Shindou, Hikaru

進藤ヒカル

The protagonist is assisted by Sai. At the start of the series, Hikaru is a sixth-grade elementary student. A key factor in developing Hikaru's passion for Go was an early encounter that made him rivals with Akira Toya. Initially, he believes Go is only for older people and is irritated by Sai's insistence on playing, but his enthusiasm for the game grows gradually as he plays more. Hikaru matures throughout the series, progressing from a school Go club member to an insei, and finally becoming a professional Go player at age 14, one year after Akira. As the manga volumes progress and Hikaru ages while playing Go, he gradually gets taller. Hikaru is frequently depicted wearing clothing with the numeral "5" on it, a pun on the Japanese common name for five: go. His birthday is September 20th. Part of his strength lies in his ability to read far ahead in the game very quickly and to make moves that appear foolish. These moves actually lure the opponent into making poor decisions, which Hikaru then exploits to trap them.