Takehiko Inoue's Slam Dunk, a sports manga, was written and is illustrated by Hanamichi Sakuragi. Hanamichi Sakuragi, a juvenile offender who has been rejected an astounding fifty times, is immensely unpopular with girls. In his freshman year at Shohoku High School, Sakuragi develops feelings for Haruko Akagi, who invites him to the basketball team after noticing his agility. Sakuragi is first hesitant to join the squad, but he quickly shows that he is a natural athlete and decides to do so, mostly in an effort to win over and gain Haruko's favor.

He rarely refers to his teammates or opponents by their real names, thus he has a habit of poking fun at them by giving them other nicknames. Sakuragi gains notoriety for his amateurish basketball abilities and propensity to foul out of every game. His basketball abilities do improve over the course of the series, though.

Hanamichi Sakuragi was a 1993 and 1994 Anime Grand Prix nominee for Best Male Character. He is listed as one of the best athlete characters in anime. Hanamichi Sakuragi is prominently featured in a new pair of Jordans that Inoue collaborated on with Nike. The two sneakers pay respect to the lead character with limited-edition styles and manga-paneled shoeboxes. The crimson uppers of the Air Jordan VI sneakers come with iconic manga images and Sakuragi's jersey number stitched on the outside heel. Sakuragi received 19th place in a 2012 Fuji TV poll ranking the finest heroes.

Anime: Slam Dunk

The main character in Haruichi Furudate's Haikyuu!! the series is Hinata Shouyou. He was a member of the boys' volleyball team's middle blockers. High school student Shoyo aspires to be like the "Little Giant," a former volleyball club member and student at Karasuno High School. He decides to join Karasuno in order to pursue his dream, but in order to do so, he and Tobio Kageyama, a former opponent in a volleyball battle, must put aside their animosity and cooperate.

Hinata is a happy and vivacious person. Because of his innate charm, his colleagues occasionally used him to win over opponents like Nishinoya. Hinata frequently speaks aloud and is easily aroused. The loudest member is him, followed by Nishinoya and Tanaka. Kenma from Nekoma High and Aone from Date Tech High are two people he may easily become friends with since he is amiable.

Hinata Shouyou is incredibly competitive despite having a laid-back demeanor, especially when it comes to volleyball. Sugawara claimed that, regardless of whether it is a practice match or a genuine match, Hinata doesn't give up easily since she has a very strong desire to win. When people underestimate him, Hinata may also display a highly threatening and terrifying visage. Despite this, Hinata is easily frightened, especially by stronger and bigger foes. He swiftly bounces back, though, and challenges the opponents with assurance.

Anime: Haikyuu!!

The main character of the manga Kuroko no Basuke as well as one of the best athlete characters in anime is Tetsuya Kuroko. He was the misdirection and pass-specialist Phantom Sixth Player of the Generation of Miracles at Teik Junior High. With the intention of elevating Seirin and Taiga Kagami to the top of Japan, he now participates regularly with the team.

Kuroko has a simple, deadpan demeanor. He works really hard and consistently puts the needs of the team before his own. He is completely invisible and unremarkable, which is a quality that complements his deception. He has also shown a great deal of regard for other ardent basketball players and believes that while senpais should be proud, kōhais should be treated with respect.

In a figurative sense, he has described himself as a "shadow." Tetsuya Kuroko is saying that he is acting on behalf of another and that as the "light" grows brighter, so does he. The basketball player he assists would be the "light" in the game. His "light" throughout his basketball career in junior high school was Aomine; right now, it is Kagami. Although initially aloof around his teammates, he gradually starts to open up and begin to express himself more. He has a soft spot for cute creatures like puppies and kittens, as evidenced by Tetsuya #2.

Anime: Kuroko Basketball

The deuteragonist of Yuri!!! on Ice is Victor Nikiforov. Victor noticed the viral video of Yuuri skating his winning routine and chose to become his coach. He is a Russian figure skating great and genius whom Yuuri Katsuki has admired since he was a young boy.

In men's singles figure skating, Victor is regarded as a living legend after winning five straight World Championships, five straight Grand Prix Finals, and countless European titles. Under the supervision of his instructor, Yakov Feltsman, he was already at the pinnacle of figure skating by the age of 16. Victor is a gorgeous man with light-blue eyes and short, platinum hair with bangs that hide his left eye. Victor covers his suit during the pre-competition warm-ups with a white and red runner jacket.

Victor Nikiforov is naturally flirty and exudes alluring celebrity charisma. His propensity for stunning new inventions and shocking his audience is his well-known strength. He has a keen sense of self and knows exactly what he needs to do to play to the audience to their advantage. This enhances his charisma because he is adept at winning people over with what he has to offer. Despite this, he is very conscious about his appearance, including his hairline.

Anime: Yuri!!! on Ice

Nanase Haruka, the main character of the anime series and the vice-captain of his high school swimming team, is a prodigious swimmer with abilities that would place him at the top of the list, if not the top. He was the vice-captain of the Iwatobi High School Swim Club and a freestyle swimmer. He is seeking professional competition on the world arena while attending Hidaka University as a student and a member of the swim club.

He is protective of his friends, especially those on his high school swim team: Makoto Tachibana, Nagisa Hazuki, and Rei Ryugazaki, but especially Makoto, his best friend since early childhood. Despite his cold demeanor, which many mistake for uncaring. He has a great love for water and is a calm, resolute person. His trust in his decisions once they have been made is his greatest advantage.

Haruka's willingness to swim wherever and at any time is what makes his swimming skills stand out the most. This willingness is a result of both his attraction to water and his drive. When Nanase Haruka eventually loses a race to Rin Matsuoka, a friend who had previously regarded him as his fiercest competition, he starts to seriously consider why he swims, which aids in his continued development as a swimmer. This fresh perspective, together with his endurance and general water resistance, make him one of the strongest swimmers in anime as well as one of the best athlete characters in anime.

Anime: Free!

The deuteragonist of the Haikyuu!! is Tobio Kageyama. He is a first-year student at Karasuno High School and the starting setter for the boys' volleyball team for the majority of the series. During his first year of high school, he was picked to train at the All-Japan youth training camp, and as soon as he graduated, he joined the V. League. At the age of 19, he joined the Japanese national volleyball team, competing in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. He was a setter for the Japanese V-League Division 1 team Schweiden Adlers in November 2018.

Kageyama initially came across as a typical domineering perfectionist, concerned only about winning and utterly disregarding the thoughts and well-being of his teammates. He was perpetually glum, haughty, and clearly short-tempered. According to some female classmates, Kageyama's height and remarkably piercing stare are his most distinguishing physical traits and points of attraction. His short, trimmed black hair has a fringe that hangs over his deep blue eyes. He usually wears either his practicing clothes or his school uniform.

Tobio Kageyama's ability to precisely estimate a ball's trajectory and toss it to the precise location is his most notable and lauded talent. The offensive move invented by Kageyama and Hinata during their three-on-three fight versus Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and Daichi is also known as the "God-Fast Spike," "Freak-Quick," or "Oddball Combo." His signature move, the "King's Toss," sends the ball flying straight and hard past the point of impact of the spiker.

Anime: Haikyuu!!

The main character of Hajime no Ippo is Ippo Makunouchi. He is a trainer, a former reigning featherweight JBC champion, and a retired featherweight professional fighter from the Kamogawa Boxing Gym. Since then, he has developed a competition with other boxers and a strong bond with his coach, Genji Kamogawa, for whom he strives to achieve greatness in order to uphold the coach's principles. He has transitioned from boxing to training, serving as a second for his gym buddies while working with Taihei Aoki and Kintar Kaneda.

Ippo is a Kamogawa Boxing Gym featherweight boxer who epitomizes the underdog. No unique talents, prowess, or important instincts...Ippo was ridiculed as a shy child, and it was only through hard work, training, and experience that he was able to transform into a professional boxer who can more than hold his own in the ring. Ippo continually trains to perfect his fists and boxing technique, eventually ascending to the position of top In-Fighter in Japan. Ippo is one of anime's best sportsmen largely because of his work ethic.

Ippo Makunouchi, the protagonist of the Hajime no Ippo video game series, can be played in all of the games in the series, from Hajime no Ippo on the Playstation through Hajime no Ippo: Fighting Souls on mobile devices. In addition to the series, Ippo has made appearances as a character in other games. No wonder why he is one of the best athlete characters in anime.

Anime: Hajime no Ippo

Ryoma Echizen, who formerly lived in the United States, started his first year of school at Seishun Academy the day he arrived in Japan. Ryoma, who was just in his first year of middle school, gained popularity by winning four American Junior Tennis championships in a row in just over a year. Ryoma, who is only twelve years old, has already been dubbed a "prodigy" due to his practically unbeatable tennis performance.

Although he doesn't seem to realize it because of his sole focus on tennis, his attractiveness and confidence make him quite popular with women. He serves as the series' main protagonist. Ryoma's Fila hat is his go-to piece of attire. Fila owns his shoe line as well. With the exception of when he is wearing his school uniform or while resting at home, he is practically never seen without his hat. Instead of giving himself a break and taking it easy, he pushes himself harder. He specializes in singles, however he once tried doubles with partner Momoshiro Takeshi.

Ryoma Echizen has a tendency to forget those he considers unimportant or those he only briefly interacted with. His catchphrase and go-to expression in Japanese animation is "Mada Mada Dane," which is literally translated as "You still have a lot more to work on," "No, not yet," or "Not good enough." It is translated as "You still have a ways to go" in the American version.

Anime: Prince of Tennis

The main character of the Ace of Diamond television series is Sawamura Eijun. He is also considered as one of the best athlete characters in anime. He is from the Nagano prefecture, specifically Ina, Nagano, where he attended Akagi Junior High and played baseball. Sawamura, a left-handed pitcher who also serves as the series' protagonist, is a perfect example of a sportsperson who actually succeeds in both their areas of strength and weakness.

In addition to his unmatched ability to throw breaking fastball pitches, Sawamura also excels at bunting and playing solid infield defense. Sawamura does have some flaws, though, both in terms of controlling his pitches and hitting. Despite these flaws, Sawamura is able to do a lot for his club, and soon he starts to learn how to better control his pitches in addition to becoming an expert at bunting so that he can really hit the ball. Sawamura is granted permission to be on this list as a result of his improvement in his areas of weakness in addition to his continued excellence in his areas of strength.

At his own peril, he even went so far as to take Coach Ochiai's instruction and start pitching in practice. Since Sawamura Eijun is aware that Furuya is considered to be a better pitcher by his teammates, he always looks for new techniques and expertise to help him advance so that one day the team will recognize his contributions.

Anime: Ace of Diamond

Tetsuya Kuroko's old teammate and light in Teik Junior High, Daiki Aomine, was the star player of the illustrious Generation of Miracles. He is the power forward and star player for T Academy right now.

Aomine used to be very gregarious and outgoing, if not a little immature. He practiced a number of reckless behaviors, such as robbing people out of their meals when they were starving or concealing his filthy clothing in a locker so he wouldn't have to clean it. He also didn't do well in school, something that is still true now. Aomine embraced the maxim "the only one who can beat me is me" at this point and, out of boredom, continued to do so during his first year at T Academy.

He was known as "a monster" in basketball because, even among the Generation of Miracles' best players, he was miles ahead of everyone else. He was the ace of the generation. His skills can be characterized as being tremendously powerful, highly quick, and extremely skilled. According to the description, Daiki Aomine is a lone player who excels at going one-on-one with his opponents and refusing to throw the ball to his teammates even when he is trapped. He had previously defeated Kise in a one-on-one match, albeit this was before Kise learned the Perfect Copy, which demonstrates his skill.

Anime: Kuroko Basketball