I love how in this series the antagonists aren't bad people. Just another team of passionate players, coaches and fans.

Oikawa at the end of the story really cements him as the GOAT

I love that you included Ushijima and actually get what his character is about, too many people dismiss him as "bland" or "having no personality aside from being good at volleyball". I also agree with the inclusion of Yachi. Her character is one of my favorite depictions of social anxiety in animanga.

Oikawa is always the number one for me and many. His character depth blows everyone out of the water.

Tanji Washijou is one of the most underrated characters in all of fiction. Chapter 361 is one of my favorite things ever, and it's due in no small part to the way it absolutely punches to the core of Washijou and Hinata's characters, and by extension, the core of the entire story.

For somebody who isn't dedicated to Haikyuu, you make the best Haikyuu content. Haven't even watched the full thing and I want to say GREAT VIDEO

This video honestly reminded me so much about why I love Haikyuu and how great it is as a series, especially since I haven’t really thought too much about it in over a year now ❤ the urge to rewatch is real For me, my favorite character is Oikawa. I watched Haikyuu at a tome where I was struggling with my own sport; when I was young I was regarded as “gifted” in the sport and was actually ranked very high nationally, but eventually I came to a pretty heavy plateau where I stopped improving and even got noticeably worse. I grew to resent other people who I used to be as good as, since they all continued to improve and I felt like I was being ‘left behind’ in a way. It messed me up mentally for awhile, and I almost quit the sport. However, watching Haikyuu honestly helped me get through a lot of that. I just found the entire story extremely motivating and relatable, and none of the characters exemplified this more for me than Oikawa did. I felt his pain when it came to seeing those you used to view as equals or as “lesser-than” become better than you at the one thing you excelled at. I related to the feeling of desperately trying to cling onto their coattails, to continue to even be closely regarded as nearly as good as them. I knew what it was like to deep down know that you weren’t inherently “gifted” at the one thing you put above everything else in the world. Oikawa did eventually grow to compete at an international level however, and although I’ve long accepted that I won’t be competing at nearly as high a level as that in the future, this brought me the reassurance I needed to keep going forward. Long rant that kind of turned trauma-dump-y, but tldr I can thank Haikyuu and especially Oikawa for me not quitting my sport. I would genuinely be a much worse off person without this series, and I cannot thank it (and by extension Furudate) enough for that

Haikyuu!! is not a series of good guys and bad guys, heroes and villains. Every character is just a person, trying to go about their life in the beautiful sport of volleyball. And so even when Oikawa was such an active antagonist, I couldn't consider him a villain character. But Washijou really challenged that notion. He might be Haikyuu's one and only villain, and even he turns out to be an amazing character who grips you emotionally and makes you root for him in the end. I have no idea how Furudate made a series about volleyball such a complete masterpiece.

Great list and reasonings. My favs are: 1. Oikawa - his message - complain after you have done everything you possibly can, which is limitless in itself 2. Hinata - his whole journey 3. Bokuto - his ability to not feel the pressure or the expectations of game or other external people, he just gets distracted by his own internal standards, love his attitude to get excited for playing against the top/better players than him 4. Hoshiumi - "all you 6 foot short players, watch me" 5. Atsumu - pure passion 6. Daichi 7. Tsukki 8. Kenma 9. Asahi 10. Noya 11. Kageyama

what you said about atsumu at 20:38 about passion i think is so intentional in the series. there’s official art where furudate did colour portraits of the main cast with a calligraphy word reflecting their character- atsumu’s was ‘love’

I love your list and agree with a lot of your reasoning! As for me, Oikawa will always be #1 in my heart of hearts. He's a long-lasting foil who speaks not only to Kageyama, but this whole notion of talent. As I've been in graduate school, I always replay his pep talk during the final point of the second Karasuno match. I'm surrounded by prodigious talent, by scholars who eclipse me in any definable sphere. Rather than taking that as any signal to waver or fall back, I've looked to these people for motivation and inspiration, finding myself so grateful that I get to share a space with "monsters," to borrow from Kita. I may not share the same traits as them, my scholarship may not yet be as good, but I can't let that weigh me down. It may be a tough climb to the summit but hey, talent is something you make bloom, and instinct is something you polish, right?

Not necessarily an all time favourite but I've always loved the subtle character arc of Heisuke Riseki and the impact he has on the story and it's themes despite hardly having any screen time.

Inarizaki impacted my life in a tremendous way during a time when I was severely struggling with letting go of my past mistakes. Watching Atsumu, Tanaka, Hinata, and Kita make mistakes and grow during the match really helped me to not let my failures stop me, but to learn and grow stronger from them. I still have a lot of really rough days, and sometimes I stop and wonder what the heck I’m even doing, but I’ve continuously gotten back on track every time since then, and I owe a lot of that to Haikyuu 🏐

I can not thank you enough for your (haikyuu) videos. Haikyuu has played a profound part in my life and your videos are undoubtly a very big part of that, so thank you for your passion and dedication!

Haikyuu is a series which I will always keep close to my heart. My brain will explode if I try to rank my favorite characters. Hinata though will always be my number 1 too. Hinata has shown me mirror about why I couldn't be successful with the way I was before. He helped me prioritise what is actually important to me.

#387 pivoted Kageyama to no 1 for me. His motivations and trauma go hand in hand. Ofc Shoyo is an insanely good character too. Would personally tie them both

What perfect timing as someone who just finished reading the whole series recently, I’m so happy to see a brand new Haikyu video from you, someone who can put so much wordless ideas into awesome essays and well spoken thought. I watched a lot of your older ones for good reason, you always know how to put things I could never find the words for, into such amazing videos and expertly write them to connect to other main ideas seamlessly. You shine a light on things I adore but can’t find the words for at all except for “I love it!”, and that’s why I’m so glad this video exists. Everything is so well thought out always with you, and I love these and your more looser videos. Please keep it up, but stay healthy, as we’ve learned from Hinata.

Once again producing some of the best Haikyuu content out there ! Hinata IS Haikyuu and in a story full of extremely well written characters it says something that the protag never loses his spot as NUMERO UNO BESTIE BOIIIII !!! Also your video on Kita is still one of the greatest analysis you’ve ever put out only rivaled by prolly the one on Pouf for me at least 😁

Amazing video man! Hinata is my favorite character in fiction and his story means so much to me. its insane how this cast of characters all exist in one single series and furudate is forever amazing for creating it

I think the reason why everyone agree that Oikawa is one of the best haikyuu characters is because we can relate from him. After everything that we do, in our work or on our daily lives it is still not enough. We work hard or do all our best but their still people out there who are born special.

Thank you for the excellent Haikyuu content over the years! So many times you've articulated my own thoughts or introduced new perspectives for me, including in this video. As a teen, Oikawa was my favourite, firstly, for being a cocky but charming pretty boy. Later, he was my favourite for his hidden depth. Then, as I went from a relatively high-achieving student high-schooler, to an average student towards graduation, to a high-achieving university student, to a university dropout, then back to a high-achieving uni student, for a second time, I felt even more empathetic of his character and "bad attitude" towards geniuses. However, I don't know if he remained my favourite as other, more joyful, characters were introduced, and Hinata became more inspirational as he started to demonstrate the fruits of all his hard work, besides his natural abilities, without the intense self-hatred. But, anyway, I was still happy that Oikawa ended up on your top 20 list, and so high!

Kenma, Kuroo and Nishinoya are my top 3 and depending on the day and how I feel the top 1 will change but I think it will always be between them because of they mean to me Sure, Hoshiumi and Hinata are probably the ones I should really be focusing on being small but still hungering for volleyball But I just can't, Kenma's constant analysis of the court, Kuroo's understanding of teamwork and Nishinoya's dependability and all of their coolness is what I truly aspire to be, I'm not inspirational, I already have friends who are made for that, all I want to do is support them and see them go to the very place I rarely can (although I'm constantly working on my jumping and hitting power)

Great list and amazing video. I love the way you described the complex and endearing character arcs these characters go through and what it stands for thematically. My list would be - 10. Kei Tsukishima - That block against Shiritorizawa says it all 9. Sawamura Daichi - Irreplaceable to Karasuno and has an unbreakable will 8. Satori Tendo - Shows why some people love playing sports (friendships, acceptance, fun, etc.) 7. Koshi Sugawara - Displays the third year getting replaced by a genius first year, which is a troupe in sports animanga that is not often showed but is so realistic 6. Kotaro Bokuto - Wonderful character arc during the spring tournament and a joy to watch 5. Kozume Kenma - So relatable and exemplifies passion in the end 4. Ryunosuke Tanaka - Unshakable will and determination to try his best and never look back 3. Yu Nishinoya - Similar reasoning to Tendo but also plays as a guardian who supports his teammates to an extreme degree 2. Shoyo Hinata - The journey. 1. Tobio Kageyama - I loved him from the start for his character arc but after learning his trauma, everything he did and relationship with his teammates hit that much harder.

Fantastic video, embodies the heart of Haikyuu. Any list is valid for this series.

Of course I knew who'd be at the #1 spot the moment I saw the title, and yet, here I am - tearing up the moment you show Hinata's name on the screen. Loved the list and every explanation as of why the character is here. Haikyu!! truly is a piece of genuine art and finesse. Down-to-earth and humble, yet so emotional and exciting. Tragic and teaching in many ways but also so energetic and motivating. I'm glad we are all around to witness and appreciate this. Love you all guys! KARASUNOOO FIGHT!!

Love these character ranking lists! Always interesting to watch!

Great job on the transitions to manga panels. I loved the editing in this video.

This coming at a time after I’ve just finished the series and have been binging all your Haikyuu content. Thank you for this!!

Just re watched this for the 4th time, and now u drop this. man I fucking love this show

Love your haikyuu videos man! They're awesome!🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤

God I love this series. And perfect timing on this video with all the updates on the movies coming!

Love your Haikyuu videos!

The most wholesome videos I stumble in yt. Kudos to you sir😊

This video is utterly beautiful. Your character analyses are always so amazing. They're always well thought out, in-depth, and really open the mind to each individual character.

The cast really is so danm good. The story has so much to love

Love your content keep it up. Unfortunately haven't been able to watch your last two videos due to spoilers. I enjoy watching your One Piece videos as well after I watch each arc. Thanks for the great videos!

I already loved your HxH character ranking video so I was really excited to see this pop up! I'd love to see you make an AOT character ranking video after the final episode comes out.

nice video! I gotta say those character ranking vids you've been making have been a real treat, I watched the hxh one three times and I can't get enough of it, this one's sure to share the same fate, they're super enjoyable for me personally, wonder if you're up to doing those for more than the four fictional works you mentioned, particularly ones with large casts like ASOIAF would be super cool.

every time you upload i get so happy i love this show and just got back into it recently, you always put everything perfectly into words! cant wait to watch

have you considered doing these type of videos on blue lock characters? i’d love to see you analyzing the characters from there as well!

My favorite scenes in Haikyuu was when we see characters from various teams return home after training because it reminded me of the time I trained basketball and on the way home walked with my friends, discussed most random topics and always having a laugh... Good times😊

I really need to get back to watching Haikyuu and read the manga. This series is amazing. Let's hope we get a series instead of a movie ending the anime

Thank you for your haikyuu videos. It’s a beloved series but you put so much love and respect into every analysis. I teared up when you started talking about hinata because I remembered bawling for 2 weeks straight when the story was concluded. I’d be eating food and remember it was over and i’d get overwhelmed. I read watched the anime then read the manga weekly for 5 years. Haikyuu took me through middle and high school and I don’t know who i’d be without it

Okay okay, time to rewatch Haikyuu for the 10th time

You got me in my feels AJ!! I got teary several times throughout the video hearing you talk about each and every one of them. I'm not one to rank characters, but I know for sure hinata is my number 1 too. It really can't be anyone else. Though I will say I do share a lot of favourites with you so that was wonderful to see! I really loved seeing daichi, goshiki and ushijima here but I particularly appreciated you mentioning kindaichi. I love him so much and hardly anyone ever talks about him 🥲

Yayyy I love your haikyuu videos

My 2 favorite characters are Tsukishima and Kenma. They are the only characters who had a moment that genuinely made me cry.

I had the utmost pleasure of reading the manga this year and it took what was already a beloved anime series to me and completely transcended it into a sublime piece of art. The journey Hinata goes on; the way he embodies so many of the themes and life lessons of the series... actually life changing. I have a sticker of him meditating on the beach in my room as a reminder. Wonderful video. Btw, have you heard of Sarah Pavan? She's a pro player who does reactions and if you are looking for that vicarious love for the story kind of thing, I think your heart would probably melt lol. Cheers

Wow, this is new. Do more lists like this!

It truly hurts me that we'll be getting movies to finish off the story😢this show deserves better

Oikawa!! No questions ask.. Somehow his determination really lift me up.. Not gonna lie, the first time I watch haikyuu never thought of oikawa.. im not sure why when I rewatch it, it change my perspective…maybe because I can relate to him more now.. Honorable mention: akashi, tanaka, daichi,tendo and kuroo

Great way to capitalize on the new trailer that came out. Can’t wait.

Finally my ideal AJ video >:)

beautiful descriptions of each of the characters

My first college exams just finished today and you drop a 25 minute video about Haikyuu? Pure delight. Thanks as always, AJ!

WAHHHHH IM GETTING CHILLS i love haikyuu so much everything is so well PUT every character feels like a whole deep metaphor, or sometimes theyre just simple but the lessons are still hardhitting

Hinata is the only human case of a shonen character. He takes all the beauty in a shonen protagonist and make you believe in the impossibility that is that someone like this can exist IRL. I understand why Furudate said he's very proud with Hinata's growth, he's really special, only a handful of characters come close.

BrOH this was so fucking hard hitting list, great so great. Made my night

I didn't know. I needed this in my life, but I'm so glad I received it~ 🏐

Glad Haikyuu!! has such a passionate defender, it's so good and people always need to hear it

GOATed. Tsuki might be number one for me but anywhere in the top 10 is fair because of how amazing the cast it.

its been a while since i've read or watched haikyuu (im plannibg to re read soon) but im gonna have to say my absolute favourite character spot is a tie between Oikawa and Tsukishima. All the reasons given for both of them in the video of course and the common thread they have of not wanting to continue what they know in their hearts they love because of the envy and disappointment from watching these monsters play on the court always gets to me. Plus Tsukki's block in the Shiratorizawa match and Oikawa's final set to Iwaizumi from across the court make me tear up every single time no matter how much time passes since I first saw them. My ranking for the other characters would change once I re read the manga but these two I believe will still remain on top because of how prominent their characters have and probably always will remain in my mind compared to the others, no matter how amazing they may be

I'm so happy that kita was mentioned in this list. His character completely changed how I viewed the manga as a whole, and his philosophy of results is something I try to live by in my daily life.

i gotta reread Haikyuu bc everything you said was right. it changes lives for the better

One of my favorite Hinata moments was that Boom jump, the same way he had every blocker shocked was CRAZY

Chapter 387 shook the earth to its core

I wish this video was longer so u could spend more time on each character but nonetheless great vid as always

How good can you get? After reading the manga, I believed that Oikawa and Hinata have huge similarities when it comes to not being special. Hinata has great reflexes, stamina, and jumping, but when it comes to volleyball, he has nothing much to offer. He understands he can't go any further by just spiking the ball, understanding that he needs to learn everything to play more. And on the other hand, Oikawa is great at communication inside and outside the game. He is a great player but not special, accepting that he was not lucky enough to be born a monster or gifted, realizing that if he was not born as such, creating himself as one will be the only answer. I think Hinata and Oikawa meeting in Brazil gave us perspective. There are some people who are crazy enough to willingly risk anything to dominate the field of their craft, and just being good is not enough. Creating their own path being undoubtedly strong, forcing the coaches or association to pick them without a doubt.

I’ve always said that even if someone’s haikyuu top characters list looks vastly different to mine I still think “I respect that” 😄 that’s how strong this cast. And since you asked here’s my top 20. But just know that I feel REALLY bad for everyone else who isn’t on it! 1.Hinata 2.Tsukishima 3.Oikawa 4.Atsumu 5.Kageyama 6.Kenma 7.Kita 8.Bokuto 9.Akaashi 10.Kuroo 11.Hoshiumi 12.Sugawara 13.Takeda 14.Washijo 15.Tendo 16.Nishinoya 17.Osamu 18.Ushijima 19.Yamaguchi 20.Hirugami

i dont agree with the list entirely of course but let me tell you the way i teared up when you spoke about hinata. thanks to this im going to go and reread the manga now so thanks for this sdhbhufsdfbs

Haikyuu video lesssgooooo 😍

the further we got without Kageyama, the more excited I got to see how far he would go. TO THE TOP BABY!

holy shit I didn't know you read Umineko. Probably explains why you have such good taste.

I need the mentality of these characters enstilled in the Man Utd squad so bad lmao That thumbnail is also incredibly nice very very cool AJ

Oikawa is and will always be my #1 so I was really happy to see him that high on the list, great video!

Amazing. Umineko video when?

Washijo has such a huge role in Hinata's plays in the nationals and also in Hinatas entire journey. The frame of him saying 'No one has higher expectations for Hinata Shoyo than me' which showed that he really supported Hinata and wanted him to win inspite of his short stature

Even though he was only in the honorable mentions, I love that Kindaichi was brought up. He’s my favorite character, even if there are others with more depth- his own depth just hits home with me. I could spend hours talking about him, but I think the most important moment of his to me is in the manga when Hinata and Kageyama are finally facing each other again, and it emphasizes Kindaichi watching this monumental moment between our protagonists. He’s been there this entire time, going through all the ups and downs of going against them and, watching them grow. He has a lot of depth himself, but that moment has stuck with me the most.

Tetsuro Kuroo is one of my favorite captains. Daichi still holds my top spot, but Kuroo's analytical skills, sense of sportsmanship, and morale boosting abilities all impress me a lot. And the laugh, the laugh sold me on him

I'm really looking forward to the upcoming film "Haikyuu, the movie: Battle at the Garbage Dump" that just got a new trailer and release date, it's the 16th of February 2024.

God Hoshiumi being so high made me feel so seen for me he solidified why i came to love the Hinata’s final journey. He made me realize everything that Hinata dreamed, to be the ‘little giant’ wasnt what Hinata was SUPPOSED to be. It wasnt his thing, Hinata was a decoy through and through and he found his joy in that by the end. While Hoshiumi himself was the Little Giant, in his own way, he made it his own title with his hardwork skill and talent

what stood to me the entire haikyuu is bokuto, i know there's many of them who have contagious energy but his aura really captivates me. I'm so obsessed with him 🤩 *this is not related to the vid 😁but i was just wonderin why i dont see a bleach content on your channel?

Right in time for the movie hype

Great list but i would place Oikawa at #1, even higher than hinata because of how relatable he is

Gah, gotta wait til the anime finishes. To the watch later list you go

Bokuto, Atsumu and Nishinoya are my top 3, but Haikyuu is such an amazing story with many great characters!

You talk about Oikawa but the music makes my mind go to the Vice principal’s wig flying😭🤣

1- hinata 2-oikawa 3- nishinoya 4- tsuki

My favorite noya sann always

Calling it: best boy hinata is number 1! 🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤❤❤

For me Haikyuu is the only show where my brain doesn't register character rank lists. Its like whoever you choose is fine by me. The thing that personally I cant change are the most impactful characters on me and it was always Nishinoya, Kita & Kenma.

I'm literally tearing up at the washijou part

what is the OST at 18:30 please

This is a pretty separate thing from this, but if you like Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, I'd highly recommend checking out The Godfather trilogy (movies). They're 3 movies that pretty much inspired the existence of both shows. I'd be really interested in seeing a video on it from your perspective

Another one of my favorite characters is Ittetsu Takeda. He's persistent and easy to get along with, but isn't afraid to get stern and firm with his students or the team when the chips are down. Plus his more awkward moments are just funny

My Top 20 Honorable Mentions: 1. Koshi Sugawara 2. Tenma Udai 3. Ikkei Ukai 4. Kiyoomi Sakusa 5. Kiyoko Shimizu 6. Makoto Shimada 7. Chikara Ennoshita 8. Hisashi Kinnoshita 9. Keishin Ukai 10. Ittetsu Takeda 11. Saeko Tanaka 12. Akiteru Tsukishima 13. Hajime Iwaizumi 14. Tsutomu Goshiki 15. Taketora Yamamoto 16. Morisuke Yaku 17. Suguru Daisho 18. Sachiro Hirugami 19. Lev Haiba 20. Rintaro Suna

Yes ty.

I think it's time for me to rewatch this how again :) Tsukishima is my favourite

Kageyama and Hinata are my absolute fave duo forever. Hinata with his sunshine personality saves not only Kageyama but also myself as a fan. Very few fans of Haikyuu saying they felt related to Kageyama. I'm not genius but just like Kageyama, I'm also very bad at communication. Esp when I was younger many people said I'm intimidating, have a resting bitch face and not likable. There were many times my tones and my words hurt people and I'm very awkward. Unfortunately I didn't have a Hinata by my side 😢. No one told me "I'm here!!" I wish I have a friend like Hinata As a setter, I felt Kageyama is taken for granted by Haikyu fandom because he is portrayed as genius. I wish someday chapter 387 will be animated, more people need to know that Kageyama became that good because he has been working hard since he was little child, not only because of his genius. He truly dedicated his whole life to volleyball. Here is my top 20 list: 1.Hinata & Kageyama (they are a set 😁) 3. Suga & Daichi (best senpai& best captain ever!!) 5. Tanaka & Nishinoya (haikyuu won't be as entertaining without them) 7. Kuroo & Bokuto (best senpai from other school who became mentor for Tsukki and Hinata. I respect them so much for not being petty over new talents and not afraid to share their skill and knowledge without asking anything in return) 9. Ukai Jr & Takeda-sensei (the best combi of coach and advisor, Karasuno kids are really lucky to have such supportive adults. Ukai as a new coach with no experience can handle Kageyama unlike the coach at Kitagawadaiichi 11. Kita Shinsuke & Kenma (kita is one of the wisest character, his speech about "geniuses" was spot on. Kenma imo is the most terrifying setter. Can't wait to see the movie!!) 13. Tsukki & Yamaguchi (their chara developments are so satisfying) 15. Yachi & Shimizu (best girls!! Love they dynamic!) 17. Miya twins (hilarious and I love hearing their accents 😂) 19-20. Ukai Sr & Nekomata sensei (literally besties forever!! So inspiring to see friendship & rivalries survived such a long time )

GODDAMN I LOVE HAIKYUU