Fan of sports anime? Not sure about which sports anime to watch? Don’t worry; here is the list of 10+ best sports anime that you must watch in your lifetime, which will make your heartthrob and have goosebumps all over your body because of super exciting epic moments. So without wasting any time, let’s get started.

10+ Best Sports Anime

13. BIRDIE WING -Golf Girls’ Story-

• Genres: Drama, Slice of Life, Sports
• Date Aired: Jun 29, 2022
• Status: Ongoing(S1,Complete, S2,Ongoing)

The story revolves around two young women golfers named Eve and Aoi Amawashi. The two come from completely different backgrounds and have completely opposite playing styles, and together they will shake the world of golf. Sounds pretty simple, and it is, but it is really goddamn good and, personally one of my top favorite new-gen sports anime. People should not sleep on this. Trust me its will instantly jump as one of your new favorite sports anime.

12. BLUELOCK

• Genres: Comedy, Sports, Drama, School, Shounen
• Date Aired: Oct 9, 2022
• Status: Ongoing(S1- S2(2024))

One of the new big sports anime Blue Lock was already popular in manga form, and now it’s storming in popularity in anime form. I do love this series, but if you looking for something realistic, then this ain’t it I’d put this series in the same over-the-top unrealistic category as Kuroko no Basket. Is that a bad thing? no its actually amazing and super fun and hype to watch, and while it isn’t realistic, it still makes you interested in the sport and that’s a good thing.

11. Ahiru no Sora

• Other Names: あひるの空
• Genres: Comedy, Sports, Drama, School, Shounen
• Date Aired: Oct 2, 2019
• Status: Completed

Ahiru no Sora is the latest sports anime that took the anime world by storm. With a whopping 50 episodes, this anime re-ignited my love for basketball. It has a lot of practical information, and it somehow intertwines well with all the drama. The characters feel real as it covers the harsh truth of youth and sports. It even made me regret not trying more sports clubs as a teenager. 

The story follows Sora Kurumatani, a short boy with a huge admiration for basketball. Despite lacking the most important asset in the sport, Sora wholeheartedly believes that his skills will make up for it. However, once he joins the basketball club, he finds that no one takes the sport seriously. In an attempt to revive it, he impresses the boys with sheer effort and tireless devotion to the sport.

10. One Outs

• Other Names:ワンナウツ; ONE OUTS Nobody wins, but I!
• Genres: Psychological, Seinen, Sports
• Date Aired: Oct 8, 2008
• Status: Completed

Do you like a badass character? or a super intense situation? If yes, then this might be your type of anime. One Outs is not like your typical sports anime where they go through trials and error, tribulations, and other stuff like “never give up” cliche, rather this anime is about battle of wits, psychological and intense situation which will blow your mind and make your heart go Doki Doki.

Toua Tokuchi plays baseball as a profession, but he is a gambler at heart who knows how to read other person minds and what makes him truly devious is that he knows how to exploit the weakness and get an edge over other players. One day he lost the bet against Hiromichi Kojima, where the bet was to join the team if he loses. Hiromichi Kojima was scouting players at that time, and when he saw the genius pitcher Tokuchi he made up his mind to hire him. However, the owner Tsuneo Saikawa, sees Tokuchi as a threat to income generated by the team to which Tokuchi suggested a special “one outs” contract: Every out Toua pitches will earn him five million yen, but with every run, he gives up, he will lose fifty million yen.

So now Tokuchi has to defeat the opponents but has to keep the owner in check, too, as he always tries to make his life difficult to make more money out of Tokuchi. This intense anime easily makes it to the list of best sports anime to check out.

Also, Check out Mind game anime like One Outs

09. Hajime No Ippo

• Other names: Fighting Spirit; The First Step; Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting
• Genres: Comedy, Drama, Shounen, Sports
• Date Aired: Oct 4, 2000
• Status: Completed

76 episodes? Feels like it’s too long? Don’t worry, and I can guarantee that you will be hooked to this anime after watching a few episodes and will not even hesitate to watch the other 2 seasons. You will shout, hold your breath, and jump right out of the seat. Yes, it’s that great! Super Intense battles? Stupid jokes that will make you grin? Drama? Best character development? Hajime no Ippo got it all perfectly balanced.

The main protagonist Makunouchi Ippo who has been bullied for his entire life always hoped to change himself but never had the passion for acting upon it. When Ippo was getting bullied, he was saved by Takamura Mamoru, who happens to be a boxer.  And this was the turning point of Ippo’s life, and after a few tests and hurdles, Ippo’s journey in the world of boxing began.

Also, Check out: Top 10 best basketball anime

08. Hinomaru Somu

• Other names: Hinomaru Zumou; Hinomaruzumou; Sumo of the Rising Sun; Sumo Wrestler Hinomaru
• Genres: Martial Arts, Shounen, Sports
• Date Aired: Oct 5, 2018
• Status: Ongoing

Personally, I am not a fan of Sumo, and before watching this anime, I was like, it will not be that good; it’s just sumo, but boy, oh boy, I was so wrong. The quality of animation, epic soundtracks, intense fights, and characters are so good that you will definitely fall in love with this anime. You will feel like you grew muscles just by watching this. Yep, it’s that manly!

Ushio Hinomaru, whose goal was to reach the highest rank in professional sumo Hinoshita Kaisan! appearedd before the little sumo club of Oodachi High School. This story is about how this little guy and the sumo club climbed the way to the top.

07. Yowamushi Pedal

• Other Names: 弱虫ペダル
• Genres: Comedy, Drama, Shounen, Sports
• Date Aired: Oct 8, 2013
• Status: Completed

This kind of sports anime is a little difficult to entice the audience compared to sports anime like Kuroko no basket and Haikyuu.

Sakamichi Onoda is an otaku who is eager to join the anime club to make friends with people of the same interest, but unfortunately, the anime club has been disbanded. That’s when he decided to revive the anime club by himself, and so he begins to look for students interested in joining the anime club. Still, not everything goes smoothly, and without much luck, he went to Akihabara to make a round trip of 90 Kilometers(56 miles approx.) on his old bulky bicycle. On this trip, Onoda meets a fellow first-year Shunsuke Imaizumi, who used the steep incline for practice. Surprised by Onoda’s ability to climb the hill, Inaizumi challenges him to a race, and should he win, and he will join the anime club. Thus, begins the journey of Onoda in the bicycle world.

Also, Check out: Kuroko no basket Detailed Anime Review ~

06. Prince of Tennis

• Other Names: Tennis no Ouji-Sama
• Genres: Comedy, School, Shounen, Sports
• Date Aired: October 10, 2001
• Status: Completed

Usually, in sports anime, you see the main protagonist being a weakling, and through hard work and overcoming various obstacles, the main character becomes strong. But not in this anime, Echizen Ryoma is a super talented young prodigy who has won 4 consecutive tennis championships, but that’s not his goal. He wants to defeat his father, a former pro tennis player, as well as himself. He joins Seishun Gakuen junior high school, one of the best tennis schools in Japan, and there along with his team-mates, he learns to find his own type of tennis. 

05. All Out!

• Other Names: All Out!!; オールアウト!!
• Genres: School, Seinen, Sports
• Date Aired: Oct 7, 2016
• Status: Completed

Many different sports anime types have appeared in the last decade, from basketball to cycling to sumo; however, All Out is the first sports anime in the rugby field, and I have to say it’s excellent. What makes this anime so good is not the plot, as it’s not something very original. It has the same plot as other anime where they grow strong along with other teammates and ultimately wins, but what makes this anime so good is character development and the animation style.

Kenji Gion being a noob joins the rugby club with his classmate Iwashimizu who has a complicated past and opposite personality than Gion. So now they have to become strong together with the whole team while tackling all the problems.

Also, Check out: Beach Volleyball Anime ‘Harukana Receive’ Releases PV, New Key Visuals And Cast Details

04. Slam Dunk

• Other Names: スラムダンク
• Genres: Comedy, Drama, School, Shounen, Slice of Life, Sports
• Date Aired: Oct 16, 1993
• Status: Completed

Slam Dunk is considered a pioneer of sports anime. It has almost everything. Action, comedy, tragedy, romantic tensions, manly moments, etc., it’s a masterpiece from the 90s. Many of the references are taken from original NBA basketball players, so it’s more realistic than anime like Kuroko no Basket, another plus point.

Hanamachi Sakuragi is a hot-headed, short-tempered guy and gets into fights consistently. However, one thing that he loves more than the fights are girls. He holds a record for being rejected 50 times in middle school. Although he was rejected quite a lot, Hanamachi enrolled in Shohoku High and hoped to meet the girl of his dreams there. However, he is infamous status quickly gets everyone to start avoiding him, including girls.

One day, a girl named Haruko Akagi approaches him. When the two meet, the girl asks him if he likes playing basketball, to which he responded with yes even though he hates basketball, unknowingly changing his own future for good. Through certain events, with the girl being the major influence, Hanamachi soon finds himself playing basketball.

03. Diamond no Ace

• Other Names: Dia no Ace; Ace of Diamond; Daiya no Ace; ダイヤのA[エース]; Ace of the Diamond
• Genres: Comedy, School, Shounen, Sports
• Date Aired: Oct 6, 2013
• Status: Completed

Before watching this anime, I had no idea regarding baseball rules and various other things because I used to think of baseball as a very boring sport. Still, after watching Diamond no Ace, my opinion has completely changed about it. The practice that the characters do in this anime is actually realistic, which makes it even better.

The story follows Eijun Sawamura, A pitcher that lost his final game in middle school. However, his determination does not waver, and one day, a scout from Tokyo invites him to a prestigious school after realizing his potential. Claiming that he will one day be the ace of the team, he trains very hard and battles many other talented players for the starting position. Now their team strides towards being the top and faces many dangerous foes, all while getting stronger and stronger.

Also, Check Out: Top 20 Best Anime on Netflix Worth Checking Out – 2019

02. Kuroko no Basket

• Other Names: Kuroko’s Basketball; Kuroko no Basuke; KuroBas; 黒子のバスケ
• Genres: Comedy, School, Shounen, Sports
• Date Aired: Apr 8, 2012
• Status: Completed

If you are looking for a realistic anime game plays then this might not be to your liking, but if not, then you have got to watch this. With flashy moves, incredible dribbling, shooting, passing skills, etc., this anime is very interesting and a must-watch under the best sports anime list.

The story follows with Kagami Taiga and Kuroko Tetsuya, who has just enrolled into Seirin High School. Taiga is a well built tall guy, while on the other hand, Kuroko is short, weak, and can’t even shoot properly. However, soon the Coach of Seiren notices that Kuroko is actually the 6th phantom member of miracles.

Generation of Miracles consists of 5 prodigies. Along with Kuroko, they have won three consecutive champions with overwhelming victories at Teiko Junior High. After Junior High, they promised each other that they would all go to separate schools and compete to see the best one. Due to this, Kuroko’s passion lies in beating them; however, he can not do it alone, so Kuroko asks Kagami to be his light, and he will support him for the shadow, as every shadow needs a light.

Also, Check out: Ace of Diamond anime third season rumor, the anime will continue?

01. Haikyuu!!

• Other Names: High Kyuu!!; ハイキュー!!; Haikyu!!
• Genres: Comedy, Drama, School, Shounen, Sports
• Date Aired: Apr 6, 2014
• Status: Completed

After binge-watching Kuroko No Basket, I was thirsty for more. Since season 3 was yet to come out, I searched for similar anime like Kuroko No Basket. And Haikyuu was on top of the list.

The story could be boiled to a pretty typical shounen stereotype. It contains an underdog, teamwork, perseverance, etc. However, in my opinion, Haikyuu!! integratess these themes incredibly well. There have been multiple scenes where I got goosebumps, and I have cried many times as well. As for artwork and animation, Production I.G. did a wonderful job putting together great visual work.

This story is about how Shouyou Hinata, a hot-blooded youth with short stature, takes on Tobio Kageyama, the “King of Court,” and becomes the best duo and makes their high school volleyball team the best in Japan. The best sports anime list is not complete without this anime.

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With this, we have come to the end of the list of best sports anime. I hope that you have found this list useful. Do let us know if you have seen any of these anime previously. Also, feel free to suggest us your recommended series in the comments below.

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