In Haikyuu!! (IMDb rating as of August 19, 2026: 8.7/10), no one touches the ball more than the setter. They’re the second hit on almost every play, which means they basically decide who scores, when, and how. A great setter reads the blockers, hides what they’re about to do, and pulls the best possible spike out of every hitter on the team, even the ones having an off day.
One toss can flip a whole rally, and one setter’s growth can change a team’s entire identity. These seven setters go way beyond simply being good. They’re the reason their team made it as far as they did, carrying their teams through the toughest matches with pure skill, strategy, and grit. Let’s take a look.
1. Kageyama Tobio – Haikyuu’s King of the Court
In middle school, Kageyama ended up getting the title/nickname of King of the Court because he bossed everyone around and blamed them for his own mistakes too. It got so bad that his own team refused his tosses, and he got benched.
At Karasuno, however, he has to relearn the position from scratch, slowly shifting his tosses around what his spikers actually need instead of demanding they meet his standard. That shift is what turns him and Hinata into an unstoppable freak duo, especially when considering Hinata was the first spiker who kept up with him. He eventually ended up being selected for the All-Japan Youth Training Camp during his very first year of high school, which is a huge deal.
2. Miya Atsumu Is Impossible to Predict
Miya Atsumu from Haikyuu!! | Credit: Production I.G.
Atsumu is known as one of the best high school setters in Japan for a reason, and that is because he can serve with either a brutal jump serve or a sneaky jump floater, and later mixes both into one hybrid serve nobody can read.
His teamplay with twin brother Osamu lets his team pull off amazing plays like a reverse minus-tempo quick attack mid-match, something that leaves even Kageyama stunned for a second. He’s also shown adapting his sets on the fly from almost any position, which is a quality of an exceptional setter.
3. Oikawa Tooru Brings Out the Best of His Team
Oikawa Tooru from Haikyuu!! | Credit: Production I.G.
Oikawa’s name rarely needs any introduction. He isn’t a genius like Kageyama, but is somehow still feared on the court. Everything he has, he built through relentless extra practice, which is why he doesn’t like Kageyama either (with him being a natural genius).
Ushijima once called him the setter who gets 100% out of his team, as he is the best at reading everyone and makes plays according to that. As a captain, he also reads the opposing team well enough to predict plays before they happen.
4. Kenma Kozume Controls More Than the Ball
Kenma Kozume from Haikyuu!! | Credit: Production I.G.
Kenma isn’t the most athletic guy on the court. In fact, he might be weaker than an average person. However, he is extremely smart when it comes to game logic. He treats every match like a puzzle, studying his opponents’ habits until he finds a weak point to exploit. For example, when he realized that Hinata is the core of the team, he made sure Hinata just doesn’t get a chance to score.
His sets look effortless because his form barely changes no matter where he’s sending the ball, making him almost impossible to read. Nekoma’s whole defense-first identity is built around protecting Kenma so he can run the offense his way.
5. Keiji Akaashi – The Only One Who Fooled Kageyama
Keiji Akaashi from Haikyuu!! | Credit: Production I.G.
Akaashi is Fukurodani’s setter, and he’s the only setter in the anime shown pulling a reverse dump on Kageyama, catching the genius completely off guard. His biggest job, however, is managing ace Bokuto’s mood swings.
Akaashi is the one person who can read Bokuto’s emo mode and snap him back into form mid-match. He’s also inventive enough to teach teammates new moves, like the rebound technique and a one-man time-lag attack. We will probably get to see more of his amazing playing in the upcoming special anime that is releasing in 2027, as it is going to be centered around Fukurodani’s team.
6. Eita Semi – The Pinch Server of Shiratorizawa
Eita Semi from Haikyuu!! | Credit: Production I.G.
Semi actually used to be Shiratorizawa’s starting setter before losing the job to underclassman Shirabu, since Semi’s desire to show off didn’t fit the standard coach’s system. However, he becomes the team’s pinch server, coming off the bench to fire off serves considered second in power only to Ushijima’s.
Technically speaking, he is a reserve for when Shiratorizawa wants to turn the tide.
7. Itaru Shiramine – The Captain From Sarukawa Tech
Itaru Shiramine from Haikyuu!! | Credit: Production I.G.
Shiramine doesn’t get much screen time. However, during his match against Nekoma, he led the team built entirely around a gutsy game plan: wear Kenma down with relentless attacks. He was sharp enough to notice Nekoma was receiving badly on purpose, letting Kenma lure blockers out of position before setting.
Even after figuring out the trap, Sarukawa loses. However, Shiramine keeps his team fighting until the very end instead of falling apart. So in a ranking, Kenma would rank higher, but as a setter, Itaru is no less amazing.
Which setter would you want to set the ball for you in a real game? Let us know in the comments.
Haikyuu!! is streaming on Crunchyroll
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
