Tomohito Sugino

Tomohito Sugino (杉野 友人) is a student in Korosensei's Class 3-E of Kunugigaoka Junior High School and one of Nagisa's best friends.

Appearance
Sugino has the generic short, spiked black hair for male shōnen characters and has dark blue eyes.

Personality
Sugino is an energetic boy with a love for baseball. He's a very happy and friendly person and gets along with his classmates well.

History
Before he was transferred to Class-E, Sugino was a member of the school's baseball club. However, due to his relatively slow pitches frequently getting batted, he was removed from the regular line up of his club. Because he was moved down, he had no motivation to study and thus got moved to Class-E.

Introduction: Baseball Time
Sugino is one of the first characters to get an official introduction. He was formally introduced in the second chapter (Episode 2 of the anime) when he tried to assassinate Korosensei with a baseball embedded with Anti-Sensei BB Pellets, but failed. He told Korosensei about his slow pitches and how because of it he'd gotten removed from the regular lineup. Korosensei then proceeds to compare his muscle configuration to pro-pitcher Arita, who of which he checked for the same thing the previous causing a ruckus during the game. He told Sugino that compared to Arita, the muscle configuration in his shoulders were terrible, but the malleability in his elbow and wrist were much more outstanding than the pro's. This gave Sugino more confidence in himself and decided to develop pitches that changes the ball's speed.

School Trip Time
Sugino gets a minor spotlight during the Kyoto school trip arc. He is instrumental in getting Yukiko Kanzaki to join him alongside Nagisa, Kayano, Karma and Okuda. Although the trip is meant to be used to kill Korosensei, Sugino hopes to have the chance to talk to Kanzaki, having a crush on her. However students from another high school have managed to kidnap Kanzaki and Kayano, and temporarily knock the boys out. Using the extensive guidebook lent to the group by Korosensei, the boys and Okuda find the missing girls and assisted their teacher in knocking them out. The incident ruined the group's chance to set Korosensei up to be killed, and an opportunity for Sugino to talk to Kanzaki.

Time for a Ball Game
Sugino returns to the spotlight during the baseball game arc. When Class E is scheduled to play against the school's baseball team captained by Sugino's former teammate Kazutaka Shindo, Sugino makes known his desire to win against his former club. Korosensei coaches the boys to counter Shindo's fast pitches, and Class E manages to score three early runs. Sugino's pitches as well as the killing intent of Class E's batting quickly demoralises the club. However the intervention of Chairman Asano brings back the club's fighting spirit and eventually is one run behind. In the final pitch, Class E resorts to using the same tactics the club previously used against them, and wins the game. Afterwards, Sugino walks up to the defeated Shindo and admits that he did not feel like he won the game based on strength. Rather he wanted to show his former teammates the friends he made with Class E. At that, the two shook hands and parted on good terms.

Later appearances
Since the ball game Sugino has been seen but not getting the major spotlight as before. At the time of the finals, he received a call from Shindo and lets the class listen in to the latter's briefing of the top students in Class A. During the Assassination Island arc, Sugino participated in the class's ambitious assassination attempt on Korosensei but were ultimately unsuccessful. Soon afterwards, he was one of the ten students that were seemingly poisoned by an unknown third party and thus unable to participate in the infiltration of the hotel. After recovering from the illness, he was partnered with Kanzaki during Korosensei's Test of Courage. Although supposed to be a scary attraction, the pair instead came across a romantic setting. He was ultimately too shy and embarrassed to talk with Kanzaki, who still remained oblivious to Sugino's crush on her.

Second Semester
Much like the second half of the first semester, Sugino is regularly seen and heard but not receiving the major spotlight. He nonetheless participates in the Athletic Festival match against Class A, helps out at the nursery after getting into trouble with the newly-learned free-running skills and attempting a failed rescue of Bitch-sensei during the God of Death incident. Sugino does receive a minor spotlight after the finals, where he played the lead role alongside Kanzaki in Hazama's dark school play. Although initially worried of Kanzaki not liking his performance, her praise has lifted his confidence of impulsively switching to becoming an actor. Sugino also watched the battle unfold between Korosensei and Kaede Kayano and listened to his teacher's past along with the entire class.

Schism Time - Class E Battle Royale
With the class still in a state of depression after listening to Korosensei's story, they became divided over whether they should continue killing him or try to save their teacher. Nagisa and Karma ended up fighting each other until Sugino, Isogai and Maehara broke them up, with Sugino restraining Nagisa effortlessly. Korosensei mediated the situation by having the two sides fight each other in a paintball death match. Sugino joined Nagisa's blue team but during the battle, he and Fuwa were ambushed from behind by a stealthy Hazama thus eliminating them from the game. Sugino and the rest of the eliminated students watched Nagisa and Karma resume their fight though he was of the opinion that Nagisa should have shot down Karma when the latter walked out into the open to challenge the former. Nagisa eventually won the match when Karma voluntarily surrendered.

Korosensei's shenanigans
Sugino and the rest of Class E researched on how they could save Korosensei. Eventually they discovered that the chances of their target destroying itself and Earth along with him is minuscule at best. As February passed by, Korosensei began messing around with the students as they prepared for their high school entrance exams all the while trying to spend as much time with them as he could. On Valentine's Day Sugino was ecstatic at receiving a piece of chocolate from Kanzaki, smashing himself against a tree in excitement, not noticing that to Kanzaki it was obligatory. As graduation neared, Korosensei took the class on an around the world trip to collect photos for his graduation album.

Assassination Time, 2nd Period
One week before the March deadline, Korosensei was trapped by the government's Earth Shield and targeted by the satellite weapon known as the Lance of the Heavens. Sugino and the rest of Class E were swiftly taken into custody in the name of their safety as the media presented them as hostages suffering Stockholm Syndrome. After deducing intel from Karasuma the class planned their breakout with Irina's help and raced to the classroom on the final day. The class effortlessly subdued an elite mercenary group defending the mountain although the leader proved to be resistant. Sugino helped out by pitching rocks against him as part of the class's hit-and-run tactics until Nagisa and Karma combined together to subdue him. The class later reunited with Korosensei but were later interrupted by the arrival of Shiro and the faux God of Death.

Aftermath
After graduation he eventually became an ace pitcher at the Japanese collegiate level, where his curveballs were observed and praised by professional scouts.

Abilities
Knifework: Sugino is the third best for knifework on the boys' side (and Class 3-E as a whole).

Baseball: Sugino has a slow pitch because the muscle configuration in his shoulder is terrible, at least compared to that of his Idol, professional baseball pitcher Arita. However, while the flexibility of his shoulder isn’t very good, he has a very malleable wrist and elbow with flexibility far superior to that of Arita. This allowed him to develop various pitches that change a ball's speed. He uses this ability in combat by throwing rocks against Craig Houjou, in part of the class's hit-and-run tactics against the 'divine soldier'.

Nagisa Shiota
Nagisa is one of Sugino's closest friends in Class E and are often seen hanging out together. Sugino has went to Nagisa's house before, though he notes the negative reaction of Hiromi Shiota, Nagisa's mother.

Yukiko Kanzaki
Sugino has a crush on Yukiko and was paired with her during Korosensei's "Nuru-nuru Assassination Test of Courage." He also ecstatically smashes himself against a tree when receiving (obligatory) chocolate from her, though the feeling does not appear to be mutual as Kanzaki only sees Sugino as a good friend.

Karma Akabane
Karma and Sugino get along well and are often seen hanging out with Nagisa. Sugino has expressed weariness over Karma from time to time in terms of the redhead's antics.

Kazutaka Shindō
Shindo is one of Sugino's closest friends before he entered Class 3-E, in which they still had a more or less friendly relationship, though Shindo maintains an elitist position over him. After the baseball match, Shindo is more friendly to Sugino and abandons his snobby way of speaking, and typically informs him about the happenings in the main school building and explains the Big Five.

Quotes

 * (To Kazutaka Shindō) "Nagisa always helped me practice my breaking ball pitch, and Karma and Isogai's reflexes, as the way everyone's bunting improved, were all amazing. But if we didn't get results, I wouldn't be able to convey all of that. Well in short, I kinda wanted to brag to my old comrades a little about my current ones in Class E."
 * "Height about three meters, weight lighter than looks. Birth date unknown, weak points unknown. What the hell is this?"
 * (To Korosensei after he chose his own codename) "Why do you get to pick one that's all fancy-schmancy?"

Trivia

 * His favorite subject is P.E. while his least favorite is Social Studies.
 * His specialty is pitching slider balls, curve balls, and change-ups.
 * His favorite food is Chicken Breast.
 * His most treasured item is a Kubota Slugger Baseball Glove.
 * His future goal is to play at Kōshien.
 * He was called "Baseball Freak" during class 3-E training using code names. Irina is the one who gave him his codename.
 * In the art rankings of Volume 5, he was placed 3rd among the male students.
 * In his profile, it's mentioned that he has earned praise for his drawing skills.
 * During the Civil War, he was eliminated by an ambush from Hazama.
 * In Koro Q, Sugino have two different bugs: One being becoming a berserker when excited, especially by Kanzaki. Another one is his magic are delayed as it only activated in episode 12 when he use it back in episode 3.
 * In the tankobon extras, his statistics were listed as:
 * Physical strength: 4.5
 * Mobility: 4.5
 * Close-range assassination: 4.5
 * Long-range assassination: 2.5
 * Academic ability: 2.5
 * Characteristic skill: 4.5 (baseball)