Food Wars is one of the most popular anime because of how it allowed us to see a different side to cooking. While a lot of people tend to love the exaggerated and somewhat ecchi side of this anime, it still is full of different content because of how it allows us to understand and appreciate cooking more and more. And a lot of people actually learned how to cook better due to this show. As such, let’s look at some of the most prominent characters in Food Wars.
| Name | Height | Weight | Birthday | Age | Relationships | Ethnicity | Specialty |
| Soma Yukihira | 173 cm | 57 kg | November 6 | 15 (start of anime), 18 (after BLUE), 25 (ending) | Joichirio Saiba (father), Tamako Yukihira (mother), Erina Nakiri (love interest) | Japanese | Creative and simple dishes |
| Erina Nakiri | 162 cm | – | June 30 | 15 (start of anime), 18 (after BLUE), 25 (ending) | Sonzaemon Nakiri (grandfather), Azami Nakamura (father), Mana Nakiri (mother), Asahi Nakiri (half-brother), Soe Nakiri (uncle), Leonora Nakiri (aunt), Alice Nakiri (cousin), Soma Yukihira (love interest), Hisako Arato (best friend | Japanese | Every dish because of her God Tongue |
| Megumi Tadokoro | 154 cm | – | December 19 | 15 (start of anime), 18 (after BLUE), 25 (ending) | – | Japanese | Vegetables and seafood |
| Takumi Aldini | 168 cm | 54 kg | July 19 | 15 (start of anime), 18 (after BLUE), 25 (ending) | Isami Aldini (twin brother) | Italian-Japanese | Italian |
| Akira Hayama | 177 cm | 63 kg | July 7 (as decided by Jun Shiomi) | 15 (start of anime), 18 (after BLUE), 25 (ending) | Jun Shiomi (legal guardian) | Probably Indian | Spices |
| Ryo Kurokiba | 179 cm | – | August 20 | 15 (start of anime), 18 (after BLUE), 25 (ending) | Alice Nakiri (companion) | Japanese raised in Scandinavia | Western food and seafood |
| Alice Nakiri | 173 cm | 57 kg | January 23 | 15 (start of anime), 25 (ending) | Sonzaemon Nakiri (grandfather), Soe Nakiri (father), Leonora Nakiri (mother), Azami Nakiri (uncle), Mana Nakiri (aunt), Erina Nakiri (cousin), Asahi Nakiri (cousin) | Danish-Japanese | Molecular gastronomy |
| Isami Aldini | 182 cm | Fluctuating | July 19 | 15 (start of anime), 18 (after BLUE), 25 (ending) | Takumi Aldini (twin brother) | Italian-Japanese | Italian |
| Hisako Arato | 173 cm | 57 kg | November 6 | 15 (start of anime), 18 (after BLUE), 25 (ending) | Erina Nakiri (best friend) | Japanese | Medicinal cooking |
| Joichiro Saiba | 183 cm | 57 kg | December 7 | 38 (start of anime), 41 (after BLUE), 48 (ending) | Tamako Yukihira (deceased wife), Soma Yukihira (son), Gin Dojima (best friend) | Japanese | Yukihira style cooking |
| Gin Dojima | 188 cm | 89 kg | April 3 | 38 (start of anime), 41 (after BLUE), 48 (ending) | Joichirio Saiba (best friend) | Japanese | – |
| Azami Nakamura | 176 cm | 67 kg | May 10 | 36 (start of anime), 39 (after BLUE), 45 (ending | Sonzaemon Nakiri (father in law), Mana Nakiri (wife), Erina Nakiri (daughter), Asahi Nakiri (son), Soe Nakiri (brother in law), Leonora Nakiri (sister in law), Alice Nakiri (niece) | Japanese | – |
| Kojiro Shinomiya | 185 cm | 65 kg | April 20 | 28 (when introduced) | – | Japanese | French dishes and vegetables |
| Satoshi Isshiki | 180 cm | – | May 2 | 17 (start of anime), 19 (after BLUE), 26 (ending) | – | Japanese | Traditional Japanese |
| Eishi Tsukasa | 176 cm | – | April 2 | 17 (start of anime), 20 (after BLUE), 27 (ending) | Rindo Kobayashi (companion) | Japanese | French |
| Rindo Kobayashi | 171 cm | 56 kg | October 15 | 17 (start of anime), 20 (after BLUE), 27 (ending) | Eishi Tsukasa (companion) | Japanese | Exotic ingredients |
| Ikumi Mito | 163 cm | – | May 4 | 15 (start of anime), 18 (after BLUE), 25 (ending | – | Japanese | Meat and donburi |
| Terunori Kuga | – | – | May 27 | 19 (after BLUE), 26 (ending) | – | Chinese-Japanese | Chinese cuisine |
| Etsuya Eizan | 178 cm | – | September 26 | 16 (start of anime), 19 (after BLUE), 26 (ending) | – | Japanese | Dishes that disrupt the flavor of his opponents’ dishes |
| Asahi Nakiri | 175 cm | 62 kg | August 2 | 19 (debut), 21 (after Blue), 28 (ending) | Sonzaemon Nakiri (grandfather), Azami Nakamura (father), Soe Nakiri (uncle), Leonora Nakiri (aunt), Alice Nakiri (cousin), Erina Nakiri (half-sister), Joichirio Saiba (mentor) | American-Japanese | All-around |
1. Soma Yukihira
Height: 173 cm
Weight: 57 kg
Birthday: November 6
Age: 15 (start of anime), 18 (after BLUE), 25 (ending)
Relationships: Joichirio Saiba (father), Tamako Yukihira (mother), Erina Nakiri (love interest)
Ethnicity: Japanese
Specialty: Creative and simple dishes
Character Information: Soma Yukihira is the main character of the Food Wars manga and anime. He is introduced as a brash, confident, and creative young man who never backs away from a cooking challenge because he is used to losing to his father, who he has never beaten in hundreds of cooking battles. He grew up learning how to cook by shadowing and eventually helping out his father in their small and simple diner. Soma attended Totsuki and lived in the Polar Star dormitory together with the other main characters.
Because of his humble upbringing, Soma specializes in creating dishes that are simple and affordable but are creatively done using an ingenious way of using different ingredients to bring the flavor out. He has done this to defeat the best young chefs on the show and even went on to become the 1st seat of the Totsuki Elite Ten Council. Soma never graduated from Totsuki because he decided to follow in his father’s footsteps by traveling the world to learn different cooking styles.
2. Erina Nakiri
Height: 162 cm
Weight: –
Birthday: June 30
Age: 15 (start of anime), 18 (after BLUE), 25 (ending),
Relationships: Sonzaemon Nakiri (grandfather), Azami Nakamura (father), Mana Nakiri (mother), Asahi Nakiri (half-brother), Soe Nakiri (uncle), Leonora Nakiri (aunt), Alice Nakiri (cousin), Soma Yukihira (love interest), Hisako Arato (best friend)
Ethnicity: Japanese
Specialty: Every dish because of her God Tongue
Character Information: Arguably the most talented chef on the entire show, Erina Nakiri was a born prodigy due in large part to her status as the heir-apparent of the Nakiri clan, which controlled Totsuki Academy. However, her true strength lies in the fact that she was born with the God Tongue, which allowed her to taste any dish to the highest degree and in such a way that she could immediately make out the ingredients of the dish and how well the ingredients were used.
At the start, Erina was shown to be an obnoxious and spoiled rich kid who never acknowledged Soma’s talent and hard work. But after learning that Soma is the son of Joichiro Saiba, who she grew up admiring, and after she learned how willing Soma was to defend her, Erina eventually accepted him and even fell in love with him. After the events of the war against Central, Erina rose from the 10th seat of the Totsuki Elite Ten Council to the Director of the entire Academy.
3. Megumi Tadokoro
Height: 154 cm
Weight: –
Birthday: –
Age: 15 (start of anime), 18 (after BLUE), 25 (ending)
Relationships: –
Ethnicity: Japanese
Specialty: Vegetables and seafood
Character Information: Megumi Tadakoro is one of the main supporting characters of Food Wars and is one of Soma’s closest friends and allies. Growing up in a small town, Megumi is a simple girl who had big dreams when she entered Totsuki and joined the Polar Star dormitory. But she started out as a dunce that nearly flunked out of Totsuki Academy because of her lack of confidence in her abilities.
It wasn’t until Megumi started hanging out with Soma and working with him while learning how to trust in her abilities that her cooking began to stand out. She eventually became a member of Totsuki’s Elite Ten Council after she and her other Rebel companions defeated Central.
4. Takumi Aldini
Height: 168 cm
Weight: 54 kg
Birthday: July 19
Age: 15 (start of anime), 18 (after BLUE), 25 (ending)
Relationships: Isami Aldini (twin brother)
Ethnicity: Italian-Japanese
Specialty: Italian
Character Information: Takumi Aldini is one of the main supporting characters of the series and started out as Soma’s self-proclaimed rival. He and his brother enrolled in Totsuki Academy so that they could grow as chefs and eventually run their family restaurant back in Italy. Takumi is also one of the most talented chefs of the 92ndgeneration of Totsuki chefs and is said to be more talented than his twin brother, Isami.
As the series went on, he eventually joined up with the Rebels to battle Central. Together with the other members of the Rebels, he was able to defeat the Central and the members of the Elite Ten Council to become a member of the council himself. Takumi became the 7th seat of the Elite Ten.
5. Akira Hayama
Height: 177 cm
Weight: 63 kg
Birthday: July 7 (as decided by Jun Shiomi)
Age: 15 (start of anime), 18 (after BLUE), 25 (ending)
Relationships: Jun Shiomi (legal guardian)
Ethnicity: Probably Indian
Specialty: Spices
Character Information: Akira Hayama started out as an orphan who was taken in by Jun Shiomi, an instructor and researcher at Totsuki, because of his sense of smell. He is one of the most talented chefs from the 92nd generation of Totsuki Academy and was one of only two students from the 92nd generation to ever beat Soma in a food war competition (the other being Erina). His talent comes from the fact that he has an acute sense of smell that he uses to his advantage when it comes to spices and in telling whether his ingredients are fresh or not.
After winning the Autumn Election, he eventually became one of Soma’s rivals. He went on to join Central during the Rebels vs. Central arc so that Jun Shiomi could keep her research lab. Akira was awarded the 9th seat for defecting to Central but went on to become the 4th seat when The Elite Ten Council was reconstructed under Erina’s regime as Director.
6. Ryo Kurokiba
Height: 179 cm
Weight: –
Birthday: August 20
Age: 15 (start of anime), 18 (after BLUE), 25 (ending)
Relationships: Alice Nakiri (companion)
Ethnicity: Japanese raised in Scandinavia
Specialty: Western food and seafood
Character Information: Arguably one of the top five students coming from the 92nd generation of Totsuki Academy students, Ryo doesn’t seem like a talented chef whenever he’s not in a competition. However, whenever he wears his headband and is cooking, his fiery nature comes out and becomes more competitive than anyone on the show.
Ryo’s talent comes from the fact that he grew up in the northern territories of Europe, where he learned how to cook seafood. He worked in a restaurant as a young boy, and that was when Alice Nakiri discovered him. Alice eventually unilaterally took Ryo in as her aide, and they’ve been inseparable ever since.
7. Alice Nakiri
Height: 173 cm
Weight: 57 kg
Birthday: January 23
Age: 15 (start of anime), 25 (ending)
Relationships: Sonzaemon Nakiri (grandfather), Soe Nakiri (father), Leonora Nakiri (mother), Azami Nakiri (uncle), Mana Nakiri (aunt), Erina Nakiri (cousin), Asahi Nakiri (cousin)
Ethnicity: Danish-Japanese
Specialty: Molecular gastronomy
Character Information: Alice Nakiri is Erina’s cousin and is also one of the best chefs of the 92nd generation of Totsuki Academy. As a child, she grew up with Erina in the Nakiri Estate but eventually moved to Denmark because of her parents’ work. This allowed her to learn a different side of cooking while in Europe.
In Europe, Alice learned the foundations of molecular gastronomy and incorporated them into her cooking. That’s why her cooking style takes on a more scientific approach. She also met Ryo in Europe and was so impressed by his cooking that she decided to take him in as her aide. Alice went on to become the 6th seat of the Elite Ten Council.
8. Isami Aldini
Height: 182 cm
Weight: Fluctuating
Birthday: July 19
Age: 15 (start of anime), 18 (after BLUE), 25 (ending)
Relationships: Takumi Aldini (twin brother)
Ethnicity: Italian-Japanese
Specialty: Italian
Character Information: Isami Aldini is Takumi’s twin brother, and that means that he also grew up learning how to cook by working in their family restaurant. Although not as talented as his brother, Isami’s true prowess shines whenever he is working in tandem with Takumi.
One of the running gags in the show is that Isami’s weight fluctuates depending on the time of the year. He is mostly fat throughout the entire year but slims down during the summer to greatly resemble Takumi, albeit being taller and having a different hairstyle.
9. Hisako Arato
Height: 173 cm
Weight: 57 kg
Birthday: November 6
Age: 15 (start of anime), 18 (after BLUE), 25 (ending)
Relationships: Erina Nakiri (best friend)
Ethnicity: Japanese
Specialty: Medicinal cooking
Character Information: Hisako Arato is first introduced as Erina Nakiri’s secretary, but she is actually also her best friend. As the closest ally of Erina, Hisako specializes in medicinal cooking because it allows her to help her best friend keep her strength up amidst her busy schedule as a member of the Elite Ten and, later, as the Director of Totsuki Academy.
At first, she also didn’t like Soma’s brash style. However, when they worked together during an internship, she eventually recognized Soma’s talents and hardworking nature to the point that she began admiring him.
10. Joichiro Saiba
Height: 183 cm
Weight: 57 kg
Birthday: December 7
Age: 38 (start of anime), 41 (after BLUE), 48 (ending)
Relationships: Tamako Yukihira (deceased wife), Soma Yukihira (son), Gin Dojima (best friend)
Ethnicity: Japanese
Specialty: Yukihira style cooking
Character Information: Joichiro Saiba is Soma Yukihira’s father and was later revealed to be a legendary chef that might have been the greatest that Totsuki has seen in a while. He was so good during his time in Totsuki that it didn’t take him long to become the 2nd seat of the Elite Ten Council. Joichiro could have been the 1st seat, but he didn’t want the paperwork that came with it. And he was also the chef that Totsuki sent to numerous competitions during his time with them.
Eventually, Joichiro Saiba left Totsuki because he got too burnt out with trying to be the best at everything. He decided to travel the world without even graduating from Totsuki. This allowed him to learn more about the world of cooking and meet Tamako Yukihira, who he fell in love and started a restaurant with. As the one running the Yukihira eatery, Joichiro uses simple ingredients for his dishes and brings out the best in them with his technique and ingenuity as a chef.
11. Gin Dojima
Height: 188 cm
Weight: 89 kg
Birthday: April 3
Age: 38 (start of anime), 41 (after BLUE), 48 (ending)
Relationships: Joichirio Saiba (best friend)
Ethnicity: Japanese
Specialty: –
Character Information: Gin Dojima is another legendary chef who was once one of the best student-chefs that Totsuki Academy had to offer. He was one of the best chefs during his time with the school and, together with Soichiro and the other students of the Polar Star Dormitory, dominated the academy. He is best friends with Soichiro and was the 1st seat of the Elite Ten Council because Saiba was too lazy to handle the paperwork involved with being the leader of the council
After graduating from Totsuki Academy, Gin Dojima went on to work as the head chef of the Totsuki Resorts. He also went on to become one of the figures that Soma and the other younger chefs looked up to during their entire time with Totsuki Academy.
12. Azami Nakamura
Height: 176 cm
Weight: 67 kg
Birthday: May 10
Age: 36 (start of anime), 39 (after BLUE), 45 (ending)
Relationships: Sonzaemon Nakiri (father in law), Mana Nakiri (wife), Erina Nakiri (daughter), Asahi Nakiri (son), Soe Nakiri (brother in law), Leonora Nakiri (sister in law), Alice Nakiri (niece)
Ethnicity: Japanese
Specialty: –
Character Information: Azami Nakamura was one of the most talented chefs during his time and was good enough to become the 3rd seat of the Elite Ten when he was a first-year student. That was the time when Joichiro and Gin were the top seats in the school. As a first-year student, he looked up to Joichiro and aimed to be as good as him. And he became so talented that the Nakiri family took him in and welcomed him as a part of the clan.
However, Joichiro leaving Totsuki affected Azami to the point that it changed the way he looked at cooking. He saw cooking as something that should be centralized instead of something that should be free and expressive, and that’s why he took over Totsuki Academy and established Central. Azami was eventually defeated by the Rebels but made amends with the Nakiri family. He also had an unnamed fling that resulted in Asahi Nakiri’s birth.
13. Kojiro Shinomiya
Height: 185 cm
Weight: 65 kg
Birthday: April 20
Age: 28 (when introduced)
Relationships: –
Ethnicity: Japanese
Specialty: French dishes and vegetables
Character Information: Kojiro Shinomiya was first introduced as one of the judges during the Training Camp arc in the Totsuki Resorts. He was portrayed to be a strict and harsh judge that looked down on the students who weren’t on his level. However, he eventually became a good mentor to both Soma and Megumi later in the series.
Back when he was a student, Kojiro was the 1st seat of the Elite Ten Council. He worked hard as a no-name chef in France and eventually became one of the best chefs there to the point that it allowed him to establish a branch of his restaurant in Japan.
14. Satoshi Isshiki
Height: 180 cm
Weight: –
Birthday: May 2
Age: 17 (start of anime), 19 (after BLUE), 26 (ending)
Relationships: –
Ethnicity: Japanese
Specialty: Traditional Japanese
Character Information: Satoshi Isshiki is one of the students staying in the Polar Star Dormitory and was the 7thseat of the Elite Ten Council during Soma’s first year in Totsuki Academy. He is portrayed as a fun-loving and free-spirited character who often likes stripping down to his underwear. However, he is a beast in the kitchen and is one of the few people who defeated Soma, although in an unofficial battle.
When he joined the Rebels in their fight against Central, he was ousted from his position as the 7th seat. However, after the Elite Ten Council was reorganized, he became the 2nd seat in the council during his third year in the school.
15. Eishi Tsukasa
Height: 176 cm
Weight: –
Birthday: April 2
Age: 17 (start of anime), 20 (after BLUE), 27 (ending)
Relationships: Rindo Kobayashi (companion)
Ethnicity: Japanese
Specialty: French
Character Information: Introduced later in the series, Eishi Tsukasa used to be the 1st seat in the Elite Ten Council before Central was defeated. He is one of the best chefs on the show and was good enough to completely dominate Soma in their first battle. Eishi specializes in French cuisine.
Although he may have been one of Soma’s rivals, he is portrayed as a timid character when he’s not in the kitchen. However, Eishi’s personality completely changes whenever he’s in the kitchen because he turns into a serious and seemingly unbeatable chef thanks to his mastery over his fine techniques.
16. Rindo Kobayashi
Height: 171 cm
Weight: 56 kg
Birthday: October 15
Age: 17 (start of anime), 20 (after BLUE), 27 (ending)
Relationships: Eishi Tsukasa (companion)
Ethnicity: Japanese
Specialty: Exotic ingredients
Character Information: Rindo Kobayashi is one of the antagonists during the Rebels vs. Central arc as she teamed up with Eishi in a tandem food war versus the duo of Soma and Erina. However, before that, she was portrayed to be a fun-loving and adventurous girl who adored trying out different dishes. And this personality reflects in her mastery of exotic dishes.
Together with Eishi, Rindo is one of the best chefs in Totsuki Academy, especially considering that she earned the 2nd seat in the Elite Ten Council. She has been friends with Eishi for a very long time and has been his best friend and longtime companion for as long as any of them can remember.
17. Ikumi Mito
Height: 163 cm
Weight: –
Birthday: May 4
Age: 15 (start of anime), 18 (after BLUE), 25 (ending)
Relationships: –
Ethnicity: Japanese
Specialty: Meat and donburi
Character Information: Ikumi Mito is one of the major supporting characters of the series but was first introduced as an antagonist when she was asked by Erina to deal with Soma in a food war. However, thanks to Soma, she eventually became one of the friends of the main group of characters.
Thanks to her family owning one of the biggest meat distribution companies in Japan, Ikumi Mito is a master of using meat in her dishes. She often uses A5 Wagyu in her dishes because she believed that using only the best kind of meat could bring out the flavor of any meat-based dish.
18. Terunori Kuga
Height: –
Weight: –
Birthday: May 27
Age: 19 (after BLUE), 26 (ending)
Relationships: –
Ethnicity: Chinese-Japanese
Specialty: Chinese cuisine
Character Information: Terunori Kuga was first introduced as a rival to Soma during the Moon Banquet Festival Arc because Soma challenged his booth to see who could sell more dishes. He is also the president of the Chinese Cuisine Research Society in Totsuki Academy because of his amazing control over Chinese dishes.
When he was first introduced, Kuga held the 8th seat of the Elite Ten Council but was subsequently ousted from his position when he opposed Azami’s leadership. That was when he joined up with the Rebels to defeat Central. Kuga went on to become the 3rd seat of the Elite Ten Council after the Rebels defeated Central.
19. Etsuya Eizan
Height: 178 cm
Weight: –
Birthday: September 26
Age: 16 (start of anime), 19 (after BLUE), 26 (ending)
Relationships: –
Ethnicity: Japanese
Specialty: Dishes that disrupt the flavor of his opponents’ dishes
Character Information: Etsuya Eizan was introduced as one of the first major antagonists of the series, and his status as an antagonist continued until the Rebels vs. Central Arc, where he was one of the members of Central. He first butted heads with Soma when he became interested in the first-year student’s exploits as a chef.
While Eizan is more of a skilled businessman than a chef, there’s a good reason why he was a member of the Elite Ten Council. He was first introduced as the 9th seat of the council and specialized in dishes that allowed him to negate the flavor of his opponents’ dishes through the use of chemistry. That is why he was nicknamed “The Alchemist.” Eizan eventually became the 8th seat as a member of Central and then the 7th seat when Erina was already the Director of Totsuki Academy.
20. Asahi Nakiri
Height: 175 cm
Weight: 62 kg
Birthday: August 2
Age: 19 (debut), 21 (after Blue), 28 (ending)
Relationships: Sonzaemon Nakiri (grandfather), Azami Nakamura (father), Soe Nakiri (uncle), Leonora Nakiri (aunt), Alice Nakiri (cousin), Erina Nakiri (half-sister), Joichirio Saiba (mentor)
Ethnicity: American-Japanese
Specialty: All-around
Character Information: Asahi Nakiri was the final antagonist of the entire Food Wars manga and anime and was first introduced as a new professor at Totsuki Academy during Soma’s second year in the school. He was also good enough to defeat Soma in a food war, as he revealed his intentions of taking Erina as his wife (without knowing that she’s his sister). It was also revealed prior to that event that he defeated Joichiro in a food war to take his knife.
Joichiro actually met Asahi when he was traveling in America and took the child in as an apprentice during the time when the young boy was still in an orphanage. However, Asahi got hurt when Joichiro told him that he would stop traveling for good so that he could look after Soma. Asahi eventually used his skills as a chef to take over Les Cuisiniers Noirs, an underground group of chefs. After Soma defeated him in BLUE, it was revealed that he was actually the illegitimate son of Azami Nakiri, who had an affair with an unnamed woman during his time in America.