Template:Infobox player Tsubasa Ozora (大空 翼, Ōzora Tsubasa) is the main character of the Captain Tsubasa series. His name translates to "Big Sky Wings". He started as a forward during the "Kids' Dream" arc, but since then Tsubasa has always played as a midfielder.
The series follows Tsubasa growth as a Football (Soccer) player as he faces several challenges and rivals, from elementary school to his professional career in FC Barcelona for La Liga.
Story
Tsubasa at a very young age, before he was able to walk upright.
Captain Tsubasa Arc
Tsubasa Ozora is known as the Heaven-sent Child of Soccer. At the beginning of the series, Tsubasa, a lonely but not embittered boy obsessed with soccer, was an elementary school student who had just moved to the city of Nankatsu with his mother. As revealed by his mother, Tsubasa had been saved by his soccer ball in a truck accident when he was barely able to walk, Tsubasa had held the football in front of him which served as a cushion for most of the impact. The force of the bump blew him away, but he was able to right himself over again with the ball. Hence, Tsubasa Ozora's motto is "The ball is my friend". Because his former school did not have a football team, the Ozora family thus decided to move to Nankatsu, in order for Tsubasa to join Shutetsu elementary school, which was the national soccer champion.
Immediately upon arrival, he set out to explore the new city, and arrived at the local soccer field where the players of Nankatsu elementary school, led by Ryo Ishizaki, were quarreling with those of Shutetsu elementary school over who got to use the field. Genzo Wakabayashi stated that because Shutetsu crushed Nankatsu last time they met, victory had given them the right to use the field. Knowing that help was needed, Ishizaki went so far as bringing even the middle school varsity teams to aid him. Wakabayashi, fed up with the verbal exchange of words, issued a challenge. Each captain from a different sport would have a chance at scoring from outside the penalty area. All they needed was one goal and Wakabayashi and his team would leave the field. However, none of them managed to do that. Disgraced at being beaten, the captains of the teams told Ishizaki to just give up on the football field. Impressed with Shutetsu's genius goalkeeper Genzo Wakabayashi, Tsubasa resolved to challenge him to a duel. Tsubasa approached Ishizaki and asked him where Wakabayashi's house is, because he wanted a duel with the keeper. Ishizaki was shocked but led Tsubasa anyway to a hill where he pointed the mansion where Wakabayashi lived. Ishizaki went on explaining about how Wakabayashi was so good nobody scored a single goal against him during the last national championship, only to found out Tsubasa wasn't listening to a single word he was saying as he was busy writing a challenge on his soccer ball. Tsubasa then kicked the ball towards the direction of the mansion. The ball soared high and promptly landed into the hands of Wakabayashi, who was currently in the middle of a practice session with his personal coach/trainer Tatsuo Mikami. As Wakabayashi was reading the challenge, a mysterious man trespassed into the mansion's grounds and confirmed to Wakabayashi that he followed the ball which was kicked from the hill far-away. Wakabayashi concluded that his challenger was a kid like himself, based on the terrible handwriting on the ball, much to the shock of Mikami and the mysterious man. The three of them then headed out to the football field. As they rounded the corner, they saw Ishizaki and Tsubasa on the other side of the street. Ishizaki shouted out to Wakabayashi, pointing at Tsubasa that this was his challenger. Wakabayashi could not believe this small child was the one responsible for the powerful shoot a while ago, so he kicked the ball towards Tsubasa. However Tsubasa easily kicked the ball straight upward. As the ball started to fall and Tsubasa prepared to return the ball, a bus passed by. Ishizaki told Tsubasa to stop or he would hit the bus, but Tsubasa proceeded with his shoot, making the ball go under the bus, right into Wakabayashi's arms. This is the beginning of a lifetime friendship and rivalry between the two of them.
Vector artwork of Tsubasa.
The mysterious man turned out to be Roberto Hongo, a former member of the Brazil national football team and a friend of Tsubasa's father. After observing the duel, Roberto was impressed with Tsubasa and became his mentor. Joining Nankatsu school's soccer team, Tsubasa met Taro Misaki with whom he formed such a perfect combination that the two of them was called "The Golden Combi", and chief supporter Sanae Nakazawa who soon developed a crush on him. Chosen for the city's team in the national championship, Tsubasa and his friends face strong rivals such as Kojiro Hyuga, who will remain one of Tsubasa's strongest rivals in Japan, Ken Wakashimazu, Jun Misugi and Hikaru Matsuyama. Tsubasa eventually won against them to become the junior national tournament's champion, however he could not go to Brazil with Roberto, as the latter secretly left alone.
Boys' Fight - National middle school tournament
Three years later, Tsubasa, along with his old companions, already won the national middle school tournament twice. He was seeking to get a third consecutive championship (V3) in the next tournament. However, many of his old rivals were on his way to the title this time, especially Kojiro Hyuga, who was eager to win after two defeats against Tsubasa. In addition, there are also new talented players such as Shun Nitta, Makoto Soda, Hiroshi Jito and Mitsuru Sano. Their goal was to destroy Nankatsu's dream of getting a V3 and win the title for themselves. During the tournament, Tsubasa was seriously injured on his shoulder and leg, but thanks to his determination and his newly learned technique, the Drive Shoot, he managed to lead his team to the finals, where Nankatsu and Toho faced each other for the title for the third time in a row. After extra time, none of the rivals was able to emerge as the winner, and the game ended with a 4-4 draw, with both teams declared as the winner.
J Boys' Challenge - International Jr. Youth Tournament
As Tsubasa was injured during the national middle school tournament, he was unable to participate in All Japan's training camp. He was only able to join while All Japan were having a practice match against Hamburg, however Hyuga and Matsuyama didn't allow him to play, saying that it would be unfair for all the players that joined the training camp but weren't selected. Without Tsubasa, All Japan lost against Hamburg and Bremen. After that, All Japan were supposed to have another match against Italy, however upon seeing All Japan's match against Bremen, Italy decided that Japan were not a worthy opponent to play against and boycotted the match. Angered by that, Tsubasa challenged Italy, got past all of them and then scored. Tsubasa was acknowledged after that and was allowed to play. All Japan won the 3 remaining practice matches, and Matsuyama decided to give the captain mark to Tsubasa, saying that Tsubasa is the one best suited for it. Against all odds, Tsubasa and All Japan defeated Italy and Argentina to advance to the knockout stage, and then France and West Germany to become champion. Later, Tsubasa went to Brazil for his dream.
Battle of World Youth
Prior to the World Youth arc, right before Tsubasa was about to leave Japan to go to Brazil, a boy named Shingo Aoi arrived at the airport to wish Tsubasa luck. Tsubasa remembered the "Number 12 of Nakahara", a team that Nankatsu faced before, and gave Aoi three coins (25 cents, 10 Franc, 100 yen), which the latter took as luck charms. Tsubasa, along with Pepe, a boy he meet during the selection test of São Paulo FC, got chosen into São Paulo's Youth team. Some time later, Tsubasa advanced to the top team. Tsubasa returned to Japan once after leaving for 3 years to play against Netherlands Youth. He went back to Brazil again soon after that, in order to compete against Carlos Santana and CR Flamengo. Even though Santana used superior techniques to Tsubasa during the match, his emotionless soccer was not able to defeat Tsubasa's soccer.
Tsubasa returned to Japan for a second time right before the beginning of the World Youth's Asian preliminaries. However upon arriving at the training camp, Tsubasa learned a shocking truth that Japan's new coach, Minato Gamo, forced 7 players - Hyuga, Misaki, Soda, Jito, Nitta, and the Tachibana twins - to leave the team, Wakashimazu also left after a quarrel with the former coach Mikami about the regular goal keeper position, and the remaining players were exhausted after Gamo's severe training. Katagiri said that Tsubasa was the only one able to play a match then, however Tsubasa asked the ones who hadn't given up on their dreams to get up, which all of the players did right after that.
During the first round of the Asian preliminaries, because all players except Tsubasa were covered in bruises as a result of the severe training, Japan faced some difficulties in the first two matches, even though they managed to win in the end. In the third match, however, they had to face a strong opponent, Thailand Youth. Japan managed to scored the first goal thanks to Misaki's video, but Thailand quickly dominated the match after that and scored four goals in return. Tsubasa even had to leave the field on a stretcher because of the play of Thailand's captain, Bunnark. However, thanks to the arrival of Wakabayashi and Aoi, and Tsubasa returning to the field, Japan reversed the score and advanced to the second round.
Tsubasa and Sanae's wedding party
Tsubasa kissed Sanae
Family
Tsubasa's father, Koudai Ozora, works as a marine captain and is at sea most of the time, so he was brought up by his mother, Natsuko. However, he has a much younger brother, Daichi (who was seemingly born after he left Japan). This also explains his strong attachment to Roberto Hongo, whom he sees as an idol and most likely as a sort-of secondary father figure. After the World Youth, Tsubasa marries his long time girlfriend and Nankatsu's team manager, Sanae Nakazawa, who is currently pregnant. In the Millennium Dream (a special concerning the Olympic Games which is supposedly something Sanae dreamt), the Ozora - Nakazawa couple have two boys: Hayate and Daibu.
Special techniques
- Overhead Kick: The first technique Tsubasa ever learned from Roberto Hongo. The shots main advantage is the speed and angle gained from his position.
- Off the Bar Overhead Kick: The original shot Roberto showed Tsubasa was a shot off the top bar of the goal that you'd hit back into the net as a follow up. Though this shot isn't used as much as the other Overhead variations Tsubasa had, its usually used as a sign of respect from Tsubasa to Roberto during matches.
- Rolling Overhead Kick: An adaption of the regular Overhead where Tsubasa spin as he is jumping towards the ball. Tsubasa saw Brazilian player Santana use this technique against him in before the World Youth, He begins to adapt it into his play more-so then his other copied techniques.
- Soccer Prodigy: Tsubasa's ability to copy and adapt any techniques he sees his opponents do into his soccer (like Carlos Santana's Santana Turn, Stefan Levin's Aurora Feint...). Though not named directly, whenever he does this his prodigy is remarked on by the spectators.
- Drive Shoot: Tsubasa's signature shot. Instead of the classic sideways spin put on a curving shot like Misaki's Boomerang Shoot, the Drive Shoot uses a forward spin to propel the ball downward at the net. Because of the shot's nature, it works best as a long shot since Tsubasa can shoot the ball over his opponents head while the shot retains the power and directional correction needed to go in the goal.
- Drive Overhead: The combination of Overhead Kick and Drive Shoot. Tsubasa gets in the position to perform an Overhead Kick, then applies Drive Shoot's rotating effect on the ball.
- Flying Drive Shoot: A Drive Shoot with an off center spin on the shot. The different spin causes the the ball to fall not in a straight line like the drive shot, but at a diagonal, making the ball harder to catch.
- Drive Pass
- Sky Dive Shoot: After Misaki's Injury before the World Youth finals, Tsubasa realized that in order to replace his eternal friend and partner, he need a 100% sure fire shot that would always go in the goal. His answer was the Sky Dive Shoot. The shot is a full power charge in which Tsubasa runs into the goal with the ball. Roberto calls this technique a failure since its a solo play made only by Tsubasa. This weakness was overcome in the match against Brazil when the entire team dove with Tsubasa to force the goalie back and score.
- Sky Wing Shoot: Originally a technique created by Roberto, it was the final shot Roberto taught Tsubasa before the World Youth. The shot is the same as that of Hyuga Kojiro's Raiju Shoot in that it spins up after being shot (The opposite of the drive shot). The irony of the technique's name is that when Roberto named the shot while he was still a pro, he christened it the Ozora no Tsubasa, holding the name of Tsubasa himself in it.
- Heel Lift
- Golden Combi
- Jumping Raiju Shoot (with Hyuga)
- Senko Raiju Shoot (with Hyuga and Misaki)
Games exclusive
- Cyclone (Captain Tsubasa 2 , 3, 4 and 5): By sending the ball straight upwards, applying back spin to it, and as it comes down, applying the power of the Drive Shoot to the ball when it's near the ground, Tsubasa managed to reproduce the shot of the legendary player, Jairo. As the game series progress, Tsubasa create different variations of the shot in order to improve it.
- Neo Cyclone (Captain Tsubasa 3 and 4): Since the old Cyclone made a great impact on the leg, Tsubasa create this variation of the shot, using the back of the foot, to decreased the damage taken to his leg.
- Heel Lift Cyclone (Captain Tsubasa 4 and 5)
- Boost Cyclone (Captain Tsubasa 5): A no-trap version of the Cyclone, that applies the spin rotation made by a special pass into a powerful shoot.
- Clip Jump (Captain Tsubasa 4 and 5)
- Clip Tackle (Captain Tsubasa 5)
- Banana Shoot (MCD)
Gallery
.jpg "Tsubasa Genzo Hyuga (Road to 2002).jpg (117 KB)")
Trivia
- His name, like most of the characters, was altered in Latin American and Brazilian dub. He's called Oliver Atom (Atton)/Tsubasa in the Latin American/Brazilian version of Captain Tsubasa J and Oliver Tsubasa Ozora (a mix of his original and adapted name) in Road to 2002's Brazilian dub. He's known as Oliver Atom (Atton) in some European dubs, and Majed in the Arabic dub.
- So far, Tsubasa had lost only one game in his life, the opening game of the 6th Yomiuri Land tournament against vs Meiwa FC. Meiwa won 7 - 6 thanks to Sawada's decisive goal from his last second shot. All of Tsubasa's other games ended in victories or draws.
- His name, Tsubasa (翼) means wing and his surname Ozora (大空) means large sky.