Though many popular sports anime do have main characters, it is not always easy to pick out who the actual star of the series is. In Kuroko no Basket, the name of the series is based on the character Kuroko, though he stands as one of the two main characters in the show along with Kagami. In Free! Haru is the main character through the show takes time to focus on each member of the swim team and their rival, Rin.
Haikyuu!! also has this. The series focuses on Tobio Kageyama and Shoyo Hinata and starts with the two of them facing off in a match, swearing revenge, and then becoming teammates in the Karasuno high school volleyball team. Both characters have a ton of development throughout the series, but who is the actual main hero of the story?
10 Hinata: The Little Giant
Hinata starts the show and has the biggest dreams and aspirations to try to become the best volleyball player around, despite his rather short height. Hinata becomes wildly inspired by another player he sees one day that goes by The Little Giant.
Hinata instantly becomes inspires and dreams to be like him, to take on the same name, and show that no matter the obstacles, he could achieve what he desires if he puts in enough effort. This is how his story began and he continues to be motivated by this as the show goes on.
9 Kageyama: King Of The Court
Kageyama starts off the series as a total contrast to Hinata. He is tall and naturally skilled in his abilities as a setter. In fact, Kageyama is so skilled that he often feels like he is leagues better than the rest of the team he is on.
His attitude towards his own team becomes incredibly hostile as he gets angry at them for not being able to score the points he perfectly lines up for them. Kageyama feels like he is never in the wrong, and because of that, he ends up earning the title King of the Court for his awful and dictating behavior.
8 Hinata: Meeting Players From Other Teams
Hinata is a social butterfly, a trait that would be fitting for the main protagonist of the series. Viewers will meet other characters through his eyes and will be introduced to a lot of the other teams he will face.
Hinata has a pretty magical way of becoming friends with almost everyone he meets, no matter how different he may be from them, such as his evolving friendships with Kenma Kozume and Takanobu Aone. Because of the fact that Hinata meets so many other players, it often makes him feel like he is the main character of the story as the viewers are meeting everyone through his eyes.
7 Kageyama: Character Development
Because Kageyama started the show off as “the king of the court,” it took some time for him to adjust to actually be on a functioning team and not commanding so much of others. The upperclassmen at Karasuno had a pretty strong backbone and were able to put the new coming freshman in his place pretty quickly. Kageyama also started his new high school adventure with actively trying to be a better team member.
He held back a lot of comments to try to learn and adjust to his new team. Kageyama occasionally falls back into his old habits, and his team always manages to take it in stride, poking fun at his cruelness but seeing that it just because he is utterly determined to succeed.
6 Hinata: Growth
As mentioned before, Kageyama starts the series off by being good at volleyball already. He has some groundwork and is naturally gifted. However, Hinata is not. Hinata has talent, potential, and that is what lands him to be on the team. But when really gets him there is his fighting spirit and determination to be better.
Hinata starts by learning the basics, and even now four seasons later, he is still trying to get better at receiving. Hinata wants to be the best he can be and he constantly puts the effort in to show for it.
5 Kageyama: Has More Rivals
What is a sports anime with a few friendly rivalries? Kageyama seems to be the character with a ton more rivals, both on his team and off, which occasionally makes him feel more like the protagonist of the story. Kageyama swears that Hinata is his rival, something that Hinata also considers which only betters both of the boys by motivating them to do better.
But Kageyama and Tsukishima also seemingly have a small rivalry going on. The two boys don’t get along by any means, and Tsukishima seems to constantly poke at “the king” to see if he’ll burst.
4 Hinata: He Wants To Beat Kageyama
When Hinata and Kageyama first met, it was in a match against one another while they were in middle school. Hinata’s team was pretty much demolished against Kageyama’s as no one but Hinata had any actual interest in the sport and were there more to support the orange-haired boy.
Kageyama also didn’t really see Hinata as a threat and looked down on him, which was something that totally infuriated Hinata. Hinata swore he would one day aim to go against him again, and it is that promise that continues the series along with wanting to be the best.
3 Kageyama: Growth As A Setter
It takes Kageyama a while to realize that being a setter doesn’t mean lining up the perfect shots for you, but rather for your team. He realizes that not every player can hit the same kinds of sets and each has different speeds, tempos, heights, and a whole bunch of other elements that affect how someone can hit the ball.
Kageyama, once in Karasuno, must learn how to adapt to his new team and each member of the team in order to set up hits for them that he knows they will succeed. Being a setter is all about lining up the shots, but Kageyama always assumed he was lining them up perfectly, and not really accounting for the person who would actually be hitting the ball.
2 Hinata: The Heart Of The Show
Hinata is the heart of the series. He is typically the fan-favorite and has everyone in the series and out rooting for his success. Hinata often keeps the team together and uplifts his fellow Karasuno members with his candid attitude of doing the best he can in every situation. Hinata never gives up, no matter the odds, and always continues to try and persevere.
Hinata inadvertently ends up motivating many of his team members to do the same.
1 Kageyama: Can Be A Good Player With Anyone
One of the main plot points in the first half of season four is when Kageyama is invited to the All-Japan Youth Training Camp while Hinata isn't invited to anything. This brings up the idea that Kageyama can utilize his skills with any team, while Hinata may only shine with Kageyama, and have difficulties doing so with another setter.
Because of this Hinata begins to train really hard, but it is implied that Kageyama is already being watched by some of the bigger teams of Japan and is already acknowledged as a good player in his own right.