Yoichi Isagi

Yoichi’s given name, Yoichi (世よ一いち), carries a significant meaning. “Yo” (世よ) symbolizes the world, generation, or society, while “Ichi” (一いち) represents one, first, or best. Phonetically, it can also be interpreted as “Yo” (四よ), meaning four, and “Ichi” (一いち), meaning one, referencing his birthday, April 1st.

His surname, Isagi (潔いさぎ), has meaningful connotations. It denotes “undefiled, pure, clean,” and phonetically, it can be associated with Isagiyoi (潔いさぎよい), indicating qualities like sportsmanship, bravery, or manliness.

Combining his given name and surname, Yoichi’s name can be understood as “the world’s best” or “the world’s purest,” reflecting his character and aspirations.

Yoichi Isagi, also known as Isagi Yoichi, is the central character in the Blue Lock series. He’s a second-year high school student who used to play as a forward for Ichinan High School’s football team. Upon joining the Blue Lock facility, he joined Team Z during the First Selection phase. His ultimate aim is to become the top striker globally.

Isagi stood out as a player in Blue Lock after facing off against Japan U-20 team. He now serves as an offensive midfielder for Bastard München in the Neo Egoist League. Unlike others who were selected by Anri Teieri based on their performance, Isagi was personally chosen by Jinpachi Ego for his qualities as an ideal striker.

Appearance:

Isagi is a typical teenager with an average height and a muscular build, sporting a more defined physique as he grows. His short, dark blue hair falls in a V-shaped fringe over his deep blue eyes. At Ichinan High School, he typically wore an unbuttoned blazer over a white undershirt paired with a striped tie. The school’s jersey and gym uniform both feature light colors with black stripes.

Isagi wears a black body suit with blue stripes and a matching tracksuit. During First Selection, he wears Team Z’s blue jersey with number 11 and gray cleats. In Second Selection, he switches to Team White’s jersey with number 15 and later a red jersey. During the Blue Lock Eleven tryouts, he wears Team A’s black jersey with number 15.

Isagi’s uniform at Blue Lock underwent another change when he became a part of the official Blue Lock team. He now wears a blue-colored Blue Lock player uniform featuring the number 11, resembling the ones showcased on the initial cover spread, albeit without the Japan flag, as seen during the match against Japan U-20. Additionally, as a regular player for Team Germany, Isagi sports the red and black with gold stripes Bastard München uniform, proudly bearing the number 11. This uniform represents his commitment and contribution to the team’s success on the international stage.

Qualities:

Isagi is a laid-back guy with a friendly and cheerful demeanor, but his simple and innocent ways can sometimes annoy those around him. He’s always ready to lend a hand and approaches things with a thoughtful and practical mindset. Isagi prefers to avoid petty arguments among his fellow Blue Lock competitors, often acting as a mediator between friends and rivals.

At the start of Blue Lock, Isagi grapples with self-doubt and conflicting ideas about football, especially since he’s initially ranked second lowest among the players. However, over time, he grows more confident on and off the field, becoming a pillar for Team Z and earning the respect of some of Blue Lock’s top players, many of whom have strong and assertive personalities.By the Third Selection phase, Isagi has gained enough confidence, charisma, and reputation to engage openly with Rin Itoshi, one of the most talented but challenging individuals in the Blue Lock Project.

Initially, Isagi felt torn between the football ideology he learned in high school and the conflicting principles promoted in Blue Lock, particularly regarding egotism. However, as Team Z secured their first victory and continued to win, Isagi grew accustomed to the exhilaration of winning and the ruthless mindset required to thrive in Blue Lock. Over time, he became willing to prioritize his own goals over those of his teammates and opponents alike, driven by his ambition to become the world’s best striker.

Isagi’s approach to football evolved into one of ambition and strategy, constantly adapting to elicit his teammates’ best performance and outmaneuvering their adversaries. He developed a play style characterized by opportunism and analysis, relentlessly pursuing goals while maintaining strong teamwork. While he initially admired the strengths of others, Isagi learned to recognize and utilize his own strengths as he progressed through Blue Lock.

Since encountering Rin and experiencing defeat, Isagi has been driven to surpass him at every opportunity. He actively seeks to emulate Rin’s cooldown routines and mindset, believing that by doing so, he can elevate his own performance to Rin’s level. Isagi is convinced that once he manages to outshine Rin, he’ll be one step closer to achieving his dream of becoming the world’s top striker.

Despite his determination, Isagi still grapples with nerves before significant matches, such as during the end of the First Selection, the start of the Third Selection, or the Japan U-20 match. However, each time, he manages to overcome his apprehension and fully assert his confidence, solidifying his position among Blue Lock’s elite. He boldly declares his intention to lead the Japan U-20 team to victory in the World Cup after scoring a decisive goal, showcasing his growing self-assurance.

Isagi becomes particularly sensitive to suggestions that his achievements are merely due to luck rather than skill. When an old teammate, Tada, implies luck played a role in Isagi’s success against Japan U-20, Isagi feels disheartened. However, this moment motivates him to redouble his efforts and further evolve in his journey through Blue Lock.

After the Neo Egoist League kicks off, Isagi’s ego becomes much more pronounced than before. He feels deeply offended when Yukimiya questions his decision-making during a pass, accusing him of having a narrow mindset. This conversation sparks intense anger in Isagi, nearly leading to a physical altercation with Yukimiya in the dressing room.

Isagi gets frustrated when things don’t go according to plan, like when Kunigami disrupts his strategy to score a goal meant for him during the match between Bastard München and Manshine City. His anger intensifies further when Kaiser mocks him for preferring to assist goals rather than scoring them himself, leading him to abandon any pretense of concealing his egoism. According to Noel Noa, Isagi shares a remarkably similar perspective on football with Ego, as both possess an obsessive desire to win. Isagi even begins to adopt a devilish smile reminiscent of Ego’s whenever he’s fired up.

Abilities and Powers:

A “Raumdeuter” translates to “space investigator” and describes a player who excels at exploiting the half space on the field. Their primary role is to drift into central areas and identify pockets of space where they can thrive. Unlike fast dribblers, Raumdeuters are not known for their speed but rather for their ability to find and utilize unoccupied space effectively. They have a precise first touch, which is crucial in setting up scoring opportunities. Their skill lies in creating confusion among opposing defenders by capitalizing on vacant areas of the pitch.

Isagi’s exceptional spatial awareness allows him to create ideal plays and opportunities for his teammates. His off-ball movements, reflexes and enhanced vision enable him to score high-level goals and create plays that are only possible for him. He brings out the best in his teammates, motivating them to exceed his evolving skill. Isagi’s style of play has become a guide for other players, cementing his place at the top of Blue Lock. He is highly recognized and respected for his skills.

Skills:

Spatial Awareness is a natural talent of Isagi’s, enabling him to analyze the entire field and gain a deep understanding of the game, including his opponents’ and teammates’ strengths and tactics. With this knowledge, Isagi can accurately predict the game’s flow, envisioning ideal plays in real-time and executing them efficiently, even under pressure from strong opponents and unpredictable conditions. His spatial awareness is among the highest in Blue Lock, often rivaling or surpassing that of other top players like Niko and Rin.

Furthermore, Isagi possesses a unique ability known as Goal Scent. Utilizing his spatial awareness, he instinctively detects the “scent of a goal” emanating from key players, allowing him to precisely deliver the ball to them, increasing their scoring chances. This intuitive skill further enhances his effectiveness on the field and contributes to his reputation as a formidable striker.

Adaptability (適応能力 Tekiō Nōryoku): Isagi is hailed as a genius in adaptability, a skill noted by Naruhaya. He possesses a deep understanding of his teammates’ and opponents’ football strategies, allowing him to adjust his playing style to exploit or counter their abilities. Isagi has demonstrated this adaptability by effectively incorporating Naruhaya’s off-the-ball movements, exploiting Baro’s weaknesses to score, and even outsmarting Rin, who is physically and technically superior. Additionally, Isagi has embraced the concept of Metavision.

Meta vision (Transcendence Sight) is Isagi’s evolved vision that grants him an all-encompassing perspective of the field. He constantly scans the field with both his central and peripheral vision, gathering data on every player. With his enhanced spatial awareness, positioning, and reflexes, Isagi can swiftly anticipate and counter the plays of top players in Blue Lock and even some of the world’s best strikers. Additionally, Isagi is unique in his ability to utilize his teammates to create ideal scoring opportunities.

Meta Burst Point: Leveraging his Metavision, Isagi can pinpoint the pivotal moment in the opponent’s strategy and intervene to intercept the ball or disrupt their play at the crucial instant. This skill was instrumental in the match against Manshine City, where Isagi effectively utilized it to turn the tide in his team’s favor.

Egocentrism: With his Metavision, Isagi goes beyond merely observing his opponents’ actions; he can discern the underlying motivations or “protagonism” guiding their play styles. Armed with this insight, Isagi adeptly creates opportunities for himself and his team by thwarting the opposing players’ attempts at critical plays. He anticipates, defends against, and neutralizes conventional strategies and unexpected and seemingly unstoppable “miracle” plays, demonstrating his ability to outsmart and outmaneuver his adversaries on the field.

Direct Shot (直撃蹴弾ダイレクトシュート Dairekuto Shūto): Isagi’s Direct Shot technique involves carefully analyzing the defenders’ positions and the ball’s trajectory before delivering a powerful kick precisely at the ball’s impact point. This ensures a clean goal without overthinking his positioning. Nagi has noted Isagi’s flawless execution of this shot, indicating his exceptional technique and control.

Back Heel Shot: In this move, Isagi assesses the defenders’ positions and feints a Direct Shot, anticipating their block. He then surprises them with a powerful backward kick at the ball’s impact point, resulting in a clean shot. Isagi first used this technique against Rin Itoshi during their rematch in the Second Selection, catching everyone off guard.

Lefty Direct Shot: As a supplementary technique to his right-footed Direct Shot, Isagi can execute a left-footed version when his dominant right side is blocked. Though not as powerful as his right-footed shot, Isagi’s lefty Direct Shot still packs a punch.

2 Stage Lefty Direct Shot: Isagi begins by feinting a Direct Shot with his right foot to draw out defenders. Then, he quickly taps the ball into the air and to the side, creating space for a left-footed Direct Shot. This two-stage move allows Isagi to freely execute his lefty shot after deceiving the opposition.

Off-the-Ball Movements: This term refers to the actions players take when they do not have the ball. Isagi utilizes these moments to his advantage by positioning himself in his opponents’ blind spots, acting as a decoy for his teammates’ shots, or executing close passing sequences to break through the enemy’s defense.

Positioning: Like Rin, Isagi strategically positions himself on the field to exploit opportunities during a game. If he realizes the ball won’t come to him, Isagi moves to a favorable location where he can directly score with a Direct Shot. He demonstrated this skill by scoring the decisive goal against the U-20 team.

Reflex (反射的 Hanshateki): Isagi has consciously incorporated reflex into his gameplay, allowing him to quickly identify opportunities to attack or defend based on field conditions. He instinctively moves to advantageous positions, such as anticipating Sae’s corner kick or scoring with a Direct Shot in the blind spots of the U-20 defense.

Flow State: Described by Ego as a state of total aggressive focus, Isagi’s Flow State involves him fully immersing himself in reading the field and player actions. Using his Metavision, spatial awareness, and reflexes, Isagi identifies and exploits distortions caused by opponents, swiftly mounting defenses or launching attacks with precise positioning and passing. Isagi has entered Flow State multiple times during Blue Lock, most notably during Bastard München’s match against Manshine City, where he led his team to goals through sheer control of the field.