Abilities
Wakabayashi's distinctive characteristic is to be able to stop any kind of shot kicked from outside of the penalty area (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 1, pages 11 to 20).
He was among the best 20 players of the 6th juveniles national tournament (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 48, pages 49-50).

Kicking power
According to Mikami, he wouldn't be able to kick the ball from the hill to his ouse like Tsubasa did (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 1, page 41).
His kicking power is superior to the field players of Shutetsu (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 7, pages 38).

Long shoot
He can score against Nankatsu's keeper with a long shot on a cross from Taki (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 7, pages 37-38).
Wakashimazu seemed confident in stopping his long shot, but it can be deviated by Misaki (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 43, pages 31 to 34).

Overlap
He can overlap during a corner kick (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 7, pages 37).
He can overlap when the match is almost over (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 43, pages 29-30).

Throw
He can throw the ball to a teammate (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 15, page 7), (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 37, page 1), (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 39, pages 41-42), (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 46, pages 24-25), and throw the ball to a teammate just after landing from a save (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 44, pages 37-38).
He may not be able to throw the ball and can collapse if he's injured (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 47, pages 41 to 43).

Long pass
He can perform a nice kick reaching a player accurately (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 5, pages 15-16).
He can send a pass far away to a teammate (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 14, page 14).
He can slip and miss a goal kick if he's injured (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 14, pages 38 to 40).
He can accurately perform a goal kick with a left, injured foot (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 14, page 49).
He can kick the ball towards a teammate (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 38, page 29).
His goal kick can reach a teammate (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 44, pages 26-27).

Physical power
After catching a ball that Hyuga was trying to shoot at the same time or even before the kick, Hyuga can fall in the process (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 36, pages 35 to 38).
If Hyuga is kicking sooner with a direct shot however, even if Wakabayashi is catching it with his whole body, he may be pushed towards the goal with the ball, but he'll still be able to keep the ball outside of the goal (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 39, pages 32 to 37).

Ball stealing
He can make a surprise attack against Hyuga and steal the ball from him after his control (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 43, pages 27-28).

Sliding tackle
He can take the ball from Ishizaki with a sliding tackle (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 5, page 28).

Clear
Even if he's injured, he can come out of his goal to clear a ball before Sawaki can get it, and his clearance can reach a teammate (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 44, page 53 to 55).

Saving
Nobody scored against him in the 6 matches he played in the departmental championship (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 12, page 4).

Coming out of his goal
He can come out of his goal to perform an unexpected defense on a predictable attack pattern (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 5, pages 27-28).
He can come out of his goal to perform a save against Hyuga, but when catching the ball as he is shooting, the shot can blow is glove away and get into the goal (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 42, pages 32 to 37).
He can come out of his goal to steal the ball from an opponent high on the pitch (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 43, pages 27-28).
Even if he's injured, he can come out of his goal to clear a ball before Sawaki can get it (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 44, page 53-54).
He can come out of his goal to perform a save against Sawada, and push him back as the latter is shooting the ball, even if he's injured (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 46, pages 28-29).
He can rush out of his goal to perform a save against Hyuga, but might only be able to repell the shot with his arm on the goal bar (Endless dream, pages 40-41).

One handed catch
He was able to catch with one hand an unexpected ball kicked by Misaki (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 4, pages 36-37).
He can perfectly catch with one hand a shot from an unmarked Ishizaki (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 5, pages 13-14).
He may not be able to catch with one hand a shot done from a distance from Tsubasa, but will still repell it, conceding a corner (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 5, pages 36 to 38), or barely touch it and repell it on the goal bar (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 6, pages 48 to 52).
He may not be able to catch or repell a curving shot done from the corner spot from Tsubasa (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 5, pages 36 to 38).
He may not be able to catch a shot from Hyuga done after controlling the ball inside the penalty area, but can still repell it, making it bounce on the goal post (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 40, pages 10 to 15).
If he's injured, he may not be able to catch a shot from an unmarked Sawaki, but can still repell it, conceding a corner kick (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 41, pages 16 to 18).

Two-handed catch
He couldn't pertectly catch and conceded to a diving header from Tsubasa on a centering from Roberto (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 2, pages 15 to 19).
After getting used to the course he may catch with both hands a shot done from a distance from Tsubasa (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 6, pages 7-8).
He can catch with two hands Tsubasa's super long shot (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 6, pages 11-12).
He can catch with two hands a shot from Tsubasa (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 7, pages 21-22).
He can catch with two hands a left-legged shot from Misaki (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 7, pages 28-29).
He can catch with two hands a shot from Mikami (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 9, page 11).
He can catch with two hands a shot from a player of Hamana FC even though he's injured (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 12, pages 1 to 3).
He can catch with two hands a shot from Kato done from a distance (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 14, page 27).
He can catch with two hands a shot from Kato even if one of his feet is injured (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 14, pages 45 to 48).
He can catch with two hands a ball that Hyuga is trying to shoot after controlling the ball, at the same time or even before the kick, making Hyuga fall in the process (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 36, pages 35 to 38).
He can catch with a two handed diving catch a long shot from Hyuga (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 37, pages 23-24), (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 38, pages 21-22), (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 38, pages 27-28), (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 45, pages 11-12).
He can catch with a two handed diving catch a bullet long shot from Hyuga (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 38, pages 14 to 17).
Even if he's injured, he can catch with a two handed diving catch an overhead from Hyuga, although the power may make him crash into the goal post (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 45, pages 36 to 42).
Even if he's injured, he can catch with a two handed diving catch a shot from an unmarked Wakashimazu, as he was aware of where he'd aim as a keeper (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 46, pages 36 to 38).
Even if he's injured, he can catch with a two handed diving catch a shot from an unmarked Sawada (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 47, pages 36 to 38).
He can stop with a two handed diving catch an overhead from Tsubasa, although it was just a fluke according to him (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 50, pages 35 to 38).
He can catch with a two handed diving catch a shot from outside of the penalty area from Hyuga (Endless dream, pages 29-30).

Full body catch
He can dive and catch with his two hands and body a shot from Murakami (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 14, pages 12-13).
He can dive and catch with his two hands and body a shot from Shimizu even with an injured foot (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 15, page 7).
He can dive and catch with his two hands and body a shot from Kisugi (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 35, page 15).
Even if he is catching a direct shot from Hyuga with his whole body, he may be pushed towards the goal with the ball, but he'll still be able to keep the ball outside of the goal (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 39, pages 32 to 37).
Even if he's injured, he can catch with with his two hands and body a super long shot from Hyuga (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 44, pages 17 to 24).
Even if he's injured, he can catch with with his two hands and body a shot from Hyuga done inside the penalty area thanks to defenders like Takasugi and Kishida closing down the shooting courses (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 46, pages 23-24).
Even if he's injured, he can catch with with his two hands and body shots from Hyuga done inside the penalty area thanks to defenders like Takasugi and Ishizaki marking him and making him shoot in difficult positions (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 46, pages 30-31).

High ball contest
He can catch with two hands a jumping header from Tsubasa on a pass from Misaki, but may not be able to keep it if they're clashing against each other (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 8, pages 30 to 32).
He can catch the ball in the air with two hands letting the players from Matsukawa unable to reach it (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 10, page 17).
He can catch the ball in the air with two hands and not let go even if many players from Shimizu are charging him (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 14, pages 34 to 37).
He may not jump as high as Suzuki, Takasugi and Nishio during a high ball contest if he's injured to the foot (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 14, pages 42-43).
He may not be able to jump if he's injured to the leg (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 41, page 24).
Even if he's injured, during a high ball contest he can jump higher than Sawaki and Sakamoto, and although he may not jump as high as Hyuga, because as a keeper he can use his arms, he can intercept a high centering from Sawada with a one handed catch (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 44, pages 35 to 37).

Repelling
He can repell a jumping header from Tsubasa (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 2, pages 12-13).
He can repell two successive shots from high schoolers (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 3, pages 54-55).
Even if Sawada is deviating a long shoot from Hyuga right in front of him with a diving header, he can still stop his previous dive with his hand and repell the ball with his foot (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 38, pages 32 to 37).
Even if he's injured, he can repell a diving header from Hyuga (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 42, pages 8-9).
Even if he's injured, he can repell a shot from Hyuga, using only his right leg and one of his arm on the ground to dive (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 47, pages 53 to 58).

Reaction
He may not react to a shot from Hyuga if he's injured, but he's implying he may not have been able to stop it anyway if he wasn't (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 10, pages 31 to 37).
He can catch a ball that bounced on the goal post (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 5, pages 36 to 38).
He may not be able to react to an overhead from Tsubasa just after making another save (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 6, pages 51 to 55).
After two successive return passes with a diving header from Tsubasa, then Misaki, forcing him to dive from one side to the other, he won't be able to react to a diving header from Tsubasa (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 8, pages 15 to 19).
After saving a shot from Hyuga done after controlling the ball inside the penalty area, he might not be able to save his following diving header (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 41, pages 2-3).
He can react to, but not catch a shot from Tsubasa from outside of the penalty area that is, however, off target (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 50, pages 32 to 34).

Fighting spirit
He is extremely angry when he's defeated (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 2, pages 23-24).
That can drive him to train to the extreme in order not to be defeated again (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 3, pages 54-55).
Because of that he has a tendency to see only his personal objectives rather than the team's, although his coach Mikami can make him view his mistake (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 7, pages 14 to 18).
When he isn't fixated on his personal objectives, his abilities as a keeper are improving (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 7, page 28).
According to Tsubasa, Hyuga's persistence to win is greater than Wakabayashi's (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 22, page 11).

Judgement
He is able to make accurate observations when observing a match (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 5, page 25).
When he isn't fixated on his personal obkectives, his judgement skills are better (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 7, page 28).

Captainship and leadership
His directives are taking precedence over those of a player like Izawa (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 6, page 6).
He can give good directives to the defense line when he isn't fixated on his personal objectives (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 7, page 28).
He can continuously organize the defense (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 14, page 33).
He can give directives to the defenders even if they're shaken (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 40, pages 1 to 3).

Injury resistance
His injury may awaken or worsen after being charged by many players from Shimizu (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 14, pages 34 to 40).
His injuries can awaken because of Hyuga's shots, although according to Mikami, Hyuga's shot are so powerful that making saves against them is as if you're playing longer for an injured keeper (Captain Tsubasa arc, chapter 39, page 43).

Long kick
During a counter a player can score on one of his goal kick (Road to 2002 arc, chapter 14, page 12).
He's making the full use of the keeper's ability to run inside the penalty area with theb all in his hands before performing his goal kick (Road to 2002 arc, chapter 38, pages 8 to 10).
He can fake a hand throw towards the playmaker, to send a long kick towards a forward instead (25th anniversary, part 2, pages 28 to 31).
After a save, He can launch a counter by sending a long feed with pinpoint accuracy to an overlapping sideback (Golden-23 arc, chapter 39, pages 10-11), or directly to a forward (Golden-23 arc, chapter 41, pages 11-12).
After coming out of his goal, Wakabayashi can dribble up before sending a long bending pass, looking like a long shot, that can trick Bobang and Babayan (Golden-23 arc, chapter 50, pages 15 to 19).

Top spin pass
During a goal kick, he can use a top spin pass which can give a goal scoring opportunity to a teammate (Road to 2002 arc, chapter 38, pages 9 to 14).

Coming out of his goal
He can foresee and stop a dribble breakthrough from Schester by coming out of his goal (Road to 2002 arc, chapter 14, page 9).
He can go out of his goal to clash with a player receiving a pass on the verge of the offside line, against Luikal, he may make the ball go away (Final countdown, pages 21 to 23).
In a one on one situation, he can go out of his goal, a player like Jacks can dodge his tackle by jumping, but may lose the ball if Wakabayashi is extending his leg upward (Golden-23 arc, chapter 50, pages 8 to 14).

Defending against shots from outside of the penalty area
He's confident in stopping anything shot from outside of the penalty area, and can ask the wall to be open in the middle during a free kick (Golden-23 arc, chapter 42, pages 16 to 19).
He won't let Schneider score from outside of the penalty area, even if he's using his fire shot unmarked, Wakabayashi can repell it (Germany dream, pages 34 to 36).

Repelling
He can repell a shot from Victorino at point blank range, done after controlling a through pass from Schester (Road to 2002 arc, chapter 14, pages 6 to 8).
He can repell a fire shot from Schneider, but can concede to Hyuga kicking the repelled ball with a jumping tiger volley (F.C.R.B. Stadium opening match, pages 8 to 10).
He can repell a twin shot from Santana and Natureza, but can concede to Schneider kicking the repelled ball afterwards (25th anniversary, part 4, pages 6 to 11).
He can repell, but still concede a corner kick to a Fire shot used on a jumping volley from Schneider (25th anniversary, part 2, pages 12 to 15).
He can repell to the goal line a very close header from East on a high ball from Babayan (Golden-23 arc, chapter 39, pages 5 to 8).
He can also repell to the goal line a penalty kick from Tanu with his foot (Golden-23 arc, chapter 39, pages 11 to 16).
He can repell to the goal line with one hand Ochado's reverse S.S.S., in other words, at the near side of the goal, during a corner kick (Golden-23 arc, chapter 44, pages 1 to 3).
He can repell a super long shot from Ogasawara on a pass from Santos (Japan dream 2006, pages 17 to 19).
He can repell a diving header from Fukunishi on a free kick from Nakamura (Japan dream 2006, pages 25-26).
He can concede to a shot from Takahara on a ball he just repelled (Japan dream 2006, pages 26 to 29).

Jumping and repelling
During a corner kick done by Teigerbran, Wakabayashi can clear the ball with a punch before Bollack can reach it.

Two handed catch
He can catch a nuclear warhead header from Margus on a lob from Schester (Road to 2002 arc, chapter 14, pages 9 to 11).
He can catch shots from Van Nistel (Final countdown, pages 12 to 14).
He can catch Sho's reactive fast kick quick gun on a cleared ball from one of Hamburg's player, like he is capturing a dragon alive (Road to 2002 arc, chapter 39, pages 16 to 19).
He can catch Sho's reactive fast kick quick gun on a shot behind from Santana, like he is choking a dragon alive (25th anniversary, part 2, pages 24 to 29).
He can perfectly catch a very high jumping volley from Bobang (Golden-23 arc, chapter 39, pages 4 to 9).
He can also perfectly catch the no rotation shot from Ochado during a free kick with the wall open in the middle (Golden-23 arc, chapter 43, pages 5 to 13).

One handed catch
He can catch with one hand a S.S.S. from Ochado when it's aimed at the far side of the goal during a corner kick (Golden-23 arc, chapter 41, pages 4 to 9).

Body catch
He can use his whole body to catch a middle shot from Schneider, rather than fumble it because it's swinging (Road to 2002 arc, chapter 38, pages 5 to 7).

Special training against the Levin shot
After following a special training, he was able to perfectly catch with both hands Levin's levin shot (Road to 2002 arc, chapter 40, pages 3 to 9).

Saving and reaction
He can defend against every shot of a storm of shots from Coleman, Minba, Seaken and another player from Bayern (Road to 2002 arc, chapter 39, pages 14-15).
He can make consecutive fine saves (25th anniversary, part 2, page 18).
He may not react and concede to a header by Bobang on a very fast pass from the corner spot from Ochado while they made him drop his guard into believing they're arguing with each other (Golden-23 arc, chapter 44, pages 6 to 11).
He can also be lured by a player like Jacks, who can then pass the ball to someone else who can score in the goal left empty (Golden-23 arc, chapter 44, pages 16-17).
He can stop shots from Takahara, Tsuboi and Santos (Japan dream 2006, page 20).
He can concede to Nakamura (Japan dream 2006, page 45).
He can concede to an overhead from Nakata (Japan dream 2006, page 45).

Sense of stability
His mere presence can give a sense of safety to the team (Golden-23 arc, chapter 79, page 16).