History Characters / Eyeshield21

* NameToRunAwayFromReallyFast: "Teikoku" literally means '''"Black Emperor"'''.

* StaticCharacter: Only when it comes to skills. Hiruma doesn't gain any new techniques or major improvement in his physical stats throughout the series. Aside from crazy plays, he remains pretty much the same quarterback until the end.

* AmbiguousDisorder: Shin doesn't seem very socially well-adjusted or able to make any friends outside his football team. He also has quite limited facial expression and ''very'' narrow interest. Agon lampshaded the last point by calling Shin a "training geek".

* WalkingTechbane: Whenever a machine or electronic device is put into Shin's hands, he will most likely turn it into scraps within '''a few seconds'''.

* AmbiguouslyBrown: The students of the Taiyo Highschool looked '''Middle Eastern''' despite all of them being ethnically Japanese. ''Somewhat'' justified, in that many of them were tanned from all the surfing they did due to the school's proximity to the sea.

* CombinationAttack: The Shuttle Pass involved a great amount of teamwork: (1) all their linemen used their muscle powers to stay steadfast and shield Homer; (2) Homer used his strong arms to throw a ''very'' long pass that flew all the way to the end zone; whilst (3) Watt ran at full speed and caught the pass.

* {{Large Ham}}s: It seems that one must be this trope to be admitted to the Bando Highschool, if the behavior of Akaba and Kotaro, plus the fact that individual students had ''theme songs composed for them'', were any indication.

* {{Slasher Smile}}s: When he does get excited, he tends to smile in ways that are... quite unsettling. Like [[http://read.mangashare.com/Eyeshield-21/chapter-243/page018.html this]].

* StaticCharacter: Only when it comes to skills. Hiruma doesn't gain any new techniques or any major improvement on his physical stats throughout the manga. Aside from his crazy plays, he remains pretty much the same kind of QB until the end.

* AmbiguousDisorder: Shin doesn't seem very socially well-adjusted or able to make any friends at all outside his football team. He also has limited facial expression and ''very'' narrow interest. Agon lampshaded the last point by calling Shin a "training geek".

* WalkingTechbane: Whenever a machine or electronic device was put into Shin's hands, he would most likely turn it into scraps within '''a few seconds'''.

* Hypocrite: He called Hiruma's video immature only for him to go in a "no you have a small dick tirade" with him on the same page.

** TheDragon (de facto): Heracles.

* {{Badass}}: Makes kicking look ''very'' cool. This is frequently lampshaded. In the game against Shinryuji, it was his kicking that gets the first OhCrap reaction from them.

* IAmNotLeftHanded: His kick has a limiter, meaning he hold back sothe ball don't finish in the end zone and make a touch back. Sena lampshades how unbelievable the devil's big cannon is not at full power.
* JerkassFacade: Has an habit of giving insensitive statement to cover much mobler intentions.

* RatedMForManly: Stubble and general hairiness? Check. Muscular physique? Check. Manly occupation? Check. Mangst? The source of his inner turmoil. Also, his nickname is [[MiyamotoMusashi ''Musashi'']]. He was even voted the manliest by the fan.

* StraightMan: He's this to Hiruma's antics, though it's pretty clearly amused by them.

* AmbiguousDisorder: Shin doesn't seem very socially well-adjusted or able to make any friend at all outside his football team. He also has limited facial expression and ''very'' narrow interest. Agon lampshaded the last point by calling Shin a "training geek".

--> '''Shin''' (Lifting weight): Shin Seijuro. Ojo White Knights. I'm not at the level of being able to list my strong points.

* WalkingTechbane: Whenever a machine or electronic device was put into Shin's hand, he would most likely turn it into scraps within '''a few seconds'''.

* AmbiguouslyBrown: The students of the Taiyo Highschool looked '''Middle Eastern''' despite all of them being ethnically Japanese. ''Somewhat'' justified, in that many of them were just tanned from all the surfing they did due to the school's proximity to the sea.

* HeroOfAnotherStory: Panther could make a pretty good claim to being this. Starting as the ball boy of his team despite his amazing talent and abused by his racist coach, he [[{{Determinator}} stick it out]]. Finally, his time came when the Aliens were backed up against the wall by the Devil Bats. After turning the game around and actually ''winning'' it for his team, he won his coach's grudging respect and a permanent spot on the reformed Shuttles. [[spoiler: Under Apollo's tutelage, he became the top runner in the USA (at the highschool level, anyway) and joined the Pentagram for the World Cup, winning the NFL contract that Morgan offered. At the end, his dream came true]].

* PutMeInCoach

* TokenMinority: Justified. Apollo, the coach of the Aliens, was racist, and only allowed him to be the ball boy at first. Apollo's racism drove away all the other black players. Only Panther stayed on the team because he was a {{Determinator}}.

* MasterOfAll: It's hard to talk about the Alexanders' weak point... because there's none.

* DumbMuscle: As suggested by his status as a lineman and an idiot (According to Hiruma, Achilles's "idiot rating" is a whooping 60%).

* HeroOfAnotherStory: Panther could make a pretty good claim to being this. Starting as the ball boy of his team despite his amazing talent and abused by his racist coach, he [[{{Determinator}} stick it out]]. Finally, his time came when the Aliens were backed up against the wall by the Devil Bats. After turning the game around and actually ''winning'' it for his team, he won his coach's grudging respect and a permanent spot on the reformed Shuttles. [[spoiler: Under Apollo's tutelage, he became the top runner in the USA (at the highschool level anyway) and joined the Pentagram for the World Cup, winning the NFL contract that Morgan offered. At the end, his dream came true]].

* HeroOfAnotherStory: Panther could make a pretty good claim to being this. Starting as the ball boy of his team despite his amazing talent and abused by his racist coach, he [[{{Determinator}} stick it out]]. Finally, his time came when the Aliens were backed up against the wall by the Devil Bats. After turning the game around and actually ''winning'' it for his team, he won his coach's grudging respect and a permanent spot on the reformed Shuttles. [[spoiler: Under Apollo's tutelage, he became the top runner in the US (at the highschool level, anyway) and joined the Pentagram for the World Cup, winning the NFL contract that Morgan offered. At the end, his dream came true]].

* AmbiguouslyBrown: The students of the Taiyo Highschool looked '''Middle Eastern''' despite all of them being ethnically Japanese. ''Somewhat'' justified, in that many of them were tanned from all the surfing they did due to the school's proximity to the sea.

* CombinationAttack: Their "Pyramid Line" and [[spoiler: their "Tutankamon's Mask"]] both revolved around using their [[MightyGlacier heavy linemen]] to almost perfectly shield the quarterback.

* CombinationAttack: The Shuttle Pass involved a great amount of teamwork: (1) all their linemen used their muscle powers to stay steadfast and shield Homer; (2) Homer used his strong arms to throw a ''very'' long pass that flew all the way to the end zone; whilst (3) Watt ran at full speed and caught the pass.

* CombinationAttack: The Shuttle Pass involved a great amount of teamwork: (1) all the linemen used their muscle powers to stay steadfast and shield Homer; (2) Homer used his strong arms to throw a ''very'' long pass that flew all the way to the end zone; whilst (3) Watt ran at full speed and caught the pass.

* CombinationAttack: Their "Pyramid Line" and [[spoiler: the "Tutankamon's Mask"]] both revolved around using their [[MightyGlacier heavy linemen]] to almost perfectly shield the quarterback.

* CombinationAttack: The Shuttle Pass involved a great amount of teamwork: (1) all the linemen used their muscle powers to stay steadfast and shield Homer; (2) Homer used his strong arm to throw a ''very'' long pass that flew all the way to the end zone; while (3) Watt ran at full speed and caught the pass.

* {{Signature Move}}s: His chops, and [[spoiler: the Dragonfly formation he did alongside [[SiblingTeam Unsui]]. He also learnt the Devil Bat Ghost ''halfway through the Devil Bats vs Naga game'']].

* CombinationAttack: Their Shotgun formation. It involved all of the team's wide receivers running at full speed ''all over the field'' while Kid decided who he's going to pass the ball to using his swift brain. It was nigh impossible to stop all the potential pass routes, and arguably the main reason why the Gunmen had such offensive power.

* CombinationAttack: The Shuttle Pass.

* ShipTease: Had '''tons''' of this with [[TheCheerleader Suzuna]].

* {{Signature Move}}s: Many. But the Devil Bat Ghost and [[spoiler: the Devil Forth Dimension]] were the most notable ones.

* CombinationAttack: Their Shotgun formation. It involves all of the team's wide receivers running at full speed all over the field while Kid decided who he's going to pass the ball to using his swift brain. It was nigh impossible to stop all of these potential pass routes and arguably the main reason why the Gunmen were so good at offense.

* CombinationAttack: The "Pyramid Line" and [[spoiler: the "Tutankamon's Mask"]] both revolved around using their [[MightyGlacier heavy linemen]] to almost completely shield the quarterback.

* {{Signature Move}}s: His Gravity Zero Run. [[spoiler: The Stiff Arm]] also counted.

* SignatureMove: The Floral Shoot, a pass so perfect and gentle that it's impossible to intercept for the opponents and effortless to catch for the wide receiver.

* {{Signature Move}}s: Many, but the Devil Bat Ghost and [[spoiler: the Devil Forth Dimension]] were the most notable.

Undoubtedly the most memorable character of the whole series, Hiruma is the devilish, gun-toting co-founder and captain of the Devil Bats. He will do '''anything''' short of outright cheating to make his team win (and get away with it, too). "Anything" included blackmailing, threats (with guns, ''lots'' of guns), psychological warfare, trick plays, TrainingFromHell, and that's just to his own team. A great [[TheChessmaster Chessmaster]] and MagnificentBastard, Hiruma seemed to care little for his teammates other than their abilities to win football games. [[spoiler: But with some CharacterDevelopment, he showed that he [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold really cared about and believed in his friends]]. In his own special way.]]

* SignatureMove: Devil Laser Bullet. It's also his only physical prowess.

* SignatureMove: The Spear Tackle, [[spoiler: which later evolved to the Dual Spear Tackle, and finally the [[OneHitKO Trident Tackle]]]].

* {{Signature Move}}s: His chops, and [[spoiler: the Dragonfly formation he did along with [[SiblingTeam Unsui]]. Agon also learnt the Devil Bat Ghost ''midway through the Devil Bats vs Naga game'']].

* BadassCrew: The only team to [[spoiler: have never lost to the Devil Bats after the latter's TrainingFromHell]]. The team's three aces are basically more mature versions of the Devil Bat's aces.
* CombinationAttack: The Shotgun formation.

* CurbStompCushion: In the anime, they got to at least show how awesome their "Tutankamon's Mask" formation was [[spoiler: since, for some reason, Gaou wasn't there to crush it on the first go]].

* {{Signature Moves}}: Many, but the Devil Bat Ghost and [[spoiler: the Devil Forth Dimension]] were the most notable.

** Very noticeable with regards to his team. The only permanent members of the Devil Bats he blackmailed into joining ended up '''glad''' that they were able to be something more than punks. He also [[spoiler: let [[{{Determinator}} Yukimitsu]] pass at the Hell Tower, despite the latter's arriving with no ice and obviously being unable to run the tower again ''purely'' because Yukimitsu showed the tenacity he wanted]].

** [[spoiler: He later did the same to the principal of the Saikyodai ''University'']].

* SignatureMove: Devil laser bullet. His only physical prowess.

* CurbStompCushion: In the anime they get to at least show how awesome their Tutankamon's mask defense is [[spoiler: because for some reason Gaou was not there to crush it on the first go.]]

* DumbMuscle: '''Subverted'''. Gaou could come off as this trope, due to his lack of tactics beyond brute strength and rather single-minded ways of thinking. But the former had more to do with his lack of field experience and the philosophy that strength is absolute, whilst the latter was due to his determination. Gaou was quite eloquent when he spoke and, as the [[TricksterArchetype Devil Bats]] found out on the field, ''not'' easy to fool or trick.

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Yamato tended to do this when he interacted with Karin.

* MightMakesRight: 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 forth string status.

* NoodleIncident: How Yamato was run out of Notre Dame was never explained during the Devil Bats vs Alexanders game. [[spoiler: Later subverted when the truth about that incident was revealed in the World Cup Arc]].
* NoSell: His "Caesar's Charge" was basically him refusing to go down after being tackled, often ''dragging the opposing player with him'' as he ran.

* RedOniBlueOni: He was the red to Taka's blue. It was not that Yamato was impulsive, but he was quite a charismatic and talkative guy when compared to TheStoic Taka.
* RunningGag: [[NiceGirl Karin]] tried to avoid being competitive (i.e., declining to join the team or saying that she's afraid of tackles). The very competitive Yamato misinterpreted her words as meaning that she thought she wasn't strong enough, and forced her to train even harder.

* RunningGag: Her attempts to [[NiceGirl avoid competition]] ended up creating the opposite effect when Yamato came around.

* TheAce: 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.

* ChickMagnet: But if Achilles's words were to be taken, Yamato was popular with ladies.

* MightMakesRight: Downplayed but it's there. Yamato only cared about whether a person could get the job done.

* WeakButSkilled: For a national-level quarterback, Hiruma is weak, but he can do plays ''far'' more advanced than what can be expected for highschool american football. It's best shown when he [[spoiler: stopped Akaba's "Spider Poison" by faking his gravity shift, though Akaba still won by just using his superior strength on Hiruma, making the trick a one-shot]].

* TheChick: '''Subverted'''. She seemed to be set for this role at first, but once she joined the team as a manager, it became very clear that she had far more to offer. [[spoiler: She was the one giving the hut count during the match with the [[FinalBoss Alexanders]], making the codes too hard for the team of geniuses to crack]].

* AscendedFanboy: Reason he endured Apollo's abuse? Panther was that loyal as his fanboy.

* BloodKnight: [[spoiler: Started playing American football only because Marco told him there'd be strong people he could fight]]. When he did meet people who were his equals in strength or at least not afraid of standing up to him, Gaou gave them the highest respect.

* CurbStompBattle: ''Nearly every time'' when someone dared to face him. [[spoiler: Gaou himself came to the receiving end when he challenged [[BigBad Mr. Don]], though]].

* DumbMuscle: '''Subverted'''. Gaou could come off as this trope, due to his lack of tactics beyond brute strength and rather single-minded ways of thinking. But the former had more to do with his lack of field experience and the philosophy that strength is absolute, whilst the latter was due to his sheer determination. Gaou was quite eloquent when he spoke and, as the [[TricksterArchetype Devil Bats]] found out on the field, ''not'' easy to fool or trick.

* WouldHitAGirl: Urged Kurita to tackle [[ActionGirl Karin]] fully knowing that she's a girl (in sharp contrast to Banba and Yamabushi, who were against it).

The [[FinalBoss ultimate team]] in Japanese highschool football, dominating the whole Kansai district and winning the Christmas Bowl '''every''' year since its initiation. They had a policy of recruiting players from other schools in order to build up its own ranks. Run on a meritocracy, the Alexanders divided their players into ranks and advanced them based on performance and nothing else.

* [[DreamTeam All-Star Team]]: The Alexanders recruited top players from all of Japan and grouped their players into six teams according to merits. The first string players were literally the best of the best.

* ChekhovsGunman: 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, where 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 FinalBoss.

* WorthIt: Lampshaded by Heracles. The pride that came with being Teikoku's first string made it worthwhile to undergo all the TrainingFromHell.

''"It's settled... It is my win!"''

* [[spoiler: BrokenAce: While Yamato was unmistakably a top running back in Japan, it was implied that he was seen by some (i.e., [[BigBad Mr. Don]]) as [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter 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 [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections had him expelled from Notre Dame]]]].
* CatchPhrase: "It's settled. It's my win." The official translation made it "I am certain to win."

* ChasteHero: Not to the same degree as [[AmbiguousDisorder Shin]], but Yamato didn't have a girlfriend, and seemed not to be interested in finding one.

* TheEmperor: Roman Emperor was Yamato's primary {{Motif}}s... if his "'''Caesar''''s Charge" and his team's Roman theme hadn't made this obvious enough.
* {{Foil}}: He is 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 whilst Shin was TheQuietOne. Of course, Yamato had aptitude outside speed and power like Agon, but he's a NiceGuy while Agon was a full-on {{Jerkass}}.
* GeniusBruiser: Even ''[[TheSmartGuy Hiruma]]'' had a hard time outwitting Yamato.

--> '''Yamato''' (Sweating; [[spoiler: The Alexanders just lost to the Devil Bats]]): [[spoiler: 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]].

* WeakButSkilled: For a national-level quarterback, Hiruma is weak, but he can do plays ''far'' more advanced than what can be expected for highschool american football. Best shown when he stopped Akaba's "Spider Poison" by faking a gravity shift... though Akaba still win by just using his superior strength on Hiruma, making the trick a one-shot.

* TheChick: '''Subverted'''. She seemed to be set for this at first, but once she joined the team as a manager, it became very clear that she had far more to offer. [[spoiler: She was the one giving the hut count during the match with the [[FinalBoss Alexanders]], making the codes too hard for the team of geniuses to crack]].

** Shinryuji students admitted that Sendoda's meditation class wasn't really a part of highschool program, though.

* TheLeader: A level-headed leader to the Wild Gunmen, despite technically not the captain. This was especially apparent when Kid was with [[ExtremeDoormat Tetsuma]]. This caused problems since Kid didn't feel like taking initiative out of fear of people relying on him, which meant the coach still had to make the final say in a few occasions.

* Determinator: He won't go off the pass route no matter what happens.

* PetTheDog: With all the linemen [[spoiler: he is shown unconscious as he protected Harao from
Gaou, that means he saw Banba getting destroyed and still faced Gaou.]]

* DumbMuscle: '''Subverted'''. Gaou could come off as this trope, due to his lack of tactics outside brute strength and rather single-minded way of thinking. But the former had more to do with his lack of field experience and the philosophy that strength is absolute, while the latter was due to his sheer determination. Gaou was quite eloquent when he spoke and, as the [[TricksterArchetype Devil Bats]] found out on the field, ''not'' easy to fool or trick.

* FriendlyEnemy: You can miss it due to his [[BloodKnight personality]] but Gaou was never anything other than respectful of his opponents, especially Riku and Kurita, and he appeared to want nothing but to establish a FriendlyRivalry.

* LargeAndInCharge: Subverted. As the story unfolded, it became obvious that Marco was very scared of Gaou, creating the impression that he was really leading the team. However, we also learnt that Gaou only had respect for Marco, and didn't want to challenge his leadership, which meant that Marco was truly the one in charge after all.

* TestosteronePoisoning: The second biggest offender in this series. He's 6'7 (2m), had muscles that would've made the cast of DBZ jealous, ate nothing but meat, looked like a caveman, and '''punched a car head on when he was in grade school'''.

* WouldHitAGirl: Urged Kurita to tackle [[ActionGirl Karin]], fully knowing that she's a girl (in stark contrast to Banba and Yamabushi, who were against it).

* WeakButSkilled: For a national level quaterback Hiruma is weak but he can do plays way more advanced than what you expect for junior american football. Best shown when he stopped Akaba's spider poison by faking a gravity shift but Akaba still win by showing that he'll just use his superior strength on Hiruma instead, making the trick a one shot.

* TheChick: '''Subverted'''. She seemed to be set for this at first, but once she joined the team as a manager, it became very clear that she had far more to offer. [[spoiler: She was the one giving the hut count during the match with the Alexanders. Making the code too hard for the team of genius to break.]]

* [[TheSmartGuy The Smart Gal]]: Mamori wasn't at the same level as [[TheStrategist Hiruma]], but she's still of a lot of help when it came to deriving football tactics. She is really valuable since she can see from the sideline and gives info Hiruma can't have access such as wind speed or the most succesful plays statistic.

* CurbstompBattle: [[spoiler: Pulled Mizumachi's arm out of socket. And ''single-handedly beat Habashira's gang'']].

* IrrationalHatred: Towards anyone who's less naturally talented than he is. Agon especially hates Kurita, even though they ''almost never even talked to each other''.

* WouldHitAGirl: Violently shoved Mamori to the ground when she rejected his advances. Also brutally hit one of his date because she talked while he was on the phone.

* BadassCrew: The only team to [[spoiler: have never lost to the Devil Bats after the latter's TrainingFromHell]]. The 3 aces are more mature versions of the Devilbat's aces.

* IAmNotLeftHanded: He is more than just good at throwing fast pass, [[spoiler: and he was not even at full speed until Hiruma tries blitzing him]], He can make quick decision and can carry the ball to the end zone if he has to.

* TheChick: '''Subverted'''. She seemed to be set for this at first, but once she joined the team as a manager, it became very clear that she had far more to offer.

* [[TheSmartGuy The Smart Gal]]: Mamori wasn't at the same level as [[TheStrategist Hiruma]], but she's still of a lot of help when it came to deriving football tactics.

* WouldHitAGirl: Violently shoved Mamori to the ground when she rejected his advances.

* BadassCrew: The only team to [[spoiler: have never lost to the Devil Bats after the latter's TrainingFromHell]].

* IrrationalHatred: Towards people without talents or with less talents than him. Especially hates Kurita even though they never talked to each other.

* KillingIntent: A quite evil one at that. It feels more like he is gonna maim someone than play football.

* ColorCodedCharacters: Their color was ''ocean blue'', which goes with their {{Motif}}s.

SIC District Champions and Kanto Regional dark horses, the Hakushu Dinosaurs were, like the Devil Bats, a young team, composed mostly of first-year [[RagtagBandOfMisfits rookies and misfits]]. Led by the unscrupulous Reiji "Marco" Maruko, the Dinosaurs ran on a very brutal playing style: using the [[TheJuggernaut gigantic lineman Rikiya Gaou]] to break the bones of '''all''' quarterbacks they faced. Having turned the SIC District Tournament into a proverbial bloodbath, the Dinosaurs were now gunning for the title of Kanto Champions and a shot at the Christmas Bowl.

* AttackAttackAttack: Subverted. The Dinosaurs became infamous for their north-south game, using Gaou's brutal strength to hammer through '''any''' team in their way. [[spoiler: Yet, their other two ace players (Marco and Kisaragi) were a safety and cornerback respectively, and their defense was at least as good as their offensive, repeatedly halting the Devil Bats in their tracks]].

* ChekhovsGunman: The Dinosaurs were first mentioned in the football magazine shown in some extra materials, as a SIC District team currently recruiting "massive" new talents. It's not until the Kanto Arc that we actually got to meet Marco, and not until after the Devil Bats vs Naga match that we saw the [[TheJuggernaut massive talents]] in question.

* OpposingSportsTeam: A '''classic''' example. Obsessed with winning instead of actually enjoying the sports, the Dinosaurs used UnnecessaryRoughness to injure or even cripple opponents but not played ethically.

* ImplacableMan: 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's more like he is trying to get away from you, and something as simple as failing to get away from you isn't going to deter him one bit.