Ryosuke Takahashi

Ryosuke Takahashi (高橋 涼介, Takahashi Ryōsuke; known as Ry in the Tokyopop version) is one of the main characters of Initial D, the founder and leader of both the Akagi RedSuns and Project D. Originally a solo racer nicknamed Akagi's White Comet, he created the RedSuns, with the purpose of dominating in the street racing scene all over Japan and recruited racers including his brother Keisuke, which gave both of them the nicknames of the Rotary Brothers.

The RedSuns' plan was put on hold following Keisuke's defeat and the emergence of Takumi Fujiwara, the driver of the Toyota AE86. Before his race with Fujiwara, he was invited to a professional racing team but he passed cause "his only interest was street racing". His winning streak came to an end when he lost to Fujiwara. After his defeat, he temporarily retired from racing until making a comeback to race against the threat of Team Emperor and their leader and rival Kyoichi Sudo. He also raced and defeated Takeshi Nakazato, the leader of the Myogi's NightKids.

Soon after Takumi raced against Wataru Akiyama, he created a new racing team called Project D, and also effectively disbanding the RedSuns, with the similar goal to dominate the street racing scene but for one year before he goes back to medical school.

During the Project D races in Kanagawa, he is revealed to have a connection with Rin Hojo, a fellow medical student and a street racer from Kanagawa where they had disputes with a girl named Kaori, who was Rin's fiancee at the time but committed suicide following verbal abuse by Rin, which led to Rin disappearing from the racing scene. Knowing that he cannot escape the past, he modified his car in secret with Shuichi Matsumoto and raced Rin at the Toyo Tires Turnpike. However thanks to assistance of Team Spiral's leader Ryuji Ikeda, who was spectating behind, he was able to stop Rin from crashing and afterwards settled their differences with each other.

After the disbanding of Project D, he continues to go on a silent spectator at street races, saying that he would eventually pick out new gifted racers. It is also implied that he is still continuing his studies on medicine at the same time.

Likes: His beloved FC, R32's

Dislikes: Losing

Special skills: Strategy for Touge Racing, Calculating opponent moves, training up-and-coming street racers.

Trivia

 * His name was mentioned in MF Ghost, new manga created by Shigeno.
 * Ryosuke is modeled after the "Drift King" Keiichi Tsuchiya's mentor, retired race car driver Takahashi Kunimitsu.
 * Ryosuke Takahashi had a dark blue hairstyle in the First and Fourth stages of Initial D, but it inexplicably changed to a light brown hairstyle in the Second Stage, then to dark brown in the Third Stage movie. It changes to black in his appearances in Fifth and Final Stage.