Kageyama Tobio needs no introduction. The savage King of the court has left his opponents completely decimated. Kageyama Tobio is a fictional character from the famous Anime/Manga series Haikyuu created by Haruichi Furudate.
He is the setter of Karasuno High. Kageyama Tobio is often taunted by the nickname “The King of the court” including the first-year students at Karasuno High. He was an overbearing perfectionist during his middle school days.
Before meeting Hinata Shoyo, he was traumatized by the past incident that earned him this infamous title in the first place.
Introduction
During his middle school years, his autocratic leadership and despotic behaviour completely made his former teammates turn their back on him. They ended up abandoning him in the middle of the match which caused him psychological trauma.
That part when no one receives his spike is truly heartbreaking. You can feel the despair sinking in. Even after joining his high school team, he was often afraid that he might be abandoned by his teammates.
Interestingly it was Hinata Shoyo who stood up for him and they even participated in the 3-on-3 match before officially joining the Karasuno High Volleyball team. Curious about who won?
Past & Present
He formed a setter-spiker alliance with Hinata Shoyo and he truly believes that if it’s him, he’d spike as long as he sets it for him.
Even Shoyo shares the same sentiment as Kageyama. They have mutual trust and bonds in the court. Kageyama is the official setter of the Karasuno High Volleyball Team, his jersey number is 9.
As a character, Kageyama Tobio is intriguing in many aspects. You can often not know what goes on in his mind. He seems like a childish and prideful character who might hold up grudges but when push comes to shove he wouldn’t hesitate to drop his pride. This makes him a truly respectable opponent as a character.
Why is Kageyama Tobio so Special?
Kageyama Tobio is a prodigy player when he was in middle school. He has a lot of potential and scope for future growth. He is extremely passionate and dedicated when it comes to volleyball.
His rigid and inflexible personality often makes him the centre of conflicts and endless bickering with his teammate Hinata Shoyo.
They often have a verbal spat and silly competitions but their signature move ‘freak quick’ throws even the competitors off the rails.
Kageyama appears cold, and arrogant and has a short temper. He often has a scowl and his intimidating aura makes him unapproachable.
Kageyama had a tyrannical attitude and a lack of regard towards his fellow players earned him his title. He is childish and more sensitive than others.
He is hardworking and extremely merciless to his opponents.
Kageyama Tobio considers Hinata Shoyo as his ultimate rival and often wouldn’t acknowledge him. He is extremely competitive with him. He holds Shoyo in high regard and respects him.
He is calm and collected and seldom gives in to his rival’s provocation.
Kageyama has poor social skills despite having good intentions and being polite, he has a problem properly expressing himself. Initially, he wasn’t a team player but gradually we see how he adapts himself to the team.
He is persistent and his desire to win disregarding other factors almost paints him as a conceited brat but he slowly started changing and playing as a team.
Some of his tosses were difficult to hit, but he tried asking the opinion of his teammate spikers.
As a setter, he is responsible for utilizing and bringing out the best of each spiker’s skills.
Kageyama at a certain point started doubting himself when he was called “goody-two-shoes” by Atsumu. He was almost reverting back to his old habits, but he quickly snapped out of it.
During one of the practices, Hinata accidentally ends up calling Kageyama “King” for which he received a death glare.
According to Shoyo, King sounded something cool and amazing. He was unaware of the true meaning behind the nickname.
Final Thoughts
Disregarding the past dark incident that led to the origin of the title, Kageyama Tobio deserves the title rightfully so but make no mistake, it has nothing to do with negativity. Hinata’s perspective is commendable.
Like a King who rules a nation, and undergoes rigorous training to exercise their control, Kageyama Tobio too in that aspect is a true king of the court.
From a tyrannical self-centred king to a considerate but evolving person, he is truly befitting for the title. Throughout the series, viewers can see him slowly changing and becoming accepting of others.
He is not perfect but there’s always a chance for improvement. His comedic interactions with Shoyo also add a huge comic relief. Kageyama Tobio certainly fits the bill.
