Kai Hiwatari

Infobox animanga character
name = Kai Hiwatari
series = Beyblade


caption = Kai, as he appears in Beyblade G-Revolution.
first =
last =
creator =
voiced by = Urara Takano (Japanese)
David Reale (English)
oaux1 name = Kei Kaido
oaux1 = Kai Hiwatari
born = 2nd August
age = Season One: 13 (English version)/ 12 (original japanese version),Season Two: 14 (English version)/ 13 (original Japanese version),Season Three: 15 (English version)/ 14(original Japanese version.)
aux1 name = Bit-beast
aux1 = Dranzer (Suzaku)
Birthday =
Height =

nihongo|Kai Hiwatari|火渡カイ|"Hiwatari Kai" is a fictional character from the "Beyblade" manga and anime series. His Japanese name, taken from the V-Force Manga, is read as Kei Kaido.

He is the captain of the Team BBA (Bladebreakers in the dub) throughout most of the anime series and the keeper of the phoenix bit-beast Dranzer, or in the original Japanese version, Suzaku, the phoenix god of the South in Chinese/Japanese legend.

Kai is voiced by David Reale in the English dub and by Urara Takano in the original.

Biography

First season

Kai appears in the end of the very first episode of the show; at the time Kai is the team captain of the Blade Sharks (a group of beybladers that terrorize others who play the game by defeating them and stealing their blades), as well as the Beyblade world champion. Tyson Granger, the main protagonist of "Beyblade" and Kai meet after one of Kai's 'underlings', Carlos, loses to him. Kai defeats Tyson as easily as Tyson did Carlos, though he does not use his bit beast for this victory. Later on, Kai kidnaps Tyson's genius friend Kenny, and is challenged by Tyson for his freedom. The fierce battle ends in a tie thanks to Tyson's new bit-beast, Dragoon. Kai releases Kenny anyway and leaves. No further confrontation occurs between Kai and Tyson until the Regional Tournament, in which Kai participates and defeats many of Tyson's friends on the way to the finals, including Max Tate.

In the finals, Kai and Tyson battle a close match but Tyson wins. After the battle the director of the BBA, Mr. Dickenson, offers Kai a position as team captain of the Bladebreakers, due to Kai's position as world champion and his great experience in the sport. Though Kai is unconvinced, his pride pushes him into accepting leadership. The team goes on to win the Asian and American tournaments (with little participation of Kai); they also defeat the top European team: The Majestics. At this match, Kai plays a significant role, defeating Johnny.

At the World Championship, after visiting Balkov Abbey, Kai begins acting strangely. In a bold step, he leaves the Bladebreakers and joins with his grandfather Voltaire, and his team, the Demolition Boys. Here, Kai reunites with a powerful bit beast he had become enraptured with as a child; the seemingly perfect Black Dranzer. With this new bit beast Kai is able to get the Demolition Boys all the way to the finals. Before these, Kai issues a challenge to his former team, even sending a helicopter to escort them to the frozen Lake Baikal. There, Kai battles Tyson, Ray, and Kenny, overwhelming them all with his power. Just when Tyson's Dragoon blade seems about to be demolished, Max arrives on the scene with his brand new, much stronger Draciel blade. Tyson takes the opportunity to launch Kai's abandoned Dranzer blade, and Dranzer's anger, as well as the combined determination of Ray, Tyson and Max, pushes Kai into realizing the true power of friendship. The ice begins to crack, but Kai, frozen in realization of his pride, refuses to move. It is only after a few words of support from his team that he sheds a tear and allows them to pull him back onto solid ground. After this near-death experience Kai acknowledges his role as leader of a great team and rejoins the Bladebreakers for the championships.

He reveals the profound impact that the encounter upon the ice has had on him when he loses to Spencer of the Demolition Boys. Rather than rail against his loss, he graciously accepts defeat and manages to come out smiling. Proving his new-found team spirit over the last few episodes of the season, Kai offers Ray the words of advice and support needed to ensure the Bladebreakers the win they desperately need, before later helping Tyson to prepare for his final confrontation with Tala, along with the other team captains they have met throughout the season. Although it is not shown in the show, there is proof from the video game for GameCube, that shows that kai's actual first beyblade was theFrostic Dranzer.

Kai's beyblades as seen on TV for this season were: Dranzer Spiral, Dranzer Flame, and, temporarily, Black Dranzer.

Second season (V-Force)

After the events of Season 1, Kai decides to retire from beyblading to attend the Whitney Prep School. During his time there, though, he is attacked by a mysterious blader, Dunga, and saves a fellow classmate and his admirer, Wyatt, in the process. The intense fight Kai has with this blader rekindles his interest in beyblading and inspires him to return to the Bladebreakers. To his surprise, all of his former team-mates have been attacked by mysterious bladers too. These turn out to be the Saint Shields, a group that later reveal their wish to capture the four sacred bit-beasts. Later, Kai and the team encounter strange cybernetic bit beasts that are exact copies of their own bit beasts. One of those to wield a prototype of these beasts is Wyatt, who challenges Kai, but is instead fought by Dunga. Wyatt loses and falls into madness and later dies (though this is not revealed in the English dub). Kai blames himself for Wyatt's suffering, since he had previously refused to acknowledge him as worthwhile competition, driving the boy to seek other ways of gaining Kai's attention.

Later, the Bladebreakers finally fight a team that can survive the awesome power of the cyber bit-beasts: The Psykicks. They are former friends, but their minds are taken over by their bit-beasts. Kai manages to break the bit-beast's hold over Goki, the user of Cyber Dranzer, despite having hallucinations of battling Wyatt. With Team Psykick freed from the hold of the cyber bit-beasts through the efforts of the Bladebreakers, the friendships are restored.

The next danger was the final confrontation with the Saint Shields. In this, Kai once again takes on Dunga in an effort to return Driger to Ray, as he had lost it in a previous episode. Kai and Ray fight in a 2-on-2 battle against Dunga and Joseph, eventually reclaiming Driger and defeating half of the Saint Shields.

For this season's world championship the tournament is a 2-on-2 tag-team-style format, meaning that the Bladebreakers must compete in pairs. Kai gets paired with Ray for the competition and they make it all the way to the semifinals, but are stopped abruptly by the duo Gordo and Zeo. During Kai's battle with Zeo, his bit-beast Burning Cerberus takes Dranzer. This upsets Kai greatly and he even thinks of quitting blading, but later his bit-beast and companion returns to him when Tyson defeats Zeo in the final round.

Overall, Kai seems, surprisingly, at his most mature in this season. While still quiet, he is happy to voice his opinion and not shy of offering support and even comfort when needed. He also seems to develop a lot more in personality by acting quirky occasionally, for example, lounging around in bushes, making the odd joke and teasing Goki after the Team Psykick showdown. He does not retake his position as team captain, but there seems to be a tendency to not have anyone in charge during the 2002 season, although Hilary arguably took it upon herself to fill the role from time to time.

In this season he uses Dranzer Flame, Dranzer Volcano, and Dranzer Volcano 2.

Third season (G-Revolution)

At the start of this season, Kai follows Ray and Max's lead and, in an effort to prove to himself that he is a better blader than Tyson, leaves the team. He joins the newly re-formed team Neoborg (Blitzkrieg Boys in English dub), which is now out of Boris' control. Kai and Tala team up in this double-elimination, round robin, tag-team format tournament and make it to the finals with only one loss out of six matches. In the finals Tyson and Kai face off after Daichi ties with Tala. The battle is more fierce than any of their past fights against each other. It is so extreme that the arena starts to crumble. Both Tyson and Kai's blades stop spinning and are about to re-launch when Mr. Dickenson asks that the two call it a tie and share the title, but this does not go over well with many, Kai especially. "No way! You can't do that to me! Are you telling me that this tournament has been nothing but a complete joke? That everything that we did doesn't count because you decide we get punished for working hard?" he shouts at Mr. Dickenson upon the announcement of the decision. Ray votes for the match to continue, quickly joined by Max and many fans and bladers. After some coaxing the two are allowed to finish their battle. Kai and Tyson match each other blow for blow, eventually releasing powerful finishing attacks. They stare each other down afterwards, but Kai collapses, losing the battle.

Kai is missing for some time and does not reappear again until he shows up to enter the qualifier for the BEGA Justice 5 Team, meaning that he won't battle with Tyson and he others in order to finish the BEGA League. He stays in this tournament until the final round where he goes up against the top class blader Brooklyn. Kai does his best but is greatly overpowered by Brooklyn's skill and dark bit beast Zeus. Kai goes into hiding once again, only to emerge as the G-Revolutions' fifth member. He battles Brooklyn again using his upgraded Dranzer MS blade. It is a hard and torturing battle for Kai, but in the end he emerges victorious. The victory does not come without a heavy price, however. Kai only survives to make his final attack though his bit beast. His beloved friend, Dranzer, appeares to sacrifice its life to protect him, as shown after Kai's battle with Brooklyn, when the Dranzer MS suddenly shatters with the cry of a Phoenix. This shatters Kai's morale, although the effect is lessened by Dranzer's reappearance in the last episode, engaging Dragoon in battle. This does however follow the trend to have bit beasts play a more incidental role in this series. After Tyson's and Brooklyn's match, everything returns to normal, almost coming full circle, with Tyson owing Kai a rematch from the tournament.

It should be noted that Kai returns to his more moody and introverted persona relative to Season 1, though his softer side is revealed by his recurring moments of caring for stray cats.

Kai's beyblades in this season: Dranzer Volcano 2, Dranzer Gigs, Dranzer Gigs Turbo, Dranzer Metal Spiral.

Manga

In the manga, a lot more is revealed of Kai's past. His father's name is Susumu Hiwatari, and little is seen of his mother.

Kai is even nastier than in his initial anime appearance. It is revealed that Kai, as a child, had a very close relationship with his father, a man who enjoyed engineering beyblades. The two played many battles together, delighting the young Kai and making him adore his father. However, when Kai's grandfather, Soichiro Hiwatari, learned of his son's playing rather than working, he dragged him and Kai both to his office at Hiwatari Enterprises. There he issued an ultimatum to Kai's father – to abandon his silly love for toys, or lose his position as heir to Hiwatari Enterprises. Kai's father chose beyblades, voicing a desire to make children smile as his reason.

Kai tried to go after his father as he walked away, but was held him back by his grandfather. At the tender age of ten, Kai took this to be rejection by his father and takes it upon himself to change his attitude. Donning face-paint, Kai begins his quest to destroy beyblades – the toys that 'stole' his father away.While his mother is present at the confrontation in the office, she seems to serve no role, neither aiding nor trying to prevent this rebellion.

Later, during Kai's and Tyson's battle in the regional championships, Soichiro turns up, demanding that the tournament be stopped. At this Kai's father steps in and tells him to leave Kai alone.Throughout the manga – unlike in the anime – however, Kai shows little personal development. His attitude remains largely coldly indifferent.

In the Beyblade epilogue, Kai is married with an unknown wife and has a son named Gou(Go) Hiwatari, who is seen blading with Makoto, Tyson's son. Gou has an uncanny resemblance with Kai.

Personality and Relationships

Although rather introverted, Kai is far more expressive when he beyblades, depicting the great importance that blading holds over his life. As the series progresses, he matures and becomes more open with his team-mates and grows more comfortable around them. In the end, despite his differences with many of his peers in the Beyblade community, Kai sacrifices a great deal to free the world of the influence of Boris Balkov and his BEGA company.

Although a tough guy, he is shown giving a cat milk, bringing food for a family of cats and in the first ending for the third season, feeding a dog.

Relationships

Kai interacts with many characters to varying degrees, most of which he treats with a cool disregard.

There are a few exceptions:

*Tyson Granger: Kai's main rival throughout the series; Tyson was the boy who snatched Kai's title of world champion away from him. Though Kai initially strongly dislikes Tyson, he later accepts him as a close friend, though this does not diminish the rivalry between them in any way when they face one another across the bey dish.

*Ray Kon: Closest to Kai in age and mentality on Team BBA. Kai states early on – when Ray lost Drigger in the Chinese arc – that he had higher expectations of Ray. As the series develops (especially in 2002/V-Force), Kai and Ray appear to form a tentative friendship.

*Max Tate: Though Kai initially barely interacts with Max, as the series progresses (more so after the battle on Lake Baikal) Kai reveals that he has a deep respect for and faith in Max's defensive style. In Beyblade G-Revolution, Kai is the first to come to Max's defense when the crowd boos the blond due to propaganda spread by Barthez.

*Hilary Tachibana: Hilary is the only female character that Kai has any significant interaction with, though this mainly occurs in the second season. Despite her loud and often bossy nature, Kai accepts her presence without argument. Though he doesn't speak to her that often, he is happy to offer explanation whenever she needs it and treats her as another member of the team.

*Tala Valkov: When they first encountered one another in the Russian arc of the first season, Kai and Tala disliked each other intensely. It is only in the third season that Kai begins to warm to him a little more, though until Tala's fall at the hands of Garland, Kai claims that Tala is not his friend. However, after both suffer painfully at the hands of BEGA, they develop a sense of understanding that many see to be a form of friendship.

*Brooklyn: Kai's other great rival. After losing horribly to Brooklyn, Kai loses the will to beyblade. However, upon regaining it, Kai's spirit burns with the desire to beat him at any cost yet encouraged by his new Dranzer Metal Spiral, he challenges Brooklyn and defeats him. Brooklyn and Kai share a distinct rivalry near the end of G-Revolution. Brooklyn acts a lot like Kai used to in the beginning of season one and their rivalry could be compared to Tyson and Kai as it was in the beginning of season one with Kai being the 'Tyson' of the relationship. This is most likely a plot device to show that Kai's greatest enemy is himself.

Trivia

*Kai is fond of old legends and prophecies, as stated by Max in the movie, .
*Kai has been in more teams than any other character in Beyblade.
*Kai is one of the three remaining original characters, When Beyblade was still in the process of being created. The others were Tyson and his brother Hitoshi (Hiro) .Fact|date=July 2008
*Kai and Tala were once team mates as stated by Kai in Episode 138 "Pros and Ex Cons", he also says that he and Tala were never friends, however this defies his point in the Japanese version of episode 152 where Kai collapses on the ground and Tala is shown in the hospital shedding a tear, and also they share a friendly smile, in episode 154 " Bey Battle For the Ages"
* Kai has a striking resemblance to Kei from "Dirty Pair Flash"