Best Sports Anime Protagonists

When many think of anime, they usually think of shōnen protagonists with otherworldly powers or master manipulators with god-level intellects. But sometimes, all you need is the story of a dedicated athlete. Just a rising young player who can inspire audiences with their grit and determination.

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A lot of the time, these sports anime manage to be just as intense as classic shōnen, their matches acting like important fights to the point where you're even more hooked on a student tournament than a life or death battle. Here are 5 athletic main characters whose adventures throughout the series give this feeling.

5 Tetsuya Kuroko

The Invisible Ball Player

The ethereal basketball star, the latest addition to and a key part of the famous “Generation of Miracles” at Seirin High School, a school with an impressive basketball program if you’ve ever seen one. From his appearance to his behavior, Kuroko is a strange character, and not the type of person you would think about becoming a star athlete.

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He is highly talented and mysterious with his basketball abilities being so high level he can make himself ‘invisible’ on the court, which allows for many effective trick plays that confuse and disorient opponents. Albeit odd seeming, Kuroko is quite an affable and calm person, usually keeping his feelings to his chest, with only a few situations causing him to rise to anger. Usually related to basketball technique.

Kuroko also happens to have an uncommon goal when it comes to sports anime protagonists. It is shown that he does not aim to be a winner outright. He plans to defeat the Generation of Miracles as their team's phantom sixth member alongside Kagami and the Seirin squad, in order to make them truly appreciate the game of basketball. And the small, blue-haired player has the skills to do it.

4 Sena Kobayakawa

The Eyeshield Man Himself

• Anime: Eyeshield 21
• Release Date: April 6, 2005

An American Football player named after his iconic unorthodox piece of equipment on the field. Sena Kobayakawa was once a timid bully-magnet but does not let that stop him from learning athletic skills that can help him out with the many problems that arise in his life. His bully-evading athletic proficiency has him recruited for actual athletic endeavors. He soon becomes a member of the Deimon’s football team, and assumes the nickname “Eyeshield 21”.

Throughout the series, the former ‘loser’ turned ‘jock’ plays many different positions due to the athleticism he built up from running errands years ago. He plays as a running back, a free safety and, at some point, even a scrambling quarterback, lighting up the field with his fast feet. Later on in the series, it becomes very ironic once you remember that his talents would not have ever been shown on the field had he not been forced on the team by a crazed QB in the first place.

His identity was initially hidden as he hid underneath the “Eyeshield 21” alias provided by his green eye-gear. When he eventually reveals his identity, his status within the school only skyrockets. Eyeshield 21 is really a classic case of zero to hero on a great football-based scale.

3 Shoyo Hinata

Impressive Volleyball Verticals

He’s a super high-energy volleyball enthusiast who may have a little complex about his height. The little jumping ace of the boys volleyball team was inspired, ironically, by “The Little Giant”, a player whose match he saw on TV and set in stone his aspirations of moving forward as a player.

He might not be the brightest of players. In general or when it comes to even quite a few parts of the sport he is passionate about. But that hardly matters simply due to his athletic greatness. As mentioned before, he is a little jumping ace with insane vertical abilities and the swiftness of movement to match.

The high-jumping “Strongest Decoy” is often a sweet guy, but when volleyball is concerned he turns somewhat psychotic, his natural passion turning into a rapid intensity that his opponents would prefer to see less of. He is highly enthusiastic, his blood running as hot as the red hair on his head and his great energy being enough to influence other players to put their hearts on their sleeves too. A quality athlete with a bit of a Napoleon Complex would always make for an interesting sporting lead character.

2 Haruka Nanase

Free To Swim

The quiet athlete from Iwami, using his swimming to help evolve Iwatobi High School's swim team. The strong, silent type you see on both fictional and real sports teams to the point where it has been actively said he has a hard time when it comes to communicating his feelings. Despite his great swimming talents, he ends up taking a great break from them due to family circumstances and falling out with teammates.

But the lonely young man returns to the athletic world when he reconnects with another highly-talented swimming friend from his past, influencing him to enter the swimming world again and enjoy the beauty of developing skills with friends. He returns to showing off his unique freestyle swimming side and returning to his one true love since he was a young child - being one with the water. The dolphin bath toy he keeps proving this to be the case, those aquatic animals being his personal spirit animal.

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He is a blunt and honest young man with artistic interests along with his athletic interests, a deep soul who makes up for his lack of talkativeness with his talents in the pool and the way he learns to work with his eclectic teammates through close bonds.

1 Yoichi Isagi

Ore Wa Striker Da

His name is Yoichi Isagi and, above all else, he is a striker. He lets audiences know this from the very jump, showcasing his deep passion for the sport of football (or soccer as it's often called) and a hyper-analytic attitude towards it. The nice, friendly, analytical footballer can turn into a devilish monster of will and energy should you find yourself against him on the soccer field.

Once he enters the Blue Lock training regimen, this devilish side of him bursts out with even greater. The program was made as part of a plan to make up for Japan's World Cup failings. Jinpachi Ego and those who work at Blue Lock want to create the ultimate egoistic striker to lead a future Japanese team to glory. And Yoichi, like many other characters in Blue Lock, is violently determined to become the ultimate egoist and future savior of Japanese football. Sometimes, even more so than most.

One second, he is talking about teamwork, acting friendly to his fellow Blue Lock members, and aiming for all their aspirations. The next second, he is willing to crush them, as he knows his dreams take precedence. Then, once the game is over, he goes back to his usual kind state. To be a great athlete, one must have that IT factor, the win at all costs attitude. Isagi has that more than any other sports anime protagonist.

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