| Yōichi Hiruma | |
|---|---|
| Character information | |
| Rōmaji | Hiruma Yōichi |
| Kanji | 蛭魔 妖一 |
| Alias | King Of Hell King Of The Darkness Commander from Hell Control Tower of Hell Yō-nii (used only by Suzuna) |
| Gender | Male |
| Age | 17
20 (end of series) |
| Birthday | February 7 |
| Height | 176 cm (5'9") |
| Weight | 67 kg |
| Bench press | 75 kg |
| Relatives | Yuya Hiruma (father) |
| Status | |
| Affiliation | Deimon Devil Bats Saikyoudai Wizards |
| Year | 3rd Year |
| Jersey | 1 |
| 40 Yard Dash | 5.2 seconds (Formerly) 5.1 seconds |
| Pass Response Time | 2.3 sec |
| Position | Quarterback Strong Safety Punter Placekicker Holder |
| Team | Deimon Devil Bats (high school) Team Japan (Youth World Cup) Saikyoudai Wizards (university) San Antonio Armadillos (NFL) |
| Former Affiliation | Mao Devil Bats (middle school) |
| Debut | |
| Chapter | 1st Down |
| Episode | Episode 1 |
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Atsushi Tamura Shinichiro Miki (Jump Festa) |
| English | Derek Stephan Prince |
| Image gallery | |
Techniques and Strategies[]
Of the myriad of weapons at Yoichi's disposal, possibly the most devastating of all is his steel-trap mind. An expert strategist with a clever and cunning demeanor, he is a force to be reckoned with, both on and off the field. He can also think up to 17 strategies quickly, no matter the scenario, and even if he is under harsh conditions, he manages to stay focused. His game plans often appear insane. He is a well-rounded quarterback, possessing a strong throwing arm, mobility, fast reaction time, and the ability to notice details quickly. According to Ichiro Takami and Musashi, Yoichi lacks the body type for American football, but makes up for it with his cunning mind and force of will. It should also be noted that Yoichi's kicking power is exceptional, while his aim is on par with Monta's throws. He is strong enough to kick a heavy metal bench - with football equipment on it - and send it flying, scaring Kurita. More comically, he is also able to juggle Kurita with his feet like a soccer ball.
- Devil's Handbook - Not really part of the arsenal he uses on the field, though one can say that it's his most potent weapon, aside from his cunning mind. At the beginning of the series, he uses it to force students from other clubs to become support players for the football team. This book is not limited to the secrets of students and teachers at Deimon; Yoichi has been known to blackmail city officials, work crews and storekeepers (in one case he even used it to commandeer a JSDF tank).
- Psychological warfare - Yoichi is a master at manipulating, tricking, and playing with his opponent's mind. By using rumors, bluffs and threats, Yoichi can unnerve the opposing teams, as well as bolster morale among his own teammates. He even went as far as to use lipstick as a trick to fool the Dokubari Scorpions. The most famous example of this is the network of lies he makes up about Eyeshield 21, Sena's alias. He even used spectators to cheer to the team as distraction, while he is busy creating a play.
- The Gargoyle - A tactic only possible due to his reputation as an unpredictable, dangerous player, Yoichi takes up his position normally even when he is injured beyond the point of being able to play effectively. Even when he does nothing, because you don't know what he's going to do, you're still wary of him. Against the Dinosaurs, this has the effect of Yoichi not being seen as a weakness on defense, and in fact his position is directly avoided.
- Play action pass (Fake handoff) - Yoichi is a master of making the football disappear from sight, fooling many different defenders into believing he has handed off the ball, usually to Sena, while he actually sets up for a pass. Prior to the Autumn Tokyo Tournament this was the only physical technique that Yoichi employs in games, but it develops a reputation for even deceiving the cameramen who records the game against the Aliens.
- Wishbone- A formation in which one full back and two halfbacks line up in a "Y" shape behind Yoichi. Yoichi has the option of handing the ball off to one of the three running backs or keeping it himself, utilizing his talent for fake handoffs. The running backs who don't receive the hand-off are additionally used as lead blockers. Due to Yoichi's ability to make snap decisions, this strategy is extremely adaptable, and the player who runs the ball is not determined until the middle of the play.
- Quarterback draw - Fundamentally, the opposite of the play action, as rather than pretending to execute a running play to set up a pass, Yoichi pretends to set up for a pass in preparation for a run. In the most prominent example of this, Yoichi has his receivers line up in the 4-wide Shotgun formation and run pass routes, shouting "4x DEVIL LASER BULLET!" He then keeps the ball and runs himself.
- Trick Plays - The most powerful weapons in the Devil Bats' offensive arsenal are high-risk unorthodox plays that tend to depend on deceiving the opposing defense.
- Clock Play - Yoichi appears to have the offense line up in preparation for a spike to stop the clock, and Monta pretends to line up late, while actually going in motion. While the defense still expects Yoichi to spike the ball, Kurita snaps the ball to Yoichi, and Monta runs a long pass route, getting a head start because of the defense's confusion.
- Direct Snap - Yoichi pretends to be preparing to take the ball as quarterback to draw the defense's attention to him, but Kurita snaps the ball to Sena instead. Sena can either run the ball or pass it, in either case the defense tends to be caught off guard.
- Devil Dragon Fly - A variation of the Shinryuji Naga's Kongo Brothers' Dragon Fly, using both Sena and Yoichi as quarterbacks. Using Yoichi's ability to use real and fake hand-offs and laterals and Sena's mobility, the two have a number of options to run and pass on each play.
- The Lonely Center - Yoichi lines up behind Kurita, who is the only offensive lineman. This forces the defense to send only a single defensive lineman against Kurita or else leave the sides of the field unprotected and allow Yoichi to quickly toss the ball to Sena.
- Chris Cross/Evil Cross - The 'Chris Cross' is a play in which Sena and Monta line up as running backs, and run crossing routes with Yoichi as their point of intersection. Similar to the Wishbone, Yoichi can choose to hand the ball off to either running back, or keep the ball himself. The play relies upon the defense not knowing which of the three keeps the ball, as whoever receives it will keep it hidden from plain sight. However, this deception-based strategy is a decoy for the 'true' form of the cross, called the 'Evil Cross', in which Yoichi hands the ball off to Sena who then pretends to accidentally reveal he carries the ball. This draws the defense in, and Sena then laterals the ball back to Yoichi, who throws a pass. The trick play presents several options for Yoichi, since the defense will likely have moved forward to stop Sena, leaving one or several receivers uncovered. Sena also runs a receiving route after returning the ball to Yoichi.
- Passing - While Yoichi is more recognized for his strategic mind than athletic ability, his throwing ability is exceptional. His passes are powerful and accurate, and are thus valuable to the Devil Bat's offense.
- Air option - By adding Yukimitsu as the second wide receiver, Yoichi has three options to pass the ball to: Monta for long passes using his great catching ability, Yukimitsu for mid-length passes using his ability to read defensive formations, or Taki for short passes using his tall build and flexibility.
- Devil Laser Bullet - Yoichi's signature pass, a powerful throw that puts a tight spiral on the ball. The pass has an unusual trajectory - a straight line, even regarding harsh weather conditions and gravity. Only Monta is capable of catching this pass out of Deimon's players.
- Hail Devil Pass - A very fast, long and low-altitude version of the Devil Laser Bullet. Because of its tight trajectory, it does not rely on chance to succeed like the more common Hail Mary pass.
- Shotgun - The same tactic used by the Seibu Wild Gunmen, Monta, Sena, Taki, and Yukimitsu all line up as wide receivers. The tactic gives Yoichi a wide number of passing options by forcing the opposing defense to spread out and cover the various receivers.
- Hail Mary Pass - A very long forward pass commonly used near the end of a half or game where there is no possibility for any other play to score points. This play is unlikely to be successful, because of the general inaccuracy of the pass and the defense usually being prepared for it.
- Killer Hornet - After the Devil Bats receive a kickoff, Yoichi calls various runners into a makeshift huddle. This hides the ball from view and prevents the opposing team from seeing who is carrying it. The players then scatter in various directions, each pretending to carry the ball. This confuses the kicking team momentarily, allowing the true ball carrier to advance more easily.
- Communication - As the team's 'control tower', it is necessary for Yoichi to be able to properly instruct his teammates on what to do. Under certain circumstances when the Devil Bats have been able to huddle or speak with the sideline, several tactics devised by Yoichi and Mamori are critical to the team's success.
- Quarterback Blitz - Yoichi instructs a number of players to blitz the quarterback, or blitzes himself. The strategy is bolstered by the team's ability to decide the number of blitzing players with no huddle, using a series of signals sent by Mamori, Yukimitsu, and even Cerberus from the bench.
- Sign Language - Yoichi communicates with Mamori on the sideline using a system of hand signals. Unlike the codes most sports teams use to communicate, the signs Mamori sends are long and complex, and described as "telling a long story" by Wakana, Ojo's manager. Because of their complexity, however, Yoichi and Mamori can communicate any intended thought necessary from across the field.
- Audible - A no-huddle strategy employed in situations where the Devil Bats must catch up quickly, wherein Yoichi calls the play as Deimon is lining up. The plays coded with two-digit numbers, and Mamori devises a system to make the code harder to crack. Yoichi calls a three-digit number, preceded by the name of a team the Devil Bats previously faced. Depending on whether Deimon defeated, lost to, or tied with that team, the first, second, or third (respectively) digit is eliminated from that number, leaving the two-digit play number. The strategy also has Mamori using hand signals to communicate the hut count to the team, making the code harder to crack
- 21 - Rather than a play decided upon beforehand, this is an audible call whose meaning can vary from game to game. The Devil Bats execute a play that they have been preparing for the whole game.
- The Gatling - Yoichi uses four receivers: Tetsuma, Taka, Monta and Sakuraba by splitting them making their own route. He stated that this is the extreme pass formation he planned. In their first try, he failed to use this formation as Mr. Don already passed through to sack Yoichi. On his second try, though the four receivers made it perfect, Yoichi rather than to have a pass, he managed to jump with the ball to get a touchdown.
- Petit Devil Bat Dive - as Suzuna named, Yoichi will jump with the ball. Quite same as Sena's Devil Bat Dive.
- Golden Dragonfly - Shinryuji Naga's other formation by using three quarterbacks: Yoichi, Kid and Agon. This technique was used during the youth tournament where Yoichi, Kid and Sena jump over the American team's defense. It should be noted that MR. Don called this the Cerberus Dive, seeing as all three were diving.