Best Sports Manga Of All Time

Of the many genres of manga, sports manga has to be one of the most underrated of them all, from shounen to seinen. With so many worlds that tackle grand settings such as magical fantasy worlds and futuristic war-torn galaxies, it’s easy for the simplistic concepts of a player or team striving for perfection. Sports manga is a much more personal genre of manga that speaks to the human condition to advance and be better than the previous day.

Sports manga capture magical moments of growth and accomplishment, and offer no escapism from daily life, but instead dive deep into the struggles of wanting to succeed. There have been many sports manga, and there will be many more, but a small few have gained monumental success from some of the most talented authors on the planet. Here are the greatest sports manga of all time.

9

Blue Lock

Narcissist Battle For Glory And Goals

Author: Muneyuki Kaneshiro

Copies Sold: 40 million

Blue Lock comes from the hands and mind of Muneyuki Kaneshiro and is a story that delivers intense competition with every chapter. Isagi Yoichi and a small group of elite high school soccer players are drafted into a state-of-the-art camp that will take them from average aces and forge them into scoring machines.

An enigmatic trainer named Ego conducts a bizarre experiment that places the young boys in a cutthroat environment to either evolve or be left behind. To ignite the selfish desires of each player, Ego manipulates the boys into obsessing over soccer, which triggers the emergence of the most talented players in Japan.

8

Hajime No Ippo

An Underdog Peels Away His Insecurities In The Ring

Author: George Morikawa

Copies Sold: 100 million

Ippo was a young student struggling with bullies in his everyday life. As a kind soul and timid young man, Ippo had never raised his hands against another person in his life. This all changed when he met Takemura, a prominent fighter training for a professional boxing career.

Takemura took Ippo under his wing and introduced him to the world of in-ring fighting. Showing great potential, Ippo was noticed by the gym’s head coach and soon began his own journey, which would take him on a mission to challenge the world stage. Hajime no Ippo is authored by George Morikawa, who delivers a consistent story with exceptionally drawn pages.

7

Haikyu!!

Teamwork and Dedication Take A Volleyball Team To The Top

Author: Haruichi Furudate

Copies Sold: 70 million

Haikyuu!! continues to blow its fans away with its colorful cast of characters and inspiring challenge after challenge. The story follows Hinata Shoyo and Tobio Kageyama, new additions to the Kurasuno volleyball team, who seek to make an impact on the court.

Along with the veteran players, they take on the challenge of overcoming a disappointing past and break into a bright future. Hinata breathes new life into the team with his energetic disposition and incredible jumping ability, while Kageyama nurtures the team’s skills and perspectives as he matures. Haikyuu!! is a must-read that checks all the boxes and does them better than most other manga on the market.

6

Ping Pong

A Work Of Art That Moves Off The Page

Author: Taiyō Matsumoto

Copies Sold: Unknown

Ping Pong was an exceptional story that still holds up decades after its initial release. Authored by Taiyo Matsumoto, Ping Pong follows two high school students who share a passion for table tennis. Both Makoto Tsukimoto and Yutaka Hoshino love the game but deal with personal traits that hold them back.

When their club coach pushes them in the right direction, an ignition of their tenacity and competitiveness takes them on a journey to be the best of the best. Ping Pong is an inspirational story that is highly praised among sports manga fans.

5

Real

An Emotional Ride On And Off The Court

Author: Takehiko Inoue

Copies Sold: 50 million

Real is a manga series that subverts the expectations of typical sports manga, doing so in an outstanding fashion while tackling serious issues such as mental health, living with disabilities, and healing from trauma. The manga follows the journey of three young boys who hit rock bottom at the beginning of their lives and try to find the strength to pick themselves back up.

One of the stories follows Tomomi Nomiya was a star athlete of his school basketball team, but fell from grace after he was involved in an automobile accident that left a young girl crippled. Now seen as nothing but a delinquent, Tomomi struggles with his guilt while he attempts to better himself and move out of the stigma surrounding him.

4

Ace Of The Diamond

Captures The Spirit Of Baseball On A Page

Author: Yuji Terajima

Copies Sold: 40 million

Diamond No Ace follows a group of young students as they meet the challenge of becoming the best baseball team in Japan head-on. Eljun Sawamura tries to leave his past behind him after he joins a nationally ranked school, following a tragic loss in the finals of his middle school team.

With the promise of having his potential developed, he leaves his teammates behind and goes his own way, but must tackle the mental and emotional hurdles along the way. Diamond No Ace is a fantastic series that deals with mature themes as well as the fun of the game of baseball.

3

Eyeshield 21

A Perfect Thriller Ride With Stunning Art On Every Page

Author: Yusuke Murata, Riichiro Inagaka

Copies Sold: 100 million

Eyeshield 21 is a manga series where a high school nobody becomes the overnight ace of the school football club. Sena Koboyakawa was an underwhelming student in a new school who quickly became the target of a gang of bullies.

When running from them, he is noticed by the eccentric captain of the school’s football team and drafted into the ranks to give the team a shot at winning their championship. The team is filled with colorful team members, and Sena is quickly overwhelmed by his new role as a running back. However, once Sena begins to move on the field and learns just how fast he is, he gets attached to the roar of the crowd and his team at his back.

2

Ashita No Joe

A Classic Story That Leaves A Lasting Impression

Author: Tetsuya Chiba, Ikki Kajiwara

Copies Sold: 20 million

Ashita No Joe is a classic boxing manga that tells the story of a young fighter who enters the professional ring with nothing but self-taught skills and tenacity. Fighting an uphill battle, Joe must put everything on the line with no other options or prospects left to turn to.

Joe Yabuki undergoes excruciating training to make sure he can overcome even the strongest opponent in the ring, and with every win the fight gets harder and harder. Ashita no Joe is a heartbreaking tale not of victory, but of loss and sacrifice.

1

Slam Dunk

The Greatest Of All Time

Author: Takehiko Inoue

Copies Sold: 170 million

Slam Dunk may be the greatest sports manga of all time, capturing the magic of teamwork, dedication, and self-improvement as a single team overcomes adversity to become the best. Authored by Takehiko Inoue, Slam Dunk follows Sakuragi Hanamichi, a high school delinquent who begins to look inward when his life isn’t going as planned.

When a chance encounter with the girl of his dreams leads him to join his high school basketball team, he initially thinks little about working together with a bunch of guys he doesn’t like. But Hanmichi’s journey once he steps onto the court allows him to discover things about himself he didn’t know, and the pages of the manga tell this story in a magical way.