Summary

• These anime series showcase the captivating pursuit of victory in sports, resonating with the joy of triumph and the pain of loss.
• Characters like Tsubasa, Ryoma, and Joe embark on journeys of growth, companionship, and rivalry in their quests for excellence.
• From soccer to tennis, football, boxing, basketball, skateboarding, and volleyball, each series embodies the intensity and ion of sports.

Sports anime, being inherently centered around competition, are the most immediate and glaring example of the pursuit of victory that is so central to the medium. Whether in the form of ultimate physical triumph, the defeat of a masterfully skilled nemesis, or the establishment as the new champion of a particular discipline, the need to be the best is a powerful fuel for the characters of many beloved shows.

Sport unites and intrigues. The characters in these stories captivate and inspire, and the joy of triumph is just as tangible as the pain of loss. Now that the 2024 Olympic Games are officially underway, athletes from around the world are once again competing for the renowned Olympic gold. Their desire for victory is best represented in these sports anime, who are the perfect companion for a Summer of Olympics.

10 Captain Tsubasa, Reaching The Top Of The World

Based on the manga by Yōichi Takahashi

From a franchise that debuted in 1981 and officially concluded only with the retirement of its author in 2024, this show follows Tsubasa Oozora, known in various international dubs as "Oliver Atom," on his journey to achieve his dream of winning the FIFA World Cup playing for Japan's soccer team. Always having been a prodigy, his goal has never wavered in his mind. He never leaves the house without his soccer ball, a quirk that even saved his life when he was a kid. He literally owes his life to this sport, and is ready to give it his all to achieve his objective.

After having moved to a new town renowned for its soccer teams, Tsubasa begins to make friends who share his ion and follow him along the journey. When a Brazilian soccer legend, Roberto Hongo, sees him and decides to mentor him, the stage is set for Tsubasa's ascent. The story follows his growth as a player and the development of his relationships with those around him, starting with his teammates at Nankatsu Elementary School Football Team, and continuing with the formation of sporting rivalries that will develop throughout the show.

9 The Prince of Tennis, Growth Beyond Talent

Based on the manga by Takeshi Konomi

With an original run that began in 2001, Takeshi Konomi's The Prince of Tennis breaks from the more typical trope within the sports genre of the underdog rising to the top and instead revolves around a young tennis prodigy. The protagonist, Ryoma Echizen, is enrolled by his father into Seishun Academy, a school renowned for its tennis club, which has returned to high-level competition only recently.

Ryoma's father, Nanjiro Echizen, was a tennis player himself and a former member of the academy. His departure from it left them without the skills to compete at the national level, until the arrival two years before the show takes place of Kunimitsu Tezuka, the current captain of the tennis club.

The show revolves around Ryoma Echizen as he and the other of the Seishun Academy's tennis club try to return the team to its former glory. Ryoma's journey, while already starting from a place of immense talent and skill, is marked by the attempt to create a name that goes beyond that of his father. The interactions with his team and the triumph waiting ahead will enable him to find the tools to shape his future and carve the path of his own career.

8 Blue Lock, Trials To Be The Best

Adapted from the manga by Muneyuki Kaneshiro

Carrying the same love for soccer and intensity as Captain Tsubasa, but with the animation style and pace of more modern anime, Muneyuki Kaneshiro's Blue Lock has become one of the most followed sports anime in recent years. After a history of disappointing international performances, the Japan Football Union hires Jinpachi Ego to bring Japan's football team to victory. Ego's plan, a training program named "Blue Lock," is designed to create the world's greatest striker, and those who do not this regiment will never be allowed to play for Japan again.

Yoichi Isagi, a high school player, is invited to the Blue Lock program. He is among 300 young football prospects that will undertake the demanding training. Despite the self-centered nature of the tenets of the regiment, which go against everything that Isagi has been taught about football, he walks in and embarks on this adventure. The story continues as, trial after trial, Isagi discovers and develops the striker within him, focused on the goal of becoming the best.

7 Baki The Grappler, Fighting The Way Out Of The Shadow

Adapted from the manga by Keisuke Itagaki

Baki The Grappler, by Keisuke Itagaki, is a martial arts series that follows the journey of Baki Hanma. He dreams of suring his father and, thanks to help from his mother, he is able to fund his travels and training in the hope of honing his craft in the pursuit of his goal. The series is followed by five sequels, each following a part of the original manga series: Baki, Baki Hanma, Baki-Dou, Bakidou, and Baki Rahen.

Each of these sequels builds on Baki's journey as, at first, he is easily beaten by his father. As a result of his vow to sur him, Baki journeys the world to face the strongest fighters in deadly hand-to-hand combat matches. Nothing will stop him as he pursues perfection in martial arts and victory over his father, who has loomed over him as the ultimate symbol of martial arts prowess.

6 Kuroko's Basketball, Emerging From “The Generation Of Miracles”

Based on the manga by Tadatoshi Fujimaki

Debuting as an anime in 2012, Kuroko's Basketball follows the "Generation of Miracles," as the starting five of Teiko Middle School basketball team became known after winning national titles for three consecutive years. The story begins after these five, as well as a sixth man who was rumored to also belong to this generation, graduate middle school and move on to enroll in different high schools. They all strive to compete against one another, each with the desire to rise above the rest.

It is the mysterious sixth man, the titular character Tetsuya Kuroko, who takes center stage in this story. As a first-year student of Seirin High, a new school with a lesser-known team, Tetsuya is ed by Taiga Kagami, a talented player who grew up in the United States, and the two set their eyes on the goal of taking Seirin to the top. Tetsuya will face his previous teammates in game after game and tournament after tournament, to turn his high school team into the best in Japan.

5 Sk8 the Infinity, The Winding Path To The Crown

Created by Hiroko Utsumi in collaboration with studio Bones

With high speed races and bitter rivalries, Sk8 The Infinity solidified itself as a great anime to watch among the sports genre. Reki Kyan, a high school sophomore, loves a skating competition known as "S." This clandestine race takes place after midnight on a breakneck winding track carved out of an abandoned mine. When Langa Hasegawa, a Japanese-Canadian student, transfers into Reki's class and applies to work where he does, he is quickly pulled into the world of skateboarding and begins to get a taste of the competition of the "S" races.

As soon as Langa gets involved with racing, his talent shines. He is able to transfer the snowboarding skills he already has to skateboarding and, with Reki's tutoring, begins improving in this new sport. Quickly, rivalries form, and the dangers of the "S" races loom around every winding turn. The desire to prove themselves battles with the love of the sport and, challenge after challenge, the characters grow in their relationship.

4 Hajime No Ippo, Underdog To Champion

Based on the Manga by George Morikawa

George Morikawa's Hajime No Ippo is the story of Ippo Makunouchi, a high school student who is not very popular. Shyness and the need to help his mother run the family business have kept Ippo from making friends, and his loneliness makes him an easy target for bullies. One day, when Ippo is the victim of a serious attack from the bullies, professional boxer Mamoru Takamura takes him to the Kamogawa Gym so he can receive care, and after waking up, he lets out his frustration on a sandbag, showing the surrounding boxers a glimmer of his natural talent.

In the ensuing days, Ippo begins to think about boxing more consistently and lands on the decision to make it his career. The news is not received well by Takamura, who believes that Ippo is not taking boxing seriously enough. After subjecting Ippo to a very difficult challenge, which he overcomes brilliantly, Takamura is convinced, and Ippo's path to becoming a boxing champion, which goes through convincing the owner of the gym of his value, begins.

3 Haikyu!!, Rivals, Teammates, Life-Long Friends

Based on the manga by Haruichi Furudate

Debuting as an anime in 2014, Haruichi Furudate's Haikyu!! quickly became one of the most popular sports shows within the anime landscape. After seeing a volleyball game on television played by Karasuno High School, Shoyo Hinata, a junior high student, becomes obsessed with volleyball. Shoyo immediately signs up for his school's volleyball team and, excited to begin, is faced with the reality that he is its sole member. The following two years are spent trying to convince as many of his classmates as possible to help him practice and finally, in the last year of junior high, more people ed the team.

It is with this team that Shoyo encounters Tobio Kageyama, a prodigy who soundly defeats Shoyo's team on his way to Junior high victory. Shoyo's promise to defeat Kageyama in high school proves unattainable as he finds out that they both enrolled at Karasuno High, which in the meantime has lost its reputation. What began as a rivalry develops then into a profound relationship. The two share the goal of winning with their high school team, restoring the school's name, and becoming both professional volleyball players. As the story goes on, Hinata and Kageyama push each other to become what they vowed to be, promising to play on the same court even beyond high school, devoting their lives to this sport.

2 Megalobox, From The Bottom To The Top

Written by Katsuhiko Manabe & Kensaku Kojima

Created to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the boxing manga Ashita No Joe, Megalobox does so by bringing reverence for the sport of boxing, while taking it into a sci-fi setting. Set in late 21st century Japan, the show revolves around the very popular sport of "Megaloboxing," in which the athletes wear "gears," a technological exoskeleton that enhances their abilities, making them much more lethal. The intriguing setting is ed by a very nicely crafted animation and a beautiful musical score that accompanies the action.

The story follows Junk Dog, the protagonist, as he moves on from a life of fixing matches after challenging the current Megaloboxing champion, Yuri. The pursuit towards the top starts as Junk Dog becomes "Joe," the name assigned to him on a forged citizen ID needed to enter the official rankings. It then continues with him becoming "Gearless Joe," as he removes any technological aid that is not essential and embodies the essence of what boxing skill is in order to overcome his opponents and climb the Megaloboxing rankings.

1 Slam Dunk, A Sport Cult That Begins With A Crush

Based on the manga by Takehiko Inoue

Debuting in 1993, three years after Takehiko Inoue's manga was first published, Slam Dunk quickly became a cult in Japan. It is considered one of the greatest sports anime of all time, and it is credited with having greatly increased basketball's popularity in Japan. Love for the sport exudes from every frame of the show as it moves between competitive moments to the characters' daily routine. The breakdown of the game and the techniques it teaches highlight how, in this show, basketball always remains in the foreground.

The story follows Hanamichi Sakuragi, a high school outcast who, in his first year at Shohoku High, meets and falls for Haruko Akagi. Haruko, seeing an athlete in Hanamichi, introduces him to the basketball team of the school, for which he begins to play despite some initial resistance. He will compete along with his teammates to fulfill their captain's dream of becoming national champions, developing a genuine love for basketball in the process which is ed along to the viewers.