defenders: 7 best Blue Lock defenders and their special skills, ranked

Project Blue Lock was created to uncover Japan's best striking talent, equipped with an indomitable ego, to lead the country to World Cup Glory. Ego's brainchild was born to test 100 of the country's top youngsters to ultimately change one of their lives.

During this transformative, many players learned they were better suited to positions other than striker. Be it in the midfield, defense, or between the posts, their talents shone brighter in different areas of the pitch.

As such, Blue Lock witnessed players become defenders with special skills that set them apart and attracted clubs from all over the world to engage in a bidding war for them. Here's a look at the best defenders and their weapons.

Disclaimer: This article contains the opinions of the author.

Ranking the best Blue Lock defenders and their special skills

7) Raichi Jingo

Kicking off this list is Blue Lock's own hot-head Raichi Jingo. He began as a member of Team Z and made it through to the Third Selection. Initially, he is overconfident in his skills but soon learns to control himself, adapting himself to survive and grow with the other players.

Currently playing for Bastard Munchen, he stands as the "heart" of the team in the center of the park. His Box-to-Box Archetype enables him to assist in nearly every aspect of the game, though majorly seen in the defense so far.

He can closely man-mark his targets, making him a nuisance for them and preventing them from being too much of a threat to his side.

6) Gin Gagamaru

While not exactly a defender per se, Gin Gagamaru acts as the last line of defense against his goal, hence occupying the goalkeeper position. Like the others present, he arrived at Blue Lock with an aspiration to become the best striker. However, after the Third Selection, he was noted to possess the body, natural reflexes, and skills for an ideal goalkeeper and has since played as one.

Gin is unique, possessing two Archetypes, depending on where he plays. As a striker, he is a Poacher, deadly in front of goal, needing only the slightest opening to score. Moreover, the Scorpion Kick is his specialty, thanks to his impressive flexibility.

His second Archetype is a goalkeeper, as mentioned due to his suitable physical attributes. With a spring-like body and explosive reactions, he can react to the ball quickly and efficiently with his naturally long limbs and body control, enabling him to adapt to any pass/shot.

5) Jyubei Aryu

Tall, stylish, and eccentric, Jyubei Aryu was ranked #2 in the Second Selection and starred for the Blue Lock XI as a center-back. His position change was likely a good choice, given his physical characteristics and qualities as a player.

As a striker, he possessed the Archetype of Poacher. Further, he is the tallest player at Blue Lock, which compliments his Jumping Power. This attribute allows him to trap the toughest balls mid-air via a header or chest trap.

Moreover, his long limbs and slender body type give him an advantage in reach. Aryu can reach the ball at a distance his opponent cannot. He uses this to receive passes ahead of his opponent, stretching his leg ahead of him. He also uses this ability to score unlikely goals.

4) Tokimitsu Aoshi

Ranked #3 in the Second Selection, Tokimitsu Aoshi was converted from a striker to a defender. Upon being introduced, he came off as nervous, introverted, and anxious. He is also known to be a "football facts nerd," equipped with facts and information about different footballers.

His Archetype, Target Man, is complemented by his muscular build. These players use physicality to make space, score goals, or hold up play with the ball, waiting for support, regardless of defensive pressure. The term "target" refers to them being the point of contact for their teammates to ping long balls into.

Tokimitsu's skills shone as a defender rather than as a striker. His solid physique, coupled with his pace and high stamina, made him an asset to the defense he was part of. These qualities allowed him to out-muscle his opponents or catch up to them through a wild, nervous charge.

3) Niko Ikki

Niko Ikki is one of Blue Lock's youngest and most intriguing players. A member of Team Y, he sought to survive on the skills he already possessed. However, losing to Isagi Yoichi forced him out of his comfort zone and thus began his impressive growth. He moved to player center-back for Blue Lock XI and then defensive midfielder for the Ubers.

Niko Ikki is a talent for the ages, showing that he can play nearly anywhere. As a defender, he functioned as a ball-winning center-back, relying more on his intellect than brawn to read the field, pick his moment, and foil the opponents' attack. His skill set includes Spatial Awareness, Watchtower Soccer, and Metavision.

These skills, individually and more so combined, allow him to quickly analyze the field, identify problem areas, and react quickly to predict opponents' moves. His footballing IQ was the driver behind Team Y's defense, and even for the Ubers, he played a crucial role, acting as the team anchor.

2) Don Lorenzo

Don Lorenzo (Image via Muneyuki Kaneshiro, Kodansha)

Labeled "Ace Eater," Don Lorenzo is a U-20 prodigy defender from Italy in Blue Lock. Following a deeply troubled childhood, he was ready to give up on life. But Marc Snuffy rescued him, offering him help in exchange for him playing for Snuffy. That is where he gained his signature golden teeth.

As a footballer, Lorenzo is the Archetype Libero, meaning sweeper. He is a versatile defender who sweeps up the ball if the opponent breaks past the defensive line. His position is quite fluid in comparison to other defenders. A sweeper's ability to read the game is of high importance.

Lorenzo is the heartbeat of Uber's defense and is believed to be the world's best U-20 center-back. His abilities spoke for themselves when he shut down Michael Kaiser for a major part of the Ubers vs Bastard Munchen match. Lorenzo's dribbling style, Zombie Dribbling, involves him moving his upper and lower halves uncoordinatedly, making him extremely difficult to read. This allows him to easily dribble past opponents by confusing them.

1) Oliver Aiku

Oliver Aiku (Image via Muneyuki Kaneshiro, Kodansha)

Oliver Aiku was the ex-captain of the Japan U-20 Team and currently plays for the Ubers. Although an exceptional center-back, he did not start that way. As a child, his dream of becoming the world's best striker was dampened by his coaches and other adults. He sought to become the best defender, vowing to help the one, no matter what it took, on the path to becoming the best striker.

Like Lorenzo, he is a Libero or sweeper, operating in a versatile role for the defense he plays in. Aiku is considered one of Japan's brightest talents, backed by him transitioning from respected center-forward to talented defender almost seamlessly.

His muscular physique makes him quite dominant, which boosts his reflexes. He possesses Spatial Awareness, being able to account for almost all the players around the field. Moreover, he possesses Meta-vision, enabling him to put a dead stop to his opponent's attack. Lastly, his Flow State further improves his one-on-one defending, allowing him to completely shut down a player's offense by reading their every possible move and intercepting all their options as he did to Rin Itoshi.

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Edited by Ivanna Lalsangzuali