Summary
A sometimes overlooked and underrated genre ofanime is the sports genre. Sometimes, it’s a breath of fresh air to take a break from the world-threatening aliens and secret organizations and instead follow a team of underdogs that seek to catch lighting in a bottle. There are dozens of exceptional sports anime about archery, basketball, and even ping pong for fans of the genre to check out.
A second season ofBlue Lockis scheduled to release on Jul 18, 2025. Until then, some fans of the sport anime may wish to scratch thatBlue Lockitch by watching something similar. Luckily for them, there are plenty of great options available.
Updated on June 16, 2025, by C.M Edwards:Blue Lock has cemented itself as one of the great new sport manga/anime of its time. Thanks to its beautiful designs and impactful characters, it stands out and in the anime community.Sport anime is a somewhat niche genre of anime that has garnered cult followings for its intense, fast-paced stories and strong character depth and development. Blue Lock took the anime community by storm and received high praise for its first season, which was done by the animators at 8Bit. Both the story and the animation quality of Blue Lock have fans locked in with every new episode, craving to see how Isagi Yoichi and the rest ofthe talent of Blue Lock evolve their weaponsand push the envelope to become the best. Blue Lock has recently announced its second season, with a surprisingly short episode list, which fans are highly anticipating later this year. While waiting for the second season of Blue Lock to air, here are somegreat anime to watch that are similar to Blue Lock.
Ryouma Echizen is descended from Tennis royalty, and for the majority of his life, he sought to become the best tennis player in the world. After returning to Japan from playing in America, Ryouma now seeks to take on the best in Japan and rise through the ranks.
Ryouma attends the best school in the country and quickly becomes highly talked about as the rising star freshman. But his skills are on another level compared to the average player, and his ego may even rival that of Usagi Yoichi. Unfortunately, the hill to the top is steep, and Ryouma may not know as much as he thought about tennis. Through a series of trials, Ryouma finds out that, while tennis is primarily a one-on-one sport,being part of a teamadds a certain level of responsibility.
15Prince Of Stride: Alternative
A Beautiful Animation That Focuses On Motion And Poise
Prince of Stridecarries the sports genre and mixes it withelements of Parkour and Freerunning. Nana Sakurai became infatuated with the sport and sought to join Honan Academy’s team as its manager, training hard and pushing herself to be a sure pick. Unfortunately for Nana, the team was disbanded, and the club was closed due to a lack of members.
Being resilient, Nana pulls together a rag-tag team to attempt to revitalize the club and fulfill her dream of running alongside her friends, racing to the top, and winning the national competition. Madhouse Studios beautifully animatesPrince of Strideand does an excellent job with character personality and matching their style of animation.
Gawain is a young boy, barely over the age of ten, who has been infatuated with a number of sports. When he is introduced to the sport of Golf, he dives head first into making the ball fly as high as he can. Being taken under the tutelage of a mysterious woman, Gawain is thrust into a new world, taking him from his normal mountain life and into the big city.
He quickly learns that, if he is to keep up and hold his own, he will have to give it everything he has and learn the ins and outs of golf. With a fire lit inside him, Gawain wows his peers and his rivals as he takes to the sport with ambition, and shows his incredible driving skills.Rising Impactjust recently finished airing on Netflix, airing both seasons for a total of twenty-four episodes.
The world of cycling is a grueling and treacherous field, and not many have what it takes to become truly great. Onoda Sakamichi finds himself as the rising star of the Sohouku bicycle club after a coincidental run-in with one of their top racers.
Having no experience, Onoda shocks the world with his determination, grit, and incredible leg power.Blue Lockexcels at explaining how breaking down previous versions to make way for something new increases growth, andYowamushi Pedaldoes the same on Onoda’s journey.
Run with the Windisa strange take on the sports genre, aside from it being focused on a very niche sport like marathon running. A delinquent, Kakeru Kurahara, becomes linked to a mixed-matched group of would-be runners with a captain who has dreams of winning a grand tournament in their district.
Reluctantly, Kakeru has no option but to chip in and whip their team into shape. One of the basic concepts ofBlue Lockis starting from nothing, andRun with the Windshines as an example of how diamonds in the rough are still diamonds.
11Ahiru No Sora
Clashing Personalities Try To Become The Best
Ahiru No Sorasteps out ofKuroko’s Basketsball’s shadow as a basketball anime by placing more focus on the characters' personalities and the possibility of not being the best but trying hard anyway, much like the competitors inBlue Lockwho believe they are at the bottom of the ranking.
A fresh-faced new student named Sora hasa run-in with a group of delinquentswho have taken over the basketball club and challenges them to a game in order to get them to play. Sora’s skills wow the onlookers, but he is unable to win a one vs. three. However, her manages to spark a fire within the leader of the gang, which starts them on a path toward the championship.
10All Out!!
Aggression And Testosterone-Filled Journey
All Out!!is an intense story that follows a group of high school boys who have found the fire inside their chests in the form of love for rugby. When a young transfer student tries to find a purpose, he is entranced by the hard work and dedication that the school rugby team exhibits.
On a whim, he joins the team on their journey to make an impact and take them from mocked underdogs to serious competitors.All Out!!focuses on more than just the team’s chemistry but also individual players, their motivations, and the hardships they endure to ensure they don’t let the team down. It also mirrors the variety of intense personalities thatBlue Lockhas and has similar character interactions and rivalries.
The high adrenaline rush of being on the football field was the last thing that Sena Koboyakama had on his mind. For the most part, Sena’s only goal was to make it through his high school life in one piece, being the target of frequent bullying.
It wasn’t until the captain of the football team noticedthe untapped speed of Senathat he took an interest and coerced him into joining the team.Eyeshield 21is a classic anime that has similar character growth toBlue Lock, with the players discovering themselves and their abilities in the heat of the moment.
Free!enters the world of water sports and competitive swimming. The strength it takes for competitors to propel themselves through water is both physical and mental. The right amount of breaths to take, the correct moment to dive, and controlling the panic of not breathing are all things swimmers need to be able to do.
For thenewly founded Iwatobi High School swim club, three childhood friends set their sites on becoming the best athletes in the prefecture. Their chances skyrocket when they discover a diamond hidden in the rough named Rei Ryuugazaki, who may be the key to their triumph.Free!manages to capture the nature of comradery and teamwork, a challenge thatBlue Lockalso faces.
Ashito Aoi is the star player of his junior high soccer team. He is known for his sporadic plays and unpredictable nature. Unfortunately,arrogance gets the better of Aoi, and he disregards his team and makes inappropriate decisions that cost their spot in the championship tournament. BothAoashiandBlue Lockdeal with player ego in different ways but address the need for ego and teamwork to succeed in the game.
Having lost all hope, Aoi begins to give up on soccer until a youth coach tells him he has potential if he can get his attitude under control. Aoi joins a new team and pushes himself to the limit, not just for his own benefit but for his team.Aoashiisa spectacular soccer animethat excels at demonstrating the drive that pushes athletes to be the best.
