The 15 Greatest Sports Anime of All Time

Buzzer-beaters, knockout blows and last-lap sprints power this lineup, spanning beloved classics and modern breakout hits across nearly every sport imaginable. Which one wins?

1. 1
   Slam Dunk

   The genre-defining 1990s basketball anime about a delinquent who joins his high school team to impress a girl.
   1000pts
2. 2
   Haikyu!!

   The wildly popular volleyball series following an undersized underdog determined to conquer the net.
   974pts
3. 3
   Kuroko's Basketball

   A stylized basketball series about a phantom sixth man and the prodigies of the Generation of Miracles.
   722pts
4. 4
   Run with the Wind

   A distance-running anime about a ragtag college group chasing the grueling Hakone Ekiden relay.
   500pts
5. 5
   Blue Lock

   A modern soccer anime pitting Japan's top strikers against each other in a ruthless survival program.
   423pts
6. 6
   Eyeshield 21

   An American-football anime about a timid runner turned masked gridiron star.
   423pts
7. 7
   Hajime no Ippo

   A long-running boxing anime charting a bullied teen's rise through the professional ranks.
   423pts
8. 8
   Free!

   A competitive-swimming anime about a high school club chasing the water and old friendships.
   423pts
9. 9
   Yuri on Ice

   An acclaimed figure-skating anime tracing a struggling skater's comeback under a legendary coach.
   423pts
10. 10
    Captain Tsubasa

    The classic soccer anime that inspired generations of real footballers with its high-flying schoolboy heroes.
    333pts
11. 11
    Chihayafuru

    A beloved series built around competitive karuta, blending sport, poetry, and coming-of-age drama.
    227pts
12. 12
    Ace of Diamond

    A baseball anime following a fireball pitcher competing for the ace slot at an elite high school.
    227pts
13. 13
    Ping Pong the Animation

    A stylistically bold table-tennis series exploring talent, drive, and friendship.
    227pts
14. 14
    Initial D

    The iconic street-racing anime following a tofu-delivery driver's mastery of mountain-pass drifting.
    227pts
15. 15
    Megalo Box

    A retro-futuristic boxing anime about a gearless underdog fighting his way up the ranks.
    100pts