Sae Itoshi

Sae is highly competitive and has a strong desire to succeed and be recognized for his achievements. He is goal-oriented and works hard to achieve his objectives, even if it means sacrificing his personal relationships. Sae is very focused on his career and highly values ​​his success, which fuels his motivation to work harder and perform better. He is very charismatic and has the ability to charm others and gain their support.

Sae's Enneagram Type Three manifests in his personality through his competitive nature, ambitious drive, and perfectionism. He is often seen striving for perfection in his performance, whether on the soccer field or in his personal life. Sae tends to prioritize his own needs and goals over the needs and feelings of others, which can make him seem emotionally distant at times. His focus on success and achievement has made him somewhat of a loner, making it difficult for him to connect with his teammates and build strong relationships.

Although Sae displays arrogance, he doesn't mind staying in his role as a midfielder and key passer. During the match for the right to represent Japan nationally, Sae gave the Japanese U-20 forwards every possible opportunity to score, and only after repeated failures did he decide to score himself, successfully. After the match between the Japanese U-20 National Team and Blue Lock 11, Sae doesn't hesitate to admit when he's wrong, telling Rin that he was mistaken about Japan, as they are actually capable of producing good forwards (like Yoichi Isagi) and that their football can still improve.

From a young age, Sae has been cold, outspoken, and very serious. He has only cared about becoming the best striker in the world and has only had time for things that bring him closer to his goal. Sae can also be arrogant and condescending, looking down on others, even those older than him and with more authority in the organization. He is selfish in his football game, but has proven capable of restraining himself and playing his position without trying to overshadow others unnecessarily.

Sae takes great pride in his football role and belittles Japanese football and everyone involved. He claims he'd rather die or play in Europe with a group of college students than play in the J-League or for the Japanese national team. He's very confident in his abilities and wholeheartedly believes that no one in the Japan U-20 team is worthy of his skills as a teammate. He dislikes the fact that he was born in Japan, saying things as if he were simply born in the wrong country.

Sae seems to easily gain the respect of most people in a room due to his reputation and ability, even with his bad attitude and blunt way of speaking, and is able to manipulate and attract loud and harsh people to listen to him or do things his way. Although Sae is a difficult person, he is not impossible to work with, especially if he is getting something out of it. He, out of pure self-interest, decides to stay in Japan on a whim after learning about the Blue Lock Project and even joins the Japanese U-20 National Team for the match against the Blue Lock 11. But when his interest is satisfied, he has no problem abandoning those he deems unworthy of his time.

Sae is a tall but thin young man with reddish-brown hair and thin green eyes that are framed by a set of long lower lashes much like his brother, Rin. During the National Representative match, he dons the white number 10 jersey of the Japan U-20 National Team with a black T-shirt underneath and black gloves.