History Characters / Saki

* [[Characters/SakiSemifinalsB Side-B Semifinalist Teams]] ''(Ongoing)'' -- Kiyosumi, Himematsu, Rinkai and Usuzan.

A list of characters appearing in the manga and anime series ''Manga/{{Saki}}''. This also includes characters from the spinoff ''[[Manga/{{Saki Achiga-hen}} Saki Achiga-hen -episode of Side A-]]'' and the prequel ''[[Manga/SakiShinohayuDawnofAge Side Story of -Saki- Shinohayu -dawn of age-]]''.

%% NOTE: Once the Side-B Semifinals ends, the folders for the two qualifying teams, as well as that of Shiraitodai, will be moved onto a "National Finals" heading. Exceptions will be made for Achiga and, should they qualify, Kiyosumi, as they shall remain in the "Protagonist Teams" heading.

Due to the massive number of characters in the series, this page has been divided into eight subpages:

Due to the massive number of characters in the series, this page has been divided into seven subpages:

[[foldercontrol]]

!Protagonist Teams (Kiyosumi and Achiga)

[[folder:Kiyosumi High School (Nagano)]]
The mahjong club of Kiyosumi, an otherwise nondescript school from Nagano Prefecture, was restarted by Hisa Takei two years ago and was its lone member until Mako Someya joined the following year. After an influx of freshmen, the club enters its first mahjong tournament.

As of the current chapter, Team Kiyosumi, which made waves by winning the Nagano tournament in its first competitive season ever, is playing at the National semifinals Side B, against Himematsu (from their quarterfinals bracket, B-1), Rinkai and Usuzan, while Saki and Nodoka, 3rd- and 2nd-placers at the Nagano individuals, respectively, are slated to play at the National individuals.

!!Saki Miyanaga
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_saki_5776.png
->''"Mahjong is fun, isn't it?"''
->'''Year:''' 1st\\
'''Position:''' Captain\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/KanaUeda

Saki is a shy, bookish freshman who claims to hate mahjong in spite of her near-supernatural luck which allows her to consistently end matches with ±0 (which is harder than winning). After Nodoka helps her confront her personal demons -- that is, a bad impression of her own sport because her family used to be sore losers and arrogant winners -- she decides to join Kiyosumi's mahjong team, hoping to one day reach the National Inter-High School Tournament and see again her estranged older sister Teru, the current national champion, whom she hadn't seen since their parents separated.

Aside from her uncanny ±0 play style, she has affinity to get a rare yaku Rinshan Kaihou off the dead wall. After the Nagano quarterfinals, it is revealed Saki still uses her old ±0 style, except that instead of settling down with that score, she actually manipulates everyone else's scores in her favor.
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* {{Adorkable}}: Would you believe that one of the most dangerous girls in mahjong is also a shy bookworm who tends to get lost in competition venues and frequently trips on thin air?
* AwfulTruth: She's aware that Teru is angry with her, but is quite disturbed to hear her [[IHaveNoSon telling people that she doesn't have a sister]], making her wonder if reconciliation is impossible.
* BadassAdorable[=/=]BadassBookworm: Cute as a button, isn't she? Well, try telling that to everyone who discovered how dangerous she is on the table.
* BattleAura: In the form of a burning right eye.
* BornLucky: ItRunsInTheFamily.
* CharacterTitle: Of every title in the series, even the ones she has no direct involvement in, such as ''Achiga-hen'' and ''Shinohayu''.
* CharacterDevelopment: Used to dislike mahjong with a passion due to several bad memories of playing it, but as the first season rolled she learns to gradually love her sport, as she openly tells Koromo.
* TheChessmaster: Everybody who has played against her deeply fears her ability to manipulate scores and still go around smiling like it's nobody's business.
** During the Nagano semifinals, she helped Kana get past ±0, but because she formed a basic yaku, she couldn't just win with ron, so the only way for her to score is to draw a 6-dotted tile, to which Saki called pon, meaning there's only one of the 6 dots left. While Kana panicked over the last one, Saki ''knew'' it's on the dead wall which was untouched unless by kan, and drew said 6-pin for her. She then declared kan, so Kana could steal it with a chankan -- except earlier Saki opened her point sticks drawer ''before'' Kana can declare ron, in the process opening more kan dora that helped raised Kana's point by 3 han and earn 16,900 points. Which was more like a HopeSpot, because Saki's quick play ruined Kana's chances.
** During the Nagano finals, Koromo was forced to discard the 1-pin tile she drew to keep her yaku, knowing this will play right into Saki's hand.
** At the National quarterfinals, she broke Kasumi's streak by discarding 8-sou for Kyouko's call. She also declared kan simply to shift drawing order to her favor; whether or not Kyouko's win of that hand is orchestrated, Saki quickly wrapped that match up with a cheap hand to take the lead.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: A minor case, but Saki's thought processes don't usually match that of a normal player. She often comes to conclusions at odds with what observers to her matches can really see, and ends up with a 1/5 in her Analysis statistic. To wit...
** During the Nagano finals, she started to worry that Yumi can stop her Rinshan ''all the time'', even as the latter muses that she has most likely used up her luck for the year in that single move.
** During the National quarterfinals, she panics and sees ''Kyouko'', the only normal player in the match, to be the biggest threat on the table (and the last person she wants to continue to the semifinals), and ''not'' the goddess-possessed Kasumi. Even as ''everyone else on the table'' starts to fear Saki as though she was the Devil incarnate, complete with intimidating BattleAura and supernatural manifestations (in this case, a localized earthquake).
* CuteBookworm: Outside the mahjong table Saki likes nothing more than to read.
* CuteClumsyGirl: She manages to trip over nothing near the end of Season 1 Episode 6 after unwittingly intimidating Team Ryuumonbuchi with her BattleAura, and again in Episode 23.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: [[http://sadpanda.us/images/1628808-0UZ5S3N.png There is a clear reason why the Miyanaga sisters broke apart and why Saki is an unstable emotional wreck most of the time.]]
* DefeatingTheUndefeatable: Earned a reputation for herself after beating the nigh-invincible Koromo.
* {{Dismotivation}}: Saki's default state at the beginning of the series. As mentioned by Hisa, she doesn't even think about winning for a second. She's moved on since then. Mostly.
* TheDreaded: Never mind that outside the mahjong board Saki is just like your average cute dorky schoolgirl. Everybody else who played her (or at least watched intently) deeply fear her ability to control the points in her favor.
* {{Expy}}: Of Min Yuri, the deuteragonist of Ritz' previous manga, ''Manga/{{Fatalizer}}'', being a timid girl with a fearsome power.
* FinishingMove: A yaku rinshan kaihou off the dead wall, which she can frequently use.
* {{Foil}}: To Nodoka, in that she stopped enjoying mahjong due to bad experiences playing it with her family, in contrast to Nodoka, who made friends with that game.
* HeroicBSOD: After hearing that Teru has disowned her. She's not entirely surprised, but begins to doubt whether even facing and winning against Teru in mahjong will be enough to make up with her.
* HyperAwareness: According to Hisa, Saki is very good with hands-on mahjong because of this. In many occasions it's implied she could sense the presence of tile, or even see it before she draws it. Showcased wonderfully when she played online for the first time, where she complains that she cannot intuitively sense the flow of the game.
* ImpossibleTask: Her ±0 style. As said in Season 1 Episode 1, even a pro's winning percentage is 30% on average, and breaking even like Saki did is even harder when done on purpose. Not to mention, it's implied that Saki started playing with this style when she was around six.
* InSeriesNickname: She gained quite a number from her fellow players.
** Mako -- "Zero Child"
** Momo -- "Rinshan Kaihou-san"
** Koromo (and other players) -- "Rinshan-user"
* LetsGetDangerous: Whenever she plays seriously. Just try to pull off what she does all the time even once. One extreme case is finishing her second game in the club with four concealed triplets, on a draw after a tsumo, and thinking that would make her score ±0. Come the Nagano finals, Koromo plays into three consecutive kan, and by the tournament rules, had to pay for all the points Saki would've earned, thus ending in Saki's comeback victory.[[hottip:Note:For those who want the exact combo, it was "An all-circles all pons/kans three concealed pons/kans three kans 1 red dora tsumo after a kan" worth 32,000 points. Don't forget about that rule, either...]]
* MeaningfulName: "Saki" means "to bloom." Saki's signature move, Rinshan Kaihou, means "the flower that blooms atop the mountain." Lampshaded in a flashback.
-->'''Saki''': "Bloom? It's the same! As my name!"\\
'''Teru''': "That's right, Saki. On a tall mountain beyond the forest, that's where the flower blooms. You are just like that flower... strong..."
* MetaphoricallyTrue: Due to HeroicSelfDeprecation and {{Cloudcuckoolander}} tendencies, many of her statements result to this. In the beginning, Saki said she always lost against her family, triggering her dislike of mahjong. From the words alone, it would lead us to believe that she's not good. Further context reveals, however, that she can score ±0 at will, causing her to [[ILetYouWin always lose]], but it also shows her ridiculous luck and skill.
* NoSenseOfDirection: During both the Nagano and National tournaments, she often gets lost in the venues.
* NoSocialSkills: Initially Saki had no understanding of a mahjong player's honor. This is best shown in her first game with Kiyosumi, when she unwittingly hurt Nodoka's pride as Inter-Middle High Champion by winning four times with a ±0 and once with a yakuman, then proceeded to revert to ±0 as a grace for Yuuki (who was lamenting her lack of points) after winning a match several points ahead of Nodoka. This is lampshaded at one point by Koromo (who has her own difficulties with making friends), in which, after saying that she decided not to follow Nodoka into the building where Achiga was having its semis match...
-->'''Koromo:''' "Saki, you're bad at socializing as usual."
* OpenSecret: While it's never blatantly kept secret, neither Teru nor Saki, or anyone who knew, reveal their (strained) relationship to public, Teru having only denied having a sister twice in the anime to Sumire and Junko. However, it didn't stop players with good analysis skills like Mihoko and Hiroko to guess that there ''is'' a connection. And in ''Achiga-hen'', all three players Teru faced looked really shocked at her declaring kan, having expected a Rinshan Kaihou.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: Saki is this to media as they care more about Nodoka, last year's Inter-Middle High Champion. They didn't even mention Saki in the introductions to the second Nagano semifinals. This is in contrast to many of Saki's rivals, who seem more interested in her than Nodoka. Lampshaded in ''[[Manga/{{SakiAchiga-hen}} Achiga-hen]]'' by Hiroko and Izumi, when they discussed a certain first-year who can beat even the most seasoned third-years.
-->'''Hiroko''': "And there's also that first year player from Kiyosumi."\\
'''Izumi''': "Do you mean Haramura?"\\
'''Hiroko''': "No, it's Saki Miyanaga."
* ParentalAbandonment: Saki's parents are separated, and her mother and Teru seem to be living in a different prefecture. She lives with her father, who only appears on screen a handful of times.
** SolomonDivorce: Saki's parents haven't legally divorced yet, but the sisters each living with different parents still fits.
* PowerLimiter: Saki plays better when she is without socks because it helps remind her of the first time she played mahjong and considered it fun.
* PowerWalk: Depicted in Season 1 Episode 6, when she walked past Team Ryuumonbuchi, only to trip on her own feet five steps later, and again in ''Achiga-hen'', while passing by Team Achiga, complete with BattleAura, intimidating Kuro, Harue and Shizuno even as it turns out that [[NoSenseOfDirection Saki is just trying to find her way]].
* RedEyesTakeWarning: She's normally a good girl even with red eyes, but if you're playing against her it's a valuable warning.
* RomanticTwoGirlFriendship: With Nodoka.
* SamaritanSyndrome: Has a tendency to help her opponents. Whether her help will be good or bad varies on the occasion.
* SelectiveObliviousness: Nodoka's crush on her is quite noticeable to others, but Saki herself seems unaware of it.
* ShowerOfAngst: Takes one after being unable to bring herself to come see her sister's team in the National semifinals Side A.
* ShrinkingViolet: When not wrecking players like it's nobody's business, Saki would rather retreat into a book or into a chat with Nodoka.
* SpiritedCompetitor: Come the Nagano tournament, she is quite excited by the prospect of being able to play against so many other strong players.
* SuperMode: "Awakened" Saki, which manifests during her National quarterfinals match against Kasumi, Toyone and Kyouko, causing a ''minor earthquake to shake the venue''. Except this was actually the manifestation of her ''fear'' over the otherwise completely normal Kyouko, causing her to revert to her ±0 style... even as the latter begins to discover what makes Saki a force to reckon. Whether this is a true Super Mode or actually her ''default state'' prior to her parents' breakup is still under debate.
* SweetAndSourGrapes: Despite her stated dislike of mahjong early in the series, she's good enough to break even, which is more difficult than winning, much to Nodoka's frustration. It's indicated, however, that her ability to manage this feat is in part because she doesn't feel the pressure of winning. Once she enters the tournament, she commits herself to winning.
* TakeAThirdOption: Saki's prominent ±0 playstyle. Back then, she doesn't want to win because everyone will get angry at her, and of course she doesn't want to lose her New Year money or candy. Faced with bad choices, she then decided to make it so she doesn't win or lose.
* TalkingThroughTechnique: Her plan for reconciling with Teru, as the last time she saw Teru, she was unwilling to speak with her at all. This may be part of the reason why, even after getting to Tokyo, Saki is hesitant to go over to see Teru.
* [[WellDoneSonGuy "Well Done, Sis" Girl]]: She desperately wants to reconcile with Teru and get her approval, no matter how distant Teru seems. In the anime, she even has a dream about a younger Teru congratulating her younger self.
* WideEyedIdealist: Saki's idea that she can reunite her family by playing Mahjong sure is a stretch, although she does acknowledge its near-impossibility.
* WillfullyWeak: Before she decides to play seriously, she would instead aim for ±0, which is like ending a game of poker with the same amount of chips you started with.
* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: She's an incredibly dangerous player, known for pulling off pattern-breaking moves that ruin even the most calculated plays... and she's deep down a sad kid with a broken family, a sister who doesn't even acknowledge her, and a relative who may or may not be dead.

!!Nodoka Haramura
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_nodoka_84.png
->'''Year:''' 1st\\
'''Position:''' Vice-Captain\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/AmiKoshimizu

One of the newer members of Team Kiyosumi, Nodoka was last year's Inter-Middle High Champion, and is considered a genius at the sport. In spite of her calm, mature appearance (and a big shelf), she has a somewhat childish side -- she cannot sleep comfortably without her penguin plushie Etopen. After losing six straight games to Saki (with a ±0, even), she initially disliked her, but upon learning of her emotional baggage, becomes her best friend and confidante.

Nodoka plays in a careful, analytical way, and is quick to discount any aspect of the game that is [[StrawVulcan not "logical"]]. She also plays online mahjong under the username "Nodocchi", where her style of deciding the best probability of getting a winning hand with quick draws and discards, thus disrupting her opponent’s pace, makes her one of online mahjong's best players. In addition, at Hisa's recommendation, she carries Etopen to help settle her down while playing in tournaments helping her reach her heightened state -- "Nodocchi Mode", in which she appears as her online avatar, dressed in white with a halo and white wings, under which state she gains quick hand-building abilities.
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* AgentScully: Because she doesn't believe in superstition, she simply doesn't notice when something weird is up. This is shown in full force come the National quarterfinals, where where by just playing normally she [[SpannerInTheWorks unwittingly derails Sae and Kinue's joint effort]] to block out Hatsumi's ability.
* AntiMagic: Because her style is [[AgentScully logic-based]], she is immune to any debuffing abilities other players can throw at her. She is still susceptible to players using self buff type abilities however, although her absolute efficiency control will usually keep her even with such opponents.
* BadassAdorable: Not quite to the extent of Saki and Koromo, but she still counts.
* BadassNormal: In a series chock-full of high-impossible powers and sheer luck, her strength lies in calculating odds, and is probably the closest the series has to this trope.
* BattleAura: An emanation of her "Nodocchi" avatar.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Nodoka is both mature and serious, as well as pretty childish, evidenced whenever she hugs Etopen while playing.
* ButtMonkey: She (and her huge breasts) is typically the subject of many of her friends' jokes. It also doesn't help that she always tries to put up a serious facade.
* CannotSpitItOut: She doesn't openly tell Saki how she feels about her. In Season 1 Episode 25, after praying at a shrine, Nodoka tells Saki that she wishes to to stay by her side forever.
* DCupDistress: Of all the busty girls in the series, Nodoka is the most sensitive about her size, particularly when people tease her or express fascination with her pair.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: Subverted -- if anything, her pride was getting a beating when Saki outplayed her with ease the in the first five games they had, and she is upset by the realization that Saki, with her ability, could have won, but chose not to. She befriended Saki not because she was defeated but because Saki has a legitimate reason to keep playing mahjong and join their club.
* [[EducationMama Education Papa]]: Her father disapproves of her choosing to forgo going to a prep school in Tokyo to stay at Kiyosumi, and has contempt for mahjong and the town she lives in.
* EveryoneHasStandards: Despite her refusal to believe in the occult, she can't bring herself to express her opinion on that matter to Kuro after hearing about her dora ability's relation to her MissingMom.
* EverythingsBetterWithPenguins: Etopen, her penguin plushie. It later becomes a plot point, when Hisa suggests that she hold it while playing to improve her confidence.
* {{Expy}}: Of Sigrid Aoyama, the main character of ''Manga/{{Fatalizer}}''.
* FantasyForbiddingFather: Her father doesn't think much of Mahjong, saying that it's purely a game of luck, that training camps are a waste of time and that the friends Nodoka makes through it won't be of any use in a "hick town" like where she lives. He seems to tolerate her playing mahjong to the extent that it doesn't interfere with anything more important, and reluctantly decides to "consider" letting her stay where she is if she wins the Nationals, though.
* {{Foil}}: To Saki. Her disapproving father aside, Nodoka actually enjoyed the sport and has made lots of friends with it, in stark contrast to Saki, whose bad experiences playing it with her family gave her a negative impression of mahjong.
* GagBoobs: They're prone to minor {{Gainaxing}}, and are the subject of several jokes throughout the series.
* GirlishPigtails: Turns into a single sidetail during the finals, however.
* GirlsLoveStuffedAnimals: She always carries Etopen around, even during matches.
* INeedToGoIronMyDog: Calls Saki to the restroom after Yuuki's match in the Prefectural Finals despite her initial reluctance. Once inside, Nodoka tells Saki that this was so that Yuuki could cry over her loss beyond her peers' earshot.
* InvisibleParents: Her mother, whose job is apparently why she had to move away from Achiga, is never seen.
* MsFanservice: [[RoseHairedGirl Pink hair]], [[GirlishPigtails pigtails]], [[ZettaiRyouiki thigh-high stockings]] and even [[GagBoobs huge tracts of land]].
* NewTransferStudent: During ''Achiga-hen''. She transfers schools quite a bit, and unfortunately, has difficulty settling down with a group of friends. Her goal in the series is to convince her father to let her stay at Kiyosumi by winning the tournament.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: While Nodoka's logic usually helps her most of the time, in a world where everyone can summon goddesses and cause localized earthquakes, it is still bound to fail her at some point. During the National quarterfinals, she kept foiling Kinue and Sae's plan to stop Hatsumi's power because it's just a coincidence to her. And even after she saw Hatsumi's open hand she chalked it up as a big coincidence. Sae is so annoyed she let Hatsumi complete her yakuman in Nodoka's dealer turn as revenge. The sad thing is that Nodoka is unperturbed and chalked it up again as another coincidence, much to their shock.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: She is the only player in Team Kiyousumi the media cares about because of her prestigious ranking, so she overshadowed everyone else in her team, including Saki. However it's the other way around to fellow players.
* PowerGivesYouWings: Under "Nodocchi Mode"
* {{Pride}}: Slightly [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]], but of all the Kiyosumi players, she's the most competitive, and the most concerned with her image, getting quite embarrassed when her teammates find out about her sleeping with Etopen.
* RomanticTwoGirlFriendship: With Saki.
* SayingTooMuch: When playing against Kuro, she mentions offhandedly that she hasn't seen any dora tiles, inadvertently revealing that she doesn't have any. She then learns about Kuro's dora ability.
* SecurityBlanket: Etopen, her penguin plushie.
* SweetAndSourGrapes: She's initially upset that Saki, who claims she doesn't like mahjong, could beat her without so much as batting an eye. However, when Saki dedicates herself to winning the tournament so that she can reconcile with Teru, Nodoka befriends her.
* VaporWear: A shot of her backside in Season 1 Episode 1 more or less confirms that she's not wearing anything underneath her uniform.
* WhatTheHellHero: Saki and Nodoka's relationship got off to a rough start, as Nodoka expresses frustration with Saki's ±0 style, claiming she felt insulted. With Saki resolving to go to the nationals and face her sister, Nodoka drops her attitude and becomes Saki's confidante.
* ZettaiRyouiki: Wears a pair of white ones as part of her school getup.

!!Yuuki Kataoka
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_yuuki_1643.png
->''"Tacos rock!"''
->'''Year:''' 1st\\
'''Position:''' Vanguard\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/RieKugimiya

Yuuki is Nodoka's good friend since their days at Takatobara Junior High School and her diminutive, energetic antithesis, having enrolled at Kiyosumi solely because its cafeteria sells tacos.

Yuuki specializes in rapid point-farming at the East round, giving her a greater chance of starting as the first dealer, leading Hisa to place her as Team Kiyosumi's starter, though she tends to lose steam come South round, causing her to lose points she earned in the East round.
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* BadassCape: Wears one throughout the Nationals, as if to send a message that Team Kiyosumi is no pushover.
* BigEater: Kid really loves to eat. Especially if tacos are involved.
* BirdRun: Occasionally does this in Season 1 to further emphasize her childish demeanor.
* BiTheWay: While she seems to want Kyoutaro to "check her out", Yuuki's really quite fond of Nodoka's bosom, much to the latter's discomfort.
* BookDumb: A genius at mahjong, but her brain completely burns out after filling in an arithmetic training book with (mostly wrong) answers.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: She must eat tacos to fuel her mahjong prowess.
* CripplingOverspecialization: She blows the field at East Wind... and can do not much else come the other rounds. Come the National semifinals, Hisa tried to remedy this by having her change priorities from big hands to cheap but quick ones with the intention of getting a parenchan; while Yuuki finished her semifinals match in a distant third place, it's implied that the results will be clear in the finals.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Just because she's a cutesy airhead doesn't mean she doesn't know how to lead the way in any match.
* CuteLittleFangs: A further proof of her childishness.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: Considers her rivals from other schools in the Nagano tourney her friends, even the likes of Mihoko, who badly defeated her during their finals match. As such, she hates it when some reporters deride Nagano players as second-rate, since they're not just insulting her and her teammates, but also everybody else from that region.
* EverybodyHatesMathematics: Yuuki's weakness at mathematics is a problem in the long run, as she often miscalculates the scores.
* ExpressiveShirt: The cat-belt thingie that's lip-synched to her speech.
* GenkiGirl: And almost every scene featuring her is bound to be filled with her infectious, childlike energy.
* GirlishPigtails: Wears her hair with a pair of these, in line with her childish demeanor.
* HypocriticalHumor: Asking "No matter how you look at it, isn't she [Koromo] just a kid?" when she herself also looks and acts much younger than her age. Hisa lampshades on this.
* IdenticalStranger: Nishida, when seeing a photo of Nodoka's friends from Achiga, mistakes a younger Ako for her, since she was in the room at the time.
* InnocentFanserviceGirl: Just watch any of the training camp episodes. She and Team Eisui's Hatsumi may as well be soulmates.
* [[MrExposition Ms. Exposition]]: Lots and lots of Mahjong-specific TechnoBabble.
* OlderThanTheyLook[=/=]TokenMiniMoe: Appears to be around 10, in spite of being 15 or 16.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: Many consider her a weakling despite her ability to farm points in East Wind. And she would've gotten away with a strong lead during the National quarterfinals, too, had Komaki not fallen asleep and got a direct sanbaiman hit on Yuuki.
* PowerUpFood: Tacos, or anything that rhymes with it (To a lesser extent), such as ''tako''yaki.
* TookALevelInBadass: Happens before her first major match in the Nationals, where she comes into the venue sporting a cape and vows to show everyone that Kiyosumi isn't a weak team. Prior to the National semifinals, at Hisa's recommendation she also began learning how to deal with big hands and playing with fast combos. While she only managed to put Kiyosumi at third-place (due to Suzu's explosion), Satoha notes the acceleration of her hands, and muses that she must have been training with both Teru and Kuro in mind.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Tacos, which she considers to be the source of her Mahjong skills.
* VerbalTic: She often ends sentences with "da jo" or "da je".
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!!Hisa Takei
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_hisa_551.png
->''"Would you live the one life you're given in such a calculated way?"''
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Lieutenant\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/ShizukaIto

Hisa is the StudentCouncilPresident (or "[[InsistentTerminology Student Congress President]]", as she'd rather have it) of Kiyosumi High School, as well as club leader of its mahjong team, now in her final playing year. Having once went by the surname "Ueno", back in middle-school she shared a rivalry with Mihoko Fukuji, currently of Team Kazekoshi, but mysteriously withdrew from individual competition.

Her style revolves around "hell waits," meaning she'd be on standby for anyone with either one tile left in play or requiring one tile to win, disorienting her opponents and allowing her to trick them into playing right into her hand. She also tends to choose the route with the lowest win rate. Despite her strength, she prefers being a team player, which she became come third year.
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* AgentMulder: In contrast to reality-focused Nodoka, Hisa is always prepared to take the supernatural elements of mahjong into account to plan for her strategy.
* ArmorPiercingQuestion: Asks her quote of Nodoka when talking about her playstyle.
* {{Badass}}: Given the proper encouragement and training, and with an experience playing at the individuals, Hisa can become one of the most dangerous team players in Japan.
* ClubPresident[=/=]StudentCouncilPresident: Is president of both Kiyosumi's mahjong club and it's student [[InsistentTerminology congress]].
* CoolBigSis: To the freshmen of Team Kiyosumi.
* EnemyMine: During the National semifinals Side B, she realizes that if Team Usuzan falls under 0, both they and Team Kiyosumi will be eliminated. She then decides to prevent that from happening while trying to gain points against Rinkai and Himematsu. However, she's also aware that Team Usuzan will need to win off anyone, including Hisa, so the latter decides that she'd promptly rid herself of Team Usuzan once Team Kiyosumi hits at least second-place.
* FriendlyRival: With Mihoko, which has actually toned down from their junior-high days.
* GenreSavvy: She is well aware that some rather unlikely things tend to happen around a lot of players, including herself winning with really bad waits.
* GirlishPigtails: Wore her hair on a pair of hairbands during her previous competitive season. She does so again come the Nationals.
* {{Guile Hero}}ine: Skilled at manipulating other players' thoughts to her advantage.
* HeroicBSOD: Prior to the National quarterfinals, she becomes stricken with fear and convinces herself that her opponents are too strong, and ends up screwing up the early portion of her match and falls to last place, before she regains her composure and help Team Kiyosumi claw its way back to second place.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Mako.
* HonorBeforeReason: During the Nagano individual finals, she trusted her ability to the very end. It allowed her to win the hand but it lowered her score such that she couldn't overtake Saki.
* IdiotHair: Not that she's an idiot, but she does have one.
* InsistentTerminology: She'd rather be called "Student ''Congress'' President", and even then she strongly prefers going by "Buchou" ("Club President") over that.
* TheLastDance: Since she is in her third year, the current tournament will be her last chance to compete.
* MsExposition: She shares this role with Yuuki.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: During the National quarterfinals, Saki is worried that Hisa is not playing like her usual self, but Nodoka believes it's a good thing that she isn't doing her "hell waits" style like usual, and Mako notices the abrupt change and restored confidence in herself, wondering if she's really alright.
* PassiveAggressiveKombat: Her play style in a nutshell.
* PerformanceAnxiety: For all her smarts, one of Hisa's most glaring weaknesses is that she tends to worry too much about her chances of winning, which led to a full-on HeroicBSOD during the National quarterfinals, from which she only recovered at the last minute.
* RuleOfCool: Her FinishingMove when she has a game-winning hand.
-->'''Mihoko''': "That poor tile..."
* SlasherSmile: Tends to sport one whenever she thinks she has the upper hand.
* SpotOfTea: Occasionally seen sipping a cup of tea together with Mako.
* {{Troll}}: Has some shades of this, as her initial idea for having Nodoka play with Etopen at her side was for "joke material," and she, possibly deliberately, gives some [[InnocentInnuendo misleading double entendres]] about what happened between her and Yumi at [[ClingyJealousGirl Momoko's]] presence.
* VitriolicBestBuds: Seems to be getting onto this with Hiroe, whose taunting her to get her out of her HeroicBSOD in the quarterfinals has given way to good-natured banter in the semifinals.
* WillfullyWeak: In the Nagano individuals, she didn't play seriously until she heard the argument between Saki and Nodoka.
* YouAreNotAlone: A main source of Hisa's emotional strength lay in her realization of how far she has gotten since first stepping onto Kiyosumi -- from solo player in her first year to a two-girl team with Mako come second-year... to having not only a full team, but dozens of friends and supporters (inside and outside school, including regional rivals) in her final year.
----

!!Mako Someya
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_mako_6490.png
->''"That view that the president said she wants to see... I will also show it to Grandpa!"''
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Position:''' Sergeant\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/RyokoShiraishi

Mako is the sole eleventh-grader in Team Kiyosumi, as well as Hisa's best friend and confidante. Her peculiar manner of speech appears to be a result of being raised by her grandfather -- she uses the [[JapanesePronouns pronoun]] "washi", which is usually used only by old men. Her family owns a mahjong parlor (maid cafe in the anime).

Mako plays with her photographic memory, which she calls “Spindle Territory”. During matches, she takes of her glasses and compares the game to others she has seen in the past.
----
* AwesomenessByAnalysis: Having watched thousands of mahjong matches early in life, she uses memories of them to develop her own strategies to get around her opponents' plays.
* [[DramaticNecklaceRemoval Dramatic Glasses Removal]]: When she does get serious.
* TheGlassesComeOff: She does this when using her PhotographicMemory.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Hisa.
* IDontKnowMortalKombat: She often loses to raw or inexperienced players because they play in a method outside of the scope of her ability. This was apparently remedied via studying Maho's style at training camp.
* JapanesePronouns: Mako uses the pronoun "washi", which is normally the domain of older men. She was raised by her grandfather, so she apparently picked up his speech habits; in a flashback in Chapter 117, another member of Mako's family tells her that even if she likes her grandfather, she shouldn't mimic his speech patterns..
* [[SirNotAppearingInThisTrailer Madam-Not-Appearing-in-this-Pinup]]: In several magazine pinups where Saki, Nodoka, Yuuki and Hisa were present, Mako was entirely absent.
* OhCrap:
** During the Nagano finals, when Kaori gets a Yakuman on her during Mako's dealer turn, which Kaori, in her inexperience, had claimed was a cheaper hand.
** When she realized that Hao is playing ''Chinese'' mahjong, something with which Mako has no familiarity.
* PhotographicMemory: Mako has memorized nearly every match she's seen played at her grandpa's mahjong parlor. In practice, though, this tends to yield mixed results -- it failed her against Kaori, a total newcomer with an unpredictable playstyle, as well as Hao, who plays a completely foreign form of the sport, but helped her win against the more orthodox-minded Aislinn.
* ScaryShinyGlasses: Gets them at times, such as when challenging Kaori to a rematch of their Nagano finals match (with Tomoki and Miharu). [[EpicFail Kaori wins again.]]
----

!!Kyoutaro Suga
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_kyoutarou_8201.png
->'''Year:''' 1st\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/JunFukuyama

TheOneGuy of Team Kiyosumi, who mostly serves as comic relief and errand boy, as well as Saki's long-time classmate since middle school. Between his mediocre skills, his unrequited crush on Nodoka (and later Mihoko), and being delegated with heavy work by Hisa, Kyoutaro generally has a hard time. His relative lack of familiarity with mahjong allows him to act as TheWatson, giving Hisa and Yuuki the opportunity to explain things for the benefit of the audience. During the tournament, he becomes their errand boy and is currently serving as Yuuki’s... taco delivery boy.
-----
* ButtMonkey: He spends most of his time running errands for the club, and isn't very good at mahjong.
* DaydreamSurprise: The story will occasionally segue into his {{fanservice}}y fantasies of Nodoka and/or Mihoko.
* HeroicBSOD: PlayedForLaughs after the Nagano individuals, where he loses badly and is eliminated by lunch time (albeit partly because the men's tournament had more participants and an earlier elimination).
* MyFriendsAndZoidberg: He gets this at times. For example, in the anime, Hisa said she locked the ''three'' first-years out of the mahjong club so Yuuki can focus on studying for the exam she has to retake. Mako then reminds Hisa that there are four first-years, and it shows Kyoutarou out doing errands as usual.
* TheOneGuy: The sole male in the mahjong club, and one of the few recurring male characters in the series.
* TheWatson: His relative inexperience at mahjong allows Hisa and Yuuki to play [[MrExposition Ms. Exposition]].
----
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Achiga All-Girls' Academy (Nara)]]

Not considered a powerhouse unlike neighboring Bansei, Team Achiga once upset the balance of power in Nara ten years ago when it eliminated Bansei in the prefectural qualifiers and eventually qualifying for the Nationals, only to fall at the semifinals to the eventual champions, led by Sukoya, with their ace player Harue being traumatized into quitting, and ultimately disbanded next year after a disastrous prefectural season. Its resurgence after nine years of inactivity, as well as the fact that it qualified once more for the Nationals, has surprised some observers.

As of current chapters Team Achiga, now coached by Harue, has qualified for the finals, which will be the highest the school will have attained regardless of outcome, in the process overtaking the massive lead of runner-up Shiraitodai.

!!Shizuno Takakamo
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiShizuno_5159.png
->''"Nodoka! We will definitely make it to the finals! So Nodoka, join us! In the finals!"''
->'''Year:''' 1st\\
'''Position:''' Captain\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/AoiYuuki

The daughter of a confectioner, Shizuno is one of the first girls her age that Nodoka befriended during her stay in Nara. Energetic and excitable, she is the driving force behind the revival of Team Achiga, as well as its unprecedented return to the Nationals after a decade. Outside of school, she is never seen without her trademark track jacket and... [[GoingCommando nothing else, actually]]. While an above-average orthodox player, Shizuno is noted for her determination and energy.

During the National semifinals Side A, however, Shizuno ultimately reveals her hidden power: "The Lord of the Mountain Depths". Born of her love for long walks along the mountains around her hometown, this ability lets her intuitively sense possible draws from the dead wall (which can be read as "mountain"). Coupled with the dice roll results, she can use this to counter or outright negate her opponents' abilities.
----
* ACupAngst: Not in-series, but Shizu has voiced her insecurities regarding her bust size (compared to her friends) during a post-credit skit in ''Achiga-hen''. A manga omake has her distressed after noticing that Ako's height and chest size have increased since they were in elementary school, while hers have largely remained the same.
* AGlassInTheHand: In ''Zenkoku-hen'', does this with a rice ball while taking a break from practice to eat lunch with Kei and her friends.
* AntiMagic: What Shizu's ability effectively is, as it shuts down both Ryuuka's Toki-fueled futuresight and Awai's double-riichi explosion.
* ArchEnemy: A ''very'' disgruntled Awai has labeled Shizu as this after catching her off-guard with her hidden ability. [[UnknownRival The feeling is not mutual.]]
* BadassBoast
-->"Senriyama are strong. Shiratodai are strong. We know that...! But we're strong too! And compared to this morning, right now, we are much stronger!"
* BadassNormal: Even commented on by Team Senriyama's Hiroko, when she notes how Achiga's juniors and seniors show weird draw patterns. As a freshman, Shizuno is obviously not included.
* BattleAura: Shizu has ''two'', as revealed in the finale: a fiery halo, like the ones seen with Japanese temple guardians, and a gigantic Brocken spectre, the latter of which only Awai can see. Might be an unintentional ShoutOut, given an [[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica earlier series]] [[Creator/AoiYuuki Shizu]] and [[Creator/ChiwaSaito Awai's]] voice actresses were part of.
* BluntYes: Gives one to Nodoka when they were in Achiga together. Keep in mind that the two are in elementary school at the time.
-->'''Nodoka''': ''(struggling to keep up)'' "Shizu, Ako...! ''(Gulp)'' You're going too fast... There's no need for running. Why sprint away all of a sudden? Are you kids?"\\
'''Shizuno''': "''Yes, we are!''"
* ChildhoodFriends: With Ako, Kuro and (before her transfer to Nagano) Nodoka.
* {{Determinator}}: If there's anything sure about Shizu (aside from not wearing pants) it's that she will ''never give up'', no matter how stacked the odds.
* DullEyesOfUnhappiness: PlayedForLaughs after Koromo floors her during a training session.
* EleventhHourSuperpower: The "Lord of the Mountain" stance. Koromo says that Shizuno, while using it, thwarted her latter two attempts at Haitei Raoyue, but it only fully manifests in the Captains' match of the semifinals.
* EnlightenmentSuperpowers: The way she awakens to her hidden ability is not unlike Japanese ''yamabushi'' monks in the ancient ages. Or perhaps a taoist.
* GenkiGirl: Shizuno is such a big bag of cheerful energy that, in an extra chapter, she spontaenously decides to take a mountain hike (missing Kuro and Nodoka in the process) ''because it looked fun''.
* GilliganCut: She declares that she's "got this" before her quarterfinals match, before the camera cuts to her in dire straits.
* GivingSomeoneThePointerFinger: She has a tendency to do this at times.
* GoingCommando: Par for course for the franchise, but Shizu's a glaring example for ''Achiga-hen'', as she runs around with just the jacket of a tracksuit, without the pants, which makes it ''painfully'' obvious that she's not wearing anything underneath. Ironically her concept art has her wearing spats.
* NatureHero: Spending long hours like a mountain monkey have awakened in her an intrinsic mahjong power.
* MissingStepsPlan: Since Shizuno is [[GenkiGirl highly enthusiastic but not much for thinking things through]], this happens with her plan to see Nodoka again. Thankfully, some of her friends, such as Ako, help her fill in the missing steps.
-->1. Go to Achiga\\
2. ?\\
3. Go to the Nationals\\
4. Face Nodoka again!
* PluckyGirl: Especially evident in the last match of the quarterfinals, where, after a difficult beginning, she perseveres and gets just the draw she needs to win.
* TomboyishPonytail: Wears her hair like this, although it's more as a testament to her energy.
* WorthyOpponent: She sees Saki as this, lampshaded in ''Achiga-hen'' Episode 3, when Saki scared her off with BattleAura while walking away casually. For a while Shizu was UnknownRival to Saki, until Koromo warn her about Shizuno's hidden ability. Considering Saki's surprisingly mild reaction to Koromo's warning, whether the rivalry feeling is mutual or not yet is still under debate.
----

!!Ako Atarashi
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiAko_4578.png
->'''Year:''' 1st\\
'''Position:''' Lieutenant\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/NaoTouyama

Another girl Nodoka befriended while in Nara, Ako is Shizuno's neighbor and childhood friend. The younger sister of Harue's old teammate Nozomi, Ako was the second-best player of the children's club that Harue oversaw. She attended a different middle school than Shizuno and Nodoka (Adamine Middle High School, to be exact), and actually planned to enroll in Bansei, but after she hears about Shizuno's plans she gladly enters Achiga instead, where she serves as Team Achiga's ace in the hole, being the only girl with some experience in a national tournament, having placed sixteenth overall during the Nara tourney back as a player for Team Adamine.

Ako's style seems to revolve around scoring via quick hands with small point totals.
----
* ACupAngst: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]], because while she's not exactly flat-chested, she does occasionally wish she had breasts as large as Yuu's.
* BadassNormal[=/=]BoringButPractical: Ako's way of playing is not flashy at all, but it does its job, allowing gains without the massive risks that could be found in some of her teammates' playstyles.
* ChildhoodFriends: With Shizuno, Kuro and (for a few years) Nodoka.
* GilliganCut: While discussing her strategy for her National semifinals match against Team Shiraitodai's Takami...
-->'''Shizuno:''' "So what's the plan? Try to avoid dealer repeats and when you are in tenpai as dealer, say you aren't?"\\
'''Ako:''' "That's right. [[TemptingFate A pretty simple counter strategy]]."\\
''(Cut to the match)''\\
'''Ako:''' "[[OhCrap Or so I thought! This is bad!]]"
* IGotBigger: Back in their childhood, Shizuno was OneHeadTaller than Ako. Come tenth-grade, the latter has already grown taller (and bustier). Shizuno airs her distress about this development, and the fact that she largely remained petite, during a post-credits skit.
* IdenticalStranger: When she was younger, she resembled Yuuki. When Nishida is interviewing Nodoka about her friends on the Achiga team, she even mistakes Ako for Yuuki in an old photo.
* JapaneseSiblingTerminology: Uses "Onee-chan" on her older sister Nozomi, and "Yuu-nee" on her friend Kuro's older sister Yuu.
* OhCrap: After realizing that she won with a cheap hand against Takami. She enters a minor HeroicBSOD, and Hitomi has to get her attention.
* TheLancer: To Shizuno and Team Achiga.
* TemptingFate: She thinks it's simple to avoid dealer repeats against Takami, but when she gets down to it, she can't manage to do so.
* UndesirablePrize: Ako knows she shouldn't win as a dealer when Shibuya is on the table, but does so nonetheless.
* YankTheDogsChain: In ''Saki Biyori'', she plays online mahjong and gets into a yakuman tenpai, only to lose her connection.
----

!!Kuro Matsumi
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiKuro_139.png
->''"Even if you don't come back... I'll be waiting."''
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Position:''' Vanguard\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/KanaHanazawa

The youngest daughter of the owner of Achiga's local inn, Kuro was the star of Achiga children's mahjong club, of which Shizuno, Nodoka and Ako were members. Although the club disbanded when Harue went pro, Kuro patiently continued to look after their clubroom, hoping her friends would return one day. All her hard work paid off when, years later, Shizuno and Ako return to share her goal of going to the Nationals, so they could play with Nodoka again.

Kuro has a special ability that helps increase the points of her hands: ''all'' dora tiles sooner or later get drawn to her. This means that when she scores, she usually scores big, but limits the kinds of hands she can make. There is another downside to this -- she cannot discard dora tiles, lest she lose the ability to gather doras for a few games afterward.
----
* AchievementsInIgnorance: By holding on to her dora, she (unwittingly) manages to keep Teru from running roughshod over her competition.
* CryCute: Breaks down before Yuu after her National quarterfinals match, where she lost too many points to Toki, and again after her semifinals match, this time in regret over how she (apparently) did nothing while Toki and Kirame sacrificed themselves to spare their teams (and Achiga) from Teru's rampage.
* FailedASpotCheck: PlayedForDrama -- Kuro never noticed that her win against Teru was only made possible by the sacrifices done by both Toki and Kirame. She only learns about it when her friends point it out to her after the Vanguard match. At this point she breaks down crying, blaming herself for (apparently) doing nothing to help.
* FreudianExcuse: In an extra chapter, Yuu suggests that Kuro likes large breasts because they remind her of her mother.
* GlassCannon: Kuro's style can be compared to this, where she's capable of scoring huge hands when the situation is right due to her dora magnet ability. However her defense is terrible, and an opponent who knows about her ability can literally play around her -- as shown by Toki during the quarterlies of Side-A, where she ran away with a 90,000 point lead.
* InvisibleParents: Kuro and Yuu's father is apparently alive and runs their family's inn, but has never been seen.
* TheLoad: For a good chunk of the Vanguards' match against Teru, all Kuro could do was flinch and whimper while Kirame and Toki did most of the work fending away Teru's streaks.
* MissingMom: Her (and Yuu's) mother died when they were very young, which badly affected the girl. It's also the reason why Kuro is unable to let go of any dora tiles, as she feels it would mean saying goodbye to her mother again. [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness Nodoka, normally dismissive of the supernatural, can't bring herself to dismiss Kuro's beliefs regarding dora tiles to her face]].
* MyGreatestFailure: Constantly losing team points during her turn at the table during the Nationals -- when the group is debating whether Harue has lost hope in their chances of victory, she blames herself for losing so many points. Also, during the semis, failing to realize that the two other Vanguards on the table (Toki and Kirame) had formed an impromptu alliance, and as a result was not able to ''actively'' help them in taking down Teru.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: As with Yuuki, she often ends up facing some of the best players in Japan, unless they have a different approach (such as deliberately aiming to survive the round, rather than win, like Shindouji does). It's best indicated in how her sister Yuu, who's about her skill level, tends to win the Sergeant match, in which there is less likely to be strong players.
* RedBaron: "The Dragon [[SheIsTheKing Lord]] of Achiga"
* SkinshipGrope: Gives one to her sister in the brief shot of the girls on the beach in the PSP game's opening.
* SpannerInTheWorks: When Kuro finally stopped being TheLoad, her first major move ''halts'' Teru's rampage by way of discarding a dora, a move she is normally loathe to use. Even before that, Toki, noticing how upset Kuro appears, thinks that she has (unwittingly) proven helpful by attracting all the dora tiles, making it more difficult for Teru to increase the value of her hand.
* ThanksForTheMammary: When taking a step back on the street, she accidentally puts her hand on the invisible Momoko's breasts, and for a moment, mistakes her for her sister, based on touch.
* TheWorfEffect: Kuro is supposedly one of the best players of Team Achiga; however, come the Nationals, her dora-focused playstyle, as well as going up against some of the best players (including Toki and Teru herself) made her lose the most points per match. By contrast, Yuu, who is approximately Kuro's skill level and has a relatively easier time in the Sergeants' match, has gotten positive scores throughout the tournament.
* WorldOfCardboardSpeech: In the match against Teru, she has an internal monologue about all the people she's parted from, before preparing to discard her dora tiles, declaring that even if those she parts from won't come back, she will still wait.
* ZettaiRyouiki: A black pair.
----

!!Yuu Matsumi
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiYuu2_6954.png
->''"Kuro-chan has always been the one to save me... But today, it's [[JapaneseSiblingTerminology Onee]]-[[ThirdPersonPerson chan]]'s turn to fight!"''
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Sergeant\\
'''Voiced by:''' MAKO

Yuu, Kuro's older sister, is the sole twelfth-grader in Team Achiga, and one of two (besides Arata) without a direct connection to Nodoka. Sickly ever since she was young and easily chilled, Yuu is always seen wearing layers upon layers of thick clothing, complete with mufflers and mittens, even during summer. Like her younger sister, Yuu is a competent player, but her skill is complemented by a special ability to draw "warm" tiles (any tile with a red component to its face) to her hand. Unlike Kuro's ability, though, it doesn't have an associated drawback.
----
* AttackItsWeakPoint: As she effectively avoids Sumire's arrows, she then scores against her when her defense is at its weakest.
* BigSisterInstinct: Usually inverted, in that Kuro usually protects Yuu from bullies back in their childhood, but played straight during the National quarterfinals, when she decides to return the favor after Kuro loses many points in the quarterfinals, thinking it's her turn to stand up for her little sister.
* BlankWhiteEyes: Fairly common when she gets flustered.
* DeclarationOfProtection: Her quote, as seen above.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: In her first scene, she's shown relaxing under a kotatsu in summer when she greets Kuro, then displays her shyness when she's surprised to see Ako (whom she knows) and Shizuno. After she gets over her shock at hearing that they want her for the revived Achiga mahjong club, she says she's very happy, having wanted to be in the children's club with her sister.
* {{Foil}}: The Matsumis can be seen as one to the Miyanagas. Kuro and Yuu are very close (even after their mother's death), in sharp contrast to how a tragedy tore Saki and Teru apart.
* HiddenBuxom: It's not obvious from how she dresses, but Kuro is correct, and her breasts are comparable to Nodoka's.
* IKnowYouKnowIKnow: After realizing Izumi has her figured out in the quarter-finals, she remembers that she's played against her sister and her other friends, who know her even better than Izumi does. Thanks to this strategy, and the fact that Hiroko mis-identified Yuu's drawing pattern, Yuu manages to win the Sergeants' round.
* IllGirl: It's unclear why exactly she has to dress in multiple layers to stay warm even in summer, but her condition has been present since she was a small child.
* MissingMom: Half of the reason why she works in the school greenhouse is because it's warm, and the other half is because it has many of her mother's favorite flowers.
* NiceGirl: In spite of her shyness, she's kind, good-natured and polite.
* ScarfOfAsskicking: Her muffler, while usually making Yuu look more cuddle-worthy, can also turn into this, as shown in her match with Sumire.
* ShrinkingViolet: She has some problems with social awkwardness, especially when she says that she had wanted to join the mahjong club, but didn't feel as though she could.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: Yuu looks almost exactly like her mother, except for hair color.
----

!!Arata Sagimori
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiArata_6453.png
->''"I didn't want to see her surrounded by kids. I wanted to keep watching her in her dignified and strong phase."''
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Position:''' Vice-Captain\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/YumiUchiyama

The granddaughter of the owner of the local bowling alley, Arata is probably Harue's biggest fan. While an avid player since very early in life, she stopped after Harue's team lost during the national semifinals. After some convincing by Kuro, she finally joins Team Achiga as club president, finally rounding off their roster.

Arata's main play style is very much influenced by bowling, especially with how she prefers waits using "pin" tiles. As Hiroko quickly notes, the tiles she ends up playing usually looks like the (bowling) pin arrangement one gets after the first roll in bowling (or ryanmen waits). This ''not'' her only way of playing however, as she also has another "outdated" style that is inspired by how Harue played ten years prior.
----
* {{Ascended Fan|boy}}girl: Idolized Harue throughout her childhood, and eventually became one of her protégés come high-school.
* BadassBoast: At the semifinals, when Harue worries that her old necktie will be bad luck, Arata reassures her that she will take it to the finals.
* BrokenPedestal: Arata pretty much lost all faith in the game after she found out that Harue quit mahjong, even casually. It caused her to stop playing for ''years'' as a result, and she initially refused to join Team Achiga because she wanted to see Harue as a pro, rather than teaching children mahjong.
** RebuiltPedestal: ...But Harue returning to mentor Team Achiga brings her back to the game as well, especially after hearing about Harue playing for a corporate team.
* ClubPresident: Harue chose Arata for the position in spite of Yuu being a third-year, because she is composed and reliable.
* CustomUniform: She wears Harue's necktie instead of the ribbon for her uniform.
* CynicismCatalyst: After Harue stopped playing mahjong, Arata becomes somewhat more gloomy and cynical than when she was as younger, even after Harue returns to coach her and the others.
* {{Expy}}: She's pretty much a carbon copy of Ritz Kobayashi, the mangaka, as [[TheCameo she appears]] in ''TheLegendOfKoizumi''.
** EarlyBirdCameo: Thus, her appearance in that manga is this trope.
* HeroWorshipper: A massive one for Harue.
* MegaManning: During her National semifinals match she reveals that, besides her bowling-influenced style, she also copied some aspects of Harue's old play style and mixed it with her own.
* {{Motifs}}: Her gameplay is strongly influenced by bowling.
* NumberOneDime: Let's just say that Arata ''really'' treasures the necktie that Harue gave her ten years before.
* TheReliableOne: Arata is chosen as ClubPresident for this reason.
----

!!Harue Akado
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiHarue_8270.png
->''"I left something behind at those semi-finals back then. But if I can personally experience that tournament again, I might be able to get it back."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/NaomiShindo

Harue is the adviser of Team Achiga and herself an alumna of a past incarnation of the team that shocked Nara Prefecture by defeating high-ranking Team Bansei ten years ago and qualifying for the Nationals. Unfortunately, one brutal loss to Sukoya later at the semifinals (as a Vice-Captain), and Harue was traumatized after losing too many points beyond repair. She stopped playing for years after that, and for a while was content to teach the kids of her hometown's children's club. She is eventually scouted by Kumakura, and spends the next few years playing professionally for the Hakata Evergreens, a Fukuoka-based corporate team.

When financial woes (and an early playoffs exit) forced the Evergreens to disband, Harue goes back to her hometown to think of what to do next, only to be surprised by the revival of her old high-school team, gunning anew for the Nationals. Seeing it as a chance to redeem herself, she decides to become club adviser, intent to see if her protégés can succeed where she failed.
----
* BreakTheCutie: Losing her team too many points during her match against Sukoya, which in turn cost Achiga the chance to advance further in the Nationals, really did a number on poor Harue.
* BrokenAce: Back in her day she was touted as one of Team Achiga's greatest players. Then came Sukoya, and she was never the same again. Fortunately she got better as the days passed mentoring the current Team Achiga, more so after they reach the National finals, helping her regain her self-confidence.
* HistoryRepeats: As Harue told Nozomi while the latter was driving her back to Achiga, the Evergreens were on a roll during last year's tournament. However, come the National playoffs, Harue once again failed the team, as she is still having flashbacks of that devastating loss to Sukoya back in high school.
* HyperAwareness: Harue has a surprising knack of noticing things that others, including pros, commentators and coaches, would miss, like Sumire's tell or the trigger of Awai's other abilities. While it might seem to come out of nowhere, especially since she's never shown any of this prior to the semis, the way it's presented actually makes sense since while other coaches look only at the players' records (see Team Kiyosumi's Hisa or Team Himematsu's Funakubo), Harue actually watches the videos of the accompanying match. It's alluded that she does this ''repeatedly'' too.
* HypocriticalHumor: Giving Kuro a bop on the head and scolding her for sexually harassing Nodoka in their first meeting, when she herself was fascinated by Nodoka's breasts.
* InformedAbility: Harue is never shown actually giving her wards ''any'' kind of playing advice. Whether or not this is a sign of a hands-off coaching style begs to be seen, although she does have them play many games with each other, and arranges for matches with other schools. Then we're finally shown several instances of her doing ''actual'' coaching, personally retraining Kuro, fresh off a bad game against Teru. Apparently all the coaching she did prior to this was done off-screen.
* MyGreatestFailure: Losing her team too many points, which led to its elimination in the Nationals. As such, she relates to Kuro, who lost too many points during the semifinals.
-->"If you lose big, keep moving forward even if you lose again."
** MyGreatestSecondChance: As such, she treats tutoring the first reincarnation of Team Achiga in a decade to be her one last chance to redeem herself. So much so she declines an offer from Hayari (courtesy of Toshi) to become a pro until after the tournament.
* PoorCommunicationKills: In a case that was largely the result of bad timing, she tells Team Achiga in no uncertain terms that they're unlikely to get through the semifinals with both Teams Senriyama and Shiratodai. Later that night, the girls happen to overhear a conversation between her and Kumakura regarding her going pro, which causes some of them to believe that she had given up on them.
* RedBaron: "Legend", though only to the girls of Team Achiga and the Children's Mahjong Club.
* TearsOfJoy: Cries in relief after her protégés finally accomplish the one thing she failed to do ten years ago -- reach the National finals.
----
[[/folder]]

!Nagano Finals (Kiyosumi, Ryuumonbuchi, Kazekoshi and Tsuruga)

[[folder:Ryuumonbuchi High School]]
The original incarnation of Team Ryuumonbuchi was not considered a strong contender in the Nagano tournament. Then came Touka, who ascended her way by defeating her future teammates, before leading them to a prominent place during last year's Nationals.

Team Ryuumonbuchi ultimately placed second at the Nagano tournament.

!!Touka Ryuumonbuchi
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_touka_1646.png
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Position:''' Vice-Captain\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/MinoriChihara

Club leader of Team Ryuumonbuchi and scion of the namesake owners of her ''alma mater'' (specifically, the daughter of the current principal, and in turn great-granddaughter of the founder). Haughty and craving for attention, she nevertheless shows concern for her teammates in her own way, and is reputed to have went to great lengths to assemble an all-star team.

Her playing style is similar to Team Kiyosumi's Nodoka, whom she treats as her rival, but in an unnecessarily flashy way. When she gets serious, she enters "Cold" state, where she suddenly becomes an emotionless board-clearer.
-----
* AnalogyBackfire: Tells [[{{Bifauxnen}} Jun]] to take her defeat "like a man", prompting her to respond...
-->'''Jun:''' "[[BerserkButton I'm a girl, dammit]]!"
* AttentionWhore: As early as her first appearance alone the audience knows Touka's bombastic, flamboyant mannerisms are deliberately aimed to garner attention towards her (and away from Nodoka).
* BattleAura: "Crazy Lance Wielder", where she is dressed in a black form-fitting suit and wields a spear.
* BlankWhiteEyes: She is prone to getting these when shocked.
* ClubPresident: Of Team Ryuumonbuchi.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Just because Touka is an AttentionWhore doesn't mean she doesn't have the proper skills to go toe-to-toe with some of the best in Nagano Prefecture. Then there's Cold Touka.
-->'''Touka:''' "Was that a dream?"\\
'''Hajime:''' "If you're talking about your consecutive victories against Koromo, Kiyosumi (Saki), and the professional Mahjong player [Fujita]..."\\
'''Tomoki:''' "That was not a dream."
* {{Determinator}}: When she tries to do something seriously, she really means it, such as when scouting Tomoki -- wanting to personally test her skills, Touka actually played the RTS of which Tomoki was a high-ranking player for six straight days to reach the higher rankings and challenge her.
* DontCallMeSir: She insists that Hajime not call her "-sama" when her father is not present.
* EmotionlessGirl: As Cold Touka.
* ExpressiveHair: Her IdiotHair, that is. It can even conduct lightning.
* {{Foil}}: To Momo, a ShrinkingViolet who only wants to be acknowledged by the person she cares for the most.
* IJustWantToBeSpecial: This is half her reason for playing mahjong. She doesn't even care when a teammate messes up, because it gives her a chance to go the "BigDamnHeroes" way. Although she lacks the special abilities of a Saki or Koromo, or even Momoko, she's said to be a formidable player, which does suggest she's managed to build herself into a BadassNormal.
* InformedAbility[=/=]TheWorfEffect: As a former winner of the prefectural tournament, she seems to lose rather badly during both the team and individual events. Partially had something to do with how she never entered Cold state mode during those events.
* InvisibleParents: She occasionally mentions her father, but her father has never been seen.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: She's quite arrogant and haughty, but also caring for her friends and her cousin, which leads to quite a few PetTheDog moments.
* LargeHam: Not a second where she's around passes without her speaking in bombastic tones.
* LoopholeAbuse: Attempts this in ''Saki Biyori''. In response to being told that she can only use the club room for club activities while she and her teammates are relaxing in it, she considers changing the name of the club for the day.
* LovableAlphaBitch: Haughty and boastful of her own abilities, but nevertheless has a soft spot both for Koromo and the rest of Team Ryuumonbuchi.
* {{Ojou}}: Complete with NoblewomansLaugh.
* PetTheDog: Her interactions with Koromo, for whose sake she scouted an invincible team for the prefectural and national tournaments so she can make new friends. Earlier on, she also sets aside her one-sided rivalry with Nodoka by having Hagiyoshi fix Etopen.
* PromotionToParent: Even without Hajime's interpretation of how Ryuumonbuchi is one big family, Touka essentially acts as Koromo's mother.
* RichBitch[=/=]SpoiledSweet: Zigzagged, depending on who she interacts with. She's more hostile and standoffish with her rivals, while among her friends, she's more good-natured, if fairly quick-tempered and arrogant.
* SuperMode: Cold Touka can easily destroy any player on the table, including mahjong monsters like Koromo and Saki. Unfortunately, it seems to act on its own, without her knowledge.
* ThirdPersonPerson: When she is being particularly [[LargeHam dramatic]].
* {{Tsundere}}: A straight Type-A to everyone, with Hajime being the only one who can summon her deredere.
* UnknownRival: Nodoka is entirely oblivious to Touka's obsession with defeating her, to the point that she actually forgets her name during the training camp at the end of Season 1.
* VerbalTic: Fitting her {{ojou}} nature, Touka finishes game-oriented declarations with "desu wa". In ''Saki Biyori'', while writing a birthday song for Koromo, she even puts "desu wa" at the end of each verse.
----

!!Hajime Kunihiro
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_hajime_7269.png
->''"I feel like we'd move apart if I let go of these chains, Touka..."''
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Position:''' Lieutenant\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/AiShimizu

Back in grade-school, Hajime cheated using sleight-of-hand, a skill she learned from her stage magician father, which ultimately destroyed several friendships she had, causing her to bind her hands with manacles as atonement in order to make it harder for her to cheat. Nevertheless, Touka still sees some potential in her, and recruited her both as teammate and personal maid, and Hajime in turn grew affectionate of Touka.
-----
* TheAtoner: For cheating in a mahjong game years ago, she has Touka chain her hands to limit her range and thus make it harder for her to cheat.
* BareYourMidriff: Her street clothing almost leaves nothing to the imagination, and painfully shows [[VaporWear she's not wearing anything beneath]].
* {{Bokukko}}: Uses "boku" as a personal pronoun, but is more girly than most cases.
* ClingyJealousGirl: Towards Touka whenever Ayumu is around.
* FashionableAsymmetry: ZettaiRyouiki on one leg only.
* HappinessInSlavery[=/=]SubordinateExcuse: Her relationship with Touka falls somewhere between these two tropes.
* {{Keigo}}: Subverted, as Touka discourages her from talking formally with her and Koromo when her father isn't around (and presumably because Touka wanted her to act more like any regular schoolgirl).
* LamarckWasRight: She gained her abilities of sleight-of-hand from her father, who was a stage magician.
* MomentOfWeakness: The reason she wears her handcuffs.
* PowerLimiter: Her handcuffs also serve as this, reducing her ability to use sleight-of-hand and thus make it harder for her to cheat in the event that she'd be tempted to do so.
* ReformedButRejected: She implies she felt this is her punishment for cheating years ago, as she is still having visions of her old friends walking away from her.
* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: Lampshaded in ''Saki Biyori''; when Hajime worries about being seen in casual clothing at school.
-->'''Jun''': ''(thinking)'' "Compared to walking around with handcuffs, plain clothes should be nothing."
----

!!Koromo Amae
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_koromo2_5640.png
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Position:''' Captain\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/KaoriFukuhara

Koromo is Touka's cousin and the ace of Team Ryuumonbuchi. Despite her childlike stature, she is the oldest member of the team, as well as one of the most feared players in Japan, having brought an end to Team Kazekoshi's six-year domination of the Nagano tournament last year.

Amae lost both parents at a younger age, and despite being taken in by Touka, she mainly kept to herself. Touka tried to use mahjong to help her make friends, but because of her playing style -- preventing opponents from reaching tenpai and scoring via Haitei Raoyue -- she winds up being feared by many people, including her own teammates. As a result she only sees mahjong as a mere game for her to crush her opponent.
----
* AccidentalMisnaming: Tends to call Nodoka "Nonoka".
* BadassAdorable: So cute she can barely swat a fly, huh? Well, just ask Team Kazekoshi.
* BattleAura: Koromo has [[WaveMotionGun arms of destruction]].
* BirdRun: Does this at times, such as when entering the boarding house for the training camp.
* BondVillainStupidity: She passes up several opportunities to win instantly [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim just so she can toy with her opponents]]. It backfires terribly.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: She actually wears bunny ears (or rather, a hair bow that looks like bunny ears) everywhere.
* BerserkButton: The mere mention of the word "family" seems to set her off, as she grew enough anger to cause a blackout upon hearing it.
* ConvenientlyAnOrphan: Lost her parents at an early age, and has since refused to consider her cousin Touka (or anybody else from Team Ryuumonbuchi) her second family.
* CryCute: Whimpers like the little kid she looks like after Etopen, then in her possession, was accidentally torn apart by one of the two girls who originally stole it from Nodoka as spite for losing to Kiyosumi back at the first-round (the irony here is that they ''meant'' to return it to her at this point).
* CuteLittleFangs: Occasionally shows these when angry.
* DiscOneFinalBoss: The first anime season ends with Saki defeating her in the Nagano finals (and qualifying for the Nationals). But it's still a long road ahead for Team Kiyosumi.
* TheDreaded: After helping snap Kazekoshi's six-year streak, everybody in the prefecture (including her teammates) began to fear her.
* FinishingMove: A haitei raoyue (going out on the last drawn tile).
* FriendlyRivalry : With Fujita. They tease each other's skills in most of their encounters, though Fujita does care for Koromo and knows her quite well, wanting her to make friends.
* FriendshipMoment: With Saki at the end of the Nagano finals.
* HypocriticalHumor: She's had difficulty making friends for much of her life, to the point at which she doesn't initially recognize Touka and her teammates from Ryuumonbuchi as such. When Saki says that she decided not to join Nodoka in watching the semifinals (because she's aware that Teru and Team Shiraitodai were on play), Koromo responds as following:
-->"Saki, you're bad at socializing as usual."
* InsistentTerminology
-->"It's not Ko'''''do'''''mo, it's Ko'''''ro'''''mo"!
* {{Keigo}}: Koromo tends to lapse into extremely formal and literary Japanese at moments of extreme emotion, particularly when speaking about her deceased parents, who were Japanese literature scholars.
-->"I remember, when Father and Mother died of the yellow dust, the despicable behavior of the humans that swarmed around me. At best, the captain battle just staves off my boredom for a little while."
* {{Killer|Rabbit}} MoonRabbit: Her overall motif, as evidenced by her hair ribbon arranged to resemble bunny ears, her white clothing scheme, and the fact that her ability increases under a full moon.
* KubrickStare: Actually does this slightly at one point in ''Achiga-hen'' Episode 3.
* LittleMissBadass: She's the oldest member of the Ryuumonbuchi team (if only by a few days), and a second-year in high school, but appearance wise, she fits.
* LonersAreFreaks: Embodied strongly even though it's not her fault. She is actively trying to make friends.
* {{Lunacy}}: Her luck and aggressiveness go up when a full moon is out.
* MeaningfulName[=/=]PunnyName: "Koromo" sounds similar to "kodomo" ("child"), highlighting her childish appearance and (sometimes) personality. Her surname also means "Dependent on others' kindness".
* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: Koromo's lesser-known power is detecting whether her opponents are in tenpai and the approximate value of their hand.
* OlderThanTheyLook[=/=]TokenMiniMoe: She is in fact the oldest member of Team Ryuumonbuchi (a few days older than Touka, who is a few days older than Jun, whose birthday is right before Hajime's), but like Team Kiyosumi's Yuuki, she certainly doesn't look or act the part.
-->'''Yuuki''': "[[HypocriticalHumor No matter how you look at it, isn't she just a kid]]?"\\
'''Hisa''': "Amae is sixteen, one year older than you."
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Many of the characters demonstrate this; [[SeriousBusiness mahjong is serious after all]]. But Koromo overshadows them all.
* PintsizedPowerhouse: The smallest Mahjong player around, and is ranked amongst the very best.
* PutOnABus: Temporarily disappears come the individuals and supposedly has no bearing on the story...
** TheBusCameBack: ...though she reappears with Touka in Tokyo while Team Kiyosumi is in the Nationals, and and also gave crucial advice to Yuuki at the training camp.
* SingleTear: Sheds one at the end of the Nagano finals, as she watched helplessly while Saki deals a game-winning hand that would siphon off whatever gains she had.
* SpellMyNameWithAThe: In the subtitles.
* TheyCallMeMisterTibbs: Gets slightly annoyed when Saki uses "-chan" on her.
* ThirdPersonPerson: Refers to herself as such, befitting her childish personality.
* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: She's an extremely dangerous player who brutalized a six-time prefectural champion last year... but also a sad, reclusive little girl who refuses to even consider her cousin and their teammates as her second family.
----

!!Jun Inoue
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/inoue_jun.png
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Position:''' Vanguard\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/YukoKaida

A fairly masculine girl, who nevertheless tends to get annoyed when people mistake her as a boy. Her style revolves around sensing the flow of the game and calling tiles that disrupt her opponents' hands and ruin their chances of winning.
----
* BerserkButton: Being mistaken for a boy, which isn't being helped by her rather butch appearance.
-->"I'm a girl, dammit!"
* {{Bifauxnen}}: She looks almost exactly like the stereotype of a male teenage delinquent.
* CombatClairvoyance: Her ability to read (and control) the "flow" of the game.
* EmbarrassingNickname: ''Otou-san''[[note]]Japanese for "Dad"[[/note]] and ''Papa''
* TheGadfly: Loves to tease Koromo's childlike stature, to which others respond by calling her out on her masculine appearance, though in a friendly way.
* {{Meido}}: Not in-series, but it's shown in ''Otona no Maki'' that, like Hajime, she works as a maid at Touka's house.
* [[{{Bokukko}} Ore-onna]]: She uses "ore" as her personal pronoun, despite it almost exclusively being used by males.
* PromotionToParent: According to Hajime, Jun falls into Ryuumonbuchi's family structure as the father, much to her embarrassment.
* TerribleArtist: In ''Saki Biyori'', she draws a portrait of Tomoki for a class. Partly as a result of Jun's lack of skill, and partly as a result of Tomoki removing her glasses and putting on Hajime's ribbon, Tomoki is mistaken for Hajime.
----

!!Tomoki Sawamura
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiTomoki_5180.png
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Position:''' Sergeant\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/AyuruOhashi

Tomoki is one of Touka's first recruits into Team Ryuumonbuchi to become both Koromo's friend and a member of Touka's dream team. She used to be a hardcore RTS player prior to her enrollment into Ryuumonbuchi, and Touka herself went through unique lengths to get her to even consider her offer. She's very serious except when she's being snarky.
----
* CreepyMonotone: Tomoki always speaks in a low and even register, even when she's snarking at Touka's foul-ups.
* GamerChick: As revealed in the picture drama about how Touka recruited her.
* GodivaHair: In the bath scene, once she lets it down.
* {{Meido}}: Revealed in ''Saki Biyori -- Otona no Maki'' to moonlight as maid at Touka's family mansion outside the mahjong table. She's also briefly seen in a maid outfit after the prefecturals.
* NerdsAreSexy: It's not apparent with the way she regularly dresses, but as Miharu discovered while in the bath, Tomoki has one hell of a figure; among the Nagano finalists, her breasts are just behind Nodoka's.
* ScaryShinyGlasses: She gets these at times, such as when challenging Kaori to a rematch.
* TheStoic: With moments of being a DeadpanSnarker.
* SugarAndIcePersonality: Despite appearing aloof and disinterested, she can often show a more affectionate side, especially when Koromo is concerned.
* SuperStrength: In ''Saki Biyori'', due to Jun and Hajime asking her to pick up Koromo, buy snacks, and bring the TV, she ends up carrying all three at once.
----

!!Ayumu Sugino
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Ayumu3-250x180_2595.jpg
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Voiced by:''' Yoriko Nagata

Touka's other maid and is never seen in series outside of her Maid garb (except during the [[BeachEpisode Pool Episode]]). She has a strong crush on Touka and feels jealousy towards Hajime.
----
* AllThereInTheManual: Her surname is revealed in the PSP game.
* CanonImmigrant: Ayumu is an anime-original character, but she (or a maid who has the same hairstyle) appears in a flashback in Round 49 of the manga.
* DemotedToExtra: Initially making a handful of appearances as a comic-relief character amongst Team Ryuumonbuchi, Ayumu's appearances and lines in both the anime and manga have now dwindled down to almost nothing. (Then again, she ''was'' an extra to begin with -- literally, due to being the alternate player in case Koromo didn't show up -- so...)
* {{Expy}}: Ayumu shares a name and a haircut with Ayumu Nishizawa from ''Manga/HayateTheCombatButler''.
* {{Meido}}: Just like Jun and Tomoki, though it's implied that she's more or less full-time.
* PutOnABus: Hasn't been seen at the Training Camp or the Nationals.
----
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kazekoshi Girls' School]]
Kazekoshi is a known as a mahjong powerhouse in Nagano Prefecture, boasting a membership of over 80 girls. Team Kazekoshi's six-year winning streak in the Nagano tournament was snapped last year by Team Ryuumonbuchi and Koromo, and the two schools have since developed a fierce rivalry.

Team Kazekoshi landed at fourth place at the Nagano finals, while Mihoko, champion of the Nagano individuals, qualified for the National individuals.

!!Mihoko Fukuji
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_mihoko_5524.png
->'''"Maybe she'll tell me my right eye is pretty once again."''
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Vanguard\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/YuiHorie

Mihoko is the club captain of Team Kazekoshi as well as its ace in the hole. She has had a past history of rivalry with Hisa Takei, a girl of her age and currently of Team Kiyosumi, back in their middle-school years, though nowadays their rivalry has taken a far friendlier tone. Besides this, she is also known to be incredibly affectionate and caring towards her teammates, never minding her habit of keeping her right eye closed at all times due to her self-consciousness with her heterochromia (it's bright blue, in contrast to her more naturally Asian reddish-brown left eye).

When playing, she only opens her right eye when she gets serious, allowing her to calculate the game's progression and predict her opponents' hands with extreme accuracy, as well as an intimidating aura.
-----
* BadassBoast: After hearing about the other three schools that advanced to the Nagano finals (soon after Kubo berated her and Kana), Mihoko says she's glad Team Ryuumonbuchi made it, since they can now avenge last year's loss.
-->"To our [[DrillSergeantNasty coach]], to Ryuumonbuchi, let's show them all, that we are still the strongest."
* BewareTheNiceOnes: She gives Yuuki a lunch box after Jun eats her taco, and later helps Yuuki win off Jun. Yuuki is horrified when Mihoko starts winning, and realizes that she's ''not'' on her side.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Verges on this with her ignorance about technology, particularly in failing to understand how computers are used in making T-shirts (such as thinking that the shirts ''come out of the computer'').
* ClubPresident: Of Team Kazekoshi.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: She catches Kubo by the wrist before she can slap Kana, then proceeds to tell her that Kana is a strong player and that if she made a mistake, she will take responsibility for her. After Kubo leaves, Mihoko gives Kana a hug as she breaks down crying.
* EvenTheGirlsWantHer: Every other member of the Kazekoshi club seems to have a crush on her, and she has some suggestive moments with Hisa.
* FriendlessBackground: As popular as she is among her teammates, she implies that back in middle school, she was thought of as "annoying".
* TheLastDance: Like Hisa, this is her last chance to win the tournament, as she tells Bundou when explaining her reasons for doing the chores.
* LastNameBasis: Calls most of her teammates besides Kana by their last names and "-san", and interestingly enough, tends to call Hisa by her old last name, "Ueno-san", until when it's recently indicated that she's started calling her "[[FirstNameBasis Hisa]]".
* LetsGetDangerous: She is a truly formidable player when she opens her right eye.
* MamaBear: Nobody hurts her beloved teammates, not even Kubo, and still not sense her (righteous) anger.
* MarkOfTheSupernatural: A red left eye and a blue right eye.
* [[AFatherToHisMen A Mother to Her Underclassmen]]: She's the oldest member of Team Kazekoshi, as well as the kindest, most motherly and most caring of the lot.
* NiceGirl: Her teammates are concerned that she is ''too'' selfless, including towards her opponents.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: She recalls that Hisa surprised her so much in their match three years ago that she forgot to keep her right eye closed out of surprise. She also opens her eyes after Kazekoshi's defeat, and when she thinks Kubo is about to hit Kana again for losing.
* RomanticTwoGirlFriendship: With Kana.
* TeamMom: Particularly when she protects the underclassmen from Kubo's wrath.
* TenderTears: Frequently weeps over even the most trivial of things, such as thinking she inconvenienced her team irregulars when they compiled for her the details of Kiyosumi and Tsuruga's gameplay, as well as forgetting to tell Seika about Hisa's style, causing her to be forced into a disadvantageous position.
* UnknownRival: She wanted to face off against Hisa one more time, but Hisa doesn't remember her until she opens her eye in their match.
* WalkingTechbane: For such a skillful mahjong player, Mihoko is helpless when put against electronics, to the point at which simple tasks like trying to print out records [[EpicFail cause the computers to crash, tangle her in their wires, and spark electricity]].
* WhatBeautifulEyes: According to Hisa.
-->'''Hisa''': "Did you know? Red rubies and blue sapphires are made from the same element."
----

!!Kana Ikeda
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ikeda_kana.png
->''"She gives us time to play even at the expense of her own. Despite her loving mahjong as much as she does. And it's all because we're such cowards."''
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Position:''' Captain\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/RikaMorinaga

Considered the second-best player of Team Kazekoshi, Kana is Mihoko's best friend and protectorate, with a bit of a CatGirl theme going on with her. Despite being only the second-best, Mihoko entrusted her the position as Captain so she can personally take revenge on Koromo after last year's loss.
-----
* BlushSticker: Occasionally wears them, highlighting her innocent nature.
* CatGirl: Often gives off this image, especially when she gets excited and her hair forms cat ears, complete with a CatSmile, CuteLittleFangs and HyperspaceEars.
* TheChewToy: Sometimes she just doesn't deserve the psychological (and sometimes physical) trauma she's been receiving.
* CoolBigSis: To her three little sisters.
* DullEyesOfUnhappiness: When she gets reduced to 0 points by Koromo in the final round of the team tournament.
* FirstNameBasis: In a flashback, asks Mihoko to call her by her first name. In the second picture drama, she vocally insists that Miharu do the same with her.
* HotBlooded: Puts up a show of bravade before Koromo during the Nagano finals.
* MilesGloriosus: She's by no means a bad player, but she's out of her depth against Koromo, as much as she'd like to think otherwise.
* PluckyGirl: Despite being taken down to 0 points, and having next to no chance to come back, she perseveres.
* PromotionToParent: Her parents are often away, and she ends up taking care of her younger sisters fairly often, especially in ''Saki Biyori''.
* RomanticTwoGirlFriendship: With Mihoko. She's one of the few people to whom Mihoko has confessed her insecurities, and the only teammate Mihoko calls by her first name.
* TheyCallMeMisterTibbs: She takes mild offense at being called "Ikeda" by Yuuki, and when her sisters copy her by calling Bundou by her last name without honorifics, she insists that they call her "Seika-onee-chan".
----

!!Miharu Yoshitome
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_miharu_3267.png
->''"Even if one day we become teammates, you will always be a superstar to me, Kana-chan."''
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Position:''' Sergeant\\
'''Voiced by:''' Chiro Kanzaki

Kana's best friend and fellow player in Team Kazekoshi.
----
* ACupAngst: While in the bath during a pre-Nationals training camp hosted by Team Kiyosumi, she finds herself quite inadequate in the bare company of Mako, Tomoki and Kaori.
* BoringButPractical: The PSP game implies she has an ability to determine which tiles will to subjected to a ron, helping her avoid playing into others' hands. It's possibly why she was able to get through her match during the Nagano finals while losing very few points (1,200), even after Kaori's yakuman.
* {{Meganekko}}: It's indicated in a picture drama that Miharu was initially ranked very low in the club (at 75th), until Mihoko and Kana noticed that her vision wasn't very good and got her glasses.
* NiceGirl: Seen as one of Kana's friendliest companions in Team Kazekoshi.
* StatingTheSimpleSolution: In ''Saki Biyori'', when the Kazekoshi girls have to do book reports, they go to the library and find all the books have been checked out. When Kana proposes two different methods for faking the report, Miharu cheerfully but decisively says...
-->"Read a book."
----

!!Seika Bundou
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Bundou_5156.PNG
->''"We're definitely going next year!"''
->'''Year:''' 1st\\
'''Position:''' Lieutenant\\
'''Voiced by:''' Ai Matayoshi

Seika is a newcomer to Team Kazekoshi, who managed to climb her way into its frontlines in a mere two months. She also collects Pro Mahjong cards.
-----
* BadassBoast: From the manga, during a call from Kubo (see above).
* TheCaretaker: Assigned by Kubo (together with Sumiyo) to look after Kana's little sisters while she's away with Mihoko in Tokyo for the Nationals.
* EyesAlwaysShut: Most of the time. When they open, however, her skills go up a notch.
* HiddenDepths: Seika is an avid collector of Mahjong player trading cards. When she finds out that Mutsuki does the same, they become fast friends.
* RightBehindMe: She complains about not needing Fujita's card at training camp, only for Fujita to appear behind her, slightly annoyed at what she said, although she clarifies that she already has multiple copies of the card.
* TookALevelInBadass: She was once ranked ''dead last'' within Team Kazekoshi, but after Mihoko praises her for doing chores to help her teammates concentrate, she worked her way up to fifth-place, thus earning a spot for their A-Team.
----

!!Sumiyo Fukabori
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Sumiyo_2976.PNG
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Position:''' Vice-Captain\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/MitsukiSaiga

A second-year student who is very quiet and does not talk much outside her match.
----
* {{The Big G|uy}}irl: Perhaps the largest female shown in the series, not counting the absurdly tall Toyone.
* TheCaretaker: Assigned by Kubo (together with Seika) to look after Kana's little sisters while Kana is away at the Nationals.
* TheVoiceless: She rarely speaks at all, and even then only during matches.
----

!!Takako Kubo
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Kubo_9244.PNG
->''"IKEDA!"''
->'''Voiced by:''' Miho Yamada

The notoriously stern coach of Team Kazekoshi.
-----
* DrillSergeantNasty: She's quite harsh with the players, using ''physical'' discipline for even minor mistakes. How much of this is her typical approach to teaching and how much is this just her still being shellshocked over Team Kazekoshi's loss to Ryuumonbuchi last year is unclear.
* {{Flanderization}}: Inverted -- in ''Saki Biyori'', she comes off as more of a SternTeacher than a DrillSergeantNasty.
* KickTheDog: In Season 1 Episode 7, she slaps Mihoko for what she calls subpar performance, and is just barely prevented from slapping Kana as well. Particularly egregious considering that the team still ''won'' by an overwhelming margin.
* PetTheDog: After Team Kazekoshi loses in the Nagano finals, just as she's set up and expected to beat the living hell out of Kana... she just wears a smile of resignation and tells her to go kick ass next time.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: In spite of her hard coaching, she keeps up with Team Kazekoshi, and got a hell of a kick out of Seika's BadassBoast over the phone. She even apologized to Seika and Sumiya for having to assign them to look after the little sisters of Kana, who is currently with Mihoko in Tokyo for the Nationals.
* SayMyName: See her quote, after the team's defeat at the end of the Nagano finals.
* SlowClap: After Mihoko's victory in the first round.
* {{Tsundere}}: Implied to be one in ''Saki Biyori'', as seen in this text message to the team.
-->"Kubo here. I know it's on short notice, but there will be no club activities today. Get yourself a nice relaxing day off. ^_^"
----
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tsuruga Academy]]
Hailing from one of the wealthiest schools in Nagano Prefecture, with access to state-of-the-art technology, Tsuruga's mahjong team exploits their logistical advantage by having their members train using online mahjong on laptops.

Team Tsuruga ended at third place at the Nagano finals.

!!Yumi Kajiki
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_yumi3_1627.png
->''"I still have a long way to go, but I want to feel the tiles on this level. Whatever the situation may be, I want to continue playing on this level."''
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Captain\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/YuuKobayashi

Originally a bottom-feeder in Team Tsuruga, Yumi worked her way to join the frontliners by reading a mahjong book after losing to Kanbara back in their first year. Both her hard-earned mahjong and leadership skills (which make many mistake her for club president instead of laidback Kanbara) helped lead Tsuruga to its very first prefecturals appearance. She is also responsible for bringing her close friend Momoko into the club.

While she doesn't have a special ability, Yumi can recognize players' abilities, against which she will take up defensive measures, as evidenced by her match in the prefectural finals. She was able to perfectly target Saki despite going against the "logical" style of playing and she was able to hold her own against Koromo.
-----
* AwesomeByAnalysis: Yumi's penchant for researching the skills of her possible opponents was glossed upon in the first series, but the actual ''results'' of all that research is showcased beautifully in ''Achiga-hen'', where the foreknowledge she got allowed her to play around the abilities of the Matsumi sisters.
* BadassNormal: One of the poster-girls of this for the franchise, having fought Saki and Koromo on an even footing despite not having an ability of her own. Shown again in ''Achiga-hen'', when she is pitted against the Matsumi sisters in a friendly practice match.
-->"Sorry to disappoint, but I don't have a weird ability like Onjouji."
* GenreSavvy: She relies on strategy and research about her opponents' likely hands to plan her game accordingly.
* GracefulLoser: After losing to Team Kiyosumi in the Nagano finals (and thus barred from the Nationals), she provides them with extensive research about the styles of their likely opponents, all of which she spent months collecting. This gesture even impresses Hisa.
* HypercompetentSidekick[=/=]TheLancer: Her skill, recruitment tactics, and no-nonsense maturity make her the logical boss, right? Instead, she's the compliment to laidback Satomi. Kaori lampshades this when noticing that Yumi, rather than Mutsuki, chose Mutsuki as the next ClubPresident.
* IceQueen: Satomi's first impression of her. She's actually...
** SugarAndIcePersonality: ...serious and no-nonsense at first glance, but often shows a softer side, especially around Momoko.
* LastNameBasis: Tends to address most of her teammates besides Momo by their last names, which is part of the reason why Momo becomes jealous when she calls Hisa by her first name.
* LastSecondWordSwap: When discussing with Momoko why she chose to go to the training camp.
-->"I have to admit... I want to be together with [[RomanticTwoGirlFriendship Mo]]... I mean, with everyone. Not just for inter-high."
* LuminescentBlush: Sometimes gets these when Momo is concerned.
* RomanticTwoGirlFriendship: With Momoko, bordering on MoeCouplet.
* RunningGag: People mistaking her for Tsuruga's ClubPresident. Interestingly enough, Hisa doesn't do the same in ''Saki Biyori'' when Yumi comes to represent Tsuruga at the meeting of the club presidents regarding the training camp.
-->'''Hisa:''' "You came instead after all, Kajiki-san."
* SoProudOfYou: Says this to Momoko after pointing out that during the National finals' vice-captains' match, she had the largest net point gain, which was an impressive feat considering her competition.
----

!!Momoko Touyoko
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/touyoko_momoko.png
->''"I only need one person to be watching me."''
->'''Year:''' 1st\\
'''Position:''' Vice-Captain\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/MomokoSaito

Momoko is a freshman whose poor sense of social presence made her constantly ignored throughout her childhood, until an online mahjong match catches Yumi's attention, and she "appears" when Yumi calls her out during a class break to acknowledge her skills. Both girls became very close friends, so much so she gets jealous of others Yumi shows interest in, as well as becoming very anxious of what will happen after Yumi graduates. Her speech includes an accent which often adds the ending "su" and "s" any to her sentences.

Her lack of presence actually translated into the mahjong power of {{invisibility}} -- the stronger her opponents, the more she becomes invisible, at which point her discards disappear and her voice will not be heard by anyone, allowing her to throw out risky tiles with abandon, causing much disorientation.
-----
* ClingyJealousGirl: Her reactions whenever Hisa becomes too friendly with her beloved Yumi for comfort are priceless.
* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: Her skin is significantly paler than most other characters, although this most often is shown in the anime.
* TheFaceless: Up until Season 1 Episode 14, every scene containing her is shot in such a way that her face is obscured.
* FriendlessBackground: Until Yumi noticed her after an online game.
* TheGlomp: Gives one to Yumi after she praises her on account of her good scoring ability.
* HeroicSelfDeprecation
-->"She [Touka] must be an [[LargeHam outrageous]] self-interested [[AttentionWhore showboat]]. And she [Nodoka] has [[GagBoobs body parts that have more personality than herself]]. Then there is the antithesis of such people."
* [[{{Invisibility}} Invisible Girl]]: Even more impressive when you notice her chest is rather impressive. Even her character select box in the PSP is [[PaintingTheMedium borderline invisible]].
* ItsPersonal: In the individuals tournament, she wants to get back at Saki for defeating Yumi.
* TheNicknamer: In her internal monologues, she tends to refer to her opponents by nicknames, such as "[[GagBoobs Boobs-san]]" for Nodoka and "Rinshan Kaihou-san" for Saki.
* OhCrap: After realizing that Nodoka has seen her discard.
* PersonalityPowers: An invisible girl who actually uses her shyness to disappear from the table and then pull off risky gambits with abandon.
* {{Pluralses}}: How Momoko's verbal tic is subtitled.
* RedBaron: "Stealth Momo".
* RomanticTwoGirlFriendship: With Yumi, bordering on MoeCouplet.
* ShrinkingViolet: To the extent that she develops [[PersonalityPowers invisibility because of it]].
* TearsOfJoy: After Yumi calls out to her, being the first person to actively seek her out.
* VerbalTic: Momo tends to finish her sentences with "~su".
----

!!Mutsuki Tsuyama
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/0Mutsuki_7565.jpg
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Position:''' Vanguard\\
'''Voiced by:''' Shin Nanasawa

Mutsuki is fairly serious but sometimes lacks confidence, and is handpicked by Momo as the next ClubPresident of Team Tsuruga once she and her fellow third-years graduate.
-----
* ButtMonkey: Mutsuki always seems to take the brunt of Satomi's ideas or humor, much to her disillusionment.
* ClubPresident: She's picked to take on this role.
* HiddenDepths: As the joint training camp in the manga reveals, Mutsuki is apparently an avid collector of Mahjong player cards. This makes her fast friends with Kazekoshi's Seika, and gives both excuses to visit their respective schools to exchange rare or otherwise uncommon cards.
* OnlySaneMan: She lacks the quirks that the other members of the Tsuruga mahjong club (even Yumi) have.
----

!!Kaori Senoo
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_kaori_346.png
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Position:''' Sergeant\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/RyokoShintani

Satomi's friend, who joined Team Tsuruga so they could enter the five-girl tournament. Otherwise Kaori barely knows anything about mahjong before she's thrust into a major tournament.

She plays with an unbelievable amount of beginner’s luck, and she had the most amount of yakuman scored by the players in the series. Because of this, she is forbidden from practicing and playing mahjong before the tournament.
-----
* {{Adorkable}}: Her character select screen in the PSP game even says...
-->"Somehow the sight of this timid second-year student fidgeting away is just too captivating."
* BeginnersLuck: Yumi even forbids her from playing mahjong between the team competition and the individuals to keep her luck.
* ChildhoodFriends: With Satomi, a large part of the reason why she was recruited to the club despite her relative inexperience.
* ConfusionFu: Accidentally. Being a complete beginner, her discards are impossible to read, since she has no idea what's she doing.
* FailedASpotCheck: Normally, this trope wouldn't be anything unusual as far as Momoko is concerned, but Kaori only met Momo around the time the tournament started, despite her being in the club room at the same time, and once actually being in Satomi's van with her (in the latter case, Kaori even heard Momo's voice at a few points).
* HardWorkHardlyWorks: A variation of this trope is in effect, as Yumi's reasons for not letting her practice before the individual tournament is that she cannot possibly improve enough in that time to compensate for the loss of her BeginnersLuck. Unfortunately for her, she doesn't make it far in the individuals.
* {{Meganekko}}: Wears a pair of glasses both inside and outside the table.
* MundaneUtility: In ''Saki Biyori'', she uses her incredible luck to win a mahjong table for the club, albeit while collecting the bottles needed to enter the contest from her schoolmates at Tsuruga.
* SpannerInTheWorks: Gloriously threw a monkey wrench against Mako's pattern-based play (and to a lesser extent affects Touka and Tomoki's plays as well).
* StrategySchmategy: Kaori proves to be extremely effective against players who rely on patterns and established strategies to calculate their opponent's next move, because they can't really predict what she's going to do next.
----

!!Satomi Kanbara
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_kanbara_487.png
->''"Wa-ha-ha!"''
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Lieutenant\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/NatsukoKuwatani

Club president of Team Tsuruga and Kaori's good friend, known for her unusual laugh. Naturally laidback, she is always seen with a wide smile, causing many to dismiss her as an idiot with an empty-headed grin -- often at thier own risk. In reality, she doesn't let anything get to her and has a lot of trust in her team members. Her personality is also reflected in her driving style (she's 18, thus she's eligible), which is a bit on the reckless side. She is one of the few who can detect Momo, though only when she is upwind of her.
------
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: {{Subverted}}; she isn't a particularly good player compared to other team leaders. So much so Fujita assumes that the job belongs to Yumi.
* BookDumb: She's not necessarily stupid, but she's implied to not be very good at school; Yumi says that she's confident that she'll pass her exams, but there's a reasonable chance Satomi will fail. ''Saki Biyori'' often shows her trying to study, but not very able to stay focused or retain what she's learned.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Despite appearing laid-back and not thinking about things too deeply, she's more competent than she lets on, even if she doesn't do all that well against Hisa and Hajime.
* ChildhoodFriends: With Kaori.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: From her weird laugh to her irresponsible driving style, she definitely fits this archetype.
* ClubPresident: She's officially in this role, at least until she passes the torch to Mutsuki, although people sometimes mistake Yumi for the leader.
* DrivesLikeCrazy: ''Achiga-hen'' shows just ''how'' crazy Satomi drives that van of hers. It's also showcased in a picture drama, in which her driving has various reactions on her teammates -- Mutsuki is nauseated, Kaori is horrified, Yumi desperately yells for Satomi to slow down, and Momo actually ''enjoys'' it because it gives her a chance to glomp Yumi.
* [[FarmBoy Farm Girl]]: Granted, Team Tsuruga is from a semi-rural region, but she is definitely from a rural area.
* SignatureLaugh: See her quote above.
----
[[/folder]]

!National Semifinals, Side A (Achiga, Shiraitodai, Senriyama and Shindouji)

[[folder:Shiraitodai High School (West Tokyo)]]
Shiraitodai is known as an exception to West Tokyo's reputation for producing second-rate players, primarily due to its sudden ascent after then-freshman Teru Miyanaga helped it storm its way to victory at the 69th Inter-High School Mahjong Championships, as well as its successful title defense the next year. Should Team Shiraitodai, currently seeded at first, wins again this year, Teru, who is also a two-time individuals champion, will become the first national champion throughout her high-school tenure.

Team Shiraitodai, together with Team Achiga, qualified for the National finals, though it was knocked to second-place due to its players failing to sustain the massive lead Teru gave them back in the Vanguards' semifinals match.

!!Teru Miyanaga
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiTeru_1024.png
->''"I...have no sister."''
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Vanguard\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/MaiNakahara

Saki's estranged older sister and leader of Team Shiraitodai. Teru is a mahjong superstar, ranking first on the national rankings, and is leading a two-time defending Nationals champion team. Since her parent's separation, she has lived with her mother in Tokyo. She and Sumire makes up the [=ToraHime=] combination.

This year, she plays Vanguard due to her winning streak, allowing her to lower her opponents' scores below 0. Her ability has a giant snow-balling effect -- specifically, she spends the first hand analyzing her opponent's abilities. Afterwards, she is capable of going on long streaks with the value of each successful hand worth more than the last. This manifests itself in a tornado on her right arm. The only drawback is tha she has to rely on her opponents' tiles to siphon off them as effectively as possible.
-----
* TheAce: One of the best high-school level mahjong players in the series.
* [[AloofBigBrother Aloof Big Sister]]: Saki says that the last time she visited Teru and their mother, Teru was unwilling to speak with her at all.
* BlowYouAway: Her power manifests as a whirlwind covering her right arm.
* CainAndAbel: The Cain to Saki's Abel. The latter is well aware of Teru's enmity toward her, but is quite shocked to hear that Teru refuses to admit to having a sister.
* TheChessmaster: This is proof that she and Saki are more alike than the former would admit. During the National semifinals, against Toki's ippatsu tsumo, Teru purposely discarded a 3-dotted tile. At this point everyone is careful as whenever Toki declares riichi it means either someone will play to her hand or she will draw the winning tile. Kirame had no safe tile, so she followed Teru's lead of three dots. Teru called the tile and shifted the drawing order, and Toki's winning tile was taken by Kuro, who knew by (a traumatic) experience. Later in the match Teru declared kan, freaking out her opponents who expected a rinshan kaihou. Their relief that over Teru still being one tile away from completion (even with a tile off the dead wall) was short-lived, however, when they realized Teru opened more kan dora, which wrecked Kuro's hand a big time and forced her to play Teru's game.
* ClimaxBoss: In Achiga-hen, is the most difficult opponent the Achiga girls face in their quest to reach and play against Nodoka.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Not in the main manga or ''Achiga-hen'', but Teru in ''Saki Biyori'' is... ''special'', to say the least.
* ClubPresident: Of Team Shiraitodai.
* CoolBigSis: How she used to be. Now she doesn't even acknowledge that Saki is her sister.
* CynicismCatalyst: See DarkAndTroubledPast. The details of what happened or why Teru changed the way she did are unclear, but the event in question evidently had a great impact on her.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: [[http://sadpanda.us/images/1628808-0UZ5S3N.png How did Teru turn from the sweet older sister to one that doesn't even acknowledge her sister? Well, for one thing, Teru is wearing a mourning dress here.]]
* DracoInLeatherPants: InUniverse -- Saki's flashbacks to Teru are highly idealized (from appearance to voice), and even when it's clear that Teru publicly disowned her, she still holds out hope that she can change her sister's mind through mahjong even after words have failed. In ''Achiga-hen'', she also has a lot of fangirls cheering for her everytime she scores, her ruthless playing style be damned. Her underclassmen are especially smitten by her, almost to an OneeSama degree. Only Sumire seems to be aware of the severe family-related issues Teru hides behind her stoic facade.
* TheDreaded: If there is anyone the contestants of the tournament do not want to face, it is ''Teru''. Even Kei, last year's National individuals runner-up, likened her to a force of nature than a human being.
* EvilSoundsDeep: In the first anime only, where her voice in the present is notably deeper than in Saki's flashbacks.
** VocalEvolution: Come ''Achiga-hen'', the deep alto voice Creator/MaiNakahara used was replaced instead with a much lighter tone. Especially evident during the extra episodes, which feature what happens after the Vanguard match, where Teru is just sitting around in Shiraitodai's waiting room eating sweets with the rest of her team.
* {{Foil}}: To Hiroe. While Teru is cold and aloof, even to her teammates and especially to her sister, she can project a cheerful facade if needed. In contrast, while Hiroe loves to taunt her opponents, she's actually a good teammate and sister, and that her taunts are actually her way of encouraging her opponents to give her a decent challenge.
* HiddenDepths: Despite her utterly ruthless style, the TV finale of ''Achiga-hen'' hints that Teru might not be as uncaring as she outwardly presents, when her stoic mask breaks (for just a second) and she shows concern after Toki collapses after their match. This is even ''more'' pronounced in the manga chapter showing the same event, where we're treated to a frame showing Teru looking outright shocked at what happened, and later wondering about Toki's condition. She also appears briefly worried about Sumire, the closest person she has to a friend, after realizing that she has a tell, but they're not yet able to identify what it is.
** Despite being PlayedForLaughs, ''Saki Biyori'' reveals that Teru can be a bit of a goofball when paired with Awai, and has a humongous SweetTooth.
* HiddenEyes: Fairly common in flashbacks, and the photo of her in a magazine that is occasionally shown.
* [[IHaveNoSon I Have No Sister]]: As far as we know, she hasn't said it directly to Saki, but when asked, she refuses to admit that Saki is her sister.
* KickTheDog: Inadvertently, but the reaction Saki has to her saying that she doesn't have a sister is quite... Well, troubling, even if Teru most likely never expected that Saki would hear of it.
* LightIsNotGood: The Teru the public knows is definitely ''not'' the Teru her team is familiar with, as Sumire points out after seeing Teru give fake smiles to the press. And while more reserved than nasty -- see her private concern for Toki after her collapse and hospitalization -- she seems to reserve a special kind of loathing for her own sister.
* MeaningfulName: Like Saki, her name is relevant to her ability. Her name means 'to illuminate' which refer to her 'Shoumakyou' a magical mirror that illuminate/reveal her opponent's nature to her.
* NotSoAboveItAll: ''Saki Biyori'' reveals that it's ''Teru'' who usually goes along with Awai's crazy suggestions.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: One thing she shares with Saki -- except the sheer ruthlessness in mahjong.
* SayMyName: In TheStinger for ''Zenkoku-hen'', Teru turns to the camera and whispers "Saki...", implying that deep down at least she's still thinking about Saki.
* SignatureMove: ''Achiga-hen'' finally reveals the truth of the matter, and boy it's a doozy. She sees through her opponents' cores after a single hand, letting her counter their styles and abilities. She then goes on winning streaks where each hand is more valuable than the last. Her drawbacks are that the point-farming gets reset if someone manages to interrupt her streak (such as Kuro's ability to collect doras), and that her over-reliance on what she observes limits her options. This would make Saki's ±0 style even more impressive, as even National players working together have trouble interrupting her streaks, while all Saki needs to win back lost points are a few massive hands, in contrast to Teru relying on long streaks -- a move Saki could use over and over if she wants. Saki was also known to be the ''only'' player to have beaten Teru on her own... and she's been using her talent to ''[[WillfullyWeak throw every match]]''.
* SlasherSmile: On the cover of the eighth DVD of Season 1. This was lampooned ''mercilessly'' a few years later in one of the ''Achiga-hen'' extras, where an embarrassed Teru admits (to Awai and Sumire) that her expression on the cover was not one of her brightest moments, especially when Awai considers doing the same.
* StepfordSmiler: She displays politeness to the press, but behind the door, she's pretty damn condescending. Probably explains why the press don't double check it when she denies any connection with Saki.
-->'''Sumire:''' "As always... your salesman smile is absolutely cruel."\\
'''Teru:''' "Oh...? You know, there's quite a few people I'm actually grateful to. I wasn't lying..."\\
'''Sumire:''' "Right, but it's just too different from your normal self. "
* TheStoic: Even when her team is nearly eliminated, she was shown unconcerned and busy eating sweets.
** NotSoStoic: Mentioning [[IHaveNoSon Saki]] is the surest way for anyone to get a reaction out of her. Then there's Toki fainting after her match.
* SweetTooth: Has a massive one, which is further flanderized in her appearances in ''Saki Biyori''.
* UsedToBeASweetKid: In Saki's flashbacks, she's shown as being relatively cheerful and caring for her younger sister.
* WalkingSpoiler: To an extent, as the scene in which she denied her relationship with Saki and revealed that she had grown colder and more distant over the years came off as a surprise.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Teru is featured in mahjong magazines, depicted with a smile and a generic ambitious quote. The effects of this are felt in the first part of the nationals, when a reporter tells another that Nodoka is the only Kiyosumi player worth noting, meaning that people seem to have bought into Teru's lie that she didn't have a sister. While Teru indeed disowned Saki, it never really made it to the news in the main series. Saki only hears about being disowned when Mihoko mentions asking Nishida about Teru and Saki's relationship during Mihoko's own interview.
* WhamLine: The first indication of how severe her estrangement from Saki is.
-->'''Sumire:''' "Don't you have a sister?"\\
'''Teru:''' "[[IHaveNoSon No, I don't]]."
----

!!Sumire Hirose
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiSumire_9312.png
->''"You could at least try to smile."''
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Sergeant\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/MitsukiSaiga

Sumire is the only person known to Teru who seems to have had prior knowledge of Saki's existence. She and Teru makes up the [=ToraHime=] combination.

As Sergeant, she helps further wither down her opponent’s already low score. While Teru prefers to win via tsumo, Sumire's style is called "Piercing Arrow", which involves getting a direct hit on her target by changing her hand to target her a certain discard. Before she does that, she needs to aim first and adjust her hand, which takes a lot of time.
----
* ArcherArchetype: Her playing style evoke themes of ''kyuudou'' (Japanese archery), complete with her alternate appearance wearing the appropriate uniform.
* AttackItsWeakPoint: Her playstyle revolves around adjusting her hand to target the discards of her targetted player. This trope, however, is also [[AchillesHeel her greatest weakness]]: when aiming, her hand twitches and she goes into a hypnotized state for a second while looking at her target. Yuu exploited this to avoid her arrows, irritating Sumire. Sumire also cannot play a fast game due to a lot of time needed for her hands to adjust to Yoshiko, who also exploited her weakness by playing low-scoring but fast hands.
* DeadpanSnarker: In her first appearance, Sumire speaks to Teru in a very cold and chiding manner. She doesn't seem to buy Teru's excuse for not smiling, asking Teru about having a sister.
* HimeCut: To emphasize her princess-like attitude.
* MeaningfulName: Shiraitodai is referred to as ''Team [=ToraHime=]'', and speculation suggested that this involves Teru and Sumire.
* OhCrap: Her reaction when she saw Yoshiko's strategy for defeating her.
* OnlySaneMan: ''Biyori'' characterizes Sumire as this, compared to the rest of Shiraitodai.
* TheRedBaron: "The Sharpshooter of Shiraitodai", on account of her archery-inspired playing style.
* TheStoic: She's typically fairly calm and no-nonsense.
** NotSoStoic: She loses her temper when she sees Yoshiko's strategy for defeating her. It's also PlayedForLaughs in Saki Biyori when Teru casually mentions to Awai, who accidentally cut her own bangs off, that Teru's own bangs are a bit long.
-->'''Sumire''': ''(thinking)'' TERU!!!!!!! That's the most careless thing to say right now!!!!
----

!!Takami Shibuya
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_takami_2153.png
->''"The planted seeds had grown into fully blossomed trees."''
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Position:''' Lieutenant\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/MegumiToyoguchi

A quiet and reserved girl who always looks grim, always carrying a cup of tea. This is her first time in the nationals, being a recent addition to Team Shiraitodai for this year's nationals together with Seiko.

Takami's special ability is "Harvest Time", where she apparently receives the first tile dealt in every match up to the last match. Depending on what tiles are dealt during the course of the turns leading up to hers, this means Takami can come up with shockingly high-point hands, but it takes a lot of setup to pay off, which can be exploited by savvier opponents.

Of the five Yakuman hands that were executed in the nationals before the semifinals, Takami is known to have executed two of them.
----
* AwesomeButImpractical: Her Harvest Time ability. While it can guarantee a high point hand, it takes a long time to set up properly. Not only that, but it also requires an opponent to be careless during their dealer turns and keep on winning dealer repeats so Takami can get the tiles she needs.
* BattleAura: When it's time for her to "harvest" the tiles, a forest full of grapes becomes the background.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: She plays quite normally and loses a lot of points before her ability activates. Like Teru, if she becomes the last dealer, Takami becomes a very dangerous player able to spam yakuman hands with the tiles she managed to harvest.
* SpotOfTea: She's shown almost constantly drinking tea outside of her matches.
* StoicSpectacles: Wears a pair of them to emphasize her cool-headed nature and playstyle.
----

!!Seiko Matano
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_seiko_503.png
->''"Caught it."''
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Position:''' Vice-Captain\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/KaoriShimizu

A tomboyish girl and first-timer in the Nationals together with Takami.

She's known as the "Fisherman of Shiraitodai", whose style involves "fishing" desired tiles from the table and increasing her chances to win during the next five hands should she manage to get three calls. However, her ability forces her to depend on opponents' discarded tiles, keeping her from doing riichi and winning close-handed. Also, all her calls must be pons, and even if she can use chi, it must come from the opponent to her left, further limiting her plays.
----
* BoyishShortHair: To complement her relatively tomboyish appearance. In Chapter 27 of ''Saki Biyori'', Awai is disappointed that Seiko has no bangs to cut.
* ButchLesbian: Out of all the characters, Seiko probably best fits this trope.
* CallingYourAttacks: If she makes three calls, Seiko is guaranteed to win in the next five turns.
* LastNameBasis: Seems to be on this with the rest of Team Shiraitodai, which otherwise tends to use first names on each other.
* LoopholeAbuse: During an individuals game, she prevents Awai from using her ability, which is based around corners, by arranging all the tiles in a circle.
* {{Motif|s}}: A fisherman, which is reflected in her playing style.
* NonUniformUniform: She wears bicycle shorts instead of the white skirt the rest of her teammates wear.
* TheRedBaron: "The Fisherman of Shiraitodai", as many of her moves evoke the image of a fisherman.
* TheWorfEffect: She was as hyped as one of the best in Team Shiraitodai due to being part of the current champions. Her ''actual'' performance on the table however is extremely lacking. This is somewhat lampshaded and PlayedForLaughs in this exchange after her semifinals match.
-->'''Seiko:''' "I beat [[LastNameBasis Oohoshi's]] Double Riichi too."\\
'''Takami:''' "Eh? Did you really beat Awai-chan?"\\
'''Seiko:''' "Yeah. Hey... you don't have much confidence in me."
----

!!Awai Oohoshi
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_awai01_725.png
->''"Based on my ability, I should be in Year 100!"''
->'''Year:''' 1st\\
'''Position:''' Captain\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/ChiwaSaito

A newcomer considered one of the most dangerous freshmen in Japan, aside from Saki. Awai is considerably confident, cocky and arrogant, but is shown to be the most cheerful out of her Shiraitodai teammates. She succeeded Teru as Team Shiraitodai's Captain.

Much like many "monster"-level participants, Awai features several special abilities, of which the most obvious comes into play at the beginning of every hand -- and this involves intimidating opponents into yielding very poor starters, with a low probability of completion (by way of projecting a vision of darkness), after which their hands are reset, forcing them to declare chi, pon or kan to advance. The drawback is that this is very difficult to pull off and can be worked around by savvy opponents. Her other abilities are relatively low-key, but possess a certain move that makes her a terror to the unprepared: a double riichi explosion (where she's guaranteed a tenpai after declaring riichi on the discard of her first tile), a guaranteed kan from the dead wall (where said kan tile can always be drawn from around the first corner) which almost always precedes a winning hand; said kan allows her to turn around the dora marker. The guaranteed win from her riichi then allows her to turn the ura dora marker, which will ''then'' allow Awai to get the tile she kans as a dora.
----
* ArchEnemy: To Shizu, [[UnknownRival who doesn't reciprocate the feeling]].
* [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Arrogant Mahjong Girl]]: Ooh boy, is she ever... which makes it all the more humiliating for her to lose to Shizuno.
* BadassBoast: Before the National semifinals, after Seiko has all but destroyed Team Shiraitodai's lead.
-->"Losing is not in my dictionary."
** After she lost to Shizuno, and badly so...
-->"I'm going to beat you one hundred times!"
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Her characterization in ''Saki Biyori''.
* {{Combo}}: Awai's abilities are basically this, where triggering one ability leads to the others.
** ComboBreaker: ...But those savvy to the sequence of her skill activation can quickly put a stop to things, as demonstrated by Seiko preventing her guaranteed-kan skill (drawn from the dead wall corner) [[LoopholeAbuse by arranging all the tiles in a circle]] (which removes the corner). Shizuno's ability, which affects where the dead wall is cut depending on the dice roll, also affected where Awai normally gets the tile she uses to declare a kan, stopping her combo ability cold in its tracks.
* DramaticThunder: A manifestation of Awai deciding to stop messing around, ''literally''.
* GlassCannon: Awaii is all offense, zero defense. Backfires spectacularly during her time on the table against both Himeko and Shizuno.
* GravityMaster: Figuratively. It makes opponents' starting hands terrible. When she uses this power, the opponents see a vision of the infinite darkness of the outer space. Fortunately for them, this power is not foolproof -- it can be trumped by other powers that say "a certain tile composition must happen" (e.g. Himeko's keyblade or Takami's Harvest Time, or even Shizuno's AntiMagic ability).
* HeroWorshipper: A mild example to Teru, as she comments that she wouldn't mind losing to her, which says a great deal considering her arrogance and confidence in her own abilities.
* MeaningfulName: ''Fleeting Supernova''
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: While Team Shiraitodai was already at a bad spot after an early lead courtesy of Teru, her arrogance and misplaced bravado ''nearly'' became their undoing.
* OhCrap: Her reaction after realizing that this time, she will have to claw her way to second-place, and again after she tried to declare the score from her hand, only for Shizuno to tell her to look at the ura dora. She does, and is shocked to find out that her play is invalidated.
* SweetTooth: A huge one, though not exactly unique among the Shiraitodai players barring Sumire.
* TheWorfEffect: Years prior to ''Achiga-hen'', [[WordOfGod Ritz]] hyped up Awai as a formidable opponent. Come ''Achiga-hen''... well, let's just say come the National semifinals, Awai's ''actual'' performance was anything but stellar. While her abilities would ''theoretically'' make her a menace to any normal player, her propensity to go all-out rendered her largely ineffective. This is exacerbated by the fact that, due to her massive ego, she doesn't even bother putting up a defense, which makes for easy pickings by savvier opponents.
----
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Senriyama Girls' Academy (North Osaka)]]
The second-ranking school overall in Japan as of the 70th Inter-High season, this year marks Senriyama's 35th appearance in the Nationals as well as eleventh straight year representing North Osaka for the competition. While its current lineup is composed of veterans from last season, it also features both a freshman and a new Vanguard to round off the team.

Unfortunately, Team Senriyama narrowly missed the finals to quarterfinals bracket-mate Achiga and Shiraitodai.

!!Toki Onjouji
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiToki_1849.png
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Vanguard\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/YuiOgura

Toki is a frail and sickly girl who, until last year, wasn't even a candidate for her school's Nationals Team, being a middling player in Senriyama's C-Team. This all changed when, while recovering from a near-fatal illness that left her bedridden for a long time, she discovers that she can see into the future for a limited time, equivalent to a single turn in a mahjong match. With this ability, as well as the support of her friends Ryuuka and Sara, she improves her game and works her way up the ranks, eventually joining Team Senriyama's frontliners. As she is prone to fainting spells, Toki is never seen far from Ryuuka's side, and seems to enjoy resting or sleeping on the latter's lap.
----
* BadassAdorable: Combine her undying determination with her cute looks and you have the perfect example of this.
* CameBackStrong: In a way.
* DeadpanSnarker: Unlike most IllGirl characters, she can be downright snarky if she sees an opening to do so. It's probably just the side effect of regularly tiptoeing the line of death. In fact, half her lines in ''Saki Biyori'' is some kind of snark!
* {{Determinator}}: One of the biggest determinators in the entire series.
* DiscardAndDraw: She implies that she had an ability vaguely referred to as "of the three armies" before her hospitalization, which she thinks would have been more useful against Teru.
* EnemyMine: With Kirame. Invoked, as it's the only real way for anyone on the table to survive against Teru.
* HeroicResolve: Even if her body is frail, Toki will ''never'' back down from such tough competition as Teru, even if she has to push her body beyond its limits.
* HeroicSacrifice: Overexerts herself by looking ''three turns'' ahead just to stop Teru's streak despite knowing that her body will not take it. She is promptly knocked unconscious after the obligatory post-match exchange of thank-yous, and spends the rest of the National semifinals hospitalized.
* HonorBeforeReason: Related to the entry above; instead of playing safe and defensively, she's pushing her body to the brink to, in her own words, "...knock the champion down a peg." This is despite the fact that being second place is good enough to advance.
* HypocriticalHumor: In the anime, while watching Ryuuka's match, hopes that Ryuuka won't "overdo it," when, in fact, Toki's overdoing it is the reason she's watching from her hospital bed.
* IllGirl: Despite recovering from a near-fatal illness, Toki is still not in the best of health. When she points out her similarities with Yuu, Ryuuka immediately teasingly asks if she is referring to the two of them having weak constitutions.
* [[CombatClairvoyance Mahjong Clairvoyance]]: Her power, which was triggered after surviving a near-fatal illness.
* MeaningfulName: If no kanji is given, "toki" usually means "time", which naturally fits with her clairvoyant powers.
* RomanticTwoGirlFriendship: With Ryuuka. The dynamic is reversed, though: the smaller and more waifish girl wears the pants in the relationship.
* SympathyForTheHero: Upon seeing Kuro despairing against Teru, Toki thinks that Kuro may be beating herself up, but she has proven helpful against Teru by hoarding all the dora tiles. When Kuro discards a dora tile for the sake of stopping Teru's winning streaks, Toki appears quite impressed and pleased with Kuro.
* TearsFromAStone: After Team Senriyama is eliminated, while Izumi (then on her bedside) is agonizing over how to break the news to her, Toki sheds tears in her sleep, apparently cognizant of their fate.
* TookALevelInBadass: She's come a long way from when she started at Team Senriyama, and this is not wholly due to her acquired ability.
----

!!Ryuuka Shimizudani
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiRyuuka_9490.png
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Captain\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/KaoriIshihara

Toki's best friend, who pushed for her inclusion into Team Senriyama's Nationals team, despite the latter's doubts. Ryuuka seems to have taken up the role of Toki's unofficial caretaker (and personal lap pillow), and is never far from her side, to the point of spoling her friend, but given Toki's condition she seems to feel that it's merited.

As one of those who knew about Toki's foresight and its toll on her already-frail health, she constantly worries that Toki might one day overexert herself in the middle of a match.
----
* BadassNormal: She made it on Team Senriyama with her own merits, while it took Toki being hospitalized and earning powers of clairvoyance to land a spot in her third year.
** EmpoweredBadassNormal: And then, during the National semifinals, she starts using foresight borrowed from Toki (and in the anime, heat-vision).
* CombinationAttack: With Toki. During the Captain's match, she was able to see a fairy Toki that can tell her the tiles she will be given and the highest points she can win. Fairy Toki will only be able summoned three times.
* CryCute: After finishing the semifinals in third place, she was last seen a disconsolate mess.
* EleventhHourSuperpower: Ryuuka receives a much more limited version of Toki's foresight... due to Toki rubbing off her face on Ryuuka's thighs so often. Unbelievably, the anime adds ''one more'': a type of heat vision, where she can sense her opponents' body temperature, which helps her predict their reaction to her moves. While active, Ryuuka's eyes gain neon purple rings inside of them, making them glow with the same eerie color. Added likely to lend her ''some'' independence from Toki's loaned ability, upon which she was wholly dependent throughout her run.
* FriendlyEnemy: To Team Achiga. After recognizing Kuro as one of the girls she met at the rest stop (with the rest of Team Achiga, who tried to help Toki after seeing her collapse), she starts cheering for her, and is pleased when they get through the National quarterfinals.
* GirlsAreReallyScaredOfHorrorMovies: In ''Saki Biyori'' she admits that she's bad with scary stuff, and chooses to watch the film in English, because it would be scary enough even if they don't understand the plot. By contrast, [[DeadpanSnarker Toki]] has a much more understated reaction to when the zombies finally arrive.
* InformedAbility: Ryuuka is Osaka's highest net point gainer, beating Sera, Hiroe, Kyouko and Kei.
* LapPillow: Serves as this for Toki, which is also why she got some of Toki's foresight.
* RomanticTwoGirlFriendship: With Toki.
* SayMyName: Screams Toki's name when she was over exerting herself, and after being knocked unconscious.
* UnbrokenVigil: She stays with Toki after she's hospitalized, until Izumi makes her come back for her match, literally having to pry Ryuuka away from her bedside. Toki wakes up after Ryuuka has left.
* WorfHadTheFlu: Hiroko worries that Ryuuka worrying about Toki's condition, especially since she had to leave for the finals before Toki came to, means that Ryuuka isn't playing at her best.
* ZettaiRyouiki: Grade A.
----

!!Sera Eguchi
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiSara_4068.png
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Lieutenant\\
'''Voiced by:''' Arisa Noto

Sera is another of Ryuuka and Toki's friends. An unabashed tomboy, Sera would rather walk around in a t-shirt, shorts and a long coat than wear her school's default uniform, which is why she is embarassed when Hiroko forces her to wear it for her matches in the Nationals. Like Ryuuka, Sera is one of the first to learn of Toki's hidden ability, and is obviously concerned whenever her friend uses it, fully aware of the toll it takes on Toki's already weak body.

Sera prefers scoring with big hands built up over several turns, which makes her the opposite of Ako, whose playstyle focuses on scoring quickly with relatively small points.
----
* CustomUniform: Sara wears the top of a ''gyakuran'' and shorts instead of the usual blouse and skirt combination. Apparently, she's exempt from the dress code in most circumstances, but Hiroko forces her to wear the uniform for matches.
* FriendlyEnemy: With Ako, much to the latter's discomfort.
* LadyLooksLikeADude: She might as well be a {{homage}} to traditional {{Shonen}} protagonists.
* LuminescentBlush: Often has one when she's forced to wear the uniform.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: "Cera", "Sara" and "Cela" are the three main spellings of her first name. This page refers to her as "Sera" due to it being a more naturally Japanese name.
----

!!Izumi Nijou
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiIzumi_3357.png
->'''Year:''' 1st\\
'''Position:''' Sergeant\\
'''Voiced by:''' Maho Matsunaga

Izumi is the youngest girl in Team Senriyama, which, given its relative size, is a big deal. She is also a self-declared powerhouse freshman, in spite of a nasty encounter with Nodoka during last year's Inter-Middle High.
----
* BluntYes
-->'''Hiroko:''' "This year brought some amazing first-years like that, too, but... do you really rank yourself among them, Izumi?"\\
'''Izumi:''' "That's what I keep telling myself."
* HeroicBSOD: After her match, she's reduced to mindlessly repeating "Thanks for the game" while in shock over how things turned out, unnerving her opponents.
* NonUniformUniform: Izumi wears a sleeveless version of her school's usual serafuku.
* OhCrap: When she realizes she's the only freshman in the Sergeants' match against three strong players, all in their third year. And again upon realizing that they're attacking at full force, disallowing her to win any hands. And again when she realizes Hiroko misread Yuu's playing pattern, resulting in the latter winning a large hand.
* PrideBeforeAFall: After her defeat in her semifinals match, Funakubo said to her that she shouldn't get too full of herself in calling herself one of the best first year players, because she's far from matching the likes of Awai and Saki.
* TemptingFate: Her announcement that she's the Number 1 Freshman currently in the finals. Guess who gets sniped by Sumire immediately afterward?
* UnknownRival: To Nodoka, ever since their run-in during last year's Inter-Middle Nationals, so much so she is the first person to come to her mind whenever people talk about Team Kiyosumi.
----

!!Hiroko Funakubo
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiHiroko_8985.png
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Position:''' Vice-Captain\\
'''Voiced by:''' Manami (TV series) and Sachika Misawa (extra episodes)

Hiroko is the niece of Masae, cousin to the latter's daughters, Hiroe and Kinue of Team Himematsu, and their planner and researcher. She routinely collects information on potential opponents throughout the Nationals, and formulates strategies to counter or neutralize their particular playstyles. This includes opponents that have "unusual" draw patterns, like Kuro's propensity for drawing dora tiles. In the anime, she becomes interested in Arata, "for the sake of research", due to the unusual distribution of her draws, and she wants to study it further.

Hiroko usually uses the data she gathers before and tests it out on other players. While she may be flexible, she’s limited to only those data she had successfully gather and has a hard time going against people with flexible styles (like Mairu) or people with insufficient data (like Arata).
----
* AttackItsWeakPoint: She analyzes Seiko's habit of discarding 1 and 9 tiles, as well as honor tiles when defending, and uses that to her advantage.
* BrutalHonesty: She doesn't mince words when telling Izumi that she messed up in her semifinals match, or that she's not in the same league as Awai or even Saki.
* [[MrExposition Ms. Exposition]]: She's typically the one who outlines her opponents' draw patterns, and once complains when she gets preempted on her explanation.
* NotSoDifferent: After Hiroko advises Izumi not to overestimate her own abilities and compare herself favorably with the other powerhouse freshmen, Izumi asks back if she's [[TaughtByExperience speaking from personal experience]].
* OneSteveLimit: There's also a Hiroko from Nodoka's middle school, although this one is in an entirely different age group.
* PerpetualFrowner: Her default expression is a slight frown.
* RightBehindMe: In ''Saki Biyori'', she delivers a New Year's card to her cousin Hiroe, announcing her intention to drop by at 10 AM; Hiroe opens the card at that exact time, and Hiroko announces her presence immediately afterward.
* SlasherSmile: Hiroko gets some seriously messed-up smiles during her match, particularly every time Team Shiraitodai's Seiko makes a move.
* SmartPeopleWearGlasses: Wears these to emphasize her role as the brains of Team Senriyama.
----

!!Masae Atago
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiMasae2_3951.png
->''"[[BadassCreed It is not Senriyama's goal to stand in the finals. It is to always be on top]]!"''
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/AyaHisakawa

The faculty adviser for Senriyama's mahjong club, mother of Team Himematsu's Hiroe and Kinue, and aunt to Hiroko.
----
* AccidentalMisnaming: The Crunchyroll subs have her introducing herself as "Atagoma Sae".
* BadassCreed: Her quote, seen above.
* CanonImmigrant: First appears (and is named) in the finale of the anime, before she's even shown or named in the manga (chapter 13 to be precise). Prior to it, all mentions of the Senriyama adviser has always been as "that woman".
* DareToBeBadass: In one of Toki's flashbacks, when addressing the new members of the mahjong club, she tells them that it's entirely possible for new members to become team regulars in their first year, so they should be proactive.
* ImplausibleDeniability[=/=]LameExcuse: In ''Saki Biyori'', she tries to get out of admitting that she didn't write her New Year's cards for her daughters, first by hiding them behind her back, then by claiming that she deliberately put them out in the new year, so that she could convey her "new feelings."
* {{Nepotism}}: She hopes to avoid any rumors of this regarding her niece Hiroko's presence on the team, but Sera tells her that people will make those rumors anyway.
* SternTeacher: She's somewhat serious and no-nonsense, prompting Toki to remark that "she's serious" during her first meeting with Team Senriyama. Despite this, she also shows herself to be quite warm from time to time, such as checking on Toki in the hospital, seemingly pleased with Hiroko's performance, and comforting her niece after their loss.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: Hiroe got her looks, while Kinue apparently inherited her hair color and figure.
----
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Shindouji All-Girls' High School (Fukuoka)]]
Hailing from Fukuoka Prefecture, Team Shindouji is the embodiment of the "EveryYearTheyFizzleOut" trope in the ''Saki'' universe -- it has a long history of consistently reaching the Nationals, only to falter as early as the first eliminations round (its last highest-placed appearance was at the semifinals ten years ago, of which color commentator Risa Noyori was a player), with last year's loss being the worst of the lot. This year, they produced a new Vanguard in the form of lucky Kirame.

Team Shindouji ultimately came up short, placing dead last at the National semifinals Side A, but at least that was the highest they attained so far since at least Risa's batch a decade ago.

!!Kirame Hanada
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiKirame_5926.png
->''"Subara!"''
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Position:''' Vanguard\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/SatomiArai

If there's a word to describe Kirame, it would be "unflappable" -- even in the face of such opposition as Teru, she will never back down from a good fight, despite earlier firsthand experience as to Teru's sheer power. Originally from Nagano, she also used to be Nodoka and Yuuki's upperclassman back in Takatobara Junior High, but moved out to Fukuoka just in time for Team Shindouji's disastrous try for the 70th Nationals.

As Vanguard, she counteracts her opponents' strategy. Her special ability is to avoid hitting negative scores during games. Even though she's not strong enough to be in Shindouji's main team, they still chose her over its fifth-strongest player on account of her sheer luck.
----
* AwfulTruth: Mairu didn't put Kirame on the team because she thought Kirame was good enough, but because no matter how badly she was outmatched, she would be able to survive the Vanguard phase without going under 0. Subverted in that she doesn't let it bother her, and is glad that she's proven useful in a way.
* BornLucky: The very reason she was placed as Team Shindouji's Vanguard.
* CatchPhrase: "Subara", a shortened version of "subarashii" ("marvelous"). A joke in ''Saki Biyori'' has her filling this in on a MadLibs-style script for an advertisement for the club.
-->'''Mairu:''' "Catchphrases are unfair..."
* GenkiGirl: A walking source of bountiful energy for the otherwise somber tone of Team Shindouji.
* EnemyMine: With Toki. Not that anyone had any choice, as it's the only real way for her to ensure no one drops below zero in the match against Teru.
* GirlishPigtails: Wears her hair like these, as if emphasizing her cheerful, optimistic personality,.
* GracefulLoser: As the rest of the team cries over their loss, Kirame wipes what few tears she has in her eyes as she offers them some tacos given by Yuuki when they met earlier inside the bowels of the competition venue.
* PluckyGirl: Has to be this, to be able to face Teru again despite experiencing what Teru is fully capable of. Even when Toki and Kuro begin to despair, Kirame remains in high spirits.
* ThePollyanna: She overheard her seniors talking about the reason she is put into the team, and it doesn't bother her one bit. In fact she says she's ready to be the best damn sacrifice in the name of Team Shindouji's survival.
* SacrificialLion: Her entire purpose as Team Shindouji's Vanguard. Even if she is not good enough a player, her sheer luck nevertheless brought her into the team.
* SempaiKouhai: She was the sempai to Nodoka and Yuuki's kouhai.
* WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway: Kirame's happy even about being used as a sacrifice because it means that her ability, which doesn't do much to help her win, is actually proving useful for once.
----

!!Yoshiko Yasukouchi
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiYoshiko_6051.png
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Sergeant\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/MegumiTakamoto

The ever-nervous Sergeant and fourth-strongest player of Team Shindouji
----
* AnimeHair: A rare example in this series, which compared to its [[Manga/{{Saki}} parent]] actually uses realistic hairstyles for the majority of its introduced characters.
* AttackItsWeakPoint: While Yuu's strategy is to counteract and attack Sumire directly, Yoshiko's strategy is to disable Sumire from using her "Piercing Arrow" playstyle.
* NervousWreck: Most of the time. Given that she once faced the fearsome Sumire, this is unsurprising.
* OneSteveLimit: Shares a name with a professional player, whose surname is Kainou.
* TaughtByExperience: Facing Sumire once, she adjusted her playstyle into getting and forming a quick and easy to get hands, even though the hand itself is quite cheap.
----

!!Hitomi Ezaki
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_hitomi_8511.png
->''"It's all the government's fault!"''
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Lieutenant\\
'''Voiced by:''' Yuiko Tatsumi

A senior player for Team Shindouji who always seems to sip a drink, and their third-strongest player. She thinks everything bad is the government’s fault.
----
* AllThereInTheManual: Her name wasn't revealed until a scan of the anime's production note was appeared.
* AnimeHair: Wears her hair in sheep-like curls, making her one of the few exceptions to the series's preference for more normal hairstyles.
* ClassRepresentative: In ''Saki Biyori'', it's implied that she is one, since it's mentioned that she ended up missing half the club meeting because she was in a meeting with the class reps.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}[=/=]ConspiracyTheorist: Hitomi thinks that the reason why Shindouji went back from 3rd to 4th place in the Lieutenant match was because of the government.
* {{Padding}}: InUniverse -- in one strip in ''Saki Biyori'', she runs out of things to write in a round-robin journal when it's her turn, putting in "Mister Shindou" when she's frustrated about how to fill all the white space, a move that ends up taking on a life of its own.
-->'''Mairu:''' "[[LampshadeHanging I would've preferred blank space.]]"
* TerribleArtist: In ''Saki Biyori'', "Mister Shindou's" parents are set apart by [[TertiarySexualCharacteristics the father having a bowtie and the mother having a ribbon]], but it's hard to tell which accessory is which, or even where the neck is.
----

!!Mairu Shirouzu
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiMairu_1511.png
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Vice-Captain\\
'''Voiced by:''' Yui Kano

Last year's ace and Captain, who failed Team Shindouji last year due to her inability to measure up with the other aces. It was she who suggested the plan to use Kirame as a sacrificial pawn, in hopes of surviving the Vanguards' match and then using their four strongest players to retake the lead.

Currently the second-strongest in the team, her and Himeko's ability is called the "Tsuru no Ongaeshi" ("Return Of Gratitude of The White Crane"); hers is individually called "Reservation" -- if Mairu binds herself and win a han, on the next match Himeko is guaranteed to win it with twice the hand. The downside is that she had to rely on Mairu, so if the latter loses, Himeko will have a more difficult time winning, and at 1 han at best. of them were a terror in the Inter Middle.
----
* BrokenAce: She's a skilled player, but she blames herself for last year's devastating loss.
* BrutalHonesty: Bluntly told Hitomi that it's her fault for losing so many points in the semifinals. During Kirame's round, she tells Himeko that no matter how they look at it, she's not in a good situation.
* CasualKink: Her power includes being bind up by chains... suggestively. She also blushes when she's bound up.
* ClubPresident: Her title in the club. Even Himeko, her best friend, refers to her by her title rather than her name.
* CombinationAttack: Mairu and Himeko's ability is very threatening that the only reason Team Shiraitodai only found out their ability is when Teru faced on against Mairu during a match on a previous year.
* DeadpanSnarker: Spends a good portion of her appearances in ''Saki Biyori'' commenting on the wackiness of her teammates (and even then she's NotSoAboveItAll).
* {{Determinator}}: She's dominating the Vice-Captains' match to the point that Funakubo was stating that she's "winning too much". It's because even if she wins with low hands, the low hands doubles in Himeko's match.
* HairDecorations: A hairpin and two orange ribbons.
* GirlishPigtails: Wears her hair like these, bound together with ribbons.
* MeaningfulName: Mairu's name means white.
* MyGreatestFailure: It's implied that she blames herself for Shindouji's poor performance last year, forcing her to pawn away Kirame as a sacrifice.
* NotSoAboveItAll: In ''Saki Biyori'', particularly when she turns an entire page of her round-robin journal red in an attempt to decorate it.
* RedOniBlueOni: Blue oni to Himeko. The two are nicely contrasted in their appearance in the second Achiga-hen opening, when they are back to back and arm-in-arm, with Mairu having a more placid expression and Himeko having an energetic grin.
* RomanticTwoGirlFriendship: With Himeko. More apparent with Himeko, though.
* TheStoic: She's fairly calm and level-headed, even when things look bad for her team.
* TheWorfEffect: Her ability is said to be fearsome on its own. When pitted against the likes of Teru, however, she proved to be a pushover.
* WritersBlock: Suffers this in ''Saki Biyori'' regarding Kirame's "Mister Shindou" comic in the round robin journal.
----

!!Himeko Tsuruta
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiHimeko_5187.png
->''"We have built something together... something that you alone can't match!"''
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Captain\\
'''Voiced by:''' Asuka Oogame

Himeko is Mairu's best friend since middle-school, strongest player and Captain of Team Shindouji, known for wearing a uniform that has a sleeve too long for her.

She and Mairu specialize in combination moves -- when Mairu successfully binds a han, a key appears before her during the round in her turn, and if she uses it, she’ll be able to win it double the han. Hers and Mairu’s linked ability is so powerful that it was able to override Awai’s 5-6 shanten ability.
----
* AffectionateNickname: In some translations, she calls Mairu "[[ClubPresident Prez]]".
* CombinationAttack: With Mairu.
* CryIntoChest: Last seen weeping into Mairu's arms after she fails to help bring Team Shindouji to the National finals.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: When Mairu binds herself, Himeko would "feel" it, and whenever she does, she'd blush hard and her legs will quiver... like how a girl would be like if she climaxes.
* HairDecorations: A pair of hairpins.
* HandHidingSleeves: Not as much as some of the examples, but they go up onto her hands, and you can barely see her fingers out of her sleeves when she curls them or makes a fist.
* MeaningfulName: Himeko's name means crane.
* RedOniBlueOni: Red oni to Mairu.
* RightBehindMe: She says that Kirame would be upset to hear about being drafted as a sacrifice for the team while passing under an overpass that Kirame is sitting on. Kirame, however, doesn't reveal herself or get upset.
* RomanticTwoGirlFriendship: With Mairu. They have been together since middle school.
* StatingTheSimpleSolution: In ''Saki Biyori'', she asks why they even need a comic strip in the round robin journal, and when popular demand forces them to bring it back, she decides to write an eneding to the series.
----
[[/folder]]

!National Semifinals, Side B (Kiyosumi, Himematsu, Rinkai and Usuzan)

[[folder:Himematsu High School (South Osaka)]]
Himematsu, representing South Osaka, is one of the top schools in Kansai, alongside their cross-town rivals from Team Senriyama (whose coach Masae is mother to their own Hiroe and Kinue), and was a seeded team until the emergence of Team Eisui and Komaki, relegating them to fifth-place (and thus forcing them to participate in the first round). Team Himematsu has a tradition of putting their ace as Lieutenant. Notable for being one of the few schools in the Nationals that seems to be composed entirely of normal, if skilled, players.

Currently Team Himematsu, which placed second at the quarterfinals bracket, plays for the National semifinals (against co-quarterfinalist Kiyosumi, Rinkai and Usuzan).

!!Hiroe Atago
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_hiroe2_1763.png
->''"I set a trap, then attack mercilessly...I am the infamous 'Hiroe the Trap Master'!"''
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Lieutenant\\
'''Voiced by:''' Satsumi Matsuda

Elder daughter of Masae, professional player and coach of Team Senriyama, older sister to teammate Kinue, and ace of Team Himematsu. Hiroe is very loud and blunt about her opinions -- she ''knows'' she's good, and will not give a second thought about shoving it in everyone's faces, whether they like it or not. Her style revolves around bluffs and trash talks, with distracts her opponents into playing right into her hand.
-----
* BadassBoast: See above.
* BadassNormal: According to Hisa, in a team of normals that is ranked fifth in a competition stuffed to the rafters with mahjong monsters, she's probably the most normal of the lot. This is even more proven to the fact that Hisa's hell waits doesn't work on her.
* CatSmile: Is prone to doing this to emphasize her mischievous personality, complete with CuteLittleFangs.
* FieryRedhead: She's red-haired, and has the appropriate fiery personality to match. This contrasts well with blue-haired Kinue's gentle disposition.
* IShallTauntYou: Her playstyle is mostly complemented with bluffs and trash talk designed to disorient her opponents.
* IncomingHam: After flooring the opposition back at her first-round match (qualifying Team Himematsu for the quarterfinals without having to field Kinue and Kyouko)...
-->''"Why'd no one pick me up after the match?!"''
* InsufferableGenius: Albeit one who mainly displays the "insufferable" aspect around her opponents, specifically those who aren't playing at their full potential.
* InvisibleParents: Her and Kinue's father has never been seen.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Hiroe minces no words, whether she's gloating, taunting or calling names. And she's also a very caring teammate and sister. In fact, Hisa interprets her taunts as her way of goading her opponents into playing better. During the National semifinals she also deliberately messes up her words so the normally quiet Choe would have to speak (to correct her).
* KansaiRegionalAccent: According to translators, hers is very heavy.
* LargeHam[=/=]NoIndoorVoice: As if her Kansai accent is not accentuated enough, she just can't help but speak in loud tones to show off how great she is.
* SiblingYinYang: Hiroe is [[LargeHam outspoken]] and [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold blunt but decent]], while Kinue is [[NiceGirl kind]] but [[WellDoneSonGuy needy of attention]].
* StrongFamilyResemblance: ''Achiga-hen'' introduces her mother, Masae, and aside from hair color and stature, Hiroe is the mirror-image of her, down to the shape of their frowns.
* VitriolicBestBuds: Becomes one with Team Kiyosumi's Hisa during the National semifinals, with the latter beginning to make her own snide remarks in response to Hiroe's (increasingly friendlier) banter.
-->'''Kinue:''' "So, you're gonna chicken out like last time?"\\
'''Hisa:''' "At this point, I don't know."
----

!!Kyouko Suehara
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_kyouko_9504.png
->''"The hell I care!"''
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Captain\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/MinakoKotobuki

Kyouko first joined Team Himematsu fifteen months prior to the current story, and is responsible for Suzu's entry and getting Kinue to try for the regular team. While Hiroe comes to the table expecting to win, Kyouko always comes to the table worried that she'd lose, and so she takes up the role of Captain to test her mettle against all the "monster" players.
-----
* BadassNormal: Says so herself in Round 79. She's challenges herself to see whether or not she can go far against her "monster" opponents which includes Saki, Kasumi and Toyone. Saki even mentions she considers ''her'' the biggest threat among the semifinalists.
* CustomUniform: Wears bicycle shorts instead of a skirt.
* {{Determinator}}: Despite being in a table full of mahjong monsters, she found a chance when Kasumi's suit magnet activated and as well Saki's Rishan Kaihou, where she noted that the table is now much much easier to read. Even as Saki was scared of her persistence in the Captains' match, fearing she wouldn't be able to win next time.
* DullEyesOfUnhappiness: Tends to happen whenever her opponents start to manifest unnatural draws or abilities, which just happens to be ''all'' the other players during her turn at the table.
* {{Foil}}: To Hiroe.
-->'''Hiroe:''' "You see, while I have never started a mahjong game even considering the possibility of losing, Kyouko constantly thinks about losing, even to weaker opponents. She derives her strength from that carefulness. That's Kyouko in a nutshell."
* HeroWorshipper: To Coach Zennou. She's determined to win once she knows Zennou will be watching the semi-finals, and it's implied that she has difficulty accepting Ikuno as a temporary replacement.
* [[MrExposition Ms. Exposition]]: She debriefs the team on each of their opponents.
* MyGreatestFailure: While Team Himematsu managed to hang on to qualify for the National semifinals (alongside Kiyosumi), Kyouko ends up squandering their lead to Saki's cheap hand. The worst part of it all, according to Kyouko herself, is that Saki technically won with a score of ±0 (and a few points-stealing hands).
* TemptingFate: She is implied to have chosen the Captain role for herself because she wanted to see how far an ordinary player like her could go against powerful Captains. She got her wish, and three of them in one table at once, including the dorky-yet-fearsome [[BadassBookworm Saki]].
* {{Tsundere}}: Is this to Suzu, as despite writing on her forehead when she loses, she has great faith in her abilities. 15 months before the nationals, when Ikuno told Kyouko that they were considering putting her on the team, Kyouko declined, arguing that Suzu would be a better choice, as while she doesn't rank well under Himematsu's ranking system, she has great potential when outmatched. Kyouko then asked Ikuno not to tell Suzu about that, saying it would be embarrassing.
* WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway: She's skilled at 3-player mahjong... which isn't really handy in riichi mahjong, though that came in handy against Kasumi's suit magnet.
----

!!Suzu Ueshige
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_suzu_1172.png
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Position:''' Vanguard\\
'''Voiced by:''' Arisa Date

Suzu is the former Vice-Captain, who has a tendency to get doodles all over her forehead from Kyouko whenever she fails her tasks. She has since played Vanguard, where she specializes in explosive wins.
----
* ButtMonkey: Kyouko likes to write on her forehead when she fails a task.
* DullEyesOfUnhappiness: Against Yuuki, who's troublesome in the East round and especially as the dealer, Shiromi, who plays with big hands, and Komaki, a mahjong monster, it isn't a surprise.
* InformedAbility: Hiroe predicts that her gameplay consists of winning big hands. Actually, it seemed to be waiting for the semi-finals.
* TookALevelInBadass: Come the National semifinals, Suzu finally shows what she can do on the big stage. Deciding to ditch firepower for speed (at Kyouko's advice), she declares a tsumo with a value of 4000/8000 and a three-stick bonus. While it still wasn't enough to overtake Satoha, at the very least she chipped on the massive gap.
----

!!Kinue Atago
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_kinue2_1234.png
->''"How nice... when will she say that for me? I really want to fulfill Onee-chan's expectations like that..."''
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Position:''' Vice-Captain\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/MarikoNakatsu

Hiroe's younger sister, Masae's younger daughter, and another player for Team Himematsu. She was said to be a former football[[note]]as in soccer[[/note]] goalkeeper back in middle-school (with a scholarship to boot), but chose instead to join her sister.
----
* IncestSubtext: Kinue's motivation for joining Team Himematsu was the prospect of playing alongside Hiroe. It is ''heavily'' implied that she is a siscon, even to the point of becoming slightly jealous of Kyouko when Hiroe praised her, wanting Hiroe to think as highly of her ability.
* {{Meganekko}}: One more point of similarity with her mother. In ''Saki Biyori'', after Hiroe accidentally loses her glasses, she takes it in stride, and points out that [[CrazyPrepared she has several pairs on hand]].
* NiceGirl: In stark contrast to [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold her sister]], she is kind, soft-spoken and courteous.
* ReflexiveResponse: Kicks Etopen on reflex, briefly mistaking it for a soccer ball, then apologizes profusely to Nodoka afterward.
* ShesGotLegs
* SiblingYinYang: Kinue is [[NiceGirl sweet]] but [[WellDoneSonGuy in need of attention]], while Hiroe is [[LargeHam outspoken]] and [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold cocky (though not totally devoid of decency)]].
* StrongFamilyResemblance: ''Achiga-hen'' reveals that Kinue inherited her hair color, figure and (maybe) bad eyesight from Masae.
* [[WellDoneSonGuy "Well Done, Sis" Girl]]: She wants her sister's approval more than anything.
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Literally in her case, emphasizing her gentle nature in contrast to red-haired Hiroe's exuberant energy.
----

!!Yuuko Mase
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_yuuko_6315.png
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Sergeant\\
'''Voiced by:''' Haruka Yoshimura

A former player of 3-man mahjong with Kyouko and Hiroe. Known for her flexible playstyle.
----
* OdangoHair: She wears her hair like this.
* PerpetualSmiler: Even when pitted against the likes of Mako and Hao during the National semifinals.
----

!!Ikuno Akasaka
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_ikuno_783.png
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/JunkoNoda

Interim coach of Team Himematsu, taking over while their actual adviser, Zennou, convalesces after collapsing during the spring tournament. She and Fujita seem to have a history with each other, as Fujita goes out of her way to avoid meeting her. She's compared to Harue, her counterpart from Team Achiga, in that she's "troublesome".
----
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Her general demeanor and even some of her advice causes her to come off as ditzy, but she takes coaching Team Himematsu seriously.
* EyesAlwaysShut: Most of the time, her eyes are closed, although she does open them from time to time in the anime.
* InsistentTerminology: Doesn't like being referred to as a "sub" coach, despite being in charge during the coach's hospitalization.
* PerpetualSmiler: She's almost constantly smiling, and rarely has anything more serious than a somewhat thoughtful expression on her face.
* VerbalTic: Has a tendency to insert tildes into her dialogue, often at the end.
----
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rinkai All-Girls' High School (East Tokyo)]]
Team Rinkai has been East Tokyo's representative for the past fifteen years and is currently at fourth-seed. Its roster is primarily composed of [[MultinationalTeam overseas students studying in Japan on scholarship]], though new rules implemented last year now force them to field at least one Japanese player (i.e., Satoha) as Vanguard.

As of the current chapters, Team Rinkai is playing at the National semifinals Side B, against Kiyosumi, Himematsu and co-quarterfinalist Usuzan.

!!Nelly Virsaladze
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_nelly_4027.png
->'''Year:''' 1st

A Georgian transferee and one of the three newcomers to Team Rinkai, as well as a former Junior World Champion.
----
* {{Expy}}: Of Nell''ie'', a Russian character from ''Manga/{{Fatalizer}}''. As that manga revolves around super-powered foreigners in Japan, Team Rinkai is pretty much a homage to that manga, and it shows.
* FamousNamedForeigner: Her surname probably comes from [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliso_Virsaladze Eliso Virsaladze]].
* InformedAbility: Apparently, her power involves total flow control. A silhouette of her appears when Hisa was talking about abilities.
* NiceHat: Wears a very nice red one.
* PhenotypeStereotype: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]], as she's a tiny brunette.
----

!!Megan Davin
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_megan_8437.png
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/ChiakiOmigawa

A player for Team Rinkai from the United States.
----
* AnimeAccentAbsence: A strange example, as she seemingly ''gains'' a stereotypical thick American accent at the end of ''Zenkoku-hen'', whereas she showed ''none'' of this (she instead spoke in a halting, but perfectly normally-accented Japanese) during one of the earlier episodes (the Training Camp flashback).
* MomentOfWeakness: During last year's Nationals, Megan became so terrified of Cold Touka she went the way of the DirtyCoward and targeted a weak player and ended the match in Team Rinkai's favor. [[MustMakeAmends She has since deeply regretted it.]]
* MustMakeAmends: As she confides to Satoha, she terribly regrets having ran away from Cold Touka, and wants a second crack at facing her. Unfortunately for her, since she's in her final year of high school, and with Team Ryuumonbuchi out of the Nationals, that chance will likely never come.
* PhenotypeStereotype: Averted. Megan is explicitly African-American.
* PrettyInMink: Wears a long coat lined with fur on the collar when she was first introduced in play.
----

!!Satoha Tsujigaito
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_satoha_3984.png
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Vanguard\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/YokoHikasa

The oldest and sole Japanese member of Team Rinkai, as well as last year's third-placer in the individuals, behind Kei and Teru. As per tournament rules, she is required to play as Vanguard (a natural fit for an ace player like her).
----
* BadassNormal: Able to keep up with the best in Japan, alongside playing monsters like Teru and Kei -- and all she has are sheer skill and experience.
* CoatCape: Wears one to emphasize her "gangster" image.
* DeadpanSnarker: Satoha doesn't beat around the bush when she mentions that Megan had ran away from her match a year earlier. Megan, however, doesn't deny this, and Satoha lays a comforting hand on Megan's shoulder after she expresses her regret for how things turned out.
* EarlyBirdCameo: To those with good eyes, she makes an appearance on the first opening of the anime's first season, at the mahjong table with Teru.
* {{Meganekko}}: Subverted, as she doesn't apparently need them, but wears them as part of her public persona.
* SamuraiPonytail: During her matches.
* {{Sarashi}}: Under her uniform during her semifinal, as revealed afterward. This is presumably part of her {{Yakuza}} motif as well.
** HiddenBuxom: Canny readers will notice her cup size seems to increase ''after'' she takes said sarashi off.
* TokenMinority: Inverted -- she's the sole Japanese player in a MultinationalTeam, as per tournament rules at least one Japanese player is required to be a Vanguard.
* WorthyOpponent: Apparently considers Kei to be this, after their match in last year's individual finals. Whether it is mutual remains to be seen.
----

!!Choe Myeong-hwa
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_choi_6221.png
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Position:''' Lieutenant

Another newcomer to Team Rinkai, of French-Korean stock. Prior to her arrival in Japan she was a top-ranking player in the European leagues.

As her nickname "Venter" suggests, Choe's ability centers on the gathering of cardinal wind tiles to her hand, being able to gather the same type of Wind tile as her seating position (meaning if she's seated East, she gets East tiles as well, and so on). She also seems to be able to gather Wind tiles depending on the round (East during the East Wind round), but only when she's a dealer. Choe has a second ability; by singing, she can more easily draw the tiles she needs. While she can do it constantly in Europe, she is only able to do it in intervals between rounds in Japan's Inter-High, making it less of an advantage.
----
* DisappearedDad: Her father, possibly her French parent, died before the series started.
* ExoticEyeDesigns: She has a transparent "arch" in the middle of her eyes, a trait she shares with Team Usuzan's Yuan.
* FishOutOfWater: In Round 124, Choe notes that she still feels unused to Japanese culture.
* GoodParents: Her mother, Prof. Choe, seems to be one by all indications, coming down to see her daughter play. Myeng-hwa hopes to become independent as soon as she can so she wouldn't be a burden to her mother.
* InSeriesNickname: "Venter", or "Wind Goddess".
* MagicMusic: When she sings, her chances of earning good hands increases.
* MusicalAssassin: By singing, she can help gather the tiles she needs.
* ParasolParachute: She glides through the air into the arena on her parasol.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Spellings of her name include Choi Myeng-hwa, Choe Myeonghwa and Che Myong Fwa.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: She's said to like salmon and herring roe ever since she came to Japan.
----

!!Hao Huiyu
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_hao_628.png
->''"I can teach you the rules, but are you sure? No one can beat me at that, you know."''
->'''Year:''' 1st\\
'''Position:''' Sergeant

Hailing from Hong Kong, Hao is one of the three newcomers to Team Rinkai, as well as a champion in Chinese mahjong back in her grade-school days and silver medalist in last year's Incheon tournament. She also played in the Asian tournament, but due to differences in rule she has had a hard time playing it, much less winning in it, and so she accepts Rinkai's scholarship offer so she can prepare for another crack at the Asian tournament, as Japanese riichi-style mahjong is close enough to the rules used in that competition.

Despite her stay in Rinkai, Hao still isn't comfortable playing riichi mahjong, as she has difficulty getting the tiles she needs to complete her hands. In order to adapt, she comes up with a style that keeps the essence of Chinese mahjong, but still adhering to the rules of riichi mahjong. This is the reason why, to date, she's never called riichi in any of her games.
----
* AnimeChineseGirl: Of course, being from Hong Kong and all.
* BadassBoast: Her quote, regarding chinese mahjong, when Satoha asked about it.
* SpannerInTheWorks: Her unfamiliar playing style rattled Mako's already unstable gameplay.
----
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Usuzan High School (South Hokkaido)]]
South Hokkaido's representative, which reached the semifinals alongside Team Rinkai. Like Team Kiyosumi, this is their Nationals debut. Hayari believes they have the potential to win the tournament.

Like Team Shindouji, their main threat comes from the last two members of their team. Their captain is a particularly strong ace, according to Funakubo. However, like Teams Shindouji and Makabi, they also arranged their lineup from weakest to strongest.
----

!!Naruka Motouchi
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Position:''' Vanguard
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/KanaeIto

One of the Vanguards in the Nationals.
----
* PeekABangs: Cover her right eye.
* TheWorfEffect: She's the first Team Usuzan player to give lie to Hayari's predictions when she ended up losing over 50,000 points.
----

!!Chikako Himori
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Sergeant

A senior player and complete newcomer. She specializes into calling tiles to get into an empty tenpai, avoiding a noten penalty.
----
* TookALevelInBadass: According to Funakubo, she is actually a newcomer to mahjong who nevertheless trained hard to catch up with the rest of Team Usuzan.
----

!!Maya Yukiko
->'''Year:''' 1st\\
'''Position:''' Captain

A freshman and leader of Team Usuzan. Sawaya wants to turn her into an idol that surpasses Hayarin.
----
* ChekhovsGunman: After the reveal of her custom uniform, it's apparently ''her'' in the preview image for the Individuals against Satoha.
* CustomUniform: The clothes Yuan made for her semifinal match.
* [[IdolSinger Idol Player]]: What Sawaya intends for her, of an even greater extent than Hayari did back in her day.
----

!!Sawaya Shishihara
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Vice-Captain

Vice-Captain of Team Usuzan said by Hayari to be a capable "monster"-grade player.
----
* AlliterativeName
* ExoticEyeDesigns: She has triangular pupils.
----

!!Yuan Iwadate
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Position''': Lieutenant

Another player of Team Usuzan, who makes clothes for Yukiko to wear during mahjong matches. She has not won any hands in the lieutenant match, and is in severe danger of going under 0.
----
* ButtMonkey: Starts off in a less than advantageous position in the lieutenant match, which doesn't get any better in the first half.
* EnemyMine: Somewhat averted against Himematsu and Rinkai, since she realizes that it's just as advantageous to win off Hisa and recover the points she needs to keep going.
* NobodyPoops: Averted; she says she's going to the bathroom to "let the fighting spirit in," and one of her teammates is about to say that [[ToiletHumor on the toilet, things come out]], before someone cuts her off.
* TemptingFate: She declares that she'll "get repeated wins" as dealer, but then immediately plays into Myeng-hwa's hand. She also assumes things are going her way after the first round in which she doesn't lose any points, but then plays into Hisa's hand.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: A variant comes into play; Hisa declares that once she gets second place, she no longer cares whether Usuzan goes under 0.
----
[[/folder]]

!National Quarterfinals, Side B-1 (Kiyosumi, Himematsu, Eisui and Miyamori)

[[folder:Eisui All-Girls' High School (Kagoshima)]]
Team Eisui, considered to be the strongest in Kyushu, is representing Kagoshima Prefecture for the third year in a row, and is currently seeded at third. Its members bear a {{miko}} theme, and stay in solemn rooms during competitions. For this year's competition, all the branch families have come together so that ace player Komaki doesn't have to carry the team by herself.

Team Eisui, together with Miyamori, has been eliminated at the National quarterfinals, chalking in a third-place finish.

!!Komaki Jindai
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_jindai_905.png
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Position:''' Vanguard\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/SaoriHayami

Ace player of Team Eisui and scion of the main family of the branches which make up the team. Last year, as an individual player she achieved fame as a "mahjong monster", but pushed herself too hard, and now has her teammates watching out for her. Kyouko claims that part of Eisui's strategy is to let Komaki go for the big hands and that she will play multiple styles, but is a little shaky sometimes. Her teammates call her "Princess".

Her powers seem to stem from being a vessel of seven goddesses (out of eight -- the other is handled by her cousin Kasumi), and becomes a dangerous board-clear when asleep. The drawback is that she doesn’t know the sequence of her deities' appearance.
----
* BadassPrincess: Referred to as "Princess" by her teammates, and is one of the most feared mahjong players in the Inter-High.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Komaki plays at her best when she's asleep, but isn't aware of this.
* DaydreamSurprise: After the National quarterfinals, when Kasumi proposes going to the beach together before the individuals, it cuts to Team Eisui at the beach. In the next page, it's revealed that Komaki fell asleep.
* HowDoIShotWeb: Komaki is still in training, and can't control which "god" goes into her and unfortunately for her, gets a relatively weak god in the National quarterfinals.
* IncompletelyTrained: As a spirit medium. This ultimately proved to be Team Eisui's undoing.
* InformedAbility: Komaki is supposed to play with wildly different styles based on which divine spirit is possessing her at the moment. She's also said to deliberately target second-placers with the Nine Lanterns yakuman, but again this never happens during her turn on the table.
* PunnyName: From ''Jindai-no-Maki'', the chapters in ''[[{{UsefulNotes/Shinto}} Kojiki]]'' about [[TheTimeOfMyths the age of the gods]].
----

!!Kasumi Iwato
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_kasumi_1450.png
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Captain\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/SayakaOhara

Komaki's cousin and finisher of Team Eisui. Kasumi prefers to play defensively, refusing to deal into someone's hand, and is also a good analyst, as shown during the quarterfinals, as she had held on to the tiles that Saki would have used a kan on. She was also the first to notice Toyone’s ability and the one to tell Hatsumi to take note of Sae.

Kasumi's abilities stem from her close relationship with Komaki -- since she couldn't be the vessel for all eight of her goddesses, Kasumi serves as the vessel for the odd one out, using its powers to collect honor tiles and one random suit per hand. However, she can't switch back to her usual defensive style until she is purified.

Her ability is slightly modified in the anime -- rather than simply taking possession of the "extra" god among those her cousin is supposed to hold, she instead captures the negative, non-divine spirits that might try to possess Komaki (represented by a staring eye).
----
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Saki, Kyouko and Toyone realized that she's the most dangerous player in Team Eisui... and she's on the team with Komaki, herself one of the most dangerous individuals players.
* FirstNameBasis: Tends to be somewhat more familiar with Komaki than her teammates, often calling her "Komaki-chan" rather than "Princess."
* GagBoobs: It beats ''any'' of the ''Saki'' girls by a landslide. Kyouko even refers to her as the "booby monster of Eisui". In the second ''Zenkoku-hen'' ending credits, her large breasts stop Kinue's soccer ball and Kasumi doesn't even seem to notice the ball coming to rest in her cleavage.
* {{Gainaxing}}: When she leaps into the air in the ending sequence for Zenkoku-hen, as well as when Saki enters her Awakened state.
* LapPillow: Does this for Komaki in one cover page.
* WillingChanneler: Her ability seems to work like this, where she "channels" one of the spirits "possesing" Jindai. This means that any team facing Eisui is technically facing Jindai ''twice''.
----

!!Hatsumi Usuzumi
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_hatsumi_5862.png
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Vice-Captain\\
'''Voiced by:''' Ayumi Tsuji

A senior who looks too young for her age, sporting a swimsuit tanline and very loose clothing, as well as a ceremonial headdress during gameplay.

Like Team Kiyosumi's Yuuki, Hatsumi's game is extremely powerful when she is seated on the North. Her ability, called "Gates of Evil" by Kumakura, makes it easy for her to gather north and east tiles, and to a lesser extent, south and west tiles as well. Attracting this tiles will guarantee a ‘Big Four Winds’ Yakuman if not stopped. She doesn’t believe that Sae had the power to block her and would go through great lengths just to keep her North position, which makes for easy pickings by Sae.
----
* AwesomeButImpractical: The "Gates of Evil." When they work, they earn her a lot of points. When they don't, she ends up losing quite often.
* BirdRun: She's seen doing this at a few points, which is yet another similarity between her and Yuuki.
* CryCute: When things are going badly for her after her attempts to summon the Gates of Evil are repeatedly blocked by Sae and Kinue's efforts, tears come to her eyes, and she spends the break crying into her MaskOfPower.
* GirlishPigtails: Wears a pair to emphasize her childish appearance (and personality).
* GoingCommando: Expected for the franchise, but Hatsumi is a blatant example. [[http://www.batoto.net/read/_/63294/saki_ch84_by_u-scanlations/8 Observe.]]
* InSeriesNickname: Some of her teammates call her "Hacchan".
* MaskOfPower: She shows up in a ceremonial headdress. Nodoka, for all she doesn't believe in the occult, finds it quite intimidating.
* OlderThanTheyLook[=/=]TokenMiniMoe: Hatsumi is actually ''older'' than Komaki. She looks like she's about five years younger.
* PintsizedPowerhouse: The first time she is shown, she has just finished ''flooring'' the competition at the Kagoshima finals, qualifying Team Eisui to the Nationals even without having to field Kasumi.
* {{Stripperiffic}}: As seen in the picture, she wears her robe ''very'' loosely.
* TanLines: Inexplicably, she also has them, outlined like a one-piece swimsuit.
----

!!Haru Takimi
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_haru_1687.png
->'''Year:''' 1st\\
'''Position:''' Lieutenant\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/KaoriMizuhashi

A stoic newcomer whose emotions only come out when talking about the demon world and her favorite food, snacks coated with muscovado (a nutritious brown sugar).

Although her playstyle isn't elaborated upon in the manga, the anime expands upon it, and it is shown that she prefers to end the round via quick hands whenever she feels that a particular opponent is gathering a big-scoring hand.
----
* BigEater: Particularly where muscovado chips are concerned.
* InSeriesNickname: Hatsumi calls her "Haruru."
* SugarAndIcePersonality: Her face is typically devoid of expressions, but she smiles, much to the surprise of even her teammates, when Hisa compliments her muscovado chips.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Muscovado chips.
----

!!Tomoe Karijuku
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_tomoe_2541.png
->'''Year:''' 1st\\
'''Position:''' Sergeant\\
'''Voiced by:''' Chinatsu Akasaki

Another player for Team Eisui.
----
* {{Joshikousei}}: Of the girls in Team Eisui, only she prefers her school uniform over the miko garb, which she only wears during matches.
* ServileSnarker: Has some indications of this, such as when they're discussing how their friends might not be able to come until they finish their homework.
-->'''Komaki:''' "Should be fine, it's not like we finished our homework either."\\
'''Tomoe:''' "Speak for yourself, Princess."
----
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Miyamori Girls' High School (Iwate)]]
Originally a three-girl club without any kind of aspirations for the Nationals, this all changed when pro mahjong agent Toshi Kumakura became their adviser. Bringing Toyone with her, Toshi made the girls aspire for greater things, such as representing Iwate Prefecture in the Nationals. After Aislinn watched them play with Toyone, she was inspired to join Team Miyamori, allowing them to field a Nationals-caliber team, gaining its spot after knocking off high-ranking Makabi High School.

The team is notable for being composed entirely of seniors, which puts the future of the club after the summer tournament season in doubt, especially now that Team Miyamori has been eliminated from the National quarterfinals at fourth-place.

!!Shiromi Kosegawa
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_shiro_2716.png
->''"How dull..."''
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Vanguard\\
'''Voiced by:''' Juri Nagatsuma

One of the three original members of Team Miyamori and classmate of Aislinn, who she invited to watch a game (against a visiting Toyone), inspiring the latter to join her team. Her style is fairly orthodox, at least compared to Toyone. She’s also not a fan of moving and exerting energy.
----
* ConvenientlySeated: As a flashback reveals, Shiromi's seat in class fits what one would normally expect a main character in any other series to be positioned in.
* DullEyesOfUnhappiness: Though it's more or less dull with apathy than unhappiness.
* LaboriousLaziness: In ''Saki Biyori''. In the first Miyamori chapter, she pulls a hand cart to bring a kotatsu to school, wanting to rest under it but knowing that she won't be able to get out once she does. In the second Miyamori chapter, she rests in various places around the mall, under the pretense of doing things such as waiting for a friend or trying on shoes, but ends up moving around the mall quite a bit, as [[LampshadeHanging Sae points out]].
* TheStoic: Usually quiet, dispassionate and apathetic...
** NotSoStoic: ...though it's soon made a point that when Shiromi begins to put together a high-scoring hand, she becomes very visibly nervous. Also, her desperately trying to maintain her stoicism while trying to keep Aislinn from crying is rather cute.
* UnusualEyebrows: They look like lightning bolts.
----

!!Kurumi Kakura
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_kurumi_509.png
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Lieutenant\\
'''Voiced by:''' Moe Toyota

Another of the three original members of Team Miyamori. A very short girl who does not tolerate any non-sense and isn't afraid to speak up her mind. She usually has a sweat drop. Her style is similar to Team Tsuruga's Momoko, in that she favors damaten, meaning she can win despite not declaring riichi.
----
* BigShutUp: Directed at Hiroe in response to her incessant bragging during their match.
* LittleMissSnarker: Has absolutely '''zero''' patience for Hiroe's loudmouthedness.
* OlderThanTheyLook[=/=]TokenMiniMoe: It bears repeating that Kurumi is a senior (though she looks like a little kid), which means she's as old as [[HugeSchoolgirl Toyone]].
* SnubByOmission: After the sergeant match, she does this to Sae.
-->'''Kurumi''': "It's all right, Ei-chan! Just leave the rest to me and Toyone!"\\
'''Sae''': "What about me?!"
----

!!Sae Usuzawa
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_sae2_8462.png
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Vice-Captain\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/RinaSato

Another of the three original members of Team Miyamori as well as its club president and a Toshi fangirl.

Sae's ability is to "seal" an opponent by concentrating her stare at the target. Once she has an opponent marked, it becomes nigh-impossible to complete a hand, although playing this way puts a significant drain on her. She was responsible for knocking off the high-ranking Team Makabi, getting her team to the nationals and helping Toyone hide her ability.
----
* ButtMonkey: The frequent target of Kurumi's jokes
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: When Aislinn lost, Kurumi jokes that she'd be of no help. She managed to lock Hatsumi's finishing move and manipulated it to hit Nodoka the most instead.
* FieryRedhead: Averted. While she has the hair color, Sae doesn't have the personality associated with it.
* HeroWorshipper: To Toshi, thus her glee when [[AscendedFangirl actually becomes one of her protégés]].
* HighClassGlass: She wears Kumakura's monocle during her matches.
* KubrickStare: She has this as a ''move-sealing ability''. Impressive for what amounts to just looking at an opponent ''really hard''.
----

!!Toyone Anetai
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_toyone_567.png
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Captain\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/MaayaUchida

To say that Toyone is tall compared to the rest of Team Miyamori (or anyone else in the championships, for that matter) is an understatement. Scouted by Toshi barely half a year prior to the Nationals, Toyone hails from a mountain village with very few children her age. With only the family TV for company, Toyone had a relatively lonely childhood, which isn't helped by the fact that she is towering at 197cm (6'5"). No wonder that she treats her transfer to Miyamori, as well as entry into its mahjong club, where she can finally share her love of the game with her peers, as probably the best that has happened to her life.

Due to watching a lot of mahjong matches on TV, she is a fan of "Mahjong idols" like Komaki and Nodoka. At the end of the Captains' match, aside from asking their autograph, she also asked for Saki, Kasumi and Kyouko's autographs.

Toyone is treated as Team Miyamori's secret weapon, and her teammates went to great lengths to keep her style vague up to the Nationals. She possesses the "Rokuyou" abilities -- one is to declare a riichi after another player declares, winning off the initial riichi, which is known as "Senbu", earning her the nickname "Right-Behind-You-Toyone"; the other is to win when she has one tile remaining in her hand, which is known as "Tomobiki"; and the third is called "Shakkou", which allows her to call dora tiles by having the surrounding two tiles. It is unknown if Toyone has other abilities related to the other "Rokuyou".
----
* AscendedFangirl: Started to love mahjong after watching it on TV. Little did she expect that one day she'd be sharing the table with some of the players she came to idolize.
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: In ''Saki Biyori'', when she and her friends are going shopping for summer clothing, Kurumi tells her that it will be hot outside that day, and Toyone points out that she doesn't have summer clothes, prompting Kurumi to remind her that it's the reason why they're going shopping. She then says "This is bad. I'll buy some today!" before Kurumi stops her.
* CryCute: Toyone starts crying after the first time she played with Team Miyamori, since she can't continue for long, lest she miss the last train and/or bus home. This is because she ''wants'' to stay and play. And after the National quarterfinals she breaks down wailing while giving the obligatory post-match thank-yous after Saki ends her dealership turn, thus putting Team Miyamori out of the running for good.
* GentleGiant[=/=]HugeSchoolgirl: It bears mentioning that Toyone is ''tall'', and at 197 cm, she towers over many adults, too.
* GracefulLoser: Once she was done crying over Team Miyamori's exit, she proceeds to ask for autographs from Komaki and Nodoka, as well as from her opponents at the Captains' match.
* IJustWantToHaveFriends: She was a very lonely kid prior to her transfer to Miyamori.
* InformedAbility: Toyone has six different abilities, and in the course of the match we're shown two. We'll never get to learn what the others are, as Saki knocks out both Miyamori and Eisui.
* LuminescentBlush: When Komaki arrives to drop off the autograph in person.
* MisunderstoodLonerWithAHeartOfGold: She didn't have many friends while growing up, but she's cheerful and friendly.
* NiceHat: Always wears a nice black brim hat, even during matches.
* RedBaron: Apparently the nickname she had in her town was "Right-Behind-You Toyone" in reference to her playing style.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Given the black-and-white nature of the manga, her eyes seem like ProphetEyes at first, but Chapter 94 reveals that the color of her eyes are actually a bright red. Unlike the usual example though Toyone is actually really nice.
----

!!Aislinn Wishart
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_aislinn_6941.png
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Position:''' Sergeant\\
'''Voiced by:''' Mariko Mizuno

An exchange student from New Zealand, Shiromi's classmate, and final member of Team Miyamori, having joined after being invited to watch them play a game against Toyone, who was visiting the club at the time.

Prior to the Nationals, Aislinn was noted to ''always'' get a closed hand tenpai before the thirteenth turn, ensuring a winning hand. According to Team Himematsu's Kyouko, Aislinn also has the highest percentages in New Zealand's global matches. During the National quarterfinals, she is considered the strongest player in the Sergeants' match until Mako disrupted her by winning small hands.

Aislinn's propensity to get a guaranteed win via tenpai was upgraded into an outright occult skill in ''Zenkoku-hen''. After getting her first hand at the start of a round, she then "draws" in her mind the most ideal hand she could get based on it. She ''also'' draws what she expects the tiles in her opponents hands to be at that point. There doesn't seem to be a point limit to what Aislinn can envision, but when she does imagine the hand she wants, all she needs to do is ''get'' the tiles she needs to complete it. Still, her tiles follow conventional patterns, which Mako exploits to her advantage.
----
* ConvenientlySeated: Like Shiromi, Aislinn's seat in class -- at the corner close to the window -- is where a main character in any other series might be seated.
* CuteMute: While she can talk, she speaks very little Japanese and thus communicates via a drawing pad.
* GracefulLoser: Despite her dismay over her performance, she doesn't hold any hard feelings against the three teams who defeated hers, and uses her drawing pad to draw a picture of the members of Miyamori, Eisui, Himematsu and Kiyosumi joining hands.
* GratuitousEnglish: Thinks "Why?" as Mako starts getting the upper hand on her.
* HairDecorations: While they look like hairpins, they're ''actually'' the markers she uses for her drawing pad.
* HeroicBSOD: A minor one after Mako defeated her.
* InformedAbility: Aislinn's ability to draw her "ideal" table, and always get a win. While we ''finally'' see how the ability works in the anime, much like the manga nothing comes of it, as Mako blocks her attempts to get a winning hand at every turn.
* OhCrap: In the anime, gets increasingly distressed as Mako keeps blocking her attempts at winning, to the point at which her drawing pad, which typically shows her how best to advance to victory, shows the tiles getting away from her.
* PhenotypeStereotype: Blonde? Blue Eyes? Why yes, she is a foreigner.
* SilentSnarker: She has a moment like this when Shiro, who stayed behind after her opponents from Kiyosumi, Eisui and Himematsu have gone back, asks Aislinn to carry her back. Aislinn draws a picture of a person's silhouette kicking another in the backside and Shiro, reading it aloud, says "'Screw you?' How dull..." before walking back as Aislinn smiles and waves.
* TheWorfEffect: Other characters noted that they shouldn't underestimate her. However she loses ''very'' badly to Mako, and their lead is overtaken in the process.
----

!!Toshi Kumakura
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiToushi_8823.png
->'''Voiced by:''' Kaoru Morota

Adviser of Team Miyamori, who helped motivate her charges by scouting Toyone, and herself a pro mahjong talent scout. Years ago, she scouted Harue Akado (current adviser of Team Achiga) for a corporate team, and when she encounters the latter again at the Nationals, she tries so again, this time for another company.
----
* CoolOldLady: A really good-natured, gentle elderly lady who is also shown to have an eye for talent.
* CurbStompBattle: She apparently hands out a few to Shiro, Kurumi and Sae off-panel, taking ''all three'' of them under zero more than once.
* FullNameBasis: Most people tend to refer to their school's rivals by their [[LastNameBasis last names]] without honorifics, unless they know them. Toshi tends to refer to opposing players by their full names.
* OlderThanTheyLook: Despite being significantly older than most of the cast, she looks no older than any of her students in a bathtub scene in Chapter 84.
----
[[/folder]]

!Other Characters

[[folder:Color Commentators]]
!!Yasuko Fujita
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1264020035794-250x200_1826.jpg
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/MasumiAsano

A professional player and old friend of Hisa. Before the Nagano prefecturals she plays against Saki and Nodoka, in the process [[WakeUpCallBoss schooling them into taking their practice seriously]]. Fujita is also the color commentator for the regional tournament.
----
* AllThereInTheManual: Minor details on Yasuko are not revealed in-series, and are instead only noted on in the franchise's collectible cards.
* BigEater: With bowl after bowl of katsudon.
* BrutalHonesty: Her assessment of Saki and Nodoka's chances.
-->"Oh? You girls are also entering the preliminaries? Too bad. I think you girls understand, but '''there is absolutely no way you girls can win'''."
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Fujita has a habit of having [[BigEater full dishes of katsudon]] while playing Mahjong or doing other professional works.
* CombatCommentator
* CutenessProximity: Koromo has this effect on her.
* DirtyOldWoman: Acknowledged as such, considering that her interactions with Koromo are a little... suspicious.
* InformedAbility: The fact that Yasuko plays Captain only when her team is in danger of losing, which is revealed only in the collectible cards. This leads to her moniker, as noted below.
* TheRedBaron: "The Reversal Queen"
* SlasherSmile: During her game with Saki and Nodoka before the regional qualifiers, she sports a truly psychotic look.
* WakeUpCallBoss: The first person to completely floor Saki and Nodoka. She tells them that as they are, they won't be able to succeed, though at least she has the courtesy to compliment [[TookALevelInBadass their progress as players]].
* TheWorfEffect: She cites her loss to Koromo as proof that Saki and Nodoka, who lost to her, can't hope to win the prefecturals. She, Saki and Koromo, three of the best players in Nagano, lose to "Cold Touka", when virtually everyone else except Hisa was scared to join the game against them.
----

!!Kouko Fukuyo
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiKouko_3468.png
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/AiNonaka

A play-by-play commentator for Inter-High Radio. She was a fan of Sukoya back in high school, so she's obviously thrilled to be able to work with her as a co-commentator for the Nationals.
----
* CombatCommentator: Shares this role with Sukoya for the Nationals.
* DoubleEntendre: Kouko just loves doing this as shown in ''Achiga-hen'', much to Sukoya's embarrassment.
* HeroWorshipper: Kouko is a ''huge'' one for Sukoya, if it wasn't already obvious. Lampshaded by Sukoya in ''Saki Biyori'', where she worries about Kouko's glowing praise of her always making its way into her match commentary.
* LargeHam: She obviously loves what she's doing.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: ''Otona no Maki'' reveals that it's apple juice, to the point where all the drinks in her fridge are either pure apple juice, or mixes where apple juice is the major component.
* [[ManChild Woman Child]]: Showcased in ''Biyori'' and ''Otona no Maki''. Mostly in Sukoya's presence.
----

!!Sukoya Kokaji
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiSukoya_9973.png
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/SaoriGoto

A color commentator for Inter-High Radio, professional player, and herself the former national champion of the 61st Inter-High.
----
* AllThereInTheManual: Like Fujita and Mihirogi, details on Sukoya's track record is only found in the Saki Pro trading cards.
* {{Badass}}: To unbelievable extremes, as revealed on [[http://a.yfrog.com/img532/4995/1fyakd.jpg her profile]] in the Saki Pro trading cards. Seriously, none of the major characters, even Teru, let alone some of the professionals introduced, even come ''close'' to what she's accomplished. To wit: she's a former national champion, once placed as high as 2nd in the world rankings (currently at 973rd, but only because she's been off-radar as of late), remained ''undefeated'' throughout her run, and the youngest player to hold eight championships -- a record that stands to this day.
* ChristmasCake: She's well over the age where it's acceptable for a woman to be single, and her mother tells Kouko as much when the latter drops in to pick her up.
* CombatCommentator: Shares this role together with her fangirl Kouko for the Nationals.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Yes, this nervous lady was the same girl who traumatized Harue so hard she couldn't even touch a mahjong tile for years ever since.
* RetiredBadass: While still an active professional player, she doesn't seem to be playing that many matches anymore, and in the manga Kouko even comments that the last tournament she joined was pretty much an act of charity.
* RedBaron: "Grandmaster", according the Saki Pro trading cards.
* ShrinkingViolet: Shy, easily flustered and tends to be taken aback by some of Kouko's wilder antics.
* [[StraightMan Straight Woman]]: To Kouko's antics.
* TheUnSmile: All of Kouko's attempts to get Sukoya to smile usually end up with... mixed results, to say the least.
* [[ManChild Woman Child]]: Despite being 27, she's single, lives with her mother, and displays childish tendencies.
----

!!Hayari Mizuhara
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_hayarin_28_years_old_2782.png
->''"Haya~!"''
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/YukariTamura

A professional player and color commentator for the Nationals, she's also an idol and well-known television personality. It is she that foreshadows that Team Usuzan is a school to reckoned with.

As ''Shinohayu'' reveals, she was one of the four players on the table during the fateful match between Sukoya and Harue, and also becomes the third viewpoint character, this time focusing on how she was inspired to become what she has become in the present.
----
* AllThereInTheManual: As with all the other pros, many details on Hayari are only found in the cards that were included as bonuses to the ''Achiga-hen'' blu-rays.
* CharacterDevelopment: Her POV chapters in ''Shinohayu'' reveal that she was almost a completely different person when she was a young child, preoccupied with a "cool" image until she realized that the Mafuyu who comforted her in the hospital was the same person as the idol singer who saved her from a thug. From then she aspired to be as "cool" as Mafuyu.
* ChekhovsGunman: It turns out ''she's'' the one who was trying to recruit Harue, via Kumakura, for her professional team.
* [[IdolSinger Idol Player]]: Hayarin is a well known TV personality outside of the Mahjong arena (as far back as her grade-school days, in fact, according to ''Shinohayu''). Ironically, this makes her a target for Team Usuzan, as they want to make Maya an even ''bigger'' idol than she is.
* InSeriesNickname: "Hayarin~", which is used more than her actual name.
* NotSoDifferent: She muses that she and Kanna are pretty much alike, in that the latter tries too hard to maintain her "cool" image.
* OlderThanSheLooks: She's the oldest introduced female pro so far at 28... and yet, as ''Shinohayu'' shows, still looks like she was from the Nationals ten years ago (except she has larger boobs now) and even further back when she was ''eleven''.
* TheRedBaron: "The Whirlwind"
* ThirdPersonPerson: Likely to complete the more youthful image she seems to be projecting.
* VerbalTic: Sometimes exclaims "Haya!" ''Shinohayu'' implies that she was influenced to do so by Mafuyu Kasugai's "Mafufu" VerbalTic.
----

!!Yoshiko Kainou
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_yoshiko2_9577.png
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/MutsumiTamura

Hailing from Oojouin Girls' High School in Ehime Prefecture, Yoshiko is a professional player called by Ikuno to help Team Himematsu prepare for the National semifinals, as well as cousin to Team Eisui's Haru. For the purpose of the practice matches, she emulates Saki's signature playstyle.

Yoshiko appears slightly earlier in the anime, where she becomes a color commentator for the National quarterfinals between Kiyosumi, Eisui, Himematsu and Miyamori.
----
* AllThereInTheManual: Like Fujita, Mihirogi, and Kokaji, much of the information on Kainou were only revealed in the Saki Pro cards released with each blu-ray of ''Achiga-hen''.
* ExoticEyeDesigns: The reflections on her eyes are triangular points rather than the rounded ones everyone else have.
* GratuitousEnglish: Greets Team Himematsu in English and later says "No way!" when asked about some of the things they heard about her. Especially exaggerated in her appearance in the anime, to the annoyance of her co-commentator.
* InformedAbility: Apparently noted for her spectral playstyle. What this ''actually'' means is anyone's guess; some members of the Himematsu team suggest that she summoned spirits and used King Solomon's powers to get a Yakuman, but she denies those rumors.
* OneSteveLimit: Shares a given name with Yoshiko Yasukouchi of Shindouji
* ProperTightsWithASkirt
* TheRedBaron: The Spook.
* TheStoic: The most irritated she gets is showing CrossPoppingVeins while denying the exaggerated urban legends about her, without even raising her voice.
----

!!Risa Noyori
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_noyori01_6313.png
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/RyokaYuzuki

Professional player and commentator for the National semifinals Side-B. She seems to have a lot of trouble expressing her thoughts, leaving her comments on the match short and otherwise very easy to misinterpret.

An alumna of Team Shindouji, ''Shinohayu'' reveals that, much like Hayari, she was the fourth girl on the table during that fateful match between Harue and Sukoya.
----
* PerpetualFrowner: Well not exactly a frown, but Risa's default face seems to be a puff-cheeked pout, even as a high-schooler.
* TerseTalker: Tends to give brief responses, often of one or two words at most.
* {{Tsundere}}: Commented on by Mihirogi.
-->'''Uta:''' "She looks angry, but from what I could gather, she's just excited. [[CatchPhrase I don't really know, though.]]"
----

!!Misaki Murayoshi
->'''Voiced by:''': Creator/AyumiFujimura

An announcer who comments on matches alongside Risa.
----
* DeadpanSnarker: Occasionally falls into this when Noyori's answers prove too short and too vague, prompting Eri to note that Misaki is being too harsh on Noyori.
-->"I wasn't asking for a polite or unoffensive answer like that, but a particular point to focus on."
----

!!Uta Mihirogi
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiUta_127.png
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/YukiMatsuoka

A color commentator for Inter-High Radio, professional player from Yokohama, and current Vanguard for the All-Japan Team in global tournaments. Known for giving quick insights on a player's play style, before quickly taking back what she said and claiming that she's really got no idea what's happening.
----
* AllThereInTheManual: Like Fujita, many details on Uta are only made known through the Saki Pro collectible card series, like the professional team she plays in (the Yokohama Lodestars) and other personal information.
* CatchPhrase
-->"I don't know!"
* CombatCommentator: For the radio show covering the tournaments.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: She certainly doesn't look like it, but Uta is actually the Vanguard for the All-Japan Team, and apparently has a reputation of playing with overwhelming power.
* InformedAbility: Her supposedly game-breaking "Golden Hands", again only mentioned in the collectible cards.
* KnowNothingKnowItAll: Gives this impression through her habit of taking back any InfoDump she lets out.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Sometimes, at critical points during the matches, she will completely drop the "I don't know" catchphrase, such as when she says that Shizuno is not necessarily out of the game, shortly before Shizuno manages to secure second place in the last hand of the quarter-finals.
* PintsizedPowerhouse: Standing at a mere 145cm and weighing 37kg, Uta is ''very'' petite. She's also apparently a powerhouse with a ''game-breaking'' ability. It's not always apparent due to her often being shown seated, but one panel in Chapter 106, while sitting in a chair, her feet don't seem to reach the ground.
* TheRedBaron: "Cat Chamber". Seems to be a reference to UsefulNotes/SchrodingersCat, due to her propensity to both know and ''not'' know what's happening during a match she's commenting on.
----

!!Eri Hariu
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiEri_9538.png
->'''Voiced by:''' Yumiko Fujita

A play-by-play commentator for Inter-High Radio. She alternates with Fukuyo Kouko.
----
* CombatCommentator: Like Kouko, Sukoya and Uta.
* CrossPoppingVeins: Gets them once when Uta says that she doesn't know.
* GilliganCut: In ''Saki Biyori''...
-->'''Eri''': "(Uta's) someone who never changes... No... I'm sure she'll prove through for me during the match..."\\
''(Cut to the match)''\\
'''Narration''': "She didn't."\\
'''Uta''': "[[CatchPhrase I really don't know.]]"
* [[StraightMan Straight Woman]]: To Uta, even when its not their turn doing commentary (as shown in the main series). Seems to be common among commentator combinations.
----
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Takatobara Junior High School]]
Takatobara is Nodoka and Yuuki's last school before Kiyosumi, and is the defending champion of the National Inter-Middle High tournament. Without Nodoka, now playing for Kiyosumi, Team Takatobara relies on eighth-grader Maho to advance further.

!!Maho Yumeno
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_mahou_3191.png
->'''Year:''' 2nd\\
'''Voiced by:''' Ai Tokunaga

An old underclassman of Nodoka, Yuuki and Kirame, as well as a player for Team Takatobara. Together with Hiroko (not the Funakubo), she is first seen cheering for Nodoka during the Nagano finals. As a player, her special ability is to mimic others' abilities in one turn. But because she is just a beginner, she also commits a lot of mistakes. Nevertheless, Koromo comments that, given proper training, Maho could one day become a "mahjong monster".
----
* ChekhovsGunman: Introduced as a seemingly random and very minor comic relief SatelliteCharacter of Nodoka's. Later revealed to be a player herself with the potential to join the likes of Koromo and Saki.
* TheDitz: Tends to make at least one major mistake per day, such as picking up the wrong tile.
* HardWorkHardlyWorks: In more of an individual case, she still has many bad habits in spite of playing for over a year and, according to Hiroko, practicing quite hard.
* LethalChef: Unfortunately, proves to be this in her attempts to make a taco that she, like Yuuki, can use as a PowerUpFood.
* MegaManning: Maho's ability. Works on any skill, but only one per round per day for each ability. HilarityEnsues in ''Saki Biyori'' when she tries to imitate other people's abilities, such as hiding behind a blanket to replicate Momo's {{Invisibility}}.
* ThePasswordIsAlwaysSwordfish: Apparently has her own username as a password, as revealed in ''Saki Biyori''.
* SayingTooMuch
-->'''Maho:''' "[[ThirdPersonPerson Maho]] can't create any Yaku!"\\
'''Hiroko''': "[[LampshadeHanging Don't say things you don't have to say.]]"
* SempaiKouhai: The kouhai to Nodoka, Yuuki, and (as revealed in an extra chapter) Kirame from ''Achiga-hen''.
* ThirdPersonPerson: Uses these a lot, reflecting her preteen personality.
* {{Those Two G|uys}}irls: With Hiroko Murohashi.
----

!!Hiroko Murohashi
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_muro_7723.png

Nodoka's other underclassman from Takatobara Junior High, who also cheers for Nodoka during the Nagano finals.
----
* OneHeadTaller: To Maho; when the vice president sends Hisa a close-up of Maho, Hiroko's head is cut off.
* OneSteveLimit: Shares her name with Funakubo, although only the latter's aunt and cousins seem to call her by her first name.
* SempaiKouhai: The kouhai to Nodoka, Yuuki, and (as revealed in an extra chapter) Kirame from ''Achiga-hen''.
* StatingTheSimpleSolution
-->'''Hiroko:''' "You should learn all the basics, Maho..."\\
'''Maho:''' That sounds like a difficult ability..."
* {{Those Two G|uys}}irls: With Maho Yumeno.
----
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Individual Players at the National Individuals]]
!!Kei Arakawa
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiKei_3949.png
->'''Year:''' 3rd\\
'''Voiced by:''' Creator/MarieMiyake

Kei is the second-strongest individuals player after Team Shiraitodai's Teru, and hails from Sangamaki High School, which placed second in the South Osaka tournament (losing its Nationals slot to Himematsu). She was brought in to play against Achiga in a practice match, and like Ryuumonbuchi earlier, schools them into taking the tournament seriously.

She later appears again in Tokyo, this time with a few other individual players, to help further train Team Achiga for the National semifinals against Team Shiraitodai. She is the one who foreshadows just how terrifying Teru's skill really is, by describing the elder Miyanaga as "not human".
----
* AllThereInTheManual: Her ability, which was only revealed in the ''Achiga-hen'' PSP game. She gets an exponential chance to get good-scoring hands if she doesn't win for a few turns. In hindsight this synchronizes ''very'' well with Teru's snowballing win streak ability.
* {{Badass}}: Not only does she hail from the second-strongest mahjong team in South Osaka, but as a solo player she has the skills to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Teru.
* CosplayOtakuGirl: Certainly gives the impression, especially when the Achiga girls meet her again in Tokyo, dressed up as a nurse. Doubly so when all the other players she brought with her -- some of whom are competing in the individuals -- also happened to be dressed... ''uniquely'', to say the least.
* OneSteveLimit: It's not very well known, but Nodoka's father (interestingly enough, someone who doesn't even like mahjong) is also called Kei.
----

!!Rise Fujiwara
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_rise_9238.png
-->''"I don't want Komaki Jindai to lose to anyone but myself."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/ChiemiChiba

One of Kei's friends in the individual tournament, who played against Team Eisui's Komaki once in the past.
----
* {{Keigo}}: Speaks very formally and uses the personal pronoun "watakushi".
* KimonoIsTraditional: Her outfit while practicing with Team Achiga.
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: Expresses this sentiment regarding Komaki.
* WorthyOpponent: Considers Komaki to be this.
----
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Others]]
!!Kazue Nanpo
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Nanpo_4661.PNG
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/YukoSanpei

A lone wolf from Hirataki High School in Nagano Prefecture, who enters only in the individual tournament.
----
* FamilyHonor: One of her main motivations.
* {{Foil}}: To Hisa -- both are talented players who ended up in schools with less-than-stellar teams. While Hisa forgoes going to the individuals for her first two years, wanting to go to the nationals with her team, Kazue sees the individuals as a place she can shine without being held back by "weak" teammates.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Her justification for not entering the team tournament. She rather coldly says how she'd rather not have players who aren't as good as she is drag her and her family name down. Needless to say, it's but a matter of time until [[PrideBeforeAFall Saki forces her to eat her words]].
* MeaningfulName: She excels at the South Wind round, and the "nan" in her surname is the kanji for "south". In addition, her given name sounds like "kaze", meaning "wind".
* PrideBeforeAFall: Nanpo is introduced as, while being reserved, rather self-important and arrogant. Saki makes sure she learns the importance of teamwork -- the hard way.
* RaisedByGrandparents: Strongly implied that Kazue was raised by her grandfather, from whom [[ItRunsInTheFamily she learned her mahjong tactics]].
* [[WellDoneSonGuy "Well Done, Granddaughter" Gal]]: She gives off this impression to an extent, given her FamilyHonor related motivation.
----

!!Hagiyoshi
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Hagiyoshi_64.PNG
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/DaisukeOno

Touka's personal butler, always on hand to do what she or her friends request ''perfectly'' (despite himself saying otherwise). His comings and goings while doing said requests can only be described as teleportation, and is constantly a surprise for Team Ryuumonbuchi.
----
* BattleButler: While no actual combat takes place, it's indicated that he's fairly good at mahjong.
* FlashStep: Appears and disappears suddenly, which even surprises some of Ryuumonbuchi's team.
* JackOfAllStats: Seriously, is there anything this guy ''can't'' do? His skill at practically everything is lampshaded when Kyoutaro mentions how he encountered him and got him to teach him how to make tacos.
----

!!Junko Nishida
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_nishida_3327.png
->'''Voiced by:''' Mami Kosuge

A reporter from ''Weekly Mahjong Today'' who often writes about Nodoka.
----
* BeQuietNudge: Gives one to her cameraman when he says people are interested in Nodoka because of her large breasts, and says that it's because she's beautiful.
* BigNo: Gives one in the last chapter of Achiga-hen, after trying to find Nodoka only to learn that she already left.
* TheDitz: Apparently has a bad habit of forgetting to turn her tape recorder on.
----

!!Hatsuse Okahashi
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SakiHatsuse_2502.png
->'''Year:''' 1st\\
'''Voiced by:''' Minami Tsuda

Ako's friend and middle-school classmate, who unlike Ako enrolls in Bansei in the hopes of joining their prestigious team. She is surprised that Ako would go to Achiga on what seemed to be a whim, let alone dare to make waves at the Nationals with an untested team. Naturally, when [[HistoryRepeats Team Achiga goes on to defeat Bansei]], she's stunned.

Despite this she throws her support behind her friend's team, and can be seen later watching Achiga's matches at Kuro's home later on, along with all the kids from the old Children's mahjong club.
----
* CantCatchUp: She and Ako were about the same level when they went to high school, and reasons that as she can't even get a spot on Team Bansei's bench, Ako and Team Achiga has no chance of defeating them. Thus Team Achiga's surprise victory at the first round of the Nara tournament alone can be seen as an indication that Ako has already surpassed Hatsuse.
* DramaticDrop: After Bansei is eliminated, she drops her megaphone.
* GracefulLoser: In spite of Team Bansei's shocking loss at this year's Nara tourney, this doesn't affect Hatsuse much, and was eventually seen leading the home viewers of Team Achiga's efforts.
----

!!Nazuna, Shirona and Hina Ikeda

Kana's younger sisters and triplets.
----
* [[AlwaysIdenticalTwins Always Identical Triplets]]: They're apparently identical triplets, and they look almost exactly alike.
* AscendedExtra: Despite only appearing in a side chapter, they appear fairly regularly in Saki Biyori, and have entire chapters dedicated to the time they spend with Kana.
* CheerfulChild: They're perhaps the youngest characters in the series, as pre-schoolers, and are good-natured and cheerful.
* JapaneseSiblingTerminology: They use "Onee-chan" on Kana, and she tells them to call Bundou "Seika-onee-chan" instead of by her last name.
----

!! Mysterious Girl
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saki_myst_8099.png
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/MaiNakahara

A girl who appears in a montage of images in Chapter 102, and in a flashback in Chapter 104. It is strongly implied that she is somehow related to the Miyanaga family, and that whatever happened to her -- which may have included hospitalization and/or death -- caused Saki and Teru to break apart.
----
* HiddenEyes: Her eyes are often hidden in the flashbacks, somewhat similar to Teru.
* JapaneseSiblingTerminology: Appends "-onee-chan" to [[spoiler:Teru]]'s first name.
* NoNameGiven: Has not been named or referred to as such yet. The Saki Wiki calls her "[[http://saki.wikia.com/wiki/Mysterious_Girl Mysterious Girl]]"
* ThePollyanna: In spite of believing that she will never swim again, enjoys watching the fish do it for her, and hopes to own an aquarium one day.
* WalkingSpoiler: Shaping up to be one.
----
[[/folder]]

[[WMG:Characters introduced in the prequel spinoff ''[[Manga/SakiShinohayuDawnOfAge Side story of -Saki- Shinohayu: The dawn of age]]'']]

[[folder:The Main Characters]]

!!Shino Shiratsuki
-->''"If I enter this tournament... Mom might come find me... she might come back!!"''

The first viewpoint character of ''Shinohayu''. Her goal is to play mahjong and make waves, hoping one day this will catch the attention of her mother Nana, who disappeared one day.
----
* AlliterativeName
* AnimalMotifs: Birds, especially the sparrow that is the namesake of Mahjong. (Contrast: Kuro.)
* CrashIntoHello: With Hayari on the day of the Matsue children's tournament.
* {{Determinator}}: Has some indications of this. When Kousuke sells her mahjong set save for one tile she held onto, she sets out to create ''135'' replica tiles out of paper. And then she runs ''twelve-and-a-half kilometers'' just to make it to the Matsue tourney.
* {{Foil}}: Like Saki, she sees mahjong as a way to reunite with someone she cares about, hoping that it will bring her together with her mother in the same way that Saki hopes to reconcile with her sister. While it has yet to be seen whether Shino will learn that her reunion with her mother is less likely than she expects, she enjoys mahjong in contrast to Kanna hating it despite her competitive attitude, while Saki, who doesn't like Mahjong, initially upsets Nodoka who does enjoy mahjong, with her play style.
* GracefulLoser: She gets third place in the Matsue Children's tournament (nest to Kanna and Hayari), which she believes is not enough to get in the news and attract her mother's attention, but nevertheless she enjoys the game.
* MissingMom: One day, when she was just in 4th grade, her mother simply disappeared the day after their first mahjong game together. She currently lives with her uncle in Shimane.
* NewTransferStudent: After the disappearance of her mom, she moved to Shimane to live with her uncle, where she meets Kanna and Hayari.
* SupremeChef: It must be seen to be believed -- and she has been one since, at the very least, [[ImprobableAge 4th grade]].
* WhamLine: After a happy game of mahjong with her mother and uncle, she narrates...
-->"The next day, my mom disappeared."
* WhatTheHellHero: After she finds out that her uncle sold her mahjong set, she's very unhappy with him.
* ZettaiRyouiki: Not always, but often.

!!Kanna Ishitobi
-->''"Don't you know? A lot of first-class athletes don't like their own sport. Their competitive spirit comes before their personal feelings. And I'm the same way."''

The second viewpoint character and member of the mahjong club at Shino's new school in Shimane. Serious and no-nonsense regarding mahjong, she is driven by an all-consuming desire to get back at Hayari for soundly defeating her at her very first mahjong tournament.
----
* TheAce: Back in grade-school, Kanna was the star of her school -- beautiful, smart, athletic and sociable. Then came Hayari.
* ArchEnemy: She's obsessed with taking down Hayari to an extent that exceeds any of the other players' attitudes toward their rival, to the point of doodling and writing insults on pictures of her, and turning off the TV whenever she is on-air. Thus the {{irony}} when, as shown on several promotional materials, she (and Shino) wind up at the same high-school team as Hayari.
* BerserkButton: Hayarin seems to be a walking one for her. Another are people who [[SeriousBusiness play mahjong for fun]].
* BreakTheHaughty: Her loss to Hayari shattered any delusion of her invincibility, causing her to dedicate herself to defeating her. This is taken even further when she also loses to one of her friends at mahjong, despite said friend being similarly inexperienced.
* BrutalHonesty: This exchange when Kanna recruits her friends to form a mahjong club with the goal of defeating Hayari. It also to some extent counts as a BluntYes, as while Kanna's answer is "no", she says it with the same straightforwardness and lack of tact that comes with a typical BluntYes.
-->'''Kyouka''': "Are we supposed to beat (Hayari), too?"\\
'''Kanna''': "Nah. You're just here to be my sparring partners."\\
'''Kyouka''': "[[LampshadeHanging Can't you at least try to show some tact]]?"
* ClusterFBomb: Drops one after her defeat against Hayari.
-->"[[DontYouDarePityMe I don't need your sympathy]]! Mahjong is an illogical trash! Argh! Screw this crap! To hell with everything!"
* DontYouDarePityMe: Has this reaction after being defeated by Hayari.
* ExactEavesdropping: After storming out of the multipurpose room after losing to Kyouka, she returns, but overhears her friends complaining about how much she has changed since losing to Hayari.
* HatesTheJobLovesTheLimelight: The main reason she hates Hayari is because she's in the spotlight, while Kanna is not (yet). It has little to do with mahjong, no matter what she says to the contrary.
* HiddenDepths: She comes off as arrogant and overly competitive at first glance, but her POV chapters show that she is often lonely, feels empty despite winning, and actually knows remorse for her poor social skills.
* HiddenHeartOfGold: It's revealed in her third POV chapter that part of the reason why she initially didn't want to include Shino in her club was out of a desire for none of her friends to feel as though they're left out.
* InsufferableGenius: She's quite talented at almost everything she tries, and does quite well at Mahjong at first, before meeting Hayari.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: She's incredibly cold and condescending toward Shino in their first meeting, but as her POV chapters show, it's pretty obvious that much of her attitude stems from the shock of losing to Hayari, and that deep down she is not such a bad girl after all.
* NoSocialSkills: After angrily lashing out at her friends, she ends up ''looking up how to apologize online''.
* NotSoDifferent: The start of her POV chapters has her reminiscing that, in hindsight, she and Hayari may have more in common than she would like to admit, both being nigh-invincible girls on their respective fields of expertise.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: As she's usually grumpy and abrasive, when she smiles and politely declines Kyouka's offer to hang out together, the latter notices that Kanna's more troubled by the others not showing up in the multipurpose room than she lets on.
* ParentalNeglect: Her parents are never explicitly shown, thus Kanna is free to bring her friends on a whim. This may explain her socially stunted personality.
* PerpetualFrowner: She's almost constantly frowning, except for a somewhat smug and vain grin when she thinks Shino's asking who she is.
* SeriousBusiness: Granted, mahjong is already one throughout the series, but she pushes it UpToEleven. She claims she doesn't see find mahjong fun at all. As such, she doesn't play anyone that she believes is of no use for raising herself up the pro ladder.
* SoreLoser: To say that she took her first loss to Hayari hard is still putting it lightly. She's ''not'' happy about losing the second time, although Shino suggests that she actually enjoyed it. She even gets upset after losing against one of her comparatively inexperienced friends in mahjong.
* TemptingFate: She believes she's the only fourth-grade at the Matsue children's tournament, only to see Hayari soon afterward. She dismisses her as an airhead, and then gets floored.
* TookALevelInJerkass: Following her first loss to Hayari, her friends began complaining (behind her back) about how much Kanna has changed for the worse. She stopped inviting her friends to her house, became more unfriendly, and consumed herself with a single-minded desire to get back at Hayari. Fortunately...
* TookALevelInKindness: ...She gradually takes some of this,too, over time as she's humbled by defeat and starts learning how to play well with others. She goes from being completely self-absorbed and viewing others as means to an end to wanting to include others.
* {{Tsundere}}: Has some indications of being this, as she appears concerned about Shino after she runs into Hayari and blushes as she denies being friends with her. Arguably she is also this towards mahjong in general -- despite openly claiming to hate it, the very fact that she still trains hard indicates that her loss to Hayari actually helped reignite her competitive spirit.
* UnknownRival: To Hayarin, at least at first, as Hayarin merely acts puzzled when seeing Kanna's hostile behavior toward her.
* VictoryIsBoring: She feels this way since, before getting into mahjong, no one could seriously compete with her at games.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Friends and Family]]

!!Kyouka Inamura

One of Kanna's friends from the mahjong club.

* BeginnersLuck: Not to the level of Kaori, but in a practice match with Kanna (who has never lost a game to anyone except Hayari, and managed to make it to the finals of the mahjong tournament) she gets a San'ankou when she thought it was a Toi Toi, winning the game. [[SoreLoser Kanna doesn't take it well]].
* BrutalHonesty: Returns the favor to Kanna by saying, with a cheeky grin, that she didn't go to the tournament because she assumed that Kanna wouldn't want Kyouka to see her disgraced and defeated.
** ILied: It turns out she ''did'' watch several hands during the finals.

!!Kousuke Shiratsuki

Shino's uncle and caretaker after the disappearance of her mother.
----
* EmbarrassingNickname: "Richardson." He'd rather not be reminded of his time in that band.
* FantasyForbiddingFather: He believes mahjong will only serve to remind Shino of her MissingMom. However, seeing her enjoying herself at the tournament results in him changing his mind.
* OhCrap: After seeing that Shino has run off.
* ParentalSubstitute: To Shino, after her mother, his older sister, disappears.
* [[ParentsAsPeople Parental Substitutes As People]]: He admits that he's been busy with his job and looking for his sister that he didn't pay much attention to Shino, and then tells her that he'll support what she wants to do from here on out.

!!Nana Shiratsuki
-->''"I like that look you've got. That sparkling look on your face, when you're playing mahjong."''

Shino's mother, who disappeared one day while she was young.
----
* MissingMom: She disappears without any explanation, causing Shino to compete in mahjong tournaments in the hopes of getting into the papers, causing her mother to notice her and come back.

!!Mafuka Kasugai

An IdolSinger and mahjong player, who is implied to be a large influence on Hayari Mizuhara.
----

* BigDamnHeroes: Saves Hayari from a man who was about to attack her for calling him out on his behavior.
* CoolBigSis: Appears to play this role to Hayari.
* GirlishPigtails: As an IdolSinger.
* IdolSinger: Much like Hayari eventually becomes, but Hayari initially finds this side of her personality obnoxious.
* RedBaron: "The Tile Girl"
* RevealingSkill: By using the same magic trick with a mahjong tile, she causes Hayari to realize that she's the same person she met while in the hospital.
* VerbalTic: "Mafufu", prompting Hayari's grandmother to suggest "Hayaya" based on her name.

[[/folder]]

* ClubPresident[=/=]StudentCouncilPresident: At the same time, for both Kiyosumi High and its mahjong team, respectively.

* RichBitch[=/=]SpoiledSweet: Zigzagged, depending on who she interacts with.

* YouAreNotAlone: A main source of Hisa's confidence lay in her realization of how far she has gotten since first stepping onto Kiyosumi -- from solo player in her first year to a two-girl team with Mako come second-year... to having dozens of friends and supporters (teammates, schoolmates and even rivals) in her final year.

* ScaryShinyGlasses: Gets them at times, such as when challenging Kaori to a rematch with the other two players from their Sergeant match, who also sport them. Kaori wins again.

* ACupAngst: Played straight during the pre-Nationals training camp hosted by Team Kiyosumi, where she finds herself quite inadequate in the bare company of Mako, Tomoki and Kaori.

As ''Shinohayu'' reveals, she was one of the four players on the table during the fateful match between Sukoya and Harue.

* CharacterDevelopment: Her POV chapters in ''Shinohayu'' reveal that she was almost a completely different person when she was a young child, preoccupied with a "cool" image until she realized that the Mafuyu who comforted her in the hospital was the same person as the idol singer who saved her from a thug.

* [[IdolSinger Idol Player]]: Hayarin is a well known TV personality outside of the Mahjong arena (as far back as her grade-school days, in fact, according to ''Shinohayu''). Ironically, this makes her a target for Team Usuzan, as they want to make one of their players an even ''bigger'' idol than she is.

The main protagonist of the prequel spinoff. Her goal is to play mahjong and make waves, hoping one day this will catch the attention of her mother Nana, who disappeared one day.

A member of the mahjong club at Shino's new school in Shimane. Serious and no-nonsense regarding mahjong, she is driven by an all-consuming desire to get back at Hayari for soundly defeating her at her very first mahjong tournament.

* VerbalTic: Sometimes exclaims "Haya!"

A list of characters appearing in the manga and anime series ''Manga/{{Saki}}''. This also includes characters from the spinoff ''[[Manga/{{Saki Achiga-hen}} Saki Achiga-hen -episode of Side A-]]'' and the prequel ''[[Manga/SakiShinohayuTheDawnofAge Saki Shinohayu -the dawn of age-]]''.

A list of characters appearing in the anime series ''Manga/{{Saki}}''.

* EarlyBirdCameo: To those with good eyes, she makes an appearance on the first opening of the anime's first season.

-->'''Maho:''' "Maho can't create any Yaku!"\\

'''Voiced by:''' Misaki (TV series) and Sachika Misawa (extra episodes)

Hiroko is the niece of team coach Masae, cousin to Team Himematsu's Hiroe and Kinue, and Team Senriyama's planner and researcher. She routinely collects information on potential opponents throughout the Nationals, and formulates strategies to counter or neutralize their particular playstyles. This includes opponents that have "unusual" draw patterns, like Kuro's propensity for drawing dora tiles. In the anime, she becomes interested in Arata, "for the sake of research", due to the unusual distribution of her draws, and she wants to study it further.

* AttackItsWeakPoint: Does this to Seiko. She analyzes Seiko's play and Seiko's habit of discarding 1 and 9 tiles, as well as honor tiles when defending and uses that to her advantage.
* BrutalHonesty: She doesn't mince words when telling Izumi that she messed up in her semi-finals match, or that she's not in the same league as the first-year monsters.

* NotSoDifferent: After Hiroko advises Izumi to not think too much about comparing herself with others, especially not overestimating her own abilities, Izumi asks Hiroko if she's speaking from personal experience.

* RightBehindMe: In ''Saki Biyori'', she delivers a New Year's card to her cousin Hiroe, announcing her intention to drop by at 10 a.m.; Hiroe opens the card at 10 a.m., and Hiroko announces her presence immediately afterward.

* ImplausibleDeniability: In ''Saki Biyori'', she tries to get out of admitting that she didn't write her New Year's cards, first by hiding them behind her back, then by making excuses.
* LameExcuse: In ''Saki Biyori'', after her daughters realize that she forgot to send her New Year's cards, she tries to say that she deliberately put them out in the new year, so that she could convey her "new feelings."

* SternTeacher: She's somewhat serious and no-nonsense, prompting Toki to remark that "She's serious" during her first meeting with the Senriyama club. Despite this, she also shows herself to be quite warm from time to time, such as checking on Toki in the hospital, seeming pleased that Hiroko is doing well, and comforting Hiroko after the loss.

Hailing from Fukuoka Prefecture, Team Shindouji is the embodiment of the "EveryYearTheyFizzleOut" trope in the ''Saki'' universe -- it has a long history of consistently reaching the Nationals, only to falter as early as the first eliminations round (its last higher-placed appearance was at the semifinals ten years ago, of which color commentator Risa Noyori was a player), with last year's loss being the worst of the lot. This year, they produced a new Vanguard in the form of lucky Kirame.

If there's a word to describe Kirame, it would be "unflappable" -- even in the face of such opposition as Teru, she will never back down from a good fight, despite earlier firsthand experience as to Teru's sheer power. Originally from Nagano, she also used to be Nodoka and Yuuki's upperclassman back in Takatobara Junior High, but moved out just in time for for Team Shindouji's disastrous try for the 70th Nationals.

* BrokenAce: She's a skilled player, but she blames herself for losing last year.

Himematsu, representing South Osaka, is one of the top schools in Kansai, alongside their cross-town rivals from Team Senriyama (whose coach Masae is mother to their own Hiroe and Kinue), and was a highly-seeded team until the emergence of Team Eisui and Komaki, relegating them to fifth-place. Team Himematsu has a tradition of putting their ace as Lieutenant. Notable for being one of the few schools in the Nationals that seems to be composed entirely of normal, if skilled, players.

* BadassNormal: According to Hisa, in a team of normals that is ranked fifth in a competition stuffed to the rafters with mahjong monsters, she could epitomize this trope. This is even more proven to the fact that Hisa's hell waits doesn't work on her.

* IncomingHam

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Hiroe minces no words, whether she's gloating, taunting or calling names. And she's also a very kind teammate. In fact, Hisa interprets her taunts as her way of goading her opponents into playing better. During the National semifinals she also deliberately messes up her words so the normally quiet Choe would have a chance to speak.

* BadassNormal: Says so herself in Round 79. She's challenges herself to see whether or not she can go far against her "monster" opponents which includes Saki, Kasumi and Toyone. Saki even mentions she considers ''her'' the biggest threat of the semi-finalists.

* ReflexiveResponse: Kicks Etopen, briefly mistaking it for a soccer ball, merely on reflex, and apologizes profusely to Nodoka afterward.

* SiblingYinYang: Kinue is [[NiceGirl sweet]] but [[WellDoneSonGuy in need of attention]], while Hiroe is [[LargeHam loud, outspoken, confident]] and [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold cocky (though not totally devoid of some decency)]].

Interim coach of Team Himematsu, taking over while their actual adviser, Zennou, convalesces. She and Fujita seem to have a history with each other, as Fujita goes out of her way to avoid meeting her. She's compared to Harue, her counterpart from Team Achiga, in that she's "troublesome".

As of the current chapters, Team Rinkai is playing at the National semifinals Side B, against Kiyosumi, Himematsu and Usuzan.

* PhenotypeStereotype: Averted. Megan is black with dark features.
* PrettyInMink: Wears a long coat lined with fur on the collar when she was first introduced.

* TokenMinority: Inverted -- she's the sole Japanese player in a MultinationalTeam, as per tournament rules at least one local player is required for a team to become eligible for national competition (and a Vanguard, at that).

* AchievementsInIgnorance: By finding the courage to discard a dora, she unwittingly derails Teru's winning rampage.

* SpannerInTheWorks: Kuro was passive throughout the National semifinals. When she finally made her move, however, it is ''she'' who puts a stop to Teru's rampage by finally finding the courage to discard a dora. Even before that, Toki, noticing how upset Kuro appears, thinks that she has (unwittingly) proven helpful by attracting all the dora tiles, making it more difficult for Teru to increase the value of her hand.

* TookALevelInBadass: Happens before her first major match in the Nationals, where she comes into the venue sporting a cape and vows to show everyone that Kiyosumi isn't a weak team. Prior to the National semifinals, at Hisa's recommendation she also began learning how to deal with big hands, in the event that she faces off against Teru come the finals.

Suzu is the former Vice-Captain, until a loss earned her writings on her forehead from Kyouko. She has since played Vanguard, where she specializes in explosive wins.

* InformedAbility: Her propensity to play big hands. Actually, it seemed to be waiting for the semi-finals.

As of the current chapter, Team Kiyosumi is playing at the National semifinals Side B, against Himematsu (from their quarterfinals bracket, B-1), Rinkai and Usuzan, while Saki and Nodoka, 3rd- and 2nd-placers at the Nagano individuals, respectively, are slated to play at the National individuals.

* HypocriticalHumor: She's had difficulty making friends for much of her life, to the point at which she doesn't initially recognize Touka and her teammates from Ryuumonbuchi as such. When Saki says that she decided not to join Nodoka in watching the semifinals, Koromo responds as following:

* NiceGirl: Her teammates are concerned that she is ''too'' selfless.

** SolomonDivorce: Saki's parent's haven't legally divorced yet, but the sisters each living with different parents still fits.

* CripplingOverspecialization: She blows the field at East Wind... and can do not much else come the other rounds. Come the National semifinals, Hisa tried to remedy this by having her change priorities from big hands to cheap but quick ones with the intention of getting a parenchan.

* EmbarrassingNickname: ''Otou-san'' and ''Papa''

* NerdsAreSexy: It's not apparent with the way she regularly dresses, but as Miharu discovered while in the bath, Tomoki has one hell of a figure.

* HypercompetentSidekick[=/=]TheLancer: Her skill, recruitment tactics, and no-nonsense maturity make her the logical boss, right? Instead, she's the compliment to laidback Satomi.

* SayMyName: In TheStinger for ''Zenkoku-hen'', Teru turns to the camera and whispers "Saki...", implying that deep down at least she's still aware that she ''does'' have a sister.

As her nickname "Venter" suggests, Choe's ability centers on the gathering of cardinal wind tiles to her hand, being able to gather the same type of Wind tile as her seating position (meaning if she's seated East, she gets East tiles as well, and so on). She also seems to be able to gather Wind tiles depending on the round (East during the East Wind round), but only when she's a dealer.

''A Note on Tournament Rules:'' Regional tournaments generally feature 32 teams. One from the first round advances to the semifinals, where two from each bracket will meet at the finals. The National tournament, however, has a larger pool, with 52 teams, all winners of their local tournaments, one for each each prefecture (except Tokyo, Kanagawa, Osaka, Aichi and Hokkaido, which have two). The top four seeded teams are automatically qualified for the quarterfinals (i.e., Shiraitodai, Senriyama, Eisui and Rinkai), while the remaining 48 are to vie for the remaining three slots per quarterfinals bracket in four-team matches. Two from each quarterfinals bracket will reach the semifinals, where in turn two from each side will face off at the finals.

[[folder:Kiyosumi High School (Main Characters of ''Saki'')]]

[[folder:Achiga All-Girls' Academy (Main Characters of ''Achiga-hen'')]]

[[folder:Shiraitodai High School]]

[[folder:Senriyama Girls' Academy]]

[[folder:Shindouji All-Girls]]

[[folder:Himematsu High School]]

[[folder:Rinkai All-Girls' High School]]

[[folder:Usuzan High School]]

[[folder:Eisui All-Girls' High School]]

[[folder:Miyamori Girls' High School]]

As of the current chapter, Team Kiyosumi is playing at the National semifinals Side B, against Himematsu (from their quarterfinals bracket), Rinkai and Usuzan, while Saki and Nodoka, 3rd- and 2nd-placers at the Nagano individuals, respectively, are slated to play at the National individuals.

!National Quarterfinals, Side B (Kiyosumi, Himematsu, Eisui and Miyamori)

During the National semifinals Side A, however, ultimately reveals her hidden power: "The Lord of the Mountain Depths". Born of her love for long walks along the mountains around her hometown, this ability lets her intuitively sense possible draws from the dead wall (which can be read as "mountain"). Coupled with the dice roll results, she can use this to counter or outright negate her opponents' abilities.

* EleventhHourSuperpower: Ryuuka receives a much more limited version of Toki's foresight... due to Toki rubbing off her face on Ryuuka's thighs so often. Unbelievably, the anime adds ''one more'': a type of heat vision, where she can sense her opponents' body temperature, which helps her predict their reaction to her moves. While active, Ryuuka's eyes gain neon purple rings inside of them, making them glow with the same eerie color. Added likely to lend her ''some'' independence from Toki's loaned ability, with which she was wholly dependent throughout her run.
* FriendlyEnemy: To Team Achiga. After recognizing Kuro as one of the girls she met at the rest stop, she starts cheering for her, and is pleased when they get through the National quarterfinals.

%% NOTE: Once the Side-B Semifinals ends, the folders for the two qualifying teams, as well as those of Achiga and Shiraitodai, will be moved onto a "National Finals" heading.

Another girl Nodoka befriended while in Nara, Ako is Shizuno's neighbor and childhood friend. The younger sister of Harue's old teammate Nozomi, Ako was the second-best player of the children's club that Harue oversaw. She attended a different middle school than Shizuno and Nodoka, and actually planned to enroll in Bansei, but after she hears about Shizuno's plans she gladly enters Achiga instead, where she serves as Team Achiga's ace in the hole, being the only girl with some experience in a national tournament, having placed sixteenth overall during the Nara tourney back in middle school.

* SpannerInTheWorks: For all her passivity during the National semifinals, it is ''Kuro'' who puts a stop to Teru's rampage by finally finding the courage to discard a dora. Even before that, Toki, noticing how upset Kuro appears, thinks that she has (unwittingly) proven helpful by attracting all the dora tiles, making it more difficult for Teru to increase the value of her hand.

Harue is the adviser of Team Achiga and herself an alumna of a past incarnation of the team that shocked Nara Prefecture by defeating high-ranking Team Bansei ten years ago and qualifying for the nationals. Unfortunately, one brutal loss to Sukoya later at the semifinals, and Harue was traumatized after losing too many points beyond repair. She stopped playing for years after that, and for a while was content to teach the kids of her hometown's children's club. She is eventually scouted by Kumakura, and spends the next few years playing professionally for the Hakata Evergreens, a Fukuoka-based corporate team.

Club leader of Team Ryuumonbuchi and scion of the namesake owners of her own ''alma mater'' (specifically, the daughter of the current principal, and in turn great-granddaughter of her ''alma mater'''s founder). Haughty and craving for attention, she nevertheless shows concern for her teammates in her own way, and is reputed to have went to great lengths to assemble an all-star team.

* TheAtoner: For cheating in a mahjong game years ago, she chains her hands to limit her range and thus make it harder for her to cheat.

* ClingyJealousGirl: Towards Touka when Ayumu is around.

* {{Keigo}}: Subverted, as Touka scolds her for talking formally with her and Koromo when her father isn't around (and presumably because Touka wanted her to act more like any regular schoolgirl).

Touka's other maid and is never seen in series outside of her Maid garb (except during the [[strike: [[BeachEpisode Beach]]]][[BeachEpisode Pool Episode]]). She has a strong crush on Touka and feels jealousy towards Hajime.

Mihoko is the club captain of Team Kazekoshi as well as its ace in the hole. She has had a past history of rivalry with Hisa Takei, a girl of her age and currently of Team Kiyosumi, back in their middle-school years, though both have since engaged in a far friendlier rivalry come high school. Besides this, she is also known to be incredibly affectionate and caring towards her teammates, never minding her habit of keeping her right eye closed at all times due to her self-consciousness with her heterochromia (it's bright blue, in contrast to her more naturally Japanese-looking reddish-brown left eye).

'''Voiced by:''' RikaMorinaga

* TheCaretaker: Assigns herself as one for Kana's little sisters while Kana is away at the Nationals.

Team Tsuruga ended at third place at the Nagano finals, and has no representation for the National individuals.

Originally a bottom-feeder in Team Tsuruga, Yumi worked her way to join the frontliners by reading a mahjong book after losing to Kanbara back in her freshman year. Both her hard-earned mahjong and leadership skills (which make many mistake her for club president instead of laidback Kanbara) helped lead Tsuruga to its very first prefecturals appearance. She is also responsible for bringing her close friend Momoko into the club.

Shiraitodai is known as an exception to West Tokyo's reputation for producing second-rate players, primarily due to its sudden ascent after then-freshman Teru Miyanaga led it to become national champion at the 69th Inter-High School Mahjong Championships, as well as its successful title defense the next year (all the while Teru is also a two-time defending individuals champion). Should Team Shiraitodai, currently seeded at first, wins again this year, Teru will become the first national champion throughout her high-school tenure.

* NotSoAboveItAll: ''Saki Biyori'' reveals that it's ''Teru'' that usually goes along with Awai's crazy suggestions.