Akagi, Takenori
Summary
Takenori Akagi serves as the captain of the Shohoku basketball team and is the older brother of Haruko. Standing at 197 cm and weighing 90 kg, he wears jersey number 4 at the Center position. Initially dismissive of Sakuragi, who nicknames him "Gori" due to his gorilla-like physical presence, Akagi eventually recognizes Sakuragi’s true potential as a player. A serious and disciplined individual, his ultimate goal is to guide Shohoku to the national championship. His resolve is demonstrated during the match against Kainan, where he continues to play despite suffering a severe ankle injury. He views Uozumi of Ryonan as his primary rival, yet their relationship is marked by mutual respect that borders on friendship rather than animosity. Akagi distinguishes himself from his teammates in two key areas. First, he is the most academically accomplished starter, often regarded as a model student. Following Shohoku’s elimination from the Nationals after the loss to Aiwa, he and Kogure depart the team to prepare for college entrance exams. In contrast, the other four starters had to plead with their teacher to retake flunked courses to avoid disqualification. Second, Akagi is the only starter who has never been involved in a physical fight, although he has used force against players like Sakuragi and Mitsui to maintain order. He is one of the few characters, alongside Rukawa, capable of withstanding Sakuragi’s headbutts without losing consciousness and the only one to have been dunked on by Sakuragi accidentally, aside from Murasame in the manga or Naito in the anime. Recognized as the top center in Kanagawa prefecture, Akagi utilizes his height and strength to score near the basket and is known as a nearly undefeatable defender. As captain, he enforces discipline during games. His confidence is tested against Masashi Kawata of Sannoh, another elite high school center. After initially being overwhelmed, Akagi regains his footing through Uozumi’s encouragement and helps lead his team to victory.
