Even those who’ve only been anime fans for a short while can easily tell what “Haikyuu” is, despite having never watched even a single episode from the show. This is due to the massive popularity of this sports anime, which also boasts of multiple seasons.
Sure, fans enjoyed watching the wins (and losses) of their favorite teams on the volleyball courts, but it was truly the show’s characters that stole the show. Of course, some characters are more popular than others, and rightfully so. So, which characters did the users of MyAnimeList favorite the most?
10 Keiji Akaashi (2,453 Favorites): Fukurodani Academy’s Setter Who Now Works As A Shonen Manga’s Editor
As his team’s vice captain, Akaashi was usually calm even during stressful situations. He also addresses people respectfully, but that may partly be due to the fact that most of his teammates were older than him.
Despite that, he could not help but make fun of people for the silly things they did, especially with his friend Bokuto. He could also be surprisingly blunt and sarcastic with his comments.
9 Koushi Sugawara (5,069 Favorites): The Karasuno High Vice Captain & Setter Is Now A Teacher In Miyagi
With his kind and gentle nature, Sugawara was often dubbed the “mother” of his volleyball team. He could often be seen ending trivial fights and arguments between his teammates, being known as the “glue” that kept their team together.
He was also liked by fans due to his never-give-up attitude, which often rubbed off on his teammates as well.
8 Koutarou Bokuto (5,708 Favorites): As One Of The Top 5 Aces In Japan, He Is Now Part Of The Japan National Volleyball Team
Due to his friendly and childish personality, his team’s manager Yukie dubbed him a simple-minded boy. This aspect of his was reinforced with his touchy mood, which changed with the smallest of things.
This eventually ended up affecting his performance on the court as well. Despite that, he was well-liked by both his teammates, as well as his opponents.
7 Tetsurou Kuroo (6,230 Favorites): Nekoma High’s Middle Blocker Is Part Of The Promotion Division Of Japan's Volleyball Association
Kuroo enjoyed provoking others, to the point of being a bully with his excessively snide remarks. Dubbed as the Provocation Expert, he even managed to get under Tsukishima’s skin.
Even so, he apologized whenever he thought he was wrong, like he did with Daichi for crossing a line he shouldn’t have.
6 Kei Tsukishima (8,381 Favorites): Karasuno High’s Middle Blocker Will Work With Sendai City Museum After His College Graduation
Tsukishima was initially unpopular among his own people due to his smug attitude and regular antagonizing of those who played with him. He also showed great pleasure in putting his opponents down.
However, most of his rude behavior stemmed from his low self-esteem, which is something he managed to work on by the end of the series.
5 Kenma Kozume (9,349 Favorites): Nekoma High’s Setter Is Now The CEO Of Bouncing Ball Corp
With his calm and composed personality, Kenma was among one of the most analytical players on his team. He would always be seen maintaining his cool, except when on rare occasions like when he played video games and enjoyed them thoroughly.
Often called the "heart" of his team, Kenma hated being the center of attention, which is why he seldom voiced his opinions publicly.
4 Tooru Oikawa (10,683 Favorites): Aoba Johsai High’s Setter Is Now A Setter For Argentina's National Team
Oikawa was introduced as the primary antagonist of Haikyuu for its Interhigh and Spring High Preliminary arcs. He was shown to be popular among female students for his good looks, charm, and flirtatious nature.
Despite his carefree attitude, he was actually very serious about volleyball. His ability to figure the strengths and weaknesses of his opponents made him an excellent asset to his team.
3 Yuu Nishinoya (11,498 Favorites): Karasuno High Libero Is Currently Having The Time Of His Life In Italy
Often referred to as "Karasuno's Guardian Deity" by his teammates, Nishinoya was an affable and boisterous young boy. His over-the-top behavior often attracted a lot of trouble for him, but he never let that bother him.
He is shown to be a good and considerate friend, which surprisingly contrasted his regular violent outbursts of frustration.
2 Tobio Kageyama (14,427 Favorites): The Lone Wolf Who Eventually Became An Excellent Team Player
Due to his short temper and arrogant attitude, Kageyama wasn’t especially popular among his classmates or teammates at the beginning of the show.
After joining Karasuno, the King of the Court’s attitude started changing slowly, with the best change being in his ability to overcome his nature of micro-managing everything that happens on the volleyball court.
1 Shouyou Hinata (15,547 Favorites): The Heart & Soul Of Haikyuu!!
Hinata's bright and cheerful nature melted even the ice-cold heart of Kageyama. Despite making some excessively ignorant decisions, Hinata is shown to be a surprisingly observant young boy.
While he starts off performing poorly under stress, he shows remarkable improvement in that area, being able to push himself to the point where he's able to handle an unimaginable amount of pressure, both on and off the court.