The 20 Greatest ‘Haikyuu!!’ Ships, Ranked

Can love bloom between two people who are constantly calling each other nasty names? Of course it can. Iwaizumi and Oikawa might bicker a lot, but they've been close friends since they were kids. They're consistent sources of support for each other. When Oikawa needs to rely on his team more, it's Iwaizumi who pushes him to do it.

The two have great respect for one another as teammates, even when they pretend to hate each other. It's not hard to imagine those deep feelings evolving into love. 

Whether you ship them or not, it's hard to deny that Kageyama and Hinata's relationship is at the core of Haikyuu!!. The two of them began their relationship as rivals. Once they got onto the same team, they constantly strove to surpass each other. Sometimes, this got in the way of working together - they were prone to shouting matches and even physical fights. But ultimately, the combinations they came up with together proved integral to their team's strategy, and to their individual growth. 

They saw each other as both friends and indispensable partners - with a lot of ups and downs in the process. The development of their relationship over time is part of what makes it so great.

If you love the childhood friends-to-lovers trope, you might like Kuroo x Kenma. While these two were growing up together, Kuroo taught Kenma how to play volleyball. At first, this was kind of a drag for Kenma, since he disliked having to work so hard for something he was only half-heartedly interested in. But as he began to experience the joys volleyball had to offer, he was genuinely grateful to Kuroo.

Another important element of their relationship is Kuroo's protectiveness - he knows Kenma has issues with both anxiety and stamina, so he's always looking out to make sure that he's doing okay.

Regarded as the "parents" of Karasuno, Daichi and Sugawara are shipped by a large portion of the fandom. Both of them are third years who have been through a lot of ups and downs with their team. Despite that, they've been able to stay relaxed and cheerful, and be supportive to their teammates.

The two haven't had any dramatic or life-changing moments together, but it's their stability and reliability that makes them stand out.

While the fandom does ship Tsukishima and Yamaguchi with other people, their relationship is the most popular one for either character by far. They first meet as children, when Tsukishima stands up for Yamaguchi when he's being bullied.

When they meet again in high school, Yamaguchi follows Tsukishima around like a puppy and defers to him constantly - but as their relationship evolves, that changes. When Tsukishima gets so pessimistic that he refuses to try hard at volleyball, Yamaguchi is the one who persuades him to put in effort. Yamaguchi might love Tsukki to the point of practically worshipping him, but he also holds him to high standards. Meanwhile, Tsukishima makes it clear that Yamaguchi is much more talented than he thinks he is, and should be proud of himself. 

That's why it's a healthy relationship - it's not one where one person dominates another, it's one where they both help each other be better. 

Akaashi and Bokuto's relationship is one of the most popular ships in the fandom, and for good reason. Akaashi understands Bokuto better than anyone else does. Bokuto is easily dejected when things don't go as he expects them to. The rest of his team tends to ignore him or get irritated when Bokuto gets moody. Akaashi actually tries to figure out what might lift his spirits. Not only does he care, he's also incredibly perceptive and is often able to figure it out. 

But the relationship isn't one-sided. While Bokuto might not be as intuitive about Akaashi, his genuine enthusiasm and excitement for volleyball and other aspects of life is something that Akaashi finds truly valuable.