History Characters / YuriOnIceMainCharacters

* SirSwearsALot: He is described by WordOfGod to have a potty mouth. The official fanbook even reveals his weakness to be "language".

* WhiteHairBlackHeart: Subverted. Before his true motivations are revealed, because of Victor's status as a particularly cheerful ManipulativeBastard with BrutalHonesty, and [[PeekABangs his silver hair covering his eyes]] seemingly indicating duplicity, fandom ran amok with theories ranging from "he was secretly dying and wanted to coach a replacement", or "he's a {{Sabotutor}}". It was then revealed that he's just a dork prone to PoorCommunicationKills and motivated by a [[spoiler: ForgottenFirstMeeting]].

* PeekABangs: His long hair tends to fall over his right eye. He fits the "solitary" type, with his rude and hot-tempered attitude keeping him from really becoming friends with anyone.

** Victor's physical features are inspired by American actor Creator/JohnCameronMitchell; Mitsurou Kubo stated in an interview that when she went to see the musical ''Theatre/HedwigAndTheAngryInch'', she was inspired to base Victor's good looks on him, as well as his PeekABangs hairstyle.

* PeekABangs: His hairstyle covers his left eye. He seems to fit the "deception or concealment" type, since his hair fully covers his eye when he's being insincere, but it parts to reveal his eye when he's being honest. However, it turns out that he's not as deceptive as early episodes make him out to be, [[spoiler:as he has no ulterior motives for being Yuri's coach other than becoming smitten with Yuri at last year's banquet, and to fulfill Yuri's drunken request for him to be his coach in the first place]]. He also fits the "seductive" type, given the emphasis on his good looks and his flirty behaviour towards Yuri.

* IdenticalStranger: According to Yuri's sister, he looks exactly like the blond in a BoyBand she follows; which is why she nicknames him "Yurio" as a portmanteau of his own name and the band member's.

* BunnyEarsLawyer: He’s a very flirtatious oddball who has, apparently, no sense of shame in showing his naked body [[spoiler:to Yuri, a man with whom he spent only one night dancing, even if said man was half-naked for much of the night and was hanging all over Victor,]] and declaring to Yuri that he will be his coach without even getting out of the bath. Nonetheless, he's one of the best ice skaters in the world, and basically a LivingLegend.

** With the triplets; he usually goes on board with their [[{{Otaku}} fangirling over ice skating and eagerness for a competition]].

* TeacherStudentRomance: He and Yuri started off as an ice skating teacher and student, respectively before [[spoiler:becoming a couple and getting engaged.]]

* {{Workaholic}}: His monologue on Episode 10 reveals that he never stopped to take vacations or to stop thinking about ice skating for the past twenty years. Deconstructed in which during his time off, he finally realizes what he is missing, especially after he met Yuri.

* GrowingUpSucks: Puberty can be a very a hard time for ice skaters, as their bodies change so drastically that it affects their skating. It's even worse for Yuri, because a great deal of his charm as a skater comes from his lithe, flexible body and androgynous looks, and he's very aware of the fact that he's going to lose them as he grows older.

* InsufferableGenius: He is a huge JerkJock whose jerkassery comes from, in no small part, his talent in ice skating.

* RebuiltPedestal: A possible case with [[spoiler:Yuuri]]. Episode 12 reveals that Yuri [[spoiler: ''admires'' Yuuri, although he seemed to have lost faith in him after hearing him cry, thinking of his HeroicSelfDeprecation as pathetic. However, Episode 3 hints that he still respects Yuuri to an extent, and after seeing Yuuri's performance in the "Hot Springs on Ice" event, he fully regained said respect for him, now that he sees Yuuri as his ultimate rival and always watches his performances. It's also quite telling that in the Grand Prix Final, he pushed himself past his limit to make sure Yuuri ''won't'' retire from ice skating -- a far cry from when he told him off in Episode 1]]. In fact, most of his aggression with Yuuri after his initial outburst at the GPF seems to stem from Victor ditching him in Russia to go coach Yuuri. When Victor's not around — like when he teaches Yuuri the quad Salchow, when they meditate together under a waterfall, or when he cheers Yuuri up around his birthday — they actually seem to get on pretty well.

* BrokenAce: Episode 10 implies that for the past twenty years, he's been sacrificing his personal life and relationships in order to focus solely on ice skating, not to mention that his ideal of constantly surprising everybody had also put an extra strain on him, due to not only having to give up things he likes, but also having to work extra hard in order to keep being unpredictable (and face the realization that after a certain point, it's the unpredictability that stops surprising people). He managed to become a LivingLegend by giving up on every other aspect of his life, something that living with Yuri makes him realize.

* {{Bishonen}}: He was definitely this when he was a teenager, especially with his [[LongHairedPrettyBoy long hair]]. Even as an adult, he hasn't lost his pretty looks, since his body is long and slender and his features are quite delicate for a man in his late twenties.

* {{Bishonen}}: He's quite feminine in appearance, coupled with a lithe build and petite height (though, as he highlights, that probably won't last for much longer).

* AmbiguousDisorder: There have been hints throughout the show, particularly in the later episodes, that Victor might be suffering from depression.
** While never confirmed, he also checks a lot of ADHD symptoms: forgetfulness, impulsivity, poor social skills, reckless spending, taking on way too many projects at once, getting quickly bored with routine... His outside-the-box creativity also adds to this.

* CryCute: After he performs his free skate in Episode 12.

* CryCute:
** In Episode 12. More like Cry Beautiful, actually.
** He gets one earlier in Episode 2, when he sleeps with tearful eyes after Yuri rejects his offer of them sleeping together. He's not actually seen crying, but it still counts.

** Victor's physical features are inspired by American actor John Cameron Mitchell; Mitsurou Kubo stated in an interview that when she went to see the musical ''Theatre/HedwigAndTheAngryInch'', she was inspired to base Victor's good looks on him, as well as his PeekABangs hairstyle.

* StaticCharacter: Yurio doesn't get much development compared to Yuri or Victor. The only significant development he receives is him learning to take his competition more seriously... and that's it. While the audience gets to learn a bit more about him, he doesn't become any better or worse as a character, and his personality by the series' end is much like when he was first introduced.

[[center: [- [[Characters/YuriOnIce Main Character Index]] | '''Main Characters''' | [[Characters/YuriOnIceOtherIceSkaters Other Ice Skaters]] | [[Characters/YuriOnIceHasetsuCitizensAndOtherCharacters Hasetsu Citizens and Other Characters]]]]-]

!!Yuri Katsuki
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/ToshiyukiToyonaga (Japanese), Creator/JoshGrelle (English)
[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yuri_katsuki.png]]

->''"I tried to ignore a lot of things by focusing on skating. I wonder what I need so I can keep skating on my own..."''

A 23 (later 24)-year-old Japanese figure skater who, after monumental losses at the Sochi Grand Prix and all of the following major competitions, decides to move back to his hometown to figure out what he wants to do with his life. Everything changes for him when his childhood idol, Victor Nikiforov, follows him to Japan and offers to become his coach.

%%Yuri's sexuality is not explicitly confirmed or implied either way in the series, so please avoid adding any tropes labeling him as bisexual or gay.
----
* AccentSlipUp: He usually speaks standard Japanese, but he slips back into his native Saga dialect when he gets drunk. He also talks to his mother in his native dialect over the phone in the first episode.
* TheAce: Although not to the same extent as Victor, he's still seen as this by both his fellow Japanese skaters and skating fans. He's even recognized as the "ace of Japan" or "Japan's ace" -- whichever you prefer.
* AchillesHeel: Downplayed. Yuri excels in presentation, though he tends to fall short when it comes to getting a high technical score. As indicated in the official character databook, Yuri has a perfect score in both skating and step sequences, and a nearly-perfect score in his spins as well... though the score given for his jumps could be considered ''slightly'' above average at best. This is backed up by the fact that the only quads he knows are the quadruple toe loop and Salchow (the latter quad being a hit-and-miss move for him)... [[TookALevelInBadass at least at first]].
* AffectionateNickname: Somewhat; in Yurio's nicer moments, he calls Yuri "pork cutlet bowl" instead of the [[YouAreFat usual insults]]. To a lesser extent, Victor calls Yuri a piglet or "little piggy" a few times, but he drops it once Yuri loses weight.
* AmbiguousDisorder: His anxiety disorder is ambiguous only in that the creators have yet to definitively label it.
* AmbiguousSituation: In-universe, people are always wondering what kind of relationship he and Victor actually have. [[spoiler: After the events of Episode 10 however, their situation is made pretty clear to the rest of the finalists, Yuri's ballet teacher and sister, ''and'' a crowd of restaurant patrons when Victor declares that they're engaged]].
* AscendedFanboy: After looking up to Victor all his life, the man himself comes and offers to be his coach. [[spoiler: Soon enough, they enter in a romantic relationship, and get ''engaged'' in Episode 10]].
* AudienceSurrogate: One of the things that easily endears him to the viewer is how relatable he is in almost every aspect, ''especially'' to those who are dealing with anxiety in real life.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Despite his gentle personality, Yuri is not to be messed with; if pushed far enough, his outbursts can give even Victor pause... and that was when he was ''upset''. Now imagine what would happen if he was angry instead, and we mean well and truly ''angry''.
* BigBeautifulMan: Granted, during the off-season he's not really that fat, but in the stage drama, Victor finds Yuri's chubby self to be adorable, and gushes about how squishy he is while playing with his baby fat.
* TheBigDamnKiss: [[spoiler:With Victor, in Episode 7]].
* {{Bishonen}}: He's more cute than outright handsome by default, but he easily becomes this with a bit of grooming.
* BlindWithoutEm: Downplayed; he seems to be able to skate just fine without his glasses, but in Episode 6 he has to squint to see his scores on the leaderboard at the China Cup. WordOfGod stated that he's practically half-blind without his glasses.
* BlueIsHeroic: In case you haven't noticed yet, his ColorMotif is blue and he's the main protagonist of the story.
* BreakTheCutie: His comfort-eating after his dog's death by and large ruined his chances for winning a medal at the Grand Prix Final. Combined with a poor track record at previous competitions, his five-year-long career became a list of failures that ended unceremoniously with him terminating his contract with his coach, Celestino Cialdini, and going back to his hometown to figure out what to do with the rest of his life. You can imagine exactly how much all of this contributed to the depression and extremely low self-esteem we see at the beginning of the series.
* BrokenAce: Yuri is a highly talented skater, but he deals with a lot of emotional baggage alongside his skating career, the latter being something [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex he looks at with both pride and shame]].
* BroodingBoyGentleGirl: A same-gender example; Yuri's anxiety and shyness is a contrast to Victor's confidence and sunny attitude.
* ButNowIMustGo: [[spoiler:Tries to invoke this by telling Victor that he'll be retiring after the Final. It backfires ''horribly''.]]
* CelebrityCrush: His admiration for Victor is treated like one, though it develops beyond that as he and Victor become closer and [[spoiler:eventually become a couple]].
* CharacterDevelopment: He gradually becomes more confident and self-assured after Victor enters his life, and even manages to land a spot in the Grand Prix Final in Episode 9 despite Victor's absence.
* CharacterTitle: Besides [[ProtagonistTitle his name appearing on the title]], one of the central themes of the series is his comeback as a figure skater and the CharacterDevelopment that comes with said comeback.
* ChildhoodFriends: He's been friends with Yuko and Takeshi since they were all children, though Takeshi initially bullied him.
* ClassicalAntiHero: The closest thing to an antagonist in the series is Yuri's self-doubt and anxiety, and Yuri is an anti-hero in the sense that he is a contrast to most other main characters in works related to sports (see {{Foil}} below).
* CovertPervert: Michele accuses him of being this. One may think it's because of Sara's warm reaction to him, but it may also be that [[spoiler: Michele was there to see Yuri's drunken antics at the Grand Prix banquet last year]].
* CowardlyLion: His low self-esteem doesn't change the fact that he's a world-class figure skater, and Japan's leading skater at that.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Not really "moron" so much as "anxiety-riddled man whose nerves hold him back big time". He claims to be only an average or even less-than-average skater, and you might believe him at first; but official data shows that in terms of overall skill, Yuri is only behind [[LivingLegend Victor]] and [[AlwaysSecondBest Christophe]], and that is before Victor started coaching him.
* CryCute: Only if he's crying TearsOfJoy.
* CuddleBug: He's mostly on the receiving end of this trope from Victor, but he ''does'' become one when [[spoiler: Victor isn’t around]], if his hugging spree in Episode 9 is any indication. The end of the episode confirms this is because of his longing [[spoiler: to hug Victor]], indicating he may be this offscreen when they're alone.
* DarkIsEvil: Played with in his ''eros'' program. He's not enacting a villain, although he plays as a FemmeFatale who pursues men and immediately casts them aside as soon as they are seduced, and there's his outfit for the program being all black.
* DeadpanSnarker: Not as often as you would think, but he can be witty if he wants to.
* {{Determinator}}: He learns to be one over the course of the series, despite his "glass heart" reputation. Once he finds something he's willing to fight for [[spoiler:(namely, Victor)]], [[LetsGetDangerous he'll take on hostile audiences, anxiety attacks, angry young Russian skaters and personal crises]] on top of his already demanding training regimen.
** On a totally athletic level, his two greatest assets are pure physical stamina and willingness to work hard. Minako outright states that he wasn't the most talented skater at the local rink, but rose to the top of Japanese (and international) skating because he was the one who put in the most practice.
* DissonantSerenity: In probably the most unsettling scene in the show, when Victor [[CryCute bursts into tears]] after Yuri [[spoiler: proclaims he's retiring during the Grand Prix Final]], Yuri's reaction is to calmly reach out and pull back Victor's hair so he can watch him cry more closely, and basically say with with little tone or inflection, [[LackOfEmpathy "I'm surprised to see you cry."]]
* DontThinkFeel: With Victor coaching him, Yuri eventually learns to not over-analyze his performance and to skate purely on his emotions, focusing on how he skates and not how he will score.
* DontYouDarePityMe: In spite of his anxiety, he tends to keep his troubles to himself and doesn't like it when others attempt to coddle him.
* DrowningMySorrows: A possible reason for him getting wasted in the previous Grand Prix banquet, besides the fact that he couldn't talk to anyone. After all, he wasn't having the best day: he lost his dog, gave an awful performance, and had no one to confide in about his turmoils. As he's aware of what could happen if he does, he ought to know better than to drink, but no one can blame him for choosing to down glass after glass of champagne.
* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Quite a few other male characters show some form of attraction to him, with [[ManicPixieDreamGuy Victor]] being the most prominent [[spoiler: -- an attraction Yuri eventually comes to reciprocate]]. There's also [[LovableSexManiac Christophe]] and [[FanOfTheUnderdog Minami]]. Even his friend [[AmbiguouslyBi Takeshi]], who's ''married'', admits that he can be sexy. One of the commentators in episode 6 stutters after seeing Yuri lick his lips seductively at Victor's direction: "N-Nippon no Katsuki Yuri -"[[note]]"K-Katsuki Yuri from Japan -"[[/note]]
* ExperiencedProtagonist: He learned how to skate at a young age, and he participated in the Juniors with Christophe at least ten years ago.
* ExtremeDoormat: It's easy to think of him as this since he never calls Yurio out on his actions, let alone fight back, whenever the latter would be unreasonably cruel to him; though this is only because he simply doesn't care enough to argue and is only amused or indifferent to the other's tantrums.
* FaceYourFears: Part of his CharacterDevelopment. He suffers from PerformanceAnxiety and has difficulty moving on from his failures, and a portion of the plot is dedicated to him learning to conquer his stage fright and confidently perform at his best.
* FamilyThemeNaming: The "ri" character (利) in his name comes from his father Toshiya's name (利也), and is also found in his sister Mari's name (真利).
* {{Fanboy}}: To Victor, whom he's admired since he was young. The walls of his room are covered with posters and photos of Victor (before he takes them down so Victor can't see them) and he even got a poodle because Victor himself has one, [[WeNamedTheMonkeyJack and then named the dog after him]].
* FatalFlaw:
** Although he's a skilled ice skater, he can't handle pressure or get himself back together after a loss.
** He has a lot of insidious secondary flaws that appear to originate from his anxiety and tendency to [[HeroicSelfDeprecation devalue himself]]: self-centeredness, [[InnocentlyInsensitive callousness]], a [[LackOfEmpathy lack of empathy]], [[MasterOfTheMixedMessage unstable/erratic moods and unwillingness to communicate]], etc. Combined with Victor's emotional detachment and [[StepfordSmiler tendency to hide his feelings]], this leads to some very rocky moments for their relationship throughout the show.
** Pride. He's not arrogant, but [[ThePerfectionist he sets nothing less than high standards for himself when it comes to skating]]... which is why [[SoreLoser he doesn't take it very well every time he doesn't meet said standards]], where his PerformanceAnxiety then comes into play and turns things FromBadToWorse.
* {{Foil}}:
** To Phichit. Yuri is introverted, has trouble making friends, over-analyzes his performances and gets frustrated over any slip-ups in said performances, whereas Phichit is outgoing, extremely sociable, performs with the sole intention to entertain the audience, and isn't bothered if he makes a few mistakes. [[WordOfGod According to Tadashi Hiramatsu, the lead character designer]], Phichit was deliberately made to contrast with Yuri in personality.
** To most other sports anime protagonists. Said protagonists are usually UnskilledButStrong, WeakButSkilled, have zero experience in the sport but hold limitless potential, [[BrilliantButLazy or are talented in the sport but have zero motivation]]. Yuri, however, is someone who's talented in ice skating, continuously improves by practicing, and competes for both personal and competitive purposes. His challenge in the story comes not from his ''actual'' lack of skill or difficulties rising to the top, but his own unreliable narration and personal belief that he isn't who he could be, despite earning a name for himself as the sixth best skater ''in the world.'' He's also a contrast to most other protagonists in that while they tend to be characterized with [[{{Determinator}} unbending will and the refusal to surrender to pressure and loss]], one of Yuri's main characteristics is his PerformanceAnxiety and his will shifts between giving up and pulling through, and the anime is focused on his attempts to make one last grand performance, rather than his rise from a nobody to a revered athlete. There's also the fact that Yuri's an adult and has already graduated from college, whereas the others are still in their teens and in high school.
* ForgottenFirstMeeting: Yuri briefly interacted with Victor after the closing ceremony as Sochi, but Yuri assumes that the meeting didn't stick with Victor for long due to his feelings of inadequacy (having just bombed hard compared to Victor who took first place). [[spoiler:9 episodes later, it's revealed this trope is actually in effect in the ''opposite'' direction. During the after party for the Sochi Grand Finals, Yuri got black out drunk and flirted hard with Victor before begging him to become his coach. The next morning, Yuri didn't remember a thing and Victor was confused why he was acting so distant with him.]]
* FormerlyFit: Played with in the first episode; he's still quite capable on the ice, but his months-long gap between losing the Grand Prix Final and going back to Hasetsu had him gain quite a bit of weight. He does tone up once he starts training with Victor though.
* FriendlyRivalry: One-sided. Yurio sees him as a rival, but the feeling isn't mutual, and Yuri has no problems being friendly with him or even cheering him on during the Rostelecom Cup.
* GracefulLoser: While Yuri is ambitious, fairly competitive, and almost endlessly beats himself up about his losses, he never once blames his failures on anyone else and he doesn't lash out at them when they try to either comfort or demean him.
* GratuitousForeignLanguage: He tends to use GratuitousEnglish when speaking to Victor, which is meant to reflect how he and Victor [[TranslationConvention actually communicate in English with each other]] (he already knows English since he went to college in Detroit). He also occasionally chirps a couple words of Gratuitous Thai and GratuitousRussian to other people of those respective nationalities.
* HeCleansUpNicely: Compare how he looks during his performance of ''eros'' in Episode 3 to his usual look. With his hair combed back and without the glasses, he looks stunning enough to make Victor ''whistle at him''.
* HeroicSelfDeprecation: Yuri does this ''a lot''. He describes himself as a “dime-a-dozen” skater within the Japanese Skating Federation who managed to get to the Grand Prix Final only to flunk out spectacularly, and a good chunk of his narration and dialogue deal with his self-doubt. This is also a man who ''made it'' to the Final and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with five other skaters (including LivingLegend Victor Nikiforov -- who could rightfully be called the best the world has to offer), a man who's described as “Japan's ace” by the national press, and a man who is seen as an idol to other hopeful Japanese skaters like Minami who beg for his autograph after he takes them in competition. But none of that even registers on his radar.
* AHeroToHisHometown: His hometown of Hasetsu, Kyushu, happily boasts about him. Posters of him line the train station walls, and many residents can recognize him on sight alone. Most know that he lost his major competitions though.
* HiddenDepths: Yuri already knows ballet thanks to Minako, but it turns out that ice-skating and ballet hardly encompass the range of what he can do; in the [[spoiler: credits sequence of Episode 10]] he breakdances with Yurio, works a pole with Christophe, and tangos with Victor, and he does all of it ''stone cold drunk''.
* HisOwnWorstEnemy: The only real antagonist of the story is Yuri's insecurities and anxieties. To put it this way, [[LastLousyPoint if he didn't have them, he would have been a far more powerful presence in the figure skating world]].
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: His decision to [[spoiler: change some of the jumps in his short program at the Grand Prix Final in an attempt to get a higher score led him to score ''lower'' than in the China Cup and the Rostelecom Cup, since he neglected to invoke ''eros'' in favor of heightening the technical aspects of the program]].
* HollywoodPudgy: An InUniverse example. The weight gain he underwent in Episode 1 is obvious, although other characters treat it as if he's gone obese, when he's only mildly chubby at best. Their reactions are justified by the fact that it's an absolute must for figure skaters to keep their bodies in tip-top shape as getting too careless with their eating habits will greatly hamper their ability to skate.
* HurtingHero: His meltdown at the previous Grand Prix Final didn't do any wonders to Yuri's already low self-esteem, and the incident continues to plague his thoughts for the rest of the series.
* {{Hypocrite}}: In a rage, [[spoiler: Victor [[WhatTheHellHero calls him out]]]] on wanting to [[spoiler: retire while telling Victor to return to the ice]].
* ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe: Given that Yuri idolized Victor for a ''long'' time, it's no surprise that Victor's arrival in his life is a huge shock to him. It's even because of this trope that Yuri believes that his time with Victor is short and he'll eventually leave once the season ends. [[spoiler: Even when they become a couple, Yuri continues to hold a lot of doubt about their relationship and if he really is worthy of Victor's attention]].
* IconicOutfit: Both his Eros costume and free skate costume, although the Eros one is a lot more popular.
* InelegantBlubbering: Yuri has cried a few times on screen, and it's never pretty.
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: Yuri easily caves in to pressure and doesn't think he amounts to much; yet when it comes to his goals in skating, he aims higher than high and will not forgive himself for making even a single mistake, which hints that he actually harbors some self-pride, which is unfortunately mangled by his PerformanceAnxiety.
* InformedAttribute: His weight in the first two episodes. Now and then, he appears fat (mostly for {{Sight Gag}}s), but for the most part he only appears to be mildly chubby. Though, given how much Sayo Yamamoto loves her sight gags and visual humor, it's probably just her exaggerating his out-of-form state [[RuleOfFunny to milk it for comedy]].
** It's also justified given that he is a professional figure skater. Even being a "little chubby" can be a big drawback when you're competing in a sport that values flexibility and dexterity.
* InnocentlyInsensitive: Fairly often. His own anxiety tends to wrap him up in his own emotions that he forgets he can have an impact on how other people feel.
** He tells a story about how a friend at his home rink was in an accident once and someone tried to comfort him in the hospital. He pushed them away by his own admission rather rudely, not wanting other people to know about or interfere with how he feels.
** He accidentally mocks Minami's admiration for him by calling Minami's favorite programs he's done his "dark past" and telling him he's embarrassed by them, and then disses him again by refusing to play along with Minami's challenging looks and declarations of rivalry. Once Victor makes it clear exactly how disappointed in Yuri he is for being so rude and off-putting to someone who's inspired by him, he snaps out of it and wishes Minami good luck before his skate.
** His initial reaction to [[spoiler: shattering Victor's heart]] is [[DissonantSerenity completely apathetic]], reaching out to casually touch him while making an utterly inappropriate remark. He then proceeds to act confused and defensive when [[spoiler: Victor]] snaps at him.
** WordOfGod comments that he can be "quite cold-hearted", and is "someone who doesn't really try to get into people's hearts".
* InsecureLoveInterest: For almost the entire series' run, Yuri is incredibly anxious regarding [[spoiler: his relationship with Victor (before ''and'' after it became a romantic one), given that once in almost every episode, a minute is dedicated to him dreading the day when Victor will lose interest in him and eventually leave. Even when that doesn’t turn out to be the case, he still fears that keeping Victor around as his coach will detriment the other’s skating career]], which becomes the central conflict of Episodes 11 and 12.
* InstantHumiliationJustAddYoutube: Played with; he's absolutely mortified over the video of him performing Victor's program that goes viral, despite the fact that he receives nothing but praise for it.
* InstantWebHit: The video of him performing Victor's free program becomes this, enough that it catches the attention of Victor himself. [[spoiler: Although he had already caught Victor's notice ''long'' before the video ever existed]].
* InTouchWithHisFeminineSide: He has a bright blue poodle-covered phone case, for goodness' sake. More seriously, his gender fluidity is explored (positively) in Episode 3 when he finds he connects to the female role in the ''eros'' program story better than that of the male playboy he was expected to play and chooses to interpret the program through her all the way up until Episode 6.
* InVinoVeritas: Normally, Yuri is a wallflower in situations that require socializing. Give him enough drinks, however, and he'll become the LifeOfTheParty, [[spoiler:as shown in the credits for Episode 10, where it's revealed that he had a dance-off with Yurio, pole-danced with Chris, and then danced and flirted with Victor before begging him to be his coach while at the previous year's Grand Prix banquet]]. It seems he inherited this trait from his father.
* ItsAllAboutMe: A complicated example. He's not intentionally selfish or entitled, but whenever he starts to have doubts about something, even if there's proof that there's actually no need to worry after all, he can only be appeased if his fears are resolved the way he thinks it ''should'' be resolved. He also has a tendency to get wrapped up in his own mind, and doubts his self-worth to the extent that he sometimes forgets that he can have an impact on the way that other people feel, leading him to do some pretty callous things under the assumption that no one cares.
* LackOfEmpathy: An interesting, selective case. He has so little self-worth that he can't empathize with people that do value and support him, including his family and friends in Hasetsu, [[{{Fanboy}} Minami]], and Victor. He manages to [[spoiler: upset Victor in Episode 12 while acting [[DissonantSerenity completely detached from the situation]]. He actually enters the rink after their fight calmer than in any other competition, despite Victor being ''clearly'' miserable and depressed]]. He assumes that he's valued so little that other people won't miss him when he pushes them away or distances himself, which becomes a major point of contention between him and people who care about him multiple times throughout the series.
* TheLastDance: He understands that, because of his age and Victor potentially losing interest in him, this will very likely be his last season, even if he succeeds. Episode 10 puts [[spoiler: his worries about Victor losing interest in him to rest, as the man is head-over-heels for him and they're ''engaged'' to be married]], but whether or not this is going to be the final season of his career is still unclear. [[spoiler: As of Episode 12, this is eventually subverted, as he decides to compete for another season]].
* LetsGetDangerous: While he's not the most confident skater out there, when it's his turn to perform -- given the right motivation and if at the right mindset -- he easily demonstrates why he's the best skater in Japan. [[spoiler:In Episode 12, once he decides he's going out of his career with a bang, he ''breaks a world record'' with his free skate and throws himself healthily into first place.]]
* LightFeminineAndDarkFeminine: A RareMaleExample is invoked in his and Yurio's short programs, and he's the latter. Besides the color of their costumes in said programs (black for Yuri and white/silver for Yurio), while Yurio gets the more innocent and angelic ''agape'' program, Yuri gets the sensual and nearly-devilish ''eros'' program.
* LivingEmotionalCrutch: To Victor, with Victor also being one to him, after they get to know each other. WordOfGod even stated that [[spoiler: the two -- now that they’re in a relationship and are engaged to add -- can’t stand to be apart and basically can’t live without each other]]. Thankfully, this is explored in a healthy manner; while they aren't at their best without the other around, they're able to willingly separate if there's a good reason for either of them to leave.
* LoserProtagonist: [[HeroicSelfDeprecation He'd tell you so]]. He calls himself a "dime-a-dozen skater" and while it's true that he's never been able to win any of the major competitions he's competed in, anything presented outside of his point of view paints a completely different picture: he's a world-class skater who's AHeroToHisHometown and has been dubbed by the media, among other things, "Japan's ace" and "the pride of Japan," and as of his previous season the only Japanese skater to make it to the Grand Prix Final – and you have to be high-placing in the season before ''that'' to even qualify for the qualifiers of the GPF, since the competitors are selected from a group of less than 20 high ranking skaters. His paralyzingly low self-esteem just keeps him from seeing any of that, so really it's more like “a loser protagonist in his own eyes”.
* LoveConfession: To Victor, and on national TV, no less. [[TranslationConvention Too bad Victor can't understand it.]] [[spoiler:Then again, after the events of Episode 7, maybe he did understand a bit more than he let on...]]
* LuminescentBlush: Generally often, [[UpToEleven but every thirty seconds around Victor]].
* ManicPixieDreamGuy: Played an unwitting one to [[spoiler: Victor when he drunkenly invited him to become his coach. Victor, feeling compelled to search for a new direction after twenty years of devotion to the rink, took him up on the offer and, according to Victor, Yuri showed him a new world filled with “life and love”]].
* ManlyTears: He's the most guilty of this, but then again, he has very good reasons to cry every time the waterworks come forth.
* MasterOfTheMixedMessage: Due to TheReveal of Episode 10, [[spoiler:he has been this to Victor, as Victor believed him to want him to be his coach and possibly to start a relationship, but as soon as they meet again, Yuri is bashful and shies away from his touching and flirting, which confuses Victor. It's made even worse as, ''after'' they get engaged, Yuri seems to want to end their relationship, though it's ambiguous whether he means it romantically or professionally. Episode 12 reveals that he was only referring to their professional relationship, but it still leads to a falling out between them]].
* MeaningfulName: His given name, Yuri (勇利), is written with the kanji for "courage"; while he doesn't have very much of that at first, he gradually becomes more confident over the course of the story. His family name, Katsuki (勝生), means "born to win", which complements Victor's name.
* {{Meganekko}}: A male version of this trope. He doesn't wear his glasses when he's skating, though, which leads to a scene where his score appears on screen and he can't read it because it's too far away.
* MommasBoy: He and his mother are very close; she's the first person he talks to -- besides his coach -- after losing the Grand Prix Final. She seems to be supportive and loving towards him, and both share a [[LikeFatherLikeSon physical resemblance]], including having somewhat similar body types. He's also quite close to his dad, but his attachment to his mother is more apparent.
* MotorMouth: Yuri does this in Episode 5 when he tells Victor in-detail about how he didn't do so well in the previous skating season.
* MyGreatestSecondChance: To Yuri, Victor coaching him for the upcoming season is this, seeing it as the opportunity to make up for the mistakes he made in past competitions and allow his [[TheLastDance skating career to go out with a bang]]... [[spoiler: although he changes his mind in the finale]].
* NervousWreck: A realistic example. Yuri feels tense before and during every competition, and in serious instances, can even break out into a panic.
* NiceGuy: Played with. While far from a bad person, he's really only friendly and bright at times. On the other hand, he also has his fair share of less likable traits (i.e. LackOfEmpathy, [[MoodSwinger unstable moods]], [[ItsAllAboutMe self-centeredness]], etc.)
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Yuri seems to be a combination of various Japanese figure skaters.
** Yuri's career and background are based almost verbatim off Tatsuki Machida. 23-year-old Machida, like Yuri, finished last during his first stint at the Grand Prix Final in Sochi (which was actually held at the Iceberg Skating Palace), proceeded to fail at Nationals, and didn't make it to the World Championships that year. Machida was also a college student at the time, had no idea what to do when he graduated, and struggled with low self-esteem. Both Machida and Yuri went overseas to America, and Yuri's home rink "Ice Castle Hasetsu" was most definitely inspired from California's "Ice Castle" where Machida trained.
** Part of Yuri's personality and skating style draw inspiration from Daisuke Takahashi. Takahashi was known for having a "glass heart" from his fragile mentality during skates in his early days. This is reflected in Yuri's struggle with his anxiety and weak mentality on the ice throughout the entire series, as well as directly referenced in Victor's statement of "skaters' hearts are as fragile as glass" in Episode 7. However, Takahashi is a legend who has a sensual style of skating much like Yuri's ''eros'' persona. In addition, Yuri's strength is said to be step sequences, which is also Takahashi's specialty.
** Visually, Yuri looks quite a bit like Yuzuru Hanyu and his idolization of Victor was directly inspired by Yuzuru's admiration of Victor's real-life counterpart, Evgeni Plushenko.
* NoSocialSkills: Downplayed; it's not like he can't interact with other people, although Takeshi stated that Yuri has never been good at making friends. One of the reasons Yuri even got drunk in the previous Grand Prix banquet was because he couldn't mingle with anyone.
* OddFriendship: His relationship with Phichit, since Phichit is extroverted and enthusiastic while Yuri is introverted and often melancholic. Though this is downplayed, since despite their contrasting personalities they see eye-to-eye in many things and are both friendly with other people. They were also roommates for an unspecified period of time when they were rinkmates in Detroit.
* OfficialCouple: [[spoiler:As of Episode 10, he's happily engaged to his coach, Victor Nikiforov]].
* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: Yuri was one of the finalists in the Sochi Grand Prix, although he bombed his performance and ended up at last place. Regardless, the fact remains that he defeated a fair number of other good skaters to make it to the Final. There's also some evidence to suggest that he had done well enough to set him up to podium in his short program – news articles mention him "slipping to last" after the free skate and he talks about how, before he bombed, it was "supposed to be his day."
* OhCrap: [[RuleOfThree He does this thrice]] in Episode 1: first was when Minako caught on his weight gain, second was when he discovered that his reenactment of Victor's free skate was uploaded online and had gone viral, and finally the next day when, after being pounced on by a very familiar-looking poodle, his father tells him that they currently have a good-looking foreign guest and he realizes exactly who that guest might be.
* OldShame: InUniverse. He considers his Lohengrin program a part of his "dark past".
* OlderThanTheyLook: He turns 24 after Episode 9 and is the third oldest competing skater in the series after Christophe and Georgi, yet he looks a lot younger (with or without the glasses) than most of his competitors, [[YoungerThanTheyLook nearly all of whom are still in their late teens]].
* OvershadowedByAwesome: Between Victor the LivingLegend and TeenGenius Yurio, Yuri might not seem like much, but he still made it to the Grand Prix Final, which means he's a ''damn good'' skater. His self-deprecating attitude doesn't help.
* ParalysisByAnalysis: Played with. He doesn't freeze up in the middle of his performances, but he tends to overthink every move he does and has a hard time letting go of any mistakes he could make, which can cause him to panic or even mess up in the worst case scenario.
* ThePerfectionist: Despite thinking he's only a run-of-the-mill skater, he also sets very high standards for himself whenever it comes to skating, and doesn't forgive himself if he falls short of his own expectations.
* PerformanceAnxiety: His FatalFlaw. He's an excellent skater, and medaled several times, but hasn't won a single major competition yet because of his tendency to overthink every little thing and second-guess himself.
* PersonalityBloodTypes: Type A.
* ProneToTears: Downplayed. While he's not so sensitive to the point that every ill-willed or misguided action immediately sends him into tears, there’s still a reason Yuri has a reputation of having a “glass heart." Played a bit more realistically in that he almost always [[TruthInTelevision stabilizes after crying]] and that it's usually after a long buildup of negative emotions.
* PinkGirlBlueBoy: Another same-gender example; Yuri is the blue to Victor's pink (specifically red, since pink is a shade of red).
* RedOniBlueOni: The blue to Yurio and Victor's red, but sometimes it's zig-zagged with the latter.
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: A downplayed example, but he's quite sensitive in comparison to the short-tempered Yuri Plisetsky.
* ShipTease: With Victor, big time. [[spoiler: And as of Episode 10, they're now happily engaged]].
* ShrinkingViolet: He's a painfully shy, nervous person, especially around Victor when they first meet. The Nishigoris state outright that he doesn't make friends easily, and consequently prefers to deal with his problems by practicing at the skating rink or Minako's ballet studio instead of opening up to other people.
* SickeninglySweethearts: Becomes this with [[spoiler:Victor]] after their RelationshipUpgrade into an OfficialCouple, much to Yurio's chagrin.
* SignatureMove: It's been stated that Yuri's favorite move is the triple axel, though he's also well known for his signature ''skills'' -- which a few characters have pointed out to be his step sequences, spins, and his high stamina. His step sequences stand out more than the rest, to the point that they impress Yurio and they're usually how he compensations for only having one consistent quad.
* SingleTargetSexuality: It's clear that once he sees Victor on TV as a kid that there's nobody else for him. This may also be the reason that Yuri hasn't dated much; no one else interests him like Victor does (although he gets flustered and is a MasterOfTheMixedMessage even when Victor himself comes knocking).
* SkilledButNaive: Not so much naive as much as emotionally vulnerable. While he's a talented skater, his PerformanceAnxiety keeps him from delivering a perfect performance, at times even botching said performances.
* SmartPeopleWearGlasses: Downplayed, although Yuri doesn't seem to be BookDumb by any means as he finished college while he was still living in Detroit.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Is it "Yuri" or "Yuuri"? Though in Japanese his name is pronounced and written as "Yuuri" [[note]]The Japanese logo for the show writes it in katakana as ユーリ, with the dash representing an elongated "u" sound.[[/note]], it's romanized in merchandising and InUniverse as "Yuri," especially since most Western markets where his name would be written in letters don't really make a distinction between the pronunciations of "Yuuri" and "Yuri." Some fans do still write it Yuuri to make a distinction between Yuuri Katsuki and Yuri Plisetsky without having to use "Yurio."
* StepfordSmiler: [[TheWoobie Painfully so]]. He's the depressed type, and desperately tries to hide how broken he actually feels from the people around him. It's PlayedForLaughs occasionally, most notably in the first episode where a chibi version of himself [[ArtStyleDissonance cheerfully explains how his skating career is going down the drain]].
* StraightMan: He has a few quirks of his own, but he's still more or less this among the main trio or even among all the other male skaters, as their own eccentricities make him look well-adjusted in comparison.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: Yuri holds a strong resemblance to his parents. He especially looks a lot like his mother Hiroko when he's gained weight, as his father Toshiya points out.
* SuddenlyShouting: [[spoiler: During his breakdown in Episode 7, when he calls out Victor on his insensitivity and inability to deal with the situation properly]], he starts off with an anguished but somewhat-quiet tone, and his voice gradually gets louder until it reaches the point where he's ''screaming'' at Victor.
* TalentedButTrained: In contrast to Victor and Yurio, who have already shown a natural aptitude in skating at a young age, Yuri got his skills because he works harder than hard to improve, and Minako points out that he was gifted with more time to practice than anyone else. It also helps that he had an internationally renowned ballet dancer as his instructor in addition to figure skating, which allowed him to be recognized for his peerless step sequences.
* TallDarkAndHandsome: Even a bit of effort is needed to bring out his handsome side, he still fits the bill.
* TeacherStudentRomance: He and Victor started off as an ice skating student and teacher, respectively before [[spoiler:becoming a couple and getting engaged.]] An uncommon healthy example, since they're both consenting adults and Yuri could have refused Victor at any point without any significant negative consequences.
* TearsOfJoy: He sheds these when [[spoiler: he finally perfects his free program in the Barcelona Grand Prix Final]].
* TookALevelInBadass: Under Victor's tutelage, and through his own willpower, he becomes an even better skater. After a few months, he's now able to land jumps that he wasn't able to before, in particular, the quadruple Salchow, the quadruple flip (which is Victor's SignatureMove), and by the credits in Episode 12, possibly the quadruple Lutz as well -- meaning he likely now has a total of four quads in his repertoire. Both the crowd and the other skaters note how much he had changed from the previous season. Additionally, he has become more assertive and dauntless, not allowing anyone else's expectations or opinions get to him. In fact, [[spoiler: he ''beats Victor's world record for the free program score'' in the Grand Prix Final]].
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Pork cutlet bowls, so much so that they've become a trademark of the series itself.
* TraumaCongaLine: Let's just say that life didn't take it easy on him after his self-destruction at the Sochi Grand Prix, to the point that he even nearly considered retirement. On the bright side, he slowly recovers after returning to his hometown.
* UnderestimatingBadassery: His competitors and the figure-skating world at large think he has nothing compared to Victor, and his HeroicBSOD in the previous season doesn't exactly inspire confidence. But thanks to his CharacterDevelopment, he's by and large exceeded their expectations with spectacular performance after spectacular performance.
* UnreliableNarrator: In a different way from most examples. It's not that he intentionally misleads the audience (in fact, to a degree, he's not even consciously aware he's doing so), but it becomes more and more apparent how much his low self-esteem colors his narration. If you were to go by what he says alone, you would think he's an awkward, uninspired skater of middling talent who stumbled into the world of professional figure-skating almost by accident, instead of the sexy powerhouse performer he's shown us he can be, never mind the fact that Victor [[spoiler: is properly smitten with him, and has been for longer than Yuri could ever assume. The audience has no idea about any of this until Episode 10 though, because [[ForgottenFirstMeeting Yuri was blackout drunk at the banquet where he and Victor met]]]]. Just as an example, he paints his GPF skate as something to be ashamed of, despite the fact "last at the Grand Prix Final" translates in reality to "6th in the world."
* VictoriousLoser: [[spoiler: While he doesn't place last again in the Grand Prix, he fails to claim the gold medal. On the bright side, he was beaten by Yurio only by an extremely narrow margin, he won the ''silver'' medal, surpassed Victor's world record in the free skate, and gained the widespread acclaim and recognition of the public. [[SecondPlaceIsForWinners He even looks happy and fulfilled when he's shown standing at the podium]]]].
* VirginShaming: It's not exactly confirmed if [[spoiler: Victor]] is the first person he's ever been in a relationship with, although Takeshi teases him for being inexperienced at dating, and he refuses to answer when Victor asks if he's gone out with someone before or when Lutz asks if it's true that he's never had a girlfriend. Nevertheless, he doesn't like it whenever his romantic history (or lack thereof) is brought up, given his reaction to Victor's prodding in Episode 2, and reflexively snapping in Episode 4 when Victor suggests thinking of a past lover as an inspiration for his free program.
* WackyMarriageProposal: The wacky part is downplayed but [[spoiler:when he and Victor exchange pair rings, Yuri calls them "good luck charms". While it's part of the meaning, his intention is evident, and it fools exactly no one -- Victor makes it clear that they ''are'' engagement rings, and that they intend to get married once Yuri wins the gold medal at the Grand Prix Final]].
* WeightWoe: He gains weight quite easily, which is not helped by his love of [[TrademarkFavoriteFood pork cutlet bowls]].
* WorfHadTheFlu: It's made clear that the reason he didn't do so good at the Sochi Grand Prix Final was because he wasn't at his best, both mentally and physically. There's no doubt that at his top form, he would have done far better.
* WorthyOpponent:
** To Christophe, who considers him a valid substitute for Victor.
** Episode 12 reveals that [[spoiler:Yurio]] considers him to be this, and looks absolutely baffled when [[spoiler:Victor tells him that Yuri intends to retire]].
* YokoOhNo: While not as direct and violent as the usual examples, he's subjected to this by several skaters, most of the media, and especially almost the entirety of Russia; although interestingly enough, [[spoiler: it isn't because he and Victor have become an item]]. Since Victor is the world's most renowned ice skater, fans and skaters alike resent Yuri because they see him as the reason why Victor retired from figure skating. Yuri even monologues about how he knows that almost no one wants to see him succeed at the Grand Prix.

* ImplausibleHairColor: In a series where hair colors are generally rather realistic and any cases of MulticoloredHair are clearly due to hair dye, Victor’s hair color stands out as the strangest. Silver hair is not impossible in real life, but it’s nearly non-existent as a natural hair color, plus Victor isn’t an albino.