Victor Nikiforov/Plot

General Plot Gallery

Skate 1 - Easy as Pirozhki!! The Grand Prix Final of Tears

Victor offers to take a commemorative photo with Yuuri.

Victor is first seen after the medal ceremony for the Grand Prix Final, during a photoshoot featuring the three medalists - him, Christophe Giamocetti, and Jean-Jacques Leroy. Later, he is seen in the lobby of the venue, advising Yuri Plisetsky about work that could be done to improve the step sequence in his free skate. Yuri blows him off and is promptly scolded by their coach, Yakov Feltsman. While Yuri is being scolded, Victor notices that Yuuri Katsuki is looking at him, and offers to take a commemorative photo together with him. Yuuri walks away without a second glance.

Later, he is seen on television at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships, during his free program. At the same time, Yuuri is showing his own imitation of Victor's free skate to Yuuko Nishigori at Ice Castle Hasetsu. Unbeknownst to him, Yuuko's daughters are filming the entire performance and later they post it on YouTube, where it goes viral. Victor is shown watching the video in his apartment with an unreadable expression on his face.

Victor says to Yuuri that he will become his coach.

The day after the video is posted, Yuuri goes out to shovel snow and is nearly bowled over by a large poodle that looks suspiciously like his own deceased Vicchan. When his father tells him the dog is owned by a handsome foreigner, Yuuri dashes madly to the baths. When he reaches the outdoor bath, he's greeted by none other than Victor himself, who tells him that he has come to Japan to coach him.

Skate 2 - Two Yuris?! Drama at Yu-topia!

The episode starts off with a small flashback of when Victor is leaving Russia. Yakov attempts to persuade Victor to stay in Russia, telling him that if he leaves now, he won't be able to return. Victor, in turn, hugs his now-former coach and tells him that he's sorry for not listening to him this one time. It cuts to Yakov at the airport, yelling at Victor that he never even once listened to him in the first place. Victor is seen in the plane, urging Yakov to come visit Japan sometime.

Victor sleeping

Back in the present time, Victor has fallen asleep after eating when Minako rushes into the inn in a panic. News of Victor's departure and his intent to coach Yuuri have sent the Russian figure skating community into a panic. Back in St. Petersburg, Yakov is mobbed by a group of reporters, all asking about Victor's status and his plans from now on. When asked if it really is true that he's going to go into coaching during his break, Yakov tells them that it's impossible because Victor only thinks of himself. The scene shifts back to Japan, where Victor has just woken himself up by sneezing. He's still hungry, so when asked what he wants to eat, he questions Yuuri about what he likes to eat, which is katsudon. Victor takes an immediate liking to the dish but also tells Yuuri that he needs to lose weight in order for them to actually start training. Not soon afterwards, he lets them all know that he's not only coaching Yuuri but will be living with them from now on.

Later, Victor questions Yuuri on his life, personal relationships and skating related information in hopes of getting to know him. He gets up close and personal, causing Yuuri to flee.

Victor with Makkachin in front of the Hasetsu Castle

Later on, he and Yuuri begin their new exercise regimen and Victor introduces himself to the Nishigori family. While practicing his free program from the previous season, he bans Yuuri from stepping out onto the ice until he's at least cut down his body fat. While out training with Yuuri, Victor again asks personal questions, only to be distracted by Makkachin barking in the direction of Hasetsu Castle. He asks Yuuri what it is, and Yuuri tells him that there's a ninja house inside. Victor ends up having Yuuri take a picture of him and Makkachin with the castle as a background and thus, revealing Victor's whereabouts to an angry Yuri.

It is revealed that Victor once made a promise to help Yuri with his senior debut if he won the Junior Grand Prix without any quads.

Afterwards, Victor is shown skating to the choreography he had been planning on using for next season's short program. Once he is done, he notices that Yuri is in Japan too and, judging by the younger's face, realizes that he must have forgotten some kind of important promise. Yuri angrily reminds him of their deal and Victor, presented with conflicting interests, decides to have Yuuri and Yuri compete in a skate off to determine who he will coach.

Later on, with Yuri also expressing his intent on staying at Yu-topia Akatsuki, Yuuri disappears for a couple of hours for an anxiety-fueled practice. Victor notices his absence and goes looking for him, following Mari's advice to look for Yuuri first at Minako's place, and then at Ice Castle Hasetsu. During his search, he is able to learn a variety of things about Yuuri from the people close to him.

The day after, Victor presents the two different arrangements of "In Regards to Love" to Yuuri and Yuri, and promptly assigns the two the songs opposite of what they had wanted to skate to.

Skate 6 - China's On! The Grand Prix Series Opening Event!! The Cup of China Short Program

Victor says goodbye to Makkachin before getting on a plane to China with Yuuri for the Cup of China.

Skate 7 - China's On! The Grand Prix Series Opening Event!! The Cup of China Free Skate

Victor watches Yuuri fail to close a water bottle cap, exhausted after not sleeping before the day of the free skate. He tells Yuuri to go take a nap, as he always slept in until the last possible moment before competitions, before collapsing on top of him.

Later, back at the rink, he forbids Yuuri from attempting any jumps during the warm-up, citing his already fragile confidence as a reason.

Instead of watching the other free skates, Victor takes Yuuri to the basement so he won't be discouraged by the cheers for the other competitors, and so that he won't become more nervous because of the added media attention. Victor wonders how he can help Yuuri, as he is not experienced as being a coach. While thinking, he fails to notice that Yuuri has taken his earplugs off, and become near paralyzed from his anxiety, which the cheers exacerbate. Victor hurries to cover Yuuri's ears, but cannot think of anything to say to motivate him.

Yuuri breaks down in front of Victor.

Victor decides that "shattering" Yuuri's heart is the best course of action he can take, and tells Yuuri that if he does not place in the top three of the overall competition, he will take responsibility as his coach and resign. He'd intended to motivate Yuuri, but instead causes Yuuri to burst into tears. Victor is very shocked, and retracts his words in an attempt to calm Yuuri down. Yuuri tells him that the reason he is so nervous for this skate in particular is that this time around, his mistakes reflect badly on not only himself, but Victor as well. Victor, who is grasping at straws at this point, tells Yuuri he's not good with comforting others, and offers to kiss Yuuri to calm him down. Yuuri yells at Victor, telling him he doesn't want that, he just wants Victor to believe that he can win more than he himself does.

They head back to the rink during the ending of Georgi's free skate. When Yuuri goes onto the rink, Victor gives him a tissue to blow his nose in. Yuuri moves to drop it into his hand, but changes direction at the last second, making Victor bend down to catch it before it hits the ice rink. Yuuri uses that opportunity to poke the top of his head like he did previously during training. He also pats it, comforting Victor.

As Victor watches the beginning of Yuuri's free skate, he wonders why he is smiling, not knowing that it's because Yuuri is thinking that he is an idiot. He becomes very excited during later portions of Yuuri's skate. When Yuuri changes the last jump to a quadruple flip, he is very noticeably shocked and excited.

At the end of Yuuri's skate, when Yuuri skates towards him, Victor jumps at him and kisses him, knocking Yuuri down to the ice. He tells Yuuri that that was the only way he thought he could surprise Yuuri more than Yuuri surprised him. They smile at each other.

Later, Victor informs the reporters that now that Yuuri is able to land a quadruple flip, he is sure to win the Rostelecom Cup in Russia.

Skate 9 - Yuuri vs Yuri The Horror!! Rostelecom Cup, Free Program

Victor is first seen with Yuuri at the airport, intending to return to Japan to oversee Makkachin's operation. He hugs Yuuri, advising the latter to hug Yakov if he needed help. He tells Yuuri that he would be with Yuuri in spirit, and then flies off. He does not appear again until the end of the episode, where Yuuri, at the Fukuoka airport catches sight of Victor when Makkachin barks upon seeing Yuuri. The two run to the entrance of the boarding gates and reunite in a hug. Yuuri begs Victor to remain with the former until he retired. Victor responds by kissing Yuuri's hand, pointing out that it sounded like a proposal, and that he wished for Yuuri to never retire. At that, Yuuri's eyes fill with tears, and he embraces Victor again, vowing to win gold at the Barcelona GPF.

Skate 10 - Gotta Supercharge it! Pre-Grand Prix Final Special!

Victor, rather than Yuuri, is the one who narrates this episode. He first appears in a swimming pool, musing that he was on vacation and that he had neglected the two L's - Life and Love. It is then that Chris shows up, correctly guessing that he would find Victor in the pool, to which Victor reveals to the audience that they was actually in Barcelona for the GPF. Victor volunteers to take pictures of (and as it is later shown, with) Chris, while explaining to the audience that he had been competing with Chris for several championships.