If you’ve been keeping up with Muneyuki Kaneshiro’s Blue Lock, you know it isn’t your average sports manga. It’s high-stakes. It’s psychological. It’s basically Squid Game with a soccer ball. But among the hyper-fixated strikers and ego-driven plays, there is one specific visual cue that drives the fandom absolutely wild: the Rin Blue Lock tongue moment.
It’s weird. It’s visceral. It’s kind of iconic.
Rin Itoshi isn’t just some talented player; he’s the benchmark. For most of the series, he’s this cool, calculating, almost robotic presence on the field. Then, the U-20 match happens, or his recent evolution in the Neo Egoist League kicks in, and suddenly, that composure shatters. The tongue comes out. It’s not just a "quirk." It is a biological signaling of a character reaching their absolute breaking point and transcending it.
The Biological Reality of the Rin Blue Lock Tongue Moment
Let's get into the weeds of why characters in Blue Lock—and Rin specifically—do this. When Rin sticks his tongue out during a high-intensity play, it’s usually a precursor to his "Flow" state or his "Flow x Flow" awakening. In the world of sports psychology, "Flow" is a real thing. It was popularized by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. It describes that state where you’re so immersed in an activity that everything else disappears.
But Rin’s version is different. It’s ugly.
In the manga, particularly around Chapter 144, Rin enters a state he calls "disgusting" or "hideous." He stops trying to play "beautiful" soccer like his brother Sae. He starts playing to destroy. The Rin Blue Lock tongue imagery represents this descent into primal instinct. Physically, when humans are under extreme cognitive load or physical exertion, weird facial tics happen. Think of Michael Jordan. Jordan was famous for his tongue hanging out during dunks. It’s a sign of intense focus, a relaxation of certain motor pathways to prioritize others.
For Rin, it’s a total rejection of his "cool" persona. He’s basically telling the world he’s done pretending to be a refined prodigy. He’s a monster.
Why fans are obsessed with the "Hideous" Rin
People love a good downfall, or rather, a "dark" awakening. Up until the U-20 arc, Rin was the guy who had it all figured out. He was the king of the hill. But when he finally snaps, the visual of the tongue sticking out, eyes darting, and face contorted, it feels real. It’s a relief. It’s the moment the mask falls off.
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You’ve probably seen the fan art. It’s everywhere. Why? Because it’s the most expressive Rin ever gets. It’s the antithesis of his usual bored expression. It shows a character who is finally, truly, desperate. That desperation is what makes Blue Lock so addictive to read.
Decoding the Neo Egoist League Evolution
If you thought the U-20 match was the peak of the Rin Blue Lock tongue phenomenon, the Neo Egoist League (NEL) takes it even further. Rin’s rivalry with Isagi Yoichi has reached a boiling point where "standard" talent isn't enough anymore.
Rin has spent his whole life trying to surpass Sae. But in the NEL, he realizes that his brother isn't the only obstacle. Isagi is catching up. This realization forces Rin into a state of "Berserker" flow. It’s not about winning a match; it’s about "killing" his opponents on the pitch. The tongue becomes a permanent fixture of this high-intensity state.
- It signifies a loss of ego. Well, not a loss, but a transformation.
- It’s a visual shorthand. Kaneshiro uses it so we know Rin is no longer thinking. He’s just reacting.
- It creates a contrast. It separates the "New Rin" from the "Old Rin."
Honestly, it’s a brilliant piece of character design. Most manga use power-ups like glowing hair or auras. Blue Lock uses body horror and weird facial expressions. It’s much more effective because it feels like it’s coming from inside the character’s psyche rather than some external magical force.
The "Destruction" Style vs. "Puppeteer" Style
Earlier in the series, Rin was a "Puppeteer." He used everyone on the field like tools. He was a tactician. He was smart. But he was also limited.
When the Rin Blue Lock tongue appears, the Puppeteer is dead. The "Destroyer" is born. This style is characterized by Rin taking on opponents' best traits and crushing them head-on. If an opponent is fast, he beats them with speed. If they are strong, he overpowers them. It’s inefficient. It’s messy. It’s "hideous." And that’s exactly why it works. It’s the ultimate egoism.
What Most People Get Wrong About Rin's "Ahegao" Face
Look, we have to talk about it. The internet being the internet, the Rin Blue Lock tongue has been memed to death. A lot of people call it his "ahegao" face. While the visual similarity is there—mostly because of the rolled-back eyes and the tongue—the context is the polar opposite.
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In Blue Lock, this isn't about pleasure. It’s about pain.
It’s about the sheer agony of pushing a human body and mind past its natural limits. When Rin makes that face, he’s usually in a state of extreme stress. He’s sweating, his muscles are screaming, and his brain is firing on all cylinders. It’s a "biological malfunction" caused by peak performance.
If you look at real-world athletes, you see this all the time. Look at weightlifters or sprinters at the finish line. Their faces aren't "pretty." They look like they’re being electrocuted. Kaneshiro just turns that reality up to eleven because it’s a manga. Calling it a "sex face" misses the entire point of Rin’s suffering and his subsequent triumph over his own limitations.
The Cultural Impact of Rin’s Transformation
Why does this specific visual stick with us? It’s because it represents the "ugly side" of ambition. We live in a world that tells us to be "graceful" and "professional" even when we’re working our lives away. Rin rejects that. He says, "If I have to look like a freak to win, I’ll look like a freak."
That resonates with people.
The Rin Blue Lock tongue has become a symbol of going "all in." It’s the "Mamba Mentality" taken to a literal, grotesque extreme. Fans don't just like Rin because he’s cool; they like him because he’s willing to be uncool to be the best.
- Merchandise: You see this face on shirts, stickers, and posters. It’s more popular than his normal face.
- Cosplay: Trying to nail that specific expression is a challenge for cosplayers, but it’s the "holy grail" of Rin cosplays.
- Analysis: YouTubers spend hours dissecting the frames of the anime where this happens, looking for clues about his next power-up.
How to Channel Your Inner Rin (Without the Creepy Face)
While you probably shouldn't go around sticking your tongue out at people during your local pickup game, there are actionable lessons from Rin’s evolution. The Rin Blue Lock tongue is just a symptom of a deeper mindset change.
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Identify your "Beautiful" Trap.
Are you doing something a certain way just because it looks good or because that’s how you were taught? Rin realized his "Puppeteer" style was just an imitation of what he thought a pro should be. Find where you’re performing for others instead of yourself.Embrace the Mess.
Progress is rarely clean. If you’re trying to learn a new skill or reach a new level in your career, you’re going to look stupid for a while. You might "fail" in a way that looks "hideous" to outsiders. Do it anyway.Find Your "Destruction" Trigger.
What is the one thing that makes you stop overthinking and start doing? For Rin, it was the "disgust" he felt toward his brother’s expectations. Use your negative emotions—anger, frustration, jealousy—as fuel rather than letting them rot inside you.Practice Deep Focus.
The "Flow" state isn't an accident. It’s the result of thousands of hours of deliberate practice. Rin can afford to "lose his mind" on the pitch because his body already knows exactly what to do. Build the muscle memory first.
The Rin Blue Lock tongue isn't just a meme. It’s a masterclass in visual storytelling. It tells us more about Rin’s internal struggle in a single panel than ten pages of dialogue ever could. It’s the moment a character stops being a drawing and starts feeling like a raw, pulsing nerve.
If you want to understand Blue Lock, you have to understand why Rin makes that face. It’s the sound of an ego breaking and a striker being born.
Next time you see Rin snap in the manga or anime, don't just laugh at the face. Look at the eyes. Look at the play that follows. You’re watching someone touch the ceiling of human potential, and it’s never supposed to be pretty.
To truly appreciate this character arc, go back and re-read the U-20 arc (Chapters 108-151). Watch the transition from Rin’s calm, "ice-cold" goals to the "hideous" final play. Pay attention to how the art style shifts from clean lines to jagged, heavy ink strokes the moment his tongue comes out. It’s a deliberate choice by the artist, Yusuke Nomura, to make you feel uncomfortable. That discomfort is exactly what Rin is feeling.
Stop looking for the "perfect" version of yourself. Start looking for the version that wins, no matter how it looks to the crowd. That's the core of the Blue Lock philosophy. That's the reason Rin is the most compelling character in the series. He’s willing to be a monster to become a god.