TV-Series
Description
Kei Tachikawa is the captain of Tachikawa Squad and holds the rank of No. 1 Attacker as well as the No. 1 agent overall within Border. He is a young man of twenty years with medium-length, wavy brown hair and brown eyes that feature a distinctive crosshatched design. In his trion body, he wears a black trench coat with red pinstripes, black pants, and black boots, with his squad's emblem displayed on his shoulders.
Tachikawa has an arrogant and confident personality, which can sometimes lead to carelessness or a tendency to underestimate his opponents. However, according to his rival Yūichi Jin, it is extremely unusual for Tachikawa to lose his composure in actual combat. When focused, he becomes deeply analytical, using the information he gathers during battle to assess situations methodically. Outside of battle, he is quite friendly and enjoys joking around, sharing a similar sense of humor and way of thinking as Jin, which is a trait that makes him disliked by Shūji Miwa. Despite his easygoing demeanor off the battlefield, his approach to fighting is aggressive and precise; he is dedicated to ending battles quickly and perfectly, similar to a samurai maintaining firm posture and delivering persistent, devastating blows. He has strong views on the nature of combat, believing that power, strategy, and luck determine a battle's outcome rather than the strength of one's emotions. He clarifies that while he loves passionate battles, attributing results solely to emotion is like saying the loser simply did not want to win enough.
Within the story, Tachikawa initially acts as an antagonist during the Black Trigger Capture Arc, where he is ordered by Masamune Kido to retrieve Yūma Kuga's Black Trigger. He leads the operation group and decides to attack as quickly as possible to prevent Yūma from learning to use his trigger effectively. Jin confronts and defeats Tachikawa and his group, but Tachikawa later expresses happiness when Jin gives up the Black Trigger Fūjin, as this means they can compete again for the title of No. 1 Attacker. During the large-scale invasion by Aftokrator, Tachikawa demonstrates his immense combat prowess by effortlessly cutting down an Ilgar with a single swing and single-handedly defeating eleven Rabbits, the highest number of any agent, despite predictions that a lone A-rank agent would struggle with just one. He also aids Kō Murakami when the younger attacker faces three Rabbits. Tachikawa belongs to the Kido faction, primarily because he is more interested in the expeditionary ideology that allows him to fight more enemies rather than the Shinoda faction's emphasis on national defense. He is a fighting maniac at heart and prefers expeditions where he can engage in battle more frequently.
His key relationships include his rivalry and friendship with Yūichi Jin. Before Jin obtained Fūjin, Tachikawa was the stronger combatant, but their matches became tied after Jin helped develop the Scorpion trigger to counter Tachikawa's Kogetsu mastery. Tachikawa is the disciple of Masafumi Shinoda, from whom he learned his dual-wielding Kogetsu style. He has a harsh attitude toward Kō Murakami, possibly because he holds high expectations for the prodigy attacker. Despite being a competent leader and possessing a talent for command, his skills outside of combat are notably lacking; his grades are average at best, and he has done several foolish things outside of battle, such as misreading the word danger or thinking a computer was broken when it was simply unplugged.
Development-wise, Tachikawa evolves from an antagonist pursuing the Black Trigger to a supporting character and respected top combatant who aids in defending Border. He shows growth in his understanding of others, as seen when he comments on Osamu Mikumo's ruthless strategic thinking, recognizing the younger agent's tactical cunning. He remains dedicated to his rivalry with Jin and continues to pursue strength through combat.
Regarding abilities, Tachikawa is widely considered one of the strongest swordsmen in Border, second only to his teacher Shinoda. He is a master of the Kogetsu trigger and can wield either one or two blades, switching to a dual-wielding style taught by Shinoda. Using the optional trigger Senkū, he can extend the range of his Kogetsu blade temporarily, performing wide and deadly mid-range attacks. He can activate Senkū through both his main and sub triggers while dual-wielding, a technique known as Double Senkū Kogetsu, which he used to effortlessly cut down an Ilgar in self-destruct mode. He also employs Grasshopper to reach distant enemies, giving him an effective range comparable to a Shooter despite being an Attacker. He uses Bagworm to hide from radar during stealth missions. His combat skill is demonstrated through his solo matches against Hyuse, whom he defeated five times out of six, with Hyuse commenting that a swordsman of Tachikawa's level is uncommon even in Aftokrator. His parameters as listed in the Border Briefing File show high ratings in attack and skill, though his trion level is moderate for an A-rank agent.
Tachikawa has an arrogant and confident personality, which can sometimes lead to carelessness or a tendency to underestimate his opponents. However, according to his rival Yūichi Jin, it is extremely unusual for Tachikawa to lose his composure in actual combat. When focused, he becomes deeply analytical, using the information he gathers during battle to assess situations methodically. Outside of battle, he is quite friendly and enjoys joking around, sharing a similar sense of humor and way of thinking as Jin, which is a trait that makes him disliked by Shūji Miwa. Despite his easygoing demeanor off the battlefield, his approach to fighting is aggressive and precise; he is dedicated to ending battles quickly and perfectly, similar to a samurai maintaining firm posture and delivering persistent, devastating blows. He has strong views on the nature of combat, believing that power, strategy, and luck determine a battle's outcome rather than the strength of one's emotions. He clarifies that while he loves passionate battles, attributing results solely to emotion is like saying the loser simply did not want to win enough.
Within the story, Tachikawa initially acts as an antagonist during the Black Trigger Capture Arc, where he is ordered by Masamune Kido to retrieve Yūma Kuga's Black Trigger. He leads the operation group and decides to attack as quickly as possible to prevent Yūma from learning to use his trigger effectively. Jin confronts and defeats Tachikawa and his group, but Tachikawa later expresses happiness when Jin gives up the Black Trigger Fūjin, as this means they can compete again for the title of No. 1 Attacker. During the large-scale invasion by Aftokrator, Tachikawa demonstrates his immense combat prowess by effortlessly cutting down an Ilgar with a single swing and single-handedly defeating eleven Rabbits, the highest number of any agent, despite predictions that a lone A-rank agent would struggle with just one. He also aids Kō Murakami when the younger attacker faces three Rabbits. Tachikawa belongs to the Kido faction, primarily because he is more interested in the expeditionary ideology that allows him to fight more enemies rather than the Shinoda faction's emphasis on national defense. He is a fighting maniac at heart and prefers expeditions where he can engage in battle more frequently.
His key relationships include his rivalry and friendship with Yūichi Jin. Before Jin obtained Fūjin, Tachikawa was the stronger combatant, but their matches became tied after Jin helped develop the Scorpion trigger to counter Tachikawa's Kogetsu mastery. Tachikawa is the disciple of Masafumi Shinoda, from whom he learned his dual-wielding Kogetsu style. He has a harsh attitude toward Kō Murakami, possibly because he holds high expectations for the prodigy attacker. Despite being a competent leader and possessing a talent for command, his skills outside of combat are notably lacking; his grades are average at best, and he has done several foolish things outside of battle, such as misreading the word danger or thinking a computer was broken when it was simply unplugged.
Development-wise, Tachikawa evolves from an antagonist pursuing the Black Trigger to a supporting character and respected top combatant who aids in defending Border. He shows growth in his understanding of others, as seen when he comments on Osamu Mikumo's ruthless strategic thinking, recognizing the younger agent's tactical cunning. He remains dedicated to his rivalry with Jin and continues to pursue strength through combat.
Regarding abilities, Tachikawa is widely considered one of the strongest swordsmen in Border, second only to his teacher Shinoda. He is a master of the Kogetsu trigger and can wield either one or two blades, switching to a dual-wielding style taught by Shinoda. Using the optional trigger Senkū, he can extend the range of his Kogetsu blade temporarily, performing wide and deadly mid-range attacks. He can activate Senkū through both his main and sub triggers while dual-wielding, a technique known as Double Senkū Kogetsu, which he used to effortlessly cut down an Ilgar in self-destruct mode. He also employs Grasshopper to reach distant enemies, giving him an effective range comparable to a Shooter despite being an Attacker. He uses Bagworm to hide from radar during stealth missions. His combat skill is demonstrated through his solo matches against Hyuse, whom he defeated five times out of six, with Hyuse commenting that a swordsman of Tachikawa's level is uncommon even in Aftokrator. His parameters as listed in the Border Briefing File show high ratings in attack and skill, though his trion level is moderate for an A-rank agent.