Murasakibara Atsushi

Contrary to the impression given by Atsushi's enormous stature, he acts like a small child outside of basketball. Because he dislikes all things problematic, he tends to be somewhat careless, silly, and eccentric. He's most often seen clutching chips or bags filled with various sweets. He claims to hate basketball and plays it only because of his great talent. This isn't entirely true, however, as he managed to enter the Zone during one game, proving his competitive spirit. He's repeatedly said he dislikes players who are driven by the spirit of victory and play with passion. He cites the fact that he's good at it without overexerting himself. During their time at Teiko, Aomine noted that Midorima always takes a responsible approach to solving any problem, while Murasakibara is too careless and sloppy; this has caused arguments between the two.

According to Kuroko, Murasakibara is far from a quiet player on the court. When angered, he switches from defense to counterattack. For example, when he once played attack for Teiko, he managed to score 100 points. However, over time, basketball became tiresome, and Atsushi became less aggressive, limiting himself to defending under the basket.

During the match against Seirin, Murasakibara was enraged by Kagami's sudden increase in power. He angrily went on the offensive, knocking his opponents off their feet with devastating dunks.

Murasakibara also has a tendency to associate with and befriend people who can make decisions for him. For example, while studying at Teiko, he often listened to Akashi's "orders," and after joining the Yosen Basketball Club, he increasingly listened to Himuro's advice and words.

Murasakibara is very tall for his age, even taller than Senegalese basketball player Papa Mbaye Siki. He is the tallest player in the entire anime, excluding Jason Silver (210 cm). He has shoulder-length purple hair, with strands falling over his face. In the fourth quarter of the match against Seirin High, he was first seen with his hair pulled back into a ponytail, which he does only when extremely focused and intent. He sometimes wears a white T-shirt with the word "Tonicwater" written on it. He wears the number 9 for Yōsen during games. He wore the number 5 for Teiko.