Was Jinpachi Ego a player in Blue Lock? Explained

Among the roster of Blue Lock characters introduced so far, the man behind it all, Jinpachi Ego, is an intriguingly fascinating and enigmatic figure. It was his drive and genius that began Blue Lock and, hence, the series’ intense training program to produce the best striker in the world of football. His unconventional philosophy and staunch football ideals raised one question: Was Ego once a player?

While the manga doesn't delve deeply into his origins, Noel Noa has affirmed that Jinpachi Ego was formerly a player and Noa's true rival. However, unknown circumstances led to him quitting his career as a player. But it didn't end there for him as Anri Teieri personally asked for him to return as a coach to aid her in helping Japan win the World Cup.

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Jinpachi Ego's origins explained

Jinpachi Ego (Image via 8bit)

Details about Jinpachi Ego's origins are scarce in the manga. It has not been delved into yet, but that might change as we inch closer to the story's ending. However, some information provided by Noel Noa and Marc Snuffy sheds some light on Ego's origins and who he was before Blue Lock.

As Noel Noa and Marc Snuffy have explained, Jinpachi Ego was an active football player in his younger days. His playstyle was akin to what we see from protagonist Isagi Yoichi, i.e., Forward and Raumdeuter. As such, he took his career seriously and was required to follow a strict diet that disallowed him entirely from consuming unhealthy food.

As mentioned, he played alongside Noel Noa, who considered Jinpachi his "first true rival." However, due to unknown events, Ego discontinued his career as a player, abandoning this path altogether. But later, Anri Teieri handpicked him as a coach to aid her in making Japan clinch the prestigious World Cup trophy. Hence, he became a member of the Japanese Football Union.

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How Jinpachi's past influenced Blue Lock's creation

Jinpachi Ego (Image via 8bit)

The events that led to Jinpachi abandoning his life as a football player have not been mentioned. But his return as a coach at the behest of Anri means that even he feels he has unfinished business. Moreover, Anri introduced him to the Japanese Football Union as someone who could help Japan win the World Cup, i.e., she was highly confident in his abilities.

Jinpachi's approach to doing so was also unorthodox — conducting an experiment designed to produce the best striker the world has ever seen. His way of shaping the ultimate striker points to a deep-lying understanding of the sport's demands and the mindset necessary for success at the topmost level. Even his philosophy is based on a radical belief — only selfish, ego-driven players with a single-minded focus on scoring goals can make it big in modern soccer.

This suggests that he might have been previously disillusioned by the traditional way of teamwork, self-sacrifice, and playing for the team. But upon return, he desires to make amends. Further, his tireless chase of individualistic success in Blue Lock hints at a likely dissatisfaction or personal defeat in reaching glory when functioning on a team-based framework.

Such a background probably feeds his fixation with fashioning the “ultimate striker.” As seen, he attempts to push his ideals on the players through clever speech and explanation, thus challenging them to leave behind their usual styles and adopt a far more ruthless, result-oriented approach.

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Related links:

• What is Project Blue Lock?
• Every collaboration that brought Blue Lock into Real-Life Football
• Every named female Blue Lock character, ranked by popularity