The Oujou White Knights are a High School American Football team based out of Ojo Private Senior High School. They are the main rivals of the Deimon Devil Bats throughout the series, and the team's star linebacker Seijuro Shin is Sena's first and most prominent rival. The White Knights are a strong team with a major focus on their stringent defense. Their closest NFL team match would be the Baltimore Ravens
The White Knights are historically known as the best high school team in the greater Tokyo area and one of the best teams in all of Japan. One reason for this strength is the program in place at Ojo - Ojo is an escalator school from Ojo Junior High, so students can gain an additional three years of experience prior to entering high school. In recent years Ojo has been considered the only team in Kanto capable of challenging the Shinryuji Naga due to the strength of the "Golden Generation", a group of players who graduated from Ojo the year before the series takes place. However, Ojo was never actually able to defeat Shinryuji, coming closest in the Golden Generation's final year when Shin Seijuro joined the team, when Agon and Unsui Kongo had to lead the Nagas to a comeback in the final five minutes to win.
When the Golden Generation departs, the White Knights are considered a weaker team, which particularly shows when the team nearly loses to the Seibu Wild Gunmen and is blown out by Shinryuji in the Spring tournament. During the course of the series, the team exceeds these expectations, primarily due to the improvement of Shin and the wide receiver Haruto Sakuraba.
The original three Deimon Devil Bats along with Yoichi Hiruma and Ryoukan Kurita.
Appearance:
He is often mistaken for an older person, since he initially has a bit of stubble and has a buzz-cut. When he finally joins the team, he grows out his hair and shaves. He is quite muscular due to his work in construction. While working in construction, he was often seen with a plain bandana wrapped around his head.
History:
He first meets Kurita on a job from his father to fix a hole in the fence of the American base Hiruma snuck into. After listening to Kurita's pleas, he still patches the hole but kicks another one, claiming its not his problem what happens after he finishes patching. Afterwards, he finds out they go to the same middle school and the three form the Maou Devil Bats.
He leaves the team during the spring season of his freshman year, due to the fact that his father had become seriously ill. As a result, he was forced to drop out of school and take over as the construction foreman of Deimon High. Though he desperately wanted to get back into playing, he refused to rejoin the Devil Bats. However, after meeting with Sena and Monta and seeing how determined they are to get him back on the team, he agrees, but only if they become a strong team. In the manga, he makes his comeback during the game against Seibu, when his father hit him for abandoning his team. In the anime, he does not rejoin the team until the game with the Bando Spiders. He has a one-sided rivalry with the kicker of the Spiders, Kotaro Sasaki, who according to Hiruma, has NEVER missed.
Synopsis:
Musashi has an incredibly strong right leg which helps the Devil Bats on kickoffs, often pinning their opponents deep or forcing them to down the ball deep in their own territory, or in their end zone for a touchback. The title of the 60-yard Magnum was actually a lie fabricated by Hiruma, in order to make Musashi seem invincible, and Musashi keeps telling people that it is a lie. However, the kicker of the Bando Spiders STILL wants to prove that he's better than the Deimon player. During the game against the Nagas, he is instrumental in the Devil Bats' onside kick at the start of the second half, and even pounds some sense into Hiruma with his fist, (though it was all an act). He also has been the only player on Deimon to score during the climactic game against Ojo, making two field goals that kept Deimon within range of the White Knights with a 14-6 score at halftime.
After Hiruma went down with an injury at the hands of Gaou, Musashi was one of the few characters to be considered as a replacement QB during the game with Hakushuu, but Sena volunteered instead.
Following the Bando game, there is an omake strip in which Hiruma and Kurita take Musashi to a barber as 'punishment' for not coming back until that game - if he had kicked against the Wild Gunmen, Deimon may have won. They give him various comedic hairstyles (which lead to Hiruma in particular nearly killing himself laughing) before deciding on shaving the left and right sides of his head, giving him a mohawk hairstyle. The omake was shown in the anime's special episode, but Musashi's hairstyle still remains as it was during the Bando Spider game. It might have been a mistake on the animator's part, but the reason is still unknown.
Trivia:
The kanji in Musashi's last name, Takekura, can also be read as Musashi, thus his nickname. The name is derived from Miyamoto Musashi, a famous samurai, who was famous for his skills with two swords, which relates to the fact that Musashi must put up two kicks for every successful possession (extra point kick or field goal and the kick off). Gen's rivalry with the Bando Spiders kicker Kotaro Sasaki is also a play on Miyamoto's rivalry with the legendary swordsman Sasaki Kojiro.
Musashi has a habit of picking his ear whenever he's not serious (or as a comedy gag).
He also has a knack for making unsensitive statements (Claiming that the Devil Bats are a weak team when Monta and Sena ask him to rejoin, and also saying that the Ha-Ha brother's are weak compared to him who worked for a year as construction worker, claiming that he is the one more fitted to be quarterback) to cover his true, much more noble, motive (he can't rejoin the Devil Bats since his father's company is in danger and with his father's illness, he's the one who expected to work, and he doesn't want to see the first year get injured by Gao).
Techiques/Stratigies:
Extremely Powerful Kick - Musashi have an extremely powerful right leg which he trained from his carpenter job, he is seen powerful enough to kick a giant hole in a steel fence,and kicking a long distance field goal with relative ease, although his kick isn't really accurate.
Onside Kick - Musashi kicks the ball at an angle and a shorter distance than usual in order for his teammates to try to regain possession of the ball.
High-Altitude Kickoff - Due to his kicking ability, Musashi is able to launch the ball into the air to an unbelievable altitude. This causes the opposing team to fall back deep into their own territory. The longer the ball stays in the air, the more time the Devil Bats have to surround the enemy and pin them down near their own goal line.
60-Yard Field Goal - In the final play of the Christmas Bowl, Musashi kicks a successful 60-yard field goal to win the game for the Devil Bats.Thus proving his name The Legendary 60-Yard Magnum, even when the ball barely got in.
A man with an odd and rather foolish attitude, and is apparently quite oblivious to the silliness of his actions. He was first introduced in the series when Sena met him in the San Antonio stadium (Natsuhiko was trying out for the team there). He has a habit of opening his jacket to bare his pecs, making weird poses like rising up his leg 180 degrees and is often portrayed as a ladies-man. His dream is to become a pro football star, even though he didn't know the rules, nor the positions, stating that he was an all-around super player. He couldn't play American Football in Japan; he wasn't qualified, so he went to America to apply for a position in the San Antonio Team by taking all the savings in his house to fly to America. He failed; however, the coach did praise him on his potential and asked him to try out again after gaining some experience in high school football. Sena passed the pro-tryouts as Eyeshield 21, (though he and the Taki siblings left before his name was announced). Sena, feeling sorry for him, sensed that Natsuhiko had potential and that his talent shouldn't be wasted, asked him to join the Devil Bats back in Japan as a Tight End. He manages to qualify as a Devil Bats team member after undergoing the rest of the Death March.
Although he's quite the clueless, narcissistic fool, he is undeniably a very good (not to mention useful) player in the team. His personality is noted to be gentlemanly, but he's still an idiotic, competitive showoff. During the Bando Spiders game, after getting thrashed pretty badly by Akaba of the Spiders, Natsuhiko gets serious for the first time, and manages to out-perform Akaba. He also began wearing his hair in a samurai topknot. However, after getting a tiny bit of praise, he reverts back to his usual idiot persona. Though not a major player in the surprise win over the Nagas, Natsuhiko made key blocks and catches throughout the game. Natsuhiko's height and leaping ability also helped Monta cover Sakuraba during the match against Ojo. He also plays a part in the final play of the game in Hiruma's Killer Hornet tactic.
Monta harbors an intense dislike towards Natsuhiko; in junior high, while Monta was taking an entrance exam, Natsuhiko approached Monta and asked him whether a book he found earlier, Son Son (with a picture of a chimpanzee on it) was Monta's, since he thought that Monta looked like a chimp. Natushiko's flexibility is also comparable to Monta's, further deepening their rivalry.
There are several key instances that show his idiocy, one of which is the ability to understand directions. Before the match against the Amino Cyborgs, he made Sena and himself take the wrong bus to Nagano; however, thanks to Hiruma and the Zokugaku Chameleons, Sena eventually got back to play in the match in time. But then, Natsuhiko got lost (again) by taking the wrong train back. In the end he missed the game, yet Hiruma later claimed he was not going to play anyway since he had yet to enroll at Deimon. He is also an idiot when it comes to academics. He proudly announces that he only knew up to the 6 times tables, and said that 9 X 9=18. However, if he associates the questions with football, then he gets it right and it was through this method that he was able to cram for the entrance exam. Hiruma was about to assassinate the examiner in Deimon to make Natsuhiko pass, but the examiner concluded that he passed (barely) and was eligible to enroll in Deimon High School. When Hiruma injured and Deimon had to choose another quarterback, Ha-Ha Brothers quickly rules him out thanks to his stupidity and narcissity ("He'll likely try to run the ball on his own").
He always addresses Suzuna as "My Sister". His catchphrase is usually a loud "AH-HA-HA!", and exclaiming that he has a 150% success rate at anything he does. This usually leads to the Ha-Ha brothers being irritated at him. TECHNIQUES/STRATEGIES
Flexibility - Taki's body is incredibly flexible, which allows him to bend and contort at extreme angles to make catches or blocks. It also helps him to makeshift his gravity point quickly, making Akaba's Spider Poison ineffective.
Power Off Tackle/ Gentle Prince Tackle - Basically it's a one-man Sweeper using just Natsuhiko to open a smaller path for Eyeshield to run through. He can also do this with help from other players, though.
Prince Gentle Hurricane - Taki's own variation of Sena's Devil Bat Hurricane, he lifts up one of his legs and spins around with the football down the field. Unfortunately, the technique is easy prey against an opposing team's defense and is considered more for show than effective.
Prince Spiders Poison - Training with Hayato Akaba for the Chirstmas Bowl, Taki learned his defensive maneuvers to assist against Teikoku.
Quick-Draw Pass - Taki were able to do the same pass techniques like Kid,although,he has no aim during the pass.(Anime only)
Ishimaru is the Devil Bats' second running back. Ishimaru was recruited from the track team by Sena who took over half of his paper route for him. He played in the Koigahama match, but was injured due to Sena being unable to discern between the types of cleats. Ishimaru continued to play for the Devil Bats, even though no one notices his presence in the team. However, his obscurity plays to his advantage when playing since no one notices when he is handed the ball. Many teams curse to themselves in front of him after the play, usually saying that, "he has no presence," or that, "We didn't notice him". He's the track and field captain, which is why Hiruma usually refers to him as "Track Star".
Ishimaru often acts as a fullback, blocking for Sena on screen passes and other trick plays. When he actually learns that Sena is Eyeshield 21, he foams at the mouth and "breaks". Like Yukimitsu, Ishimaru also grows out his hair, but no one seems to notice. Is referred to as the Stealth Running Back, Shadowless God Of Death, or just "plain" Ishimaru. He is such a pushover, that he's willing to go with anything that happens around him. His catchphrase is, "It's alright."
One interesting thing to note is that Ishimaru has an American look-a-like named Jimmy Simard ("Jim I-Shimaru" the name itself being a play on words of Ishimaru's nickname ("地味 石丸" Plain Ishimaru ). Sena mistakes Jimmy for Ishimaru during the tryout with the San Antonio Armadillos. Jimmy actually made the cut for the pros, despite some bullies' cheating and foul tactics, thanks to Eyeshield 21's help.
Ishimaru’s importance came in to play during the game of Deimon Devil Bats against Kyoshin Poseidon. In order to overcome their opponent’s height and extreme long reach, he was included as one of the runners for one of Hiruma’s trickiest strategies: Wish Bone.
In the match against Ojo, when Ikari sacked Hiruma, Hiruma was able to throw a short pass towards Ishimaru seconds before the quarterback got sacked, however, Ishimaru only managed to run 1 yard before Shin tackled him.
During match with Hakushū dinosaurs, because of his position, he became one from two Hiruma's choice for quarterback replacements, before Sena volunteering himself.
off scren of the manga In the anime, Ishimaru learned of Eyeshield 21's identity when his track team was in trouble for the finals at the Relay Races. Ishimaru was planning on leaving the football club, but thanks to Sena volunteering to be the third man in the race, Deimon's Track Team won. Seeing Sena run without his helmet confirmed his identity as Eyeshield 21 and in gratitude, Ishimaru decided to stay with the Devil Bats until the end of the Tournament.
In the match against Teikoku, he is the one who carries the ball at the beginning of the game. Just as a group of the Alexander's line is about to catch him, he reveals that he has been taught the Rodeo Drive from Riku of the Seibu team, thus allowing him to beat two of the Alexander's players before he was knocked out of bounds by Yamato. It is revealed that he did the hard training with Riku in order to help prove that he is more than just a replacment player on the team and that he is a true Deimon Devil Bat to everyone including himself.
TECHNIQUES/STRATEGIES:
Insubstantial: Due to Ishimaru's lack of "presence" he can often make long runs or catch passes out of the backfield without the opposing team noticing until it's too late.
Rodeo Drive: In preparation for the Christmas Bowl, Ishimaru trained with Riku Kaitani of Seibu, learning his running style to improve on his own track-honed speed.
Komusubi is one of the linemen of the Deimon Devil Bats. His given name of Daikichi means 'Good Fortune.' His father named him after he had gotten a promotion after his son's birth. Though Daikichi is not very fast nor tall, but he makes up for it with his indomitable will and power. He decided to join the Devil Bats after seeing the Zokugakuexhibition match. Daikichi was highly impressed by Kurita's amazing strength and build, and decided that he wanted to become Kurita's "apprentice". He was able to join the team after surviving the Hell Tower qualifying test, beating out the Ha-Ha Brothers. Komusubi has taken to bunking at Kurita's house, and joining Kurita in waking up as early as 2AM to go training. He does not talk much, and apparently speaks (and writes!) only in the language of strong men, that only "truly strong men" can understand, which consists mostly of strange grunts and one-word sentences. It is still confusing as to how people like Komusubi's father, Kurita, Deimon's gym teacher, Mizumachi, Gaō of Hakushu, and some of the members of the Nasa Aliens team, can comprehend what he is saying. (It should be noted that Mamori seems to be able to understand him as well.)
He always seems to be the thorn in the side of the Ha-Ha Brothers, showing them that he's stronger than them and spurring them on to become stronger. He has also been shown lifting around 20 high-schoolers at once. Though they hate each other, Hiruma knows that their rivalry is what really drives them to become better players. He is also has a gifted talent for being a sumo. Later, especially seen before match against Poseidon, the rivalry later developed into some kind of friendly rivalry (when he disappears because of his feeling of inadequancy, it's the Ha-Ha brothers who, literally, kicking some sense to him, saying that without him it's impossible for them to defeat the Poseidon).
He does not like to be teased about his small stature and does his best to prove that size is not everything. Komusubi is short like his mother, but he inherited his father's strength. He learns all on his own how to deal with taller opponents. Using the Rip Tackle and his Fast Start technique, he is able to bowl over even the tall linemen of the Kyoshin Poseidon. He proved to be instrumental in the final seconds of that game, pushing down his opponent for Eyeshield 21 to get through to score.
Komusubi was not a major factor in the win over the Nagas, however his quietly efficient performance made things much easier for Kurita and Jūmonji. He was also the one to catch Musashi's onside kick. Similarly, Komusubi found no real defensive struggle during the game against Ojo due to the focus on offense. However, the challenge of Hakushū's Gaō towards Kurita has ignited the fire within the small defensiveman, choosing to make his own enigmatic statement towards the beastly lineman prior to the climactic showdown.
In chapter 260, when Kurita became weakened, he desperately stands for his master, to the point of tearing his own body when facing Gaō, and crying, begging to the audience not to badmouth Kurita, sayin that his master just "take a break", continually believing in his master. In the end, Sena decides to use him as Lead Blocker to pass Gaō.
However, as it appears, actually Sena believes that this move will incite Kurita's will once again, and he choose to do run from middle instead. The trick works and it is Kurita's drive which renews Komosubi's faith in his master. TECHNIQUES/STRATEGIES
Trap Block - Komusubi ignores the person in front of him at the line of scrimmage, then tackles from the side, anyone who tries to sack Hiruma. Opponents have very little force to counter a side attack.
Fast Start - Being smaller gives him a lower center of gravity, allowing Komusubi to get a flying head start than his opponent once the ball is snapped. He learned how to accomplish this feat by taking part in a Sumo competition.
Rip Tackle - To deal with taller opponents, (which is almost all the time), Komusubi pushes upwards during the tackle, utilizing the insane amounts of arm strength he inherited from his father. This allows him to flip over larger adversaries.
Two-Stage Rocket - Not officially the name of the technique, but that is what Komusubi is likened as, when he defeats Kengo Mizumachi's Swimmer's Start by combining both the Fast Start and the Rip Tackle. He uses the Fast Start to get in close, then as Mizumachi brings his arm up for the 'Swim,' Komusubi uses the Rip Tackle to attack Mizumachi's exposed chest, thereby knocking him down. This was also used during the Deimon's final play to allow Sena to get through with the Devil Bat Dive.
Extremely Low Altitude Devil Bat Dive - Combining his combination of his size and power, Komusubi attacks head on against an opponent in combination with Sena, who dives over them. Used as a maneuver against Gaō to ignite Kurita's power and determination to face him.
Sweeper - The linemen excluding Ryokan Kurita form a protective barrier around Eyeshield, allowing him to run through the enemy's defense.
Yukimitsu very smart and diligent. He was also active in training at the club because he was the slowest (no.2 after Kurita) at the club. Actually, he failed at the club entrance test. But, because Hiruma has impressed him the hell out of difficulty so that finally he "passed". He had two classes together with Hiruma, Kurita, and Musashi, but still signed football club, not wanting to waste their youth simply by learning. Since childhood Yukimitsu always forced her to learn and not allowed to join any club. After seeing the appearance of Eyeshield 21, she was amazed and determined to enter the club Football. He regretted only enter the club right now, until the team failed to participate regularly at the Autumn Tournament. He had entered the "Kanto Tournament" against Shinryuji Dragons and scored a Touchdown against Agon with receiver position. Although his physical pains but his ability to read the game and the position of the opponent (the result of watching the game tape before) is also remarkable spirit, making all the despised (Agon and Ikkyu) must pay dearly. Statistics:
1. Record Run 40 yards: 5.6 seconds 2. Bench Press: Unknown 3. Position: Wide Receiver 4. No. Players: 16 5. Class 2 high school 6. University: Shuuei 7. University Football Club: Shuuei Doctor Fishes