Uzu Sanageyama

Uzu Sanageyama is a major character in the anime series Kill la Kill. He is one of the Student Council's Elite Four. He regulates the athletic clubs at Honnōji Academy, including the boxing and tennis clubs.
Uzu originally appears as an antagonist in the first half of the series but becomes a neutral character by episode 17.
He was voiced by Nobuyuki Hiyama in the Japanese version, who also voiced Hiei in YuYu Hakusho, Ikkaku Madarame in Bleach, Viral in Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, and by Grant George in the English version, who also voiced Suigetsu Hōzuki in Naruto: Shippuden, Kim from Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir
==Appearance==
Uzu is a teenager with mid-length dark green hair and gray eyes. He wears a Three-star Goku Uniform, specially made into a long white coat with a high collar. It has a built-in sword sheath at the back and three spikes on each shoulder. The coat is usually open at the front, which shows his cadet-blue colored vest. He wears a matching white pants and shoes, and a belt with three metal spikes on the front.
==Personality==
At the start of the series, Uzu is rather laid back and cocky, possessing absolute confidence in his abilities, always eager to test himself against worthy opponents. However, this changed after his humiliating defeat by Ryūko Matoi. Humbled by the loss, he goes to great lengths to redeem himself afterwards, losing his laid-back demeanor and gaining newfound conviction and determination. He goes as far as having his own eyes sewed shut, believing that relying on them too much was his weakness. Thanks to this, he was able to beat Ryūko in combat.
As Sanageyama regulates the athletic clubs of Honnōji Academy, he held the presidents to a high bar; visibly angry when they met their defeat at the hands of Ryūko. He is also caring, protecting the students and their families during the COVERS attack in the Great Culture and Sport Festival and mourned those who didn’t make it out. He was also visibly distraught at Ira Gamagōri's apparent demise during the final battle against Ragyō Kiryūin.
==History==
Three years ago, before his time at Honnōji Academy, Uzu Sanageyama was the Northern Kanto Gang Leader Alliance Representative and led a contingent of 500 middle-school pompadour gangsters to confront Satsuki Kiryūin when she challenged them. When she easily defeated the 500 gangsters with just her fighting spirit, Uzu personally confronted her, using his Tengantsu to dodge her attacks. However, when he tried to attack her from behind, Satsuki asked him whether he had really managed to get behind her and then defeated him with a backward sword thrust. After his defeat, Sanageyama was invited to Honnōji - as an ultimate stage where he can unleash his full strength. He was the last of the Elite Four to join Satsuki.
==Powers and Abilities==
Natural Abilities
*Expert Swordsman - As a fighter, Sanageyama specializes in swordplay, using the kendō style. He is always seen carrying a shinai - a wooden katana used for kendō practice - which he uses to great skill. He possesses great precision, quick reflexes and heightened senses to aid him. Although not as skilled as Satsuki, he eventually becomes strong enough to clash with the likes of Nui Harime, even without a Goku Uniform. He is equally skilled in wielding one sword or dual-wielding and wielding different kinds of blades.
==Former Powers and Abilities==
Three-star Goku Uniform:
*Blade Regalia (剣の装 Tsurugi no Sō)
::Sanageyama's uniform transforms into a hulking, dark green suit of armor that resembles a standard kendo suit. It is capable of extending shinai from its gauntlets and carries a pair of back gauntlets from which he can produce more shinai blades. It grants Sanageyama superhuman strength and speed (to the point where he could create illusory images and outrun Ryūko at Senketsu's full speed). It was destroyed by Ryūko after she blinded Sanageyama with part of Senketsu's cloth.
:*Shinsoku: Senbonzuki (神速千本突き Godspeed: One Thousand Thrusts) - While wielding multiple swords in both his hands and spinning them like a gatling gun, he assaults his opponent with a series of high-speed sword thrusts.
:*Higi: Tengantsu (秘技天眼通 Secret Technique: Clairvoyance) - A form of precognition in which Sanageyama is able to predict the actions of his opponent by their preparatory motions, such as from their eyes and muscles. This ability is enhanced by his Goku Uniform, which can activate multiple eyes in order to create a better prediction. The anime highlighted the Orbicularis Oculi (eyes), Dorsal Interosseous/Adductor Pollicis (hands), Pectoralis Major (chest) and the Gluteus Maximus (buttocks).
*Blade Regalia Mk.II (剣の装・改 Tsurugi no Sō Aratame)
:A revamped version of Sanageyama's old uniform, given to him by Satsuki after he sewed his own eyes shut, demonstrating his resolve to overcome his own weaknesses. It loses the back pieces that allowed him to pull extra shinai blades, has a slightly more streamlined look and a lighter color scheme.
:*Shingantsu (心眼通 Authority of the Mind's Eye) - By sealing away his sense of sight, Sanageyama enhances his other senses and his affinity with his Goku Uniform. He gains the ability to anticipate his opponent’s action at a greater level by sensing the area all around him. He claims that he can see the entire world, and comments that his ability to perceive his surroundings surpassed that of anything he could have hoped to achieve with his eyes open. However, Shingantsu does not work on screens.
:*Hissatsu: Isshin Zenzanken (必殺一心全山劍 Finishing Move: Sword of the Mind's Mountain) - Sanageyama combines his gauntlets into the hilt of a massive shinai blade, which he uses to strike his opponent with tremendous force. However, his uniform was destroyed by Nui Harime before he could complete this technique.
*Blade Regalia Mk.III (剣の装・更改 Tsurugi no Sō Sara Ni Aratame)
:A further improved version of the Blade Regalia, sporting a slimmer and more agile appearance than the Mk.I and Mk.II. The armor is now majorly white with details in green, and has six spikes protruding from the abdomen. With this version of his Goku Uniform, he was able to clash on even grounds with Nui Harime, who had previously bested him effortlessly.
:*Shingan Tensenzuki - By increasing the speed of his thrust attacks, Sanageyama can perform multiple strikes at a blinding speed, fooling his opponents into believing they are being attacked at the speed of light.
*Blade Regalia: Secret Unsealed (剣の装・奥義開眼 Tsurugi no Sō Ōgi Kaigan)
:The final version of Sanageyama's Goku Uniform. In its inactive form, it has the same form as his previous Uniforms, expect its black with several gold highlights. In its active form, it resembles its Mk. III Uniform, except being black with neon green highlights and with his head, partial upper body and left arm uncovered. His shinai blade is now made of neon green energy, resembling a lightsaber.
:*Enhanced Physical Prowess - With this final Goku Uniform, Sanageyama's physical capabilities and sword skills are greatly enhanced, enough to destroy multiple COVERS monsters with a single swipe of his sword at great speed. He has also regained his eyesight, further increasing his prowess. 
:*Energy Whirlwind - During his battle against the COVERS, he could generate a green energy whirlwind from his sword that was powerful enough to destroy multiple COVERS.
==Quotes==
==Trivia==
*Sanageyama's gaining of Shingantsu is similar to the origins of Marvel Comics' Daredevil, where losing his vision enhanced his other senses.
*Sanageyama's self-inflicted blindness in order to please Satsuki shares similarities to the legend of the Shinto storm god of Summer, Susano’o, a swordsman who was banished from Heaven to the underworld to live in total darkness.
*When Sanageyama transforms his Blade Regalia Mk.I in Episode 6, the transformation sequence erroneously shows the head and leg of the Blade Regalia Mk.II before showing the full shot of the transformed uniform.
*In his name, Saru (猿) means monkey in kanji.
*Sanageyama's wearing his bandanna is similar to the origins of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Leonardo, where he wears his bandana.
*He bears a slight resemblance to Simon from the anime, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.
*Nobuyuki Hiyama, the Japanese voice actor for Sanageyama is the same voice actor as Viral, from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.
*Grant George, the English voice actor for Sanageyama is the same voice actor as Suigetsu Hozuki, from Naruto Shippuden.
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