Blue Lock has hit screens and immediately shot up in popularity, partly because of its unique cast of characters who continue to develop throughout even after their initial defeat, and the fact that each character feels like the protagonist in his own right.
However, keen-eyed viewers can spot similarities between these characters and other well-known faces across anime. Having similar characters across the shonen series is not a rarity, considering how many tropes and character motifs several series share, and Blue Lock is no different.
The characteristics of Yoichi and his comrades have drawn comparisons to those of other anime characters from many fans. Others can be difficult to distinguish from characters from different series, while some are nearly identical. Some of these parallels extend to major characters, while others are more minor.
Bachira and 9 Blue Lock characters who resemble other anime personas
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Gurimu Igarashi and Usopp from One Piece
Both are laughing stocks, the memes of their respective universes. The weakest among their peers, Usopp is one of the cowardliest of One Piece characters and is basically a walking, talking Pinocchio with his penchant for lying and long nose. Similarly, Igarashi is ranked the lowest among Blue Lock and is known to consistently use fouls and underhanded tactics to proceed.
It is no wonder that these two characters are similar, but to borrow Zoro’s words, the fact that they have come so far means they have some substance. This is especially true in Usopp’s case where he has actually shown his superior strategizing ability and desire to truly become a valuable member of the crew who manages to use his own unique methods to take down far stronger enemies. The same cannot be said of Igarashi who has not yet shown to possess any power, although the same might change soon after in Blue Lock.
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Ikki Niko and Aoi Ashito from Ao Ashi
Starting off as strikers before moving on to play defensive roles. Aoi Ashito and Ikki Niko had different backstories. However, the latter was almost forced to give up his desire to score because of his coach’s recognition of his soccer prowess whereas Niko realized his own ego would be fully satiated in the defensive role, fighting to stop players from advancing to score goals.
The thing that best unites them is their outstanding spatial awareness. Ashito was scouted because of his playmaking abilities and capability to unite his team while keeping an eye out for the ball. Similarly, Niko’s formidable ability to read was, in Ego’s own voice, the marker for his unique talent to be used as Blue Lock’s watch-tower, which he fully utilized later to manifest meta-vision.
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Barou Shoei and Ushijima from Haikyuu!
Possibly the two finest pure scorers in their respective series are King Barou and Ushijima. Both play significant roles in their respective offences and rank among the stolid characters in their respective series. Moreover, they only display emotion when provoked by rivals.
Barou is more self-centered than Ushijima, but neither one hesitates to accept the responsibility of leading his team in scoring. They both devote a lot of time and energy to maintaining their bodies, and no one in either series can equal Barou or Ushijima’s level of pure athleticism.
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Chigiri Hyoma and Tsukishima from Haikyuu!
The desire to win and the ability to do so can cause players to achieve great things, but what happens when there is a psychological setback? Tsukishima from Haikyuu! Was not intent on trying hard enough till he was motivated to do so by Hinata because he felt that trying and failing would break him emotionally.
Similarly, Chigiri’s ACL tear and leg injury had left a greater psychological scar on the “princess” rather than a physical. Knowing that his soccer career was probably at an end, and he was robbed of fully utilizing his speed, he had for long attempted to curb the inner voice that was driving him to strive towards the top. However, both Tsukishima and Chigiri stepped up when it was their turn and scored for their respective teams.
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Seishiro Nagi and Kenma from Haikyuu!
Both Nagi and Kenma are effortless masters at their sports. As lazy lovers of video gamers, they were only pushed into participating in their respective sports by their friends, but their true desire to put heart into the same arrived when they met the protagonists of their respective series. Nagi got interested in Isagi after being beaten in their first match, while Kenma was piqued by Hinata’s bubbly personality.
As such, their growth since then had been really something to admire, and Nagi and Kenma quickly evolved to become two of the most fan-favourite characters.
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Bachira Meguru and Kazutora from Tokyo Revengers
Bachira and Kazutora from Tokyo Revengers share much more characteristics than only their golden eyes and blonde-on-black hairstyle. In particular, his exaggerated, borderline manic attitude enables him to exceed his bounds in even the most absurd situations. Although Bachira’s acceptance of his own ego feels like the final piece lacking from this monstrous egoist’s journey, this just highlights how similar their experiences are.
Despite the fact that they both have frightening appearances and come across as sinister, Bachira and Kazutora wind up being admirable characters. Kazutora was once shattered but changed after serving time in prison, whereas Bachira is a team player who sees his comrades’ hidden talents and encourages them to develop them.
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Rin Itoshi and Sasuke Uchiha from Naruto
If Sae is Itachi, Rin is undoubtedly Sasuke. Both were at the top of their class (or in Rin’s case, the Blue Lock program) when introduced and both had an arrogant attitude that characterized their superiority over the rest of their peers. Only upon being motivated by the protagonists of their respective series, both characters learnt to evolve and gain a different dimension to them.
Furthermore, their desire to get better is born of a raging hatred of their brothers, in the form of a once-long-lost love gone bad. Feeling betrayed by their brothers’ actions and feeling let down by the family member who had protected them and caused them to grow, both Rin and Sasuke went on to defeat their brothers as the primary motivation to become the best.
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Sae Itoshi and Itachi Uchiha from Naruto
Sae Itoshi is a genius and prodigy who has been shown to far exceed his peers in terms of his playing ability. While way different in terms of his backstory, motivations and land than Itachi, the latter shares the former’s prowess in terms on his particular power system. Consequently, Itachi’s adoption of an aloof and mysterious persona is also similar to Sae’s demeanour, with both characters’ motivations finally unravelling in their rivalries with their respective younger brothers and aloof nature.
As such, both older brothers love their younger sibling although they are misunderstood due to their intentional desire to showcase a colder attitude to them. This causes both their brothers, Rin Itoshi and Sasuke Uchiha to get stronger and go to a point where they can face off and perhaps even defeat their brothers, even if the same was born of their brothers’ own plans in some way.
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Jingo Raichi and Bakugo from My Hero Academia
In My Hero Academia, Bakugo, better known as Dynamight, is great friends with Deku and a fantastic hero in his own right. Only one Blue Lock character who may be compared to him due to his spiky blonde hair, sharp teeth when enraged, and perpetually annoyed expression is Raichi Jingo.
Raichi, like Bakugo, has a fiery demeanour and explosive wrath that he exploits to his advantage to crush opponents. Raichi is as explosive as his counterpart from My Hero Academia and faces off against his comrades just as soon as Bakugo would if something doesn’t go his way; however, he is shown be more than just a big mouth as shown by his intense stamina, will and play during the match against Team V.
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Isagi Yoichi and Izuku Midoriya from My Hero Academia
The lead character in the anime adaption of Blue Lock is Isagi. He is a good-natured and courteous young man who has always aspired to be the greatest. Isagi was about to give up on his aspirations when we first met him because of a horrible incident.
However, whereas Isagi was able to come up with his own intelligent ways of battling on-screen, Midoriya was given a cheat. That is not to negate Midoriya’s development or prowess as a hero but Isagi’s progress, after making use of his ego, meta-vision and will power enables him to go forward and defeat adversaries in a way that feels more fulfilling as an underdog.
