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Takeru Yamato
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Character information
Rōmaji Yamato Takeru
Kanji 大和猛
Alias The Real Eyeshield 21
The Emperor
Gender Male
Age 16 (series)
18 (final chapter)
Birthday October 10
Height 190 cm (6'3")
Weight 79 kg
Bench press 140 Kg
Relatives One younger brother
Status
Affiliation Teikoku Alexanders
Year 1st year
Jersey 21 (Teikoku Alexanders)
20 (Team Japan)
40 Yard Dash 4.2 seconds
Position Running back
Free Safety
Team Teikoku Alexanders (high school)
Team Japan (Youth World Cup)
Saikyoudai Wizards (university)
Former Affiliation Notre Dame Middle School
Debut
Chapter 111st Down (silhouette)
274th Down
Episode Episode 57
Voice actors
Japanese N/A
Image gallery

Takeru Yamato (大和 猛, Yamato Takeru) is the running back for Teikoku Alexanders who was the Eyeshield 21 before Sena Kobayakawa usurped him and adopted the title upon beating Takeru at the Christmas Bowl. He later becomes a central player in Team Japan during the Youth World Cup taking place in America.

Appearance[]

Takeru Yamato full body

Full body image in the Team Japan jersey.

According to Hayato Akaba, Takeru is a good-looking guy with wavy almost-black brown hair that has bangs swept to the right side and brown eyes. He is a tall young Japanese man with a lean but muscular form, sharp eyes and strong eyebrows.

Much like Sena Kobayakawa, who uses his title "Eyeshield 21" throughout the story, Takeru wears a multi-colored eye shield on his helmet. The one time he appears out of uniform and jersey, Takeru can be seen wearing a typical long-sleeve shirt, jacket, pants and Converse shoes.

Personality[]

As stated by Sena Kobayakawa, "behind the friendly speeches, there is a part of [Takeru] that believes that he won't lose at all." Rather than being prideful, Takeru naturally radiates confidence of never losing. This confidence combined with his talent for game-reading and analytical thinking gave birth to his "Absolute Prediction". He is generally a kind person, but he is very blunt, brutally honest and straightforward, something he sometimes uses to spite people. Whether or not this is fully intentional isn't entirely clear, but it seems to be. He is usually seen smiling calmly.

Takeru has a strong respect for his friends and teammates that he firmly believes in team efforts. His best friend is Taka Honjo, whom he seems to a friendly rivalry with. He gets along well with Achilles and Heracles who both admire and respect him and vice versa. He also gets along well with Karin Koizumi, with whom he trusts to be a good quarterback, leaving her to dodge Kurita on her own with gentle encouragement. He seems to have a very keen understanding of others, able to read Yoichi Hiruma's strategy on how to try and beat him very quickly.

Despite how perceptive he is in games, being clever and quick on his feet and an overall honorable and decent player (in personality), Takeru can be ridiculously bullheaded from time to time. The best example of this straightforward nature is when he and Taka saw Karin's natural talent for passing and he spoke to her as if he already knew for certain she would be trying out despite her not saying a word on it.

Takeru also seems to be a very eager and excitable person, apparently having talked excitedly about playing against Deimon so much that he managed to annoy Taka into attending the strategy meeting. He is difficult to faze or provoke. The only time he's seen being truly hostile is against Donald Oberman, who framed him and had him expelled from Notre Dame Middle School. However, he prefers to settle his grudges and personal matters on the field, if the subject of his disdain is a player.

He was rather insecure about his abilities during middle school, especially after meeting Panther for the first time. He noted to himself that the only true advantage that he had was being much taller than an average Japanese. His strength, speed, and balance he obtained after a hellish training, as well as working to overcome his peers who bullied and harassed him during his time in America. After developing the Caeser's Charge by fortifying his willpower, he gained more confidence as Eyeshield 21.

In chapter 282, when, addressing Reisuke Aki about wishing to be as popular as Takeru or Taka, Takeru comments that even he doesn't have a girlfriend, Taka points out that there's a difference between "doesn't have" and "can't have."

History[]

Takeru was born in Kagoshima Prefecture and apparently grew at a remarkable speed, possibly due to drinking excessive amounts of milk. His driven and confident nature is one he's had all his life, and helped him pull along the Boy Scouts after joining at the age of 6. Takeru studied abroad starting at 11 years old, attending Notre Dame Middle School and creating a name for himself as Eyeshield 21.

He was initially discriminated against due to being Japanese, but his resolution never broke, determined to settle these conflicts on the field and prove his worth through games. He trained endlessly and built up speed and power at a steady pace. He did not have talent in the same way Sena Kobayakawa does, instead having sheer hard work and effort. He eventually created an uproar in the West and worldwide, and served as additional inspiration to Ryokan Kurita, Yoichi Hiruma and Gen Takekura, who all wished to have an Eyeshield 21-like player of their own one day. At some point he encountered Shun Kakei, another Japanese boy who came to America, befriended him, and Shun began to idolize him, breaking Shun from his belief he couldn't make it in American football.

At 13 he was kicked out of Notre Dame by Donald Oberman after being unable to catch up to Patrick Spencer by method of blackmail, and was brought back to Japan by an offer from Teikoku to join their team, instantly making it into the first string along with Taka Honjo. Upon his return he became an unbeatable ace, not being caught once until Sena latched onto him during their match.

Plot[]

Christmas Bowl Arc[]

SenaYamato

Takeru and Sena finally face-off.

A player for the best team in Kansai, Takeru is the real Eyeshield 21 from Notre Dame that once fought against Kyoshin Poseidon's Shun Kakei, who played for Phoenix. He is said to be the perfect runner and has great strength, speed, technique, and even perfect body balance. He is a fellow "perfect player" like Shin. As of Teikoku's match against Deimon, Shin was the only one who has been able to stop his run. In all of Teikoku, it is shown that only fellow ace, Taka Honjo, can give him a real challenge. The person originally believed to be Eyeshield 21 was Hayato Akaba from the Bando Spiders, but Shun comments that his body type is slightly different from the one he played against. Near the climax of the game against the Hakushū Dinosaurs, Marco reveals that the team that the real Eyeshield 21 plays for is Teikoku, shocking both Sena and Shun. With Deimon in the Christmas Bowl, the showdown between him and Sena is now a reality. When Sena, Monta, and Suzuna go to scout Teikoku's football team, he pairs up with Sena against 4th string players to see what Sena was capable of. However, his true goal was to meet someone who can match him to the point of being able to make him use his "true style", which has yet to be revealed.

SenaVsYamato

During his duel against visiting Agon Kongo, it is revealed that Takeru's "True Style" would have been used against Agon because Agon's God-Speed Impulse could overcome Takeru's speed. Takeru almost reveals this style but his aura changes, intimidating Agon, prompting him to back off because his primal instincts warned him he was in danger. Takeru then decided to use his true style which is "Caesar's Charge" in which he manages to throw Sena off. Though he had won his one-on-one with Sena, Sena still catches Takeru once again surprising every one of the Teikoku Alexanders' players and even surprises Takeru as well. He then pushes Sena away using his "unsealed" right arm.

However, during the final 5 minutes of the game, when it appears that the Alexanders had put Deimon down with another touchdown, Sena defeats Takeru's perfect Caesar's Charge with the Devil 4th Dimension Run. Takeru responds to this by accelerating with all of his power at the last step diving forward surpassing the 4.2 speed and crushing Sena. This adaptation is defeated when Sena combines the Devil 4th Dimension Run with the Devil Bat Ghost.

Youth World Cup Arc[]

Takeru and Taka visit Deimon High School to recruit them into Team Japan for the Youth World Cup. He followed Sena and Monta after hearing them immediately declare they had to recruit Seijuro Shin and challenged the linebacker, finding the first defensive player to ever completely stop his Caesar's Charge.

Relationships[]

Teikoku Alexanders[]

Taka Honjo[]

Taka is presented as Takeru's best friend, or at least one of them. With Takeru's active, enthusiastic nature, he ends up leading most conversations and interactions with Taka, though Taka is just as blunt. They are both very honest, especially with each other, and Takeru trusts Taka enough to tell him why he'd been expelled from Notre Dame. It's possible Takeru told others as well but no one else brought it up, so it's unlikely. Takeru also trusts Taka's judgement, especially of players, seemingly unconditionally. Even if he hadn't seen Karin's throw, he still would have recruited her to the team from Taka's words alone.

Karin Koizumi[]

Due to his blunt, upfront and from the heart nature, he causes her grief from time to time, but it does no real damage to their friendship. He trusts her as a friend and respects her as a player, having absolute faith she'll be able to play among the top leagues just like himself and the other also highly capable players of the Teikoku first string. Her shy, quiet and sheepish nature is very different compared to his own louder more boisterous one but Takeru, just like he is with the other named members of the first string, seems rather close with her.

Rival Teams[]

Sena Kobayakawa[]

Yamato, as the original Eyeshield 21, served as inspiration for Sena even before they had met. Yamato gained respect for Sena after latter's tenacity in their match forced Yamato to go against his word and actually fight at full power. After Devil Bats had won their match against Alexanders, Sena and Yamato struck up something of a friendship, which was reinforced during the World Cup.

Techniques and Abilities[]

  • Speed: Takeru has top class speed considered by Agon Kongo as a super speed 'type' at first, although his speed is not as fast as Sena Kobayakawa or Panther, but on Seijuro Shin's speed level. Agon sees him as a super speed type due to his extremely balanced and fast cuts. One of Takeru's teammates stated that 10 players from the Teikoku 2nd string combined are not even capable of stopping his run. It is revealed by Sena in chapter 283 that Takeru's speed is not faster than Sena or Shin's; however, his balance is "perfect". It is revealed in Chapter 286 that Takeru can use, due to his body balance, multiple crossover steps combined with cutting steps at the same time, creating the "True" Devil Bat Ghost. Sena is still able to still see through Takeru's Ghost and catch him. His speed is probably situated between 4.2 or 4.3 s.
  • Strength: Takeru is very strong being able to push Tetsuo Ishimaru out of bounds with only his left hand and blocking many of Teikoku Alexanders' 4th string players with only his hands to the point that they could barely talk or move. His strength is outrageous, even dragging Sena Kobayakawa, Taki and Koji Kuroki along with him while doing the Caesar's Charge for at least a first down. He can lift 330 kilograms. He's on the strength level of Seijuro Shin.
  • Balance: Takeru can run nearly without falling or tripping in his run, he can run through a pile of snow at full speed without being slowed down. Takeru even says "I Cannot Be Taken Down!".
  • Ultimate Route Foresight: Takeru can see running routes the same as Sena Kobayakawa does. However, unlike Sena, Takeru sees every route possible on the field from his and the blockers' position. This was developed from his playing and running experience ever since he started playing football.
  • Absolute Prediction: Takeru never tells lies only commenting on what he knows to be true through observations. He is then, With his massive knowledge of strategy and the tactics used by the opponent, never wrong when he makes predictions about the game. However, his prediction that the Deimon Devil Bats would not score once was crushed by Monta's touchdown in Chapter 292.
  • Ultimate Ghost Run: It's a skill allowed by Takeru's extreme body balance. By violently cutting with both cut steps and crossover steps using the legs and head as the main decoy, Takeru can make 4 ghosts of himself, creating the Mountain of Ghosts.
  • Caesars Charge (Offensive): This is Takeru's "True Running Style" where it was was described as the basis of American Football. By using his extreme body balance, belief and fighting spirit, ferocious strength and valiant willpower, Takeru shake off his opponents that already caught him by dragging them while running at full speed. This was the run that Shun Kakei saw in America which he called the real Eyeshield 21's perfect run. It's an extremely powerful technique that, even if one could catch him or strike him, the run still can't be stopped. Shin was able to stop this run with the Trident Tackle, although Takeru wasn't thrown away and Shin was pushed back for a whole yard.
  • Caesars Charge (Defensive): Usually in defense after looking at which side the runner is going you accelerate, but the "Real Eyeshield 21" is different, by spreading his arms wide and in the same time shortens the distance by charging to his opponent with full speed at once, he is able to create a perfect seal that directly prevents any move to the sides. His opponents can't escape him from above thanks to his height, either. The Defensive Caesars Charge is also allowed by Takeru's huge build and body balance.

Etymology[]

  • The name Takeru means "fierce, rave, rush, become furious, wildness, strength" (猛).
  • Takeru's surname Yamato means "big, great" (大) (yama) and "harmony, piece" (和) (to).
  • Should be noted that Yamato Takeru is the name of a semi-legendary figure from Japanese history, the 12th emperor of Japan. Prince Takeru is referenced throughout pop culture, and "Yamato" is a historical name of Japan. This is presumably meant to add to his out-of-reach feel prior to his match with Teikoku against Deimon.

Trivia[]

  • According to Takeru's "Student Profile", his favorite type of girl is a "decent, strong-willed girl".

References[]

Navigation[]

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Players Takeru YamatoTaka HonjoKarin KoizumiKureji HeraReisuke AkiOrio TokashikiMikoto SanoDojiro TenmaHoteiKirio Ibarada
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