Qiuqa put together 11 key points after watching Blue Lock Episode 23.
1. Team Red Wins
Surrounded by three opposing players—Nagi in front, Chigiri on the left, and Barou closing in from behind—Bachira fought desperately to break free from their suffocating pressure.
Watching the play unfold from behind, Isagi noticed Rin ghosting to Bachira’s left side. Rin was slipping into the absolute perfect position to strike the goal if he received a pass. However, Isagi knew there was a volatile element within Bachira that even Rin couldn’t predict.
In his heart, Isagi recognized the “monster” living inside Bachira, and he fully intended to “devour” that monster to defeat Rin. He realized that Bachira—who previously would have instinctively passed to the teammate in the most optimal position—had fundamentally changed.
As the player who had received countless passes from Bachira, Isagi knew firsthand that Bachira wasn’t a selfish player. Because of this deep understanding, Isagi was absolutely certain he could predict Bachira’s next move.
Executing a rapid series of freestyle juggles, Bachira unleashed a flawless Rainbow Flick, escaping the seemingly inescapable trap set by Team White’s trio of Barou, Chigiri, and Nagi.
Brimming with absolute confidence, Bachira fired a spectacular volley toward Team White’s net. The shot looked like a guaranteed, game-winning goal. But Isagi, guided by his terrifyingly accurate prediction, materialized right in the line of fire. He brilliantly blocked the strike, deflecting the ball high into the air.
According to Ego Jinpachi, the exact moment Isagi blocked Bachira’s shot, his predictive abilities had officially surpassed Rin’s. If Isagi’s positioning had been off by even a single centimeter to the left or right, Team White could have launched a lethal counterattack and won the match.
However, fate took a cruel turn. The deflected ball dropped perfectly in front of Rin, who was already waiting inside Team White’s penalty box. Without a second of hesitation, Rin blasted the loose ball into the net, scoring the fifth and final goal. The 5-4 victory belonged to Team Red, completely crushing Team White.
2. Rin Chooses Isagi
Bachira stared quietly at Isagi, who screamed in absolute agony, slamming his fists into the turf as he collapsed to his knees.
Aryu and Tokimitsu, well aware that Rin couldn’t care less about having teammates, felt it was their responsibility to decide who they would steal from Team White.
Bachira, finally feeling capable of playing without Isagi by his side, opened his mouth to announce his pick. But suddenly, Rin seized control of the decision, flatly forbidding his teammates from choosing.
Rin revealed his reasoning. He confessed that he hadn’t been able to predict the moment Bachira abandoned passing to attempt a selfish, solo goal, nor had he anticipated Isagi suddenly materializing to block it. It was the very first time since arriving at Blue Lock that Rin had tasted the bitter sting of defeat in reading the pitch.
Rin declared he was choosing Isagi to join his team. He wanted Isagi on his roster simply to add him to the list of players he intended to utterly destroy, and to keep him close as a frontline witness to Rin becoming the best player in the world.
Kneeling on the grass, Isagi was utterly bewildered by Rin’s choice. He felt pathetic. He had been crushed by Rin twice now, and he was entirely lost on what to do next.
Inwardly, he agonized: What am I lacking? Isagi felt that absolutely no one could have predicted exactly where the ball would land after he blocked Bachira’s shot. He torturously wondered: Is the only real difference between me and Rin just sheer luck?
3. Isagi’s Apology
As Isagi sat frozen in his thoughts, Bachira called out to him, urging him to catch up with Team Red and head toward the winner’s gate; they had officially cleared Blue Lock’s Second Selection. Walking away, Isagi turned back and apologized to his Team White teammates, who were still reeling from the devastating loss.
Isagi told them that Team White had nearly beaten Team Red, insisting that the final, crushing goal was purely the result of Rin’s dumb luck. In his eyes, Team White hadn’t truly been defeated.
Chigiri snapped at Isagi, telling him to stop offering cheap comfort and demanding he just leave. Barou growled a threat, ordering Isagi to walk away before he destroyed him. Meanwhile, Nagi coldly promised that the next time they played, he would crush Isagi, vowing that their team would pass the Second Selection without him.
Deep down, Isagi knew the truth: without Chigiri, Barou, and Nagi, he never would have made it this far. He felt profoundly honored to have fought alongside them and sincerely hoped they would survive to advance. Once Isagi walked through the gate, Chigiri, Barou, and Nagi finally let their agonizing frustration over the defeat explode.
4. Luck
Isagi walked down the tunnel alongside his new team. Tokimitsu nervously praised Isagi, calling him incredible for being personally selected by Rin, admitting he had actually wanted to pick Isagi too.
Aryu confessed he had originally wanted to steal the glamorous Chigiri, but conceded that Isagi’s backheel goal was also undeniably glamorous. Both Aryu and Tokimitsu warmly welcomed Isagi to the squad.
Walking beside him, Bachira playfully teased Isagi, reminding him of his promise to “steal him back.” In the end, it was Bachira who had actually stolen Isagi. Hearing this, Isagi immediately apologized, bitterly admitting he was still too weak.
However, Bachira quickly clarified that being separated from Isagi was exactly what gave him the chance to finally fight with his own strength. He confessed that he used to be terrified of playing soccer alone, always secretly hoping Isagi would be there to save him.
But now, Bachira realized that he was the only one who could save himself. For the first time, he was genuinely enjoying the game without needing to rely on Isagi. Still, Bachira offered a sharp warning: if Isagi failed to keep up with his new level of play, Bachira wouldn’t hesitate for a second to leave him behind.
Later, Isagi confronted Rin. He desperately wanted to know the real reason he had lost the match. With a casual, almost dismissive tone, Rin told Isagi that even a monkey could figure out that his game-winning goal was heavily influenced by luck.
But Isagi refused to accept “luck” as the sole answer. He needed a concrete, logical reason so he could learn from it and grow stronger.
Rin then firmly told Isagi that luck isn’t just mere coincidence. According to Rin, luck is a mysterious element that naturally favors those who fight relentlessly for their desires, and it undeniably exists on the soccer pitch.
Rin coldly added that if Isagi couldn’t comprehend the true essence of luck, he had absolutely no right to survive in the ruthless world of competition, where victory and defeat are inevitable.
5. What is Luck?
From the massive videotron, Ego greeted Team Rin, congratulating them on becoming the very first team to clear Blue Lock’s Second Selection.
Ego then pivoted to explain the mechanics of luck in soccer. He posed a question: “Have you ever felt incredibly unlucky because a pigeon dropped crap on you?
“After it happens, you might suddenly notice that the sidewalk is actually covered in bird crap, and when you look up, there’s a whole flock of pigeons perched on the power lines. If you had just been observant and avoided that spot from the beginning, would you still call yourself unlucky?”
Ego continued his analogy: “When you buy a lottery ticket, if the cashier doesn’t hand you the ‘lucky’ winning numbers, does that mean you inherently lack luck?”
From these examples, Ego concluded that luck isn’t something that just randomly descends from the heavens. Luck gravitates toward the places that have already been prepared for it—and the soccer pitch is no exception. He emphasized that throughout a 90-minute match, elements of sheer coincidence and absolute certainty are constantly intersecting.
Ego reminded the players to always focus on how to turn a zero into a one, and how to engineer the perfect formula for their individual weapons. Everything they had learned in Blue Lock was ultimately designed to maximize their certainty of scoring a goal.
However, when a striker’s absolute certainty collides with a defender’s absolute certainty, a coincidence is violently born, whether they like it or not. And it is from that exact chaos that true luck emerges.
6. How Luck Works
Ego broke down the final play. When Bachira executed his selfish, solo dribble to try and score, Team White’s defenders—Nagi, Chigiri, and Barou—froze for a split second. Even Team Red’s Aryu and Tokimitsu stopped their runs.
All five players were paralyzed, simply watching Isagi desperately chase down Bachira. They were entirely consumed by a single question: Will Bachira score, or will Isagi block it?
In stark contrast, Rin never stopped running. Instead, he accelerated aggressively toward Bachira. Knowing he wasn’t getting a pass, Rin made a massive, calculated gamble: he was absolutely certain Isagi would successfully block Bachira’s shot, and he banked on the rebound deflecting perfectly into his path.
Rin intentionally took a colossal risk, actively positioning himself to receive a miracle.
Suddenly, Isagi interrupted Ego. He fiercely argued that the trajectory of the ball after he blocked it—bouncing perfectly in front of Rin—was nothing but pure, dumb coincidence. Ego agreed that the ball could have bounced anywhere, but he sharply pointed out that Isagi himself had been secretly hoping the ball would fall to him.
Ego then laid out the harsh reality: if Rin had simply stopped running and waited outside the penalty box like the others, the ball dropping in front of him wouldn’t have mattered. If he had been standing there, Chigiri, Barou, and Nagi would have instantly swarmed him and shut down the shot.
Instead, Rin consciously chose to sprint into the most dangerous, highly probable goal-scoring area right in front of the net. He relied on the “luck” of the rebound falling to him.
Hearing this, Aryu chimed in with his unique flair. He compared Rin to someone who already knew a pigeon was dropping crap, and deliberately walked into the exact spot where he had the highest probability of getting hit by it.
Ego continued. He acknowledged that there was a very real possibility the ball could have fallen to Team White, which would have handed Isagi’s team a golden opportunity to win the match.
In such a hyper-intense situation, Ego admitted that Team Red won thanks to luck. However, if they had just stood still like statues, that opportunity would have passed them by completely.
Ego understood that some people choose inaction because their minds simply aren’t prepared to accept a sudden coincidence. But regret always comes too late, leaving them to mutter, “If only I had done that…”
Therefore, Ego ordered them to relentlessly hone their skills so they would always be prepared to position themselves perfectly to seize those fleeting opportunities. The Goddess of Luck only smiles upon those who are capable of sniffing out her presence.
Soccer, Ego declared firmly, is a game ruled by luck and coincidence.
Wrapping up his lecture, Ego glared piercingly at Isagi and asked, “Do you still think the result of this match was just a coincidence?” He coldly added that anyone who feels toyed with by luck is nothing more than a pathetic amateur.
After fighting with absolutely everything they had, Ego advised them to puff out their chests, accept the outcome of that coincidence, and carve it deeply into their minds. Because in the end, luck only descends fairly upon those who have put in the grueling hard work to earn it.
7. Itoshi Rin Admits He Won by Luck
Isagi was awe-struck, assuming Rin possessed a profound, master-level understanding of how luck operated, exactly as Ego had just explained.
However, Rin bluntly confessed that he didn’t actually know everything Ego had just detailed. He admitted that if he had just stood outside Team White’s penalty box like a statue, he absolutely would have missed the chance to score.
Rin honestly acknowledged that the opportunity he seized was entirely outside his control. It was a pure coincidence, violently birthed by Isagi throwing himself into the block right in front of him.
Looking Isagi in the eye, Rin sincerely admitted that luck was the only reason he was able to defeat him. That final goal also forced Rin to confront a bitter reality: even though he scored, he had undeniably lost to Isagi in their battle of predictions. The goal was a harsh reminder of that failure.
Isagi finally understood. The only real difference between him and Rin was sheer willpower, and the readiness to accept the outcome of the match’s destiny, whatever it may be. A wave of intense frustration washed over Isagi as he realized that even though he had briefly outsmarted Rin, he had still ultimately lost the match, and had only been chosen by Rin because he had lost.
Yet, Isagi accepted that harsh reality. In his mind’s eye, he pictured himself taking a puzzle piece labeled “luck” and snapping it firmly into his own fragmented body. It symbolized that his perspective and tactical knowledge had just been massively upgraded. It was the crucial first step toward finally defeating Rin.
8. World-Class Strikers
Ego informed Team Rin that all five of them—Isagi, Rin, Bachira, Aryu, and Tokimitsu—had successfully cleared Blue Lock’s Second Selection.
Ego stated his belief that they had now fully grasped the process of forging chemistry within a team. Moving forward, Ego announced their next challenge: Team Rin would face off in a 5-on-5 exhibition match against five world-class strikers from across the globe, scheduled to take place in exactly 24 hours.
In the rec room, Tokimitsu, Bachira, Aryu, and Isagi gathered around the television to watch highlight reels of the five elite strikers they would face tomorrow.
Acting as the group’s informant, Tokimitsu excitedly broke down the roster: Luna was a Spanish prodigy playing for Real Madrid; Adam Blake was a lethal English striker and the top scorer in the Premier League; Cabassos was an Argentine maestro and a free-kick specialist; Silva hailed from the aggressive leagues of Brazil; and Julian Loki, the French phenom dubbed the “Wonder Boy,” was only 17 years old—the exact same age as them.
9. Isagi Copies Rin’s Training
Isagi asked Bachira where Rin was. Bachira mentioned that at the end of every day, Rin usually trained alone in the gym. Sure enough, Isagi found Rin deeply focused on meditation and yoga.
Rin broke his concentration, startled to see Isagi suddenly beside him, struggling with a pained expression to copy his complex yoga poses. Isagi bluntly admitted he wanted to catch up to Rin, so he decided to mirror his training regimen. Rin calmly explained that yoga and meditation were simply his cool-down routine.
Isagi then asked if Rin didn’t get along with his older brother. Rin replied that their relationship was actually fine, just a bit awkward. However, Rin added that everything would be perfect once he finally crushed his brother on the pitch.
Isagi boldly declared that if he could “devour” Rin, he would become significantly stronger, formally acknowledging Rin as his rival. Rin, however, coldly dismissed him; to Rin, Isagi was neither a rival nor anyone of importance.
Inwardly, Isagi felt a flash of annoyance. Rin was only 16 years old but acted incredibly arrogant, especially toward Isagi, who was older at 17. Rin then conceded that Isagi had indeed beaten his prediction during that final play, but fiercely swore it would never happen again.
Rin then shifted his weight, supporting his entire body on a single hand, appearing to float upside down in mid-air in a gravity-defying pose. Struggling and failing to mimic the movement, Isagi asked if Rin was seriously calling this a yoga pose.
Smirking arrogantly, Rin declared that the pose was something Isagi could never hope to beat or copy.
Acting recklessly, Isagi tried to force his body into the pose. His hand instantly slipped, sending him crashing directly into Rin. They both tumbled to the floor in a tangled heap. Furious, Rin grabbed Isagi by the collar, while Isagi frantically sputtered out apologies.
10. Isagi & Bachira Train Together
Later that night, Isagi practiced alone on the dark pitch. He was absolutely determined to get stronger, even if only by a fraction.
Suddenly, a soccer ball sailed out of the shadows and clocked him right in the back of the head. Isagi whipped around to see Bachira grinning at him. Bachira casually asked to train together, and Isagi gladly agreed.
As they kicked the ball around, Bachira casually mentioned that the monster inside him was finally gone. Isagi remembered Bachira previously claiming he could actually hear and see a monster when he played.
Bachira explained that he now only played soccer by listening to the voice within his own heart. That was the profound meaning he had found by coming to Blue Lock and meeting Isagi.
In his heart, Isagi realized that Bachira was still a deeply weird and difficult person to fully understand. Yet, Bachira always managed to fill Isagi with incredible courage. United by that bond, they fiercely resolved to crush the five world-class strikers tomorrow.
11. Blue Lock vs. The Top 5
Out on the pitch, Silva looked down at Rin’s team and scoffed, surprised by how scrawny they looked. Adam turned to Silva and demanded he pay up for a lost bet, noting that Japanese players clearly weren’t as heavily muscled as Silva had predicted.
Bachira, Tokimitsu, and Isagi couldn’t understand the English conversation, but Aryu, who knew a little, quickly realized they were being blatantly disrespected.
Rin calmly walked up to Adam and Silva. In fluent English, he asked if they treated this exhibition match as just a trivial side hustle. Silva smirked and agreed, openly stating there was absolutely no other reason to be in Japan other than to collect an easy paycheck.
Rin’s eyes narrowed. He promised he would traumatize Silva so severely that he would never be able to remember this little sightseeing trip without trembling.
Luna, sensing the escalating tension between Rin and Silva, stepped in with a charming smile to defuse the situation. He recognized Rin as the younger brother of Sae, the famed prodigy from Real Madrid’s youth academy, and confidently stated he was certain Rin possessed extraordinary talent as well.
The 5-on-5 exhibition match between Team Blue Lock (Rin, Aryu, Bachira, Isagi, and Tokimitsu) and the World Top 5 (Adam, Luna, Cabassos, Silva, and Loki) officially kicked off.
Isagi passed the ball to Bachira, who instantly drove forward. Executing a lightning-fast roulette, Bachira spun his body while dragging the ball to blow right past Cabassos.
As Cabassos lunged for a desperate tackle, Bachira gracefully leapt into the air with the ball, dodging the foul entirely. He then blatantly ignored Isagi’s call for a one-two pass. Bachira refused to pass to anyone who hadn’t already surpassed his own wild imagination.
Isagi sprinted down the center of the pitch, tracking Bachira as he was aggressively pressured by Cabassos on the right wing. Isagi was fully prepared to adapt to Bachira’s new, hyper-egoistic playstyle, actively searching for a position that perfectly aligned with Bachira’s imagination to receive the pass.
As Bachira dribbled the ball down the right side, just outside the penalty box, Isagi locked himself into the center, primed to receive the cross and fire a direct volley. But suddenly, Loki materialized out of nowhere, completely startling Isagi with his terrifying speed.
Bachira finally launched his cross. But instead of aiming for Isagi in the center, the ball whipped violently toward the far left edge of the penalty box. Rin was already waiting. Without hesitation, Rin unleashed a devastating direct volley that ripped through the Top 5’s net. The score was 1-0; Team Blue Lock took the lead over the World Top 5.
The Top 5 players were genuinely impressed by Team Blue Lock’s lethal coordination, thrilled they weren’t just playing against pathetic amateurs. They all smiled, their competitive fires ignited. Meanwhile, Isagi felt his blood pumping, burning with excitement to score the next goal.
