1.
leading male role; male protagonist in traditional theater
The principal male role in kabuki and other traditional Japanese performing arts. The term specifically refers to serious, dignified male characters, as distinct from comic or villainous roles.
2.
key player; central figure; leading role (figurative)
By extension, a person who plays the most important or central part in an event, project, or achievement.
Originally a kabuki term referring to the dignified male protagonist, in contrast to roles like 敵役 (villain) or 道化役 (comic role). The figurative sense is now more commonly encountered in everyday Japanese.
Common collocations
- 立役を務める: serve as the leading role / key player
- 立役者: the central figure; the person behind a success (the most common modern form)
- 立役俳優: leading male actor
Similar words
- 主役: leading role; protagonist (general, not limited to male roles or kabuki)
- 女形: female roles performed by male actors in kabuki
- 敵役: villain role; antagonist (in kabuki and theater)
Usage
In modern Japanese, 立役者 is far more common than 立役 alone. The form 立役者 means the person who made something happen, and is widely used in news, business, and sports contexts.