As usual, it's pretty self explanatory.

Rules:
1. No masters
2. Comment with the most likes wins

Are we serious rn 😭?

Also it's the original U20 team , so without sae and shidou

Its really interesting to me how much Hugo felt like a "team captain", i havent felt like that from a player since aiku in u20

I find it also interesting that he's the only person who actively thinks not only about his own improvements towards his goal but also about other people. He realises he needs a good team to win 4 world cups, so its very curious to see him actively work towards that, compared to tbh most on blue lock who just focus on themselves

Sae was sortof like a leader due to his positioning, but Aiku felt more like a captain. Isagi somewhat plays like that sometimes, like when he orderer kurona and raichi and etc. Rin was sortof like this when he was copying Sae. Niko and Reo sometimes act like that too. Am i missing any? I didnt count snuffy coz he was mostly off field but ig he would count

(Official Translation btw)

I assuming atleast more people know these 2 since Ao Ashi is more known but for those that don’t, Their just the best U20 Players in Ao Ashi.

Lowk, if you truly deep it, This is basically the Sae Bunny rivalry. Like think about it, it’s a Japanese Midfielder with an ever lasting rivalry with a Barcelona Striker.

Where would Kuribayashi play tho? Most likely Barcelona since he’s been edging the move there since the start.

Slapped together some bullshit since I haven’t made a meme dump in a while

Most of these are about the Semi’s and the Finals. Kind of uncreative on my part when there’s probs more memes to make for the other matches. To be fair, there was a LOT going on

Routine Reo slander at the start, a dash of “how could I make this about Bachira” meme near the end.

Yamal please learn to take Free Kicks😭🙏

England are Jobbers

France got WAY too much glaze in when Spain was beating them black and blue for the last 3 years

Someone needs to investigate Spain’s black magic

I know his ahh getting flamed in the ng11 group chat 😭😭🥀🥀🙏

Took ages and it barely got any likes on TikTok 😭🥀 but it’s alr I’m doing it for Hiori, not for likes 🙏 (copium)

Personally, I probably would have said yes. Given everything Hugo says during the Japan-France match, I think his philosophy is pretty easy to understand (whether or not you agree with it).

But at the same time, I also have some doubts when I see certain doubts. Especially when talking about "number 1" and "number 2."

Argentina or Brazil could easily have more than one New Gen Eleven

Coloring soon👨‍🦯

to all reo fans, tell me why reo is your fav bl character? ^^

For me, I think it's Reo and Isagi.

It was kinda hard to take Reo seriously as a pampered, wealthy guy whining over friendship troubles/one guy, and his sole motivation is to experience a real challenge with his real skills, not his parents' money. Sure, it's not bad, but it's no big deal for him. Like how can you be privileged and still feel like it's not enough or be bored? However, now that he has actually struggled in Blue Lock to reach his dream and had character development outside of Nagi and is a powerful all-rounder, he entered my top 10.

Nagi is the same. It felt like he was a (tall, whitehead) Kenma 2.0 placed in a soccer survival game. Seeing him actually regret not giving Blue Lock his all and his utmost passion, which he's discovered and is currently exploring, is satisfying. Nagi's second chance and how he's received a reality check; I like when characters get reality checks and realize they messed up, so now they gotta change.

What about yall?

Just read chapter 190, Nagi's 2-2 against Munich, and while it's not the first time it happened it is very egregious in this case.

Why are the 2 players defending in their own box 2 attackers? I get that the manga is focused on attackers but you might as well not have any defenders, because the attackers are just going to defend better than them.

Strikers competing with eachother shouldn't be about them being matched up on the field in this way. Defenders should be a different kind of obstacle to overcome.

But it's always the opposing attackers defensive ability that needs to be overcome. The actual defenders are less than cones on the field.

The one proper defender that was given any attention I really liked, if only because he's the singular one.

I get that the writer wants to tell his story, but this is a definite weak point in my opinion.

I also fear that this is gonna end up with all the non-striker positions being filled by former attackers who all happen to be better in that position than the actual players in those positions. Looking at you Gagamaru. God I hate the fact that he's a keeper. I really couldn't care much about him on his own, but the fact that just suddenly displaced the Munich keeper is so stupid to me.

Yes I know the jersey is wrong, bite me.

wtv bro I ended up drawin the panel in the second slide cuz IDK i gave up halfway thru

he does NOT look like nagi dis looks buns but its ok every art cant be perfect

I think Blue Lock should have separate programs for every position.

Rewatching the Blue Lock anime made me think that there should be multiple versions of Blue Lock, each starting with the best 300 high school players for a specific position: strikers, wingers, midfielders, center backs, fullbacks, and goalkeepers.

If Japan wants to win future World Cups, I think Blue Lock should develop young players for all of these positions rather than focusing solely on strikers.

I say this because the manga begins with 300 forwards instead of players from different roles.

As we see in both the anime and the manga, not all of the forwards remain forwards.

Many of them transition into different positions, such as Gagamaru becoming a goalkeeper, Aryu becoming a center back, and Hiori becoming a midfielder.

Despite Ego's extremely attack-oriented philosophy centered around strikers, the reality is that you still need players in positions other than striker.

As a result, Ego ends up assigning many of them to different roles during official matches instead of keeping them as forwards.

From a meta perspective, I guess the idea of aiming to create one world-class striker from the 300 best high school forwards while sacrificing the other 299 players simply makes for a stronger hook.

Ego also seems to believe that Japan already has capable midfielders and defenders but lacks a truly world-class striker.

However, instead of recycling former forwards into other positions, I think it would be better to develop players from separate talent pools, with each pool consisting of the best players for a specific position.

That way, Blue Lock could discover more talented and even genius-level players who have already spent years developing in their natural positions before entering the program.

They would also be better suited to their designated roles from the start, since many of them likely chose and stuck with those positions because they excelled at them, earning a place among the top 300 high school players for their respective roles.

Of course, a project on this scale would cost significantly more money, so Buratsuta and the JFU would probably never approve it.

Still, having one Blue Lock facility dedicated to developing central midfielders, another focused on center backs, another for fullbacks, and so on sounds very promising.

This approach would give Japan a much better chance against other countries in the U-20 World Cup because those nations field players who have spent years mastering their respective positions, whereas many of Blue Lock's players are former forwards who only recently switched roles.

Before I start, I want to make it clear this isn't me claiming Nagi is canonically a hybrid. This is a thematic reading based on the NEL Ego Types and recurring patterns throughout the manga.

With that out of the way, this might just be me bullshitting, but listen for a bit.

Blue Lock has shown that while players often lean strongly toward one category, exceptional players can blur those boundaries.

Kaiser is the best example with vision.

He combines Metavision (reading the entire field) and Predator Eye (locking onto the perfect finishing window). So the idea of a player expressing traits of both Ego Types isn't out of place.

And for Nagi, how do the Freedom & Restrictive Ego types work with him?

Lets dive into it then, starting with the first side:

Freedom Ego

This is probably his natural side.

• Plays almost entirely on instinct.
• Creates based on what feels interesting or fun.
• Doesn't like rigid plans.
• His trapping and improvisation are some of the freest in the series.

Examples:

• Five-stage fake volley.
• The revolver fake volley.
• Countless first-touch improvisations.

He often lets the game "speak" to him rather than forcing it.

Next, lets look at the other side:

Restrictive Ego

This shows up in a different way.

When Nagi finds a challenge that excites him, he becomes incredibly focused on solving it.

Instead of:

He shifts into:

We've seen this with:

• Trying to surpass Isagi.
• His rivalry with Rin.
• Wanting to prove himself after losses.
• His obsession with creating goals no one else can.

His motivation becomes centered on overcoming a specific obstacle.

"Maybe its just coincidence, but he was canonically proved to be just a Freedom Archetype."

Unlike Isagi, whose motivation consistently aligns with Freedom through his adaptability, or Rin, whose motivation consistently aligns with Restriction through his drive to overcome and destroy whatever stands in his way, Nagi's motivation appears to shift between the two depending on what ignites him.

Sure, we could take the canonical route and leave it there, but what's a short way to summarize the differences in "Freedom" & "Restrictive" Ego Types?.

You could summarize it like this:

This also lines up with Nagi's character arc.

Early on, Reo essentially supplied all of Nagi's motivation.

Once Nagi started developing his own ego, his biggest struggle became finding something that genuinely motivates him. When he has no compelling challenge, he drifts into his relaxed, freedom-oriented style.

But when a worthy rival or seemingly impossible objective appears, his competitive side locks in and he becomes much more restrictive in his thinking.

So now, lets go through a detour of Nagi's story, and the things I pointed out for this little theory.

Nagi's "Curiosity" ties with "Freedom"

and him talking about "Fire" or what "Fires him up" ties with "Restrictive"

and the goals he's scored througout the series can constantly be shown with either 1 of them.

Freedom: "What can I create?"

These are the moments where Nagi is almost playing with the ball.

• Reo's First Selection passes ("Do whatever you want.")
• Goal vs Team V.
• Third Selection goal after controlling Yukimiya's shot.
• U-20 volley inspired by Hiiragi's idea but made into his own.
• Juggling Shot.

These all start from creative possibility rather than pressure.

then the Second Selection came around, Bachira gave a pass to Nagi and he scored against Aryu.

Nagi compared Bachira's pass to Reo's, and found them completely different.

Reo's was saying "do whatever you want with it" (Freedom)

Bachira's was "shoving an idea into his mind" (Restriction)

You could also say that Nagi's goals against Barou & Naruhaya were mainly Restrictive mixed with a pinch of Freedom.

Then the goal against Reo, Chigiri & Kunigami we're Freedom (since he and Isagi were the main players until Barou awakened at the end.)

And now, his goal against Rin.

That could be the first showing of a Freedom x Restrictive goal from Nagi.

Experimenting (Fake/Trap)

Exciting Challenge (Beating Rin/Challenging the Number 1)

Inspired by an impossible player (Doing both at once and scoring)

All of Nagi's goals in the 2nd Selection were clear signs of both Freedom & Restrictive Ego types, we just never knew until the NEL.

Then, come around the 3rd Selection, Nagi's goal after saving Yukimiya's shot from being blocked by Aryu. That's him just playing naturally (Freedom)

And going past the 3rd Selection, we're in the U20 game.

Nagi's goal was inspired by Hiiragi Reiji's goal, but the spot he did it in was one that would likely work for a Restrictive, but in this case, its an experimental goal (which we saw at the end of Episode Nagi, he was practicing), which would make this goal, a Freedom moment.

And then, his two main shots from the NEL:

Nagi's Juggling Shot & Nagi's Five-Stage Fake Volley.

Nagi's Juggling Shot was developed mid-play, a few moments after the Zero Reset Turn. And since Agi delivered the final pass to Nagi for that shot, we could call that a Freedom shot. (though it was blocked by Yukimiya diving in.)

And then, Nagi's Five-Stage Fake Volley.

Nagi's Five Stage Fake Volley, is one that you could say is a "Slow-Burn Ego" type of play.

The pass sent to him by a Metavision Reo, was a Restrictive Area (being between him & Isagi.)

The First Fake was a natural.

Isagi dives in, The Second Fake crumbles away at the natural, forming into experimental.
(see where I'm going with this?)

Kaiser rushes in, the Third Fake crumbles it at half and fades the experimental more.

Then, they both rush in at the same time at Nagi.

Isagi goes for a header block, Kaiser goes into try and knock the ball away.

Now Nagi's in a restrictive space, and yet, the Fourth Fake crumbles the rest.

And then when Nagi jumps to take the shot, it connects into an Impossible play, and he scores.

See the direction of Nagi's goals constantly being shown as both Freedom & Restrictives?.

With the Five-Stage Fake Volley is the ultimate showing of a slow-burn Ego Type.

I think this is a good & interesting pattern, but the key thing is separation:

What the Manga explictly states from a "Thematic Reading."

As a thematic reading, Nagi's goals seem to oscillate between two different sources of ego.

Freedom: "What can I create?"

These are the moments where Nagi is almost playing with the ball.

• Reo's First Selection passes ("Do whatever you want.")
• Goal vs Team V.
• Third Selection goal after controlling Yukimiya's shot.
• U-20 volley inspired by Hiiragi's idea but made into his own.
• Juggling Shot.

These all start from creative possibility rather than pressure.

Restrictive: "This is the challenge."

These goals exist because something forces Nagi to evolve.

• Bachira's pass against Aryu.

Like I pointed out, Nagi literally compares the two passes.

Reo:

Bachira:

That's a fascinating distinction.

Reo gives Nagi possibility.

Bachira gives him direction.

The restriction isn't physical—it's conceptual. Bachira implants a solution that Nagi chooses to execute.

The Second Selection

This is likely where the theory gets the strongest.

The entire Second Selection is Nagi constantly asking things like:

• "How do I beat Isagi?"
• "How do I beat Barou?"
• "How do I beat Rin?"

He's no longer just receiving passes.

He's actively searching for something that lights a fire under him.

That lines up very well with the later NEL explanation of Restrictive egos thriving when they're constrained by an obstacle.

The goal against Rin (Two-Stage Fake Volley)

I agree this is arguably the first time both sides appear simultaneously.

It starts with curiosity.

Then becomes challenge.

Then becomes creativity under pressure.

That's almost a fusion of both motivations.

The Five-Stage Fake Volley

The "slow-burn ego" idea is one of my most original ones yet.

Instead of saying the goal is simply Freedom or Restrictive, I'm describing it as a progression.

Something like:

Freedom
↓
Experiment
↓
Restriction increases
↓
Restriction increases again
↓
Impossible situation
↓
Freedom is reborn through the impossible

Or visually:

Freedom
■■■■■□□□□□

Restriction
□□□□□■■■■■

↓

Freedom
■■■□□□□□□□

Restriction
□□□■■■□□□□

↓

Freedom
■■□□□□□□□□

Restriction
□□□□■■■■□□

↓

Freedom
□□□□□□□□□□

Restriction
■■■■■■■■■■

↓

Impossible Play

↓

Freedom + Restriction
■■■■■■■■■■
■■■■■■■■■■

That's an interesting way to interpret the sequence of fakes. Each fake removes one available option. Every defender commits more space, until Nagi has almost no conventional solution left. Ironically, that's exactly when he invents the impossible one.

Why this fits Nagi's character

One thing I think strengthens this theory is that Nagi's motivation has always had two halves.

He constantly talks about:

• Curiosity ("That looks fun.")
• Fire ("Something that gets me fired up.")

Those aren't quite the same emotion.

Curiosity pushes him toward experimentation and discovery.

Fire pushes him toward overcoming someone or something.

If the NEL Ego Types are interpreted as motivational styles rather than rigid labels, then Nagi naturally seems to draw from both. His Curiosity aligns with Freedom, while his desire to find something worth getting fired up over aligns with Restrictive.

So while the manga hasn't outright confirmed Nagi as a Freedom × Restrictive Hybrid, I think there's enough recurring evidence—from his dialogue about curiosity and fire, Reo and Bachira's contrasting passes, and the evolution of his goals—to argue that his ego repeatedly transitions between both motivational styles during a play.

That "slow-burn ego" concept is probably the most distinctive part of this analysis. Instead of classifying a goal as one type or the other, I'm treating the sequence of the play as Nagi's ego transitioning from freedom, into restriction, and finally into a moment where both coexist to produce something extraordinary. That's a nuanced interpretation that fits the way many of Nagi's most memorable goals are built.

So I'd say Nagi can absolutely be interpreted as a Freedom/Restrictive hybrid, talking about how his ego manifests rather than claiming it's confirmed by the manga.
It's (in my opinion) a solid fan analysis that fits what we've seen of his evolution.

Maybe I'm completely wrong, maybe its all coincidence. But, if Kaneshiro ever decides to introduce Hybrid Ego types, I honestly think Nagi would be the first character I'd point to.

Thanks for taking the time to read this-

I'm curious to hear if anyone else noticed this pattern, or if you think I'm completely off.

Whether you agree or disagree, I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts on this!.

Rin doodle

I wanna know what isagis position is

so obv nagi is gonna make but who’s gonna be the other one? prob kira which would be boring imo but share me ur theories guys

Was thinking about how ego only brought in top 300 strikers/forwards to join blue lock

what if there are other positions like crazy good defenders that just won’t be on the national team right now because they weren’t invited into blue lock?

I want Isagi to win the U20 cup personally. Unpopular opinion but I am biased. It would be cool to see this manga not follow the trope.