A sports anime where the underdog wins

Key conclusions

  • Underdogs in sports anime show inspiring journeys from weak to strong.
  • The characters fight for their dreams against strong opponents through determination and teamwork.
  • Stories like Yowamushi's Pedal, Kuroko's Basketball, and Ace of Diamonds highlight underdogs rising to the top.



There are outsiders in all walks of life. These people are labeled as the weaker link, seen as having no potential, and have the least chance to excel or win. Most of the time they are greatly underrated, but they are a work in progress, and when the job is done, they begin to shine, growing from weak to strong.

In the world of sports anime, there are underdogs and there are stories that show the exciting and inspiring journey of underdogs as they win. Watching a team or individual rise from humble beginnings, overcome obstacles, and fight against adversity resonates with viewers, providing a sense of hope and excitement. These characters fight for their dreams against powerful opponents through raw determination, teamwork, or personal growth.



1 Yovamussi pedal

Sakamichi Onoda is transitioning from cycling for fun to becoming a professional cyclist

A group of cyclists in the Yowamushi Pedal anime

Anoda has been riding a bicycle since the fourth grade. Now in high school, he still rides his bike every week, and unknowingly meets the requirements to become a professional cyclist. During one weekly ride, Imaizumi, a classmate of Anoda's high school, sees him practicing riding, and at first he feels unthreatened by Anoda and even makes fun of his bicycle until he sees Anoda climbing a hill on which he is training. smoothly. Imaizumi convinces Anoda to join the school's cycling club, and he does.

Anoda is an outsider in this anime as he started cycling as a beginner without knowing professional cycling. His natural talent and determination made him stand out and rise to compete with seasoned athletes. Joining a cycling club strengthened Anoda's personality as he grew from a shy child to a confident one.


2 Basketball Kuroko

Kuroko takes it upon himself to make Seirin High's basketball team rise to the top

Kuroko vs. Haikyuu Basketball

When middle scholars graduate, they split up and transfer to different high schools, creating new experiences and so on. Teiko High School had five star players who made their basketball team nationally known, and they all went on to different high schools after graduation. An unknown sixth player, Kuroko, goes to Seirin High and joins the basketball team. Together with Kagami, they make a name for themselves in Seirin, competing against teams featuring other star players from Teiko High School.

The underdog of this anime is Seirin High. Seirin is a relatively new and unknown school in the basketball world, and the team, with the help of Kuroko and Kagami, defeats strong opponents to prove their strength.


3 Ace of Diamonds

Sawamura aims to become an ace among the best

Ace Of The Diamond Anime Characters

Sawamura has a talent for left-handed baseball. This talent makes a scout take an interest in him, and he receives an offer to join the elite baseball program at Seidu High School, the leader in high school baseball. Seidou High contains the best baseball players in the country, and among them all, Sawamura seems the weakest and most unskilled, even with his potential and talent.

Not wanting to be an outsider, Sawamura strives to be the ace of the team. It's not easy, as Sawamura started out as an underdeveloped pitcher with a lot of potential but no real technique. He must work tirelessly to improve his control, learn new pitches and face tough competition to catch up with the team's more talented players.


4 Haikyuu!!

Hinata once again becomes the champion of her once glorious school team

Haikyu-2

Volleyball catches Hinata's attention, and the young lad, though inexperienced, is willing to put in the effort to become a star volleyball player, just like the Karasuno High players he's seen on TV. Unfortunately for Hinata, the Karasuno High Volleyball team is not what he saw on TV and the once glorious team full of champions is now empty and Hinata must recruit players.

Karasuno High School is considered an underdog team because of how badly they have been hurt. With the help of Hinata and Kageyama, this explosive duo takes it upon themselves to work hard to rebuild Karasuno High's volleyball club, restoring their reputation as champions and making them a formidable competitor against more prominent schools.


5 Hajime No Ippo

Ipa Makunouti goes from a victim of bullies to a professional boxer

Hajime no Ippo - All Japan Royal Rookie Tournament

This boxing-themed anime follows Ip Makunouti, a shy kid who is constantly bullied, but one day a random stranger helps him out after the bullies knock him out. This stranger turns out to be a novice boxer, Mamoru Takamura, and he takes Ippo to his gym, where he treats his wounds and waits for him to wake up.

Relatives

Top 10 boxing anime

These animes feature a different take on boxing as well as interesting themes ranging from rivalry to friendship.

Ipa was an outsider to his bullies, but Takamura saw potential in him and introduced him to boxing. Takamura gave him some boxing videos to watch and this ignited his interest in boxing. Through tireless training and fierce determination, Ipa grows from a weak and inexperienced fighter. He rises through the ranks, facing increasingly skilled opponents, and eventually becomes a professional boxer. The once-shy Ipa, whom viewers have known since the beginning, becomes a confident and powerful man, overcoming his bullies and exceeding his potential.


6 Salary Club

Mikoto Shiratori is fighting to become the pro he once was

Salary Club

Salary Club combines badminton and corporate life by focusing on a group of salaried employees who work in corporate jobs and play badminton for their companies. One such employee is Mikoto Shiratori, who was once a force in the badminton world. Mikoto was a prodigy, but one game stripped him of his status and confidence, leaving him on the ground to pick up the pieces. Instead of doing that, he joins Sunlight Beverage's sales team and gradually returns to the sport.


Mikoto is considered an outsider due to his loss and reluctance to return to the sport. His loss knocked his confidence and he was unfortunately unable to bounce back, which led to other players seeing him as weak. However, throughout the anime, his time at Sunlight Beverage causes him to rebuild his confidence, skills, and trust in himself and the other players. He overcomes his past and eventually becomes a winning underdog as he once again excels in sports.

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