What’s the most crucial part of a volleyball team? The spikers? The setter? The middle blockers? Or the libero? If Karasuno’s revived side is anything to go by, it’s all of these players working in cohesion that’s vital to any team. And for that, you need trust and a little bit of hope.
Every team relies on the ace to get the ball across the net, while the ace relies on the rest to keep the ball moving. Like Bokuto’s favorite t-shirt says, ‘Firstly, the ace is one who inspires their allies; secondly, they should shatter any wall, and thirdly, they should hit any ball to their utmost ability!’
An ace is more than just their skills and physique. What matters just as much, if not more, is their game presence, the way they inspire their team, and how reliable they are as the team’s primary attacking force. Keeping this in mind, here are 10 of the best aces in Haikyuu:
(I’ve made this list considering only the aces we’ve come across till before the time skip that follows the Spring Finals. Their skill, however, is based on the level they’ve attained by the end of the manga)
10Kenji Futakuchi
Date Tech’s easy-going ace Futakuchi might be an average ace at best, but when push came to shove, he did fill the shoes of the third years, handling the juniors and keeping the team together.
Despite admitting he used to be quite the handful, Futakuchi still believes there is such a thing as ‘too serious.’ However, he still takes responsibility when guiding the newbie setter Koganegawa, which makes for some hilarious interactions between the two!
9Takeru Nakashima
Wakutani Minami High School’s volleyball team might not have stood out much during the series, but their fearless captain sure did! Nakashima is not only the team captain but also an excellent ace. Just like Hinata, Nakashima too was inspired by watching the Little Giant on television. He stood mainly due to his playstyle, which was reminiscent of the Little Giant.
Despite Karasuno’s reputation by the Spring High Preliminaries, Nakashima wasn’t intimidated in the slightest. On the contrary, he was excited to face a team as unpredictable as them and didn’t miss a beat assuring his team they would win.
8Hajime Iwaizumi
The vice-captain and ace of Aobajohsai’s volleyball team hasn’t had enough screen-time to leave an impression on viewers. Yet, considering Seijoh’s reputation as one of the top teams in the prefecture, Iwaizumi is nothing short of a reliable spiker. Iwaizumi’s confidence and resolve shone most when he scored the final point against Dateko– smashing through Koganegawa’s block and simultaneously winning the game for Seijoh.
Iwaizumi is the ever-focused, level-headed rock of the Seijoh team. During the match against Karasuno, he made sure Oikawa focused on the game at hand rather than worry about the possible upcoming one against Shiratorizawa. Iwa-chan often keeps Oikawa’s antics in check while also making sure the setter takes care of himself.
7Korai Hoshium
Hoshiumi is the spear of Kamomedai’s defense-focused team. Despite being an absolute scoring machine, Hoshiumi stayed under the radar for much of his high school years. Hoshiumi may lack power due to his small stature, but he more than makes up for it with his speed, instincts, technique, and most importantly, his versatility. His strongest suit is his ability as an all-rounder able to spike, serve, receive or set the ball when the time calls for it.
After joining the Jackals, Hoshiumi’s reputation and skill skyrocketed– He seemed to spike the ball through even the tiniest of seams against the Adlers with the same perfect form to fool blockers since high school. Hoshiumi may not overtly reassure his teammates but being the versatile player he is, his presence on the court is a reassuring one.
6Aran Ojiro
Aran Ojiro may not possess a quirky trait that sets him apart from the rest on this list, but the Inarizaki ace has all the essential qualities of an ace when it comes down to it. Reliability, consistency, and power– Aran has everything one could desire in a hitter, not to forget excellent floor defense skills. So it isn’t hard to see why he posed such a significant threat in the match against Karasuno.
Aran also gives off a sense of excellent stability as a spiker. He’s shown the ability to stay focused on what he needs to do and make sure he’s able to spike the ball if it comes his way. He spends much of his time close to the net instead of scrambling around trying to do everything, making him very reliable. As the Nationals match went on, Aran was sadly overshadowed by the Miya Twins, which is a shame since he’s definitely among the top spikers of the series.
5Asahi Azumane
In a team as offensive as Karasuno, their primary ace, Asahi, tends not to get the spotlight very often. Despite having power that outclasses all the spikers on this list so far, and an intimidating jump serve to go with it, Asahi’s been held back by himself for most of the series. His performance fluctuated earlier in the series as he struggled with anxiety and self-esteem issues. Still, by the time Nationals came around, Asahi finally proved his worth as an ace of high caliber.
Despite getting stuffed repeatedly, Asahi, after finally developing mental strength, smashed through even three-man blocks through sheer brute force or even feints if the situation called for it. Together with Daichi, Asahi always plays the entire game and is usually the first to benefit from Hinata acting as a decoy.
4Wakatsu Kiryu
As with much of Mujinazaka’s players, Kiryu stands out due to his athleticism and has earned himself the reputation as one of the top aces in the country. Together with being freakishly strong and having a powerful spike, Kiryu is also talented in defense.
But, much like Asahi, Kiryu too tends to crumble under the pressure of being the ace very often, which might leak into his image of being unreliable. Yet, Kiryu shouldered the offensive burden of Mujinazaka, getting points from even sub-par sets. Unlike the other aces, Kiryu didn’t have the best team surrounding him but still managed to stand out as one of the best aces and carry his team to the Nationals.
3Kiyoomi Sakusa
Sakusa is, without a doubt, one of the best all-rounder players of the series. Although his power isn’t on par with that of Ushijima, Kiryu, or Asahi’s, Sakusa more than makes up for it by putting a nasty spin on both his spikes and serves. Besides spiking and serving, Sakusa excels at receiving– particularly bumping serves, which makes him reliable both at the front and back of the court.
While Sakusa’s abnormally flexible wrists give him an edge while spiking and serving, hypermobility can also be a considerable liability in sports. It makes him more prone to injury, which is possibly why Sakusa is the careful germaphobe we all know him as. It would have taken a large amount of discipline, patience, and practice to get to where he is.
2Kotaro Bokuto
Bokuto is the embodiment of an ace purely because of how he inspires his team and others like Hinata. Moreover, he has the skills to back it up. Although his spikes might not be as powerful as Ushijima, they still pack quite a punch. Yet, Bokuto’s strongest suit is definitely his ability to manipulate angles and spike balls through even small seams and gaps. All things considered, it’s not hard to see why the Fukurodani ace is unstoppable when he’s on top of his game.
(Speaking of angles, check out this cool Reddit post of what Bokuto’s cut shot looks like in real life!)
Although he struggled with consistency in high school, Bokuto’s demeanor improved significantly to a more permanently optimistic one following the Spring Nationals. Yet, unreliable as he was, Bokuto’s antics often forced the rest of the Fukurodani team to stay focused and keep it together.
1Wakatoshi Ushijima
Ushijima’s athleticism, power, and consistency easily set him apart as the best ace in Haikyuu. In addition, Ushijima’s left-handedness further gives him an edge over opponents by making his serves and spikes insanely challenging to receive.
It’s a no-brainer that Ushijima was among the top three aces in the country in high school– the man is literally unstoppable as a teen and only gets better after the time skip. Not only does he score nearly half his team’s points, but he’s also mentally tough and collected. Ushijima is easily the most reliable ace in the entire series and can always be counted on to hit the ball with all he’s got.
About Haikyuu!!
Haikyu!! is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Haruichi Furudate. Its publication in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump began in February 2012 with 42 collected tankōbon volumes released.
Hinata Shoyo is a highly passionate boy who wishes to follow the steps of his idol, ‘The Little Giant’ in the field of volleyball. Hinata’s resolve is unbreakable as he faces gruesome defeat at the hands of the ‘King of the Court,’ a genius prodigy setter Kageyama Tobio in middle school. Hinata’s dreams take fruit as he enters high school.
He joins the declining volleyball team of Karasuno High and is appalled to find the very same Kageyama as his teammate. The story follows the revival of Karasuno High and the unity they maintain to pave their way for nationals.
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