Nanase Haruka

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!