Karasuno High is the main school featured in the Haikyuu!! anime. The series revolves around the boys' volleyball club in the school, so it's worth looking at who carries the team.
Generally speaking, every single teammate contributes something to the team; there aren't any dead weights. However, some characters are unquestionably more important to the team's success than others.
Based on what fans have seen so far in the series, it's pretty apparent who the better players are and why they are crucial to Karasuno High's recent relevance.
There are 12 players on the 2012-2013 team, but this list only focuses on the eight best ones.
Note: This list is subjective and reflects the opinions of the writer
Kei Tsukishima, Shōyō Hinata and 6 other Karasuno High volleyball players who contribute the most to the team in Haikyuu!!
8) Kōshi Sugawara
Tobio Kageyama outclasses Kōshi Sugawara as far as general setters in Haikyuu!! go. However, Sugawara's contributions to the team can't be overlooked, even if they're primarily off the court.
Sugawara is the vice-captain of the Karasuno High boys' volleyball team in Haikyuu!!. Essentially, he acts like a good parent to the rest of the team, often supporting their growth as players.
At the beginning of Haikyuu!!, Sugawara helped motivate Shōyō Hinata and practiced with him when Kageyama didn't.
7) Ryūnosuke Tanaka
Ryūnosuke Tanaka is a solid player in a Karasuno High team with noticeably better players. He's not as powerful as Asahi Azumane or as fast as Shōyō Hinata, but he still spikes well enough in various games throughout Haikyuu!!.
Tanaka is a regular on the team and does whatever is required of him. He's also much better than the more minor characters who barely get any screentime (i.e., Kinoshita, Ennoshita and Narita).
6) Kei Tsukishima
Love him or hate him, Kei Tsukishima's analytical mind and amazing blocking prowess is a huge boon for his team in Haikyuu!!. He is the tallest member of the Karasuno High team, which is extremely important in a sport like volleyball.
Whenever Karasuno is up against a powerhouse team, Haikyuu!! fans can count on seeing at least one instance of Tsukishima blocking a few spikes.
Offensively, Tsukishima is also capable of using feints, which is something he's done several times in the series to give Karasuno some much-needed points.
The rest of his game skills are somewhat lacking compared to his teammates, which is why they're ranked higher than him here.
5) Yū Nishinoya
Karasuno High's defensive capabilities can be a bit lacking at times. Ergo, having somebody like Yū Nishinoya as a libero is incredibly important.
His impressive speed and reflexes have saved the team numerous times in Haikyuu!! (like against Date Tech). Without somebody as good as him on the team, there is no question that Karasuno would have lost several crucial games.
Aside from his crucial libero role, Nishinoya is also capable of doing a libero toss when the team attempts a synchronized attack.
4) Daichi Sawamura
Although Daichi Sawamura isn't the flashiest character on Karasuno High's male volleyball team, he's certainly one of their best players. He is the glue that holds the team together (especially defensively), and his role as the captain obviously makes him important to the team's success.
Daichi is a terrific supporting player who allows characters like Shōyō Hinata and Asahi Azumane to go on the offensive, particularly due to his excellent receives.
3) Shōyō Hinata
A short volleyball player with rather lackluster stats (18/30) is surprisingly one of Karasuno High's best players in Haikyuu!!.
Shōyō Hinata's swift speed and impressive jumping capabilities make him a deceptively great player, especially when he plays with Tobio Kageyama on the same team.
However, it is worth noting that his downsides are often significant. His contributions to crucial games can't be overlooked, but one must also consider that many points have also been scored against him because of his flaws.
The team wouldn't be anywhere as good as they are without him, but there are a few players who contribute more toward the team's overall success.
2) Asahi Azumane
A team's ace is often their best player. Asahi Azumane has the most power out of anybody on Karasuno High's volleyball team. This often helps him score against the best defensive teams in Haikyuu!!.
Aces are responsible for scoring the most points on the team. It's quite clear that Asahi offers a lot to the team, even if he isn't the main character that gets the most screentime.
Asahi isn't as fast as Hinata, but his overall power and more well-rounded stats make him a better all-around player for this team.
Asahi isn't as good of an ace compared to other aces in Japan, but the next character is definitely among the best in his role in the nation.
1) Tobio Kageyama
There is no question that Tobio Kageyama is the overall best player on Karasuno High's boy volleyball team in Haikyuu!!. He is the team's setter, but his overall stats are astonishingly high (the official statistics have his total as 27/30).
The series also makes it abundantly clear that he's an excellent player who could be playing for a better team than Karasuno High.
Nonetheless, his terrific setting combos work phenomenally well with Shōyō Hinata. Their partnership created the famous quick attack that has given the team many crucial points. In fact, he's the main reason Hinata is as good as he is.
Karasuno High would likely struggle without a player as competent as Kageyama.
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