Key things
- Underdogs in sports anime showcase inspiring journeys from weak to strong.
- Characters fight for their dreams against powerful opponents through determination and teamwork.
- Stories like Yowamushi Pedal, Kuroko's Basketball, and Ace of Diamond highlight underage players rising to the top.
Underdogs exist in all walks of life. These individuals are labeled as the weak link, considered to have no potential and have the lowest chance of being the best or winning. In most cases, they are severely underrated, but they are a work in progress, and when the work is done, they shine and grow from weak to strong.
In the world of sports anime, there are underdogs and there are stories that showcase the exciting and inspiring journey of the underdogs as they triumph. Watching a team or individual rise from humble beginnings, overcome obstacles and defy the odds resonates with audiences and brings a sense of hope and excitement. These characters fight for their dreams against powerful opponents through raw determination, teamwork, or personal growth.
1 Yowamushi pedal
Sakamichi Onoda is transitioning from cycling for fun to becoming a professional cyclist
Onoda has been riding a bike since the fourth grade. Now in high school, he still rides his bike every week, unknowingly fulfilling the requirements to become a professional cyclist. On one weekly ride, Imaizumi, a classmate of Onoda's high school, sees him practicing riding and at first does not feel threatened by Onoda and even mocks his bicycle until he sees Onoda climbing the hill he is training on. without any problems. Imaizumi convinces Onoda to join their school bicycle racing club and he does.
Onoda is the underdog in this anime because he starts cycling as a complete beginner with no knowledge of professional cycling. His natural talent and determination allowed him to stand out against seasoned athletes. Joining the cycling club strengthened Onoda's personality as he grew from a shy child into a confident one.
2 Kuroko Basketball
Kuroko is responsible for making sure that the Seirin High Basketball team rises to the top
When secondary scholars graduate, they separate and go to different secondary schools, creating new experiences and so on. Teiko Middle 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 Seirin by going against teams that house the 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 with the help of Kuroko and Kagami, the team overcomes strong opponents to prove their strength.
3 Ace of Diamonds
Sawamura aims to be an ace among the best
Sawamura has talent as a left-handed pitcher in baseball. This talent gets a scout interested in him, and he finds himself getting an offer to join the elite baseball program at Seidou High School, a high school baseball powerhouse. Seidou High houses the best baseball players in the country, and among them, Sawamura seems to be the weakest and most unqualified, even with his potential and talent.
Not wanting to be the underdog, Sawamura tries to be the ace of the team. That's not easy, as Sawamura starts out as a lackluster pitcher with a lot of potential but no real technique. He must work tirelessly to improve his control, learn new pitches and face stiff competition to catch up with the more talented players on the team.
4 Haikyuu!!
Hinata once again champions her once famous school team
Volleyball catches Hinata's attention, and the young boy, though inexperienced, is ready 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 isn't what she saw on TV, and the once famous team full of champions is now empty and it's up to Hinata to recruit players.
Karasuno High School is considered an underdog team because of how badly they fell. With the help of Hinata and Kageyama, this explosive duo takes it upon themselves to work hard to rebuild the Karasuno High Volleyball Club, restore their reputation as champions, and make them a formidable competitor against more established schools.
5 Hajime No Ippo
Ippo Makunouchi goes from being the victim of a bully to becoming a professional boxer
This boxing-themed anime follows the stories of Ippa Makunouchi, a shy kid who is constantly bullied, but one day he is helped by a random stranger after his bullies knock him down. This stranger turns out to be an aspiring boxer, Mamoru Takamura, and takes Ipp to his gym, where he treats his wounds and waits for him to wake up.
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10 Best Anime About Boxing
These anime come with a different take on boxing while infusing it with interesting themes from rivalry to friendship.
Ippo was an underdog to his bullies, but Takamura saw potential in him and brought him to boxing. Takamura gave him some boxing videos to watch and this sparked his interest in boxing. With relentless training and fierce determination, Ippo 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 Ippo that viewers knew from the beginning becomes a confident and powerful person who overcomes bullies and pushes his limits.
6 Wage club
Mikoto Shiratori tries to be the professional he once was
Wage club combines badminton and corporate life and focuses on a group of employees who work in companies and play competitive badminton for their companies. One of those salaries is Mikoto Shiratori, who was once a force in the world of badminton. Mikoto was a child prodigy, but one game knocked him out of his position and confidence, knocking him down to collect pieces. Instead, he joins Sunlight Beverage's sales department and slowly finds himself returning to sports.
Mikoto is considered an underdog due to his fall from grace and reluctance to return to the sport. His defeat dented his confidence and unfortunately he was unable to make a comeback, leaving the other players to perceive him as weak. However, throughout the anime, his stay at Sunlight Beverage causes him to rebuild his confidence, skills, and trust in himself and his teammates. He overcomes his past and ends up being the underdog who wins when he excels in sports again.
