Soma Yukihira's journey started in his family's Restaurant Yukihira, where he began assisting at age three. A vertical scar over his left eyebrow marks an elementary school incident, sustained while handling a live fish—an early testament to his dedication to ingredient preservation. By kindergarten, he was experimenting on classmates with dishes like peanut butter and dried squid; these questionable concoctions fostered unconventional creativity. Elementary school also launched a 489-defeat streak against his father, Jouichiro Yukihira, forging resilience and an iterative approach to improvement. Undeterred, he developed dishes earning a place on the restaurant menu. When an urban planner sabotaged meat supplies, Soma improvised "Roast Pork, Just Kidding" using bacon and vegetables, successfully defending the establishment and showcasing adaptability under pressure. Jouichiro subsequently closed the restaurant and enrolled him in Tōtsuki Culinary Academy to broaden his skills. His personality blends relentless optimism with bold culinary gambles. He fearlessly issues and accepts high-stakes shokugeki (culinary duels), viewing potential expulsion or permanent bans as opportunities to evolve. Confidence in his experimental approach transforms subpar ingredients into innovation, like discount meats or constrained recipes. Despite peers underestimating his humble roots, insults never faze him—his cooking answers instead. Charisma forges alliances, turning rivals like Ikumi Mito and Takumi Aldini into collaborators. His leadership inspires collective action, notably uniting classmates against Elite Ten member Terunori Kuga during the Moon Festival. Calmness under pressure stems from childhood: overwhelmed during a restaurant rush, Jouichiro taught him to clap his hands to mentally reset—a technique later shared with partners like Megumi Tadokoro. He consistently prioritizes fairness, defending Megumi from unjust expulsion and opposing systemic elitism. At Tōtsuki, he earned residence in Polar Star Dormitory by impressing the matron with a mackerel burger. Early conflicts included a contentious entrance exam judged by Erina Nakiri, whose dismissal was overruled by the director. His declaration to surpass all peers made him an outlier, yet his skills gradually commanded respect. During The Third Plate's Moon Festival arc, he challenged Kuga's Chinese cuisine dominance by mastering the numbing "má" and fiery "là" of Sichuan flavors in dishes like mapo tofu noodles. After initial losses, he reconfigured his booth strategy with added seating and a shareable meatball creation, ultimately drawing customers from Kuga and achieving temporary first-day sales. Though he lost in total revenue, the effort impressed the Elite Ten and exposed Kuga's limitations. This arc concluded with Azami Nakiri's takeover, triggering Soma's defiance against the authoritarian "Central" regime. Post–Third Plate, he spearheaded resistance against Azami, coordinating allies to seize Elite Ten seats during the Régiment de Cuisine team shokugeki. His victory alongside Erina Nakiri against Elite Ten leaders Eishi Tsukasa and Rindō Kobayashi ousted Azami and secured his appointment as first seat. Later, he confronted "dark chefs" like Asahi Saiba in the BLUE competition, where his lack of supernatural talents ("Badass Normal" trait) neutralized Asahi's ability-copying "Cross Knives." After defeating Asahi, he faced Erina in the finals and lost—a rare defeat motivating international travel for refinement. The epilogue reveals his return years later as a world-renowned chef, still seeking Erina's acknowledgment of his cooking as "delicious." Physically, he possesses spiky dark-red hair, yellow eyes, and the distinctive eyebrow scar. He typically dons his family restaurant's black uniform and white apron while cooking, often paired with a white headband on his forehead or wrist. Casual attire consists of a calming hanten jacket and striped pants.