Isagi: Why is Isagi so special in Blue Lock? Explained

Why is Isagi so special in Blue Lock? Explained

Modified Jul 27, 2024 21:32 GMT

Isagi Yoichi in Blue Lock (Image via 8bit)

Blue Lock protagonist Isagi Yoichi has come a long way from representing the Ichinan High School football team. Following major heartbreak with his former team led him to view Project Blue Lock as a shot at redemption.

With a steeled resolve, he stepped through the doors of the facility with one goal—to become the world's best striker. As the story progresses, despite suffering occasional setbacks, Isagi shows why he is worthy of being a contender in Blue Lock.

What makes him so special is his weapon of Spatial Awareness combined with positioning and reflex. Through this mix, he is able to swiftly predict and shut down even the best players and, moreover, create perfect situations for him and his teammates to capitalize on.

Why Isagi is so special

Isagi Yoichi is indeed a special player. His abilities are what set him apart from the other contenders. Unlike his fellow competitors, whom Anri Teieri specially picked after watching them play, Ego Jinpachi personally chose Isagi after watching him play. In a way, Isagi is an ideal candidate for the type of striker Ego wants.

Archetype Raumdeuter, Isagi's mainly drifts inward and finds pockets of space to exploit. He is a player who detects important areas of the pitch and utilizes free space to confuse opposition defenses. A player like him isn't characterized by speed or skillful ball control, like Chigiri Hyoma or Meguru Bachira.

Rather, Raumdeuters possess a very sharp first touch and specialize in contributing to creating goals or scoring their own via this first touch. Moreover, his weapon of Spatial Awareness opens doors for him to thrive almost anywhere. With speedy analysis and understanding of the evolving pitch, he can sniff out a goal or adapt to opponent playstyles.

Added to all this is his Metavision and Direct Shot. Metavision allowed him to gain an omnipotent view of the field and even decipher Michael Kaiser's playstyle before "devouring" him. Direct Shot and its stages is another Isagi specialty, wherein he assesses opponent defender positions and ball trajectory before unleashing a powerful shot on goal.

Isagi's off-the-ball movements have also been a big contributor to his success, allowing him to slip into opponents' blind spots, exploit free space on the field, act as a decoy for teammate moves, and/or play quick one-twos with teammates.

Lastly, Isagi's Flow State combines all his weapons simultaneously to read the field, observe and analyze teammate and opponent behavior, and ultimately create the most ideal situation for himself.

Is Isagi the best player in Blue Lock?

Discounting the mentors for obvious reasons, as of chapter 270, Isagi is locked in an intense three-way battle with Kaiser and Rin Itoshi for the title of Best Blue Lock Player. Isagi's evolution compelled Kaiser to put aside his obssession with the former and ascend into a higher state, thus transforming his ideals.

Simultaneously, the restrictions created by Isagi pushed Rin over the edge to reawaken his Berserker state. This was seen in the U-20 match when Rin faced his brother Sae Itoshi and woke this state, absolutely shredding his opponent's defense and any other countermeasures.

So, given the current scenario, Isagi is not the best player in Blue Lock. However, with the way he continues to evolve and understand the types of ego, he is definitely on the path to reaching that title.