Hard as it is to believe, Haikyuu! has been a part of the anime landscape for almost a decade. With the series finally coming to a close, the parting is inevitably bittersweet. Fans can't help but long for more, regardless of how satisfying the ending.
In a show where most of the opposing teams are filled to the brim with charismatic characters, it's so hard not to imagine an alternate reality where the boys of Karasuno aren't the show's main focal point. In fact, it leads fans to speculate on which teams might be well-suited to star in their own spin-off series— as well as which ones they are happy to never see again.
10 Deserving: Aoba Johsai
While Oikawa is a clear favorite among fans both within the show and in the real world, his popularity may be a double-edged sword. While the series finally shows us where characters like Iwaizumi and the other upperclassmen find themselves as young adults, the future of the high school team they leave behind is more uncertain.
So much of Aoba Johsai's storyline is dominated by the rivalry between Oikawa and Kageyama, at the expense of the other characters' growth. The underclassmen following in Oikawa's fabulous footsteps have a lot to measure up to. A series about Aoba Johsai post-Oikawa presents the compelling question: What happens to a kingdom without a king?
9 Undeserving: Nekoma
Nekoma is understandably one of Haikyuu!!'s most beloved teams, featuring unforgettable characters like Kenma, Kuro, and Lev. Nekoma isn't lacking in charm, skill, or charisma.
But the historic rivalry between Nekoma and Karasuno has ensured their legacies are intrinsically woven together. Because of this much of Nekoma's story has already been told, culminating in the long-foreshadowed "battle of the garbage dump." Haikyuu!! is already Nekoma's show just as much as Karasuno's.
8 Deserving: The Karasuno Girls' Team
Early critiques of Haikyuu!! made note that the show lacks female characters. While this is remedied somewhat when Hitoka Yachi and Saeko Tanaka join the cast, it's still a fair criticism overall.
And yet those brief moments viewers do spend watching the Karasuno Girls' Team and their captain, Michimiya, fight to excel in their own right, are beyond rewarding. Add to that the fandom's obsession with genderswapping the boys' teams in fan art, it's clear that there are countless fans who'd welcome a series focused entirely on female teams. Fans already adore Karasuno, and adding another fierce team of crows to the screen would be beyond uplifting.
7 Undeserving: Wakutani
Wakutani Minami High appears early on in the series. Like Karasuno, the team is based in the Miyagi prefecture, and like Hinata, Wakutani's captain, Takeru Nakashima is inspired by the Little Giant. The team is primarily known for defense and is sometimes compared to Nekoma High.
While all of these similarities and parallels initially create an interesting tension between Karasuno and Wakutani, animating a series about Wakutani would feel a bit like looking in a funhouse mirror. The story would feel simply unoriginal.
6 Deserving: Ohgiminami
Mangaka Haruichi Furudate has a real knack for designing appealing characters. Despite all sharing trademark features of Furadate's style, such as pointed ears, feline eyes, and a wide, nuanced range of facial expressions, no two Haikyuu!! characters look the same.
The boys of Ohgiminami, however, almost seem as though they were drawn by another hand. Having lost their champion member to graduation, this plain-faced group is introduced as a defeatist bunch. And yet, after they lose to Karasuno the team captain weeps with remorse, determined to do better. In a series full of underdogs, Ohgiminami has the longest way to climb, and the potential to make the journey worthwhile.
5 Undeserving: Shiratorizawa
Shiratorizawa is among the most intimidating teams in the entire series, and the school has a brutal reputation as a powerhouse. Add to that the formidable prowess of Ushijima and the cunning of Tendou, and it's no surprise that the Karasuno vs. Shiratorizawa match is relentless and riveting.
But while there are no villains in Haikyuu!!, opponents like Shiratorizawa are the next closest thing. The team is overpowered, elitist, and composed of anything but underdogs. This is a group of privileged students who always expect to win and usually do, so there'd be little in the way of conflict to make a series about them very exciting to watch.
4 Deserving: Fukurodani
Like Shiratorizawa, Fukurodani features an extremely accomplished ace. However, Bokuto's pucky charm is far from the team's only merit. One character alone doesn't make a show, and Bokuto is a deeply flawed player. Capable as he is, he is also prone to sudden mood swings that threaten to derail his team.
The heart of a series about Fukurodani wouldn't be Bokuto, but his teammates, who understand and support him even at his worst. When leaders fail, followers have to step up, and this group has it down to an art form that is both amusing and heartwarming to watch.
3 Undeserving: Kakugawa
Alas, in sports anime, some opponents exist simply to be beaten by the protagonists— sometimes getting barely more substance than a brief appearance in a "getting better" montage— and that seems to have been the case with Kakugawa High. Though Furudate does an excellent job humanizing most players in the series, some teams fail to leave much of an impression.
When there are so many other, more compelling options for a spin-off, choosing to focus on Kakugawa would be a missed opportunity. In the shonen genre, these decisions make a difference.
2 Deserving: Johzenji
Johzenji barely clocks in more screen time than Kakugawa, but the impact of this bombastic group of players is still resonating in the fandom. Known as the "party" team, their energetic chaos on the court makes for excellent entertainment.
Their captain, Terushima, believes that sports should be enjoyable, and though playing Karasuno inspires him to take volleyball more seriously, he isn't wrong. A series about this team of firecrackers learning to walk the line between spontaneity and control would simply be a ton of fun.
1 Undeserving: Dateko
There's a lot to love about Dateko, but does Dateko have what it takes to sustain a series? Dateko serves as a threatening opponent very early in the series when Karasuno is just getting its act together. They are soon defeated, and thereafter the infamous "wall" is repeatedly broken and one-upped by other teams.
Viewers are made to learn Dateko's strengths and weaknesses extremely well, and while the players have their own charisma, it feels like this story has already been told to completion.