The main character of the story. Kaiji is poor, downtrodden and lazy—he lives by himself in a slum and is constantly in debt. He bides his time by playing cheap gambling games with neighbors, though he always loses. In spite of this, when his life is in danger, he displays a remarkable hidden capacity for gambling, which allows him to endure the hardships he faces. He is shouldered with a 3,850,000 yen debt at the beginning of the story by a coworker who convinced him into co-signing a loan, leaving Kaiji with the full weight of the debt compounded over a year.

Star-sign: Gemini Mottō: "Be honest with yourself" Now a freshman at Kaijou High, Kise was the rookie of the "Generation of Miracles." Since he only started playing basketball in his second year of middle school, Kise was his team's least experienced member, and notes himself the weakest of the five. Kise's unique skill is his ability to mimic the moves and plays of other players. The only moves he cannot copy are the special skills of truly exceptional players, like the other members of the "Generation of Miracles." Beyond being a strong player in his own right, Kise respects Kuroko's abilities and wishes to play with him once again. He seems to have a slight obsession with Kuroko, believing that they were the two who got along most in middle school (though Kuroko said they didn't) and often blurting out random facts about him (mentioning that Kuroko was an Aquarius, even though Kasamatsu was talking about Midorima). Also, he's a model in his free time, so girls are always mobbing him. He has two older sisters who got him into modeling at the first place.