Naoto Azuma

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**Naoto Azuma** (東ナオト, *Azuma Naoto*) aka. **Tiger Mask** (タイガーマスク, *Taigā Masuku*) is the main protagonist of the anime series *Tiger Mask W*. Upon the series finale, he and Takuma Fujii both share the same ringname as **Tiger Mask W** (タイガーマスクダブル, *Taigā Masuku Daburu*).

## Appearance

Naoto is a well built man with brown eyes and brown hair that falls down. In his casual outfit, he wears a jacket with white, orange and red colors and a yellow hoodie underneath. He wears blue jeans and simple shoes.

When he is wrestling, he has no top and wears a cape with tiger patterns and white arm bands on both arms. His mask is of a tiger with yellow fur and sharp teeth. He wears skin tight blue leggings with black marks with black briefs with marks over them and a pair of black boots.

## Biography

Naoto and Takuma both trained with Takuma's father, Daisuke Fujii at the Zipangu Pro-Wrestling team, until the GWM (Global Wrestling Monopoly) destroyed the training gym and heavily injuring Daisuke. They were both angry, Naoto decides to fight and avenge his mentor by going against the Tiger's Den group which is affiliated with GWM. But unbeknownst to him, Takuma tries to avenge his father by joining the Tiger's Den and becoming his Naoto's fated rival, **Tiger the Dark**. He initially allies himself with the NJPW wrestlers, who eventually help them develop his signature Tiger Drive technique. After losing during the War Games and watching Tiger the Dark being unmasked by The Third, he realizes his hated rival was in fact his friend Takuma.

As the two reconcile while Naoto shares his identity with him, Naoto becomes even more vengeful as he desperately seeks a match with Yellow Devil, now as The Third. He makes a binding contract with Miss X to meet his new aim, at the exchange of betraying the NJPW, which makes him sink to commit fouls and lose his reputation. Tiger Mask is however cruelly utilized as a sacrificial pawn for GWM's schemes while leaving him with eroded trust by his NJPW peers. He eventually regains their trust after saving Nagata and reforms their alliance against the GWM. During a tag team match with The Third, he was unmasked after having his mask ripped off. During the final battle against The Third, he battles and defeats him under a new ringname as **Tiger Mask W**, using a new mask made of his and The Dark's and a combination of both Tigers' moves. After the battle, he and Takuma decide to part ways and fight abroad under the same identity, hence the anime title. He transfers to Mexico and officially joins their wrestling federation.

## Signature Moves

* **Tiger Drive** (ターガードライブ, *Tiger Drive*): He pushes an opponent to the corner uses a somersault kick followed by a knee strike on the chest and finished with a hold using his knees.
* **Tiger Fang** (タイガーファング, *Tiger Fang*): He assaults the opponent with an axe kick followed by a knee strike on the face, thus resembling a tiger's bite.
* **Darkness Driver** (ダークネスドライバー, *Darkness Driver*):
* **Darkness Hold** (ダークネスホールド, *Darkness Hold*): As Tiger Mask W, he eventually learns the above moves from **Tiger the Dark**.

## Trivia

* If following the actual timeline, he is new bearer of the Tiger Mask persona (sharing the same first name with the original Tiger Mask, Naoto Date)
* In order to promote the anime, Kota Ibushi had taken up the identity of Tiger Mask at the time.

## References

1. ↑ Tiger Mask W Wrestling Anime Reveals Voice Cast's Roles, October Premiere