25 Essential Anime Picks for Sports Lovers

If you’re a die-hard sports fan, or if you’re just looking for a new anime to get lost in, there’s a sports anime for you! Sports anime typically feature underdog characters who are training, competing, and going hard in the paint, but that’s where the similarities end. The genre includes a wide range of sports, including boxing/martial arts, soccer, basketball, baseball, figure skating, and more. For this article, we interviewed some of wikiHow’s anime experts to get the full scoop on the best sports anime of all time.

Top Anime for Sports Fans

Popular sports anime series include Haikyuu!! (volleyball), Slam Dunk (basketball), Blue Lock (soccer), Free! (swimming), and The Prince of Tennis (tennis). But those titles are just the tip of the iceberg! Other beloved options include Fighting Spirit (boxing), Ace of Diamond (baseball), and Blue Box (badminton).

Section 1 of 8:

Boxing & Martial Arts Anime

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Megalo Box Megalo Box follows Junk Dog, an underground boxer who is forced to work for the mob to make ends meet. He often loses matches he could easily win to make money through gambling, but he gets tired of hiding his talent and wants to enter a boxing tournament called Megalonia. But he has to enter a contest to prove he’s good enough to earn a spot in the tournament–and he only has 3 months to do it.^{[1]
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- Where to watch: Crunchyroll
- Release date: 2018
- Number of seasons: 2
Meet the wikiHow Experts

Ryan Burns is an anime and manga expert and content creator based in South Florida with over 12 years of experience.

Nicole Favarelli is a film and video director and branded content creator based in London, England. She has over 6 years of experience.
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Fighting Spirit Fighting Spirit, or Hajime no Ippo in Japan, follows bullied high school student Ippo Makunouchi as he begins his boxing journey. Starting as a complete novice, he has a natural talent for the sport, works incredibly hard, and eventually becomes a professional boxer. The series is lauded for its realistic boxing sequences, detailing techniques and training regimens that feel gritty and authentic.^{[2]
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- According to anime expert Ryan Burns, Fighting Spirit is critically acclaimed as one of the best sports anime out there. “If you're a fan of boxing, [watch] it,” Burns suggests.^{[3]
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- Where to watch: Crunchyroll
- Release date: 2000
- Number of seasons: 3
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Tomorrow’s Joe In Tomorrow's Joe (or Ashita no Joe in Japan), troubled drifter Joe Yabuki lives on the streets of Tokyo, passing time by picking fights and taking his anger out on others. A disgraced former boxing trainer, Danpei Tange, sees him fighting and offers to train him to become Japan’s greatest boxer. Joe is skeptical, but he eventually accepts, and the series follows his tough journey from homeless youth to professional boxer.^{[4]
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- Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime
- Release date: 1970
- Number of seasons: 2
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Grappler Baki In Grappler Baki, 13-year-old Baki Hanma is an extreme martial artist who has one goal: to surpass the talent of his famous father, Ogre, who’s believed to be the strongest fighter in the world. The series follows Baki as he trains relentlessly and seeks out powerful opponents to fight, honing his skills for the inevitable showdown with his brutal and violent father.^{[5]
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- Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime
- Release date: 2001
- Number of seasons: 2
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Hinomaru Sumo High schooler Ushio Hinomaru is a talented sumo wrestler, but there’s a minimum size requirement that Ushio unfortunately does not meet. To reach his goal of becoming a pro sumo wrestler, Ushio must join his high school team, hone his skills, and become the best wrestler at the high school tournaments. Only then will he have a chance to break into the pros.^{[6]
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- Where to watch: Crunchyroll
- Release date: 2018
- Number of seasons: 1

Section 2 of 8:

Soccer Anime

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Blue Lock Blue Lock is a wildly popular series–and with good reason! After Japan is eliminated from the 2018 FIFA World Cup, high school soccer players from across the country gather at a special, prison-like facility where they undergo intense, unorthodox training. The goal? To create the world’s greatest striker–the ultimate “weapon” to ensure Japan’s national team won’t be eliminated from the next World Cup.^{[7]
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- According to Burns, Blue Lock is an excellent sports anime. The characters all try to become the best striker on the team while training in a harsh, competitive situation similar to Squid Game.^{[8]
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- Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Netflix
- Release date: 2022
- Number of seasons: 2 (plus 1 feature-length spinoff film)
- Wondering where to start? Check out our Blue Lock watch order article!
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Days Days focuses on two teenage boys–Tsukushi Tsukamoto and Jin Kazama–who play for their high school soccer team. Tsukushi is clumsy and unskilled at the game, while Jin is something of a soccer genius and highly talented. This heartwarming series chronicles their journey as teammates and friends as Tsukushi relentlessly trains to become a better player.^{[9]
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- Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime
- Release date: 2016
- Number of seasons: 1
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Ao Ashi This anime follows high school soccer player Ashito Aoi, who, despite his fiery temperament and lack of polish, has tons of potential and incredible spatial awareness on the field. Coach Tatsuya Fukuda notices him, and Aoi begins his journey to become an elite player at a prestigious academy. Aoi must learn to control his temper, hone his skills, and learn how to be part of a team if he truly wants to excel in the game.^{[10]
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- Where to watch: Crunchyroll, YouTube TV, The Roku Channel
- Release date: 2022
- Number of seasons: 1
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Inazuma Eleven Inazuma Eleven follows middle schooler and soccer team captain Mamoru Endou (Mark Evans) as he attempts to turn his struggling team into a formidable foe on the field. The series chronicles Mark’s struggles and triumphs as he recruits new players, battles over-the-top supernatural threats, and leads his team to an international competition.^{[11]
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- Where to watch: Not currently available to legally stream in the US.
- Release date: 2008
- Number of seasons: 3

Section 3 of 8:

Baseball Anime

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Ace of Diamond Talented left-handed pitcher Eijun Sawamura is recruited for a prestigious high school baseball team and is determined to improve his pitching skills. With both his teammates and rivals, Eijun must train extremely hard so that he can lead his team to Japan’s national high school baseball tournament (and win it).^{[12]
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- Where to watch: Crunchyroll
- Release date: 2013
- Number of seasons: 4
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One Outs Tokuchi Toua is a talented pitcher and professional gambler who gets recruited to play for a struggling baseball team. Instead of earning a normal salary, Tokuchi signs a deal where he gets paid for every out he gets as a pitcher and gets docked for every run he allows. The series follows Tokuchi as he sharpens his skills and leads his team to victory.^{[13]
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- Where to watch: Not currently available to legally stream in the US.
- Release date: 2008
- Number of seasons: 1
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Cross Game Cross Game is a slice-of-life series that follows Ko Kitamura and Aoba Tsukishima, two gifted and passionate baseball players. After someone close to both of them dies, they must navigate their grief and growing romantic feelings for each other while continuing to hone their skills on the field. While the sport aspect is important, the series also focuses heavily on growth and healing.^{[14]
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- Where to watch: Not currently available to legally stream in the US.
- Release date: 2009
- Number of seasons: 1
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Major Honda Goro is a young boy who dreams of becoming a professional baseball player one day, just like his father. When his dad is tragically killed on the field during a game, Honda must navigate an incredible grief that’s directly related to his biggest dream–playing pro baseball. The series follows Honda as he grows up playing baseball, eventually working his way up to the major leagues.^{[15]
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- Where to watch: Crunchyroll
- Release date: 2004
- Number of seasons: 6

Section 4 of 8:

Tennis Anime

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The Prince of Tennis 12-year-old Ryoma Echizen is a new student and tennis prodigy at the prestigious Seishun Academy. He’s also the son of legendary pro tennis player Samurai Nanjiro. His big dream is to win the national championship. The series follows his training with new teammates and showcases their adventures on and off the court.^{[16]
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- Where to watch: Crunchyroll
- Release date: 2001
- Number of seasons: 7
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Baby Steps Eiichirou Maruo, a straight-A student known for his analytical mind, joins the local tennis club as a beginner to improve his physical fitness. He approaches tennis the same way he approaches his studies, often using similar mental techniques to build skill in the sport. He soon begins training against some of the club’s strongest players. He’ll always love academia, but now Eiichirou has a new goal–to become a pro tennis star.^{[17]
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- Where to watch: Crunchyroll
- Release date: 2014
- Number of seasons: 2

Section 5 of 8:

Badminton Anime

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Blue Box In this coming-of-age drama, high school badminton player Taiki Inomata has a major crush on the star player of the girls’ basketball team, Chinatsu Kano. While Taiki is a solid badminton player, he doesn’t have as much raw talent as Chinatsu, so he feels pretty intimidated by her. His goal is to train hard so he can pursue the same dream that Chinatsu has–competing in the Nationals. It doesn’t hurt that constant training at the gym means he gets to spend more time with her!^{[18]
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- Where to watch: Netflix
- Release date: 2024
- Number of seasons: 2
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Hanebado! High school student Ayano Hanesaki is a gifted badminton player who crushes the team captain Nagisa Aragaki in an embarrassing badminton match. The loss devastates Nagisa, and she must push herself to slowly regain confidence on the court. The series chronicles the competitive relationship between the two teammates as they both work to become even better players.^{[19]
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- Where to watch: Crunchyroll
- Release date: 2018
- Number of seasons: 1

Section 6 of 8:

Basketball Anime

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Kuruko’s Basketball Kagami Taiga is a talented middle school player for Seirin High School's basketball team. The team’s core 5 players are regularly referred to as the “Generation of Miracles,” and soon a phantom sixth player joins the famous team–Kuroko Tetsuya, who appears to be subpar at best due to his lack of presence on the court. The boys unite as teammates to become a powerhouse duo committed to defeating all of their rivals.^{[20]
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- Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
- Release date: 2012
- Number of seasons: 3
- Wondering where to start? Check out our article about the series’ best watch order!
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Slam Dunk High school student Hanamichi Sakuragi is a rebel and gang member who joins his school’s basketball team to impress a girl he likes. Although he initially had no intentions beyond that, Hanamichi quickly develops a love for the game and wants to become the best player on the team. The series is praised for depicting high school basketball and teamwork in a realistic, relatable way.^{[21]
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- Where to watch: Crunchyroll
- Release date: 1993
- Number of seasons: 1

Section 7 of 8:

Figure Skating Anime

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Yuri!!! on Ice Yuri Katsuki is a figure skater who is considering quitting the sport after a humiliating loss in a recent competition. The series chronicles Yuri’s anxiety and self-doubt as he comes to terms with what happened, as well as his rollercoaster-like journey as he strives to rise above it. The anime’s highly likable cast of well-written characters is just one of the many reasons why Yuri!!! is still a beloved classic 10 years later.^{[22]
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- Anime expert Nicole Favarelli says the complex relationships between the main characters are a focal point of this popular series.^{[23]
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- Where to watch: Crunchyroll
- Release date: 2016
- Number of seasons: 1
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Medalist 11-year-old Inori Yuitsuka dreams of one day becoming a figure skating champion, but she has yet to learn how to skate–which means she’s getting a very late start in the world of going pro. Former competitive figure skater Tsukasa Akeuraji becomes Inori’s coach, and the series chronicles their highs and lows as Inori works to become a talented competitor in the sport of her dreams. ^{[24]
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- Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+
- Release date: 2025
- Number of seasons: 2

Section 8 of 8:

Miscellaneous Sports Anime

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Haikyuu!! (volleyball) Shoyo Hinata dreams of being a star volleyball player despite his short height. When he joins his high school’s volleyball team, he must work with his former rival and new teammate, Tobio Kageyama. In the series, the two set aside their rivalry and form a powerhouse duo on the court, using their complementary skills to dominate.^{[25]
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- Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
- Release date: 2014
- Number of seasons: 4
- Wondering where to start? Check out our article about the series’ watch order!
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Free! (swimming) Talented high school students Haruka Nanase, Makoto Tachibana, Nagisa Hazuki, and Rin Matsuoka form a swim club. The series chronicles the boys' daily lives as they train, compete, handle rivalries, deal with high school, and navigate their ever-changing relationships with each other.^{[26]
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- Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime Video
- Release date: 2013
- Number of seasons: 3
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Eyeshield 21 (American football) Sena Kobayakawa is a small and timid boy who gets bullied frequently. While he doesn’t look like an athlete, years of running errands have made him surprisingly fast and agile on his feet. His school’s quarterback convinces Sena to join the football team as a secretary, but he ends up becoming their running back… and their secret weapon.^{[27]
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- Where to watch: Crunchyroll
- Release date: 2005
- Number of seasons: 1
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Ping Pong the Animation (ping pong) This coming-of-age anime centers around best friends Makoto “Smile” Tsukimoto and Yutaka “Peco” Hoshino who are part of their high school’s ping pong team. The boys are polar opposites in temperament and playing style, and the series chronicles their progression as they train, compete, and face their own strengths and weaknesses.^{[28]
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- Where to watch: Crunchyroll
- Release date: 2014
- Number of seasons: 1