Shouyou Hinata

For details, see "Shouyou Hinata"

Height: 162.8cm → 164.2cm → 172.2cm (when part of a pro team) / Weight: 51.9kg → 70.1kg (when part of a pro team) / Highest jump reach: 327cm → 333cm / Birthday: June 21 / Favorite food: Egg over rice / Current concern: Can't grab the ball with one hand

First-year middle blocker at Karasuno High School. Jersey number 10 → 5 (in third year).

MSBY Black Jackal OP (opposite hitter), jersey number 21

The protagonist of the series. Started playing volleyball in fifth grade, inspired by the "Little Giant," the ace of Karasuno High School, seen on TV by chance.

Possesses exceptional speed, physical elasticity, stamina, dynamic visual acuity, and fighting spirit, making him the smallest spiker in the series. His main weapon is the "freak quick attack," a minus-tempo quick attack utilizing precise sets from setter Tobio Kageyama and his own physical abilities. Besides quick attacks, he also uses feints and open attacks launched from high jumps, diversifying his offensive skills, and he can also target specific court areas after reading the opponent's defense. His defensive skills are also improving, particularly in reading serves.

He trusts Kageyama unconditionally to set the ball, always jumping with full force even when exhausted. His demanding nature makes him a formidable "enemy" for any setter, as noted by top setters like Oikawa and Miya Atsumu, who sympathize with Kageyama and regard him as a challenging partner. Tadashi Yamaguchi once commented that Hinata seems more of a "king" than Kageyama due to his uncompromising nature.

During his time at Yukigaoka Junior High, he was the only volleyball club member until his second year but managed to form a six-person team with three first-year newcomers and two third-year helpers from other clubs, making their first official match appearance. They were defeated by Kitagawa Daiichi Junior High, where Kageyama played, in their first and last official match. After the match, Hinata vowed revenge but reunited with Kageyama upon entering Karasuno High.

Hinata is honest and hardworking, never sparing effort and often overly competitive, constantly challenging Kageyama. On his first day at the club, he and Kageyama caused the "Vice Principal's Wig Incident," leading to their ban from the gymnasium. According to Kei Tsukishima, Hinata is recklessly aggressive.

Initially depicted as weak under pressure, he vomited on Tanaka's lap due to severe nerves and sleep deprivation during his first practice match and frequently rushed to the bathroom before official games. However, as he gained experience, such scenes became less common, and he is now known for his excitement rather than nervousness before matches. His intense concentration and relentless spirit in the late stages of games are recognized by all, sometimes intimidating those around him with his pure and forceful demeanor. On the other hand, his innocence often leads to unintentional support for others, including Kageyama, and boosts team morale.

Hinata has exceptionally high communication skills, though he often overdoes it, quickly making friends with various types of people. He openly praises anything he finds amazing, described by Kuroo (captain of Nekoma) as a "natural at stirring excitement."

At the time of entering high school, he lacked even basic volleyball skills due to the absence of coaches or practice partners, and his technical and physical shortcomings were evident. His main weapon, the "freak quick attack," originated from an unreasonable play suggested by Kageyama during a 3-on-3 match, where Kageyama adjusted his sets to Hinata's maximum jump height. This "no-sign, no-signal" freak quick attack was first labeled by Kiyoko Shimizu when she called them "freaks," and players from Aoba Johsai referred to it as a "divine move," while Ukai called it a "minus-tempo (quick attack)." Other names include "insane quick" and "super quick."

Initially, Hinata played with his eyes closed, trusting Kageyama's sets during the "freak quick attack." This tricky play not only focused the opponent blockers on Hinata but also freed up his teammates as spikers, making him a key player in Karasuno's offense. However, during the prefectural qualifiers for the Interhigh, the "freak quick attack" was shut down, leading to their defeat and a realization of its limitations. During a summer training camp before the qualifiers, Hinata argued with Kageyama about stopping to close his eyes, leading to a deadlock. However, after receiving basic spike theory and foundational technique training from Coach Ukai, including approach runs, and experiencing various combo plays with different teammates, Hinata's skills and adaptability in the air gradually improved. Combined with Kageyama's "hang-time sets," these skills became central to their attacks, allowing Hinata to diversify his attacks with block-outs, straight-down quick attacks, and high-speed back attacks from minus-tempo setups.

After the Spring High qualifiers, Hinata's rivalry with Kageyama, who was selected for the All-Japan Youth training camp, drove him to crash the Miyagi Prefecture first-year select training camp uninvited. However, there, he was harshly told by Coach Washijō of Shiratorizawa that "without Kageyama, you have no worth," confronting the harsh reality as a player. Nevertheless, his voluntary role as a ball boy during the camp gradually made him realize the importance of on-court information, leading him to refine his "instinctive sense" into a more thoughtful "intuition." This realization led to gradual improvements in his receiving skills, contributing to his team's victory in the Spring High match against Inarizaki with a perfect receive. Additionally, following Kageyama's advice, Hinata mastered a more powerful "thump" jump by properly placing his weight on the ball of his foot, achieving higher jumps and mastering open attacks over blockers. However, his lack of physical weight and power remained his biggest challenges, with his diverse attacks increasingly being picked up by opponents' receives during the national tournament. In the quarterfinals of the national tournament, Hinata developed a fever of 39.1 degrees Celsius mid-third set, forcing him to leave the game.

After graduating high school, aiming to broaden his technical skills and the range of plays he could perform, Hinata sought to train in beach volleyball. Through an introduction by Coach Washijō of Shiratorizawa, he prepared for a year after high school before moving to Brazil for a two-year training period under specific conditions. By the time of his high school graduation, he had managed to properly receive Kageyama's serves. Initially homesick upon arriving in Brazil, he unexpectedly reunited with Oikawa and regained his usual spirits after dining and playing beach volleyball together. Subsequently, he made a name for himself in Brazilian beach volleyball matches and tournaments, earning nicknames like "Japanese ninja" and "ninja shoyo." After completing his training in Brazil, Hinata returned to Japan and joined MSBY Black Jackal, one of the strongest teams conducting tryouts in the V.League. His experience in beach volleyball significantly enhanced his balance, decoy skills, and even allowed him to perform jump serves and left-handed spikes from various toss forms, executing even faster freak quick attacks with Atsumu. During the 2021 Olympics, he was delighted to reunite with Oikawa.

In 2020, Hinata transferred to Arthas São Paulo in Brazil. In 2022, he advanced to the finals of the Men's Volleyball World Club Championship, facing Kageyama once again.

Hinata struggled significantly with academics, rarely scoring double digits out of 60 points on quizzes until he received tutoring from Yachi. Despite the tutoring, he mistakenly answered an entire line off on his final English exam, resulting in a failing grade and requiring remedial classes, leading to a late arrival at a summer training camp with Kageyama.