Kevin Smith

• Age: 13
• Dominant Hand: Left
• Voice Actor: Reiko Kiuchi

Kevin is intensely focused on Ryoma Echizen, whom he views as his ultimate rival.

He is incredibly driven, going to great lengths to track Ryoma down at various tennis clubs and schools in Tokyo.

This obsession stems from his difficult past, and he can be pushed to his mental limits under pressure.

He deeply fears failure and the possibility of becoming jaded and fallen like his father.

Kevin endured a harsh and abusive tennis education from his own father.

His father was once a tennis player who was utterly transformed after a defeat to Nanjiro Echizen.

This traumatic history is the source of Kevin's intense rivalry with Nanjiro's son, Ryoma.

Techniques and Skills

Kevin has exhaustively studied Ryoma Echizen through video analysis.

He trained himself to be able to use all of Ryoma's signature moves.

He notably used his knowledge to perfectly reenact the game progression of a match up to match point during an unofficial match with Jin Akutsu.

However, he was unable to acquire data from the Kanto Tournament finals, so he cannot use the "Cyclone Smash."

During his match with Akaya Kirihara, he successfully countered the "Phantom Ball" with a Rising shot.

He can achieve the "State of Self-Actualization," a heightened mental state he unlocked when pushed to his limits against Ryoma.

Original Moves

Illusion: This is Kevin's sole original technique, developed through his own rigorous training.

It is a frame shot that causes the ball to appear as if it has split into multiple copies.

This move is completely different from Masaharu Nio's technique of the same name.

Ryoma Echizen

Ryoma is Kevin's primary rival. He initially hunted Ryoma obsessively due to their fathers' history.

After their match, their relationship evolves into a friendly rivalry, and Kevin becomes a supporter of Ryoma.

Kevin's Father

Kevin has a troubled relationship with his father, who subjected him to an abusive training regimen.

This was a direct result of his father's personality changing drastically after losing a match to Nanjiro Echizen.

Akaya Kirihara

Kevin faced Akaya Kirihara in the Singles 1 match.

He struggled against Kirihara's "Phantom Ball" before eventually finding a way to break through it.

Jin Akutsu

Kevin had an unofficial street match with Jin Akutsu while searching for Ryoma.

The Obsessive Hunt

Driven by the trauma of his father's defeat to Nanjiro Echizen and the subsequent abusive training he endured, Kevin developed a fixation on Ryoma Echizen.

He viewed Ryoma as a rival he had to defeat and traveled to Tokyo to hunt him down.

His search was relentless, leading him to various tennis clubs and junior high schools.

Kevin's preparation was meticulous; he studied videos of Ryoma's matches to the point where he could replicate all of his techniques.

The Fated Showdown

Kevin's chance came when he faced Akaya Kirihara in a Singles 1 match.

He initially struggled against Kirihara's "Phantom Ball" but managed to overcome it by using a Rising shot.

After Kirihara was injured, Ryoma stepped in to continue the match, inheriting the existing game count.

Awakening and Aftermath

During the tiebreak against Ryoma, Kevin found himself falling significantly behind.

The pressure and fear of ending up defeated and broken like his father pushed him to his mental brink.

In this moment of crisis, he achieved the "State of Self-Actualization" but ultimately lost the match in a close battle.

Following this defeat, his obsession transformed into a healthy respect.

He began to cheer for Ryoma, becoming one of his good rivals, especially after Ryoma's move to the US.

Kevin Smith is an original character created for the anime version of *The Prince of Tennis*.

He is a member of the American West Coast Junior National Team.

He has no connection to the US representative players who appear in *The New Prince of Tennis*.

While the anime adaptation of *The New Prince of Tennis* sometimes incorporates anime-original stories, like Yūdai Yamato's, Kevin does not appear.

There is very little fan-created content that features Kevin.

This character is often associated with the tags "American" and "Ryoma Echizen" in fan communities.