Honestly, if you watched Rensuke Kunigami walk off the pitch during the Second Selection, you probably thought that was it. The "Superhero" of Team Z was done. But Blue Lock doesn't let anyone go that easily. When he stepped through that "Wild Card" door, everything we knew about the orange-haired powerhouse basically died. What came out on the other side wasn't a hero. It was a vessel designed to mimic the best striker in the world, Noel Noa.
The transformation is jarring. If you've been following the Neo Egoist League arc, you've seen him playing for Bastard München—the manga's version of the real-life German giant Bayern Munchen. But it's not the triumphant return most fans expected. Instead of a glorious homecoming, Kunigami's stint at the fictional Bayern has been... well, it’s been complicated. He’s physically a monster, but he’s essentially a ghost in the machine of Isagi and Kaiser’s war.
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What Actually Happened in the Wild Card?
Ego Jinpachi is a bit of a mad scientist. We know this. But the Wild Card project was his most "mad" experiment yet. While the rest of the Blue Lockers were playing the U-20 match and getting famous, Kunigami was trapped in a literal basement. The goal? To create a player who could match the physical specs of Noel Noa, the world’s number one striker.
Noa is ambidextrous. He is a freak of nature with perfect balance and clinical logic. To survive the Wild Card, Kunigami had to undergo "forced evolution." He was pushed to use his right leg as effectively as his left, while being forced to adopt a survival-of-the-fittest mentality that crushed his original "superhero" persona. Imagine being told your entire moral compass is the reason you failed. That's what happened. He didn't just get stronger; he got broken and rebuilt as a cold, muscular scoring machine.
The results are terrifying. He returned with a physique that dwarfs almost everyone else in the project. His stats in the Neo Egoist League are consistently in the 90s, making him one of the most elite players on paper. But there’s a massive catch. He doesn't play with anyone. He doesn't seek "chemical reactions." He just waits for the ball to drop so he can smash it into the net.
The Bastard München Era: A Brutal Reality Check
When Kunigami joined Bastard München (the Bayern Munchen analog), he was the only Blue Locker to make the starting XI initially. You’d think that’s a win. It wasn't. The team is built on "Rationality." It’s a system where every pass is calculated to lead to the most logical goal, which usually means feeding Michael Kaiser.
Kunigami is the ultimate outlier in this system. He is a "Hyena." He doesn't fit into Isagi’s vision-based playstyle, and he certainly doesn't fit into Kaiser’s ego-driven empire. He basically survives on "scraps." If a shot gets deflected or Isagi fumbles a play, Kunigami is there to poach it. It’s effective, sure. He scored a massive goal against FC Barcha and another against Manshine City. But notice how he’s fallen off lately?
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In the matches against Ubers and PXG, his role shifted in a way that pissed off a lot of fans. Instead of being the focal point of the attack, he was relegated to being a defensive stopper. During the PXG game, Noel Noa literally assigned him to man-mark Ryusei Shidou. The striker who was built to be the next Noel Noa spent most of the match playing as a Center Defensive Midfielder. It was a tactical necessity, but man, it felt like a waste of that Wild Card hype.
Why the "Wild Card" Version is Failing
Let's look at the numbers. While players like Isagi and Barou are seeing their auction values skyrocket into the hundreds of millions, Kunigami’s growth has stayed relatively stagnant. Why? Because he’s a soloist in an era of the game that demands collaboration.
- Zero Synergy: He refuses to pass. In a team like Bastard München, which is modeled after the efficiency of Bayern Munchen, that’s a death sentence for your market value.
- Stagnant Stats: While Isagi’s stats jumped from a B-rank to an S-rank, Kunigami’s physical gifts were already "maxed out" from the Wild Card. He hasn't added a new "weapon" to his arsenal in months.
- Emotional Burnout: You can see it in his eyes. He’s miserable. The "Superhero" is still in there somewhere, but he's buried under layers of cynicism.
The irony is that the Wild Card was supposed to make him the ultimate striker, but it might have actually limited his ceiling. By trying to become Noel Noa, he stopped being Rensuke Kunigami. And in the world of Blue Lock, if you aren't evolving your own unique ego, you're just a blueprint for someone else's success.
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Is He a Success or a Failure?
It depends on how you measure it. If the goal was to survive Blue Lock, he’s a success. He’s in the top 10. He’s earned a spot on the new Japan U-20 team. He has a pro contract offer from the Kawasaki Breakerz. But if the goal was to become the best striker in the world, he’s currently losing.
He’s basically a tool for Isagi Yoichi right now. Isagi uses Kunigami’s gravity and physical presence to create space for himself. Kunigami hates it, but he doesn't have the playmaking ability to change the narrative. He's stuck in a loop of being the "Dark Horse" who never quite takes the lead.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Theory Crafters:
- Watch the PXG Match Details: Pay attention to Kunigami’s defensive stats. His value might actually increase as a "Box-to-Box" player rather than a pure striker.
- Look for the Hero’s Return: There are subtle hints in the manga (like his interactions with Hiori and Isagi) that the "Superhero" persona isn't dead. If he can merge his new physical power with his old passion, he’ll be unstoppable.
- Analyze the "Rationality" Conflict: Kunigami is the living proof that Ego’s methods aren't always perfect. He is the "Bastard" of Bastard München—a player who belongs nowhere but forces his way in anyway.
Don't expect Kunigami to stay a defensive mid forever. The Wild Card was a trauma, and he's still processing it. The next time Bastard München takes the field, look for whether he finally decides to use his teammates or continues to rot on his own island. His survival depends on it.
To really get how far he's fallen or risen, compare his first-selection goals to his Neo Egoist League goals. The joy is gone. If he wants to reach the level of the real Bayern Munchen stars he's based on, he's going to need more than just Noel Noa's muscles. He's going to need his own heart back.