Yamato Takeru

Although merely a player for the best team in Kansai, Yamato is in actuality the real and mysterious Eyeshield 21 from Notre Dame that once fought against Kyoshin Poseidon's Shun Kakei who played for Phoenix. He is said to be the perfect runner and has great strength, speed, technique, spin the ball on one finger and even perfect body balance. Basically, he is a fellow "perfect player" like Shin. So far no player has been able to stop his run. In example of this is said by one of his teammates who says that 10 players from the Teikoku 2nd string combined are not even capable of stopping his run. In fact his is shown to only really be challenged by his fellow ace, Taka Honjo in all of Teikoku. The original person believed to be this man was Hayato Akaba from the Bando Spiders, but Shun comments that his body type is slightly different from the one he played against. Near the climax of the game against the Hakushū Dinosaurs, Marco reveals that the team that this Eyeshield 21 plays for is Teikoku, shocking both Sena and Shun. With Deimon in the Christmas Bowl, the showdown between him and Sena is now a reality. When Sena, Monta, and Suzuna go to scout Teikoku's football team, he pairs up with Sena against 4th string players to see what Sena was capable of. However, his true goal is to meet someone who can match him to the point of being able to make him use his "true style", which has yet to be revealed.

During a recent duel with Agon (of Shinryuji), it is revealed that Yamato's "true style" would have been used against Agon because Agon's God Speed Impulse could overcome Yamato's speed. Yamato almost reveals this style in the duel but his face changes when he use this style intimidating the arrogant Agon. It is revealed by Sena in chapter 283 that Yamato's speed is not faster than Sena or Shin's; however, his balance is "perfect". It is revealed in chapter 286 that Yamato can use, due to his body balance, multiple crossover steps combined with cutting steps at the same time, creating the "true" Devil Bat Ghost. Though Sena manages to still see through Yamato's DevilBat Ghost and at the same time catch him. Yamato then decided to use his true style which is "Caesar's Charge" in which he manages to throw Sena off. Though he had won his one-on-one with Sena, he still catches Yamato once again suprising everyone of the Teikoku Alexanders' players and even surprises Yamato as well. He then pushes Sena away using his "unsealed" right arm.

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

40-yard dash: surpassed 4.2 with Caesar's charge

Position: Running Back

Jersey Number: 21(first seen in Chapter 281)/22

1st Year Student (10th Grade)


TECHNIQUES AND STRATEGIES

Near light speed: Yamato has top class speed considered by Agon as a super speed 'type' at first, though his speed is not as fast as Sena or Shin.

Strength: He is very strong being able to push Ishimaru out of bounds with only one hand and block to 4th string players with only his hands to the point that they could barely talk or move. His strength is outrageous, even dragging Sena, Taki, and Koji of the ha-ha brothers along with him while doing the Caesar's Charge for at least a first down.

Balance: he ran without slowing down right through snow that tripped up Sena, who can run through mud with hampering his run.

Absolute Prediction: Yamato never tells lies only commenting on what he knows to be true through observations. He is then, With his massive knowledge of strategy and the tactics used by the opponent, never wrong when he makes a predictions about the game. However, his prediction that Deimon would not score once was just crushed by Monta's touchdown in Chapter 292.

Ghost Run: Yamato uses crossover and cut steps in rapid succession creating "a mountain of ghosts".

Caesar's Charge: Using his balance and strength, he can shakes off defensive players that hold into him. Even after he got caught, he can keep moving forward, dragging his enemies, and shaking them off. He can also use this technique on defense, closing at top speed not waiting to see which way the opponent would dodge arms spread wide he creates a perfect seal stopping his opponents from escaping to the sides or above. However, this technique has one flaw, which is demonstrated by Sena's Devil 4th Dimension Run. In the instant that Yamato tackles forward, a sudden reversal will throw off his timing, thereby allowing Sena to pass him at Light Speed. Yamato response to this by accelerating with all of his power at the last step diving forward surpassing the 4.2 speed and crushing Sena. Sena responds to this by combining the Devil Bat Ghost with the Devil 4th Dimension Run. Yamato cannot adapt to this evasion tactic as he's already committed to the charge.