List of Hikaru no Go characters
The plot of Hikaru no Go revolves around the Japanese Go world. Several of the manga's prominent characters hold Go titles. The title holder is then called by a combination of their name and the title they hold. In the case of a multiple title holder the most prestigious title they hold is used. The 7 major titles mentioned are Kisei, Meijin, Honinbō, Jūdan, Tengen, Ōza, and Gosei.
Main characters
Hikaru Shindo
;Hikaru ShindoHikaru is the Main protagonist of Hikaru no Go and a sixth grader in elementary school. An important factor in the development of Hikaru's passion for Go is an encounter early on in which Hikaru becomes the rival of Go prodigy Akira Toya. At first, he thinks that Go is just for old folks and he is annoyed at Sai's demand to play, but little by little his passion for Go increases as he plays more and more. From being a member of a school Go club to becoming an Insei and finally a professional Go player a year after Akira, Hikaru matures throughout the course of the series. Throughout the series, Hikaru gets older in age as the series follow him from 6th grade to high school. Hikaru is often portrayed wearing clothing having the numeral "5". This is a pun on the Japanese word for five: 五, which is pronounced go. Part of his strength is his ability to read far into the game very fast, and to make seemingly stupid moves, which, in fact, lure the opponent to playing what looks like the obviously correct move, which Hikaru then uses against them.
Fujiwara no Sai
;Fujiwara no SaiA spirit from the Heian era of Japan and mentor of Hikaru Shindo. Once the Go instructor to the Emperor, Sai continually plays Go, his goal being to one day play the divine move. Sai's ghost had previously possessed the real-life figure Honinbo Shusaku who became a renowned Go player. Sai holds a rivalry towards Koyo Toya and through Hikaru persuades Koyo to have a game with him; with his wish realized when they play a game through the Internet. After the legendary match that ends with Sai's triumph by the narrowest margin, Hikaru discovers another move which would have turned the game around. Witnessing Hikaru's maturity, Sai comes to feel that his one-thousand-year time in the world is going to end without his fulfilling his wish of obtaining the divine move; but he reasons that perhaps he was fated to awaken and teach Hikaru, who might obtain it in the future. A few days after the game with Koyo, Sai suddenly disappears as he feared he would. Hikaru was dozing during their last game, so he could neither terminate his last match with Hikaru nor say goodbye to him. Sai is gone, leaving Hikaru depressed and wanting to quit the game. When Hikaru plays Isumi, Hikaru realizes that he will continue to play Go, for Sai lives on in Hikaru's Go. Extremely effeminate by today's standards, Sai is often drawn with traditionally feminine features and mannerisms. Yumi Hotta has joked about fans mistakenly calling him a "she" in the "intermission" pages of the manga. Sai's extremely emotional behavior is also proper for a Heian male; he sometimes cries copiously in chibi style, soaking his long sleeves with tears, which in his own time would be respected as a sign of intelligence and sensitivity. His name Fujiwara suggests that he is related to a noble family of extremely high prestige in the Heian period, the Fujiwara clan. Sai has a high sense of honor, abhorring cheating and bullying.
Akira Toya
;Akira ToyaHikaru's biggest rival and Kaio Middle School student. The son of Koyo Toya, Akira is already playing Go at a professional level when Hikaru first begins playing. Akira is amazed by Hikaru's seemingly impossible ability and becomes obsessed with discovering the secret behind Hikaru's strength. Meanwhile, Hikaru is impressed with how serious and focused Akira is on the game despite only being a 6th grader like him. As the series goes along, the plot brings these two characters together to play each other under different circumstances, each time adding to the mystery.
Haze Middle School
Akari Fujisaki
;Akari FujisakiHikaru's childhood friend. She learns a little bit about Go, when Hikaru becomes interested, and she later joins the Haze Middle School Go club, serving as vice captain of the girls' team, despite her being a weak player. She loves Hikaru, as noted by her two friends and various other characters. Hikaru shows interest in her only little by little, though. The two remain friends throughout the course of the series.
Kimihiro Tsutsui
;Kimihiro TsutsuiCaptain and founder of the Haze Middle School Go Club. Initially he relies on a strategy book, though he has excellent Yose skills. Kaga persuades him to abandon the book in favor of trusting his strength. When he founded the Haze Middle School Go club he is the only member, but through the efforts of Hikaru and Akari the club grows. Kimihiro graduates from Haze Middle School before his dream of defeating the Kaio Middle School Go club can be realized.
Tetsuo Kaga
;Tetsuo KagaPresident of Haze Middle School's Shogi club. Kaga hates Go and prefers Shogi because his father forbade it and forced him to play Go from an extremely early age, and he could never please the old man no matter how well he did, because he always lost to Akira Toya. In a flashback to Kaga's childhood, he is not only defeated by Akira, he feels disrespected by Akira's detached attitude towards his opponents. He still plays Go from time to time to keep his skills limber. During the course of the series, he graduates from Haze Middle School.
Masako Kaneko
A player at the Go Club who is also a member of the Volleyball ClubYuki Mitani
;Yuki MitaniA player at the Go Club at Haze Middle School who overcomes his cheating habit. He is angry at Hikaru for choosing to be an Insei rather than stay at the school Go club when they have a tournament around the corner. Yuki and Hikaru are no longer seen as friends. When After Sai leaves and Hikaru said he wants to stop playing go, Yuki got mad at him because he left the club and got so far he became a pro to catch up to Akira Toya, and now he wants to quit. Yuki remains in the Go club, but only after much convincing.
Kumiko Tsuda
Kumiko Tsuda is one of Akari Fujisaki's friends and student in Haze Middle School.Natsume
A male member of Haze Middle School's Go Club.Hitoshi Koike
A member of the Go Club.Insei
Yoshitaka Waya
;Yoshitaka WayaHikaru's "big brother" Insei. Like Kaga, he has a dislike for Akira Toya because he can never defeat him and because of what he perceives as Akira's disdain for his opponents. He has once faced Sai in internet Go using the nickname 'zelda.' He becomes a pro in the same year as Hikaru with three losses. He is also known to be very reckless and short-tempered, even punching former Insei Mashiba in the face because the latter rattled his friend Isumi.
Shinichiro Isumi
;Shinichiro IsumiAnother Insei friendly with Hikaru, Isumi is the eldest in Hikaru's peer group, turning 18 during the series. He does very well as a forerunner in the first pro exam shown, going undefeated until his match with Hikaru. During that match, rumors about Hikaru's incredible strength add to the pressure of time constraints, and he misplaces a stone; his attempt to move the stone after letting go of it prompts his honorable resignation before Hikaru can accuse him of cheating. The match weighs on his mind and he loses his next two games and the chance to become a pro, ultimately ending with four losses. He later goes to study Go in China in one of the few character arcs in the series that does not center on Hikaru. There, he learns to control his emotions and passes the next year's pro exam without a single loss. Isumi also unknowingly helps Hikaru get over his grief for Sai when their practice game makes Hikaru realize that by playing, he can find Sai within his moves, the Go that Sai passed on to Hikaru.
Kosuke Ochi
;Kosuke OchiYet another Insei in the same group as Hikaru, Ochi is one of the youngest, yet very outspoken about his ability. His bragging about his strength hides his insecurity; after each loss he is known to disappear into the restroom for long periods of time. Akira tutors him to find out about Hikaru's current strength. Ochi is unnerved by Hikaru because Akira's obsession about him seems to suggest there is more to Hikaru than what Ochi knows. Ochi is also angry that Akira acknowledges Hikaru as a rival, but not Ochi himself. He demands that Akira view him as a rival if he can defeat Hikaru in the pro exam. Ochi loses to Hikaru, but does pass the pro exam with the highest score and only two losses. He comes from a wealthy family, as evidenced by the number of pros that come to his household to tutor him privately in Go.
Toshinori Honda
;Toshinori HondaToshinori Honda is a strong insei and one of the five forerunners. He almost makes the top three players in the professional exam, even managing to beat Hikaru, but ultimately fails. He eventually became a Professional along with Isumi and Kadowaki the next year, barely scraping with six losses.
Tatsuhiko Kadowaki
;Tatsuhiko KadowakiKadowaki is a cocky player who initially applied to be an insei before Sai plays for Hikaru and easily beats him. Kadowaki thus decides to train for another year. The next year he passes with a near perfect score, losing only to Isumi.
Yuta Fukui
;Yuta FukuiNicknamed "Fuku", an Insei and classmate of Waya who is known for his extremely fast-paced style of play. Although Waya is the stronger player, he cannot seem to defeat Fuku. Hikaru loses one game to him during the pro exam, but Fukui ultimately fails the exam.
Asumi Nase
;Asumi NaseThe only female Insei that has a prominent role in the series. She is able to defeat Honda in the pro exams, but ultimately fails the exam.