Kôyô Tôya is the father of Akira Toya and a professional Go player who, at the peak of his career, holds five major Japanese titles: Meijin, Jūdan, Tengen, Gosei, and Ōza. He is widely regarded as the strongest Go player in the world and is considered by many in the Japanese Go community to be the only living player capable of matching the legendary Go Saint Shusaku, the historical identity of the spirit Fujiwara no Sai. Tôya’s ultimate aim, like Sai’s, is to reach the Kami no Itte, the Divine Move, and he dedicates his life to this pursuit.

In personality, Tôya is stoic and serious in both his professional and private life. He maintains a calm, composed demeanor even in high-pressure matches, and he rarely shows strong emotion. However, he has a deep, quiet affection for his son Akira, and he takes great pride in Akira’s growth as a player. He is a demanding father but also a supportive one, and his love is expressed through his high expectations. Tôya is also a disciplined, principled individual who values tradition and integrity in the game of Go. He respects strength and is humble enough to acknowledge when he has been outplayed, as seen after his legendary internet match against Sai.

Tôya first encounters Hikaru Shindo at a children’s Go tournament, where Hikaru (with Sai playing through him) solves a difficult problem instantly and later plays a few moves against Tôya before fleeing. This incident, combined with his son Akira’s growing obsession with Hikaru after two defeats at Sai’s hands, sparks Tôya’s curiosity. He eventually plays against Hikaru during the Beginner Dan tournament and wins, but he notices that a different, far stronger player is behind Hikaru’s moves—Sai, who deliberately handicapped himself. When Tôya is hospitalized with heart problems, Hikaru arranges an online match between him and Sai, wagering that the Meijin will retire if he loses. Tôya accepts the challenge and loses by the narrowest of margins (half a point). True to his word, he retires from professional Go. In the aftermath, Sai disappears, but Tôya continues to seek a rematch. He begins traveling internationally to compete in tournaments and play against talented amateurs, reportedly becoming even stronger than he was as a professional.

Tôya’s role in the story is multifaceted. He serves as the established pinnacle of the present-day Go world, a living benchmark that both Akira and Hikaru aspire to surpass. He is also a catalyst for major plot developments: his match with Sai leads to Sai’s disappearance and Hikaru’s subsequent crisis, and his retirement opens up possibilities for the next generation. As a father, he provides a constant source of motivation for Akira, who strives to earn his respect and eventually surpass him. Among his other important relationships is his mentorship of Seiji Ogata, whom he has taught and who regards him with deep respect.

Tôya’s abilities on the board are extraordinary. He possesses an unusually sharp intuition honed by years of reading opponents, which, paired with his powerful, patient style, makes him a formidable opponent. He can analyze a vast number of variations in his head and is known for his calm, precise execution. His reading depth is such that Sai, even from the Heian era, recognizes him as the one contemporary player most worthy of a serious match. After his retirement, Tôya continues to hone his skills, and observers note that he grows even stronger, no longer bound by the pressures of title defense.

Throughout the series, Tôya undergoes a subtle but meaningful development: from a seemingly unassailable champion at the top of the Japanese Go hierarchy, he experiences a humbling defeat, honors his promise to retire, and then reinvents himself as a wandering player dedicated solely to the pursuit of the Divine Move. His journey reflects the theme that true mastery is never static and that even the greatest can find new heights to climb.