The following contains spoilers for Episode 13 of Blue Lock, “Top 3,” now streaming onCrunchyrollandNetflix.
After a week’s break, theBlue Lockboys are back for Episode 13, “Top 3.” This episode is the first in the show’s next major arc, and the beginning of the Winter Anime Season for the show.Blue Lockis starting the new season at number 5 on the Winter Anime Rankings according to MyAnimeList, behind only big titles likeOne PieceandBungo Stray Dogs.Blue Lockstayed in theTop 10 all last season, so we will be watching every week to see if it does the same this time.
This episode was the first one in the series to not have all the side characters we know and love from the first season, because Isagi has moved onto the Second Selection with only Nagi and Bachira on his team. It also introduced not only a new play style and challenge, but all new characters as antagonists. Episode 13 also ended with something unexpected, which has been one of our favorite things aboutBlue Lockso far; itremains hard to predict.
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Another Eclectic Trio
Blue Lockhas had no shortage ofstrange and quirky side charactersto both help and hinder Isagi along his journey. “Top 3” introduced three more, and they are definitely an interesting unit. Itoshi Rin, Aoshi Tokimitsu, Jyubei Aryu are each eclectic in their own right, and are even more of a strange unit when put together. The three are only a team because Rin, who is willing to do anything to be number one, chose them due to their current rankings in the program. The three are not a cohesive unit, but are able to succeed due to their individual skills.
Tokimitsu is very, very anxious and constantly second guesses himself and his abilities, and that makes him really hard to predict. He pushes himself really hard despite not looking confident, and has a lot of raw power, strength, and speed. He is easy to overlook, but a formidable opponent.
On the total opposite side of the coin, Aryu is very calm and relaxed. He is just worried about looking “glam” all the time, and everything he does needs to be glamorous. He is very concerned with appearances, both his own physical appearance and all the plays on the field. He is also very long-limbed, making it easy for him to steal the ball from others without committing a foul.
Another New Villain
We saved Rin for his own section because he has earned it. Itoshi Rin may be themost difficult antagonistthat Isagi has had to face yet. He does not even need the rest of his team to be a strong player, as he proved in this episode considering he, Aryu, and Tokimitsu were not good at working together at all. Despite that, Rin scored most of the goals, including one super goal that he scored immediately from the kick-off. Rin also does not waste time strategizing on the field, and takes advantage of Isagi and his friends when they do.
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What really stands out about Rin, though, is his attitude. He is incredibly ruthless, even more than previous characters. He is not afraid to put others down constantly, and compares the pitch to a battlefield which is how he treats it as well. He is also able to manipulate Isagi’s special spatial awareness ability to his own advantage, making him especially formidable. It looks like we will be seeing a lot of Rin in the coming arc as well, especially seeing as he is the top ranked player in the program right now thanks to his skill and his ego - and we have learned that ego will get you far inBlue Lock.
An Unexpected Ending
The best part of “Top 3” was the ending.Blue Lockcould just let Isagi and his team win the game and let them move on with a new team member, but it is not that kind of anime.Blue Locklikes to make its characters sweat, and truly fight for victory right at the last minute likethey did in the first season. So that means that Isagi’s team was conquered by Rin, Tokimitsu, and Aryu. That puts Isagi at a disadvantage, which is when he tends to become more interesting, anyway.
What we did not expect was who Rin’s team would choose to move on with them. We expected Nagi, because he has been shown to be one of the most skilled players so far, or even Isagi so that he would have to deal with the unique temperaments of the other three. But they chose Bachira, Isagi’s closest friends! Bachira and Isagi have been close from the beginning, but Bachira’s last words were cold - he will not wait for Isagi, even though he had wished for them to go to the end together.
Isagi and Nagi do not have any relationship moving forward, and will be going into the next game a man down and have to fight to stay afloat at all. Meanwhile, Bachira has joined the “villains” team and will likely keep soaring up the ranks. What will happen to Bachira in the future? Will he turn against Isagi under Rin’s influence and the pressure of trying to be the best? We will be looking forward to seeing where it goes, and how many moretropes theBlue Lockdestroysthis season!
