Georgi Popovich (Russian: Георгий Попович; Japanese: ギオルギー・ポポーヴィッチ, Giorugī Popōvitchi) is a Russian figure skater featured in Yuri!!! on Ice.
Background
Georgi, along with Yuri Plisetsky, Mila Babicheva, and Victor Nikiforov, is a student of Yakov Feltsman.
Appearance
Georgi has black hair, cyan eyes, and a lean, slightly muscular build. He usually styles his hair in a quiff. He wears a tank top while training in order to "look beautiful", but others tend to find it strange.[1]
Short Program
His outfit for his short program is based on the stereotypical image of a witch, emphasizing dark colors with a somewhat theatrical flair. He also wears prominent makeup (dark eye shadow and dark purple lipstick) and a cuff on his left ear.[2]
Free Skate
Contrary to Georgi's short program, the theme of his free skate is the polar opposite to his short program. Georgi wears a simpler, light-blue costume in it.[3]
Personality
Georgi has a very serious attitude towards competitions, but also has his own comical way of expressing himself. He takes relationships so seriously to the point that he uses his own heartbroken experience as the theme of his skating programs.[2][3]
Relationships
Victor Nikiforov
Victor is Georgi's rink mate under the same coach, save the time Victor left for Japan to coach Yuuri. When Victor was involved in competitive skating, Georgi was often classed as the skater in Viktor's shadow and appeared both angry and envious that Viktor was hailed as Russia's top and favorite skater. Despite this, he does not appear to have any ill intentions toward Victor and simply wishes to become Russia's new favorite skater.
Yuri Plisetsky
Yuri is Georgi's rink mate under the same coach. Despite being rink mates, they are not often shown interacting, and Georgi does not have Yuri's phone number[4].
Mila Babicheva
Georgi and Mila are rink mates under Yakov's supervision. He is often shown in her company both during and outside of practice. While he appears closest to Mila, not much is truly known on their friendship.
Yakov Feltsman
Yakov is Georgi's current coach. Like the others, Georgi highly respects Yakov. He eagerly accepts his coaching and ways to improve his skating but doesn't seem aware of how the struggle with his love life affects that.
Anya
Georgi's ex-girlfriend, Anya, is an active competitive ice dancer. At the Cup of China, it is revealed that she had left him for another man, making him bitter and somewhat cynical.[5] He was deeply heartbroken from this loss and wanted her back.[6] As the season went on, Georgi was eventually able to move on from Anya.
Skills
Jumps
Georgi is able to land a quadruple Salchow cleanly in the competition, which suggests that he has great jumping ability and hang-time.
Interpretation/Artistry
Out of all of Yakov's students, Georgi is the one who is best able to interpret his music, and the one who makes the most use of artistry. He is an emotional skater who becomes very absorbed in his programs.
Program
Short-Carabosse
The song itself is from "The Sleeping Beauty," about the witch that curses the Princess to eternal sleep. Georgi channels his heartbreak and bitterness over being left by his girlfriend into his interpretation of the music.
Free-Tales of a Sleeping Prince
Quotes
- "I am an evil witch."[2] (Short Program Monologue)
- "Now that Victor's gone, I'm the new top skater in Russia."[2] (Short Program Monologue)
Trivia
- He keeps a picture of his ice dancer ex-girlfriend in his pendant.
- Georgi is known in Japan as the "pigeon".[7]
- He has been in every episode since the pilot but did not have a single speaking part until Episode 6 where he competes in the Cup of China.
- Georgi's Japanese voice actor also sings the ending theme, You Only Live Once.
- His theme for the season is "heartbreak."
- In Episode 6, his Japanese I.D. tag states he is 25 years old while his English tag says he's 27.
- Later during his short skate, he was stated to be 45 in the English dub.