The Most Popular Sports Anime, Ranked
Voting rules: Choose the sports anime you think is the most popular!
Updated on Apr 28, 2024 06:50
In the bustling world of anime, sports series have carved out a niche, captivating audiences with their dynamic blend of competition, camaraderie, and personal growth. Fans find themselves deeply vested in the triumphs and setbacks of their favorite teams or athletes, making it essential to gauge which series are hitting the mark with viewers.
By participating in polling for the most beloved sports anime, fans contribute to a living snapshot of what resonates with viewers. This not only assists new viewers in selecting a series that has proven popular and engaging but also fosters a community of shared interests and spirited discussions around the results.
What Is the Most Popular Sports Anime?
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143votesThis anime has gained immense popularity due to its captivating storyline, relatable characters, and stunning animation. It follows the journey of a high school volleyball team and their efforts to become the best in their region. The show also highlights the importance of teamwork and perseverance.Haikyuu!! is a popular sports anime that revolves around the exhilarating world of high school volleyball. It follows the story of Shoyo Hinata, a short-statured student with a big dream of becoming a top volleyball player. Despite his lack of height, Hinata possesses exceptional jumping power, determination, and an unwavering passion for the sport. The series depicts Hinata's journey as he joins Karasuno High School's volleyball team and overcomes challenges, makes new friends, and faces rival schools in intense matches.
- Genre: Sports, Drama, Comedy
- Original Run: April 6, 2014 – December 19, 2020
- Episodes: 85
- Manga Source: Haikyuu!! Manga by Haruichi Furudate
- Animation Studio: Production I.G
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220votesThis anime is about a high school basketball team that aims to win the national championship. The show focuses on the characters' unique abilities and their growth throughout the series. It also features intense matches and flashy moves that keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
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312votes
Slam Dunk
Takehiko InoueThis classic anime is about a delinquent high school student who joins the basketball team to impress a girl he likes. Along the way, he finds a passion for the sport and becomes a key player on the team. The show has garnered a large following due to its humor, relatable characters, and engaging story.Slam Dunk is a popular basketball anime that follows the story of Hanamichi Sakuragi, a red-haired delinquent who joins the Shohoku High School basketball team in order to impress a girl. Created by Takehiko Inoue, the series is known for its engaging storyline, intense basketball action, and memorable characters.- Genre: Sports, Drama, Comedy
- Original release: 1993-1996
- Episodes: 101
- Studio: Toei Animation
- Adaptation: Manga
Slam Dunk in other rankings- Position 1 of 10 in Most popular basketball anime
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416votesThis anime is about a group of boys who belong to a swimming club. The show explores the characters' relationships with each other and their struggles to improve their swimming skills. It is known for its beautiful animation, emotional moments, and representation of male friendships.Free! is a popular sports anime that revolves around the world of competitive swimming. The story follows a group of high school boys who were once members of a swim team and reunite years later to pursue their dream of competing in the national championships. Through their relentless training and camaraderie, they strive to overcome their individual struggles and become the best swimmers they can be.
- Genre: Sports, Drama, Slice of Life
- Original Run: 2013 – present
- Episodes: 3 seasons, 36 episodes
- Studio: Kyoto Animation
- Main Characters: Haruka Nanase, Makoto Tachibana, Nagisa Hazuki, Rei Ryugazaki, Rin Matsuoka
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59votes
Yuri!!! on Ice
Mitsurou KuboThis anime is about a professional figure skater who suffers a humiliating defeat and decides to take a break from the sport. He then meets a talented young skater who becomes his coach and helps him regain his confidence. The show has gained a large following due to its representation of LGBTQ+ characters and its stunning animation.Yuri!!! on Ice is a popular Japanese anime series that revolves around the world of competitive figure skating. The story follows Japanese figure skater Yuuri Katsuki, who is struggling with his career and self-confidence. However, after a video of him performing a routine of his idol, Russian skater Victor Nikiforov, goes viral, Victor takes an interest in him and becomes his coach. Together, Yuuri and Victor navigate the world of professional figure skating, forming a deep bond and challenging each other to become the best.- Genre: Sports, Drama, Romance
- Episodes: 12
- Original Run: October 6, 2016 - December 22, 2016
- Studio: MAPPA
- Main Characters: Yuuri Katsuki, Victor Nikiforov, Yuri Plisetsky
Yuri!!! on Ice in other rankings- Position 8 of 10 in Most popular fandom on AO3
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65votes
Diamond no Ace
Yuji TerajimaThis anime follows the journey of a high school baseball team and their efforts to win the national championship. The show focuses on the characters' growth and relationships with each other, as well as the intense matches they face. It is known for its realistic portrayal of baseball and its engaging storyline.Diamond no Ace is a popular sports anime series that revolves around the story of Eijun Sawamura, a talented left-handed pitcher with a unique pitching style. The show focuses on his journey as he joins the prestigious baseball team of Seidou High School and aims to become the ace pitcher. With intense baseball matches, rivalries, friendships, and personal growth, Diamond no Ace showcases the challenges and triumphs of the characters in their quest for victory.- Genre: Sports, Drama
- Episodes: First season: 75, Second Season: 51, Third Season: 52, Fourth Season: Ongoing
- Original run: October 2013 - Ongoing
- Studio: Madhouse
- Manga Adaptation: Yes
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78votesThis anime is about a girl who becomes obsessed with a traditional Japanese card game called karuta. She forms a karuta club at her school and competes in tournaments with her teammates. The show has gained a large following due to its unique premise, strong female lead, and beautifully animated competitions.Chihayafuru is a popular sports anime that revolves around the game of karuta, a traditional Japanese card game. The story follows Chihaya Ayase, a young girl with a passion for karuta, as she aspires to become the best player in Japan and form a competitive team with her friends.
- Genre: Sports, Drama
- Episodes: 3 seasons with a total of 75 episodes
- Manga Adaptation: Yes
- Original Run: October 2011 - March 2012
- Studio: Madhouse
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88votes
Prince of Tennis
Takeshi KonomiThis anime is about a middle school tennis prodigy who aims to become the best in Japan. The show features intense matches, unique tennis techniques, and a large cast of memorable characters. It has gained a following due to its entertaining storyline and engaging characters.Prince of Tennis is a popular sports anime that chronicles the journey of a tennis prodigy named Ryoma Echizen as he navigates through the competitive world of tennis and strives to become the ultimate champion. The series follows his trials and tribulations as he faces various opponents, hones his skills, and forms strong bonds with his teammates.- Genre: Sports, Drama, Comedy
- Original run: October 10, 2001 – March 30, 2005
- Number of episodes: 178
- Main character: Ryoma Echizen
- Setting: Seishun Academy
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96votesThis anime is about a boy who dreams of becoming a professional baseball player like his father. The show follows his journey from childhood to adulthood and the challenges he faces along the way. It is known for its emotional moments, realistic portrayal of baseball, and strong character development.Major is a popular sports anime series that centers around the journey of Goro Honda, a talented young baseball player. The storyline follows Goro's growth and struggles as he aims to become a professional baseball player, inspired by the dreams of his late father. Through determination, hard work, and unwavering passion for the sport, Goro faces numerous challenges on and off the field, making new friends and rivalries along the way.
- Genre: Sports
- Original Run: 1994-2010 (Anime)
- Episodes: 6 seasons, 154 episodes
- Manga Volumes: 78 volumes
- Animation Studio: Studio Hibari
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1010votesThis anime is about a high school student who becomes the star player on his school's American football team. The show features intense matches, unique football tactics, and a large cast of memorable characters. It has gained a following due to its entertaining storyline and engaging characters.Eyeshield 21 is a popular sports anime series that revolves around American football. It follows the story of Sena Kobayakawa, an insecure high school student who joins the Deimon Devil Bats football team as their secret weapon: Eyeshield 21. The anime explores Sena's growth and development as he overcomes his fears and becomes an exceptional football player.
- Genre: Sports, Comedy
- First Episode Release: April 6, 2005
- Last Episode Release: March 19, 2008
- Number of Episodes: 145
- Studio: Studio Gallop, NAS
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About this ranking
This is a community-based ranking of the most popular sports anime. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or sports anime is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!
Statistics
- 1297 views
- 117 votes
- 10 ranked items
Voting Rules
A participant may cast an up or down vote for each sports anime once every 24 hours. The rank of each sports anime is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.
More information on most popular sports anime
Sports anime has been steadily gaining popularity among anime fans over the years. With compelling storylines, relatable characters, and heart-pumping action scenes, it's no wonder that more and more people are getting hooked on this genre. The most popular sports anime often centers around underdog teams or individuals striving to achieve their dreams through hard work and determination. From classics like Slam Dunk and Captain Tsubasa to newer titles like Haikyuu!! and Yuri!!! on Ice, there's something for everyone in the world of sports anime. So, what is the most popular sports anime? That's a question that anime fans have been debating for years, and we're here to help answer it through the power of polls and rankings on StrawPoll.
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