Seishun Gakuen Middle School, 3rd Year - Class 1 - Seat 12
Primary School: Seiharudai Daiichi Elementary School
Birthdate: October 7
Zodiac: Libra
Best Subject: World History
Worst Subject: None
Position in Club: Captain
Committee: Student Council President
Favorite Place to Visit at School: Library
Relatives: Father- Tezuka Kuniharu; Mother- Tezuka Ayana; Grandfather- Tezuka Kunikazu
Play Style: All-rounder
Dominant Hand: Left
Special Moves: Zero Shiki Drop Shot, Tezuka Zone
Height: 179cm
Blood Type: O
Favorite Shoes: Mizuno (Wave Dual Lite <6KW93009>)
Favorite Racket: Mizuno (Pro Light S90)
Signature Techniques: Drop Shot, Zero Shiki Drop Shot, Muga no Kyouchi, Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami, Saikikanpatsu no Kiwami, Tezuka Zone, Tezuka Phantom, Zero Shiki Serve
Favorite Subject: World History
Favorite Color: Blue and Green
Favorite Food: Grilled eel with special sauce over it
Hobby: Mountain climbing, fishing, camping
Spends Allowance On: Book fees
Favorite Quote: "Yudan sezu ni ikou" (Don't let your guard down.)
Favorite Foods: Unacha
Favorite Movies: Famous classics regardless of whether they're Japanese or foreign
Favorite Book: Western books
Favorite Music: Classical (Beethoven)
Favorite Date Spot: Fishing in the streams on a mountain
Most Desired Item: A photo book of famous mountains in the world
Daily Routine: Writing in his journal
Things he doesn’t like: Neglecting one's work
Other Special Skills: Woodwork
Father’s Occupation: Office worker (Trading) (Grandfather's a policeman and knows taekwondo)
Kunimitsu Tezuka is the captain of Seishun Academy's ("Seigaku" for short) tennis team. He is considered a National-level tennis player. As the captain, he is very serious and strict in enforcing order within his team. Tezuka encourages the series' protagonist, Ryoma Echizen, to develop his own style of tennis, leading the latter to consider him both a mentor and a rival. Throughout the series, Tezuka constantly struggles with the pain in his left arm, which was caused by an injury inflicted upon him by an upperclassman two years prior. However, he often sacrifices his arm to defeat opponents and lead his team to the Nationals.
Background:
Kunimitsu Tezuka is introduced as the serious and strict third-year captain of Seishun Academy's tennis club. He gives Ryoma Echizen a chance to become a regular by allowing him to participate in the Intraschool Rankings Tournament. Despite being known as Seigaku's "strongest man," he initially remains on the sidelines during tournaments. Though he secretly challenges and defeats Ryoma in an unofficial match, his true skills are first shown during an Intraschool Ranking match against Inui.
Three years prior to the start of the story, a young Tezuka showed up after the Junior Tennis Tournament and easily beat the tournament's runner-up, Genichiro Sanada. The tournament champion, Seiichi Yukimura, challenged Tezuka to a match, but the winner is not revealed.
After entering Seishun Academy, Tezuka was seen as overconfident and arrogant by the upperclassmen due to his talents and seriousness, especially when they discovered that he was left-handed even though he played with his right. A jealous teammate then injured Tezuka's left arm, leading to chronic problems and his sealing of Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami, a technique requiring the use of his left arm. Still, because of his skills, he was recognized by captain Yudai Yamato, who convinced Tezuka to become Seigaku's "pillar of support." This, along with the promise he made with teammate Shuichiro Oishi, encouraged him to stay in the tennis club. Shusuke Fuji later requested a match against Tezuka, and though Tezuka was defeated, Fuji was displeased with the outcome after finding out about Tezuka's injury. The two promised to play each other once again after Tezuka's arm completely heals.
After a while, Tezuka became a team regular despite being a freshman. By his second year, he became the team's vice-captain and defeated Hyotei Academy's captain in the Tokyo Prefectural Tournament. He was invited to the Junior Senbatsu tennis training camp but declined due to his arm problems returning.
The first serious official tournament match he plays is against Hyotei's captain, Keigo Atobe. Though the return of Tezuka's arm injury causes him to collapse in pain, he refuses to give up. After a long and tedious tie-break, the game ends with Atobe victorious, marking Tezuka's first loss in an official singles match. Tezuka then decides to go to Kyushu to receive medical treatment for his injuries at a health clinic near Seishun University. While Tezuka overcomes his fear of feeling the pain in his shoulder, he continues to support his team, sometimes discussing the team's lineup for upcoming matches over the phone.
In the anime, Tezuka recovers at a renowned sports clinic in Germany at Ryuzaki Sumire’s recommendation. He plays one last match against Ryoma before he leaves, using his right hand for the whole match. Tezuka takes time to adapt his Tezuka Zone for his right hand and finishes Ryoma off with a right-handed Zero-Shiki Drop Shot, challenging Ryoma to adapt to a player who can evolve during the match.
He returns right before the National Tournament, where he unseals his Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami to defeat Higa Middle School's captain, Eishiro Kite. Tezuka goes on to defeat Hyotei’s Munehiro Kabaji. In the National semi-finals, despite it being a doubles match, Tezuka plays one-on-one against Shitenhoji’s Senri Chitose. After unveiling his new Zero-Shiki Serve and revealing that he has opened Saiki Kanpatsu no Kiwami, Tezuka wins.
Before the final match of the tournament against Rikkai Junior High School, Tezuka tells Oishi that he plans to go to Germany to become a professional tennis player after this tournament. During his match against Genichiro Sanada, Tezuka unveils his Tezuka Phantom, however, this, combined with the continuous use of the Zero-Shiki Serve, damages Tezuka’s arm, creating a weakness which Sanada soon uses to his advantage. A cord ball by Tezuka results in Sanada’s victory. However, in the end, after Ryoma’s win against Rikkai’s captain Seiichi Yukimura, Tezuka finally achieves his goal of turning Seishun Academy into the National champions and smiles for the first time.
Some time later, Tezuka, along with the rest of the Seigaku regulars as well as several other middle schoolers, were invited to the Under-17 Training Camp, where he, along with his fellow middle schoolers, were placed in a tie-breaker style elimination match. Tezuka paired up with his protege, Kaido Kaoru, and tried to convey the message of being the next captain of Seigaku, defeating him 7-0.
