The new standard in volleyball manga: memorable quotes from Haikyu!!
Haikyuu!! is a manga series that became hugely popular with high school volleyball as its theme.
Not only the members of Karasuno High School, who are the protagonist’s teammates, but also the rival high school players and coaches are full of charm, and their memorable quotes—each reflecting their unique personalities—are sure to stir your heart.
So this time, we’re introducing a selection of quotes that add depth to Haikyuu!!’s story!
From lines that capture the very essence of youth to words spoken from the perspective of the adults watching over them, you’re sure to feel the full appeal of Haikyuu!!.
New standard for volleyball manga: Memorable quotes from Haikyu!! (1–10)
Don’t you dare look down!!! Volleyball is a sport where you always look up!Ukai Keishin
This is a quote from Keishin Ukai, a Karasuno High School alumnus and coach.
In the match against Shiratorizawa, with the team on the brink of defeat—one point away from losing—he shouted this to the players who had begun to hang their heads.
His words helped them regain their resolve and turn the game around.
No matter how difficult the situation, you can’t win unless you face it head-on.
Isn’t it a quote that conveys that powerful conviction? It’s precisely when you’re about to lose that you should look forward and steel your heart.
I think it’s a saying that can support you in tough times, even beyond volleyball.
Do you need a reason for not wanting to lose?Shoyo Hinata
This quote is from the protagonist, Shoyo Hinata.
It comes up during a conversation with his fellow first-year and team manager, Hitoka Yachi, who asks him how he can try so hard.
It’s a very Hinata-like line—hungry to win and driven to improve.
He doesn’t want to lose, so he wants to win.
Then why doesn’t he want to lose…? How would you answer that? By the way, Hinata later asks his partner Kageyama the same question, but for Kageyama, it’s as natural as eating when you’re hungry—just like Hinata, he’s never even thought about the reason.
Talent is something you let bloom; sense is something you polish!!!Toru Oikawa
We tend to think that talent and sense are things you’re born with, don’t we? But these words say that you can acquire both through effort.
They’re from Tooru Oikawa, the captain of Aoba Johsai High.
It’s your own effort that makes the flower of the talent sleeping inside you bloom.
And your innate sense comes to life when you work hard to polish it.
These words make you feel that way, don’t they? Instead of worrying that you lack talent or sense, face yourself, build up small efforts, and let both of them blossom!
Even if your opponent is an overwhelmingly strong foe you could never beat, you won’t win unless you try to win.Daichi Sawamura
When you’re facing a strong opponent, do you ever feel like you’ve already lost before the match even begins? That won’t do! No matter how strong your opponent is, you have to make the effort to win.
These words, filled with that determination, were spoken by Daichi Sawamura, the captain of Karasuno High School.
Karasuno had long been called a fallen powerhouse, a flightless crow, but it was precisely because the captain held onto this mindset that they were able to stand up to formidable opponents.
Don’t let your spirit lose, no matter who you’re up against.
Keep putting in steady, unwavering effort!
By the way, ordinary me—do I really have time to be looking down?Ryunosuke Tanaka
Being ordinary is never a bad thing.
But if you do nothing, you’ll remain merely ordinary.
Precisely because we’re ordinary, these words urge us to face forward, fight, and never spare our effort.
They’re the words of Ryunosuke Tanaka, the wing spiker of Karasuno High.
If you keep losing heart, thinking that because you’re ordinary you can’t beat so-called geniuses, then you truly will never win.
If you think you’re ordinary, then work harder than any genius and overtake them!
Being small may be a disadvantage in volleyball, but it’s not a reason you can’t do it!Kira Hoshiumi
In sports—not just volleyball—being short can sometimes be a disadvantage.
But that doesn’t automatically mean you “can’t” or it’s “impossible”! Those are the words embodied by Kōrai Hoshiumi, the wing spiker from Kamomedai High School.
He himself once felt insecure about his height, but he has an ability that makes you forget it entirely.
That’s likely because he never gave up by saying he couldn’t do something due to his height; instead, he kept working hard so he wouldn’t lose to taller players.
Whether in sports or anything else, even if you’re at a disadvantage, don’t give up by saying “I can’t”—give it a try!
Just one thing is fine—take on a challenge today.Hoso Kuroso
Even just one challenge a day is enough.
These words tell us that doing so leads to tomorrow—and to the future.
They come from Norimune Kurosu, coach of Inarizaki High School’s volleyball team.
Before this, he said, “If you cling to yesterday, what will you become tomorrow?” The message is that even if playing it safe doesn’t put you in the red, it won’t create any positives either.
That’s why you should take on a challenge—any single thing is fine—to change tomorrow and the future.
If you find yourself simply repeating the same things every day, try doing even one thing that adds a positive step forward.
There are flowers that only bloom along detours, you know.Saeko Tanaka
When everyone around you seems to be walking straight down the road while you feel like you’re taking a detour, do you ever feel ashamed or get discouraged? These words remind us that detours have their own merits.
They’re from Saeko Tanaka, the older sister of Ryunosuke Tanaka from Karasuno High School’s volleyball team.
Taking a detour can make you late to the goal, and it can cause anxiety or confusion.
But there are also upsides: there are things you can only gain by taking the long way, and you can take more time to build things up carefully.
So don’t agonize over detours—let’s keep moving forward and enjoy the journey!
What else do you need besides pride?!Tadashi Yamaguchi
These words convey that having “pride” as the driving force that moves you is the most important thing.
They’re the words that Tadashi Yamaguchi, Karasuno High’s middle blocker, said to his friend and fellow volleyball club member, Kei Tsukishima.
No matter how much you win and climb higher, you’ll keep encountering stronger opponents, and eventually you’ll lose somewhere along the way.
Knowing that, how can you keep fighting? These words confronted Tsukishima’s inner struggle.
By holding on to your own pride, the feeling of “I’m going to do this” arises even when you can see how tough the road ahead will be.
When you face a challenge, turn the effort you’ve put in so far into the power of pride and fight with it!
Is “defeat” proof of weakness? For you, isn’t “defeat” a trial to overcome?Ittetsu Takeda
These words teach us not to treat defeat as merely a loss, but as a new battle toward what comes next.
They’re what Ittetsu Takeda, advisor to Karasuno High School’s volleyball team, said to Hinata and Kageyama when they were overwhelmed by frustration after a match.
It may be true, as a matter of fact, that they lost because they were weaker.
But if it ends there, they become nothing more than weaklings.
He’s telling them that what matters most is to see the loss as a trial, keep taking on the next challenge, and keep putting in the effort.
Let’s be careful not to be swallowed by “defeat.”