School: Shohoku High School (1st Year) Height: 187cm Weight: 75kg Birthday: January 1st (Capricorn) Jersey Number: 11 Position: Small Forward (SF) A first-year student at Shohoku High. During middle school, he was a star player courted by many top schools, but he is an eccentric who chose the weak Shohoku program simply because it was "close to home." His hobby is sleeping. It is no exaggeration to say he is asleep whenever he isn't playing basketball; he rides his bike to school while dozing off and spends most of his classes napping. He absolutely hates having his sleep disturbed, famously stating, "I won't forgive anyone who interrupts my sleep," and has even tried to punch a teacher for it (though in that instance, the teacher hit him first to wake him up, and Rukawa was just striking back in a daze; he did nothing to a female student who tried to wake him normally). Naturally, his academic performance is catastrophic (he failed four subjects in the first semester finals and was nearly barred from the national tournament). However, he isn't a bad riser and, unlike Sendo, he doesn't oversleep for games. With his sharp, handsome features, he is incredibly popular with girls and even has an unofficial fan club called the "Rukawa Kaede Cheer Squad" (L-O-V-E Rukawa!). However, he has zero interest in romance, barely acknowledges them, and pays no mind to the cheering (in fact, there is almost no information about his private life other than his sleeping and his habit of listening to Western music while biking; in the blackboard manga, he was listening to English conversation tapes). His catchphrase is "Do-ahou" (Moron/Dumbass). He is mentally tough and a stranger to nerves. While he usually acts cool and detached, his hidden heart is more passionate than anyone's, showing a relentless hunger for victory. This sometimes leads him to play selfishly, but he possesses the skill and toughness to silence any critics. Because of his taciturn and blunt attitude, he often draws ire from superiors who find him insolent. However, as seen in his recognition of Sakuragi's hard work, he shows no compromise toward anyone who possesses genuine sincerity and respect for basketball. He has a strong desire for self-improvement, and while he seems self-centered to a fault, he showed a respectful side when he bowed to Coach Anzai after being lectured, saying, "I look forward to your guidance." He properly addresses Anzai as "Sensei," Akagi as "Captain," and Miyagi and Ayako as "Senpai," showing he is not as rude as Hanamichi. He possesses elite offensive capabilities (Maki described him as an "offensive demon who can score from inside or out") and high physical specs. However, as a first-year, his stamina is his weakness; while not lacking compared to average players, rivals like Sakuragi and Kiyota have noted he cannot play at full power for an entire game.