The 10 best ‘Haikyuu!!’ teams, ranked

Haikyuu!! is one of the best sports anime, somehow managing to get fans interested in volleyball. With four seasons released, and a fifth on the way, the series has become a favorite for many anime watchers. The plot follows the Karasuno high school volleyball team as they compete to become the best volleyball team in all of Japan. The anime boasts some very talented players and teams with some insane gameplay involved. The series has also been praised for its realistic nature and accurate depiction of the sport.

Here is a ranking of the best volleyball teams in Haikyuu!!, but there’s no telling how the anime adaptation of Haruichi Furudate’s manga series will revamp the teams moving forward. 

10. Nohebi

With the powerful spiker and captain, Suguru Daisho, leading the team, and with a snake as its official mascot, Nohebi is one of the sneakiest teams in the entire series. When in play, they are known for targeting the weaker links in the opposing teams, as well as their deceitful gameplay. Their analytical strength was displayed during their match with Nekoma High, but overall, their teamwork was severely lacking. Based on the anime, not much of their strengths have been filled out.

9. Date Tech

Known for their Iron Wall of Defense, Date Tech is one of the best blocking teams present in Haikyuu!! The team has two notable players, the mid-blocker Takanobu Aone, and setter Kanji Koganegawa. Kanji’s height aids the team’s offensive strategy, and their strongest blocker Aone also strengthens the team overall. Date Tech’s major positive is their almost impenetrable defense and their game set, while their weaknesses lie in their poor offense and lack of adequate experience.

8. Aoba Johsai

Aoba Johsai boasts one of the best players in the series, Oikawa Tooru, as the captain and setter of the team. He shines best alongside his teammates, particularly the two powerful spikers, Hajime Iwaizumi and Kentaro Kyotani. Oikawa is known for his accurate and powerful serves that rarely fail to score, and as the team’s ace in the hole, Oikawa can predict his opponents gameplay and manage to draw out the strengths of his teammates. He is a formidable and bold captain that ensures the team works and moves smoothly, encouraging everyone around him to be the best.

7. Kamomedai

One player stands out from the Kamomedai team: the brilliant Korai Hoshiumi. He is the “little giant” of Kamomedai and is armed with a unique and interesting playing style that dubs him one of the top players in the national tournament. He also brought more attention to his team, considered to be one of the most feared players throughout the series. Although none of their matches were shown, they had gotten to the third round of the national tournament.

6. Nekoma 

Nekoma is a team that has a very balanced play as they focus more on team progression and unity than individual talents. They also have an excellent defense system, ensuring the ball rarely ever touches the ground. Although they don’t have an Iron Wall defense like Date Tech, they have the best defensive player in the series as their captain and middle blocker, Tetsuro Kuroo. Nekoma plays the battle of attrition very well and are one of the most seamless teams in Haikyuu!!.

5. Shiratorizawa

Shiratorizawa was the reigning and undefeated champion of the Miyagi Prefecture for many years, before they eventually lost to Karasuno. The team is known to be a very powerful team and is always a strong rival during nationals. Their strength lies in their ace, Wakatoshi Ushijima, who is one of the best players and spikers in the country. Their middle blocker, Satori Tendo, is also a highly skilled member of Shiratorizawa. Over 90 percent of their teamwork relies heavily on Ushijima, which many fans have noted is both the teams’ strength as well as their weakness.

4. Karasuno

As the protagonist team in the popular anime, Karasuno doesn’t fail to impress. With a very balanced team and lineup, Karasuno focuses on collaboration more so than individual abilities. The team has a very talented setter, Tobio Kageyama, and their own little giant spiker, Shoyo Hinata, allowing for a monster duo. They also have a capable libero and middle blocker on the team which make them one of the most stable and steady teams in the series. Karasuno, as a whole, work together on their defense and offense, but they do have a notable weakness — inexperience when competing in the big leagues. 

3. Inarizaki

Inarizaki is a team known for the dynamic and unpredictable Miya Twins. Inarizaki is an expert at psychological warfare during gameplay. They can mess with their opponent’s tempo, synchronization, and flow. Inarizaki is also good at getting into their opponent’s heads to tamper with their confidence. They’re intimidating, powerful, and extremely skilled in the sport. The twins, Atsumu and Osamu Miya also add to the formidable offensive strength of the team, with Atsumu as the setter and Osamu as the wing spiker.

2. Itachiyama Institute

Winner of the last national tournament and the team with the strongest ace in the country, Itachiyama is almost unmatched and is one of the best teams in the entire series. Although not much has been revealed about the team’s strengths or weaknesses, having Kiyoomi Sakusa, one of the top three players in the country, plays in their favor. Based on the team’s abilities, fans are expecting them to win the national tournament once again.

1. Fukurodani

Fukurodani is comprised of a powerhouse of more than capable players. Their offensive and defensive strategy is airtight, with the perfect decoy, Kotaro Bokuto, in play. Acknowledged as one of the top five volleyball aces in the country, Bokuto is both the captain and outside hitter of the team. Even though they have a powerful duo made of Bokuto and Keiji Akaashi, all team members step up to the plate. Bokuto’s tantrums, also known as “emo mode” are his biggest weakness, but he usually pulls through. Needless to say, a level-headed Bokuto could take any team to greater heights.