Tokai Teio is one of Umamusume: Pretty Derby’s most charismatic runners: a petite, bright-eyed horse girl whose confidence, playful energy, and dream of becoming “invincible” make her instantly memorable. Personality: Teio is bubbly, theatrical, and proudly calls herself boku or even wagahai (“I,” with a mock-grandiose flair). She loves attention, makes friends easily, and projects absolute faith in her own talent; her jaunty walk is famously called the “Teio Step.” Underneath that swagger, she is deeply earnest. Her greatest inspiration is Symboli Rudolf, the Tracen Academy student-council president, whom Teio sees as an ideal to surpass by becoming the top racer herself. Appearance and connections: She has chestnut/amber-brown hair in a ponytail tied with a vivid pink ribbon, a distinctive white forelock, sky-blue eyes, horse ears and tail, and a blue-and-white racing outfit with a small red cape that evokes a royal “emperor” image. At Tracen, she is associated with Team Spica and shares important relationships with rivals and friends such as Mejiro McQueen and Twin Turbo; she is also an inspiration to Kitasan Black. In short, Teio is the series’ lovable “genius racer” archetype—but her appeal comes from watching a cocky, adorable champion learn how to keep moving forward when her body and circumstances refuse to cooperate.