Best Nekoma High characters

Tetsurou Kuroo wins 74% of his duels and tops the Haikyū!! Nekoma High ranking ahead of Kenma Kozume.

The podium tells a clear story: Kuroo and Kenma hold the top two spots with close ELO scores of 1407 and 1390, while Morisuke Yaku secures third place at 1361. But the sharpest divide appears just below: a 173 ELO point gap separates Yaku from fourth-ranked Lev Haiba, who sits at 1188. This gap marks a distinct tier break between the top three and the rest of the roster. Kuroo's commanding 74% win rate confirms his dominance, while Yaku's 65% win rate over 88 duels shows consistent strength despite fewer flashy moments. Kenma's 62% win rate across 65 duels places him firmly in the upper tier. At the bottom, Nobuyuki Kai lands at rank 9 with 993 ELO and a 30% win rate across 57 duels, suggesting the community reserves its affection for the more prominent players on the court. The gap between fan favorites and supporting characters remains wide.

This ranking draws from 7290 duels submitted by 413 players, comparing all 9 Nekoma High contenders as of 10 October 2026. The tight race at the top and the dramatic drop after the podium reflect how fan loyalty splits between the team's core personalities and its supporting cast. Whether you favor the captain's charisma or the setter's quiet brilliance, cast your vote to shape the next update.

Updated on October 10, 2026

How this ranking is computed

Every duel won lifts a contender and every loss drops them, by an amount that depends on the opponent's strength: beating the leader is worth more than beating the last. It is an ELO, the same principle as in chess. Duels are not drawn at random — an adaptive entropy sort puts the least predictable match-ups first, which settles the ranking far faster than a full round robin. A worldwide ranking is only published past 30 completed plays. Known limit: a contender who has faced few opponents keeps an approximate score, and the bottom of the table moves more than the podium.

How our rankings are made →