hero’s kid,” and is inspired to follow her dad’s footsteps with the mindset of applying for Sternbild’s Hero Academy after elementary graduation by Season Two.
- Alliterative Name: Like her dad.
- Big Damn Heroes: Singlehandedly makes Maverick's plan backfire in his face with her own version of his power. Then she does it again by taking out Rotwang before he can activate his death trap.
- Calling the Old Man Out: In Episode 17 where she calls him out for not being there for her.
- Chekhov's Gunman: She is initially only featured in a few episodes early on; by the second season, she's arguably as important to the arc as the secondary heroes.
- Damsel out of Distress: Superpowered little girls make for poor hostages.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: After the timeskip.
- Girls Love Stuffed Animals: She gets really upset when her favorite stuffed animal gets lost.
- In the Blood: Kaede has her mom’s plucky outgoing personality with her dad’s strong sense of wanting to physically help people by using her NEXT powers.
- Kid Amid the Chaos: In Season Two, Kotetsu is hesitant to allow Kaede follow his footsteps to become a superhero. While he’s happy to see his daughter become interested in his job, Kotetsu’s concern is driven mostly by Kaede’s risky Power Copying NEXT power; as no parent would want their kid go into superheroism with a super power weakness such as hers—a power weakness that would more than likely render Kaede useless and vulnerable during combat. With a little father-to-daughter talk over the matter, Kotetsu asked Kaede to patiently wait for his answer as he thinks this through.
- Locked Out of the Loop: Concerning Kotetsu's double life; until Season 1 Episode 21.
- Missing Mom: Her mother, Tomoe, died from illness five years prior to the start of the story setting.
- Plucky Girl: Daddy's in deep trouble back in Sternbild? She's out to help him. Alone. And she's only ten.
- Power Copying: Her ability as a budding NEXT. She's basically got Rogue's powerset, minus the Touch of Death.
- Kaede is constantly found to copy random powers from people off the scene. This was eventually concluded to be a recurring problem for Kaede; as her dad, Kotetsu personally observed and witnessed Kaede's copy powers being extremely touch sensitive; just a tiny brush from a finger contact exchange from a fast-food counter employee is enough for Kaede to copy over that employee's NEXT power.
- In Season Two, Kotetsu explained to Ryan that Kaede “can’t recopy powers (from the same NEXT)” once she discarded that power. Further elaborations are yet to be presented, but if Kotetsu’s simplified answer is to be believed, then her copy powers acts more like a Superpower Russian Roulette; meaning, if lucky, she would get temporary superpower lotteries, if unlucky, it’ll be Blessed with Suck for her depending on her accessibility to NEXTs who she never made physical contacts with. If she does aim to become a superhero for her career, then that means she’ll need to stay by NEXTs whom she never physically touched and understand in full on how their powers works. Then, she needs to make sure to not touch any other NEXTs, including civilians and villains, while handling one power. Worst setting condition is that Kaede would more than likely run out of NEXTs to copy powers from, since there’s only a countable hands full of people working in the superhero business.
- S2 Episode 7 confirmed Kaede’s NEXT power glow did not show up when Kotetsu activated his powers to Bridal Carry save her. Which means Kaede is indeed unable to recopy her dad’s powers since her initial copy. Another confirmation point is that whatever power Kaede gained would be deactivated once she is in physical contact with a NEXT who she once copied; such as her dad.
- Power Floats: When we first saw her NEXT powers, they were enabling her to float and run on air.
- Power Incontinence: When you don't know what, where, when, and how you got a NEXT power into your hands and was just trying to go by in life, shock, and panic happens. In Season 1's Episodes 18 & 19, random powers simply drove Kaede and Grandma Anju crazy. At least they knew one of those powers was from Daddy Kotetsu, and called him on the phone to let him know about the mayhem.
- Precocious Crush: On Barnaby.
- Raised by Grandparents: Since Kotetsu is not at home most of the time, she lives with her grandmother and uncle instead.
- She Is All Grown Up: She has a growth spurt in the two years between Seasons 1 and 2 and begins to resemble a preteen version of her late mother, Tomoe.
- Spanner in the Works: Maverick's plan would have worked if she didn't have the ability to copy the powers of other NEXT.
- Strong Family Resemblance: She takes after her mother.
- Superpowerful Genetics: Considering how she reacts to the knowledge of her father's real job, she shows quite a bit of potential for becoming a superhero herself.
- When You Coming Home, Dad?: She's understandably displeased about not having her dad around while growing up; made worse because he hasn't been able to tell her about his double life.
Muramasa Kaburagi
Voiced by: Masahiko Tanaka (JP), Kirk Thornton (EN)
Kotetsu's older brother who runs a snack-in liquor store, and takes care of the entire Kaburagi clan; which includes matriarch Anju, niece Kaede, his wife, and his own 2 children—with 1 more addition on the way.
- The Bartender: He owns a snack-in liquor store.
- Big Brother Instinct: He might be aloof, but he cares about his little brother regardless.
- The Confidant: The default go-to-middleman Kotetsu would call up whenever he is stuck between work and family issues.
- The Dutiful Son: While Kotetsu ran off to Sternbild to become a professional hero, Muramasa stays put to take care of their clan.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Muramasa is the reponsible brother to the foolish Kotetsu.
- Sibling Yin-Yang: His serious disposition makes him the polar opposite to Kotetsu.
Anju Kaburagi
Voiced by: Sayuri Sadaoka (JP), Kari Wahlgren (ENG)
Kotetsu's mother. She has been raising her granddaughter Kaede in his absence.
- Good Parents: Anju cares deeply for all of her family members.
- Housewife: Since she's old, she stays at home and tends to the house.
- Parental Substitute: To Kaede, since Kotetsu's rarely home.
- Talking to Plants: She talks to her garden.
Tomoe Kaburagi née Amamiya
Voiced by: Maaya Sakamoto (JP), Tara Sands (EN)
Kotetsu’s wife who died of illness five years prior to Season One.
- Birds of a Feather: Tomoe and Kotetsu became friends over their shared geekiness for superheroes.
- Class Representative: Revealed in Drama CD, Tomoe and Kotetsu were high school classmates, and was their class representative.
- Fangirl: Tomoe was a superhero fan who already owned every
premium HeroTV episode discs by high school. - Geeky Turn-On: Is a giant HeroTV and superhero fangirl. When Tomoe found Kotetsu trying to come up with his superhero name in-between classes one day, she went head-over-heels in excitement and instantly became friends with him.
- Full-Name Basis: Prior to being attracted to Kotetsu, Tomoe usually calls Kotetsu by his full name.
- High-School Sweethearts: With Kotetsu, as they started dating each other since high school.
- Last Request: Before dying, Tomoe straight out demands Kotetsu to go to work, and always remain a hero.
- Official Couple: Tomoe and Kotetsu got Happily Married some time after graduation. But then she died five years before Kotetsu's transfer to Apollon Media.
- Posthumous Character: Tomoe died before the events of Season One.
- Tsundere: To Kotetsu, on the first time Tomoe calls him simply by first name.Tomoe: I think Tiger is the best name for you, Kotetsu!
Kotetsu: Did you just call me by my first name?
Tomoe: I-it's not like it matters or anything! - The Promise: Tomoe's last request to Kotetsu was for him to continue his work as a hero.
- Zipping Up the Bodybag: The blanket over the head variant.
Barnaby’s Friends
Samantha Taylor
Voiced by: Yoshiko Takemura (JP), Tara Platt (EN)
A former housekeeper of the Brooks family who Barnaby is still friendly with. She sends him a cake on his birthday every year. She eventually finds proof that suggests Maverick tampered with Barnaby's memories. After Maverick finds this out he has her captured and murders her, while framing Kotetsu for it.
- Character Death: Maverick kills her because she knows too much.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Is introduced as a minor character but eventually proves vital in proving that some of Barnaby's memories were tampered with.
- Expy: Samantha, may or may not be based on Mrs. Doubtfire
◊ (Robin Williams). The implication is very hilarious if you think about it. - Granny Classic: Not a grandmother, but she has the look and personality to a T.
- Kindly Housekeeper: Even years later, she sends Barnaby cakes for his birthday.
- Parental Substitute: Spent a lot of time raising Barnaby as a child because his real parents were busy designing robots.
- Satellite Character: Her entire role in the series is defined by her connection to Barnaby.
- She Knows Too Much: The one of the reasons Maverick killed her.
- Stuffed into the Fridge: The main reason for her death. Maverick wanted to drive Barnaby into a Roaring Rampage of Revenge over her death and framed Kotetsu for it.
Mattia Ingram
Voiced by: Shuhei Sakaguchi (JP), Kyle McCarley (EN)
Barnaby's old childhood friend who appears in Season 2. He is a normal human working at a lab trying to develop a drug that grants NEXT powers.
- Accidental Discovery: He accidentally created a power-enhancing NEXT drug when he mixed several formulas in an overworked stupor.
- Forgotten First Meeting: Averted. He thinks that's going to happen with Barnaby but to his surprise he remembers him as soon as he sees the Bubblegum that they used to share as kids.
- Friendly Rivalry: Explicitly lays out his rekindled relationship with Barnaby as this. He wants to surpass him and become an even bigger hero to the world in his own way (through creating life-saving pharmaceuticals rather than punching bad guys), but he's motivated by sincere admiration and respect for his old friend, and would be delighted if they started hanging out again. For his part, Barnaby is flattered and happy to play along. It all goes horribly wrong when it turns out that his research actually had a far more sinister purpose, but he didn't know that, it wasn't his fault, and Barnaby doesn't hold it against him once the truth comes out.
- Locked Out of the Loop: He was completely unaware his research was being sponsored by Ouroboros.
- Red Herring: He's been suspected to be working for Ouroboros due to his research team being sponsored by one of the organization's higher-ups. Turns out he's not.
Ivan’s Friends
Edward Keddy
Ivan's best friend from his days at Hero Academy.
- The Ace: He was at the top of all his classes at Hero Academy.
- Accidental Murder: When he tried to save a hostage from some criminals, he impulsively tried to take away the gun away and ended up shooting the hostage instead, the incident got him arrested for murder (despite it being an accident) and ruined any chance of him being Sternbild's hero.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: In the second half of Season 2, Gregory uses his powers to cause all the Abbas inmates to go berserk during the prison break. Unfortunately, this includes Edward who not only attacks the police but also tries to flee to the city proper. Ivan is forced to punch him in the abdomen to prevent him from reaching the city.
- Dishing Out Dirt: His powers allow him to phase through various substances - like concrete, marble, and blacktop - by turning his body and/or the area around him into sand.
- Face–Heel Turn: All the above leads to Edward breaking out of prison to hunt Ivan down and punish him for his part in what happened.
- Forgot About His Powers: A justified example, when Lunatic hunts him down, he panics and runs for his life rather than phase out of the area like he first appeared, as the fear for his life probably made him unable to think clearly.
- Heel–Face Turn: Realizes the mistake he's made when even after he tried to drown him in sand, Ivan still declares he's willing to protect Edward with his life. He willingly goes back to prison at the end of the episode and Ivan visits him on a regular basis, having reformed their friendship.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Edward tried to save a hostage, but his struggle with the criminals led to the gun going off and killing her instead.
- Never My Fault: Refuses to accept it was his reckless actions that got a civilian killed, placing all of the blame on Ivan instead.
- The Resenter: After being convicted for the hostage's murder, Edward begins to blame Ivan for standing on the sidelines and not helping him.
- We Used to Be Friends: Fully considers Ivan to be a horrible friend that cost him his hero career. By the end of the episode and in Season 2, the two have rekindled their friendship.
