Highlights
- My Hero Academia has evolved into something truly special with a cast of the best-written characters in anime.
- Himiko Toga stands out as one of the most well-developed female characters in the show, with depth and growth.
- All Might’s character arc explores feelings of guilt and his impact on Izuku, showcasing the show’s quality writing.
Ever since it was released back in 2016, My Hero Academia has been setting the anime world on fire. What at first may have seemed like a quick cash-in on the never-ending superhero craze, the anime has evolved into something truly special and has mostly gotten better with age. Its cast is home to some of anime’s best-written and most interesting characters.
25 Iconic Shonen Anime Protagonists, Ranked By Their Power
Shonen anime has featured some incredibly powerful protagonists, but who’s the strongest of them all?
This is a show where, more often than not, the villains are more interesting than the heroes, and pretty much everyone has a fleshed-out backstory. Thanks to its quality writing in My Hero Academia, even the most unlikeable characters can see enough growth to become fan favorites.
1 Himiko Toga
The Best Written Female Character
Unfortunately, as well-written as the show’s male characters are, the same can’t always be said for My Hero Academia‘s female characters. Most of them are perfectly likable, but they don’t always come with a lot of depth. Thankfully, fans have Himko Toka of the Paranormal Liberation Front.
10 Best Rivalries In My Hero Academia, Ranked
Rivalries are, in many ways, the heart and soul of My Hero Academia, and these characters make for the best rival relationships in the series.
Toga starts as a delightfully deranged example of the Yandere trope. Originally being crazy and obsessed with Izuku was pretty much her whole thing, but Toga’s had an enjoyable character arc. She’s still a villain, but she’s also fiercely loyal to her friends, especially Twice. Her ongoing rivalry with Uraraka is also a lot of fun.
2 All Might
The Ultimate Symbol Of Peace
My Hero Academia has put All Might through the wringer over the years. He’s gone from being the show’s most powerful hero to essentially being Izuku’s Alfred. As a Superman knockoff, All Might wasn’t all that interesting, but his character has changed a lot since Season 1.
A large part of All Might’s character arc has been dealing with feelings of guilt. Not just guilt over how his retirement affected the superhero community, giving rise to a new breed of supervillains, but also feelings of guilt towards Izuku. All Might could have chosen anyone to give One For All to anyone, and he picked a quirkless boy desperate to be a hero. The show has done an excellent job of showing how All Might is still dealing with the repercussions of that decision, as Izuku continues to push himself too far.
3 Hawks
A Hero And A Spy
Under Hawks’ upbeat exterior lies a surprisingly complex heart. Through flashbacks, fans have learned how Hawks grew up poor with a criminal for a father. When his father was caught, Hawks and his mother paid the price. Seeing Endeavor capture his father made Hawks want to grow up and become a hero.
My Hero Academia: Hawks’ Quirk, Explained
The No. 2 Hero certainly has some cool tricks up his sleeves with his quirk. Keigo’s giant pair of red wings might actually be more than they seem.
Sadly, the Hero Public Safety Commission took his dream and twisted it. Under their watch, Hawks was first turned into a hero and then an undercover agent. Tasked with infiltrating the League of Villains, Hawks had to pretend to betray the Hero Association and then fake Best Jeanist’s murder. This arc culminated in Hawks killing Twice, an act that continues to haunt him.
4 Shoto Todoroki
A Tale Of Fire And Ice
Shoto easily has one of My Hero Academia‘s most tragic backstories – a cruel, overbearing father and a mother driven mad by a loveless quirk marriage. To deal with his childhood drama, Shoto built up an icy demeanor, repressed his fire abilities, and initially tried his best to keep his classmates at arm’s length.
To say Shoto has daddy issues would be an understatement. Throughout the show, he realizes that his trauma is holding him back (for example, failing the hero license exam) and has done his best to reconcile with his father. This character growth has made him not just a fan favorite but one of the most powerful pupils in Class 1-A.
5 Dabi
The Prince Of Daddy Issues
Dabi is basically Shoto’s opposite. Whereas Shoto learned to deal with his trauma, Dabi let it twist him into one of the show’s strongest villains.
My Hero Academia: 8 Villains Who Don’t Deserve Redemption
The goal is frequently to provide villains with a second opportunity at redemption. Unfortunately, that seems improbable with these individuals in MHA
When Dabi was revealed as being the missing Todoroki sibling, Touya, fans weren’t exactly surprised (it would have been more surprising if he wasn’t). However, the reveal was still a great one – it not only explained what drives Dabi to go to such depraved lengths but also unveiled how deeply flawed hero society really is. Whether or not Dabi will have a redemption arc remains to be seen, and arguably, he doesn’t need one.
6 Bakugo
Not Just A Bully
No one likes Bakugo when they first meet him. He’s an arrogant bully who does his best to make Izuku’s life a living hell. The only reason he doesn’t succeed is that Izuko is such an irrepressible ray of sunshine.
Yet ask any diehard My Hero Academia fan who their favorite character is and there’s a good chance they’ll say Bakugo. Fans have the show’s writing to thank for that. Over the series’ course, Bakugo has grown into a true hero and actual ally to Izuko. He’s learned his arrogance comes from his insecurities and has had to admit that he’s not the best at everything. He’s still a jerk, but now he’s “our” jerk.
7 Izuku Midoriya
From Zero To Hero
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that Izuku is supposed to be My Hero Academia‘s main protagonist. That’s how strong the show’s ensemble cast is. Make no mistake though, Izuku is still an incredibly well-written hero.
My Hero Academia: What Makes Deku Different From Other One For All Users
Every user of One For All had their own unique way of fighting. So how does Deku compare to them?
Izuku’s journey hasn’t been an easy one. He’s gone from a quirkless nobody to wielding one of his world’s most powerful quirks – a process that’s seen him almost destroy his body countless times. Izuku’s selflessness knows no bounds, something which has put him at odds with his allies, especially during his deeply entertaining “Dark Deku” arc.
8 Shigaraki
Growing In The Wrong Direction
Fans usually think of character growth as being a positive thing, but not in Shigaraki’s case. When first introduced, Shigaraki was a fairly aimless villain – he mostly destroyed things just for the sake of it. Then he met Stain and realized he had a greater purpose – total societal upheaval AND destroying lots of things.
It turns out Shigaraki, like so many My Hero Academia characters, has a tragic background. As a child, he wanted to be a hero, but he was born with the world’s least heroic quirk. After he accidentally killed his entire family, society abandoned him, and a villain was born. Shigaraki proves viewers can sympathize with a villain while still wanting to see them get a beating.
9 Twice
A Good Guy And A Villain
Twice is hands down My Hero Academia‘s most tragic character. Like so many other villains in the show, Twice was rejected by society and had little choice but to become a villain. That doesn’t mean he was a bad guy.
Twice was a good guy driven mad by his double quirk. Able to multiply himself, Twice quickly lost his sense of self and began to doubt if he was the real Twice or not. All he wanted was a place to belong and the villains accepted him. Sadly, this led to his downfall. Twice decided to trust infiltrator Hawks – a decision that cost him his life. Twice may have been a villain, but he was never a bad guy and his death was one of the show’s saddest.
10 Endeavor
World’s Worst Dad, But He’s Working On It
Endeavor is proof that heroes can be villains too. From his very first appearance, Endeavor was an unlikeable, overly competitive jerk who seemed to care more about being number one than helping people. Then fans discovered his background and what he’d done to his family and his fate seemed sealed as the show’s least likable character.
My Hero Academia: How Much Has Endeavor Changed Since Season 1?
From a heartless monster to a loving and responsible father, Endeavor has had quite a transformative journey. But how much has he exactly changed?
Then the show’s writers took him down a peg or two and Endeavor was forced to show some humility, becoming a better man and a more loving father. His redemption arc has been controversial with some fans, but the writers have done an excellent job humanizing My Hero Academia‘s most flawed hero.
My Hero Academia
- Release Date
- April 3, 2016
- Studio
- Bones
- Japanese Title
- Boku no Hero Academia
- Number of Episodes
- 138
