Key Takeaways
- Underdogs in sports animation show an inspiring journey from weak to strong.
- Players fight their dreams against powerful opponents through determination and teamwork.
- Stories like Yowamushi Pedal, Kuroko's Bicycle, and Ace of Diamond feature minors rising to the top.
Underdogs exist in all walks of life. These people are seen as the weakest link, seen as having no opportunities, and have the lowest chance of being the best or winning. In most cases, they are very low, but they are a work in progress, and when the work is done, they come out to shine, growing from weak to strong.
In the world of sports animation, there are underdogs, and there are stories that show the exciting and inspiring journey of underdogs as they win. Watching a team or individual rise from humble beginnings, overcome obstacles and challenge adversity resonates with audiences, providing a sense of hope and excitement. These players fight for their dreams against powerful opponents through raw determination, teamwork, or personal growth.
1 Yowamushi Pedal
Sakamichi Onoda goes from cycling for fun to becoming a professional cyclist
Onoda has been riding a bicycle since the fourth grade. Now in high school, he still rides his bike every week, not knowing he's qualified to become a professional cyclist. Onoda's high school classmate Imaizumi, once a week, sees him during his practice, and at first, he doesn't feel threatened by Onoda and mocks his bike until -he saw Onoda climbing the hill he was teaching. seamlessly. Imaizumi convinces Onoda to join his school's bike racing club, and he does.
Onoda is the underdog in this anime, because he started cycling as a beginner with no knowledge of professional cycling. His natural talent and determination made him stand out and compete with seasoned athletes. Joining a cycling club has shaped Onoda's personality as he grows from a shy child to a confident one.
2 Kuroko's basketball
Kuroko makes it his mission to ensure the promotion of the Seirin High Basketball team
After graduating, middle schoolers split up and go to different high schools, creating new experiences and so on. Teiko Middle School had five star players who made national basketball teams, and after graduation, they all went to different high schools. The sixth unknown character, Kuroko, goes to Seirin High and joins the basketball team. Along with Kagami, they make a name for themselves in Seirin by competing against teams of other star players at Teiko Middle School.
The lowest point of this anime is Seirin High. Seirin is a new and unknown school in the world of basketball, and the team, with the help of Kuroko and Kagami, defeats strong opponents to prove their strength.
3 Ace of diamonds
Sawamura aims to be the Ace of the best
Sawamura has talent as a left-handed hitter in baseball. This talent makes a scout interested in him, and he finds himself receiving an offer to join the elite baseball program at Seidou High School, a high school baseball powerhouse. Seidou High has the best baseball players in the country, and among them all, Sawamura seems to be weak and incompetent, despite his ability and talent.
Sawamura doesn't want to be inferior, he tries to be the ace of the team. It's not easy, as Sawamura starts out as an unpolished pitcher with a lot of power but no real technique. He must work tirelessly to improve his discipline, learn new areas, and face tough competition to catch up with the more talented players on the team.
4 Haikyuu!!
Hinata returns as the glorious school team champion again
Volleyball catches Hinata's attention, and the young man, despite his lack of experience, is willing to put in the effort to become a star volleyball player like the Karasuno High players he sees on TV. Unfortunately for Hinata, the Karasuno High Volleyball team is not what it looks like on TV, and the once glorious team full of champions is empty, and it's up to Hinata to recruit players.
Karasuno High School is considered an underdog team because of their losses. With the help of Hinata and Kageyama, this explosive duo takes on the hard work of rebuilding Karasuno High's volleyball club, restoring its championship reputation and making them strong competitors to established schools.
5 Hajime No Ippo
Ippo Makunouchi goes from being a bully to professional boxing
This boxing anime follows the story of Ippo Makunouchi, a shy kid who is constantly bullied, but one day, a stranger comes to his aid after being knocked down by his tormentor. This stranger turns out to be a new boxer named Mamoru Takamura, and he takes Ippo to his gym, where he treats his injuries and waits for him to wake up.
related
10 Best Boxing Anime
These animes come with different perspectives on boxing and give them interesting themes ranging from competition to friendship.
Ippo ignores his bullies, but Takamura sees potential in him and introduces him to boxing. Takamura gave him boxing videos to watch, and this ignited his interest in boxing. With constant training and fierce determination, Ippo grows into a weak and inexperienced fighter. He climbs the ranks, faces skilled opponents and becomes a professional boxer. The once shy Ippo that viewers have known since the beginning becomes a confident and powerful person, defeating his bullies and surpassing his limits.
6 Salaryman's Club
Mikoto Shiratori has wrestled professionally before
Salaryman's Club mixing badminton and corporate life, focusing on a group of salaried people working in the company and playing competitive badminton for their company. One of those salarymen was Mikoto Shiratori, who had power in the world of badminton. Mikoto was a popular kid, but a game tore her status and confidence away, pushing her to the ground to pick up the pieces. Instead, he joined the marketing department of Sunlight Beverage and gradually returned to the sport.
Mikoto is considered inferior due to his lack of grace and reluctance to return to the sport. His loss destroyed his confidence, and unfortunately he was unable to bounce back, causing other players to view him as weak. However, throughout the anime, his stay at Sunlight Beverage causes him to rebuild his confidence, skills, and trust in himself and his fellow players. He overcame his past and eventually became the underdog who triumphed as he excelled at the sport again.
