He doesn't talk to his teammates very often, and appears mostly emotionless, only looking annoyed on occasion. He is generally seen to be a competitive person, cheering every time he scores, and crying upon his team's loss to Karasuno. His upperclassmen have implied that Kawanishi is uncertain about himself or his abilities, with Ushijima telling him to gain more confidence moving forward, and Tendō noting that he doesn't go for aerial battles unless he knows he can win.