Yuuri is from a small town in Japan. When he was 12, he saw renowned skater Viktor Nikiforov on television for the first time. Yuuri made skating his life's work after that. Through some crazy events--some of which he doesn't even remember--he wound up being coached by and eventually engaged to Viktor himself. This will probably confuse Yuuri for the rest of his life.

Yuuri is kind-hearted but full of anxiety and self-doubt. He underestimates his own skill and the value of his accomplishments. Ironically, he earned those skills and accomplishments by working hard at his skating, which is something he does to deal with his anxiety. It admittedly creates a weird feedback loop.

His favorite things in the universe are skating, Viktor, and poodles.

When left to his own devices he tends to dress like a comfortable, casual little goblin: sweaters, sweats, jeans, hoodies. When Victor intervenes, his style gets upgraded to more like "Hollywood college professor": turtlenecks, cashmere cardigans, slacks and designer jeans, suits. Skate costumes, he usually favors two-part costumes (top with separate pants), but always have a slight feminine flair.

In addition to skating, he's fond of many other forms of dance; he's studied ballet the longest, but has also learned ballroom, breakdancing, and poledancing. He enjoys video games, with a priority on handheld consoles due to his on-the-go lifestyle. He adores dogs and especially poodles. He also sometimes helps his family run their quaint, traditional Japanese inn and onsen.