Blue Lock

Prefectural Final for the National High School Soccer Tournament. Isagi Yoichi, a first-year forward, loses his chance for the Nationals because he has passed the ball to his fellow player in front of the goal. That's when he receives an invitation for Blue Lock. It's a facility to train one world's greatest striker out of 300 high-school-aged forwards so that Japan can win the World Cup.

Blue Lock project is led by a mysterious Ego Jinpachi to produce the world's greatest striker. The top five players will be registered to play as forwards in the U-20 Cup that takes place in six months, but if you drop out, they forever lose the chance to play for the Japanese team. What is the egoism Ego is looking for in a striker? Isagi and others make up their minds to survive in Blue Lock.

The first selection is the round-robin tournament of five teams of V, W, X, Y and Z in Building Five, with only top two teams being eligible to move forward. Isagi's Team Z, the lowest ranking team, plays against Team X. But because of the special rule that allows the top scorer of the team to proceed to the next section, the match turns into chaotic scrambling for the ball.

Team Z was crushed by Team X, who centered the offensive play around egoistical yet skilled Barou. Responding to Ego's urge to "take up a weapon," the players discuss what their weapons are in preparation for the next match. However, Isagi struggles to identify what it is. Using "the smell of the goal" he felt in the game against Team X as a hint.

Isagi relies on "the smell of the goal," his raw instincts, to make a move, and it leads to the fierce battle of "reading" each other's hand with Team Y's playmaker, Niko Ikki. Isagi and Niko's battle as they both watch over the whole field and throw their ego at each other, brings them to the last one minute of the match. Can Isagi and Team Z beat Niko's final strategy, "One Time Kill Counter"?

After the match with Team Y, Isagi's rank moved up, and he became the center of the team. The next match is against Team W, led by the Wanima twins. Their eye contact and impeccable combinations are hard to beat. They used to play in the same team as Chigiri Hyoma, and they use his past trauma to egg him on. Chigiri says that he joined Blue Lock to find a reason to quit soccer.

Because of Kuon's betrayal, Team Z is faced with a desperate situation of playing 12-on-10, with the opponent knowing everything about their weapons and strategies. Even under such a circumstance, Team Z never gives up on the fight, and Isagi continues to believe in himself. Inspired by their passion, Chigiri runs through the field at an incredible speed, his weapon he has sealed away.

Team Z managed to hold onto a sliver of hope for surviving the first selection. But the sticky situation never ends, with them forced to play 10-on-11 against the strongest team in the group due to Kuon's betrayal. Even a draw would make them disqualified, so winning is the only option for them.

The stakes are high with the match against Team V. In the first half, Team Z is overwhelmed by Team V's super trio, Nagi Seishiro, Mikage Reo, and Tsurugi Zantetsu. Especially the formidable attack of Nagi and Reo pair, who have only started playing soccer six months ago with no record of losing, is enough to break their spirits.

Each player unleashed their weapon and ego, and Team Z has caught up to a draw. They totally have the momentum of the game, but that has "awakened" Team V's monster, Nagi. In the chain reaction to awakening, Isagi also learns to use his weapon and keeps fighting. The "heat" generated by the clashing of ego from both teams starts to affect Kuon as well.

By Kuon's self-sacrificing foul, Team Z has a little bit of hope. During the last play that determines their fate, Isagi finds the final piece of the puzzle that's necessary for his evolution. With the players' "awakening" and "evolution," the first selection of Blue Lock where ego comes head to head, finally comes to an end.

With many candidates dropping out, Blue Lock project moves on to the second selection. It's where a teammate becomes a foe, and a foe becomes a teammate. And here, Isagi meets Itoshi Rin, the strongest egoist he's ever met, the top player of the new Blue Lock ranking and the little brother of the genius Itoshi Sae. To evolve even further, Isagi's battle proceeds to a new stage.

Second selection, third stage is the Rivalry Battle, where you battle as a team of three, and a winner take a player from the losing team. Isagi has moved on to this new stage and teamed up with Bachira and Nagi, and they face against the team of top three players in the New Blue Lock ranking. Isagi feels his progress as his team takes the lead.

Isagi's team has lost to Rin's team, who has incredible skills and an overwhelming ego. Isagi and Nagi lose to Bachira, and they are sent back to the second stage of two-on-two games. Showing up before them is the team of Baro and Naruhaya. Losing means disqualification. With that pressure, Isagi and Nagi think hard on their individual strengths to win a one-on-one situation.

Right after the game starts, Baro steals a goal with his overwhelming individual skills. Improved Naruhaya leads Isagi and Nagi by the nose, forcing them a tough time. Naruhaya is desperate to catch up to geniuses like Baro and Nagi to survive in Blue Lock. Just the same, Isagi struggles but finds a glimpse of his new weapon, inspired by Naruhaya's move.

Isagi struggles to figure out how to make a coherent strategy that plays to his, Barou, and Nagi's strengths before their next match begins. And their next set of opponents are all familiar faces.

Chigiri, Kunigami, and Mikage's team fully utilizes each other's weapons of speed, physique, and eyes for tactics. On the contrary, Isagi's team struggles due to the lack of coordination. Through observing and analyzing the opponent's combinations and his teammates' individual play, Isagi discovers a new way to use his weapon and evolve himself one step further.

Isagi and Nagi paint countless possibilities for goals as they understand each other's weapons. Likewise, Kunigami and Mikage make a great effort centering around Chigiri, who has evolved one step further. In the midst of all, Baro, the king of the field, was left out from the chain of evolution because of his strong ego. When Isagi takes the leading role of the field from him.

Isagi's team cinched a win due to the awakening of Baro as a villain on the field. To cause more chemical reactions in the fourth stage, they picked one player from the other team, who demonstrated ego to devour them during the game. In the meantime, Bachira and the Top 3 are looking for the next opponent. Rin sees through Bachira's "monster" during their training.

Isagi and others are set to play a revenge match against the "Top 3," who have defeated them and took Bachira from them. They have fought against formidable foes and advanced by repeating the process of ego and chemical reactions, and they're ready to throw everything they have at the Top 3. The final battle of 4 vs 4 is finally about to begin.

Isagi captures everything that's happening in the field to see its future, and Nagi controls the space. Their combination bursts, and their series of play lights up the fire in Rin. Rin's dominating play that encompasses everything on the field, from the skills of all players, the ball, positioning and tactics gradually corners Isagi's team once again.

Monsters with absolute talents that Bachira has finally found... he barely has time to rejoice the encounter, because he realizes that he is left behind by Isagi and Rin. In the meantime, the game has entered its final phase, going through a seesaw struggle with Baro as a joker in the play. In the extreme condition, Isagi continues to be awakened.

Bachira shakes off the monster which occupied his mind as an ideal, and he awakens his ego. He's been searching for someone in his play, but now he forges on for his own goal. At the end of the play is Isagi, who's been waiting for him because he believed in Bachira's ego. Isagi succeeds in a desperate interception, but the ball flies up and lands mercilessly and cruelly on the winner.

Chosen by Rin, Isagi clears the second selection with Bachira. The next challenge for Isagi and his team of five is a match against the world-level super star players. Isagi and his team manages to steal the first goal with the link-up play by Isagi, Bachira, and Rin, but the World Five overwhelms them in no time. They try desperately to catch up, fighting till the last second.