Is Michael Kaiser Isagi's true rival in Blue Lock? Explored

Michael Kaiser is one of the strongest soccer players in Blue Lock, and the person Isagi Yoichi has had his eyes on since the Neo-Egoist League started. Soon after Isagi started to showcase his talent with the ball, Kaiser also became enthusiastic about Isagi, and these two did everything in their might to try to surpass one another despite being part of the same team.

But could Kaiser be considered the true rival of Isagi Yoichi in the series? Isagi changes his rival in every arc depending on who has the strongest ego around him. In the past arcs, he has had rivals like Barou, Nagi, Rin, and many others. But the rival who Isagi has stayed the longest with is Kaiser and this could be enough to state that the latter could be Isagi's true rival.

Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from the Blue Lock manga series and has the author's opinion.

Why Michael Kaiser is Isagi's true rival?

Kaiser as seen in the manga (Image via Kodansha)

Kaiser and Isagi met during the Neo-Egoist League when these two were put together in the same team, Bastard Munchen. At the start of the league, Isagi was a 'nobody' in the eyes of Michael Kaiser because he was unable to adapt to the new environment.

But this changed pretty soon because Isagi's performance started to overshadow that of Kaiser's and the latter couldn't do much against him. This was the moment their rivalry started, as Kaiser made it his goal to devour Isagi with his gameplay, and Isagi made Kaiser an obstacle he had to overcome.

Isagi as seen in the anime (Image via 8bit)

However, Isagi has always had rivalries with the strongest players of Blue Lock since the time he enrolled in this program. During the selection arcs, Isagi had a tough rivalry against Barou Shoei, who wanted to crush everyone who tried to interrupt his path to becoming the king.

Moreover, during the last selection arc, Isagi again had a rivalry against Itoshi Rin. But all these rivalries were either shortlived or interrupted. On the other hand, the rivalry between Isagi and Kaiser has been ongoing for the past 100 chapters. So, this could make Kaiser the true rival of Isagi Yoichi in Blue Lock.

Who is Michael Kaiser in Blue Lock?

Michael Kaiser is an under-20 German soccer player who is considered a prodigy due to his prowess as a striker. His appearance is that of a European man, and he has blonde hair with blue streaks at the ends. He also has a long blue rose tattoo, which extends from the neck to his left arm.

Kaiser has a very arrogant personality as he wants to crush anyone who stands in his way to become the No. 1 player in the world. Normally, he is calm and collected, but after the arrival of Isagi Yoichi, he is often seen frustrated by the performance of Isagi.

Who is Michael Kaiser based on?

'Michael' means 'gift from God' and 'Kaiser' means 'Emperor' in German language, so the inspiration behind Kaiser would be a sensational player. Although there is no official player on whom the character of Kaiser is based, most fans consider the German player Franz Beckenbauer the inspiration behind Kaiser.

Franz Beckenbauer was one of the greatest soccer players in history. He was known for his versatile gameplay in the defense area and was a full central defender. The reason why he could be the inspiration behind Kaiser was because he was nicknamed 'der Kaiser.'

Michael Kaiser's backstory

Kaiser and his father as seen in the manga (Image via Kodansha)

Sometime after Kaiser's birth, his mother abandoned his family for a rich director. She soon rose to the limelight but on the other hand, the conditions of Kaiser and his father became worse. Kaiser was to steal everyday necessities for his father and if he failed, he would face the fury of his father.

On his 12th birthday, Kaiser gifted himself a soccer ball, and as the ball didn't have any feelings of resentment towards him, he grew attached to it and the beautiful game. Unfortunately, the good times didn't last long as Kaiser was framed during a robbery, after which police arrived at his home.

Kaiser's abusive father as seen in the manga (Image via Kodansha)

They discovered a safe full of money under Kaiser's bed. After witnessing this spectacle, Kaiser's father went berserk and was ready to kill his son. As the police took him away, Kaiser's father tried to tear his soccer ball. In hopes of saving the only thing he loved in this world, he kicked his father and escaped.

He was eventually caught and thrown into a cell. In the cell, he was visited by Ray Dark, the current president of PIFA, who offered him a new life as a successful soccer player. Kaiser agreed and joined the Bastard Munchen, where his journey started.

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Edited by Gayatri Chivukula