Ryunosuke Umemiya
Birthday: December 24, 1980
Zodiac: Capricorn
Blood Type: O
Ryunosuke Umemiya—better known as "Wooden Sword" Ryu—is one of Shaman King's most memorable side characters, though he goes by Rio in the English dub. His nickname references his weapon of choice: a wooden sword, or bokutou, which he carries into battle.
You'd spot Ryu immediately in a crowd. He's obsessed with 1970s fashion and leans hard into the aesthetic: crisp white suits paired with dark shirts featuring massive collars, oversized cuffs, and lapels that seem to belong on a completely different person. His pointy shoes complete the disco-era look. When he fights, he strips down to a sleeveless vest-style shirt (which leaves his stomach exposed) and loose pants that balloon out above the ankles. But the real showstopper is his foot-long pompadour—a glorious hair achievement that unfortunately has a tragic habit of getting sliced off by You Asakura and basically anyone else he crosses swords with.
In the English version, Ryu speaks with a Hispanic accent, which adds another layer of charm to his ridiculous but endearing character.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
