Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple/Characters

There are several characters in Kenichi the Mightiest Disciple.

Kenichi Shirahama
"Voiced by: Tomokazu Seki (JP), Josh Grelle (EN)"

A 16-year-old boy who is currently in his second year of high school. On his way to school one day, Kenichi meets a girl named Miu, and the two soon become friends. At the start of high school, Kenichi joins the school's karate club, hoping to become less weak, but he is forced to do menial chores and is used as a punching bag. One day, he finally stands up to a hulking student, and the two agree to a match in which the loser will quit the club. With Miu's help, Kenichi manages to win, but he quits the club anyway. He joins the Ryozanpaku dojo, which Miu's grandfather nominally runs, and begins an intense training regime in several different types of martial arts.

Kenichi is kind, compassionate, thoughtful, and moral to a fault. He is against violence and studies martial arts to protect others, and he adheres to a strict code of morals, which includes a refusal to hit women. Because of his kindness and empathy, Kenichi has made many friends, most of whom are former enemies. -
 * Accidental Pervert
 * Badass Normal: His masters blatantly tell him that he has no talent, but make up for it by all-but beating the lessons into him. The results have been staggeringly successful, as attested by out-classing Berserker.
 * Future Badass: In Ryozanpaku you don't climb to the mastery, they throw you from a cliff to the mastery... if you die in the middle of the fall that's another story.
 * Beware the Nice Ones
 * Big Damn Heroes: Has several moments of it throughout the series.
 * Big Ol' Eyebrows
 * Boring but Practical: Kenichi doesn't have the kind of advanced moves or styles that many of his opponents have, and while he has his awesome moments, strictly speaking he's just using the basics of martial arts. However, this is precisely the kind of martial artist Bruce Lee stated was the most fearsome.
 * Eventually averted when he starts relying on Ryūsui Seikūken and Mubyoshi.
 * Your Mileage May Vary here, Mubyoshi is a fanciful name for an application of basic understandings from four martial arts and the Ryusui Seikuken is similarly an exaggerated basic skill.
 * Charles Atlas Superpower: As a result of training at Ryōzanpaku.
 * Clueless Chick Magnet: While his sights are firmly set on Miu, that hasn't stopped him from unknowingly picking up a small harem of interested girls, including Izumi, Renka, Raichi, and possibly even Shigure.
 * Cowardly Lion: Scared stiff more often than not, though it won't stop him fighting. It's his master's training that really scares him. Through the wonders of character development, this is less and less the case.
 * Covert Pervert: He does buy stuff from Ma Kensei.
 * Determinator: Unconsciousness won't stop him, by the end of the D of D tournament. In fact, that just worsens your chance of keeping him down, since he then surpasses the speed of thought and perfectly demonstrates the techniques that (nigh literally) have been beaten into him by Ryouzanpaku.
 * Expecting Someone Taller: No one he fights can believe he's as good as he is because of his looks and general demeanor.
 * The Fettered
 * Fight Magnet
 * The Hero
 * Kung Fu Clairvoyance: Courtesy of Seikuken.
 * Love At First Punch: Unintentional but still.
 * His meeting with Miu is related to this trope but not quite it, since neither have Jerkass tendencies, and it was her attempt to befriend him that got him to notice her attractiveness.
 * Made of Iron
 * Martial Pacifist
 * Muscles Are Meaningless: Much stronger than his slim physique implies.
 * Gradually moves away from this later on by showing his development, when Kenichi begins to show a physique just as ripped, if not more so, than most of his generation of fighters.
 * Kenichi indeed gets extremely muscular: he's just still rather short. Compare to Edward Elric of Full Metal Alchemist.
 * It is stated in the anime that Akisame's training alters the slow twitch/fast twitch muscle ratio in Kenichi's body, creating a lean look, with very strong muscles.
 * Nice Guy: Would MUCH prefer reading and tending flowers than what he's called upon almost daily to do.
 * Not So Weak: One of the earlier thugs that beat him down got grabbed on the ankle before kicking him off. The thug then pulled up his pant-leg, revealing a bruise in the shape of Kenichi's hand. Kenichi has since grown much, much stronger.
 * Oblivious to Love:
 * Ordinary High School Student: When fighting Tanimoto, he thinks something along the lines of "My name is Kenichi Shirahama, a normal high-schooler that loves manual books and gardening... so why is it that I'm now fighting on the roof of a speeding bus!?"
 * Pointless Band Aid: Chikage tends to call him "Bandaid", because of it.
 * Thanks for The Mammary: how Kenichi broke Miu out of her Unstoppable Rage.
 * This Loser Is You: In the beginning.
 * Took a Level In Badass: Took hundreds. A few volumes, and he can drop his former tormentors. A few arcs, and he's accidentally hospitalizing them by the dozen. All thanks to the sheer fortitude to survive Ryozanpaku.
 * To put things into perspective. At the start of the series he was terrified stiff of guys with small knives. Or just guys who wanted to beat him up. Now he can even take on guys armed with huge swords and firearms.
 * Training From Hell: Driving Kenichi into the ground and scaring his reflexes into gold are standard for the masters of Ryouzanpaku, but the most hellish comes from Koetsuji, who builds simple and complex machines to wring the skill from his disciple's bones. Some intrinsic consequences from failing these machines include (but are not limited to only): burning alive, electrocution, being trapped for hours in one position, and impalement. If they didn't know what they were doing (or if Apachai hadn't learned to hold back), he would be long gone by now. Since they do, Kenichi can actually consider it "training" and gain immense results...though he did actually die once or twice. Good thing two of his masters are also medical geniuses.
 * Kenichi actually grows to like it, going so far as to increase his regimen while his masters are absent in Chapter 423. Try to imagine the Kenichi from 200 chapters ago doing that.
 * Unskilled but Strong: Kenichi's earlier battles were based more on getting a single hit on his foes, that his inhuman strength gained from training at Ryōzanpaku would turn into a devastating, one-hit KO, than actual combat ability. Akisame even addresses this shortly after Kenichi starts learning actual techniques.
 * Unusual Eyebrows
 * Warrior Therapist: His advances in the Sei style have offered him some very telling insights on some of his opponents.
 * Will They or Won't They?: With Miu.
 * Wouldn't Hit a Girl: This attitude angers several female opponents and wins the affection of some others.
 * Wouldn't Hit a Girl: This attitude angers several female opponents and wins the affection of some others.

Miu Fūrinji
"Voiced by: Tomoko Kawakami (JP, TV anime), Rie Kugimiya (JP, OVA), Carrie Savage (EN)"

A 16-year-old girl who attends the same school as Kenichi and is currently in her second year. She is the granddaughter of Hayato Fūrinji, the leader of Ryōzanpaku Dojo. Despite being attractive, smart, athletic, and kind, Miu is very socially inept, to the point of having no friends before meeting Kenichi and practically no social life. Miu's social ineptness stems from her upbringing, during which she never had any time to make friends, and also from her home life, in which she is practically a live-in maid.

Miu has proven herself to be an immensely skilled fighter. While her exact martial arts disciplines have not been stated, she has shown knowledge of several styles. Her fighting style is graceful and fluid, taking advantage of her agility, coordination, and flexibility, and makes heavy use of kicks. Her skills have been honed to the point where she will reflexively throw anyone who sneaks up behind her. -
 * Action Girl
 * Action Girlfriend
 * Badass
 * Badass Adorable
 * Badass Back: Do not approach her from the back or you find out why.
 * Badass in Distress:
 * Battle Couple: With Kenichi, sort of. She started out protecting or looking out for him since she was much stronger in the beginning. Played straighter when he improved enough to be equal to her level, or close to it.
 * Betty and Veronica: Betty to Renka's Veronica.
 * Beware of the Nice Ones
 * Big Breasts Big Deal: She says they're not "big".
 * Big Ol' Eyebrows
 * Blue Eyes
 * Braids of Action
 * Clingy Jealous Girl: While not 'officially' with Kenichi, she reacts strongly to Renka flirting with him.
 * She also doesn't like it when Kenichi looks at other girls in the nude, accidental or not.
 * Clothing Damage: Often.
 * So often in fact that whenever Kenichi imagines them in danger, he automatically pictures her that way.
 * Cuteness Proximity: To cats or anything cat-like.
 * Don't Sneak Up On Me Like That: Don't ever touch her (and certainly don't grab her) from behind, or you will quickly end up on your back.
 * Fan Service Pack: Her boobs and hips grow substantially in a very short time after she starts her second year at school. Handwaved as puberty, when she wonders how much bigger they will get.
 * ...and somehow Miu's breasts and hips got smaller right after, the measurements seems to be the same as her early design.
 * Feather Motif: Often drawn accompanied by ethereal feathers. See also Meaningful Name below.
 * Forehead of Doom
 * Form-Fitting Wardrobe: Even her school uniform
 * Taking to its logical conclusion in chapter 445.
 * Good Eyes, Evil Eyes: Look at her after she goes into Unstoppable Rage.
 * Hair of Gold
 * He Is Not My Boyfriend: Oh, no, she doesn't have that kind of feelings for Kenichi. He is just like a little brother. Or a dog who lives in her house.
 * Hey It's That Voice: Carrie Savage plays characters like Miu very often.
 * Heir to The Dojo: Raised by the leader of Ryozanpaku and trained by him.
 * Innocent Fanservice Girl: Bordering on outright hentai sometimes, particularly in ch. 445-447, on the tail end of Sakaki & Hongou's fight. And that's after several chapters of egregious Male Gaze on her spandex-clad body.
 * Kindhearted Cat Lover
 * Lady of War: Grace, coordination, and coordination; that's how she fights.
 * Little Miss Badass: routinely beating street thugs at the age of six.
 * Male Gaze
 * Martial Pacifist
 * Meaningful Name: Her name (美羽) means "beautiful wings" or "beautiful feathers".
 * Ms. Fanservice: Chapters 444-448 WOW!!!
 * Nice Girl
 * Oblivious to Love
 * The Other Darrin: After the unfortunate passing of Tomoko Kawakami, Rie Kugimiya will be voicing Miu in the OVA.
 * Parental Abandonment:
 * Purely Aesthetic Glasses
 * Raised By Grandfather
 * Sensual Spandex
 * So Beautiful It's a Curse: She is so beautiful that she had some social problems at her last school because of it (implied to be other girls bullying her). To that end, in her current school she puts on glasses and wears her hair in braids to make herself look plainer.
 * Team Chef: ...And housekeeper as well.
 * Unstoppable Rage
 * Vapor Wear: It's pretty obvious that she wears nothing under her spandex battle outfit.
 * This epic Clothing Damage pretty much confirms it. Not that anyone is surprised.
 * Double confirmed in Chapter 445. Its borderline hentai.
 * And then there this NSFW
 * As, it doesn't seem as though Miu is wearing anything from the waist down except for those leg bands.
 * Verbal Tic: "Desu wa"
 * Violently Protective Girlfriend: When Kenchi was still a novice martial artist this was more prominent. In that period, Ma Kensei actually pointed out to her that this was not good, because this deprived Kenichi of gaining combat experience. After Kenichi took enough levels in badass, this became less prominent, but she actually never stopped being protective of him. Note also that her style of fighting is much more aggressive than Kenichi's.
 * Weak but Skilled: Her fighting style is based on grace and coordination rather than pure strength.
 * Will They or Won't They?: With Kenichi.
 * Verbal Tic: "Desu wa"
 * Violently Protective Girlfriend: When Kenchi was still a novice martial artist this was more prominent. In that period, Ma Kensei actually pointed out to her that this was not good, because this deprived Kenichi of gaining combat experience. After Kenichi took enough levels in badass, this became less prominent, but she actually never stopped being protective of him. Note also that her style of fighting is much more aggressive than Kenichi's.
 * Weak but Skilled: Her fighting style is based on grace and coordination rather than pure strength.
 * Will They or Won't They?: With Kenichi.

Hayato Fūrinji
"Voiced by: Hiroshi Arikawa (JP, TV anime), Yuzuru Fujimoto (JP, OVA), R. Bruce Elliot (EN)"

Miu's grandfather and the undefeated elder of the Ryōzanpaku Dojo. He is very tall, very muscular and possesses tremendous vitality despite his advanced age. Hayato is a kind old man but still possesses a reckless streak and can be very arrogant, the former of which is shown by his tendency to spend the dojo's money and to get carried away whenever he has a chance to showcase his strength.

Hayato is considered by many to be the most powerful man alive. Even when he uses only 0.0002% of his power, keeps his eyes closed, and splits his concentration and body movements, Akisame comments that he still is the most powerful man in the world. -
 * Awesome By Analysis: He invented a martial technique specialized in this.
 * Badass Beard
 * Badass Grandpa
 * Badass Long Hair
 * Big Good: He has titles like "The Invincible Superman", "He who has no Enemies", and "The Strongest Man in the World", and has earned every one. It's a good thing he's on Kenichi's side.
 * Big Ol' Eyebrows
 * Blatant Lies: I AM THE MYSTERIOUS 20 YEAR OLD, GARYUU X!
 * Form-Fitting Wardrobe: Kimonos don't work like that!
 * Heroic Build
 * Hey It's That Voice: He happens to do the voices for Richard Moore and Whitebeard.
 * Loin Cloth: His swimwear.
 * Large and In Charge: Biggest master in the dojo.
 * Martial Pacifist
 * Old Master: He's actually taught Kenichi only a few lessons, but each has resulted in monumental improvements. One way to look at it is the he's the one who brings together all the stuff the other masters has been pounding into Kenichi on a daily basis.
 * One-Man Army: Hell, he is a MONSTER, he fought alone with an entire American military base and WON!
 * And throwing more people or heavy artillery at him is a bad idea, since he can use people as freakin' shurikens, and has special moves that he uses specifically to take out TANKS!!!
 * The Other Darrin: After the death of Hiroshi Arikawa, Yuzuru Fujimoto will be voicing Hayato the OVAs.
 * Overprotective Grandad: The only way Kenichi can get his consent on dating Miu, is to defeat HIM.
 * Gives a Crowning Moment of Funny in Chapter 423 where
 * Ever since Chapter 423, he's pretty much commanded Apachai and Shigure to "discreetly" chaperone Kenichi and Miu, for their protection (and to make sure Kenichi keeps it platonic).
 * They're actually not that good at it.
 * Paper-Thin Disguise: His identity as Ganryu-X is a simple plastic Metal Heroes mask and doing Kamen Rider poses.
 * Red Baron: "The Man Without Enemies"
 * Walking the Earth: Appears to have done this both in his youth and during Miu's early years. Arguably still doing it given his semi-frequent "walks" that keep him away from Ryozanpaku for days on end.
 * World's Strongest Man: Is called as such on several occasions, when he isn't being called the Invincible Superman.
 * Apparently, using 0.0002% of his power and closing his eyes STILL leaves him the "most powerful being on this planet".
 * Apparently, using 0.0002% of his power and closing his eyes STILL leaves him the "most powerful being on this planet".

Akisame Kōetsuji
"Voiced by: Jurota Kosugi (EN), Kent Williams (EN)"

A 38-year-old philosophical Jujitsu master who was the first master willing to train Kenichi. He is an old friend of Miu's father, Saiga. Despite his seemingly small physique, he is known for having muscles built to perfection. He also has very good insight, often knowing if people are troubled or hiding something; he sometimes even knows what a person is thinking, which scares Kenichi. -
 * The Ace: Not only is he a Martial Arts Master, but he's also considered a genius in multiple academic fields, can bring people back to life with his medical knowledge, is said to have "the perfect body", is always calm and composed, is the main breadwinner of the group, manages to turn a group of school children into emotionless fighting machines in an afternoon, and can outsmart any of the other masters (Kensei spent YEARS using a false Rock-Paper-Scissors pattern until he really needed to win, and Akisame saw through it immediately). If there is something he isn't good at, he'll learn it almost instantly. If that doesn't happen, he learns instantly by watching somebody else do the same.
 * The "perfect body" part is actually achieved through intense training. Whether that adds to the trope is up to the reader.
 * Badass Mustache: He actually argues about whether or not it is with James Shiba.
 * Beware the Nice Ones: He's one of the more cultured and approachable Ryozanpaku masters, and can usually keep his cool in stressful situations. If you do anything that could potentially harm Kenichi or any innocent bystanders, though, he'll show you no mercy.
 * Catch Phrase: "Naive!"
 * The Comically Serious: Especially when green peppers are involved.
 * Cultured Badass: There's a reason he's called the "Jujitsu Philosopher."
 * Does Not Like Green Peppers: Doubles as his Weaksauce Weakness
 * Gadgeteer Genius: Low-level, but he loves to invent new torture training devices.
 * Genius Bruiser: So much so that some visitors to the dojo seemed to know of him as a master artist and philosopher instead of a martial arts master.
 * Martial Medic: Started out as a notable chiropractor thanks to jujitsu's knowledge of joints & bones, but becomes an Open Heart Dentist by the D of D arc, capable of performing miracles with a borrowed knife, needle & thread, and booze.
 * Martial Pacifist
 * Muscles Are Meaningless: While much slimmer than some of the other masters, he has built his body to perfection via Art Major Biology.
 * Prophet Eyes: Subverted in that Akisame is clearly not blind (or if he is, it would come off as a major asspull at this point).
 * The Reliable One: There is a reason why he was chosen to be the main Kenichi's trainer. Always cool and collected, rather serious, a good organizer, and possesses the best technological and medical knowledge of all Ryozanpaku masters. Compared to him, Hayato (the eldest and strongest and the owner of the dojo) sometimes looks like a mischievous teenager.
 * Unusual Eyebrows: It's like a lightning symbol drawn sideways.
 * Warrior Poet

Shio Sakaki
"Voiced by: Unsho Ishizuka (JP), Christopher Sabat (EN)"

A 29-year-old master of karate who claims to hold 100 dan. Sakaki is a very intimidating person even when he tries not to be, something that he does not seem to realize and is put off by whenever someone points it out. He has a kind and caring nature and is a very bad liar, which is shown when Akisame asks why he suddenly decided to teach Kenichi a fighting technique, and Sakaki replied that it was the anniversary of the creation of judo.

He is an incredibly powerful martial artist. He his well-versed in multiple forms of karate and possess superhuman abilities, most evident in the fact that he can survive a fall from one of the top floors of a tall building without any noticeable injury. -
 * Alliterative Name
 * Anti-Hero: Type II, and Sakaki tries to give a hard cynical impression, but he isn't fooling anybody, as people he meets keep being amazed at and telling him what a nice and Wise Beyond His Years fellow that he is. The "worst" that he ever does is drag along Apachai on harebrained Get Rich Quick Schemes, and although he worked as a mercenary for a while he never liked it, or accepted immoral missions, and when his old partners did, he immediately turned on them. He mostly earns a living by catching career killers for Interpol and similar.
 * Badass Biker: When he uses his motorcycle, he definitely counts.
 * Big Ol' Eyebrows
 * Berserk Button: Anybody seriously harming Kenichi. While he can control himself (with difficulty) when its done by another disciple, when its a Master class... well
 * Berserker Tears:
 * Boisterous Bruiser: Easily the character who does the most shouting in Ryozanpaku.
 * Bruiser With a Soft Center: Is pretty much the biggest softie of the masters. Most of his character's humor comes from his (increasingly desperate) assurances that this isn't the case.
 * The Cape: Honorable, kind, refuses to kill and is ready to do what is right to help defend the defenseless no matter what. There is a reason why the Trope beneath happened.
 * Childhood Marriage Promise: Variation as he wasn't a child, but earlier in his life, he promised to marry Jennifer Grey. He claimed he was drunk, but she still wants him to make good on that promise.
 * Dark Is Not Evil: He's a Dou-style user and very vicious in combat (in fact, ), but he's probably the nicest member of the Ryozanpaku dojo.
 * Hey It's That Voice: Well, you had to expect him to have a hidden heart if he's voiced by Alex Louis Armstrong, Roronoa Zoro and Ritsu Kasanoda.
 * Eating the Eye Candy: More so than any other member of Ryozanpaku
 * Jerk With a Heart of Gold: So much so that some have wondered just how much of his image and habits are genuine or are carefully cultivated so as to appear from looking too kind and soft.
 * Hypocrite:
 * Hypocritical Humor: In chapter 422 . Guess what he does.
 * Gets another moment in chapter 434 when he exasperatedly wonders who taught Kenichi to so flagrantly disregard his masters wishes. Cue placard of him acting in the exact same manner towards his master.
 * Martial Artist In Shining Leather
 * Luminescent Blush: Mostly at being proud of Kenichi and trying hard not to show it.
 * Martial Pacifist
 * No Holds Barred Beatdown: Seriously, had any of his fight hasn't ended like this? He's so brutal Kenichi and Miu took pity on his opponent after he beat him straight through several rooms, walls and all. He also managed to give all of Kenichi's True Companions the shivers (literally) on another occasion...where he claimed to be holding back. And he may actually be telling the truth.
 * Papa Wolf: To Kenichi.
 * Obviously Evil: He looks like the archetypal bad guy and half of his dialog comes out sounding like a bad guy or The Dragon. Lampshaded by Kenichi when Sakaki promised the Elder to "bring their heads as trophy"; he was joking but still...
 * Rated M for Manly: Is there any doubt?
 * Scars Are Forever: Has one across his nose..
 * Sensei for Scoundrels: A lot of his advice is delivered while at least a little drunk.
 * Strangely his best advice, on life in general if not fighting, is when he is drunk, and he won't remember saying it all. Of course, he may be faking it.
 * Shirtless Scene: He likes to channel Kenshiro.
 * Shout Out: See Shirtless Scene above, plus
 * His move, Morsasouken-Zuki, oozes Fist of the North Star.
 * The Only One Allowed to Defeat You:
 * Tsundere: Yes, Sakaki, you want to teach Kenichi, not because you want to, but because it's your birthday. Riiight.
 * Or in the dub, because it was supposedly the day Judo was created.
 * And despite being ENEMIES he is also one for.
 * Up to Eleven: The 100-dan karate master. Dan rankings don't go above 10 in karate or other Japanese martial arts.
 * Which he's probably well aware of, but nobody's brave enough to call him on it.
 * Which he's probably well aware of, but nobody's brave enough to call him on it.

Apachai Hopachai
"Voiced by: Hiroya Ishimaru (JP), Sonny Strait (EN)"

A 28-year-old master of Muay Thai and is known as the "Death God" of the Muay Thai underworld fighting circuit. Despite his incredible size and strength, Apachai is very kind and gentle. He enjoys playing with children and animals and is very childlike himself. He has a habit of saying the phrase "apa" when he speaks and sometimes yells it while training or fighting.

Apachai has been trained in martial arts since he was very young. He is extraordinarily strong, able to shatter stone statues and kick down trees without any apparent difficulty. Despite his incredible size, he is blindingly fast, able to dodge bullets while fighting. -
 * Adult Child
 * Badass
 * Badass Nickname: "Grim Reaper of Muay Thai"
 * Blank White Eyes: Used for both comedy and badassery, which is just about all his appearances. Apachai's face is rarely drawn in full detail.
 * The Berserker
 * Beware the Nice Ones: One of the genuinely kindest characters in the series. Also one of only two masters known for a fact as capable of giving the Elder a challenge in combat.
 * Big Ol' Eyebrows
 * Boring but Practical: His finishing moves are APANCH, CHAIKICK, and The Punch You Don't Let Children See.
 * Cloudcuckoolander
 * Determinator:
 * The Ditz
 * Genius Ditz: He has excellent knowledge when it comes to animals.
 * Does Not Know His Own Strength: Has actually killed Kenichi once or twice...
 * Friend to All Children and Animals
 * Genre Savvy: He has his moments.
 * Gentle Giant
 * Hey It's That Voice: Apachai is Kouji Kabuto!
 * Idiot Savant
 * Martial Pacifist
 * No Social Skills
 * Pokémon Speak: Apachai does this when he gets worked up.
 * Tyke Bomb: Seems to have been a mild example when he was young.
 * Why Did It Have To Be Planes
 * Why Did It Have To Be Planes

Shigure Kōsaka
"Voiced by: Mamiko Noto (JP), Trina Nishimura (EN)"

A 22-year-old weapons master. Shigure is a very mysterious person. She speaks very little and has a habit of falling asleep on the rafters of the ceiling and also traverses atop them more than she uses the floor. She has little knowledge of most things outside of weapons and has trouble interacting with normal people due to her blunt personality and the fact that she always carries a weapon.

Even as a young child, Shigure had incredible potential, which Akisame noticed immediately. She was incredibly fast and was able to defeat Sai Kagerou, a sword master, so quickly that he didn't even realize that he had moved. Despite her lithe frame, she is very strong and can cut weapons made of metal to pieces using something with a dull edge, such as a spoon. She once cut a cannon off of a tank and then jammed it through its side. -
 * Absurdly Sharp Anything: Can cut stuff up with a wooden spoon...
 * Absolute Cleavage: Sometimes.
 * The Ace
 * Action Girl
 * Adorkable: Since she's a bit awkward socially, she tends to quietly puff up and congratulate herself when she says something that sounds kind of cool.
 * Ambiguous Gender: As a small child. Definitely not as an adult.
 * Badass
 * Badass Biker
 * Badass Long Hair
 * Badass Longcoat
 * Little Miss Badass
 * Big Breasts Big Deal: Type 5.
 * Blade Reflection
 * Bokukko
 * Bunny Ears Lawyer
 * Clothing Damage: The cause, and sometimes, the recipient.
 * Cloudcuckoolander: Innocent with regards to many things, to the point she doesn't seem to realize that her breasts count as big.
 * The Comically Serious
 * Cool Big Sis
 * Cool Sword: She collects them
 * Full Frontal Assault: Seems perfectly relaxed fighting nude when attacked at an onsen. Also doesn't seem to mind changing clothes in front of Kenichi.
 * Even as a child.
 * Godiva Hair
 * Hot Chick With a Sword
 * Hot for Student: There are some indications that she feels something for Kenichi.
 * Implausible Fencing Powers: In chapter 412 she was seen carving shapes into a waterfall.
 * Improbable Aiming Skills
 * Improbable Weapon User/Improvised Weapon: She is already invincible with only a newspaper. Or a wooden spoon. Or a hair ribbon.
 * Innocent Fanservice Girl
 * May be a partial subversion, as she is keenly aware of Kensei Ma's lechery and generally foils his attempts to peep at every turn.
 * Lady of War
 * Loin Cloth/Fundoshi
 * Male Gaze
 * Martial Pacifist
 * Ms. Fanservice: Most epically chapters 283-285 & 387.
 * Multi Melee Master: Her nickname is The Prodigy of Sword and Mistress of all Weaponry.
 * Ninja: Not actually a ninja but she might as well be. Her short kimono & fishnet outfit scream kunoichi, as does her choice of typically ninja weapons (swords, manriki-gusari, shuriken, and kunai) and her habit of setting weapon traps. She also walks on ceilings, but she does this by gripping the beams with her toes rather than magic tricks. Oh, and sneaking in is one of her specialties.
 * No Name Given: Her father never gave her a name. It was who gave her the name and he put her in the care of the Kosaka family.
 * No Social Skills
 * Not Distracted By the Sexy: Her enemies are only concerned that she didn't have a weapon while taking a bath.
 * Rapunzel Hair: When she let's it down it comes down to her hips.
 * Sarashi & Fundoshi: Her swim wear.
 * Sexy Mentor
 * She's All Grown Up: AND HOW.
 * Slipknot Ponytail: She didn't have a weapon on her.
 * Stealth Hi Bye
 * The Stoic
 * Partial subversion. Despite her general lack of expression, her emotions are almost comically obvious.
 * Strange Girl
 * Talking in Your Sleep: According to Sakaki, her sleep talking is quite scary.
 * Tall, Dark and Bishoujo
 * The Quiet One: Doesn't talk much but when she does it's very SLOW.
 * Tiny Girl, Huge Guy: To the other masters.
 * Tiny Guy Huge Girl: To Kensei
 * Unusual Eyebrows: They're like...caterpillars...or something.
 * Vapor Wear: She never wears a bra.
 * When She Smiles: Maybe a subversion. It's significant when she does, but it isn't a very pretty smile.

Kensei Ma
"Voiced by: Issei Futama (JP), Vic Mignogna (EN)"

A 41-year-old lecherous master of Chinese Kenpō. Kensei is a sly and perverted man, who tries to take pictures of attractive women, particularly Shigure and Miu. He often sells these pictures to Kenichi in the form of "data books", which usually turn out to be pictures of anything but the two of them. Ma seems to have a plethora of spying equipment at his disposal to aid him in such endeavors. In spite of his perverted and deceptive tendencies, he and Kenichi become quite close, forming a father-son-like bond.

Ma is a very experienced martial artist, having been trained since he was very young, and purportedly knows all martial arts indigenous to China. In spite of his size, he is very strong, able to destroy a small bridge with a single kick and to rend the flesh of Diego Carlo, a man said to possess a body hard as steel, with his bare hands. He is very agile, capable of jumping from atop one moving cars to another. Ma is also skilled in the field of medicine; he runs an acupuncture clinic and usually, along with Akisame, mends the wounds of Kenichi and the others. -
 * Bald of Awesome
 * Badass Mustache
 * Bunny Ears Lawyer
 * Chivalrous Pervert
 * Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: He acts the most goofy and affable of all the Ryōzanpaku teachers, but when the chips are down, he's also one of the most powerful.
 * Dirty Old Man: "Why can't the world be more Ero?"
 * Henpecked Husband: Is terrified of his wife.
 * Hey It's That Voice: If he voiced Edward Elric, I'm not surprised by the following trope.
 * I Was Quite a Looker
 * Martial Medic: Runs an acupuncture clinic & knows a lot about Chinese herbalism.
 * Martial Pacifist
 * Miniature Senior Citizens
 * Nice Hat
 * Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Shortest man in Ryōzanpaku, but still a master martial artist.
 * Porn Stash
 * Sensei for Scoundrels: Is often encouraging perverted behavior in Kenichi as a form of training.
 * Rachel Stanley considers him a genius for suggesting ways to grab attention more shamelessly.
 * Transliteration Trouble: Many scanlations translate his family name as "Ba," because that's how it's pronounced in Japanese, but it's supposed to be pronounced the Chinese way.

Odin AKA Ryūto Asamiya
-
 * Four Eyes Zero Soul
 * The Glasses Come Off
 * Handicapped Badass
 * Kung Fu Clairvoyance: Courtesy of Seikuken.
 * No Doubt the Years Have Changed Me
 * Reverse Mole:.
 * The Stoic: Only after his last fight with Kenichi.
 * Used to Be A Sweet Kid
 * You Gotta Have Purple Hair:
 * Handicapped Badass
 * Kung Fu Clairvoyance: Courtesy of Seikuken.
 * No Doubt the Years Have Changed Me
 * Reverse Mole:.
 * The Stoic: Only after his last fight with Kenichi.
 * Used to Be A Sweet Kid
 * You Gotta Have Purple Hair:

Berserker
-
 * Blood Knight
 * The Dragon
 * The Gift: So naturally talented at fighting that he rose to the second in command of Ragnarok without ever having had training.
 * The Stoic: Remains completely stone-faced until the moment he decides to live up to his nickname.
 * Unskilled but Strong
 * Unstoppable Rage: Practically his fighting style, and thus the codename. The moment before he is defeated in the Ragnarok Arc, he is using his broken, snapped-in-the-wrong-way arm to try and land a blow on Hermit.

Freya AKA Kanname Kugatachi
-
 * Action Girl
 * Alliterative Name
 * Amazonian Beauty
 * Big Sister Mentor: To Kisara.
 * Cool Big Sis: The Valkryie sees her as this.
 * Eek! A Mouse!
 * Heel Face Turn
 * Heroic Build: Rare female example in the series
 * Love Triangle: In one with Ukita and Kisara.
 * Scars Are Forever: Has one on her cheek.
 * Simple Staff
 * The Stoic

Loki
-
 * Cool Shades/Goggles Do Nothing: Except hide his eyes
 * Evil Genius: Seems to consider himself one and his position as the strategist suggests this, but he's not nearly as good as he thinks.
 * Kick the Dog: Kidnapping Kenichi's little sister.
 * Heel Face Turn: Shown to be gathering information for Niijima much later.
 * Manipulative Bastard
 * Smug Snake
 * The Starscream: He even builds a team that will comprise the new Eight Fists, himself included. In the end, though, he had about as much success as this trope's namesake. Notably, he didn't see himself as leader, but rather Berserker.

Siegfried AKA Hibiki Kugenin
-
 * Anti-Villain
 * Badass Long Hair/Long Haired Pretty Boy
 * Bunny Ears Lawyer/Cloudcuckoolander: His logic is not like our Earth logic. He travelled to Tibet to find a master, and he did - in the form of a prayer wheel.
 * Determinator
 * Heel Face Turn
 * Implacable Man
 * Let's Get Dangerous: At first you could think that he's plain crazy. After a second thought... he's still crazy. But in combat, he's one of the most powerful members of Shinpaku Alliance.
 * He may be the strongest member of Shinpaku Alliance since the masters mentioned in the D of D Tournament that he is almost a master at martial arts, something that has never been said about any other teenager, not even Miu and she has always been shown as the one stronger than just about anyone else.
 * This interpretation is almost certainly incorrect however, when taken in context of the series as a whole. Firstly, Sakaki refers to Siegfried as a near-master of his Go No Sen technique, not a complete martial art such as Karate or Judo. Secondly, the odds that Siegfried is considered by the Ryōzanpaku Masters to be a superior fighter to Miu is fairly ridiculous. The most likely explanation is that none of Kenichi's teachers bother taking her into account when discussing the abilities of the members of his age group, the fact that she's the best would generally go without saying.
 * Musical Assassin: Though not necessarily one, he will kick your ass while singing and composing.
 * Make Me Wanna Shout: Not concussive, but definitely powerful enough to knock you out at point-blank, with his head facing backwards.
 * Nice Hat
 * No One Could Survive That: Siegfried's style of fighting is to literally roll with the punches; in his fights he seems to always absorb one's finishing moves with ease and he even uses these skills to survive detaching his parachute at least 5 stories off the ground by falling through tree branches and landing face first. Even when he can't avoid the impact,he gets up when he really should not.
 * Took a Level In Badass: By spinning around in circles for 40 days non-stop.
 * The Lancer: To Niijima. He sees himself as The Dragon, instead.
 * White-Haired Pretty Boy

Hermit AKA Natsu Tanimoto
"Voiced by: Ryo Horikawa (JP), Jason Liebrecht (EN, season 1), Eric Vale (EN, season 2)"

- "Tanimoto:Stupid Kenichi. It's not like I gave you advice because I like you or something. I just wanted you to disappear as soon as possible."
 * Always Someone Better: While training, Hermit always fights someone at least slightly better than him in all aspects. He realizes that this is how Kenichi has grown so much as martial artist, since virtually all of Kenichi's fights have been with superior opponents. It doesn't stop either of them from winning.
 * Badass Long Robe
 * The Comically Serious
 * Dead Little Sister
 * Even the Guys Want Him: Kenichi at times seems this way towards him.
 * Heel Face Turn
 * Heel Face Revolving Door: Right now he's in.
 * In the Hood
 * Jerkass
 * Jerkass Woobie: To be fair, there are reasons for this.
 * Morality Pet: Kenichi's little sister, who reminds him of his own Dead Little Sister.
 * Perpetual Frowner
 * Slave to PR: He often must restrain himself from smacking Kenichi because he has to maintain his "perfectly nice guy" public image.
 * Tsundere: Rare male version. He even does the blush thing.

Thor AKA Yūma Chiaki
-
 * Acrofatic: Not necessarily fat but he fits the bill.
 * Anti-Villain
 * Berserk Button: Call him fat, I dare you.
 * Big Ol' Eyebrows
 * Boisterous Bruiser: "FOR ALL THE BIG-MEN OF THE WORLD!!!"
 * Defeat Means Friendship: Pulled a Heel Face Turn after Kenichi defeated him.
 * Heel Face Turn
 * Hot Blooded
 * Hotblooded Sideburns
 * Lightning Bruiser: Much faster than he appears, hits incredibly hard and can take some damage. And then there's his nick/codename.
 * Only Known By Their Nickname
 * The Other Darrin: In the English dub.
 * Sleeves Are for Wimps
 * Stout Strength

Valkyrie AKA: Kisara Nanjō
"Vocied by: Minami Takayama (JP), Colleen Clinkenbeard (EN)"

-
 * Action Girl
 * Affirmative Action Girl: She hates it when someone enforces Wouldn't Hit a Girl.
 * A-Cup Rage: The reason why she flies into a frenzy to fight Miu having never even seen her before.
 * Berserk Button: Make fun of her chest, or mess with cats, or refuse to fight her because she's a girl.
 * Catgirl/Animal Motifs: Not a true cat girl as she's lacking the ears, but after her Heel Face Turn she has a tendency to lapse into cat-like mannerisms and often has a Cat Smile and cat pupils. She even has a catlike variation of Tae Kwon Do called Nya Kwan Do.
 * Clingy Jealous Girl: To Ukita, funnily enough.
 * Cuteness Proximity
 * Extremity Extremist/Kick Chick
 * Fashionable Asymmetry: Her one-legged jeans.
 * Fiery Redhead
 * Heel Face Turn
 * Hellish Pupils: Cat-like
 * Kindhearted Cat Lover: Apparently trumps A-Cup Rage.
 * Nice Hat
 * Pet The Cat: Feeding a homeless kitten in an alley. This is what changes Kenichi and Miu's opinions of her.
 * She's Got Legs
 * Justified, as she practices Tae Kwon Do, a martial art focused on kicking, using arms for defense and preventing opponents from getting too close.
 * Tsundere

Haruo Niijima
"Voiced by: Takumi Yamazaki (JP), Todd Haberkorn (EN)"

-
 * Action Survivor
 * Awesomeness By Analysis: Every time he use one of his Alien powers (don't ask).
 * Badass Normal: He doesn't have any training in martial arts. Even so, he was the only one of his gang to escape Berserker and he did it through sheer agility, speed,and the ability to slip out of his clothes without losing either of the former two.
 * He also has high-class concealment and evasion techniques that match those of the martial artists. Not to mention he can keep up with most of the Disciple class martial artists in speed, while cackling.
 * It's a special breathing technique.
 * Bizarre Alien Biology: In an omake it was suggested that his heart is hairy.
 * Crazy Prepared: He has traps around the entire city and Shinpaku's base, and he seems to have a plan any time he has enough time or resources. He even from the time he helped Akisame download Yami's database, and he is also pen-pals with
 * Dirty Coward: Weaponized.
 * Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: He's constantly pushing Kenichi into doing selfish things.
 * Expy: Pointy ears, fangs, beady eyes, big nose and Cheshire cat smile? Check. Jerkass, Magnificent Bastard, and bully? Check. Specialties are information gathering, trickery, and being crazy prepared? Check. May or may not be the devil in human form? Check. Did Hiruma get a haircut or something?
 * The Friend Nobody Likes: Siegfried's about the only one who genuinely likes him. Everyone else is usually blackmailed into the Shinpaku Alliance, dragged in, or just following another member.
 * Gonk/Human Aliens: The other characters seem to think he's an alien. The author may clearly agrees with them.
 * Holy Burns Evil: Can't enter a church or shrine without being carried. Later freaks out when attacked with vajra.
 * Hypocritical Humor: Niijima hates people who spread false information. Except when it's him.
 * Jerkass: More or less his defining characteristic.
 * Jerk With A Heart Of Silver: Not exactly the best example, but he has his moments.
 * Though he leans more towards Jerk With a Heart of Jerk.
 * Non-Action Guy: Subverted. He's a coward through and through, but it's virtually a superpower when it comes time to run.
 * Red Baron: "The Lord Demon"; only Siegfried calls him that.
 * Smug Snake => Magnificent Bastard => Guile Hero: Gradually develops from one end of the scale to the other.
 * Token Evil Teammate
 * Xanatos Roulette: His plan

Ikki Takeda
- "Tanimoto: "Hey, don't emit that aura behind me carefree boxer!!""
 * Ambiguously Brown
 * Badass Nickname
 * Battle Aura: Gets really pissed off when he realizes that Kenichi and Miu are the only ones in the dojo. Lampshaded by Tanimoto


 * Can't Catch Up: He sees Kenichi's progress, seeks out a master and is soon almost on the same level.
 * Conservation of Detail: When he first appears, Takeda stands with a slightly hunched posture. This is actually foreshadowing that the injury that forced him to retire from boxing isn't with his arm, but his spine. Once Akisame fixes him, Takeda is able to stand up straighter.
 * Defeat Means Friendship: The first example of the series.
 * Defector From Decadence: He worked under Kisara, like Ukita, but he quit after
 * Extremity Extremist: He's a boxer after all.
 * Good Old Fisticuffs
 * Handicapped Badass:
 * Heel Face Turn
 * I Am Not Left Handed: Subverted. In his first fight with Kenichi, he starts off by saying that he'll only be using his right arm to fight, instead of using his "legendary left.".
 * Later is played straight after training with James, who has him wear a harness of some sort.
 * Oral Fixation Fixation: Often, if not always, chews on a stalk of bamboo.
 * Perpetual Smiler: Developed into this after his Heel Face Turn, but remains forth in frequency after Kajima, Agaard, and Diego, in that order.
 * Rapid Fire Fisticuffs
 * The Southpaw
 * Took a Level In Badass: Once he gets training from James Shiba he manages to almost catch up to Kenichi.
 * Verbal Tic: Tends to end his sentences with "~ja nai?" or "isn't it?".
 * You Gotta Have Blue Hair

Kōzō Ukita
-
 * And Zoidberg: Poor Ukita gets ignored for laughs once it becomes clear he...
 * Can't Catch Up: Because unlike everybody else, he trained normally. It is used for his Character Development, though he still can't catch up.
 * Chikage, disciple of a "zero-strength" style of aikido, literally complements his sheer brawn by poking him and either fixing his poor technique mid-throw or making his body move to save him in combat. This seems to be setting him up for either being Chikage's muscle puppet or finally getting the training he needs to stand out.
 * Cool Shades
 * Defector From Decadence: Same case as Takeda, Ukita leaves Ragnarok in his buddy's wake, but he doesn't show it until saving him from taking a beatdown by the rest of Kisara's thugs.
 * Determinator: Proves to be one in the D of D tournament, when the Shinpaku Alliance faces the Capoeira Team.
 * Face of a Thug: When we first saw him, he was positively thugly. Then Art Evolution happened as he became less of a delinquent. Now look at him.
 * Heel Face Turn: One of the first examples of the series.
 * Heroes Want Redheads
 * : He may be the weakest of the Shinpaku Alliance fighters, but
 * The Load: Was afraid of ending up as this, and currently is.
 * Love Triangle: In one with Kisara and Freya.
 * Scars Are Forever
 * Unskilled but Strong: And he isn't really that unskilled; he just trains normally, unlike the others, who are either prodigies or have genius masters. Recent events have shown that he could be an absolute BEAST with the right master.
 * The Worf Effect: Usually the first one down to show the strength of the newest enemy.

Renka Ma
-
 * Absolute Cleavage: Either her outfits will sport this to begin with or a result of clothing damage.
 * Action Girl
 * Attention Deficit Ooh Shiny: As we are frequently reminded, Renka has the habit of chasing moving objects.
 * Be a Whore To Get Your Man: Definitely "flirtier" and more shameless than Miu. But not completely without shame.
 * Betty and Veronica: Veronica to Miu's Betty.
 * Cat Smile: Which results in Miu suffering from Cuteness Proximity. Flat out lapses into fully cat-like behavior when Miu starts treating her like one, with her Expressive Hair acting just like a Catgirl's ears.
 * Chinese Girl
 * Clingy Jealous Girl
 * Defeat By Modesty: Averted. Angers her but doesn't stop her.
 * Expressive Hair: Lampshaded here.
 * Fight Magnet
 * Gainaxing: Starts doing this after her Fan Service Pack in ch. 309.
 * Green Eyes
 * Instant Costume Change
 * Ms. Fanservice
 * Odango Hair: Sometimes. It does lean towards Horned Hairdo
 * Out of Focus: Is an important character in the manga and very popular with readers. In the anime, she only appears in one episode and is never mentioned again.
 * Outright Lie: Often if it'll get Kenichi to spend time with her.
 * Stripperific: How is that outfit even legal?
 * Tsundere
 * Ugly Guys Hot Daughter: While she may not look anything like Kensei now, she does look a lot like his younger self.
 * You Gotta Have Blue Hair: Hers is purple.

Kajima Satomi, Shadow
-
 * Affably Evil: He seems quite chummy and hail-fellow-well-met for someone who is essentially the head student of a school for assassins.
 * Eyepatch of Power
 * Perpetual Smiler
 * Scars Are Forever
 * Telepathy/Tell Me How You Fight: He's adept at reading his opponents' heart; this lets him trace their lines of thought to the second and constantly beat them at strategy games.

Raichi
-
 * Abusive Dad:
 * A Cup Angst: As seen when Kisara pointed in out.
 * Bare Your Midriff
 * Dramatic Unmask
 * Drunken Boxing: Without getting drunk
 * : Or perhaps instead.
 * Girlish Pigtails
 * Innocent Flower Girl:
 * Innocent Flower Girl:

Shō Kanō, Sky
- "Why are you just lying down there...Kenichi Shirahama?"
 * Bishonen
 * Deadly Upgrade
 * Evil Counterpart: To Kenichi.
 * Feather Motif
 * If You're So Evil Squash That Bird: Most of his childhood was like this.
 * Mismatched Eyes
 * Curtains Match the Window\Red Eyes Take Warning


 * Shadow Archetype: To Kenichi.
 * Stalker With a Crush: To Miu.
 * You Gotta Have Blue Hair
 * You Gotta Have Blue Hair
 * You Gotta Have Blue Hair

Radin Tidat Jihan, King
-
 * Aristocrats Are Evil
 * Arrogant Silat Guy
 * Authority Equals Asskicking: The King of Tidat must know martial arts.
 * Combat Pragmatist: He goes for eye gouges, neck snaps, and attacks to the groin and vitals, as befits an art focused on killing instead of self-defense, but he goes beyond this into...
 * Fighting Dirty: By having his men and ordering them to.
 * Dance Battler: Mostly his minions, actually. Pencak Silat was often passed down and hidden through dance.
 * Dying Moment of Awesome: For all his arrogance, fighting dirty and being an all-around bastard of prime sort his facing an avalanche without fear while yelling "Because I'm a King" was pretty awesome.
 * Fictional Country: Tidat. has plenty of Malay influences.
 * Freudian Excuse:
 * Pride Before Reason
 * Smug Snake: Thanks to his Royal Blood.

Tirawit Kōkin, Flame
-
 * All Girls Want Bad Boys: Popular with girls in high school without even pretending to be nice. (Constrast this with Tanimoto's "Slave to PR" trope!)
 * Awesomeness By Analysis
 * There is also a scene where Kenichi mockingly calls him "profiler".
 * Blond Guys Are Evil
 * Darkskinned Blonde: Was revealed as such in a recent color spread.
 * Evil Cannot Comprehend Good:
 * Jerkass: Even his Evil Mentor had to point out to him that he should not behave like a jerk.
 * Kick the Dog: Tricking Kenichi into hospitalizing the school's karate club, before beating him to the brink of death.
 * Identical Stranger: He looks like a sith version of Tanimoto.
 * The Stoic
 * Not So Stoic:
 * Smug Snake
 * Smug Snake

Ethan Stanley, Void
-
 * Anti-Villain
 * Awesome but Practical: All his fights end in seconds. Even the one he lost.
 * Gentle Giant
 * Lightning Bruiser: Of the big and fast variety.
 * Pet the Dog: Protecting from blackmail by Niijima and repaying the costs of what he broke.
 * Pressure Point: Uses them in his fighting style.
 * The Quiet One
 * Real Men Wear Pink: A macho cheerleader!
 * Spot of Tea: Drinks Earl Grey, even.
 * The Stoic
 * Twin Brother Instinct:

Rachel Stanley, Steel
-
 * Attention Whore: Has gone as far as to claim Kenichi killed her someone\did something naughty to her\ both at the same time to get everyone's attention.
 * Clothing Damage: Happens in nearly every battle. If it doesn't occur naturally, she'll make it happen.
 * Defeat By Modesty: Subverted. Not only does she have no modesty, but she welcomes Clothing Damage.
 * Also doubly subverted in the tag team match with her mentor.
 * Even the Girls Want Her
 * Foreign Fanservice: She does it on purpose. Being attractively exotic and giving the in-universe audience a nice eyeful are top priority. She doesn't have to try very hard, by most standards.
 * Friendly Enemy: Gets along pretty well with Kenichi and the others ever since Kenichi
 * Omniglot: In addition to Japanese she also demonstrates her knowledge of French and German
 * Shameless Fanservice Girl: Definitely
 * Stripperiffic
 * Wrestler in All of Us: You know all those 'moves' the adults stopped you from doing before someone got hurt or fatally embarrassed? She makes them work and makes them work well.

Boris Ivanov, Ice
-
 * Child Soldier: He also applies this attitude to teachers at school and calls them "instructors".
 * Exact Words:
 * Husky Russkie
 * Lawful Stupid: Orders and rules are absolute to him. More important than honoring a challenge, even.
 * Mother Russia Makes You Strong
 * Punch Clock Villain: Starts out as this.
 * Teacher-Student Romance: His relationship with Kenichi's teacher may be this.
 * Undying Loyalty:
 * Teacher-Student Romance: His relationship with Kenichi's teacher may be this.
 * Undying Loyalty:
 * Undying Loyalty:

, Flow
-

Chikage Kushinada, Water
-
 * A Day in The Limelight: Chapter 424
 * Action Girl
 * Badass Adorable: Just try to say she's not. Just try.
 * Child Prodigy
 * Creepy Child/Tsurime Eyes: In Yami-Mode.
 * Cuteness Proximity/Tareme Eyes: Reverts to little-girl-mode around things that normal little girls enjoy doing.
 * Emotionless Girl: At least in front of Mikumo. Or just the side facing Mikumo, which is a feat, considering said Master must have stunning peripheral vision.
 * Expy: Might be a coincidence, but... Tamaki? Is that you?
 * Improbably High IQ: Implied to have one.
 * Little Miss Badass
 * Pint-Sized Powerhouse
 * Pressure Point/People Puppets: If she is in combat with Ukita, she rapidly and repeatedly taps his body and so spurs it to move into a block, throw, or parry, depending on how he is attacked.She does it deliberately without his knowledge and while having a book on her head the hole time.
 * Trickster Mentor: She also seems to be teaching him the moves she makes him do while hiding her role.
 * Sugar and Ice: Towards Kenichi, as a result of Kenichi's efforts to defuse her as a Tyke Bomb, and towards the Katsujinken (Fist of Life/Saving) side in general; she helps them, but only because she "wants to be on the Young Detective Squad".
 * Sweet Tooth: Exposure to sweets also temporarily dissolves her creepiness, since the Dark Side won't give her any. Even in a panel dedicated to her thoughts verging on epiphany, there are "tastes delicious" and "cake".
 * Token Mini-Moe: The youngest member of YOMI.
 * Tyke Bomb: Like all of Yomi, but not yet to the extent of the other members.
 * Weak but Skilled: Kushina Style of Jujitsu -- zero strength, 100% technique.
 * What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?: Eating a cake with all the seriousness, eye-glints, power auras and split panels of combat.

Rimi
-
 * ~Did I Just Say That Out Loud?~ / Saying Too Much: Blurts out her membership in YOMI and several other key things about herself.
 * The Ditz
 * Elegant Gothic Lolita
 * Evil Counterpart: To Miu
 * Fragile Speedster: Very fast, but her attacks are not strong enough to greatly damage other martial artist in one hit, as demonstrated by Thor, who simply stood there and weathered her blows.
 * Know When to Fold Em
 * Perky Goth
 * Replacement Minion: First of Ogata's new students to debut.
 * Stealth Expert: No killing intent or ki to detect her with.
 * Super Speed: Fast enough to frisk and bypass Kenichi and his friends without being detected.
 * Suspiciously Specific Denial: Part of her Ms. Exposition moments.
 * Third Person Person

Saiga, Shadow
- "A man like you is worth trusting."
 * Anti-Villain:
 * Badass in A Nice Suit
 * Big Bad: Seems to be this in the overall Yami-arc.
 * Big Damn Villains:
 * Blond Guys Are Evil
 * Evil Counterpart: To two people.
 * First off, to his dad, the Big Bad to Ryozanpaku's Big Good.
 * Secondly, to Akisame, as he has demonstrated superb healing skills. His looks like a blonde version of Akisame, without the moustache.
 * Not to mention Akisame calls him his best friend, or former best friend anyway.
 * Arguably to Kenichi as well. Not only does he have gauntlets similar to the ones Kenichi has inherited, he was also more of a lover of nature before his Start of Darkness; which parallels Kenichi love of flowers.
 * It could be said that Kenichi embodies what Saiga used to be before his Face Heel Turn, while Saiga represents what Kenichi could potentially become if he ever pulled a Face Heel Turn himself.
 * Face Framed in Shadow: Until chapter 466
 * Lightning Bruiser: How fast is Saiga you ask? While holding on to a coat to cover Miu he curbstomps everyone in the room.
 * Love Makes You Evil: Started on the path of the killing fist in order to protect his lover.
 * Luke, I Am Your Father:
 * Martial Pacifist: Used to be this..
 * Master of Disguise:
 * : By proxy since he is the leader of Yami.
 * Papa Wolf:
 * Pet the Dog: To Kenichi:


 * Stealth Hi Bye
 * That Man Is Dead:
 * Waistcoat of Style

Isshinsai "Kensei" Ogata, Flow
-
 * Affably Evil
 * Badass Longcoat
 * Deceptive Disciple: To Ryouzanpaku masters. The Elder eventually recognized his evilness and dismissed him.
 * Evil Mentor: Seems to be almost a hobby to him as he does it more than the other Yami members. He even has his eye on Kenichi.
 * In the Hood
 * Mad Scientist: Sort of. He is quite open to "experimenting" on his disciples and even his peers, especially with the Dou-Sei combination technique, which destroys the mind and body of the user.
 * White-Haired Pretty Boy

Tenmon Li



 * Abusive Dad: Severed his parental ties with his daughter when she joined Yomi. Beats her if she loses or gets out of line.
 * Drunken Boxing: His style.
 * Evil Mentor: To "Spark".
 * Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Him and his daughter.
 * There Was a Door: Headbutts his way through a wall to get past a locked door.

Alexander Gaidar, Ice
-
 * Black Eyes of Evil
 * Does Not Like Guns
 * Evil Counterpart: To Akisame, right down to artistic talent.
 * Evil Mentor: To Boris Ivanov.
 * Hair-Trigger Temper: Which he tries to keep in check by making statues.
 * Kick the Dog:
 * Mother Russia Makes You Strong
 * Muscles Are Meaningless: Slim as Akisame, but we don't see whether or not he has the same kind of developed muscles as him, and he is still incredibly strong.
 * Pet the Dog: Seems to truly care for Boris.

Silkwat Junazard, King
- "Silkwat: So what? If you are a King, then I am a GOD."
 * Badass: How Badass? It's pointed out by Sakaki that.
 * Badass Boast:


 * Blood Knight: So much so that he'll do whatever it takes to keep Tidat Kingdom a war-torn hellhole just so he can make good use of his martial arts ability.
 * Combat Pragmatist: It's the only way a death match against one of the Nine should be done.
 * The Ditz: Seriously, you find birds with more attention span that Silkwat. Also, he seems to had an embittered feud with kitchen utensils and plates.
 * Didn't Think This Through: To the point of becoming his defining characterization.
 * Evil Cannot Comprehend Good:.
 * Evil Mentor: To Radin Tidat Jihan.
 * Fair Weather Mentor: Actually, averted. While harsh and brutal and with low attention deficit, it shows that he was in fact a very "competent" mentor, very thorough in his teaching and no different that the Ryozanpaky kind, if a little more evil. But don't you dare to disappoint him or soil the Pencak Silat for your petty reasons or he will end you.
 * Make Me Wanna Shout: His debut has him setting off an avalanche by screaming at a mountainside.
 * Malevolent Masked Man: Never shown without his stylized monster mask.
 * Names to Run Away From Really Fast: His last name means "corpse" in Malay or Indonesian.
 * His epithet, "Demon Fist," is not the nickname of a man you want to stick too close to, either..
 * Oh Crap: He managed a silent one out of Hongō by.
 * Just by we find out EXACTLY why he was able to give Hayato Furinji a difficult fight.
 * Red Right Hand: His habit of swallowing bulky pieces of fruit. In one scene he is even shown biting a pineapple together with the crust.
 * Sink or Swim Mentor
 * Spirit Advisor: He was called the Guru and apparently he served as an spiritual guide as much as a mentor to Radin... until he crossed the line. In chapter 454 it revealed that he would have probably killed him regardless.
 * Talking Is a Free Action: But Averting Inaction Sequence. It's pointed out that it's suicidal to do this in a real fight... unless you are a Master, which then becomes basic etiquette in a Death Match. Hongō is just being rude.
 * His epithet, "Demon Fist," is not the nickname of a man you want to stick too close to, either..
 * Oh Crap: He managed a silent one out of Hongō by.
 * Just by we find out EXACTLY why he was able to give Hayato Furinji a difficult fight.
 * Red Right Hand: His habit of swallowing bulky pieces of fruit. In one scene he is even shown biting a pineapple together with the crust.
 * Sink or Swim Mentor
 * Spirit Advisor: He was called the Guru and apparently he served as an spiritual guide as much as a mentor to Radin... until he crossed the line. In chapter 454 it revealed that he would have probably killed him regardless.
 * Talking Is a Free Action: But Averting Inaction Sequence. It's pointed out that it's suicidal to do this in a real fight... unless you are a Master, which then becomes basic etiquette in a Death Match. Hongō is just being rude.
 * Spirit Advisor: He was called the Guru and apparently he served as an spiritual guide as much as a mentor to Radin... until he crossed the line. In chapter 454 it revealed that he would have probably killed him regardless.
 * Talking Is a Free Action: But Averting Inaction Sequence. It's pointed out that it's suicidal to do this in a real fight... unless you are a Master, which then becomes basic etiquette in a Death Match. Hongō is just being rude.

Diego Carlo, Steel
-
 * Affably Evil: not like Agaard, but he is one of the most friendly members of Yami.
 * Catch Phrase: This is Diego quality!
 * Dramatic Unmask: Subverted in the most common way, with a mask under the mask.
 * Evil Mentor: To Rachel Stanley.
 * Masked Luchador: He even likes to Lampshade some aspects of this trope.
 * Stepford Smiler
 * The Show Must Go On
 * Wager Slave: As mentioned in his picture quote
 * Wager Slave: As mentioned in his picture quote

Akira Hongō, Sky
-
 * Badass: In his fight with Sakaki, he fixed his dislocated finger by using his thigh as anvil... while in the air. And without stopping their Pummel Duel.
 * Badass Beard
 * Badass Longcoat
 * Badass Long Hair
 * Beard of Evil
 * Berserk Button: Sakaki is the only one who had managed to piss him off by.
 * He really doesn't like anyone speaking badly about Kanou, as Chapter 471 shows.
 * Boring but Practical: Since his opponent is so strong and his martial art so complex, he decided to use the most basic Karate katas.
 * Cross Counter:.
 * The Determinator: As a flashback in Chapter 474 reveals, Hongo was invoking Beyond the Impossible even as a young man due to this character trait. On one occasion, he got shot with a semi-automatic weapon while protecting a hostage, was hurt badly enough to warrant being put into surgery, and yet he left the hospital and went to win a karate tournament he'd previously been signed up for--all while still being badly injured, bandaged and bleeding from his wounds.
 * Duel to The Death: Sakaki fight, regardless of what Sakaki might believe.
 * : Due to the trope immediately below.
 * Even Evil Has Standards: In Chapter 429, he refuses to fight Apachai and Shigure, the former because he's injured from his earlier fight with Agaard, and the latter because she's a woman (despite them attacking him first).
 * : Averted. Until the present day.
 * Genre Savvy: Upon being defeated by Hongo, asks to see the face of the man who bested him up close...but Hongo doesn't comply because he realizes it would give the other man ample opportunity to deliver a killing blow to him even in his crippled state..
 * Impaled With Extreme Prejudice: Several of his techniques rely on him using stabbing arm-thrusts to deal damage this way..
 * If You're So Evil Eat This Kitten: The entry to YAMI was to kill the other participants, since there could be only one. Played straight with Sakaki, who refused to kill no matter what and was sickened by the challenge . Sakaki was not amused.
 * Jerk With a Heart of Gold: As revealed in a flashback about Shou Kanou at the end of the D of D tournament arc.
 * Noble Demon
 * Pet the Dog: Kenichi earns a small degree of his respect in Chapter 429 for defending Shou Kanou's earlier sacrifice to save Miu in the D of D tournament.
 * Pointy Ears
 * Rapid Fire Fisticuffs: Technically is not this. It only looks like this because they attack so unbeliavable fast as to exchange dozens of techniques in a matter of a second.
 * Rival Turned Evil:.
 * Scars Are Forever:
 * Sinister Shades
 * The Only One Allowed to Defeat You:
 * Tranquil Fury: When taunted about his disciple's death, he doesn't go berserk, he just gets FASTER and starts going for the kill strikes more often.
 * Villainous Rescue:
 * Would Not Hit a Girl: Judging from his brief skirmish with Shigure (one-sided on her part) in Chapter 429.
 * The Only One Allowed to Defeat You:
 * Tranquil Fury: When taunted about his disciple's death, he doesn't go berserk, he just gets FASTER and starts going for the kill strikes more often.
 * Villainous Rescue:
 * Would Not Hit a Girl: Judging from his brief skirmish with Shigure (one-sided on her part) in Chapter 429.

Mikumo Kushinada, Water
- "Mikumo: "...Even though we once felt the hot fires blazing between us."
 * Absolute Cleavage: Possibly because her breasts are so big that they prevent her robe from closing.
 * Dating Catwoman: It's implied that she and the Elder were once involved.
 * Evil Mentor: To Chikage Kushinada
 * Flash Step: She is fast, even by Ryouzanpaku's standards. She can create semi-solid speed-clones and use them in combat against both Shigure and Sakaki while picking up Chikage from a different rooftop.
 * Hellish Pupils: Of the horizontal variety.
 * Lady of War
 * Older Than They Look: Seems to be about as old as Hayato, but according to Silkwat, Kushinada Style slows the aging process to the point that she's physically 20.
 * Perpetual Frowner
 * Psychotic Smirk: She usually has an emotionless or frowned face, but when she (rarily) uses this trope, she looks very scary.
 * Rapunzel Hair
 * Shipper On Deck: Amusingly seems to ship herself and the Elder. In one fourth-wall straining scene, she makes a suggestive comment only for the Elder to dismiss it in such a way to suggest that she was deliberately misleading the readers.

Hayato: "Stop saying misleading things. The things that were burning were forts and tanks!""


 * Statuesque Stunner: She's tall enough to make Sakaki look short and Chikage look like a baby and shapely enough to make Shigure look underdeveloped. Sakaki is about two meters tall and Shigure has melons the size of actual melons.
 * The Stoic
 * Weak but Skilled: Apparently Kushinada Style involves 0% strength and 100% skill.

Agaard Jum Sai, Flame
-
 * Affably Evil: Literally hasn't stopped smiling since his introduction, enjoys spreading random encouragements and praise around anyone nearby, and seems like a generally nice guy except for the whole 'Yami' thing.
 * Big Brother Mentor:
 * Dark-Skinned Redhead: Was revealed as such in a recent color spread.
 * Evil Mentor: To Tirawit Kōkin
 * Evil Redhead
 * Friend to All Children: Taught children the martial arts back in Thailand, and was quite popular with them. Apachai might even have picked it up from him.
 * Friendly Enemy: Despite being Apachai's lifelong rival and Evil Counterpart, he seems to have nothing but respect and admiration for Apachai and his skill, and even expressed genuine remorse at the thought of killing him. Confessing this has been pretty much the only time Agaard has stopped smiling.
 * Hellish Pupils: They're shaped like starbursts.
 * Perpetual Smiler: To rival Laughing Fist Diego.
 * Pet the Dog:
 * Pyrrhic Victory: Caused one in a Flash Back, he
 * Stepford Smiler: a milder variant.

Sehrul Rahman, Void
-
 * Badass Grandpa
 * Beard of Evil- Turns out to be a weakness. Sakaki grabs him by the beard during their fight in the helicopter and begins bouncing him off of the roof, floor and walls.
 * Evil Mentor: To Ethan.
 * Make Me Wanna Shout: His screams can induce crippling fear.
 * Pressure Point: Uses this to highly lethal effect.
 * Prophet Eyes
 * The Stoic
 * Touch of Death: Through the use of pressure points.

Sougetsu Ma
-
 * Beard of Evil
 * Cain and Abel: Kensei's evil older brother.
 * Evil Mentor: To Hermit
 * Evil Uncle: To Renka
 * No One Could Survive That: Believed to have died in a fire, though some people do question it, and sure enough he turns out to be alive.
 * Wild Card

Kenichi's Parents (Mototsugu Shirahama and Saori Shirahama)
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SaoriMom_1034.jpg - "ARISE, SEBASTIAN!"
 * Alliterative Name: Saori
 * Badass Normal: Mototsugu presumably has no martial arts training, but is very good at using his gun.
 * Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Mototsugu, as shown when he finally gets to use his gun.
 * Gun Twirling / Unorthodox Reload: Reloads a Winchester rifle one-handed like this.
 * Improbable Aiming Skills: Gets a pretty damned good shot off by pointing his rifle backwards, underhanded while running in the opposite direction and not looking.
 * Hammy Herald: Motosugu for his guns.


 * Hot Mom: Saori.
 * I Call It Vera: Kenichi's father calls his shotgun "Sebastian". His double barreled over-and-under shotgun, that is. He has a pump shotgun he calls "Maximillian". And a hunting rifle he calls "Rotowski".
 * Papa Wolf: Mototsugu.

Honoka Shirahama
-
 * Annoying Little Sister: Subverted in that she doesn't annoy Kenichi as much as she does Tanimoto.
 * Big Brother Worship: She's extremely protective of Kenichi and initially suspicious of the Ryozanpaku Masters. Later on she's shown to respond nigh-instantly to his commands.
 * Hidden Depths: While at first her ability to always beat Apachai at Go seems to be caused by Apachai's childishness, it is later discovered that even Akisame has trouble beating Apachai. We never get to see Honoka go up against the philosophical judo master, however.
 * Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Riding Apachi like a giant robot.
 * Lethal Chef
 * Morality Pet: To Natsu Tanimoto, reminding him of his Dead Little Sister.
 * The Thing That Would Not Leave: Tanimoto's self-proclaimed keeper.
 * Token Mini-Moe

Christopher Eclair
-
 * Dude Looks Like a Lady: Nearly into Ambiguous Gender territory.
 * Extremity Extremist: A savate master who specializes in kicks.
 * Human Shield / Grievous Harm With a Body: Twirls a little girl like a staff in a fight with Sakaki and then later distracts him by throwing her brother out of the moving train car that they're on.
 * Locomotive Level: Fights Sakaki on a crowded subway/light rail car and both revels in the fact that Sakaki can't go all out with all the potential victims and uses said Innocent Bystanders against him.
 * The Mole:
 * Monster Sob Story: Pretends to have one, but he's lying because he's actually a...
 * Psycho for Hire: An assassin purely because he loves killing.
 * No Holds Barred Beatdown: Sakaki defeated him by punching and kicking him through no less than 3 rooms.

James Shiba
-
 * Arrogant Boxing Guy
 * Badass Mustache: Competes with Akisame about it.
 * Expressive Hair: Or rather, expressive mustache!
 * Eyepatch of Power
 * Handicapped Badass: One of his legs is in bracers. He can still easily knock you out with one blow.
 * Meaningful Name: Since there's no "v" in Japanese, his name could also be read as Shiva, God of Destruction.
 * The Rival: To Akisame.
 * Sleeves Are for Wimps

Jennifer Grey
-
 * Action Girl
 * Badass Normal
 * Childhood Marriage Promise: Variation as she made Sakaki promise to marry her while he was drunk. She was a child, but he was not. Not the exact scene but she is the same age.
 * Clingy Jealous Girl: To Sakaki. Has once mistaken Shigure as her "competition".
 * Foreign Fanservice
 * Guns Akimbo
 * The Gunslinger
 * Improbable Aiming Skills
 * Lady of War
 * Reverse Mole
 * You Killed My Father: Fortuna killed her father, which is the reason she seeks revenge against him.

Tsutomu Tanaka
-
 * Alliterative Name
 * Badass Bystander
 * Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass
 * Henpecked Husband: Outright admits he's whipped and sees Kenichi going down the same path.
 * It's Personal:
 * Knight Errant: Tends to commit random acts of heroism in his search for revenge.
 * Salaryman
 * Shotgun Wedding: Married at 18 thanks to this.

Kei Retsumin, the Human Calamity
Assassin for the Black Tiger White Dragon Alliance -
 * Ax Crazy: Got his nickname by calmly wiping out a whole village to avoid having to find his target's hiding place. Said to have killed more people than any plague.
 * Bunny Ears Lawyer: Fights with Pisuke, a Myna bird, in a cage on his head.
 * Head Pet: Pisuke
 * Morality Pet: Subverted.
 * No I Am Behind You
 * Rapid Fire Fisticuffs: The basis of his martial art, Honshiken.
 * Red Baron
 * Speed Blitz: His fight is hard for non-master level fighters to even see.

Sakaki's Elder Sister
Don't know her name, so sue. -


 * Biker Babe
 * The Faceless
 * Supreme Chef: Very good at cooking.

Suzuki Hajime
Sakaki and Hongo friend and refreee. -


 * Awesome By Analysis
 * Posthumous Character
 * Posthumous Character
 * Posthumous Character
 * Posthumous Character