Rentarou Kusunoki

Rentarou is arrogant, confrontational and extremely proud of being selected for Central. He treats that selection as proof that he belongs to an elite class of students and openly insults those he considers beneath him.

He is particularly dismissive of younger students. That arrogance causes him to underestimate opponents who lack his institutional backing, including members of the research societies Central has been ordered to eliminate.

Rentarou nevertheless possesses genuine technical knowledge. His mistake is not believing in a nonexistent ability, but assuming that Central's endorsement makes his ability automatically superior to that of independent chefs.

Rentarou specializes in thermal control, particularly low-temperature cooking. Such techniques require accurate regulation of heat so proteins can be cooked to specific internal temperatures while retaining moisture and desired texture.

He is comfortable with both conventional heating methods and modern culinary equipment. This technical knowledge makes him a suitable representative of Central's emphasis on standardized, reproducible high-level techniques.

His precision becomes central to his Shokugeki against Ryo Kurokiba. Rentarou attempts to demonstrate that controlled low-temperature preparation can produce a superior salmon dish, but Ryo counters him with his own understanding of seafood.

Rentarou appears during Central's campaign against Tōtsuki's research societies. He is sent to the Cutting-Edge Cooking Research Society as Central moves to dismantle organizations that refuse to accept the new administration.

His contemptuous treatment of the society provokes a challenge from Ryo. The resulting Shokugeki becomes one of the first direct tests of whether Central's handpicked students can actually dominate the independent chefs they dismiss as inferior.

Ryo decisively defeats Rentarou, allowing the society to survive and dealing an embarrassing early setback to Central's enforcement campaign.

Ryo Kurokiba becomes Rentarou's principal opponent after Rentarou insults the students resisting Central. Their Shokugeki pits Rentarou's precise temperature control against Ryo's aggressive seafood expertise.

Alice Nakiri is associated with the Cutting-Edge Cooking Research Society that Rentarou is sent to dismantle.

Azami Nakiri leads the administration responsible for Central and the policies Rentarou enforces.

Mea Yanai, Shigemichi Kumai and Rui Kofuru are fellow students selected to act on Central's behalf during the purge of independent research societies.