Sports anime where the underdog wins

Key insights

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

There are outsiders in all areas of life. These people are considered the weakest link, are seen as people with no potential and have the least chance of being the best or winning. Most of the time they are greatly underestimated, but they are a work in progress, and when the work is done, they emerge and grow 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 an underdog on his way to victory. Seeing a team or individual rise from humble beginnings, overcome obstacles and defy the odds resonates with audiences and provides a sense of hope and excitement. These characters fight for their dreams against powerful opponents through sheer determination, teamwork, or personal growth.

1 Yowamushi pedal

Sakamichi Onoda goes from being a fun cyclist to becoming a professional cyclist

Onoda has been riding a bike since fourth grade. Now in high school, he still rides his bike every week, unknowingly fulfilling the requirements to become a professional cyclist. On a weekly ride, Imaizumi, a classmate at Onoda's high school, sees him while he is practicing his horse riding, and at first he does not feel threatened by Onoda and even makes fun of his bike until he sees Onoda climbing the hill he's just continuing to practice seamlessly. Imaizumi convinces Onoda to join her school's cycling club, and he does.

Onoda is the underdog in this anime, as he starts cycling as a complete beginner and has no knowledge of professional cycling. His natural talent and determination made him stand out and compete with experienced athletes. Joining the cycling club strengthened Onoda's personality as he developed from a shy child to a confident child.

2 Kuroko's basketball

Kuroko makes it her mission to ensure that Seirin High's basketball team reaches the top

When middle school students graduate, they split up and go to different high schools where they gain new experiences and so on. Teiko Middle School had five star players who made their basketball team known across the country, and after graduating they all attended different high schools. The unknown sixth player, Kuroko, goes on to Seirin High and joins the basketball team. Together with Kagami, they make a name for Seirin by competing against the teams housing Teiko Middle School's other star players.

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 wants to be the ace among the best

Sawamura has talent as a left-handed pitcher in baseball. This talent causes a scout to take an interest in him, and he receives an offer to join Seidou High School's elite baseball program, a top contender in high school baseball. Seidou High is home to the best baseball players in the country, and among them, Sawamura seems to be the weakest and most unskilled, despite his potential and talent.

Sawamura doesn't want to be the underdog and strives to be the ace of the team. That's not easy, as Sawamura starts out as an unpolished 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 more talented players on the team.

4 Haikyuu!!

Hinata makes his once-glorious school team champions once again

Volleyball catches Hinata's attention and the young lad, although inexperienced, is willing to put in the effort to become a star volleyball player, just like the Karasuno High players he saw on television. Unfortunately for Hinata, the Karasuno High volleyball team is nothing like he saw on TV and the once glorious team full of champions is now empty and it's up to Hinata to recruit players.

Karasuno High School is considered an underdog team due to their heavy loss. With the help of Hinata and Kageyama, this explosive duo sets themselves the task of working hard to rebuild Karasuno High's volleyball club, restoring its reputation as champions and making it a formidable competitor against more established schools.

5 Hajime No Ippo

Ippo Makunouchi goes from being a bullying victim to becoming a professional boxer

This boxing-themed anime follows the stories of Ippo Makunouchi, a shy boy who is constantly bullied, but one day a random stranger helps him out after his bullies render him unconscious. This stranger turns out to be an inexperienced boxer named Mamoru Takamura. He takes Ippo to his gym, where he treats his wounds and waits for him to wake up.

Ippo had been an underdog to his bullies, but Takamura saw the potential in him and introduced him to boxing. Takamura gave him some boxing videos to watch, which sparked his interest in boxing. Through tireless training and fierce determination, Ippo evolves from a weak and inexperienced fighter. He rises through the ranks, meets increasingly skilled opponents and eventually becomes a professional boxer. The once shy Ippo, who viewers knew from the beginning, becomes a confident and powerful person who overcomes his bullies and pushes his boundaries.

6 Salaryman's Club

Mikoto Shiratori struggles to be the professional he once was

Salaryman's Club combines badminton and corporate life, focusing on a group of salarymen who have corporate jobs and play competitive badminton for their companies. One such salaryman is Mikoto Shiratori, who was once a force in the badminton world. Mikoto was a prodigy, but a game robbed him of his status and confidence, pushing him to the ground to pick up the pieces. Instead, he joined the sales department at Sunlight Beverage and slowly found his way back into the sport.

Mikoto is considered an outsider because he has fallen from grace and is unwilling to return to the sport. His defeat destroyed his confidence and he unfortunately failed to make a comeback, which led to other players perceiving him as weak. However, over the course of the anime, his stay at Sunlight Beverage leads to him rebuilding his confidence, skills, and trust in himself and his fellow players. He overcomes his past and eventually becomes the underdog who wins as he once again excels in the sport.