˚₊Rin Itoshi₊˚

Japanese 糸師凛

Romaji Itoshi Rin

Alias(s) "The strongest striker at Blue Lock" "THE BEAST" "Destroyer" "Avenger" "Puppeteer" "Cheat Code Monster"

— Biological information

Gender Male

Age 16

Birthday September 9

Height 187 cm (6'2")

Blood type TO

Hair color Dark green

Eye color Turquoise

Relatives itoshi family • Sae Itoshi (Older Brother) • Anonymous Father • Anonymous Mother

— Professional information

Occupation Student

Affiliation Blue lock

Blue Lock Range 1 1 1 7 1 1 221

Equipment Japan Under-20 (Initial)

Previous team(s) Paris X Gen (Initial) Blue Lock Eleven (Initial) Team A (Top 6) Blue Lock Team (1st Clear Team) Red Team Team V

Jersey number(s) 1 (Second and third selection) 10 (Blue Lock Eleven, high school, Japan under-20) 11 (middle school) 9 (Paris X Gen)

Position Forward

Weapon • Kick accuracy • Spatial awareness • Movements without the ball • Dribbling • Puppet control • Flow state • Predator's eye

Rin Itoshi (, Itoshi Rin?) 糸いと師し凛りん is a character from the Blue Lock series.

Rin is a first-year high school student who has played as a striker his entire life. He is the younger brother of Sae Itoshi and is considered one of the most promising talents in world soccer. Rin's main goal is to become the best striker in the world.

Following the challenges and chaos of Project Blue Lock, Rin ranked first in the program alongside Yoichi Isagi. Following in the footsteps of his brother and other talented players, Rin received an offer from Re Al after the conclusion of the Neo Egoist League. At the end of the Neo Egoist League, Rin qualified for the 23-player Japan U-20 national team that would participate in the upcoming PIFA U-20 World Cup.

Rin is a tall, slender but muscular teenager. He is noticeably taller than Yoichi Isagi, who is five months older than him. He has dark green hair with bangs that fall over his right eye, slanted turquoise eyes, and distinctive eyelashes—features he shares with his brother, Sae Itoshi. As a child, Rin looks virtually the same; his facial features become more defined as he grows older.

In Blue Lock, Rin wears the regulation full-body suit (black with gray stripes) and tracksuit. During the Second Selection, he wore the number 1 jersey of Team Red, and the number 1 black jersey of Team A during the Third Selection. Only when the Japan U-20 match begins does he put on the official blue Blue Lock player uniform with the number 10 jersey and captain's armband. During the U-20 World Cup, Rin wears the Japan U-20 uniform, without the captain's armband.

During the Neo Egoist League, Rin wears the long-sleeved uniform of the Paris X generation.

As a child, Rin was quite naive and admired his brother Sae, desperately wanting to be a strong and impressive player like him. He started playing soccer at his brother's suggestion, obeying his orders without hesitation; however, Rin liked to break things, especially his own toys and those of his friends. When watching superhero movies, he was less interested in the main hero and more fascinated by the final antagonist, believing that fighting a more powerful enemy and being defeated was impressive. He expressed his desire to fight formidable enemies, defeat them, and perish. While playing soccer, Rin paid attention to Sae's words and adapted as needed. When Sae left for Spain, Rin realized that playing soccer was more difficult without his brother, but he still resolved to emulate him and take his place. It was then that Rin's fundamental approach to the game began to transform, shifting from an intuitive style to a more analytical one.

Initially, he was an excellent team player and leader on his high school team, and he seemed to have a friendly relationship with several of his teammates. However, due to his conflict with his brother, he has become distant, brusque, and excessively serious. He is completely absorbed in soccer, almost obsessively, and is quite self-centered, constantly prioritizing his ambitions over the aspirations of others. Rin takes immense pride in being a striker, to the point of arrogance, and often labels the soccer skills and mentality of others as "mediocre" or "lackluster." These mannerisms and actions stem from his brother; in trying to imitate him, Rin replicates his speech patterns and adopts his mindset.

Rin seems to have little respect for anyone. He only acknowledges players who possess outstanding skill or a significant impact on the field. For the Japanese national team match, he is much more communicative with the team, giving instructions on the field and conversing, particularly with Isagi. At the conclusion of the Neo Egoist League, Rin finally finds a player he admires, besides his brother.

Rin follows a daily post-training routine to improve his physique, and he's often seen in the training room working out or lifting weights. Despite his arrogance and aloofness, Rin lives and breathes football, dedicating all his time to self-improvement. Every action he takes is aimed at surpassing his older brother and ending their rivalry.

Archetypes

• Forwards: Also known as strikers, their main objective is to score goals. They are usually the players who receive the most attention, as their role is designed to be in a scoring position. They also participate in penalty kicks and corner kicks when the opposing team puts the ball out of play. They are normally responsible for taking the kickoff at the beginning and end of the first half.

• Playmaker: A player who controls the flow of the team's offensive play and who usually participates in passing plays that end in a goal thanks to their vision, technique, ball control, creativity and passing ability.

Whether on offense or defense, Rin's playing style revolves around understanding the abilities of his teammates and opponents, forcing them to unleash their full potential. He manipulates them to score goals or seeks to defeat them at their peak. However, he abandoned this style after discovering his true ego.

• Superior football technique: Rin's experience and techniques are advanced enough for him to perform the role of captain, be the axis of the attack, play in defense and even overcome high-level defenders, using their own strengths against them.

• High-Level Physicality: Rin is one of the two physically gifted players on the Second Team. He possesses incredible strength, speed, stamina, and intelligence. While he prefers to use tactical tactics in his play, he can also break through defensively thanks to his physical prowess. During the Neo-Egoist League, his physicality and technique improved significantly under the tutelage of Julian Loki. When in a state of concentration, Rin's playing style becomes physically aggressive and overwhelming.

• Perfect Shooting Accuracy: Rin's primary weapon is his highly accurate kick. His precision is extraordinary, as demonstrated when he kicked two balls in such a way that they followed different trajectories but still collided in mid-air. Rin's shots are so accurate that he can score from long distances; Isagi hinted that he could potentially score from anywhere under 35 meters, including free kicks and even direct corner kicks. His main method of scoring is with powerful, swerving shots. Even under pressure, he is capable of pinpoint accuracy. Oliver Aiku notes that the power and accuracy of his shot decrease when he uses his left foot, but in most situations where Rin can shoot, he hits the target. Rin needs space and reach to establish his shooting pattern, which can sometimes result in his shot going wide.

• High-precision free kick: Rin executes an incredibly fast free kick with amazing accuracy. This free kick was so quick and precise that it went right over Isagi's head, giving him no chance to react.

• Direct shot with vertical spin: A direct shot from the corner spot, aimed at the far top corner of the goal. This shot can surprise players if they are not expecting it, although it can be avoided with good positioning.

• Powerful shot: Rin tried to imitate his brother's shot by dribbling to the end line and using his left foot to shoot the ball over the goalkeeper and into the back of the net. However, the lack of power and accuracy in the shot caused the goalkeeper to stop it and the ball to hit the post.

• Jump Shot: After feinting to get past the opponent's defense, Rin lifts the ball and executes a roundhouse jump kick. With this technique, Rin is able to shoot with amazing accuracy while simultaneously dodging the opponent's attacks.

• Blind shot: Rin takes advantage of another player's movements to hide the ball from the goalkeeper's view before taking a blind shot that the goalkeeper cannot react to in time.

• Trivela (shot): A technique that involves imparting spin to the ball with the outside of the foot. Rin conceals his stance to simulate shooting with his left foot before actually shooting with his right. Rin has been able to score from outside the penalty area, as he demonstrated against Japan's under-20 team.

• Trivela (Pass): Technique that consists of imparting spin to the ball with the outside of the foot. Rin can use this technique to pass the ball, deceiving the opponent and making them believe that the pass has failed, and then returning it to its destination with spin.

• Oppressive Pass: Rin makes a difficult pass to his teammate to continue the play. Generally, he does so in the optimal space for his teammate to receive and return it (in Aryu's case) or in the space where he expects his teammate to break through the defense (in Bachira's case). This pass, unlike a more creative one, tests the limitations of Rin's team, forcing them to excel to meet his expectations.

• Medium-range shot with spin: Rin shoots the ball from medium distance with a lot of spin so that it bounces and goes into the goal.

• Spatial awareness: Rin analyzes the entire field, including his own position, his teammates' positions, and his opponents' positions, to determine the best play. His tactical skill and spatial awareness are so exceptional that only Isagi can understand, counter, and even surpass them. Rin often predicts the positioning and movements of other players, setting traps and decoys to lure them into unfavorable positions, intercepting their plays, and preparing his own.

• Positioning: By analyzing his opponent's weapon, as well as the position of the other players on the field, Rin positions himself in such a way that he can predict and respond to any action they decide to take.

• Synchronization: Rin can also use his spatial awareness defensively; by reading and understanding the essence of his opponent's game, he can synchronize his thoughts with theirs to predict their next moves. He used this ability to stop Sae and Shido's combined attack during the Under-20 match. However, his focus solely on defense makes it difficult for him to join the attack and score his own goals.

• Off-the-ball movement: This term describes the moments when players do not have possession of the ball. Rin uses these movements to position himself in the opponent's blind spot and to look for scoring opportunities. He does this after determining the field of vision of the players on the field, just like Isagi.

• Positioning: Rin possesses exceptional positioning, constantly moving into areas where he can receive the ball with space and still have a chance to score. If Rin senses he won't receive a pass, he always positions himself where he could score if, by chance, he receives the ball. He demonstrated this positioning during the Second Selection match, as well as during the Under-20 game. Rin also uses it defensively, combining it with his spatial awareness. After taking advantage of his positioning, Rin creates enough space to anticipate where the opponent is likely to attack, and then uses it to intercept.

• Super Speed ​​Combination: Using another player's movements as a starting point, Rin positions himself to receive a quick cross in open space. He used this technique in conjunction with Bachira to score against World Team Five.

• Dribbling: Rin has demonstrated the ability to move the ball at high speed and with excellent control to get past one or more players. While Rin is not a specialized dribbler, he possesses a well-rounded style that includes feints, hand blocks, technique, and a high level of physical strength.

Feints: Rin often combines feints with his dribbling, enticing his opponents to perform a specific action before eluding his challenge. By positioning himself at a distance from which he can shoot, Rin manipulates his opponent into believing he is about to shoot. This causes the opponent to attempt a block before Rin can feint past them. Rin can also use this technique in reverse. By changing his stance and concealing his movement, he deceives his target into believing he will not shoot before he actually does.

• Marseille Turn: After deceiving his opponent into believing he will perform a normal feint, Rin moves into a roulette to overcome his defense. • Positioning: Rin possesses exceptional positioning, constantly moving into areas where he can receive the ball with space and still have a chance to score. If Rin senses he won't receive a pass, he always positions himself where he could score if, by chance, he receives the ball. He demonstrated this positioning during the Second Selection match, as well as during the Under-20 game. Rin also uses it defensively, combining it with his spatial awareness. After taking advantage of his positioning, Rin creates enough space to anticipate where the opponent is likely to attack, and then uses it to intercept.

• Super Speed ​​Combination: Using another player's movements as a starting point, Rin positions himself to receive a quick cross in open space. He used this technique in conjunction with Bachira to score against World Team Five.

• Dribbling: Rin has demonstrated the ability to move the ball at high speed and with excellent control to get past one or more players. While Rin is not a specialized dribbler, he possesses a well-rounded style that includes feints, hand blocks, technique, and a high level of physical strength.

• Feints: Rin often combines feints with his dribbling, enticing his opponents to perform a specific action before evading his challenge. By positioning himself at a distance from which he can shoot, Rin manipulates his opponent into believing he is about to shoot. This causes the opponent to attempt a block before Rin can feint past them. Rin can also use this technique in reverse. By changing his stance and concealing his movement, he deceives his target into believing he will not shoot before he actually does.

• Marseille Turn: After deceiving his opponent into believing he will perform a normal feint, Rin moves into a roulette to overcome his defense.

Elastic Cannon: Rin strikes the ball laterally with the outside of his foot to force his opponent into a tackle before using the inside of his foot to push the ball between his legs and past him. He used this technique to get past Sendo.

• Occlusion Break: Rin bypasses several players in succession, breaking their formation with quick touches and hand blocks. Ness noted that this required high-level touch, speed, technique, and game reading.

• Elastic Knuckle Cross: His brother's signature dribbling technique. Rin performs an elastic cross, but crosses the ball behind his dominant leg before passing it between his opponent's legs with his non-dominant foot. Rin frequently uses this to quickly get past opponents, and it's a throwback to his brother, who often uses this technique against Rin in their one-sided rivalry. So far, Rin has used this to get past Isagi and Loki.

• Puppet Control Football: A playing style Rin developed to compensate for the absence of a playmaker, where he uses his high-level technique to control and manipulate his opponent's thoughts. After identifying each player's strengths and weaknesses on the field, Rin uses his superior technique and tactical and physical ability to manipulate them and create situations that culminate in a goal. He can achieve this by using his own skills against the opponent or by combining his strengths with those of his teammates. This style of football pushes his team's abilities to the limit and beyond, resulting in complex and effective plays that often end in a goal. This playing style was abandoned after Rin discovered his true ego.

• Flow state: The flow state, as described by Ego, is a state of "total immersion" or "being in the zone." It is the mental state in which a person performing an activity is completely immersed in a feeling of energized concentration, full participation, and enjoyment of the process. Rin entered a flow state for the first time during the final minutes of the Japan U-20 match. In this state, Rin adopts an offensive and aggressive style of play. Generally, Rin enters a flow state in the final stages of matches.

• The trigger for Rin's flow state is the urge to destroy a powerful opponent by risking himself. This manifests as him drawing out his opponent's most powerful weapon and then focusing on a move that will annihilate it.

• Pure Destruction: An incredibly aggressive, greedy, and unconventional playstyle in which Rin attempts to draw out his opponent's most powerful weapon and defeat them at their full potential. In this state, Rin abandons his usual, more efficient playstyle and adopts an offensive and violent style that relies heavily on instinct. This makes him a formidable player in close-quarters combat.

During the final minutes of the Japan U-20 match, Rin completely overwhelmed Teppei Neru, Miroku Darai, and Kazuma Nio in quick succession, turning each of their own strengths against them. In this state, Oliver Aiku observed that he would have a 0% chance of defeating Rin alone and a 50% chance with Shido's assistance. Rin also managed to neutralize Sae's dribbling, as seen in the final minute of the U-20 match, maintaining the rhythm of his techniques to provoke Sae's signature move (the cross-elastic nutmeg) before negating it. During the Paris X Gen match against Manshine City, Rin dominated the game and scored a hat trick. Having fully understood the trigger for his Flow state, Rin entered Flow again against Bastard München, taking control of the game in both attack and defense. In this state, Rin prioritizes direct and physical challenges against opposing defenders. The only strategy to stop Rin in this state is for two high-level players to work together against him, such as Isagi and Kaiser/Aiku and Shido.

• Opposite Acceleration: When facing an opponent who uses "speed" as a weapon, Rin goads them into accelerating to perform a charge, only to suddenly accelerate in the opposite direction at the last second. Rin uses this technique against Teppei Neru.

• Off-the-ball movements: When facing an opponent who uses "Off-the-ball movements" as a weapon, Rin slides behind them, prevents them from turning with their hand, and gets past them while intercepting a teammate's pass. Rin uses this technique against Miroku Darai.

• Full Center of Gravity Explosion: When facing an opponent who uses "Physicality" as a weapon, Rin challenges them to a physical pressure duel. First, he provokes the defender with the bull to charge at him. Then, Rin breaks their balance at a low point, knocking them down with his own charge. Rin uses this against Kazuma Nio.

• Collision Shot: A high-speed, high-precision shot that Rin performs upon colliding with another player. The accuracy and trajectory of the shot are such that they resemble a free kick taken in mid-air. Rin first uses this technique against Isagi to score a goal during the Bastard München vs. Paris X Gen match. He is able to perform it several times in a row, both with the ball in the air and on the ground, and even attempted it once against Kaiser.

• Spin shot: Rin anticipates the trajectory of a teammate's pass, steals the ball using his back to jump, and immediately takes the shot. Rin first used this super goal during the match between Japan U-20 and Nigeria U-20, where he used Isagi's back for leverage.

• Predator Eye: In the final stages of the match between Bastard München and PXG, Rin evolves once again, developing his Predator Eye by locating and focusing on the spot where Kaiser passed the ball to Isagi. Now, Rin uses this ability offensively to shoot quickly after receiving the ball, despite the defensive pressure.

• Her given name, Rin ( , Rin ? )凛りん , means "cold" or "dignified". [ 17 ]

• Phonetically, the pronunciation of its name (りん) is homophone with the Japanese word for "phosphorus" ( , Rin), an element of water known for its corrosive properties. [ 18 ]燐りん

• His surname, Itoshi (糸いと師し), means "Master of Strings"; a master of strings or puppeteer, in reference to his puppet-control playing style. [19][20]

• Ito ( , Ito ? )糸いと which means "thread", "thread" or "rope".

• Shi ( , Shi ? )師し which means "master", "professor" or "reverend". [ 21 ]

• His name can therefore be interpreted as "A Worthy Thread Master."

• He says he doesn't cry.

• His favorite food is ochazuke, especially ochazuke with sea bream.

• His favorite manga are Dragon Head and Ciguatera.

• His favorite animal is the owl.

• His favorite movie is "The Shining".

• Her favorite song is Prayer X.

• The first thing you wash in the bathtub is your eyes.

• He is unfriendly or direct.

• Speaks fluent English.

• He spends his holidays playing horror video games or immersing himself in horror movies.

• He's not good at calligraphy.

• If it were his last day on Earth, he would fight alongside his brother.

• She doesn't remember how many Valentine's Day chocolates she received last year because she rejected them all and returned them.

• Her morning routine consists of opening the window to let in fresh air, breathing deeply, stretching, practicing morning yoga, meditating, reliving her feelings of sadness and anger, and finally starting her day.

• When Rin asked him what he did to have good luck before a fight, he said, "I think about beating nii-chan [Sae]. I can't lose against all the other nobodies."

• Rin ranked sixth in the first popularity poll with 1,028 votes.

• At the end of the Neo Egoist League, Rin received an offer of 240,000,000 yen from "Re Al" (レ・アール, Re Āru?). Re Al is based on Real Madrid CF.

• After his awakening in the PXG vs. Bastard München battle, Rin, or the concept of his destructive flow, is frequently referred to by the epithet 「破壊獣」 (hakaijū), a combination of the words 「破壊者」 (hakaisha, destroyer) and 「壊獣」 (kaiju, monster). This is inspired by the fact that a kaiju from a children's television program was what initially inspired Rin to discover his "life-risking destruction" ego, and the memory he evoked during the battle to access it. It is symbolic of the evolution of his ego; he is no longer just a "destroyer," but one who fights to the death against the strongest opponents like a monster.

• Rin has the longest unbeaten streak among all Project Blue Lock players, as he had not lost a single match from the start of the project until the match between Bastard München and Paris X Gen (this excludes the match against Team World Five, where the Blue Lockers were supposed to lose).

• Rin has played as a striker in every team he has been a part of, and has scored a goal in every game he has played since the beginning of history.