A sometimes overlooked and underrated genre of anime is the sports genre. Sometimes, it's a breath of fresh air to take a break from the world-threatening aliens and secret organizations and instead follow a team of underdogs that seek to catch lighting in a bottle. There are dozens of exceptional sports anime about archery, basketball, and even pinpong.

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Blue Lock, a highly anticipated series, just released its first episode and sets a tone for great things to come. The art style and characters stand out and are sure to live up to the hype of its predecessors. While Blue Lock is ramping up, here are some sports anime to watch to keep the iron hot while waiting for more episodes.

Updated on January 4, 2024, by C.M Edwards: Sports anime is a somewhat niche genre of anime that has garnered cult followings for its intense, fast-paced story and strong character depth and development. Sports anime capture the true essence of friendship, teamwork, and trust as a group of athletes put their faith in each other to reach greatness. Blue Lock has shaken up the sports anime genre with a high octane action and thrilling characters that claw for an inch while forsaking their own teammates. Both the story and the animation quality of Blue Lock have fans locked in with every new episode, craving to see how Isagi Yoichi and the rest of the talent of Blue Lock evolve their weapons and push the envelope to become the best. Blue Lock is an incredible ride and has a second season on the horizon. While waiting, fans of the series have a wide variety of series' to watch until the second season of Blue Lock releases. Here are some great sports anime like Blue Lock.

13 Yowamushi Pedal

MyAnimeList Score: 7.9

The world of biking is a grueling and treacherous field not many have what it takes to become great. Onoda Sakamichi finds himself as the rising star of the Sohouku bicycle club after a coincidental run-in with one of their top racers.

Having no experience, Onoda shocks the world with his determination, grit, and incredible leg power. Blue Lock excels at explaining how breaking down previous versions to make way for something new increases growth, and Yowamushi Pedal does the same on Onoda's journey.

12 Run With The Wind

MyAnimeList Score: 8.3

Run with the Wind is a strange take on the sports genre, aside from it being focused on a very niche sport like marathon running. A delinquent, Kakeru Kurahara becomes linked to a mixed-matched group of would-be runners with a captain who has dreams of winning a grand tournament in their district.

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Reluctantly, Kakeru has no option but to chip in and whip their team into shape. One of the basic concepts of Blue Lock is starting from nothing, and Run with the Wind shines as an example of how diamonds in the rough are still diamonds.

11 Ahiru No Sora

MyAnimeList Score: 7.2

• Studio: Diomedea
• Release Date: Oct, 2019
• Streaming On: Crunchyroll

Ahiru No Sora steps out of Kuroko's Basketsball's shadow as a basketball anime by placing more focus on the characters' personalities and the possibility of not being the best but trying hard anyway, much like the competitors in Blue Lock who believe they are at the bottom of the ranking. A fresh-faced new student named Sora has a run-in with a group of delinquents who have taken over the basketball club and challenges them to a game in order to get them to play. Sora's skills wow the onlookers, but he is unable to win a one vs. three. However, Sora lights a fire in the leader of the gang, which starts them on a path toward the championship.

10 All Out!

MyAnimeList Score: 7.4

• Studio: Madhouse
• Release Date: Oct, 2016
• Streaming On: Crunchyroll

All Out is an intense story that follows a group of high school boys who have found the fire inside their chests in the form of love for rugby. When a young transfer student tries to find a purpose, he is entranced by the hard work and dedication that the school rugby team exhibits.

All Out mirrors the variety of intense personalities that Blue Lock has and has similar character interactions and rivalries. On a whim, he joins the team on their journey to make an impact and take the team from mocked underdogs to serious competitors. All Out focuses on more than just the team's chemistry but also individual players, their motivations, and the hardships they endure to ensure they don’t let the team down.

9 Eyeshield 21

MyAnimeList Score: 7.9

The high adrenaline rush of being on the football field was the last thing that Sena Koboyakama had on his mind. For the most part, Sena’s only goal was to make it through his high school life in one piece, being the target of frequent bullying.

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It wasn't until the captain of the football team noticed the untapped speed of Sena that he took an interest and coerced him into joining the team. Eyeshield 21 is a classic anime that has similar character growth to Blue Lock, with the players discovering themselves and their abilities in the heat of the moment. Eyeshield 21 also has announced a high-quality remake which will possibly continue the series.

8 Free!

MyAnimeList Score: 7.3

Free! enters the world of water sports and competitive swimming. The strength it takes for competitors to propel themselves through water is both physical and mental. The right amount of breaths to take, the correct moment to dive, and controlling the panic of not breathing are all things swimmers need to perform.

For the newly founded Iwatobi High School swim club, these three childhood friends set their sites on becoming the best athletes in the prefecture. Their chances skyrocket when they discover a diamond hidden in the rough named Rei Ryuugazaki, who may be the key to their triumph. Free! manages to capture the nature of comradery and teamwork, which is a challenge that Blue Lock also faces, which makes both series similar and a joy to watch.

7 Ao Ashi

MyAnimeList Score: 8.2

• Studio: Production I.G
• Release Date: Apr, 2022
• Streaming On: Crunchyroll

Ashito Aoi is the star player of his junior high soccer team. He is known for his sporadic plays and unpredictable nature. Unfortunately, arrogance gets the better of Aoi, and he disregards his team and makes inappropriate decisions that cost his team their spot in the championship tournament. Both Ao Ashi and Blue Lock deal with player ego in different ways but address the need for ego and teamwork to succeed in the game.

Having lost all hope, Aoi begins to give up on soccer until a youth coach tells him he has potential if he can get his attitude under control. Aoi joins a new team and pushes himself to the limit, not just for his benefit but for his team. Ao Ashi is a spectacular soccer anime that excels at demonstrating the drive that pushes athletes to be the best.

6 Hajime No Ippo

MyAnimeList Score: 8.7

Hajime No Ippo is one of the greatest sports anime to ever be adapted. The story follows Makunouchi Ippo on his way to climbing to the top of the lightweight boxing division, starting as an average Joe to the top contender. Ippo begins as a timid high school student who is often bullied and taken advantage of.

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Everything changes when he meets Takemura, a heavyweight boxer in the middle of training who takes a liking to the young boy. Ippo is inspired by Takemura's strength and decides to begin boxing, joining the same gym and discovering he has hidden talent. Hajime no Ippo is filled with intense moments where a character can snatch victory or have it slip through their finger, making it a great watch for fans of Blue Lock.

5 Haikyuu!!

MyAnimeList Score: 8.4

Haikyuu!! is one of the greatest sports anime in the genre. The story of the Karasuno volleyball team will warm the hearts of all anime fans who give it a try. Volleyball is a sport dominated by height, so when small fry Hinata Shouyou shows up, there aren't many who pay him any mind. However, Shouyou shocks everyone with his amazing jumping power and stamina.

Over the course of the series, each player is highlighted and becomes better than they were in the episode before. What makes Haikyuu!! and Blue Lock such a great pairing is how they portray team growth, giving the players more depth on and off the field. With hard work, incredible will, and dedication, the Karasuno team put the pride of their school on their backs and took it all the way to the championship.

4 Ace Of The Diamond

MyAnimeList Score: 8.1

• Studio: Production I.G
• Release Date: Oct, 2013
• Streaming On: Crunchyroll

Baseball is one of the most respected sports in the world. Ace the Diamond follows a prestigious team in their attempt to become the best high school team in the country. Eijun Sawamura played baseball throughout middle school. Upon his first year as a high school student, he is invited to a prestigious academy celebrated for its baseball program.

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Joining a new team overwhelms Eijun as he tries to find his niche much like the main character of Blue Lock, Isagi Yoichi. Utilizing his unique way of pitching, he slowly but surely becomes a menace on the pitcher's mound. Although the road to being the best in the country is paved with hard work, Eijun pushes himself to the limit to carry his team as far as he can and not let his new teammates down.

3 Kuroko’s Basketball

MyAnimeList Score: 8.0

Kuroko was a former member of the top basketball team in Japan called the Generation of Miracles. The team consisted of the most talented players, who were unstoppable on the court. Unfortunately, being at the top created a sense of arrogance for some and soured the game for others, which caused a split between the teams.

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Kuroko was distraught after the team disbanded and sought to bring back the love his friends once had for the game. Kuroko’s Basketball does an incredible job of focusing on the team aspect of basketball and how neglecting one's teammates can make for a poor experience, even if victory is achieved. Kuroko's Basket is the other half of the coin of Blue Lock, as the latter focuses on one's self-improvement and lack of reliance on a teammate.

2 Hanebado

MyAnimeList Score: 6.8

• Studio: LIDENFILMS
• Release Date: Jul, 2018
• Streaming On: Crunchyroll

Hanebedo is a high-quality anime that follows two young girls skilled in the game of Badminton with two incredibly different struggles. Ayano is a prodigy who has fallen out of love with the sport after mentally crumbling under the pressure placed on her by her mother's legacy. Nagisa is a former top player who has hit a wall in her performance after losing to Ayano in a finals match.

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Hanebado embodies the weight of failure and how an athlete can rebuild themselves after a crumbling defeat, very much like Blue Lock. Coincidentally, both girls end up on the same high school team and must now work together and overcome their differences. Although motivation and obsession are two powerful forces that can lead to destruction, both girls try to get back on the right path and find love for the game they used to enjoy.

1 Slam Dunk

MyAnimeList Score: 8.5

Slam Dunk is a classic anime with tremendous popularity in Western and Eastern anime communities. Highly praised as one of the most well-told tales of camaraderie and work ethic, Slam Dunk follows the Shohoku basketball team on a long journey to becoming the best. When first-year Hanamichi is lured into joining the basketball team in an attempt to get a girlfriend, it is revealed that he has impressive physical abilities that make him great for the sport.

Hanamichi has no interest in basketball whatsoever but decides to stick it out for a chance to end his rejection streak. As Hanamichi gets to know the sport and his teammates, he may find a new love in the sport itself. While all the players in Blue Lock are in it for the love of the game and the hope for fame and fortune, the character growth of both Slam Dunk and Blue Lock is more than similar, as Slam Dunk paved the way for the majority of sports anime today.

Blue Lock

Sports

Release Date

October 9, 2022

Creator

Muneyuki Kaneshiro

Studio

8bit