Tachibana Kippei

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Tachibana Kippei (橘佶平)
Alias(es)	Lion King of Kyushu; one of the Kyushu Twin Heroes
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Shishigaku Junior High (formerly); Fudomine Junior High; Japan representative team
Occupation/Role	Tennis player; Fudomine vice-captain and acting team leader in Saeki Muneyoshi's absence
First Appearance	Chapter 7

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Beast Aura—Rampaging Mighty Lion	207–208	His beast aura mutates under Muneyoshi's pressure, sharply increasing his power and speed; the state raises his power by over 30% and speed by 15%.
Five Dimensions: 18 → 20	209	Resolving his psychological issues raises his baseline total from 18 to 20: Speed 3, Strength 5, Stamina 4, Mental Power 5, Technique 3.
Aura Path—Condense	300	Reaches the third Aura Path step after Release and Gather. His condensed aura briefly manifests as a phantom, but the first use severely drains his stamina and mental power.
Rampaging Mighty Lion restored	336	Breaks through his trauma over Chitose's injury and activates Rampaging Mighty Lion without being restrained by his fear.
Beast Form Four	558	Develops advanced beast-aura forms, including Leaping Tiger, Wind Beast: Wind Bite, and Lion's Form: Frenzy.
Advanced Aura Path / world-class state	560	Makes his beast aura tangible, amplifying his Five Dimensions to world-class combat power for as long as his stamina lasts.
Mental Power Division—Aura Clone	562	Divides his aura into a separate clone-like figure to attack from an unexpected position, helping him defeat Atobe Keigo 7–5.

Background

Kippei was a celebrated Kyushu tennis prodigy alongside Chitose Senri. The two contested the Kyushu Junior Tennis Tournament and planned to take Shishigaku to the national pinnacle together; they later secured regular positions as the school's future aces 7 19.

After Chitose activated the State of Selflessness during a practice match, Kippei's ball struck Chitose's right eye and temporarily blinded him. Consumed by guilt, Kippei lost his desire to play tennis and transferred to Fudomine, where he initially avoided involvement with the club 200 336.

Saeki Muneyoshi drew him back by arranging a joint camp with Shitenhoji, appealing to his wish to see Chitose again. Kippei joined Fudomine, while his sister An became the club manager 203. Muneyoshi then used an overwhelming practice match to expose Kippei's mental block and force his beast aura to evolve 204 207 208.

Appearance

Kippei is tall and powerfully built for a middle-school player, with a mole on his forehead and an imposing presence that becomes markedly more predatory on court 200 442.

• He wore long golden hair during his Kyushu days 7.
• Upon arriving at Fudomine, he had black hair and a shaved or buzz-cut style 200 216.
• He later returns to his distinctive golden-haired appearance 442 560.
• When using his beast aura, he is surrounded by black-red or scarlet energy that can form lion-like phantoms 224 560.

Personality

Kippei is direct, earnest, and highly competitive. He enjoys facing powerful opponents rather than avoiding them, and his aggressive tennis reflects his desire to confront challenges head-on 7 224. Despite his intimidating court presence, he is regarded as one of the more grounded and well-adjusted prodigies among his peers 334.

His guilt over Chitose's injury leaves him vulnerable to hesitation and self-reproach. This also prevents his aura from being completely single-minded or obsessive, a limitation Muneyoshi identifies in his potential to reach the very highest level 208 336.

As Fudomine's vice-captain, Kippei is reliable and observant. He scouts opponents, guides younger teammates, and assumes responsibility for the club when Muneyoshi is absent 212 369 437.

Abilities & Skills

Beast Aura

Kippei's defining ability is a ferocious aura based on the image of a Mighty Lion. It enhances his physical ability, empowers his shots, and reflects his fighting spirit.

• Release, Gather, and Condense are the three Aura Path steps he achieves 300.
• Rampaging Mighty Lion grants major boosts to power and speed, though it initially arises from unstable emotion 208.
• His tangible, scarlet aura can break through Atobe's Ice World and elevate him into a sustained world-class state 560 561.
• His aura was initially weakened by his concern for others and unresolved guilt 208 336.

Beast Form Four

Beast Form Four is Kippei's evolved beast-aura system, which gives distinct forms to his attacks.

• Leaping Tiger creates a violent, tiger-headed aura around a powerful shot 558.
• Wind Beast: Wind Bite coats the ball in a scarlet beast-like aura and produces tearing wind pressure 558.
• Lion's Form: Frenzy condenses his aura into a giant lion, allowing him to shatter the restraints of Ice World 560.
• Mighty Lion Chokehold is a condensed-aura offensive technique used against Atobe and Fuji 559 667.
• Mighty Lion's Roar produces a heavily spinning ball accompanied by lion phantoms 736.

Explosive Ball Wild Dance

Kippei's signature attacking shot creates numerous high-speed ball illusions, concealing the real ball among them.

• It is especially dangerous when struck from the net with his full physical momentum 205 735.
• He can eventually control its placement precisely enough to target any desired area of the court 735.
• He later incorporates principles from Wave Shot to create a stronger variation of the technique 263.

Serve and Net Play

Kippei is a hyper-offensive player whose serve, strength, and close-range attacks pressure opponents from the opening point.

• Uses varied serves, including low-trajectory slice serves, flat serves, and powerful spin-heavy serves 204 205 254.
• Sets traps through his serve placement and immediately advances to attack 253.
• His net game is stronger than his baseline play; he excels at forceful aerial volleys and close-range exchanges 254 735.
• His technique remains a strength alongside his power, particularly in the spin and placement of his returns 735.

Mental Power Division

Kippei can divide his aura into a second, clone-like manifestation linked to his body by a ribbon of energy.

• The clone can appear at a different point on court and attack an opponent's blind spot 562.
• The technique is powerful but unperfected; after using it against Atobe, he is left exhausted and is told not to use it recklessly 563.

Five Dimensions

Kippei's documented baseline after resolving his psychological issues is as follows 209:

Dimension	Value
Speed	3
Strength	5
Stamina	4
Mental Power	5
Technique	3
Total	20

Relationships

• Chitose Senri — Childhood friend, former Shishigaku teammate, former doubles partner, and fellow Kyushu Twin Hero. Kippei's guilt over injuring Chitose becomes his central mental block; their reunion and match allow both to confront their past 7 333 336.
• Saeki Muneyoshi — Fudomine captain, teammate, and mentor. Muneyoshi deliberately pressures Kippei to force his growth, while trusting him with leadership and training responsibilities 204 209 437.
• Tachibana An — His younger sister and Fudomine's manager. She supports his return to tennis, watches over his difficult matches, and assists the club with information gathering 203 560 564.
• Hanamura Aoi — Fudomine's coach. Her advice helps Kippei adapt during his match with Atobe, and she later restricts his use of an unperfected technique out of concern for his condition 559 563.
• Keith — Fudomine teammate and training rival. They later meet as opponents in Japan versus America doubles, where their intimate knowledge of each other's playstyles drives a fierce net battle 209 734 736.
• Ishida Tetsu — Junior teammate whom Kippei mentors. Their training-camp match inspires Ishida's growth, while Kippei adapts elements of Ishida's Wave Shot into his own offense 262 263.
• Sanada Genichirou — Respected rival. Their singles match pushes Kippei to Condense his aura and defeat Rikkai Dai's “Emperor” 295 301.
• Atobe Keigo — Major Tokyo rival. Kippei reaches the world-class state during their match and defeats Atobe 7–5 through his aura clone technique 557 563.

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Kyushu prodigy — Establishes himself with Chitose as one of Kyushu's premier young players and a future Shishigaku ace 7 19.
• Fudomine recruitment — Transfers to Fudomine after abandoning tennis due to guilt, then returns to the sport through Muneyoshi's intervention and An's support 200 203.
• Early Fudomine growth — Becomes vice-captain, coaches new recruits, and develops his beast aura through matches against Muneyoshi, Fuji, and Akutsu 205 212 224 253 259.
• Kanto and National tournaments — Defeats Sanada after reaching Aura Path—Condense, reunites with Chitose to overcome his trauma, and helps lead Fudomine through the National Tournament 300 301 333 336 368 374.
• U-17 Training Camp — Leads Fudomine's training while Muneyoshi receives separate instruction and is recognized by camp staff as one of the junior-high players with First String potential 437 439 440.
• World-class breakthrough — Develops Beast Form Four, reaches a tangible-aura world-class state, and defeats Atobe in Fudomine's rematch with Hyotei 558 563.
• International representative — Reforms the Kyushu Twin Heroes doubles pair with Chitose for Japan, including matches against the American team and Keith 482 483 734 736.

Notable Quotes

“With a strong opponent like you, tennis becomes more fun.” — Kippei to Chitose 7

“No matter what you two are planning, Fudomine's progress will not stop here!” 416