10 anime characters like Haikyu!!'s Oikawa Toru

Haikyu!!'s Oikawa Toru has established himself as quite a controversial character. While he is confident in his skill as a setter, and rightly so given his hard work, there are moments where he comes off as arrogant, flippant, and smug. However, his behavior towards Tobio Kageyama is also what put off many fans.

That being said, Oikawa isn't all unpleasant as a character. There may be those who dislike him, but there are certainly those who love him dearly. If looked at objectively, he is like any other high school athlete, giving it his all to succeed in his favored sport.

Whatever the case may be, it is undeniable that like all other Haikyu!! characters, he too is loved and has a place in the fandom. Similarly, this list will take a look at characters that align with Haikyu!!'s Oikawa Toru.

Anime characters similar to Haikyu!!'s Oikawa Toru

1) Katsuki Bakugo (My Hero Academia)

Katsuki Bakugo in My Hero Academia (Image via BONES)

While they may seem completely different, My Hero Academia's Katsuki Bakugo is not all that different from Haikyu!!'s Oikawa Toru. Both characters smile in the face of adversity and hide their weakness/fear. Bakugo and Toru are not shy to push themselves physically to become better at what they do.

It might stretch to the point that they exhaust themselves, but that is potentially because being the best at what they do means a lot to them. Coupled with being workhorses, the two also have great goals that they strive towards.

Bakugo aims to better All Might and become the Number 1 Hero. Meanwhile, Toru is heavily focused on overtaking Kageyama in skill. Both characters pursue their goals relentlessly and with a burning passion.

2) Ryota Kise (Kuroko's Basketball)

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A face that comes to mind when comparing anime characters similar to Haikyu!!'s Oikawa Toru is Ryota Kise from the popular series Kuroko's Basketball. Like Oikawa, he too is quite arrogant and does not acknowledge those below his skill level. He even ignores his "rival" Kagami till he gets beaten by him and Kuroko.

After suffering the loss, he begins to train exceedingly hard with the sole aim of never facing the same situation again. Either character might be cheerful off the field, but during games, they become quite determined and focused.

3) Vegeta (Dragon Ball series)

Vegeta as seen in the Dragon Ball series (image via Toei Animation)

Few can match up to the personality and attitude of the Prince of Saiyans. Despite numerous hurdles, he has always come out on top and even stronger than before. Thus, it wouldn't be far-fetched to liken Vegeta to Haikyu!!'s Oikawa Toru. Less in skill, but more so in attitude and competitiveness, the two are quite similar.

Vegeta hates being in Goku's shadow and does more than enough to stand on his own, displaying the kind of power he is capable of. When it comes to rivaling Goku, very few can be as competitive as him. Oikawa Toru is quite like Vegeta in that aspect.

Upon realizing that Kageyama was more talented and a natural at the game, he did whatever it took to stay ahead of him. In other words, he formed a rivalry with him and continued to sweat it out to disallow his rival from getting the better of him.

4) Maki Zenin (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Maki Zenin in Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (Image via MAPPA)

May be surprising at first, but Maki Zenin from Jujutsu Kaisen is quite close to Haikyu!!'s Oikawa Toru. Both characters, although talented in a certain regard, have worked extremely hard to reach where they presently are.

Born without Cursed Energy made Maki an outcast in her own clan and resulted in her being treated harshly. Despite the challenges, she chose to turn a blind eye to them and work on her skills with Cursed Tools. The result - post-awakening and fully realizing her Heavenly Restriction's potential, is believed to be on par with Toji Fushiguro.

Similarly, Haikyu!!'s Oikawa Toru was inspired to become a setter from a young age after witnessing Argentina's Jose Blanco in action against Japan. Thus began his journey of relentless volleyball training. His efforts bore fruit when he was awarded Best Setter and became a highly-rated player.

5) Langris Vaude (Black Clover)

Langris Vaude as seen in Black Clover (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Langris Vaude from Black Clover stands close to Haikyu!!'s Oikawa Toru in terms of personality. They each are quite confident in their abilities and not afraid to show it. Both characters have an air of arrogance about them backed by a certain degree of vanity and self-importance.

They both start as jealous of somebody else - Langris of his half-brother, Finral, and Oikawa of Kageyama. In both characters' cases, this feeling likely stems from insecurity that their "competition" can overtake them at any point.

But it is undeniable that Langris and Haikyu!!'s Oikawa Toru were born with quite a level of talent and honed their respective crafts to reach their positions.

6) Sasuke Uchiha (Naruto)

Sasuke Uchiha in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Another character who can be placed alongside Haikyu!!'s Oikawa Toru is Sasuke Uchiha from the Naruto series. Both started out as regular characters with goals of their own. However, the introduction of a certain other person in their lives altered circumstances.

Sasuke viewed Naruto as someone weak and was taken aback when he witnessed the blonde begin to get stronger. That jealousy turned into hate and Sasuke became power-hungry, behaving terribly towards Naruto and going to extreme lengths for power. In the end, following an intense face-off, he became Naruto's closest friend and the Leaf's silent protector.

In a similar manner, Haikyu!!'s Oikawa Toru felt threatened by the surfacing and talent of Kageyama. That led to him behaving coldly and outright rude towards the boy. There was even a moment when he nearly struck Kageyama in a fit of rage.

However, things turned out better for him and he improved as a person, eventually playing to bring out the best in his teammates. He also helped Kitagawa Daiichi place second in the middle school tournament after Shiratorizawa.

7) Sae Itoshi (Blue Lock)

Sae Itoshi as seen in Blue Lock (Image via Muneyuki Kaneshiro, Kodansha)

With Haikyu!! having its moment in the spotlight, another sports anime burst onto the scene and quickly rose to fame. Blue Lock prided itself in being different from anime in the same genre as well as in the same sport. Muneyuki Kaneshiro's series had everything an anime in this genre would need - drama, relatable characters, and exhilarating moments, to name a few.

On a similar note, when looking at its characters, a certain Sae Itoshi can be compared to Haikyu!!'s Oikawa Toru. Both characters focus on nothing but the sport and doing what's necessary to improve. Their attitudes are on a similar plane as well - Arrogant and flippant towards those of a lower skill level.

While they both can be difficult to work with, it doesn't mean they are total monsters. Both Oikawa and Sae can be pleasant towards their team when need be - Oikawa doing his best as Setter for the team to aid in progression in their tournament, and Sae provides the Japan U-20 forwards every opportunity to score during their Japan National Representative match.

8) Akira Sendoh (Slam Dunk)

Akira Sendoh as seen in Slam Dunk (Image via Toei Animation)

Akira Sendoh from Slam Dunk and Haikyu!!'s Oikawa Toru are similar when it comes to their respective sport. The former is Ryonan High's ace and one of the five best players in Kanagawa. Oikawa Toru was the captain and setter for the Aoba Johsai High Boys' Volleyball Team.

Although they have a preferred position, both characters are multi-talented and can perform in other positions as well. When it comes to games, Akira and Haikyu!!'s Oikawa Toru are as calm as ever and assess each situation on their feet. Not to mention, they are one of the few characters in their series to be able to compete on equal footing with the protagonist.

9) Rin Matsuoka (Free!)

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When listing characters who are similar to Haikyu!!'s Oikawa Toru, a certain Rin Matsuoka from Free! comes to mind. The two are quite alike, in themselves and situation-wise when compared. Both characters' interests in their respective sports were sparked at a young age and developed into more as they matured.

They reached a point where competing for titles mattered lesser than competing against a rival - Kageyama for Oikawa and Nanase for Rin. Nothing meant more to them than putting in the work that could potentially push them ahead of when they viewed as rivals.

Off the field, they do have a softer side that tends to show itself when situations concern the ones they deeply care for.

10) Aoyama-kun (Clean Freak!)

Skills - this is a major point of similarity between Haikyu!!'s Oikawa Toru and Aoyama from Clean Freak!. Apart from a select few people, the latter might seem cold and distant. But as the series progresses, he shows a softer side to his personality.

When compared to Oikawa Toru, both characters have displayed incredible skill and prowess at their respective sports. They are quite popular as well among classmates/teammates and have the ability to significantly a game's outcome.