With the 10-year anniversary of Haikyuu!! ing in early February, fans still are patiently questioning one thing: when will season 5 be released? One of the most captivating aspects of Haikyuu!! is the accuracy of the anime to the sport of volleyball. This faithful representation of the sport via the animations lends the show to present some incredible volleyball players.
Likewise, just as volleyball players in real life have varied skillsets, roles, and experiences, so too does each character in Haikyuu!! Because of these individualized strengths and weaknesses, skilled players from all around the Japanese high school prefectures are presented in the anime.
Korai Hoshiumi
The Ace from Kamomedai High, Korai's character reminds the audience of the show's protagonist, Shōyō Hinata - he is undersized and small, overlooked in stature, but is determined and willing to prove his naysayers wrong.
What sets him apart is his absurd vertical jump and his all-around skill set in the sport - while at the All-Japan Youth Training Camp, he plays setter and does it well, even though his normal position is outside hitter. Though the anime hasn't revealed his true potential to the audience through a full featured match, he did get an invite to the Training Camp, suggesting this 2nd year Little Giant is more than a capable volleyball player.
Satori Tendō
Tendō is one of the best of the dominant Shiratorizawa team and a loose, energetic complement to the team's stoic and unbothered Ace, Wakatoshi Ushijima. His iconic red hair and his wide eyes give him a bit of a daunting presence when he stands at the net.
A 3rd year, he is infamously known as the "Guess Monster" for his ability to commit block - a skill where a blocker reacts before the spiker makes with the ball, making it seem like the blocker was in fact "guessing." Being a great blocker can help someone get far in the sport of volleyball, and Satori Tendō is one of the best - if not the best - blockers featured in the anime.
Kōtarō Bokuto
Considered to be one of the top 5 Aces in the country and just missing the cut for top 3, Fukurōdani Academy's 3rd year outside hitter is one of the best volleyball players from the anime. Bokuto's powerful spikes allow him to challenge any blocker - even one of the best like Tendō.
Likewise, he can hit some of the most difficult angles in the sport. What holds Bokuto back from climbing further into the ranks of Japan's best is his emotional inconsistency - sometimes he forgets his own capabilities and enters his "emo mode," with the spiker needing a nudge from his setter, Akaashi.
Aran Ojiro
Aran Ojiro of Inarizaki High School is the other Ace that just missed being good enough to be considered in the top 3. However, being in the top 5 in Japan makes him better than most - he still is an amazing player.
Ojiro's team is full of talented players, yet he reigns as the top scorer. A gifted jumper and a powerful spiker, Ojiro too has little problem making it past a strong block. What sets Ojiro apart from his fellow top-3-Ace-snub is his consistency - his team relies on him to score no matter the situation and he executes. Yet some of the remaining are younger than this 3rd year or are of one of the coveted top 3 Ace slots.
Shōyō Hinata
Shōyō, the story's protagonist from Karasuno High, is surely someone fans would love to see claim the top spot as the best volleyball player in the anime. But the youngster is not quite there. Yet. Hinata is the 'underdog story' embodied in an individual. He is short, clumsy, and not very intelligent in comparison to other Haikyuu!! characters. But (besides maybe his rival, Kageyama) there is no other character in Haikyuu!! with a work ethic and drive to improve like his own.
His ion for the sport and mental flexibility are unrivaled and across all the seasons currently out, no other character has seen growth in their volleyball skills like Shōyō. All this on top of being freakishly athletic and firmly focused on the court. He may not win the "MVP" award, but Hinata undoubtedly wins the "Most Improved" award. By his 3rd year, Shōyō will prove to be one of Japan's best, if not the best.
Tōru Oikawa
Tōru Oikawa, Tobio Kageyama's old mentor/teammate turned rival, is the lone representative from Aoba Johsai High and a player with one of the best serves in the anime. Oikawa is a dedicated volleyball player, often practicing on his own and watching film of previous matches to improve his weaknesses in the sport.
He also has a high aptitude for the game, demonstrated when he offers Kageyama the advice of setting Hinata the ball that's best for Shōyō instead of what Kageyama prefers. Oikawa understands perfectly that his role as a setter is to help make his teammates better, to put his hitter in the best position to score a point. Setter may not be the most glamorous role on a team, but Oikawa executes it well and is considered to be one of the best in his positions in high school by his 3rd year.
Tobio Kageyama
Hinata's Karasuno counterpart and rival, Tobio Kageyama, is known as 'The King of the Court.' He is a prodigy - a gifted all-around player capable of performing and executing each skill of the game. His presence on the court instantly catapults Karasuno High into a competitive realm they consistently had fallen short of years prior to his first season.
As a 1st year, he is invited to participate at the All-Japan Youth Training Camp and is one of the best setters in high school, behind Inarizaki's star. Although he is praised for his current skill level, prowess, and volleyball IQ, Kageyama is also identified as a player who is on the path to reaching his full potential.
Atsumu Miya
Atsumu is Aran Ojiro's setter, and as a 2nd year, is the best setter in high school. He is also one of Japan's best servers, able to hit both a jump spin and a jump float serve from the same toss. Though a flashy player, Atsumu is able to dazzle the crowd and his opponents with remarkable plays, sometimes catching the opposing team off-guard.
With his strong knowledge of the game and faith in his abilities, Atsumu's fearlessness permits him to experiment throughout a match, attempting new plays like Karasuno's iconic minus-tempo quick while playing against them. Despite being surrounded by great players like his brother and Aran, Atsumu stands out as the best player from Inarizaki and one of the best high school players in all of Japan.
Kiyoomi Sakusa
Kiyoomi Sakusa hails from Itachiyama Institute, the top-seeded team and one of the favorites to win Nationals. Despite being a 2nd year, Sakusa ranks as one of the best 3 Aces in all of Japan.
Though he's not featured in the anime playing often (mostly in clips from the All-Japan Youth Training Camp), Sakusa's reputation precedes him. The lack of film on him only increases the hype and mystery surrounding the full extent of his true abilities. However, his reputation alone is enough to place him as one of the best volleyball players in Haikyuu!!
Wakatoshi Ushijima
The Ace and captain of Shiratorizawa, Ushiwaka is the best volleyball player from Haikyuu!! The wonder and publicity surrounding Ushijima are not for naught. Not only is he the best Ace from the Miyagi Prefecture, but he is also one of the top 3 Aces in the country. He's even a representative for Japan at the Under 19 Youth World Championships!
Ushijima can do it all - he is the best opposite spiker in the show, one of the best servers, and a skilled blocker and defender. He can execute all of the skills in volleyball well and has a bright future waiting for him. And even though Shiratorizawa lost to Karasuno and failed to qualify for Nationals, Ushiwaka still played an incredible match - volleyball truly is a team sport and it's rare that one player can win a match by themselves.