Haikyuu!!: Hinata's true foil was never Kageyama, but another teammate

Haikyuu!! Movie: Battle of the Garbage Dump is going to be released soon in Japan. The film is set to focus on the Karasuno's match against its rivals Nekoma. Given their contrast as attack-oriented and defense-oriented teams, one can even call them each other's true foils. While Karasuno's foil might be Nekoma, the protagonist Hinata's foil isn't who everyone thinks it is.

Given the contrast between Hinata Shouyo and Kageyama Tobio, Haikyuu!! fans might have been led to believe that the protagonist's foil is Kageyama Tobio. However, that's far from the truth, as the anime established Hinata's true foil through several hints and suggestions, but fans may have missed out on the hints.

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Haikyuu!!: Hinata's true foil is Tsukishima

Haikyuu!! anime, on numerous occasions, has hinted that the protagonist Hinata Shouyo's true foil is Tsukishima Kei.

Firstly, the surnames of the two high school volleyball players contrast with one another. This is because "tsuki" in "Tsukishima" means "moon" while, Hinata in kanji means "sun."

The names are purposely assigned to contrast with each other so that the manga could refer to their rivalry despite being on the same team. Additionally, the names also signify their personalities. While Hinata is bright like the sun, Tsukishima is aloof and low-profile.

Tsukishima and Hinata as seen in Haikyuu!! (Image via Production I.G)

Fans may have also noticed that both players, despite their huge height difference, are middle-blockers. Height is a huge defining factor when it comes to volleyball.

However, in a twist of fate, Hinata, who loved volleyball, had a small stature. Hence, he had to overcome a huge obstacle while playing the game. Meanwhile, Tsukishima who initially viewed volleyball as just a club activity, ended up being the tallest member of the Karasuno High School Volleyball team.

Nevertheless, despite their height difference, both players were equally very effective for the team.

Hinata and Tsukishima as seen in Haikyuu!! (Image via Production I.G)

Both Hinata and Tsukishima have contrasting mentors with different playstyles. Hinata's mentor was Kotaro Bokuto, while Tsukishima's was Kuroo Tetsurou.

As fans will know, Kotaro Bokuta was the fourth-best ace in Japanese high school volleyball, while Kuroo Tetsurou was regarded as one of the best middle blockers.

Hence, both Hinata and Tsukishima ended up looking up to some of the best players who matched their respective playstyles. To top it off, both Bokuto and Kuroo were rivals.

Bokuto and Kuroo as seen in Haikyuu!! (Image via Production I.G)

Even their playstyles drastically differ. Kageyama Tobio is an amazing setter who can toss the ball in the best way possible to his teammates.

That's why he was able to incorporate his tosses into Hinata's jumps in the best way possible. It meant that Kageyama tossed the ball to Hinata in such a way that he could only hit it in a certain way.

However, Tsukishima did not prefer that. He did not want someone else to set the pace of his attacks. Instead, he asked Kageyama to set the tosses to him in such a way that allowed him to make his own decisions during aerial duels.

Kageyama and Hinata as seen in Haikyuu!! (Image via Production I.G)

Lastly, Hinata functions with Kageyama as a unit. Meanwhile, Tsukishima, in most cases, works alone.

The only exceptional moments are against strong aces and hitters who are capable of beating Tsukishima. In such cases, Tsukishima incorporates total defense with adjacent players and the team's libero Nishinoya.

Tshukishima has a partner in Tadashi Yamaguchi, but their team-ups are quite rare, depending on Yamaguchi's pinch serve opportunities.

The first years as seen in Haikyuu!! (Image via Production I.G)

Lastly, both Hinata and Tsukishima compare themselves with the other. Hinata feels envious of Tsukishima's height and skill as a middle blocker while Tsukishima feels envious of Hinata's stamina and desire to score points.

Therefore, it's very evident that Hinata Shouyo's true foil isn't Kageyama Tobio but Tsukishima Kei.