Kuroo Tetsurou.

description.

Tetsurō Kuroo (Japanese: 黒尾くろお 鉄朗てつろう, Kuroo Tetsurō) is a third-year student at Nekoma High School. He is the captain and one of the starting middle blockers for the school's boys' volleyball team.

appearance.

Kuroo is described as tall and lean, with broad shoulders, well-built arms, and a muscular physique. He has narrow, hazel-colored (grey in the manga) eyes with cat-like pupils that make him appear sly and intimidating. His black hair is naturally messy and spikes upwards due to his bed head. He also has bangs on his right side that partially cover his eye. Because of his unusual hairstyle, he is occasionally called "Rooster Head". Kuroo is often seen wearing a black shirt, red sweatpants, and the Nekoma High jacket. During official matches, he wears the Nekoma uniform with the number 1.

personality.

Kuroo possesses a laid-back yet cunning personality and is considered a "provocation expert" by many. He actively provokes others and is relentless when dishing out sarcastic remarks. This is demonstrated in the way he angers Tsukishima when the first-year blocker maintained a nonchalant attitude towards volleyball during the summer training camp. However, Kuroo is kinder and more genuine than his outward image suggests. After realizing he has overstepped a line, Kuroo seeks out and apologizes to Daichi for the provocation. Later on, proving that while he is a "provocation expert," sportsmanship is still important to him. [2] He also cares for and respects his older coach, Yasufumi Nekomata, immensely, enough to help Karasuno improve to fulfill Nekomata's dream of competing against each other at nationals. As an adult, Kuroo uses flattery on certain players when trying to get them to agree to something, like flattering Oikawa to get him to join the All-Stars match in A Party Reignited. According to Kenma, Kuroo was a shy and withdrawn child who first moved into his neighborhood when he was eight years old. [3] He was quiet around strangers and awkward around Kenma at first, despite their similar ages. They bonded over video games and eventually practiced volleyball together. Slowly, Kuroo began to come out of his shell as they became increasingly involved in the sport. He became much louder and more energetic, made new friends at school, and started playing soccer with the other kids.

background. ( 1 / 2 )

When Kuroo was around eight years old, his family moved next door to Kenma Kozume. When his father and grandparents were out, Kuroo would go to Kenma's house. He was noted to be shyer and more withdrawn than Kenma at the time, so the two had a difficult time getting to know each other at first. [3] Initially, Kenma and Kuroo only played video games until one day Kenma asked him if there was anything else he'd like to play. Kuroo seized the opportunity and introduced Kenma to volleyball. The two ended up playing volleyball outdoors and became familiar with each other. Kuroo used to be part of a volleyball club and had friends where he previously lived, making it difficult for him to adjust to a new place. So, while heading home, Kuroo, not wanting to go to an unfamiliar place alone, invited Kenma to attend a volleyball training camp one weekend. There, they encountered Coach Nekomata for the first time, who told them both that it's important to experience the joy of playing. Kuroo was inspired by Nekomata's words and became more proactive in volleyball and his life in general. He joined the volleyball team and made new friends at school. Since there were no volleyball players in the neighborhood, Kuroo would still drop by Kenma's house to watch videos of professional volleyball matches together. He would mimic the moves he saw, later showing them to Kenma. [6] When he saw Kenma's interest in volleyball tactics, he urged his friend to become a setter, saying it was a perfect position for a strategist and he wouldn't have to move around much. During middle school, Kuroo convinced Kenma to join their junior high's volleyball team, and they have played together ever since. When Kenma considered leaving the team in his first year of high school due to strained relationships with the upperclassmen, Kuroo encouraged him to stay, telling Kenma that he was a valuable asset to the team and that Coach Nekomata was going to come out of retirement to coach them again.

background. ( 2 / 2 )

Despite having a good relationship in their third year, Kuroo and Yaku didn't get along for a short period during their first year. Kuroo explained this was because his team had been defeated by Yaku's team in a tournament. The two often argued about everything, and Kai, the only other first-year in the boys' volleyball club, constantly had to deal with his teammates fighting. However, when asked about their goals, Yaku, Kuroo, and Kai all agreed that they aim to win nationals, and this seemed to leave their relationship on good terms.

skills. (1/2)

Masterful Blocking: Kuroo is a skilled read blocker and is capable of stopping powerful spikers such as Suguru and Bokuto, despite Bokuto being one of the top five spikers in the country. His expertise in blocking is mainly derived from his firm grasp of the nuances, such as proper posture, timing, and jumps. When jumping to block, Kuroo stops and jumps straight up instead of sideways. At the same time, he tries to match his blocking timing with the moment the ball is spiked downward.[25] This allows Kuroo to block spikers taller or stronger than him. While capable of blocking opponents, Kuroo also uses his blocks to help make receives easier for his team to handle by narrowing or blocking a path a spiker should take. He also appears to be honest in admitting whether or not he can block certain players, like Ushijima, since he is not as familiar with their plays and therefore may not be able to block as many spikes as he would like. Personal Time Difference Attack: Kuroo learned the Personal Time Difference Attack by watching volleyball matches in his childhood and perfected the move with Kenma over the years.[6] It's one of Nekoma's strongest attacks and can be used to throw off opposing blockers. He appears to be running for a normal attack, but pauses momentarily and then jumps when the blockers have already jumped to block. This allows Kuroo to spike without fear of being blocked. The apparent only flaw with this technique is that it can be blocked by players like Tsukishima who prioritize read blocking and will take the time to watch what Kuroo will attempt.

skills. (2/2)

Jump Serve: Kuroo is one of only two players on Nekoma shown to be able to use a jump serve. He first showcased his jump serve in the match against Fukurōdani Academy, where he managed to get a free ball for Nekoma. [26] Since then, he has reliably used the jump serve to either score aces or break the opponent's formations. Receiving: Kuroo has proven to be very reliable when it comes to defense. Like the rest of Nekoma, he is solid in receiving opponents' spikes and is also able to make a capable underhand receive of Hiroo's float serve.

relationships. (1/2)

Kenma Kozume: Kuroo moved into Kenma's neighborhood when they were young, and they gradually became close friends. Because of their shared shy and withdrawn nature, the two ended up playing video games in silence until Kenma one day asked Kuroo what he wanted to do. Kuroo suggested playing volleyball, and Kenma joined in despite his initial disappointment that it wasn't a video game. Once Kuroo started opening up more, Kenma realized that there was indeed a loud, outgoing person underneath it all. Kuroo remained close with Kenma even after joining a new volleyball club, making new friends, and becoming more outgoing. He continued to understand Kenma's reserved personality and respected the latter's wishes not to participate in certain activities. Kuroo insisted on helping Kenma cultivate his own interests, stating that if Kenma was interested in something, he would invite him out; otherwise, Kuroo didn't want to make Kenma uncomfortable. Kuroo and Kenma remain good friends into adulthood and occasionally work together. After the timeskip, Kuroo revealed he's planning a video collaboration with the now-famous YouTuber/gamer Kenma and asked Hinata to join them to increase viewership. In *A Party Reignited*, they are shown traveling to Brazil together to meet Hinata. Morisuke Yaku: The two initially had a bad relationship because Kuroo once lost to Yaku and his team in a middle school tournament. As a result, they often clashed as first-years at Nekoma. In contrast to Yaku, Kuroo prefers fish, girls with long hair, sweet curry, Mikasa volleyballs, going to the sea in the summer, dogs, and Japanese-style; however, it's unclear if he said some of these things to oppose Yaku or if they are truly his preferences. Now as third-years, they have a strong relationship and mutual respect. Kuroo acknowledges Yaku as a great asset to Nekoma and knows how cautious opposing teams are of the libero.

relationships. (2/2)

Lev Haiba: Kuroo is shown to be the person most responsible for teaching Lev proper blocking techniques, such as read blocking and correct arm placement. Although Kuroo can sometimes get frustrated by Lev's impulsiveness, he is also patient and always ready to help however he can. After Nekoma's defeat against Fukurōdani Academy, Lev was depressed about his performance, but Kuroo was there to try to cheer him up and help him understand the meaning of teamwork. Kuroo shows pride and excitement when Lev begins to use his blocks more effectively during the Spring Tournament. While they have a good relationship, one of Inuoka's flashbacks indicates that Kuroo is possibly annoyed that Lev is taller than him. [27] Nekoma High: As a third-year student and team captain, Kuroo greatly supports his team as a whole and as individuals. He often gives them words of encouragement during matches to lessen their panic and nerves, and celebrates successful plays. When an individual player is struggling with something, Kuroo is usually the first to try to help and give them the push they need to overcome their situation. He occasionally teases his teammates, but never to the point of upsetting them. Kuroo also has great respect for Coach Nekomata. Having briefly met Nekomata when he was a child, Kuroo was inspired by Nekomata's advice about doing something enjoyable and later by all the help the coach provided to Nekoma, as well as Karasuno, which established a new rivalry that helped both sides grow stronger and created new friendships for many involved.