Volleyball anime is basically one franchise and a handful of brave outliers. Haikyu!! is so dominant that the real question isn't which show is best, it's which Haikyu!! season is. After splitting out basketball, soccer and baseball, here's the volleyball board, ordered by SenpaiRanks consensus score.
Quick answer
According to SenpaiRanks, the best volleyball anime is Haikyu!! Karasuno High vs. Shiratorizawa Academy (8.73), the 10-episode third season that's basically one match. Haikyu!! Second Season (8.35) and the original Haikyu!! (8.21) follow, with To the Top Part 2 (8.19) and To the Top (8.06) completing a Production I.G sweep of the top five. Every TV season streams on Crunchyroll. Outside the franchise, the best picks are Harukana Receive (beach volleyball, 6.82) and the shōjo-sports pioneers Attack No.1 and Attacker You!.
The ranked list
1. Haikyu!! Karasuno High vs. Shiratorizawa Academy — 8.73
Production I.G · 2016 · 10 episodes. Ten episodes, one prefectural final, zero filler. It's the best-paced sports arc in anime and the reason the franchise sits this high. Crunchyroll.
2. Haikyu!! Second Season — 8.35
Production I.G · 2015 · 25 episodes. Training camps, the Nekoma rivalry and the Aoba Johsai rematch. This is where the supporting cast becomes the show. Crunchyroll.
3. Haikyu!! — 8.21
Production I.G · 2014 · 25 episodes. Short middle blocker Shoyo Hinata teams up with the genius setter he swore to beat. Start here. Crunchyroll.
4. Haikyu!! To the Top Part 2 — 8.19
Production I.G · 2020 · 12 episodes. The nationals arc, including the Inarizaki match that a lot of fans rate as the series' best animation. Crunchyroll.
5. Haikyu!! To the Top — 8.06
Production I.G · 2020 · 13 episodes. Hinata gets benched from a youth camp and crashes it anyway. It's slower, but it sets up everything in Part 2. Crunchyroll.
6. Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle — 7.49
Production I.G · 2024 · film. Karasuno vs. Nekoma at last, adapted as the first of a two-part finale. It was a major box-office hit and streams on Crunchyroll. For more films, see our best anime movies board.
7. Harukana Receive — 6.82
C2C · 2018 · 12 episodes. Two-on-two beach volleyball in Okinawa. It's lighter than Haikyu!!, but the match tactics are surprisingly well explained. See the show page for current streaming.
8. Attack No.1 — 6.51
TMS Entertainment · 1969 · 104 episodes. The first shōjo sports anime, made during Japan's post-1964 Olympics volleyball boom. It's dated but historically essential, and our best '80s and '90s anime crowd will recognize the DNA. Availability is limited; check the show page.
9. Attacker You! — 6.48
Knack · 1984 · 58 episodes. A huge hit in Europe (it's Jeanne et Serge in France and Juana y Sergio in Spain and Latin America), and many viewers' first anime. Check the show page.
10. 2.43: Seiin High School Boys Volleyball Team — 6.17
David Production · 2021 · 12 episodes. More relationship drama than match drama. Worth it only after you've finished Haikyu!!. Crunchyroll.
How to watch Haikyu!! in order
Season 1 → Season 2 → Karasuno vs. Shiratorizawa → To the Top → To the Top Part 2 → The Dumpster Battle. The four 2015–2017 compilation films recap the TV seasons and are skippable. For the wider genre, our sports anime ranking puts volleyball next to everything else, and the best shonen anime board covers the rest of the genre.
Think To the Top Part 2 deserves to beat Season 2? Rate both on their show pages and the board moves.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is the best volleyball anime?
A: Haikyu!! Karasuno High vs. Shiratorizawa Academy ranks first on SenpaiRanks at 8.73, and the top five spots are all Haikyu!! seasons.
Q: Where can I watch Haikyu!!?
A: All TV seasons and The Dumpster Battle film stream on Crunchyroll.
Q: What order should I watch Haikyu!! in?
A: Season 1, Season 2, Karasuno vs. Shiratorizawa, To the Top, To the Top Part 2, then The Dumpster Battle film.
Q: Are there volleyball anime besides Haikyu!!?
A: Yes. Harukana Receive (beach volleyball), 2.43: Seiin High School Boys Volleyball Team, and the classics Attack No.1 and Attacker You!.
Q: Is Haikyu!! finished?
A: The TV seasons are complete. The finale is being told as two films, and The Dumpster Battle (2024) is the first.