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Blue Lockis asports animethat debuted in October 2022 and quickly became one of the genre’s most exciting releases in years. Created by authors Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura, the 2018 manga was well-received, and it is still going strong today with more than 30 volumes under its belt. When the anime was announced, 8Bit was allowed to bring the story to life in (mostly) style.
Blue Lockfollows some of Japan’s most exciting young soccer players who have been brought together to compete in a ruthless competition to create the best striker in the country. Players are put into teams based on their skill and mustclimb their way to the topto earn a chance to take part in a match against Japan’s U-20 team, which dominates the second season of the anime. The story follows the bottom-of-the-barrel,Blue Lock’s Team Z, which consists of several amazing players. Let’s highlight a few core details ofBlue Lock’s main characters.
This article is based on the anime, not the manga. So, there will be no spoilers for characters who have yet to be introduced in the former.
Updated on June 11, 2025, by Mark Sammut:Eventually, Blue Lock Season 3 should make its debut, paving the way for the Neo Egoist League Arc. That storyline should spotlight most characters who have been featured so far, even if Isagi will be the main attraction. I went ahead and added two more characters to this article: Reo Mikage and Yo Hiori.
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Yoichi Isagi
The Evolving Striker
Yoichi Isagiserves as the main protagonist ofBlue Lockand the unofficial captain of Team Z during its beginning. Isagi shows unwavering dedication to his team and massive willpower to overcome insurmountable odds when faced with powerful opponents.
Isagi utilizes his spatial awareness to take control of the game. However, when Isagi’s ego ignites, he becomes a shotmaker who is nearly unstoppable on the field. Isagi’s personality is quite the opposite of his style of play. While he can be intense, he is usually very approachable, and he tries to build connections with other players. That said, his skills and ego grow exponentially asBlue Lockprogresses, as he transforms from the weakest player to the best.
Jinpachi Ego
The Mastermind Behind The Blue Lock Project
While he takes a backseat during most arcs, Jinpachi Ego is, in-universe, the most important figure in the Blue Lock Project. Frustrated by Japan’s lack of international success, he believes the team only needs a top striker to compete for the World Cup. Therefore, he creates an experiment to push the nation’s best young talents beyond their limits, hoping to find a world-class player who can lead Japan.
Ego believes 100% in Blue Lock and Egoism, to the point that he is willing to gamble on his own career. Considering he demands that the players put their futures on the line, it is only fair that he does the same. While ruthless, Ego is not cruel or mean-spirited, and all his decisions are fueled by a desire to improve Japan’s standing in soccer.
Anri Teieri
Ego’s Support & A Believer In Japanese Soccer
Blue Lockis dominated by male characters, with women being very hard to come by. Anri is essentially the gender’s only representative who makes semi-regular appearances, showing up in roughly 20 episodes. She is, ultimately, a fairly minor presence in terms of screentime, and her contributions primarily involve serving as an audience for Ego. That said, Anri is not afraid to push back against the director’s comments or habits, even though she is fully committed to the Blue Lock project.
Anri simply wants to see Japan excel on an international level, and she believes the pieces are nearly there for the national team to challenge for the World Cup. Without her, Blue Lock would likely not have gotten off the ground since she was pivotal in selling the concept to the powers that be, turning this dream into reality.
Seishiro Nagi
The Uninterested Enigma
Nagi appeared inBlue Lockas the slothish aceof Team V. Immediately, Nagi displayed disinterest in facing weak opponents and in playing soccer in general. However, this aura of disinterest hid his inhuman skill as he was an unstoppable force on the battlefield.
In reality, Nagi was waiting for the right chemical reaction to ignite his ambitious nature. This occurred when Isagi Yoichi rose to the occasion and used his control of the goal to snatch victory from Tem V’s hands. Since that match, Nagi has been an insatiable animal, playing as best he can all the time to get back to that feeling of adrenaline from his first defeat.
Reo Mikage
A Capable Player Who Feels Overshadowed By Nagi
While his tendency to lash out can make him somewhat difficult to like at first, Reo Mikage is arguably among the best-writtenBlue Lockcharacters. As the person who got Nagi into soccer, Reo mostly wanted to play alongside his friend, hoping they could both carve out careers in the sport. However, before long, Nagi quickly begins to outshine Reo, which causes the latter to gain some feelings of inferiority. Born into an extremely rich family, he has never been left wanting, and he has the talent and dedication to make the most of his privilege. Reo excels in any area he tries, and he is usually better than everyone else; however, he is aware of his weaknesses and does not shy away from self-reflection.
Although he is not on the same level as the very best players in the Blue Lock project, Reo is nevertheless a notable talent who does enough to be picked for the team’s game against Japan U-20.His Chameleon abilityis also quite impressive. Reo also matures a lot in a very short time, and he quickly realizes that he values his friendship with Nagi more than being the absolute best footballer.
Jingo Raichi
The Wild Child Of Team Z
Being one of the oldest members of Team Z at seventeen years of age, Raichi is the foul-mouthed hothead of the series. While in his early appearances, he is shown to be all talk and no bite, as the team progresses, Raichi cements his place on the team. With a very aggressive personality and style of play, Raichi excels at unnerving his opponents, which pairs well with his strong defense and stamina.
Furthermore, while he does not do well in showing camaraderie with his teammates and scolds them constantly for every slight mistake, Raichi is a loyal teammate nonetheless. Raichi is seventeen years old, his birthday is October 17, and he stands at one hundred and eighty-four centimeters tall.
Meguru Bachira
The Monster On The Field
Bachira is one of thebest playerson Team Z thanks to his incredible dribbling skills and intensely competitive nature. Bachira is an eccentric type among his teammates, having several quirky personality traits. However, on the soccer field, Bachira is an entirely different animal.
Being one of the quickest players to evolve with every match, Bachira proves he was chosen to be in Blue Lock for a reason. Standing at one hundred and seventy-six centimeters, Bachira’s body is in peak condition, and he possesses incredible maneuverability.
Hyoma Chigiri
Red Hot Speed Demon
Hyoma Chigiri was a star player on his high school team. However, his presence faltered during his transition toTeam Zat the Blue Lock center because of his previous injury. Chigiri carried an immense fear of re-injuring his leg and losing the ability to play soccer forever. However, Chigiri overcame his fear and unleashed his explosive speed on the field to score his team-high velocity goals.
Chigiri has a very intense personality on the field, which sees an arrogance arise in him that pushes him across the field with blinding speed. One of the taller players in Blue Lock, Chigiri has the physical attributes to dominate, and he was only held back by mental restraints.
Rensuke Kunigami
The Tip Of The Spear
Kunigami is a strong soccer player and one of the strongest members of Team Z, with apowerful weaponto make fast, long-distance goals. Kunigami is a very stoic young boy with high confidence for a seventeen-year-old. Kunigami adapted to his new life in Blue Lock quickly, connecting with his new teammates instantly and understanding his responsibility as a player.
Even though there were some rough patches during the team’s first game, he does an excellent job of managing his teamwork with his ego. Kunigami is one hundred and eighty-eight centimeters tall and was born on March 7.
Asuki Naruhaya
Nobody’s Favorite
Naruhaya is one of the less talented players on Team Z. Quite often, Naruhaya can be found sneaking food or swiping it from his teammates when they aren’t looking. While he is a dedicated teammate, he understands his weaknesses and doesn’t pretend to be stronger than he is.
On the field, Naruhaya tries his hardest to use his skills to the best of his abilities, but often falls short of his own expectations compared to the rest of his teammates. Naruhayta stands one hundred and seventy-one centimeters tall and has an average body type. Being only sixteen years of age and the youngest of Team Z, Naruhaya was born on March 20.
Gin Gagamaru
The Shocking Giant
Gagamaru is the coy giant of Team Z. He is very reserved and doesn’t speak often, and he keeps it short when he does. More than likely, Gagamaru is wearing a somewhat spaced-out expression that leads one to believe that he is somewhere else in his head, but he is a very observant player.
Gagamaru doesn’t have much of a personality, buthe is celebrated in his team for his incredible reflexes. Standing tall at one hundred and ninety-one centimeters, Gagamaru is one of the tallest players inBlue Lock.
Gurimu Igarashi
The Present And Unrelenting
To call Igarashi an underdog is a bit of an understatement. While he works harder than almost all the other players on the field, he’s one of the least talented and gets by on the field by the skin of his teeth most of the time. However, Igarashi does not lack confidence and is dedicated to being one of the best strikers in the world, no matter what.
In addition, Igarashi is a motivational player who can make a difference for his team and is versatile in the roles he can perform. Igarashi was born on July 6, is only sixteen, and is one hundred and seventy-five centimeters tall.
Okuhito Lemon
The Dependable Shield
Lemon is 18 years old and, thus, one of the oldest players on Team Z and inBlue Lock. Lemon is predominantly the goalkeeper for the team, but he can also be a strong forward when required. Lemon shines in his dedication and helpfulness to his teammates, always helping them train and standing out as one of the team’s strategists.
While many of the players on Team Z have a select focus on their weapons, Lemon seems to be extremely versatile, calling himself a jack of all trades. Lemon has a massively muscular body compared to many of the players inBlue Lock, standing at one hundred and eighty-seven centimeters tall and being a great wall as a goalie.
Yudai Imamura
The Light-Hearted Bottom Tier
Imamura is another underwhelming member of Team Z who comes up short in overall performance when compared to his teammates. Imamura is a very good soccer player, but does not have any unique skills or powerful weapons to be of use and make it further in Blue Lock.
Imamura has an easygoing personality and a lot of energy on and off the field. He can be a bit of a ladies' man, but that desire is tremendously one-sided. Imamura was born on July 15 and is eighteen years old, standing at one hundred and seventy-eight centimeters in height.
Ikki Niko
From Team Y To Blue Lock Eleven
Although he does not last long in the role, Niko is one of Isagi’s earliest rivals. Assigned to Team Y, he faces off against Team Z and, for the most part, looks down upon his opponents. This mentality stems from Niko’s confidence in his analytical skills, as he excels in an area similar to Isagi. Both players' talents lie in their abilities to read the game, allowing them to see moves and opportunities before they become obvious. Isagi surpasses Niko fairly quickly, but the latter does not fade into oblivion after succumbing to the protagonist’s evolution.
While he does not receive that much attention, Niko improves substantially thanks to Blue Lock. He even managed to make the first team for the U20 match, an incredible achievement considering he started as one of the weaker players in the competition.
Kenyu Yukimiya
The Greatest One-On-One Player
Yukimiya makes his full debut in the second season ofBlue Lockas one of the top six strikers in the program; that said, he is shown briefly in season 1’s final episode. Alongside his allies, Yukmiya comes off as an intense and somewhat arrogant individual, claiming to be the best one-on-one player in Japan.
With speed, strength, and the intellect to utilize both, it’s hard to argue with his claims. Sitting as number five in the Blue Lock ranking, Yukimiya easily outmaneuvers most of the players remaining in the competition and has a comfortable nature on the field.
Jyubei Aryu
The Stylish Striker
Among Blue Lock’s best participants initially, Jyubei Aryu falls down the rankings as the arcs progress, while remaining a highly capable player. He just does not grow as quickly or as impressively as someone like Isagi, so he ends up being surpassed by a couple of characters. That said, Aryu is still an absolute beast on the pitch, an aspect demonstrated by his inclusion in the team selected to face Japan’s U-20 superstars.
Personality-wise, Aryu can come across as a bit of a one-note gimmick at times, although he is still a welcome presence for the most part. He cares a lot about how he looks and how he is perceived, and he wants to maintain astylish image. Aryu is pretty confident, and he does not hesitate to reach out to other people who he feels are on his fashion level.
Eita Otoya
The Coolheaded Bomber
Eita Otoya is the fourth-ranked member of theBlue Locktop six. Making his debut inBlue Lockseason 2, he was depicted as a calm and level-headed athlete. In his first match appearance in Team B with Tabito Karasu, Otoya has proven himself to be cool under pressure and to always be in the right place at the right time.
Unlike his teammates, he does give off an overpowering amount of ego and lets his fieldwork do all the talking. As a very similar type of player to Nagi, Otoya seems to be very go-with-the-flow, confident that he can handle anything that comes his way.
Tabito Karasu
The Keen-Eyed Crow
Karasu is a character that definitely matches the breed of striker that joined up forBlue Lockand fits right in with the top six of the program. Coming right off the boat with arrogance and a sense of superiority, Karasu leaves his nose in the air while he looks down on his opponents on the field.
Instantly picking a rivalry with Isagi Yoichi, Karasu showed how deadly he is at analyzing his opponents and shutting their strengths down. While he has yet to show every trick he has up his sleeve, he can clearly hold his own when on the field with better players.
Yo Hiori
Matches Well With Isagi And Even Rin
Introduced at the end of season 1 before becoming a fixture in the sequel, Yo Hiori is fairly important, even if he might not be as flashy as some otherBlue Lockcharacters. While not emphasized too much by the anime, soccer is very much a team sport, and certain players shine in support roles rather than as the main focal point who scores goals.
Hiori is one of these figures who excels at bringing out the best in his companions, with his elite passing and clever strategies helping to unlock Isagi and even aiding Rin. He will never be the headline getter, but he allows the superstars to shine brighter than ever before.
Ryusei Shido
The Unstoppable Force
Shido is the wild child added inBlue Lockseason 2. His appearance is just as chaotic as his style of play. Unlike most of the other strikers in the top six, Shido rules the field with instinct instead of pure skill. He’s trained his body to know exactly how to act and when to move.
This, paired with his ultra-athletic skills, makesShido a force to be reckonedwith, which is perfect for the second-ranked player in the program. Shido’s overzealous nature might not complement his teammates all that much, and he is certainly the definition of an egotistical player, but he is still among the best strikers inBlue Lock.
Rin Itoshi
The Stoic Prodigy
Rin made a big splash during the latter half of season one ofBlue Lock. Isagi, Nagi, and the rest of his team instantly realized Rin was a cut above the rest, which he proved by single-handedly dominating their entire team.
With a cold and ruthless disposition, Rin showed himself to be fully enveloped in soccer, knowing all of his strengths and all of his opponent’s weaknesses. In season 2, he continues to be a pillar on the field, forcing everyone to play around him, even his teammates.
Sae Itoshi
The Best Player In Japan
Although technically introduced at the beginning of season 1 (or chapter 4 in the manga),Sae Itoshidoes not become a prominent figure until season 2’s U-20 match. As Rin’s older brother, Sae has a strong personal connection to arguably Blue Lock’s best player, at least before Isagi’s meteoric rise. More importantly, Sae is considered superior to his sibling; in fact, he is regarded as Japan’s greatest prodigy, although he plays in midfield rather than as a striker.
Sae has an interesting personality, one that makes him both arrogant and also oddly grounded. He looks down upon Japan’s players, believing they are well below the required level to compete internationally. As he plays in Europe (Spain, to be exact), he knows that competing at the very top is extremely challenging, and he even decides to focus on becoming a midfielder because of this experience.
Oliver Aiku
Japan U-20’s Captain
Blue Lockdoes not generally highlight defenders, both in the manga and the anime. The experiment’s focus is on crafting a great Japanese striker, to the point of treating nearly every other role as inferior or unimportant. While defenders are an afterthought during most arcs, Oliver Aiku does at least get a few moments to shine during the U-20 match. As the captain, the center-back is arguably the national team’s second most important player, just after Sae. He starts a pretty intense rivalry with Isagi, helping to bring in the best inBlue Lock’s protagonist.
Honestly, Aiku is one of the more likableBlue Lockcharacters, and among the more realistic. He is not particularly over-the-top, and he just comes across as a competitive athlete who is constantly pushing himself to reach the next level. His backstory does somewhat hurt this perspective, since he is another player who wanted to be a striker.
Julian Loki
The Child Prodigy
OK, Julian Loki is not exactly amainBlue Lockcharacter, but he is an important one. A French national who has already gone pro, Loki is probably the world’s best striker under the age of 20, something he demonstrates spectacularly during Blue Lock’s matches against the World Five. The latter are far ahead of the former’s teams, demolishing all of them either 5-0 or 5-1. Loki stands out as that group’s best player, which is quite an achievement. He is also relatively down-to-earth, as he takes the match seriously and treats Blue Lock’s players with respect.
Although he has barely appeared in the anime so far, Loki kind of represents Isagi’s final boss, the person he must attempt to overcome. He is, effectively, the ideal that Blue Lock is striving to replicate and achieve. As good as Isagi and the other core characters have become, they have a long way to go before they reach Loki’s level.
