; / : : Sponsors: Apollon Media, S.H. Figuarts,
SoftBank,
FamilyMart,
Lotte,
Lawson, Imagination Works,
Pac-Man, Kinto, Asadaame : One of the main protagonists and a veteran
superhero past his prime whose total disregard for private property when fighting against crime earned him the nickname "Crusher for Justice". Originally, he was the least popular among the heroes of Stern Bild City and his company (a fictional publication known as "TopMag") had been taken over thanks to the high costs of his collateral damage. He was then forced by his new employers, "
Apollon Media," to become Barnaby's partner. His wife died from a disease five years prior to the series, and his daughter Kaede lives with his mother in "Oriental Town" out in the country. Like most people outside of Hero TV, Kaede is initially unaware of her father's secret identity. Kotetsu possesses the power to increase his physical abilities hundredfold for five minutes (known as the "Hundred Power"), requiring an hour-long cooldown period before using it again. Later on in the series his ability starts to change, at first becoming more potent at the cost of a shorter time limit, signified by red-orange eyes and an orange aura instead of the normal blue. Tiger's old employer Ben Jackson, working as a cab driver, finds out about Tiger's power boost and informs him that it is actually a precursor to his powers fading away for good, a rare condition among NEXT. The Hundred Power's potency then returns to its original strength, and its time limit grows shorter with each activation, lasting about three minutes and 45 seconds by the end of the series. Kotetsu keeps a journal to track his decreasing power, each entry showing a decrease of two to five seconds per use. After defeating Albert Maverick, Kotetsu retires from heroics, but returns a year later now calling himself "Wild Tiger 1 Minute" and working with the "Second League" heroes, vowing to continue being a hero even after his powers disappear for good. From
Tiger & Bunny: The Rising onwards, Kotetsu's identity is now public to some degree, though he continues to wear a mask and insist on maintaining his secret identity due to his traditional beliefs. During the battle against L.L. Audin, Kotetsu is affected by Gregory Sunshine's ability, which causes his powers to overload and finally burn out completely. With his NEXT powers gone, Kotetsu retires from heroics. : His first Apollon Media suit includes advertisements for
Bandai's S.H. Figuarts collector's action figure line and telecommunications company
SoftBank. The SoftBank logo on his shoulder in the series is replaced by a different ad in the films:
FamilyMart in
Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning and
Lotte in
Tiger & Bunny: The Rising. Tiger also possesses a motorcycle called the "Lonely Chaser", which is able to combine with Barnaby's own bike as a sidecar in a combination known as "Double Chaser." Tiger's suit also includes a pair of wire guns known as the "Wild Shot". Having been inspired by a hero named Mr. Legend, who helped him to accept his powers, Kotetsu has traditional ideals of justice, always relying on his instincts, putting lives over ratings, and prioritizing hero work over publicity stunts. After helping Barnaby defeat Jake Martinez and finally earning his partner's trust, Kotetsu becomes far more popular and gains much more respect from the public, his employers, and his fellow heroes. In the first Drama CD for the series, it is revealed that Kotetsu and Antonio "Rock Bison" Lopez were punks in their high school days, and it was Kotetsu's class representative Tomoe (who later became his wife) who came up with the name "Wild Tiger". The next episode previews suggest that Kotetsu has a very poor grasp of the English language, as he often struggles to read out the next episode's title. ; / : : Sponsors: Apollon Media,
Bandai,
"Crusade System" Card Series,
Amazon.co.jp, XFLAG,
Monster Strike, Tanita,
Battle Spirits : The other protagonist, known as the "Super Rookie", later "Super Scion of the Aristocracy," who is nicknamed "Bunny" by Kotetsu because of his armor's earpieces and his penchant for long jumps and kicks. Barnaby is a 25-year-old rookie hero who does not conceal his appearance or identity and is the newest addition to Hero TV. Partnered with Wild Tiger, he has the same power, though Barnaby relies more on strategy than outright brute force, saving his Hundred Power for the most dire of circumstances. His powered suit displays advertising for
Amazon.co.jp as well as
Bandai and its "Crusade System" Card Series. He is also equipped with a motorcycle called the "Lonely Chaser" that is able to use Tiger's own bike as a sidecar, a combination known as "Double Chaser." When he was four years old, his parents, robotics engineers and the inventors of "nano-metal", were assassinated by someone originally thought to be Jake Martinez of the crime syndicate "Ouroboros". Barnaby was taken in by Albert Maverick and dedicated his life to investigating Ouroboros and its connection with the death of his family. The trauma of seeing his parents murdered hardened Barnaby's heart and consumed him with thoughts of revenge, making it impossible for him to trust anyone until he began his partnership with Kotetsu. According to Barnaby, he took his real name, also his father's, as his hero name as a declaration of war against Ouroboros. After defeating Albert Maverick, Barnaby retires from heroics thinking his entire career was for nothing, but when Kotetsu returns as "Wild Tiger 1 Minute" a year later, Barnaby returns as well to assist his partner. In the second season, Barnaby is shown to have taken up caring for houseplants as a hobby, filling his once-sparse apartment with greenery and frequently turning down invitations to after-work social outings to spend evenings in the company of his plants. Barnaby's leg is grievously injured during a fight with Fugan and Mugan, which never heals properly and becomes cripplingly painful whenever he uses his Hundred Power. His injury, coupled with Kotetsu's own retirement due to his powers burning out, encourages Barnaby to retire from heroics after defeating L.L. Audin. :After defeating Jake Martinez and learning to trust Kotetsu as his partner, Barnaby adopts a positive outlook on life, becoming more open and willing to work with others. He starts addressing Kotetsu by name instead of as "Old Man", and accepts "Bunny" as his nickname to a degree. His successful partnership with Kotetsu soon leads Barnaby to rank first in Hero TV's rankings, earning him the "King of Heroes" title in his debut season. Barnaby eventually surpasses Mr. Legend's points-per-season record, and dreams of a "Hero World" envisioned by his surrogate father, Albert Maverick, where all NEXT are accepted and heroes protect the innocent. ; / : : Sponsors: Titan Industry,
Pepsi &
Pepsi NEX, Coolish : Nicknamed the "Super Celebrity of the Heroes", Blue Rose is a highschooler with freezing powers who still lives with her parents and makes use of her heroic feats to boost her career as a singer. She also works as a pianist in bars under her real name. Her revealing costume, which her father disapproves of, includes advertising for Pepsi NEX, a zero calorie
Pepsi available in Japan developed by
Suntory, a company who took part in the experiment which successfully produced the first true
blue rose through genetic engineering, hence her alias and rose-themed uniform. The costume also makes Karina's bust look bigger than it actually is. She is also equipped with a monowheel-snowmobile vehicle, which she propels using her powers. Despite claiming to dislike Kotetsu, Karina develops feelings for him, which causes her much internal conflict considering the age difference. After the one year timeskip, Karina is seen reading a book about how to win a single dad's heart; seems she hasn't given up. At the insistence of her sponsor company and to her distaste, Blue Rose always tells criminals "my ice is a little bit
cold, but your crime has been put completely on
hold!" upon apprehending them. Karina has a habit of comically retreating from fights if they get too difficult for her, an act Hero TV's announcer dubs the "Cutie Escape". In the films
Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning and
Tiger & Bunny: The Rising, her costume's advertising replaces the Pepsi NEX ads for standard Pepsi logos. Her sponsor company is "
Titan Industry". In the second season, she is partnered with Golden Ryan. ; / : : Sponsors: Poseidon Line, Tamashii Nations,
Ustream, Movix, T-Joy, Passlogy, Sugi Pharmacy : Also known as the "Wind Wizard", Sky High is an enthusiastic and friendly hero who is the most popular hero in the city and longtime consecutive holder of the "King of Heroes" title at the start of the series. His overly dramatic and optimistic personality is actually his main selling point, with his catchphrases being a cheerful to his fans and his own name when he launches an attack. He, by his own admission, struggles to make his feelings and intentions clear to others, hence why he often repeats himself and gestures dramatically, and does not understand why people find him funny. Additionally, he frequently feels pressured to maintain his "perfect" public image, believing he must always be a positive role model not only to the public, but to his fellow heroes as well. Appropriately for his nature, he owns two
golden retrievers named John and Johnjohn. Sky High is able to fly with the assistance of a rocket backpack and has the power to control the wind and air currents. During
Tiger & Bunny: The Rising, Sky High is once again the King of Heroes. His uniform includes advertising for Bandai's subsidiary Tamashii Nations and streaming website
Ustream.tv. In the films, he also sports ads for Movix and T-Joy, Japanese movie theater chains. His sponsor company is "
Poseidon Line," which is shown to provide Stern Bild with public transportation such as monorails and taxi cabs. In the second season, he is partnered with Fire Emblem. ; / : : Sponsors: Helios Energy, FMV,
Animate,
Domino's Pizza, Atsugi, Aqua Clara : An
effeminate hero with flame abilities known as the "Bourgeois Open Flame Broil", equipped with a highly maneuverable race car. They display an advanced level of control over their abilities, able to shape their flames into many elaborate shapes and sizes with varying levels of intensity. Nathan struggled to come to terms with their sexuality and
gender identity during their childhood, and is implied to have been disowned by their parents because of it. They eventually come to accept themselves by saying that they, and all people like them, possess both the courage of a man and the love of a woman, making them invincible. Nathan identifies as
"gender free", appropriately using gender-neutral or feminine pronouns in the original Japanese dialogue, and often includes themselves in feminine activities with Karina and Pao-Lin. Nathan is the owner of their own sponsor company, "
Helios Energy," and their costume displays advertising for FMV of
Fujitsu and anime/manga retailer
Animate. Their suit in the films
Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning and
Tiger & Bunny: The Rising features an additional ad for
Domino's Pizza. In the second season, they are partnered with Sky High. ; / : : Sponsors: Odysseus Communication,
Calbee, DMM.com, Daiichikosho Amusement Multimedia,
Ichiran : A young, tomboyish Chinese girl, known as the "Lightning Bolt
Kung-Fu Master", armed with a staff and able to generate strong electrical discharges. Pao-Lin's parents did not go with her to Stern Bild City and stayed behind in China. They did, however, leave her a purple flower hairpin that she was originally against wearing, claiming it was "too girly", despite her caretaker's insistence. However, after learning the flower's symbolic meaning was "thinking of you always", she makes a habit of wearing the hairpin whenever she is in civilian attire. During
Tiger & Bunny: The Rising, she develops the ability to briefly shape her lightning into various forms, such as a large Chinese dragon. Her Chinese-styled uniform includes advertising for Japanese food company
Calbee and Japanese website DMM.com. Her sponsor company is "
Odysseus Communication". In the second season, she is partnered with Magical Cat. ; / : : Sponsors:
Kronos Foods,
Gyu-Kaku, Hybrid Futomen DouDou,
Sukiya, Karatez, Nozaki's,
BUFFALO,
Yostar Pictures,
Iris Ohyama, Aburaya Seiemon : A green-armored brute nicknamed the "Bull Tank of the West Coast", and Kotetsu "Wild Tiger" Kaburagi's best friend since high school. His power renders him invulnerable, coating his skin with a shiny, bronze material. After ranking last in Hero TV's standings behind Origami Cyclone, he was in danger of losing his job as a hero before helping to catch a backstage thief. By the time of
Tiger & Bunny: The Rising, Rock Bison is easily the least popular and effective hero in the First League. Throughout the film, he desperately tries to find a new gimmick to boost his popularity by mimicking another hero's catchphrase or behavior. His bull-themed costume, which is equipped with large drills on its shoulders, includes advertising for Japanese barbecue restaurant chain
Gyu-Kaku. His suit in
Tiger & Bunny: The Rising also features ads for Japanese
gyūdon restaurant chain
Sukiya. His sponsor company is "
Kronos Foods". In the second season, he is partnered with Origami Cyclone. : In the first drama CD for the series, it is revealed that Antonio and Kotetsu were both punks in their high school days. Antonio, then the leader of a different school's gang, had repeatedly challenged Kotetsu to fights because of his reputation, and was turned down until Tomoe, Kotetsu's class representative and future wife, was kidnapped. Kotetsu, believing Antonio to be the kidnapper, finally accepted the challenge and the two fought after discovering their opponent was a NEXT. After the fight, Antonio insisted he did not know of a kidnapping, and the nearby warehouse where Tomoe was being kept burst into flames. Kotetsu, not using his Hundred Power up to this point, activated his powers and saved Tomoe, inspiring Antonio to only use his powers to protect people from that day forward. ; / : : Sponsors: Helperidese Finance, .ANIME, Takasu Clinic,
Livedoor,
Namco &
Namco Namja Town, MiniMini, DMM.com, Ōedo Onsen Monogatari,
Olfa,
Sunshine City, Tokyo, Oi Ocha, Bandai Candy, A-Onstore,
Don Quijote : The young "Hidden Hero," later known as the "Expert of Being Seen in the Background," clad in a ninja/samurai-themed costume and known to act much like a kabuki performer. Ivan rarely takes action and engages himself more in advertising than in actual crime-fighting, appearing in the background of photos and broadcasts to please his sponsors. His shapeshifting ability allows him to copy the appearance and voice of other people, but not their abilities or powers, and change into various inanimate objects such as a poster on a wall. Ivan is initially a very reluctant hero, only acting as he does because of insecurities regarding his "useless" power and guilt over becoming a hero over his former friend, Edward. After helping Edward (who had broken out of jail to kill Ivan in jealousy) escape Lunatic's judgement, Ivan vows to become a more active hero and move out of the background, quickly rising out of last place in Hero TV's rankings for the first time. However, he still engages in the occasional "
photobomb", with a running joke having him appear hidden somewhere in the background of a scene, even ones not broadcast on Hero TV. His sponsor company is "
Helperidese Finance". In the epilogue of the series, it is revealed that Ivan regularly visits Edward in prison to tell him about his exploits as Origami Cyclone. In the second season, he reveals that he was bullied and ostracized for his NEXT abilities as a child until his class was caught in a typhoon during an overnight camping trip. He used his abilities to mimic his teacher to comfort his frightened classmates, finding purpose in his life. He chose the name Origami Cyclone in memory of this event and feels strong pride about it as a result. : Origami Cyclone's involvement in the Ouroboros incident tremendously boosts his popularity and reputation as a true hero and not just a walking billboard. His costume contains advertising for anime goods website ".ANIME" and eventually gains other sponsors:
internet service provider Livedoor,
Namco's NAM-Chara Cheer Squad, and
Katsuya Takasu's beauty clinic, likely because of his newfound popularity. In the films
Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning and
Tiger & Bunny: The Rising, his suit also displays ads for Bandai Visual Club. To offset Origami's power being little use in combat, he has various weapons to assist him. The large
shuriken on his back can be thrown and ridden, and he has an arsenal of normal sized shuriken. The swords on his back can also be used, and are able to project energy to use as a shield or distraction. By the time of
Tiger & Bunny: The Rising, Origami has been training himself to be a more aggressive hero, making more use of his suit's various weapons. In the second season, he is partnered with Rock Bison. ; / : : Sponsors: Apollon Media,
Banpresto, Tantia, Dartslive,
Bandai, EyeCity :A hero from overseas, nicknamed "Gravity Prince," later "Wandering Prince of Gravity," who appears in the movie,
Tiger & Bunny: The Rising, serving as Kotetsu's replacement as Barnaby's partner. Ryan displays a boisterous, showboating personality, caring far more about being in the spotlight and earning points than saving lives, the complete opposite of Barnaby's former partner. Under his egotistical nature, however, he is actually fairly sensitive and perceptive of others' feelings. He possesses the power to create a strong localized gravity field, immobilizing anyone within a certain radius. He is also shown he is able to alter the shape of the field by thinning the width to increase the length to subdue an enemy further away. However, using his powers makes him incredibly vulnerable to attack, as it requires him to remain stationary with his hands on the ground. He possesses a golden motorcycle with a lion motif (a play on his name in Japanese, as Ryan [ライアン] shares the same pronunciation as Lion [ライアン]), which is able to combine with Barnaby's Lonely Chaser. He eventually leaves Stern Bild after an overseas company offers him a larger salary than Apollon Media did. Ryan's catchphrases are "kiss my boots," typically said after he uses his power to immobilize someone, and a loud shout whenever he activates his power. His hero suit, designed by Saito and rented to Ryan's parent company from Apollon Media, is equipped with a pair of wings to appear as a
Sphinx and features advertising for
Banpresto, weighing scale manufacturer Tanita, and dartboard manufacturer Dartslive. In the second season, he returns to Stern Bild City and rejoins the Hero TV group, being partnered with Blue Rose as part of the show's new buddy format. It is revealed that he returned to Stern Bild after being seriously wounded when going after Gregory Sunshine, developing abandonment issues from the other heroes leaving him to die. He has a pet iguana named Molly, whom he cares greatly for, even keeping photos of her on his desk. ; / :Sponsors: Jungle, Tempstaff by PERSOL : : "The One Adorned in White Light," a new hero clad in white armor with an angel motif. A loner by nature who doesn't trust others, he keeps his distance from everyone, even his own partner, Mr. Black. He and his little sister, Ruby, were orphaned as children when their parents were killed in a car accident. They were placed in an orphanage and hoped to be adopted together, but ran away when they were to be separated, due to couples not wanting him because of his NEXT powers. Shortly after, Ruby was shot by a thief in the leg, and the two were taken back to the orphanage, where Ruby was eventually adopted, leaving Thomas behind. Thomas is
telekinetic, able to levitate and throw objects with his mind, but is limited in that he can only lift objects he could lift physically. He is noted to have great potential as a hero, being compared to Barnaby in terms of skill. His fans refer to him as "HIT" and are known as "Hitters." ; / :Sponsors: Jungle, S.H. Figuarts : :A hot-blooded yet arrogant 17 year old new hero, nicknamed the "Man in Black" for his black armor, Mr. Black possesses the power to create energy barriers limited in power and size by his ability to focus, frequently leaving him at a disadvantage due to his hotheaded and impulsive nature. He later develops his ability enough to form his barriers into different shapes such as a rod weapon or a multi-layered barrier. Subaru is enthusiastic about being a hero, but is initially disappointed with Sternbild's veteran heroes because he sees them as acting and being treated more like celebrities than the proper heroes he thinks they should be. He was once a hero in another city going by the name Hello Goodbye and dislikes his new name and costume. He is partnered with He Is Thomas. ; / :Sponsors: Odysseus Communication,
Marui,
LINE Manga Service : :A new hero dressed as a cat-themed
magical girl and nicknamed the "Magical Girl
Carnivoran" with the power to generate water from either her hands or her magic wand weapon. The strength of her power is linked to her emotional state, with fear and nervousness dramatically reducing the volume and pressure of the water she is able to generate. This frequently becomes an issue in the field, as Lara is timid and sensitive by nature. She is partnered with Dragon Kid. Being 14, she's youngest of all the heroes, and is raised by an overbearing single mother who attempts to manipulate her daughter into believing her colleagues, especially her partner/mentor Dragon Kid, are no more than vicious rivals that are intentionally trying to hold her back. == Antagonists ==