In football, it is popularly said and believed that the best defense is the best form of offense, and Blue Lock really does prove this. In the series, the project Blue Lock aims to create the world’s best striker.
However, the striker is only one player on the team, and ultimately, in a football match, the winner is usually the team that prevents the other from scoring the least. The series presents characters who are just as likely to score a goal as they are likely to prevent one from being scored on the other end. Strikers turned defenders, and here are some of Blue Lock’s best first lines of offense.
This article contains spoilers from the Blue Lock manga series.
7 Gin Gagamaru
Position: Goalkeeper, Forward
- Archetype: Goal Poacher
- Age: 17
- Anime Debut: Episode 01
Another character that experiences a drastic change in position, Gin Gagamaru, goes from one end of the pitch to the other end, from a striker to a goalkeeper. Noted to have the natural body and reflexes of a goalkeeper, Gagamaru effectively became the last line of the defense after the third selection.
While he is majorly nonchalant, Gagamaru is very much reliable and just wants playing time regardless of the position he is chosen to play. Gagamaru operates as his team’s last line of defense relatively due to his impressive reflexes and, like Aryu, an almost impossible reach.
6 Jyubei Aryu
Position: Centre Back, Forward
- Archetype: Goal Poacher
- Age: 18
- Anime Debut: Episode 01
Blue Lock’s most elegant and stylish player, Jyubei Aryu, is one of the players who get a change in position, as he started at center-back during the U-20 match even though he is like every other contender in Blue Lock, a striker. Jyubei possesses freakishly long limbs and is extremely, a trait which made his switch to defense rather seamless.
While somewhat of a narcissist, Jyubei’s skills as a defender make him quite distinguished. He is as effective a poacher on the attacking end of the pitch as he is a goal clearer on the other end, mainly because of his abnormal reach.
5 Jingo Raichi
Position: Forward, Defensive Midfielder
- Archetype: Box-To-Box
- Age: 17
- Anime Debut: Episode 01
Blue Lock’s version of Katsuki Bakugo, Jingo Raichi, currently plays as a defensive midfielder for Bastard Munchen in the Neo Egoist League. While he still harbors his dream of becoming the world’s best striker, Raichi is one of the characters who had to switch positions out of necessity, and even fewer have reveled in their new roles.
Other than being a hothead, in terms of ability, Raichi is no slouch, as his archetype is that of a box-to-box midfielder, which in tandem with his unmatchable stamina, makes him a workhorse right in front of his defense.
4 Kazuma Nio
Position: Center Back
- Archetype: Stopper
- Age: N/A
- Anime Debut: N/A
Kazuma Nio is the other center-back for the Japan U-20 team, alongside Oliver Aiku. He is a tall and rather confident player, but little is known about his past or personality. However, his skills and abilities are very much known, as his archetype is a stopper who relies on his brute strength and dominating physique to pressure his opponents, in addition to his persistent tackling and marking.
His most notable contribution in the series came during the U-20 match when he completely nullified Nagi, a player much like Rin who is almost impossible to defend against.
3 Ikki Niko
Position: Forward, Center Back
- Archetype:
- Age: 16
- Anime Debut: Episode 04
One of the talents recruited by the Blue Lock project, Ikki Niko, initially dreams of becoming the world’s best striker, like all other participants in Blue Lock. However, thanks to a complete loss to Isagi, Niko evolves into a defender while retaining his versatility across the pitch. Niko’s performance during the U-20 match more or less earns him his place.
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In addition to possessing meta-vision, just like Isagi, Niko possesses the spatial awareness to read the flow of the game as much as the flow of the players on the pitch, making him an incredible opponent. Archetype to be a ball-winning center-back, Niko uses his vision and intelligence to great effect and has honed his abilities even more in the Neo Egoist League.
2 Oliver Aiku
Position: Center-Back
- Archetype: Libero
- Age: 19
- Anime Debut: N/A
Former captain of the Japan U-20 team and currently a center-back for Italy’s Ubers in the Neo Egoist League, Oliver Aiku is arguably the series’ best defender, as he brilliantly showed during the U-20 football match against Blue Lock’s eleven. As a child, Oliver dreamed of becoming the world’s best striker. However, that dream soon became tainted with the philosophy of “play for others.”
Essentially beginning his journey as a defender. Archetyped as a libero, Oliver possesses a dominant physique alongside the reflexes and spatial awareness to operate as the central defender, effectively leading his team from behind, all while developing meta-vision. By combining all of his abilities, Olive can achieve a state of total defense.
1 Don Lorenzo
Position: Center Back, Center Midfielder
- Archetype: Libero
- Age: 19
- Anime Debut: N/A
Don Lorenzo, a prodigy of a defender known better as “The Ace Eater, ” is a center-back for the Italian Ubers and a New Generation World XI member. Another contender for the series’ best defender, Lorenzo, is a towering figure with messy hair and the ability to dribble as effectively as a forward or creative player.
While his personality off the pitch is not the best due to an unhealthy obsession with money, Lorenzo’s talent as a footballer shines the brightest as he is expressly stated to be the world’s best U-20 defender, and this, he proves beyond doubt during the U-20 match.
