Look at her. If you’ve spent more than five minutes in the world of Uma Musume Pretty Derby, you know Biwa Hayahide isn’t just another horse girl with a gimmick. She's the "Theory of Victory" personified. While other racers are out there relying on raw "guts" or the power of friendship, Biwa is basically doing calculus at 40 miles per hour. It’s a vibe that resonates with players who actually like to win, but she’s often misunderstood by casual fans who just see the big hair and the glasses.
She’s a powerhouse. Honestly, her presence in the game reflects a very specific era of Japanese horse racing history, one where logic and consistency weren't just goals—they were requirements for survival.
The Design Choice Everyone Gets Wrong
People always talk about the hair. It’s huge. It’s fluffy. In the game, she’s famously sensitive about the size of her head, often misinterpreting "big" as an insult to her intellect or physical proportions. But that’s the charm. Cygames didn't just give her that design for the memes. It’s a direct nod to the real-life Biwa Hayahide, a horse known for a large, distinctively white face that made him stand out in every single pack.
In Uma Musume Pretty Derby, Biwa Hayahide is framed as the eldest of the "BNW" trio. That’s Biwa Hayahide, Narita Taishin, and Winning Ticket. If you’re playing the Main Story or watching the anime’s second season, you see this dynamic play out constantly. She’s the anchor. While Winning Ticket is crying over a sentimental victory and Taishin is being a prickly loner, Biwa is there with a notebook. She calculates. She plans. She wins.
But here’s the thing: being the "smart one" in a racing game is a double-edged sword. Players sometimes find her analytical personality a bit cold compared to the high-energy idols like Special Week. They're wrong, though. If you actually dig into her training scenarios, you see a girl who is terrified of being "illogical," which is just her way of saying she’s scared of failing the people who rely on her. It’s a deeply human trait wrapped in a lot of talk about aerodynamic drag and optimal heart rates.
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Mastering the Theory of Victory
When you're actually sitting down to train her, Biwa Hayahide is a beast in the Medium and Long distance tracks. She’s a "Betweener" or "Leader" by nature, but most high-level players slot her into the Leader role. Why? Because her unique skill, Bansaku fukusu, kishi kaisei (The Plan is Ready, the Tables are Turned), kicks in when you’re in a good position during the final stages of the race.
It’s not just about speed. It’s about being exactly where you need to be.
If you want to build a winning Biwa, you have to lean into her Stamina and Intelligence. It's poetic, really. You’re literally building the "smart" racer. Most beginners make the mistake of dumping everything into Speed. Sure, speed is great. But in a Long-distance slog like the Tenno Sho (Spring), a Biwa with low Intelligence will waste her stamina by "hanging" or getting boxed in. She needs the brains to find the opening.
I’ve seen so many people tilt because their Biwa lost a Grade 1 race by a nose. Usually, it’s because they ignored her debuff skills. She has access to some of the most annoying "stare" skills in the game, which essentially let her intimidate opponents into slowing down. It’s basically her looking at another racer and saying, "Your math is wrong," and the other horse girl just gives up.
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The Real-World Legend Behind the Character
You can't fully appreciate the game character without knowing about the real Biwa Hayahide. We're talking about a horse that was the definition of "consistent." Between 1992 and 1994, the real Biwa Hayahide finished in the top two in 15 consecutive races. That is an insane stat. Most horses have an off day. They get muddy tracks, or they just aren't feeling it. Not Biwa.
He was the 1993 Horse of the Year in Japan. His rivalry with his half-brother, the legendary Narita Brian, is the stuff of actual folklore in the racing world, even though they only faced off once in the Arima Kinen because of injuries. In the game, this sibling rivalry is flipped—Narita Brian is the stoic, overpowered younger sister, and Biwa is the over-analytical older sister. It’s a brilliant bit of character writing that honors the real-life connection while giving it a fresh, emotional hook.
The tragedy of the real Biwa was his final race, the 1994 Emperor's Cup. He finished 5th, the first time he ever fell out of the top two. He ended up with a career-ending tendon injury. When you play her story in Uma Musume Pretty Derby, that weight is there. There's this underlying pressure to maintain perfection because once the "logic" of winning breaks, what’s left?
Training Tips for the Modern Meta
If you're looking to actually rank with Biwa in the current game version, stop treating her like a generic long-distance runner.
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- Prioritize Intelligence (賢さ) Support Cards. You want her to trigger her skills reliably. A Biwa that doesn't trigger her "unique" is just a girl with a lot of hair running in circles.
- The "Lead" Meta. While she can play Betweener, the current state of the game favors Leaders who can burst early in the final straight.
- Inheritance Matters. Try to get some Power (パワー) factors from her parents. She naturally gets bonuses to Stamina and Guts, but she needs that raw "kick" to get out of the pack.
She’s also surprisingly good in the "Champions Meeting" events if the track is long. Her innate stamina means you don't have to burn as many skill points on recovery (heals), allowing you to stack more speed-related passives. Basically, she’s efficient.
Why We Still Care
Honestly, Biwa Hayahide is a breath of fresh air. In a genre saturated with "genki" girls who just try their best, having a character who treats racing as a solvable equation is cool. She’s the person in the group chat who actually reads the patch notes.
She reminds us that winning isn't an accident. It's a result of preparation, data, and the occasional obsession with how your hat fits over your ears. Whether you’re a fan of the 90s era of Japanese racing or just someone who wants a reliable win-rate in your daily races, she’s the one.
Actionable Next Steps for Players
- Audit your Support Deck: If you aren't running at least two high-level Intelligence cards with Biwa, you’re leaving wins on the table. Look for cards that provide the "Leader" specific red skills to trip up opponents.
- Watch the 1993 Kikuka Sho: Go find the footage of the real Biwa Hayahide’s record-breaking run. It helps you appreciate the "Theory of Victory" when you see how effortlessly he pulled away from the field.
- Focus on the "Distance" S-Rank: When training, prioritize getting her Long Distance aptitude to S through inheritance. It’s the single biggest factor in winning the late-game CM events.
- Don't skip her bond events: Unlike some characters whose events are just fluff, Biwa’s often give significant boosts to her "Guts" and "Intelligence" stats, which are crucial for her specific build requirements.