Tatewaki Kuno is an upperclassman at Furinkan High and was the big man on campus – at least until Ranma came along. Hailing from a very wealthy family, he is also captain of the kendo club and wields both his fortune and sword with equal ease. Given to spouting off Shakespearesque poetry (he quotes Confucius in the Japanese original), he is madly in love with Akane. He also falls for Ranma’s female half and never realizes that she is really his mortal enemy in girl form. He once overhears her called by name, and attempts to write it down for future reference, but never makes a connection and continues to refer to her as a "goddess in pig-tails" for the entire series.