Takeshi Yamamoto

Character outline

Yamamoto is rarely seen angry and has a warm, friendly personality, often acting as a peacemaker among his comrades. He is popular with classmates, especially girls, and loves baseball to the point of attempting suicide when unable to play. He focuses on protecting his energy and body for baseball and battle, but later decides to use all his strength to protect friends and family. He dislikes losing and feels guilt and regret upon defeat.

Yamamoto remains calm in life-or-death situations and is a fast learner, leading Reborn to call him a "born hitman." However, he is oblivious that he and his friends are mafioso, believing they are playing a mafia game and that Reborn's weapons are advanced toys. He is optimistic to the point of naïveté, seeking to defeat opponents without mortal injury and attempting to save them. Even after accepting his role as Tsuna's Rain Guardian and the Vongola's swordsman, he balances baseball and swordsmanship, devoting himself to the latter only when protecting friends.

Appearances

Yamamoto's life takes a dark turn soon after he appears when a broken arm from baseball practice pushes him toward suicide, but Tsuna intervenes. Reborn then brings him into the Vongola family, though Yamamoto thinks it's all a game. When Mukuro Rokudo targets Namimori Middle School students, Yamamoto joins Tsuna to stop him but loses to Mukuro's substitute Lancia. Later, the Varia's Superbi Squalo defeats Yamamoto while trying to steal the Vongola Rings.

Named the Rain Ring holder and Tsuna's Rain Guardian, Yamamoto faces Squalo again in the Vongola Tournament. To avoid losing, he trains with his father, masters the Shigure Soen Ryu, and becomes its official successor by beating Squalo with a new technique. In an alternate future, an older Yamamoto guides Tsuna and Hayato Gokudera to the Vongola hideout, but his younger self soon replaces him.

After Gamma defeats him and adult Kyoya Hibari saves him, Yamamoto trains with Reborn, creating two new Shigure Soen Ryu forms and learning Arcobaleno secrets. He is then beaten by Genkishi during a Millefiore base attack, prompting an older Squalo to return from Italy and train him, pushing Yamamoto to fully commit to swordsmanship. Chosen for the Choice game, Yamamoto easily defeats a disguised Genkishi but fails to capture the target in time.

After the Vongola escape, Squalo fights a Funeral Wreath to buy time, and Yamamoto leaves to help him before rejoining the group against the Funeral Wreaths. Back in the past after defeating Byakuran, the guardians learn of Tsuna's inheritance ceremony and meet the Shimon family. Yamamoto bonds with Kaoru Mizuno, but Kaoru gravely wounds him, believing Yamamoto uncovered the Shimon secret. Byakuran seemingly visits Yamamoto, and he mysteriously recovers just in time to aid Tsuna against Daemon Spade on Shimon Island.

Reception

Yamamoto has been popular with Reborn! readers, ranking third in the first official Shonen Jump poll behind Hayato and Tsuna. In the second poll, divided into heroes and villains, he ranked sixth among heroes. He placed fifth among male characters in the third poll.

In the fourth poll, he ranked eighth among current characters and twentieth among characters fans most wanted to see in future forms. Manganews.com viewed him as just as "crazy" as Reborn, Gokudera, or Lambo in a review of volume one, while manga-sanctuary.com found his rivalry with Gokudera and belief that the mafia is a game repetitious. Manganews.com noted that limited use of the Dying Will Bullet in volume five allowed character development and that volume eight's antagonists proved him "worthy" as a shōnen manga character.

The training of Tsuna's companions in volume ten was praised for allowing Yamamoto to adopt a specific fighting style. In volume 12, he was noted to have "class and charisma" absent in earlier volumes, though still perceived as naïve in the following volume. Emmanuel Bahu-Leyser of animeland.com called his fight with Squalo "monumental."

Did You Know?

• Yamamoto attempted suicide when he could no longer play baseball due to a broken arm.
• He created a new Shigure Soen Ryu technique called 'Duplicate Rain' during his fight against Squalo.
• Yamamoto's box weapon Kojirō is also called the 'Rondine di Pioggia,' Italian for 'Swallow of the Rain.'