Summary
Sports anime opponents advance the plot and add depth to the main characters, whether they oppose the protagonist or serve as motivation. Favorite rival characters inform the story beyond the main cast, adding a sense of vastness to the narrative universe. The best sports anime competitors not only challenge the main characters but also display complex personalities and traits that make them compelling.
The Best sports anime rival are the characters that hold the foundation of any good sports series, as their every action advances the plot and adds depth to the main characters. Although some will do so in the shadows, some will take the lead and directly oppose the main characters or act as a motivating factor.
While sports anime are structured so that the audience will cheer and be most excited for the main cast, it’s not a bad thing if an opposing rival or supporting character is a favorite. It shows that beyond the main characters, the story and overall narrative universe is vast and not limited to a small group of main characters. Of course, the best sports anime competitors do exactly that and more.
10 Aomine Daiki does not forget the past
Kuroko’s Basketball, produced by Production IG
Year of release:
2012
Episodes:
25 (season 1)
Where to stream:
Crunchyroll, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
In Kuroko’s Basketball, an anime based on the manga by Fujimaki Tadatoshi, the main timeline of the story is the era after the dispersion of the legendary generation of miracles, the star players of Teiko Junior High School were once championship winners all enrolled in different high schools. school. One such player is Aomine Daiki, who is nicknamed “The Monster” and confronts the main character, Kuroko, Teiko’s sixth ghostly man. Although Aomine acts with villainous tendencies, at heart he is just bored and perhaps a bit arrogant, but as his character is expanded, it shows. Aomine respects his former teammates and always protects them.
9. Matsuoka Rin is a childhood friend turned enemy
Free!, produced by Kyoto Animation
Year of release:
two thousand and thirteen
Episodes:
12 (season 1)
Where to stream:
Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube
Cartoons Free! is an original series that takes the supposedly monotonous sport of swimming and creates countless stories and variations through the medium of animation. The main antagonist in Free! is Matsuoka Rin, childhood friend and relay partner of the main character, Nanase Haruka. However, after a memorable relay race, the elementary school friends drift apart after Rin loses to Haruka after challenging him to a freestyle race. The series then returns to the present, where Rin has gone to Australia and back, and attends a rival high school of Haruka’s, sparking a brilliant rivalry.
8 Kaiba Seto revolutionized the sport of monster dueling
Yu-Gi-Oh!, produced by Studio Gallop
Year of release:
2000
Episodes:
224
Where to stream:
Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu
A global craze in the early 2000s that rivaled the Pokémon franchise and took the world by storm, Yu-Gi-Oh! More than just a monster trading card game. The story of the anime is that of the main character, Mutou Yugi, as he plays a tabletop game that quickly turns into many other things as it weaves in and out of Egyptian mythology. Although most would not consider Yu-Gi-Oh! a sports anime, it exhibits all the characteristics of an anime, from the physical exertion involved to the fiery rivalry, like that between Yugi and Kaiba, owner of the iconic Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
Sendoh Takeshi’s 7 unique wishes for worthy opponents
Hajime no Ippo, produced by Madhouse
Year of release:
2000
Episodes:
75
Where to stream:
Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime Video
The anime Hajime no Ippo, also known as Fighting Spirit, is a sports masterpiece based on the manga by Morikawa Jyoji, following protagonist Makunouchi Ippo as he faces one fierce opponent after another. One of the characters that stands out from the rest is Sendoh Takeshi, an up-and-coming boxer from Western Japan who is fed up with local competitions and has set his sights on Ippo. However, Ippo quickly had to sit out the national competition due to injury, and Sendoh’s fiery spirit takes him across the East to reach Ippo and ignite his fighting spirit.
6 Midousuji Akira is a viscous motivator
Yowamushi pedal, produced by TMS Entertainment
Year of release:
two thousand and thirteen
Episodes:
38 (season 1)
Where to stream:
Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime Video
Yowamushi Pedal is an anime based on the manga by Watanabe Wataru, taking cycling to the next level. The series follows Onoda Sakamichi, a cyclist-turned-otaku, as he develops his talent alongside the eccentric but thoughtful teammates of the Sohoku High School cycling club. After Onoda’s training bears fruit and he finally begins competing, one of the main antagonists of the series, Midousuji Akira, appears. Midousuji is a self-centered and ruthless character who will use any means to win, from using his teammates as tools to practicing unorthodox cycling styles that were antithetical to Onoda’s ideals.
5 Wakamiya Shinobu is Queen
Chihayafuru, produced by Madhouse
Year of release:
2011
Episodes:
25 (season 1)
Where to stream:
Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime Video
Wakamiya Shinobu from the anime Chihayafuru is the perfect foil for the main character, Ayase Chihaya. Both women strive to be the best at their sport, Karuta, a traditional Japanese card game based on poetry. Despite the sport’s modest upbringing, at the professional level the sport is a fierce battle of intelligence, reaction and physicality. Wakamiya Shinobu is a master of all these aspects, as well as the reigning Queen, the title given to the strongest female player, which is also Chihaya’s ultimate goal. Furthermore, Shinobu is the same age as Chihaya and exhibits some of the same defiant tendencies, leading to blossoming rivalries and potential friendships.
4. Sendoh Akira is a carefree soul
Slam Dunk, produced by Toei Animation
Year of release:
1993
Episodes:
101
Where to stream:
Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime Video
In the sports anime masterpiece Slam Dunk, Sendoh Akira is one of the main pillars of the series, serving as the foundation of the entire sports anime genre. Sendoh is the star player of the Ryonan High School basketball team, and he keeps coming back for more, game after game with the main characters on the Shohoku team. Sendoh is a free spirit, and acts normally on and off the court with his abundant talent, but when the going gets tough, Sendoh competes like no other, making him one of the best opponents in Slam Dunk.
3 Oikawa Tooru has the best serve of the series
Haikyuu!!, produced by Production IG
Year of release:
2014
Episodes:
25 (season 1)
Where to stream:
Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime Video
Anime Haikyuu!! is based on the manga by Furudate Haruichi and weaves a wonderful story of friendship, overcoming adversity, growing up, and most importantly, an accurate depiction of volleyball in animation. In the West, volleyball is traditionally considered a women’s sport, but Haikyuu!! shows that the burning spirit of high school boys can also shine so brightly. The story follows Hinata Shoyo as he discovers rivals both inside and outside the Karasuno High School Volleyball Club. One such opponent is Oikawa Tooru, captain of the Aoba Johsai team, who has become iconic thanks to his unique personality and beautifully animated serving moves.
2 Nikaido Harunobu is the embodiment of perseverance
March Comes Like a Lion, produced by Studio Shaft
Year of release:
2016
Episodes:
22 (season 1)
Where to stream:
Crunchyroll, Funimation, Amazon Prime Video
March Comes in Like a Lion is an anime about the struggles of a young, professional shogi (Japanese chess) player named Kiriyama Rei. The entire series boasts a wealth of beautifully animated scenes and characters, as rivals appear around every corner. Competitors range from charismatic middle-aged men, to serious children who persist in competing despite illness. Nikaido Harunobu is Rei’s rival, whom he has always neglected, but as the series continues and Rei’s heart opens, he realizes that Nikaido always follows his shadow, fighting for competition despite his Nephrotic Syndrome and longing for friendship.
1 Atobe Keigo is the king of confidence
Prince of Tennis, produced by Trans Arts
Year of release:
2001
Episodes:
178
Where to stream:
Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime Video
Prince of Tennis is one of the best sports anime of all time and boasts a cast like no other, including characters that mentor and motivate the main character, Echizen Ryoma, against the Academy Tennis Team. Seishun with the intention of crushing them. One of the opponents that falls between enemy and respectable villain is Atobe Keigo, a character with surprising boastfulness. Famous for his catchphrase “ore-sama no bigi ni yoi na” (be amazed by my strength), Atobe has established himself as one of the series’ greatest players and one of its most interesting personalities.