Blue Lock is all about teaching its players how to grow stronger, whether by learning from the despair that comes with losing, or getting addicted to the rush that comes with crushing their enemies. Through a series of strict challenges and competitions, players are expected to push themselves to the absolute limit to come out on top. If they don’t, they will lose out on their dream to become the best striker in the world.
The Blue Lock program’s best victories are a product of the players’ hard work and strategizing, but there is something to be said about their egos as well. After seeing so many great characters try their hardest to win, fans can’t help but cheer for them when they secure their hard-earned victory.
Updated on May 11th, 2023 by Ajay Aravind: Blue Lock is quickly becoming one of the most popular sports anime out there, although it’s going to take a lot more before it can be compared with iconic shows like Haikyuu!! and Hajime no Ippo. That said, winning is everything to the characters in Blue Lock, because losing means the end of their soccer career. As such, we’ve updated this list of the most exciting wins in the animanga series.
10 The Game Of Tag
Chapter 2: “Moving In” and Episode 1: “Dream”
The first game of tag immediately established what happened to those who didn’t meet Ego’s expectations. Despite being one of the best players in the room, Ryosuke Kira was eliminated at the very last second. This unexpected outcome was thanks to Yoichi Isagi and Meguru Bachira, who wanted to go after the strongest opponent.
Although Gurimu Igarashi was injured and Rensuke Kunigami was held down, it would have been too easy for them to be tagged. If they were, the survival of most of the group wouldn’t have been as satisfying. It also helped that Kira was revealed to be arrogant, as he believed he was above everyone else.
9 Team Z Defeats Team Y
Chapter13: “The One to be Reborn” and Episode 5: “To Be Reborn “
Team Z’s battle against Team Y was a much-needed victory after their loss against Team X. They used a strategy to give each player the opportunity to play as a striker, finally prioritizing teamwork over their individual ambitions. Many of Team Z’s players were able to show off their unique skills, allowing audiences to get to know them better.
While Team Y could strategize efficiently on the field, Isagi quickly noticed that Ikki Niko was the heart of the team. Isagi stole the ball after observing that Niko was constantly passing the ball to Okawa. Isagi managed to exploit his discovery, making a goal that won the match for his team.
8 Team Z Draws With Team W
Chapter 21: “Break Through!” and Episode 7: “Rush”
This draw was a small victory that prevented Team Z from getting eliminated from Blue Lock. They struggled during this match because Wataru Kuon sold them out, agreeing to tell Team W everything about Team Z in exchange for a few personal goals. In other words, Team W was willing to stoop to these methods in order to win.
What makes this battle so satisfying was the return of Hyoma Chigiri’s motivation, as he finally shook off his fear of hurting himself and got back to running. Chigiri established himself as a powerhouse player, and when the game ended in a draw, Kuon received a dose of well-deserved karma.
7 Team Z Beat Team V’s Prodigy
Chapter 37: “The Last Piece” and Episode 11: “The Final Piece”
Team Z eventually faced Team V’s Seishiro Nagi, a prodigy who had only been playing soccer for a short while. Nagi’s team supported him in order to help him make the best plays possible. Nagi and Reo Mikage could replicate Team Z’s moves, with Nagi showing impressive ball control. That said, Nagi seemed completely disinterested until the latter half of the game.
Team Z was thrilled to have a difficult opponent, getting more motivated after seeing what Team V could do. Kuon turned the game around, earning himself a red card by tackling Nagi and giving his team a chance to win. While he didn’t completely earn back his team’s trust after his betrayal, he was able to redeem himself by risking his own security in Blue Lock.
6 Isagi’s Team Vs. Chigiri’s Team
Chapter 67: “Power of Despair” and Episode 18: “The Stage For The Lead”
Chigiri, Kunigami, and Mikage had great synergy from the start, explaining why Isagi had such a hard time finding room to score. On top of that, Barou wasn’t listening to a word that Isagi and Nagi were saying. Realizing that he wouldn’t be able to make Barou embrace the concept of teamwork, Isagi turned to outplaying Barou and using him as bait.
Barou was so swept up in Isagi’s aggressive plays that he even passed the ball to him for the first time. Rather than giving into despair and letting himself be outdone, Barou ultimately pushed back and scored a goal that won the game.
5 Team A Vs Team B
Chapter 103: “Total Sensory Experience”
Many of the people on Blue Lock‘s Team A felt like they couldn’t keep up with the high-level and egotistical play styles of Rin Itoshi and Ryusei Shido. Most of the players on their team chose to align themselves with Isagi because he’s always thinking about how the entire team can be utilized.
It was impossible to do much for a while, with the third-best player Tabito Karasu tailing Isagi to keep him from making any plays. Against all odds, Isagi managed to shake him off, getting between the top two players who were fighting over the ball and scoring the goal himself.
4 The Blue Lock Eleven Defeats Japan’s U-20 Team
Chapter 147: “Last Attack”
The members of Blue Lock had to play a match against U-20 in order to keep the program going. The U-20 team contained numerous highly-skilled soccer players, as well as the recent additions of Sae Itoshi and Ryusei Shido. While their presence presented a threat, they also gave Blue Lock more motivation to defeat them.
Sae Itoshi was the best player in Japan, and defeating him would give any player extra credibility. Shido was an arrogant and violent player who butted heads with other strikers and even hit his own teammates if they did something that he didn’t like. Although neither Sae nor Shido was torn up by the loss, Blue Lock‘s victory stunned every spectator, including Jinpachi Ego.
3 Blue Lock Also Out-Bowled The U-20
Chapter 151: “Changing World”
After running into the U-20 members against all odds, the members of Blue Lock challenged them to a bowling match with dinner on the line. The stakes weren’t that high, but the match was just as close as their soccer match. Miroku Darai scored a strike, and Nagi, being the prodigy that he is, somehow managed to score a strike after he fell over.
Both teams were just as pumped up about this challenge as they were about soccer, and every player retained their naturally competitive spirits. In the end, Barou ended up winning the match for them, as the bowling alley was his personal sanctuary and he was extremely skilled at the game.
2 Bastard München Vs. FC Barcha
Chapter 167: “Cross Flow“
In Bastard München’s game versus FC Barcha, both teams picked the players that the captains considered to be the most worthy of being on the field. FC Barcha had a versatile style of play that made it difficult to follow their movements, which could be compared to a complex dance that Lavinho had indirectly taught them.
Thanks to his popularity in the public eye, Isagi had a chance to play. Kaiser assumed Isagi would pass to him, but Isagi scoffed and, in a power move, passed it to the player he was more familiar with. He utilized his previous knowledge of Kunigami’s strengths to help him score the final goal.
1 Bastard München Prevailed Against Manshine City
Chapter 203: “Overheat”
Chris Power was a great coach for Manshine City. After examining each player’s body type and physical goals, he understood their play styles and taught them how to train themselves to maintain their skills. Chris helped them enhance and nurture their talents so much that they seemed like completely different players after training.
Chigiri was fast enough to steal a ball from Kaiser, and Mikage was even better at mimicking what other players did. Even Nagi was dribbling the ball on his own, which took Isagi by surprise. After Nero joined the game, Isagi actually used him and Kenyu Yukimura to his advantage, thereby winning the game.