Blue Lock has become a great sports manga that can attract readers who might not be actively interested in sports. Its fast pace, exciting setup, and complex characters with multi-layered personalities make it an entertaining series that is loved by all.
But what to do after you complete Blue Lock’s latest chapter? Waiting for the next chapter to be released can be an excruciatingly boring task for anyone. Hence, here are the top 5 manga similar to Blue Lock that you can check out while looking forward to its next update.
1) Ao Ashi
Though there are many works out there covering football, Ao Ashi is the most similar to Blue Lock because of the qualities their protagonists share. Aoi, from Ao Ashi, also starts as a striker who undergoes tremendous growth to develop as one of the best strikers, just like Isagi.
Ao Ashi is also far more realistic in its approach to football than Blue Lock, where we find superhuman abilities as metaphors for skills. But the most striking similarity is that both Isagi and Aoi have great foresight and vision that elevate their playmaking on the field.
2) Kuroko’s Basketball
Even though Kuroko’s Basketball talks about basketball, the exaggerated moves and exciting powers that the players develop are very similar to Blue Lock. Here, you witness the sport as a spectacle rather than just as a match, making this perfect for casual sports manga readers. Just like in Blue Lock, where we get the ‘flow’ state, here players also enter the ‘zone.’
However, there is one stark difference between these two. While on one hand, Blue Lock focuses on the role of a single player, here, the importance of team play is highlighted.
3) Haikyuu!!
Haikyuu!! is perhaps the most famous sports manga of all time for a very good reason. Just as Blue Lock positively promotes football, this manga can successfully turn skeptics into volleyball fans.
But rather than having one protagonist, here we follow two players, Hinata and Kageyama, who become unlikely partners on the court. The matches are also very easy to understand, and you get a set of likable characters whose journey as players keeps you hooked till the end.
4) One Outs
On the surface, One Outs is about a baseball player helping one of the weakest teams in the league reach the top. However, it is way more psychologically thrilling than just that, as we also deal with a protagonist selling his plays for money.
Both of these manga also focus more on the players and their self-centered nature rather than the game itself. However, one cannot deny that Isagi from Blue Lock and Tokuchi from One Outs have the skills to back their big egos.
5) Captain Tsubasa
Despite Captain Tsubasa being a manga from the 80s, it is still one of the most iconic sports series ever, let alone football. Here, we look at the journey of the young Tsubasa on a mission to play at the World Cup.
The art might not be as impressive as Blue Lock, but an engaging storyline and the character developments make up for it. In Captain Tsubasa, we also get to see players with auras that definitely remind us of Blue Lock.
With the level of hype the recent chapter of Blue Lock manga is getting, the demand for sports manga has also increased. These manga are in no way inferior to Blue Lock, making them a perfect read if you want something similar.
You can watch Blue Lock on Crunchyroll.
Frequently asked questions
Which five manga does the article recommend for Blue Lock fans?
It lists Ao Ashi, Kuroko’s Basketball, Haikyuu!!, One Outs, and Captain Tsubasa. The picks span football, basketball, volleyball, and baseball, chosen for sharing Blue Lock’s intense pace, strong character focus, and crossover appeal that hooks even non-sports fans, rather than for all being football titles.
Why does the article rate Ao Ashi the closest match to Blue Lock?
Both follow a young player with exceptional pitch vision and foresight that elevate his playmaking, much like Isagi in Blue Lock. The article notes the key difference is tone: Ao Ashi takes a far more grounded, realistic approach to football than Blue Lock’s high-concept, survival-style premise.
Are these all football manga like Blue Lock?
No. Only Ao Ashi and Captain Tsubasa center on football. Kuroko’s Basketball is basketball, Haikyuu!! is volleyball, and One Outs is baseball. The article includes them for echoing Blue Lock’s energy and psychological edge, even though some, like Kuroko’s and Haikyuu!!, lean more on teamwork than Blue Lock’s ego-driven individualism.
