Best Slam Dunk characters

876 duels later, Kaede Rukawa is still #1 in the Slam Dunk ranking, with Akira Sendoh close behind.

Rukawa dominates with 1157 ELO points and a 64% win rate over 50 duels, while Sendoh trails at 1123 points after 58 duels. The 34-point gap between them marks the sharpest divide in the ranking. Hisashi Mitsui holds third with 1104 points, just ahead of coach Mitsuyoshi Anzai at 1102. The top reflects a preference for offensive firepower and calculated leadership over raw presence. At the bottom, Takenori Akagi sits at rank 10 with 899 ELO despite winning 68% of his 56 duels, a puzzling position for Shohoku's captain. Ryota Miyagi lands at rank 11 with 811 points, though his 64% win rate across 42 duels suggests he remains competitive when matched directly.

The ranking draws from 876 duels contributed by 31 players across 11 contenders, updated on 12 October 2026. The results capture how different character archetypes resonate with fans: the stoic ace, the rival genius, the redemption story. Head to VAINKEURZ to cast your own votes and shift the standings, or explore how your preferences compare to the broader Slam Dunk community.

Updated on October 12, 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 →