A sports anime where the underdog wins

Key takeaways

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

Underdogs exist in all walks of life. These people are tagged as weak links, seen as having no potential, and have the best or least chance of winning. Often, they are very underrated, but they are a work in progress, and when the work is done, they come out to shine, going from weak to strong.

In the world of sports animation, there are underdogs, and there are stories that show the exciting and inspiring journey of an underdog as they win. Seeing a team or individual grow from humble beginnings, overcoming obstacles, and defying obstacles resonates with audiences, providing 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 goes from cycling for fun to being a professional cyclist

Onoda has been riding a bicycle since the fourth grade. Now in high school, he still rides his bicycle every week, and unknowingly, he fulfills the requirements to become a professional cyclist. On a weekly ride, Onoda's fellow high school student Imaizumi sees him practicing his riding, and at first, he doesn't feel intimidated by Onoda and even makes fun of his bicycle until he sees Onoda riding the hill he's been practicing on. seamlessly. Imaizumi convinces Onoda to join his school's bicycle racing club and he does so.

Onoda is the underdog in this anime, as he starts cycling as a complete beginner with no knowledge of professional cycling. His natural talent and determination made him stand out and rise to compete against seasoned players. Joining the cycling club enhanced Onoda's personality as he grew from a shy child to a confident one.

2 Kuroko's Basketball

Kuroko makes it his responsibility to make sure the Seirin High basketball team rises to the top

When middlemen graduate, they split up and go to different high schools, creating new experiences and so on. Teiko Middle School had five star players who made their basketball team known across the country, and after graduation, they all went on to different high schools. An unknown sixth player, Kuroko, attends Seirin High and joins the basketball team. Along with Kagami, they earn Seirin's name by playing against teams featuring other star players from Teiko Middle School.

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

3 Ace of Diamonds

Sawamura's goal is to become an 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 finds himself offered to join the elite baseball program at Seidou High School, a powerhouse of high school baseball. Seidou High has the best baseball players in the country, and among them all, Sawamura seems to be the weakest and most incompetent, even with his ability and talent.

Not wanting to be the underdog, Sawamura strives to be the ace of the team. It's not easy, as Sawamura starts out as an unpolished pitcher with lots of potential but no real technique. He must work tirelessly to improve his control, learn new pitches, and face stiff competition to catch more talented players in the team.

4 Haikyuu!!

Hinata makes her once-glorious school team champions again

Volleyball catches Hinata's attention, and the young boy, though inexperienced, is ready to try to become a star volleyball player like the Karasuno High players he's seen on TV. Unfortunately for Hinata, the Karasuno High volleyball team isn't what she saw on television, 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 because of how badly they have fought. With the help of Hinata and Kageyama, this explosive duo takes it upon themselves to rebuild Karasuno High's volleyball club, restore their champion reputation, and make them a strong contender against established schools.

5 Hajime no Ippo

Ippo Makunouchi goes from being a victim of a bully to a professional boxer

This boxing-themed anime follows the stories of Ippo Makunuchi, a shy kid who is constantly bullied, but one day, a random stranger helps him after his bully knocks him out. This stranger is a novice boxer named Mamoru Takamura, and he takes Ippo to his gym, where he treats his wounds and waits for him to wake up.

Ippo was an underdog to his bullies, but Takamura saw potential in him and introduced him to boxing. Takamura let him watch some boxing videos, and this sparked his interest in boxing. With relentless training and fierce determination, Ippo grows into a weak and inexperienced fighter. He rises through the ranks, facing increasingly skilled opponents and eventually becoming a professional boxer. The once-shy Ippo, as the audience knows from the beginning, becomes a confident and powerful man, overcoming his bullies and pushing past his limits.

6 Salaryman's Club

Mikoto Shiratori struggles to become the professional she once was

Salaryman's Club Blends badminton and corporate life, focusing on a group of salaried individuals who work corporate jobs and play competitive badminton for their companies. One of these salarymen is Mikoto Shiratori, who was once a force in the badminton world. Mikoto was a child prodigy, but a game ripped through her status and confidence, forcing her to the ground to pick up the pieces. Instead of doing that, he joins the sales department of Sunlight Beverages and slowly works his way back into the game.

Mikoto is considered an underdog due to her fall from grace and reluctance to return to the game. His loss shattered his confidence, and he was unfortunately unable to make a comeback, causing other players to consider him weak. However, throughout the anime, his stay at Sunlight Beverage causes him to rebuild his confidence, skills, and belief in himself and his fellow players. He overcomes his past and eventually becomes the winning underdog as he excels in sports.