20+ Greatest Sports Anime Series You Must Watch!

Do you enjoy watching anime in which the characters challenge themselves to go beyond their capabilities in order to become the very best in their field? Do you take pleasure in watching them sacrifice everything for the one sport that they love? If that’s the case, get ready to put in some marathon hours because we’ve compiled a list of the best sports anime that’ll sate your appetite.

Inazuma Eleven

The soccer club at Raimon Middle School, known as Inazuma Eleven, is fighting its way back from the brink of dissolution. While other schools in Japan compete for the title of having the best soccer team in the country.

The grandson of Mamoru Endou, the first generation goalkeeper for Inazuma Eleven and the team captain, has taken on the challenge of getting the long-neglected club back in shape. To be successful in this endeavor, he will require some assistance as well as more than a little bit of luck.

Mamoru Endou discovers a glimmer of hope in the form of Shuuya Gouenji, a talented young player who has decided to retire from the sport. No matter what it takes, Mamoru is adamant about convincing Shuuya and the other potential new members of his team to join them. Is he driven enough by his passion and determination to save the club that’s in trouble? Or is there no longer any reason to have faith in the group?

Hoshiai no Sora

Due to poor skills and poor match results, the boys’ soft tennis club faces disbandment. Toma Shinjou needs members but can’t find any. Maki Katsuragi, a new transfer student, catches a stray cat in his classroom, catching Toma’s attention. Toma asks Maki to join the boys’ team, but she declines. Toma won Maki over by promising to pay him for his participation and cover other club expenses.

Maki’s incredible form and quick learning allow him to immediately stand out. Maki challenges and pushes his teammates to keep up with his natural talent and devote themselves to the game they once neglected.

This story focuses on the boys’ soft tennis club and their self-discovery while enduring personal hardships and middle school’s darker side.

Days

Tsukushi Tsukamoto is in the first year of high school at the Seiseki campus. The reputation of that school’s football team precedes it. Tsukamoto makes the decision to join the school’s football team after he has a conversation with Jin Kazama and competes in a game with him. Because he has never picked up a football before, it is safe to assume that he is not very good at the game. Despite this, he gives it his all in an effort to make a significant contribution to the team and disprove the assumptions of those who think he won’t be successful.

Keijo!!!!!!!!

Female-only participants must stand on circular platforms floating in a pool—called “lands”—and knock off opponents using only their breasts and butts. Despite its absurd premise, the sport has millions of viewers and a large prize pool. Aspiring athletes compete to become national champions.

Nozomi Kaminashi, 17, enters keijo after high school to help her poor family.

Nozomi is a gifted gymnast who shines in her first competition. She discovers that the path to keijo stardom is filled with intense competition that will test her body and soul.

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Yowamushi Pedal

Cycling seems like it would be a more difficult sport to interest someone in watching an anime about. People have very little interest in the sport itself, in comparison to basketball or baseball.

Despite that, Yowamushi Pedal has been quite successful. It has a total of four seasons and a movie.

Despite the fact that Sakamichi Onoda is an Otaku. His legs have been transformed into cycling machines as a result of years of using a rough bike. He used to ride his bike for miles in order to support his otaku hobbies. This causes Shunsuke Imaizumi to take notice of him, and as a result, Onoda ends up joining a new cycling club.

In particular throughout its first two seasons, Yowamushi Pedal features a cast of main characters that is both diverse and compelling. Even though Onoda’s personality can be rather unremarkable at times, his growing enthusiasm for cycling is contagious. In addition to that, the show is very realistic.

All Out!!

The main characters in this show play rugby for a team that does not have a coach or an advisor. They are not assisted by anyone and make every effort to learn how to play rugby by reading rugby books. However, they have never been victorious in any of their matches.

One day, the main protagonist makes a spur-of-the-moment phone call to a retired professional rugby coach, which turns out to be the catalyst for the group’s very first ignition – their very first win. They have been putting in a lot of work in the gym. They’ve been working on their relationships with one another.

As a result, they are getting stronger every day as they work toward their common goal of competing in an international rugby game.

Uma musume: Pretty Derby

Do you enjoy going to the races? Almost certainly not. You do realize that they’re just horses, right? What could possibly be entertaining about it? So, let’s say that instead of boys, the horses are girls, and after each race, they put on a special dance performance. That in itself would be lovely, wouldn’t it?

The first episode of this anime follows Special Week as she moves from her home in the countryside to Tokyo. This is in order to attend the Tracen academy, a school for horse girls. She wants to fulfill her promise to her mother to one day become the best horse-girl in all of Japan.

This is a one-of-a-kind anime in which sports are actually made beautiful, resulting in an atmosphere that is upbeat and optimistic. I mean, there are these super moe horse-girl characters competing against one another in it. What else could possibly make an anime more stunning than it already is?

Prince Of Tennis

In the anime “Ryouma Echizen,” a tennis prodigy named Ryouma Echizen is the main character. Ryouma is intent on proving himself and surpassing his father, a tennis legend. Ryouma puts a lot of pressure on himself to improve his performance in the hopes that he will one day achieve his goals. In his pursuit to become the best tennis player in the world, he has had to compete against a string of formidable opponents.

This show, in contrast to the vast majority of other sports anime, does not follow the protagonists as they begin at the absolute bottom and work their way up to the “pro-level” of competition. When it comes to tennis, Ryouma already possesses a high level of skill, but he has a long way to go before he can be considered among the best in the world.

Hinomaru Sumo

Sumo lacks weight divisions. Anyone willing to put their mettle to the test can enter the ring. Hinomaru Ushio is talented and works hard, but he’s too small to be a sumo wrestler. Despite working hard, he fails. This young man’s sumo goal is Hinoshita Kaisan, the highest level. Only if he wins High School Yokozuna, awarded to the best high school wrestler, could he compete professionally.

Ushio faces a deadline and pressure. If he can’t perform well in high school competitions, he could lose his chance to compete professionally. The odds are against him. Instead of attending Ishigami High School, Japan’s premier sumo institution, he attends Odachi High School, where he must start a sumo club from scratch with Shinya Ozeki. Odachi High is the sumo world’s underdog, but Ushio must work hard to compete professionally.

Megalo Box

Megalo Box is an anime about sports that takes boxing to an entirely new level. The term “Megalo Box” is a form of boxing that has evolved to incorporate the use of mechanical limbs known as Gear in order to increase the speed and power of its practitioners.

This anime tells the story of a man known as “Junk dog,” who is forced to compete in fights that are organized by his boss, Gansaku Nanbu. Junk dog starts at the very bottom of the ranked list and works his way all the way up to the top after suffering a defeat at the hands of the Megalo box champion, who was pretending to be an ordinary man, and being challenged to fight him again in the championship match.

This is a one-of-a-kind sports anime because, in a nutshell, it has a mind-blowing story line, in addition to a gorgeous art style and music.

SK8 the Infinity

Reki Kyan loves skateboarding. When night falls, he heads to “S,” a dangerous underground skate race. Reki can’t practice after losing and breaking his skateboard and arm.

Reki’s new half-Canadian, half-Japanese classmate Langa Hasegawa has no skateboarding experience. Langa needs cash. After Reki’s boss tasks them to visit “S,” they get into trouble and make Langa skate in a race. The mysterious transfer student may help Reki win the race in an unexpected way.

Ping Pong The Animation

“You’ll get it eventually, I have no doubt about that. The wistful feeling that comes with victory The agony of being praised. The responsibility that rests on your shoulders… The solitary suffering and excruciating pain There will come a time when the results of your efforts and victories will appear to be empty and meaningless.”

When anime legend Masaaki Yuasa was given the go-ahead to adapt any manga of his choosing, no one anticipated that he would end up creating this incredible animated masterpiece. Its visual style is completely different from that of contemporary sports anime, and its action sequences are absolutely breath-taking. This show, in contrast to the majority of sports stories, spends a significant amount of time investigating what happens to those who are unable to actually ascend to the top in order to achieve some sort of ultimate victory. This is a topic that should absolutely be investigated.

Free! – Iwatobi Swim Club

Haruka Nanase loves swimming. In elementary school, he and three friends won a relay race. Four friends separated after winning the tournament. Rin doesn’t want things to be the same when they reunite as high school students. He attends a different school and only cares about being a better swimmer than Haruka.

Haruka, Nagisa, and Makoto form the Iwatobi High School Swim Club after the bitter reunion, but they need a fourth member to compete. Nagisa recruits track athlete Rei Ryuugazaki. As the competition approaches, the four form a close bond while training to beat Haruka and Rin.

Major

Major is without a doubt the most finished and comprehensive sports anime that has ever been produced, regardless of the quality of the show. The story of Gorou Honda’s life is told in Major over the course of six seasons, two movies, and several original video animations (OVAs). It begins when he was a young boy and continues all the way through his participation in the World Cup. There is even an anime sequel that centers on Gorou’s son and the events of that story.

Fans get to witness Gorou’s development as a player, as a person, and as a parent over the course of this journey; however, he never loses his childlike qualities entirely. The baseball scenes are well put together and interesting to watch, even if they are occasionally a little too unrealistic.

Run with the Wind

Kakeru Kurahara, a former Sendai Josei runner, is caught shoplifting. After escaping his pursuer, he runs into fellow student Haiji Kiyose. Haiji is impressed by Kakeru’s agility and convinces him to live with him and eight other students in Chikusei-sou. Kakeru accepts reluctantly after losing his apartment deposit at mahjong.

Haiji reveals at Kakeru’s party that the apartment is the track club’s dorm. He wants to run in the Hakone Ekiden, a Japanese university relay marathon. Only Haiji and Kakeru are experienced runners. No one is interested in Haiji’s plan. Will the fourth-year student convince them to let him run the Hakone Ekiden with only months to go?

Yuri!!! On Ice

Yuri!!! On Ice is a unique sports anime that focuses on ice skating with a non-high school protagonist. Yes, it’s a big deal because every sports anime focuses on high schoolers, but this one is different (Well, it doesn’t make a big difference, but it gives a different “flavor”).

Yuri Katsuki, a Japanese figure skater, admires Victor Nikiforov, a five-time world champion. Victor offers to be Yuri’s mentor after seeing him perform a routine from a video. Yuri trains to become world champion with his mentor.

Kuroko no Basket

In contrast to the other sports anime, which tend to be more “realistic,” Kuroko no Basket throws caution to the wind and instead focuses on telling a captivating story.

Tetsuya Kuroko is a person who has a weak presence, but he supports his team by passing the balls. This anime is about how he and his teammates battle stronger opponents in order to win the Interhigh Championship and become the best high school team in Japan.

Ahiru no Sora

Sora Kurumatani has battled his short height since he began playing basketball. Sora’s unwavering drive never let his small stature dictate his ability to play, believing in trying his hardest and practicing to prove it.

Sora joins Kuzuryuu High School’s basketball club to fulfill his mother’s wish. He is disappointed to learn that the boy’s basketball team is filled with punks who don’t care about basketball. Sora learns that brothers Chiaki and Momoharu Hanazono have lost their play motivation.

Sora challenges the boys to a game, but his quick feet and quick movements overwhelm them. The boys’ burnt-out passion for basketball is rekindled by Sora’s skills, effort, and dedication.

Slam Dunk

Hanamichi Sakuragi enrolls in Shohoku High hoping to get a girlfriend after being rejected 50 times in middle school. Students avoid him due to his notoriety. After certain events, Hanamichi thinks, “I hate basketball” and “I need a girlfriend.”

Haruko Akagi asks him if he likes basketball without knowing his troublemaking ways. Hanamichi falls in love with her instantly, saying “yes” She leads him to the gym and asks him to dunk. He jumps to impress Haruko, but overshoots and hits his head on the blackboard. When Haruko tells the basketball team’s captain about Hanamichi’s superhuman strength, he begins to enjoy the sport he once despised.

Haikyuu!!

You’ve probably heard about the volleyball sports anime, Haikyuu, that got a huge uproar around the world during its initial release.

This anime shows how a volleyball team that has fallen from its former glory grows and progresses with the arrival of Shoyou Hinata, who aspires to be “Little Monster,” and Tobio Kageyama, a volleyball prodigy.

This anime shows how they grow as a team, supporting each other despite their differences, and train to reach national tournaments.

Diamond no Ace

Baseball is the subject of the captivating sports anime series Diamond no Ace. It tells the story of Eijun Sawamura, a pitcher with a distinctive style who has high aspirations of becoming the ace at the prestigious Seidou High School in Tokyo. They put in a lot of work in the gym and compete against some tough opponents in order to become the best team in Japan.

This anime has a story that is easy to follow and features characters that are endearing. In addition to that, it has fantastic progression of the characters’ personalities and relationships.

Hajime no Ippo (Fighting Spirit)

Hajime no Ippo is a boxing anime about Makunouchi Ippo and his friends becoming boxers.

Even if you don’t like boxing sports, this anime will motivate you like never before. It is just so compelling.

This anime’s character development is strong. It has lovable characters with big goals and dreams. This anime is amazing because it shows how the characters dedicate themselves to boxing to achieve their goals.