【Blue Lock Theory】The Hidden Meaning Behind the Chains & Collars! Manga Cover Mystery Explained Spoilers

Update date

・July 9 ,2026

The smash-hit football manga Blue Lock, currently serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine, has officially entered its 8th year of serialization, and its popularity is still skyrocketing! With the series already surpassing 35 volumes, the story shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

But if you look closely at these Blue Lock volume covers, a certain “unique characteristic” stands out…?!?!

Every single cover released so far features exactly one specific character—be it a player or someone involved with the Blue Lock project. And for some mysterious reason, every single one of them is bound by chains and a collar?!

What’s more, these chains and collars aren’t all identical; they actually come in a variety of different colors and distinct designs! Could there be some deeper, hidden meaning behind this…??

In this article, we are going to dive deep and analyze the mystery behind the chains and collars featured on the volume covers!

I’ve written this article with my own personal commentary to make it fun and easy to understand, so please stick around until the very end!

★ I’m so incredibly obsessed with “Blue Lock” that I’ve already written over 300 articles about it! (*’▽’)

★ In this article, I will be covering the following topics regarding the “Chains & Collars” on the volume covers!!↓↓↓

The deep meaning behind the “Chains & Collars”
A complete volume-by-volume breakdown and analysis of every single cover’s “Chain & Collar”
The final tally & data summary

◆ Introduction

Hi there! I’m 『Yukidaruma』, the admin of this site! My goal is to build the “World’s Best Blue Lock Site,” and I’m pouring my absolute “Ego” into every single article I write!!

I mainly cover the latest chapters, volumes, deep-dive theories, character profiles, and detailed reviews—and I’ve already crossed the 300-article milestone!!

Thanks to Blue Lock, a true “Ego” has awakened inside my heart!! I’ll do my absolute best to share the greatness of this masterpiece with all of you! ❄️⚽

① The Meaning Behind the “Chains & Collars” (Analysis)

First of all, why are they bound by “chains” in the first place? As anyone who reads Blue Lock already knows, the story revolves around a massive experimental facility called “Blue Lock,” where 300 forward players compete to create the “World’s Number One Striker.” Given that the word “Prison” is literally built into the facility’s Japanese name, it’s easy to see why the players might be viewed essentially as “prisoners.”

The numerous experiments conducted inside Blue Lock are all orchestrated by the master project director, Jinpachi Ego. In each phase, players are strictly weeded out into those who “survive” and those who are “eliminated.” By conquering these grueling trials, the final survivor will ultimately claim the title of the world’s absolute best striker.

Every single test designed by Jinpachi Ego is built upon a rock-solid, logical theory. They aren’t just designed to improve on-the-pitch football skills; they train the players’ minds, thinking processes, and mental frameworks as well. Absolutely nothing is irrelevant to football.

As the surviving players overcome these relentless experiments, they unconsciously internalize and absorb “Jinpachi Ego’s philosophy” as if it were their own. To put it another way, they become the torchbearers who inherit the will of Jinpachi Ego (the will of “Blue Lock”).

While the general theory might be that they are bound by chains and collars simply as “prisoners,” I personally have another take: Could it be that these visual depictions of “chains and collars” actually represent those who are bound by the absolute will of “Blue Lock”?

▼ What Lies at the End of the “Chains”

Interestingly, the covers of Volume 12 and Volume 24 have actually revealed what lies at the very end of those chains! Unbelievably, attached to the end of everyone’s chains is an “iron football”!

Looking at the illustration of Yo Hiori (Vol. 12), you can clearly see that the chain is securely connected to the ball. While the details on Ryusei Shido’s cover (Vol. 24) are honestly a bit harder to make out, judging by how both the chain and the ball are glowing with that eerie blue aura, it’s safe to assume they are connected as well.

What this implies is that every single player inside Blue Lock is fundamentally “bound to football” for the rest of their lives!

This is highly likely a creative twist on the classic “ball and chain”—the heavy iron weights historically attached to the ankles of prisoners—cleverly modified into the shape of a football! It’s almost as if the manga is constantly reminding them, “There is no escaping football.”

② A Comparison of the “Chains & Collars” Across All Volumes!

Let’s compare the covers of every single volume released so far! …Or so I’d like to say!

However, diving into over 35 volumes all at once is a massive amount of data to take in. So, to make things easier to digest, I’ve broken them down into two categories: “Standard Chains” and “Special Chains”!

For the most part, the vast majority of the manga covers feature the “Standard Chains & Collars”!

⛓️ The Standard “Chains”

First off, here is what a “Standard Chain” looks like! ↓↓↓ (Image)

As you can see, the characters are tightly bound by their collars and chains to “prevent them from escaping,” much like a “prisoner” or a “leashed dog.”

Wait… I know I just mentioned earlier that “an iron football lies at the end of the chain,” but looking closely at Volume 1, there’s just a regular football sitting right in front of Yoichi Isagi… On top of that, it doesn’t actually look like it’s connected to any chain at all (◎_◎;) If that’s the case, then my “football at the end of the chain” theory might not be 100% accurate after all…?

🔑 The Special “Chains”

Next, let’s take a closer look at the “Special Chains” that distinctly deviate from the standard design!

From Volumes 1 to 10, every single player featured on the cover was drawn with a “Standard Chain.” However, starting from Volume 11, these unique, “Special Chains” suddenly began to make sporadic appearances…!?

Without further ado, let’s introduce every single volume that features one of these “Special Chains”!

There absolutely has to be some kind of hidden meaning behind this (◎_◎??) I am seriously dying to crack this mystery!!

⛓️ The Four Chains

Volume 11 features Jinpachi Ego on the cover, and his collar has “four chains” attached to it?!

While the players featured on previous covers generally have just a “single chain” drawn on their collars, for some reason, Jinpachi Ego’s collar is bound by four! “What could this possibly mean?”

Going back to my theory from Section 1, I believe regular players are bound to the singular chain of “Blue Lock.” In other words, I’m viewing “Blue Lock” itself as one single chain. Following that logic, the fact that Jinpachi Ego has four chains on his collar suggests that he is tied to or bound by “four different things.”

“What on earth could those ‘four things’ be??”

Here are a few possibilities that come to mind:

“Blue Lock”
Contracts
The Past

Although I’ve only listed three here, I believe “Contracts” and “The Past” encompass a wide variety of underlying factors.

In the case of “Contracts,” we could look at things like:

Bringing victory to Japan.
Getting fired if he loses.
Being hired under specific hidden conditions. …The list goes on and on.

There has always seemed to be a deep, inseparable relationship or contract between Jinpachi Ego and Hirotoshi Buratsuta, the president of the Japan Football Union (JFU). In fact, they get into a pretty heated argument back in Chapter 303. Shortly after that, Ego is explicitly told, “If you don’t lead Japan to victory in the U-20 World Cup, you’re fired,” which heavily hints that he’s tied down by various complex contracts…

And then there is [Jinpachi Ego’s Past], which remains entirely shrouded in mystery. The only thing we know so far is that he used to play football alongside Noel Noa—everything else is a complete question mark…

Was he an incredible player back in the day?
Did an injury force him into retirement?
Did something else happen that made him quit football?

It wouldn’t be surprising at all if he carries some kind of dark, past trauma. It’s highly probable that these heavy burdens are what the “four chains (four different things)” are representing.

If he used to play alongside Noel Noa, you’d think there would be plenty of people who know about Ego’s past, yet absolutely no one in the story ever brings it up (◎_◎;) That absolute silence itself makes it incredibly suspicious…

💎 The Glowing Blue Chain

Volume 12 features Ryusei Shido on the cover, and for some mysterious reason, his collar is “glowing bright blue”?! Looking at all the other volume covers, you won’t find a single one where the “chain itself is radiating light” like Shido’s. While Julian Loki on the cover of Volume 33 has his entire chain and collar drawn with the “image of the speed of light,” that is a completely different concept from the vibe we get from Shido’s cover.

There is undoubtedly some massive lore at play here, but it’s completely unreadable for now… During the U-20 Japan match, he didn’t play for the Blue Lock side but instead joined the U-20 Japan National Team, so it feels highly possible that he might pull off another betrayal or defection in the future. Could he be trying to burn away and break free from the chains of “Blue Lock” itself…?

Ryusei Shido is a character whose inner mind remains completely incomprehensible (◎_◎;) Honestly, it feels like his nationality might not even be Japanese anymore. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he decides to naturalize and play for a different country in the future!

⛓️ The Nearly Broken Chain

Volume 17 features Sae Itoshi on the cover, and a part of his chain looks “about to snap”?! Sae Itoshi is a world-class talent who has been selected for the “New Generation World 11,” and he carries the future of Japanese football on his shoulders. Since Sae is already operating at a global level, there’s likely no need to keep him bound by the chains of “Blue Lock.” That might be exactly why the chain on his cover looks like it’s on the verge of breaking.

“Then why was he bound by a collar and chain in the first place?” I believe it’s because he will be joining the Blue Lock project in the future!

As of right now, the manga has surpassed Chapter 320, and the U-20 World Cup Arc has officially kicked off. In this arc, Sae Itoshi’s call-up to the Japan National Team (Blue Lock Eleven) is “all but confirmed”! In other words, since he will eventually be joining forces with Blue Lock in one way or another, he was depicted with the collar and chain from the start!

This means that the future direction of the story was already set in stone all the way back during Volume 17! I’m way too excited to see how the plot unfolds from here on out! ( ;∀;)

🧊 The Transparent Chain

Volume 19 features Michael Kaiser on the cover, and for some mysterious reason, his collar is completely “transparent”?! This 19th volume marked the very first time a foreign (overseas) player graced the cover of a Blue Lock manga.

Michael Kaiser is a phenomenal player selected for the “New Generation World 11” who made his grand debut in the second phase of the Blue Lock project, the Neo Egoist League.

“Why is his chain transparent?”

Actually, there are a few other volumes featuring foreign players that will be introduced later, and every single one of them features a uniquely shaped, non-standard chain! Based on this pattern, it is highly probable that these “Special Chains” serve as visual proof that while these foreign players don’t directly receive the core will of “Blue Lock,” they are indirectly influenced by it.

Kaiser, for instance, participated in the Neo Egoist League as a star member of the German club, Bastard Munchen. While he doesn’t directly inherit Jinpachi Ego’s philosophy, I believe that by playing football alongside the fiercely driven members of Blue Lock, he has naturally absorbed their indirect influence.

Furthermore, as for the specific reason behind the “transparency”: During his evolutionary process later in the story, Kaiser discards his deep-rooted obsessions and pride, choosing a playstyle that revolves around “resetting himself to zero.” Zero means “nothingness,” “empty,” or “blank”—which ties perfectly into the visual of a transparent chain.

Maybe this conclusion is a bit of a stretch? (;^ω^) Or who knows, maybe the author just drew it that way simply because it looks incredibly stylish, lol!

🌹 The Blue Rose Chain

Volume 20 features Alexis Ness on the cover, and his collar is “entwined with blue roses”?!

While the underlying chain itself appears to be a standard one, “blue roses” are drawn wrapping tightly around it. Much like Michael Kaiser, Alexis Ness belongs to the German club Bastard Munchen and is a new character who debuted in the Neo Egoist League.

This specific depiction of the chain heavily implies “his profound connection to Michael Kaiser.” Having been saved by Kaiser in the past, Ness has refused to ever leave Kaiser’s side. His absolute trust, devotion, and fierce loyalty toward Kaiser are beautifully materialized in this visual metaphor!

Since he is a foreign player, his chain takes on this special form as visual proof that he is indirectly channeling the will of “Blue Lock”! The dynamic between Alexis Ness and Michael Kaiser is so incredibly fascinating—it almost echoes the relationship between Reo Mikage and Seishiro Nagi (‘▽’)*

⛓️ The Thin Collar

Volume 24 features Yo Hiori on the cover, and his collar is uniquely “thin”?! This 24th volume is actually the only cover that explicitly depicts the “football at the end of the chain,” providing definitive proof for the theory we discussed earlier. (Note: While the chain and football on Ryusei Shido’s cover in Volume 12 appear to be connected, it wasn’t 100% verifiable, which is why we are excluding it here.)

“Why is Yo Hiori’s collar so thin?” I believe the answer lies entirely within his deep-seated reason for playing football. Hiori is fighting to survive inside “Blue Lock” simply because he desperately wants to avoid going back to his parents’ house.

While the majority of the other players are risking their entire lives and football careers, Hiori gives off the strong impression that he is “only staying here out of sheer necessity.” In other words, because he was playing football with insincere, unauthentic feelings, there is a very high possibility that his collar is actually a “fake” created by his own subconscious.

Hiori finally awakens his true ego during the Ubers match in the Neo Egoist League, which means his actual awakening happens around Volume 27! Since he was still playing with a “false ego” during this Volume 24 phase, it makes perfect sense that his collar was depicted as something so fragile and thin. (‘ω’)

🧩 The Block-Shaped (Bumpy) Chain

Volume 25 features Ikki Niko on the cover, and his chain has a distinctly “bumpy, block-like shape”?!

At first glance, you might not notice it, but if you look very closely, the shape of his chain is completely different from any other player’s! “What could this possibly mean?”

As it turns out, Ikki Niko is an avid “card game” enthusiast, and his skills are at a top national level. In card games, “strategy” is absolutely paramount—you have to constantly calculate future moves and read several turns ahead inside your head. This tactical planning is highly reminiscent of a game like “Tetris,” where you meticulously fit different shapes into their perfect spots.

Therefore, it’s highly likely that the bumpy, interlocking shape of Niko’s chain is a visual nod to these puzzle and strategy games where “fitting the pieces together” is key!

Having played card games myself, I know firsthand just how much brainpower they require—they are incredible for sharpening your mind! This tactical mindset shares a lot of common ground with football, and it’s clear that Niko’s exceptional vision and strategic masterclasses on the pitch were forged through his love for card games (‘ω’)ノ

🪤 The Trap-Shaped Chain

Volume 26 features Don Lorenzo on the cover, and his collar is uniquely styled like an “animal trap (bear trap)”?!

Don Lorenzo is another fresh face who debuted in the Neo Egoist League. Given that he is a foreign player, it completely aligns with our theory that his chain takes on a “Special Chain” design.

As for the hidden meaning behind this “trap-shaped chain”: Lorenzo is widely feared and known by his notorious moniker, the “Ace Eater” (主役喰い). He has a terrifying defensive trait where he tracks down the opposing team’s star player, “chomps” down on them, and utterly suffocates them out of the game.

In short, the visual of a “bear trap”—something designed so that once you are caught, there is absolutely no escaping—is the perfect physical manifestation of his inescapable man-marking defense!

It’s truly incredible how much hidden meaning is packed into each individual “chain”! (Even if I’m just guessing, lol!)

📐 The Right-Angled Chain

Volume 29 features Nijiro Nanase on the cover, and for some mysterious reason, his chain is “bending at sharp right angles”?!

The design of the chain itself looks just like a “Standard Chain,” and at first glance, there doesn’t seem to be anything unusual about it. But if you look closely, the chain is actually bent at a rigid, sharp right angle!

On all the previous covers, the “Standard Chains” fluttered and flowed in natural, smooth arcs. Yet, for some reason, only Nijiro Nanase’s chain bends in a rigid, “zigzag” pattern! Why on earth is that??

The answer might lie in Chapter 251, where a secret training session with Rin Itoshi strongly hinted at Nanase’s latent potential as an “ambidextrous” player! And when you think of the ultimate “ambidextrous” player in this world, you instantly think of the world’s number one, Noel Noa!

There is a very high possibility that Nijiro Nanase possesses the same “natural ambidexterity” as Noel Noa. If that’s the case, he might play a massive, game-changing role in the story moving forward!

Noel Noa’s signature weapon is his “Machine Dribble” (機械的行脚). Take a look at this scene! ↓↓↓

It looks strikingly familiar, doesn’t it? Exactly! It perfectly mirrors the rigid, right-angled way Nanase’s chain bends on the cover of Volume 29! This has to be intentional foreshadowing that he will gradually approach the level of Noel Noa in the future!

Nanase’s potential is truly limitless! The fact that he has managed to survive this far without his full peak moments being highlighted yet means he has so much room to grow from here on out. I can’t help but get incredibly hyped for him! (‘▽’)*

🔮 The Multi-Shaped Chain

Volume 30 features Zantetsu Tsurugi on the cover, and his chain is composed of “all kinds of different shapes”?!

Looking at this cover, the links aren’t a uniform design; instead, you can spot various shapes like “stars,” “triangles,” “squares,” and even “hearts” all mixed together! “What on earth could this possibly mean?”

…To be completely honest, I have absolutely no clue, lol.

But if I had to venture a guess, Zantetsu isn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, and given his personality of constantly blurting out incomprehensible, “intellectual-sounding” nonsense, it’s impossible to tell what he’s actually thinking.

In other words, his brain might just be a chaotic universe—like a “magical theme park” where all sorts of random, mismatched things coexist. Perhaps the author chose a “multi-shaped chain” as a visual metaphor to perfectly capture that wild mental landscape!

I tried my best to squeeze out an explanation, but maybe this one is a bit too much of a stretch? (;^ω^) But seriously, I have no idea, lol!

😈 The Devil-Marked Chain

Volume 31 features Charles Chevalier on the cover, and his chain is uniquely styled with a “devil mark” design?!

Charles Chevalier is another fresh face who debuted in the Neo Egoist League. Given that he is a foreign player, it completely aligns with our theory that his chain takes on a “Special Chain” design. In the Neo Egoist League, Charles is depicted as the single youngest player among all the participants.

While his visual design gives off a cute, lovable “little brother” vibe, his actual personality is incredibly contrary, whimsical, and to put it bluntly, he’s a total “mischievous brat.” Reflecting this devilish nature, “devil marks” frequently pop up inside Charles’s speech bubbles throughout his dialogue in the manga!

He looks absolutely adorable at first glance, but on the inside… well, maybe that wild contrast is exactly what makes him so charming, lol!

📿 The Buddhist Rosary (Juzu) Chain

Volume 32 features Gurimu Igarashi on the cover, and his chain is uniquely styled like a “Buddhist rosary (Juzu)”?!

This is something everyone can probably figure out instantly, right? When you think of Gurimu Igarashi, his family home is a Buddhist temple, and he has a strict condition that if he gets eliminated from “Blue Lock,” he will be forced to “inherit the family temple”! Without a doubt, his chain took on the shape of a “Buddhist rosary (Juzu)” to visually represent his temple background!

This one was pretty straightforward! I wish the previous volume covers had been designed with clear, simple hints like this too (´▽｀)

⚡ The Speed-of-Light Chain

Volume 33 features Julian Loki on the cover, and his chain is drawn with the “image of the speed of light”?!

As expected of another foreign player, it completely aligns with our theory that his chain takes on a “Special Chain” design. The visual heavily reflects Loki’s signature weapon—his “god-like speed”—and the collar itself already looks like it is bursting and breaking apart!

In other words, could this imply that he is on the verge of completely breaking free from the shackles of “Blue Lock”?!

When it comes to Julian Loki, he was already overwhelming everyone with pure, god-like ability, completely independent of any “Blue Lock” philosophy. He’s so ridiculously overpowered it’s almost unfair! (;^w^)

🪙 The Gold Coin Chain

Volume 34 features Hirotoshi Buratsuta on the cover, and his chain is uniquely depicted using “gold coins”?!

Buratsuta is the president of the Japan Football Association who views football strictly as a business, and he wouldn’t hesitate to play the villain if it means making a profit. Naturally, his philosophy clashes completely with Jinpachi Ego’s, leading to nothing but endless arguments between the two. This “gold coin chain” is undoubtedly a visual symbol of his sheer obsession with wealth.

And as some sharp-eyed readers might have already noticed, a part of his chain subtly incorporates “Seishiro Nagi’s personal emblem”?! This heavily implies that he views Seishiro Nagi as nothing more than a “money-making tool,” exposing his underlying plot to somehow revive Nagi after his recent slump in the Neo Egoist League…

*While Hirotoshi Buratsuta is explicitly depicted as an “unlikable character,” he definitely possesses his own unshakeable “ego” and greedily pursues his goals to the very end! Personally, I actually quite like his character ( ´艸｀)

⛓️❌ No Chain

Volume 18 features Anri Teieri on the cover, and she has “no chain” at all?!

As arguably the only prominent female character in the series, she is also the very person who scouted and brought in Jinpachi Ego as the head coach in order to “lead Japan to victory in the World Cup.”

Inside “Blue Lock,” she takes care of Jinpachi Ego’s daily needs and handles the overall administration of the players. If the players inside Blue Lock are considered “leashed dogs,” then Anri Teieri functions as the administrator of the facility—making her, in a sense, the “master” who holds the leash! That is precisely why she has no collar or chain; if anything, she belongs to the side that places the collars on others.

If this theory holds true, it also perfectly explains why Ego-san wears a collar and chains himself on his own cover! Since Anri-chan was the one who summoned Ego-san, that technically makes her the ultimate “master” (‘ω’)ノ

📊 ③ The Final Tally

If we break down the distinct characteristics of all the covers we’ve analyzed so far, here is the official scoreboard! (The numbers below represent the volume volumes)

★ Standard Chains & Collars ➔ Vol. 1–10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28 (Total: 19 volumes)

★ Special Chains & Collars ➔ Vol. 11, 12, 17, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 (Total: 15 volumes)

★ No Chain & Collar ➔ Vol. 18 (Total: 1 volume)

While many of us probably had the impression that “Standard Chains” made up the vast majority, looking at the actual data shows there isn’t that much of a gap compared to the “Special Chains”!

Personally, I suspect that the covers up to Volume 10 might have been drawn without this deeper system fully set in stone yet. If Blue Lock ever gets special reprint editions or collector’s box sets in the future, there’s a good chance the cover illustrations might get updated with new chain designs!

Man, I would absolutely love it if they drew Isagi Yoichi’s chain with a “puzzle piece” pattern in the future! (´▽｀)

🎬 ④ Final Thoughts

Thank you all so much for reading through to the very end!! The volume count for Blue Lock is only going to keep growing, and we can definitely expect more unique “chains and collars” to appear on future covers! Even though we’ve flown past Volume 30, the deepest “mysteries of the covers” are still far from being fully unraveled…

Since it’s highly unlikely that this specific mystery will ever be officially explained within the pages of the main manga itself, I will keep pushing forward with my theories—firmly believing that someday, Muneyuki Kaneshiro-sensei (Author) or Yusuke Nomura-sensei (Illustrator) will spill the beans and reveal the truth somewhere!

◆ Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading until the very end!! Knowing that you all are reading my articles gives me incredible motivation!

I’m going to keep pumping out articles until this becomes the actual “World’s Best Blue Lock Site,” so please continue to show your support! Let’s do this! (‘◇’)ゞ