Last updated: 1 November 2026
Kuroko's Basketball is Production I.G's stylish basketball anime: 75 episodes across three seasons (2012–2015) plus the finale film Last Game (2017), adapted from Tadatoshi Fujimaki's manga. It follows phantom passer Tetsuya Kuroko and powerhouse Taiga Kagami, whose young Seirin team challenges Kuroko's five prodigy ex-teammates. Expect fast, larger-than-life matches built on one idea: teamwork beats talent.
About Kuroko's Basketball
Kuroko's Basketball follows Tetsuya Kuroko, the near-invisible 'phantom sixth man' of Teiko Middle School's legendary Generation of Miracles. Now at Seirin High, he teams with fiery forward Taiga Kagami to beat his old teammates and prove teamwork wins. Animated by Production I.G from Tadatoshi Fujimaki's manga, the series ran for 75 episodes across three seasons (2012–2015) and finished in cinemas with the film Last Game in 2017. Kuroko's gift is being overlooked: coaches and crowds miss him completely, and he turns that lack of presence into laser-guided passes that thread entire defences. Kagami supplies what Kuroko lacks, height, power and a hunger to beat the five prodigies one by one. Around them, Seirin is an ordinary team with no history, built on trust by captain Hyuga, injured founder Kiyoshi and their tiny coach Riko. The result is a stylish, emotional take on basketball where every match asks the same question: can a team of friends outplay five geniuses who stopped believing in teams? Fast, funny and surprisingly moving, it remains one of the most popular sports anime of its generation.
Kuroko's Basketball is a TV anime from 2012, first released in Spring 2012. It belongs to the Sports and Comedy genres and is listed as a completed series. The summary above is written by the AnimeYug team in our own words.
Official Trailer
Story & Plot
In middle school, Teiko's basketball team won everything, powered by five once-in-a-generation prodigies, the Generation of Miracles. Few remember there was a sixth player: Tetsuya Kuroko, a boy so unremarkable that opponents simply fail to notice him, who used that invisibility to become the team's phantom passer. But Teiko's winning-at-all-costs culture disgusted him, and when the Miracles scattered to rival high schools, Kuroko chose Seirin, a brand-new school with no reputation at all.
At Seirin he finds Taiga Kagami, a forward raised in America whose talent and temper burn as bright as the Miracles' own. Kuroko promises to be Kagami's shadow: the stronger the light, the darker the shadow. Together they challenge Kuroko's old teammates one by one, the copycat Kise, the perfect shooter Midorima, the lazy genius Aomine, the giant Murasakibara and finally Akashi, the captain who made Teiko what it was. Each match tests Seirin's belief that basketball is played by five people, not one, and tests Kuroko's hope that the friends he left behind can learn to love the game again.
Story Arcs & Episode Guide
The Kuroko's Basketball anime is split into story sagas. Here is every saga in order, with its episodes and years.
| Arc | Episodes | Years | About |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1: Enter the Phantom Sixth Man | Episodes 1–25 | 2012 | Kuroko and Kagami join Seirin; first clashes with Kise's Kaijo and Midorima's Shutoku, and a first lesson from Aomine. |
| Season 2: The Winter Cup Begins | Episodes 26–50 | 2013–2014 | Kiyoshi returns, Seirin enters the Winter Cup, and the rematch with Aomine's Too Academy becomes an instant classic. |
| Season 3: The Winter Cup Finals | Episodes 51–75 | 2015 | Murasakibara's Yosen, the semi-final, and the final showdown with Akashi's Rakuzan for the championship. |
| Last Game (Film) | Movie | 2017 | The Generation of Miracles reunite as Vorpal Swords to face the streetball team Jabberwock. |
Why Watch Kuroko's Basketball
- An invisible hero: Kuroko wins games with passes nobody sees coming.
- The Generation of Miracles: five prodigies, five clashing philosophies of basketball.
- A rivalry ladder that climbs every season: each Miracle is a boss battle.
- Stylised, high-speed matches animated by Production I.G at its slickest.
- A story about teamwork beating talent: the light needs its shadow.
Who Is It For?
A school sports drama with intense matches, comic rivalry and a few mild fanservice gags, but no graphic content or heavy themes. It is aimed at teens and suits sports fans and older children well; the emotional stakes are friendship, pride and learning to lose.
Main Characters
View all characters →
Voice Actors
The Japanese voices behind the main characters of Kuroko's Basketball.
- Tetsuya KurokoSeirin's phantom sixth man, a passer with almost no presenceJapanese voiceKensho Ono
- Taiga KagamiSeirin's powerhouse forward, raised in AmericaJapanese voiceYuki Ono
- Junpei HyugaSeirin's captain and clutch three-point shooterJapanese voiceYoshimasa Hosoya
- Riko AidaSeirin's second-year coach with a scout's eye for players' bodiesJapanese voiceChiwa Saito
- Shun IzukiSeirin's point guard, the 'Eagle Eye', and serial pun-makerJapanese voiceHirofumi Nojima
- Teppei KiyoshiSeirin's centre and founder, the 'Iron Heart'Japanese voiceKenji Hamada
- Ryota KiseKaijo's small forward, the copycat of the Generation of MiraclesJapanese voiceRyohei Kimura
- Yukio KasamatsuKaijo's captain and point guardJapanese voiceSoichiro Hoshi
- Shintaro MidorimaShutoku's shooting guard, whose three-pointers never missJapanese voiceDaisuke Ono
- Kazunari TakaoShutoku's point guard, the 'Hawk Eye' who can track KurokoJapanese voiceTatsuhisa Suzuki
- Daiki AomineToo Academy's ace, the strongest scorer of the Generation of MiraclesJapanese voiceJunichi Suwabe
- Satsuki MomoiToo Academy's manager and the Miracles' information specialistJapanese voiceFumiko Orikasa
- Atsushi MurasakibaraYosen's giant centre, a defensive wall who finds effort boringJapanese voiceKenichi Suzumura
- Tatsuya HimuroYosen's shooting guard, Kagami's American 'big brother'Japanese voiceKisho Taniyama
- Seijuro AkashiRakuzan's captain, the Emperor Eye point guard who led the MiraclesJapanese voiceHiroshi Kamiya
Staff & Production
- Original Creator
- Tadatoshi Fujimaki
- Animation Studio
- Production I.G
- Series Director
- Shunsuke Tada
- Series Composition
- Noboru Takagi
- Music
- Ryosuke Nakanishi, R・O・N, Alpha Eastman (Season 1); Yoshihiro Ike (Seasons 2–3)
Manga & Source Material
The anime adapts Tadatoshi Fujimaki's basketball manga, with its sequel story filmed as Last Game.
- Written and illustrated by Tadatoshi Fujimaki
- Serialised in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump from December 2008 to September 2014
- 275 chapters collected in 30 volumes; the manga is complete
- The sequel manga, Kuroko's Basketball: Extra Game, ran in Jump Next! from December 2014 to March 2016 and was adapted as the Last Game film
- More than 31 million copies of the manga were in circulation as of 2020
Music
GRANRODEO are the sound of Kuroko's Basketball, performing six of the seven openings, while Kuroko's own voice actor, Kensho Ono, sings the final opening 'ZERO' and an ending theme.
Opening Themes
- “Can Do”by GRANRODEOSeason 1, first opening
- “RIMFIRE”by GRANRODEOSeason 1, second opening
- “The Other Self”by GRANRODEOSeason 2, first opening
- “Hengen Jizai no Magical Star”by GRANRODEOSeason 2, second opening
- “Punky Funky Love”by GRANRODEOSeason 3, first opening
- “ZERO”by Kensho OnoSeason 3, second opening: sung by Kuroko's voice actor
- “Memories”by GRANRODEOSeason 3, final opening
Ending Themes
- “Start It Right Away”by HyadainSeason 1, first ending
- “Catal Rhythm”by OLDCODEXSeason 1, second ending
- “WALK”by OLDCODEXSeason 2, first ending
- “FANTASTIC TUNE”by Kensho OnoSeason 2, second ending
- “Glitter Days”by Fo'xTailsSeason 3, first ending
- “Ambivalence”by SCREEN modeSeason 3, second ending
- “Lantana”by OLDCODEXSeason 3, final ending
Series Timeline
- 2008
Tadatoshi Fujimaki's Kuroko's Basketball manga begins in Weekly Shonen Jump on 8 December.
- 2012
Production I.G's anime premieres on 7 April, directed by Shunsuke Tada.
- 2013–2014
Season 2 airs; the manga ends in September 2014 after 275 chapters.
- 2015
Season 3 completes the Winter Cup and the main story.
- 2016
Three Winter Cup compilation films recap the tournament for cinemas.
- 2017
Last Game opens on 18 March 2017, adapting the Extra Game sequel manga as the franchise finale.
- 2021
The English dub arrives on Netflix in January, introducing the series to a new wave of viewers.
Quick Answers
Is Kuroko's Basketball finished?
Yes. Kuroko's Basketball has finished airing, so you can watch the complete story from start to end without waiting for new episodes.
What genre is Kuroko's Basketball?
Kuroko's Basketball is a Sports and Comedy anime. You can browse more titles like it on our Sports anime page.
When did Kuroko's Basketball release?
Kuroko's Basketball first released in Spring 2012. It is a TV series.
How many episodes does Kuroko's Basketball have?
The TV anime has 75 episodes across three seasons (2012–2015), plus a few OVAs. The story then concludes with the film Kuroko's Basketball: Last Game (2017), which adapts the sequel manga Extra Game.
Will there be a Kuroko's Basketball Season 4?
No fourth season has been announced, and the story is complete. The three TV seasons adapt the full 275-chapter manga, and the Last Game film covers the sequel manga Extra Game, giving the series a finished ending.
How does the anime differ from the manga?
The anime follows Tadatoshi Fujimaki's manga closely, adapting all 275 chapters across 30 volumes. The main addition is the ending: the sequel manga Kuroko's Basketball: Extra Game, published in Jump Next! from 2014 to 2016, was adapted as the Last Game film rather than a TV season.
What order should a beginner watch Kuroko's Basketball in?
Watch Season 1, Season 2 and Season 3 in order, then the Last Game film. The Winter Cup compilation films are recaps with a little new footage and are optional for returning fans; first-time viewers can skip them without missing story.
Watch Order
Here is the release order for Kuroko's Basketball and the series connected to it. Start at step 1 and work your way down.
- 1Kuroko's Basketball Season 1TV series (2012): this series begins; Kuroko and Kagami join Seirin. Start here.
- 2Kuroko's Basketball Season 2TV series (2013–2014): the Winter Cup opens, and the Aomine rematch awaits.
- 3Kuroko's Basketball Season 3TV series (2015): the Winter Cup semi-finals and the final against Rakuzan.
- 4Kuroko's Basketball: Winter Cup Compilation FilmsMovies (2016): three recap films of the tournament with small new scenes; optional for returning fans.
- 5Kuroko's Basketball: Last GameMovie (2017): the finale, adapting the Extra Game manga: the Miracles reunite against Jabberwock.
Where to Watch
Kuroko's Basketball is officially available to stream on these platforms:
Streaming availability changes often and differs by country. Please check the platform in your region.