I am so unbelievably grateful to Mr. Kōhei Horikoshi for giving us the universe of Boku No Hero Academia with all of its wide-eyed wonder and powerful quirks and complex emotions. The genius it takes to write SO MANY characters with such intricate personalities and unique stories is truly admirable.
Now while there are some interesting characters that we sometimes have mixed feelings about, like Bakugo or Dabi, and some who we hate from the bottom of our hearts, like All For One and Mineta (my personal opinion), the true magic in the story comes from how pure and lovable some of our heroes (and non-heroes) are.
Spoiler Alert! This post might contain spoilers for the My Hero Academia anime.
Deku/ Izuku Midoriya
He is the protagonist, of course, but I still included him in this list of mostly underrated characters because he always manages to surprise me with his angel-like nature. He was bullied as a child and never given an opportunity to shine. He had almost every reason to be bitter and vengeful about it, and yet he chose to be hopeful and to see the good in everyone (even villains). His instinct of saving everyone even if it means sacrificing himself makes him the most deserving of his power. Some shōnen protagonists are too overpowered, and some are too annoying as weaklings. But Izuku Midoriya rises to the occasion every time, developing his character as he tries to face everything he is scared of.
Eri
Not a single My Hero Academia fan will deny that as soon as they saw Eri, they felt the need to protect her and nurture her until she healed, mentally and physically. Being a child, she is already extremely adorable, but that’s not the extent of it. We see the trauma Eri has been put through in her life, and how she has willingly accepted her fate. It takes her so much courage and strength to open up to people who are actually good and who saved her, but when she finally does, the sight is both heartbreaking and joyful. I believe I have never cried as much as I did in the school festival arc because Eri’s first smile is just so powerful in its purity. She must be protected and loved at all costs.
Tsuyu Asui
Tsuyu is one of the best girls in MHA, change my mind. She’s one of the most non-controversial, amicable, and innocent characters, who gets along with everyone. It has been noticed by her classmates that she is dependable, intelligent, and cooperative as a partner who never seems to lose her cool and has mastery over her quirk. She is like an elder sister and a younger sister to many class 1-A students at the same time, with her affectionate and concerned but also very cute nature. She deserves more screen time, and we hope the MHA animators make this wish come true! Rainy Season Hero: Froppy for the win!
Mirio Togata
Again, the purity meter is about to burst because enter the sweetest, most optimistic boy, Mirio. We already know how he reached his level of power, and how hard he worked toward it, and while he seems to some like a simpleton, he’s just that nice and positive. He rams headfirst into a fight if it means saving innocent people, like he did for Eri. And, oh my god, his interactions with Eri are like a literal arrow of happiness and LIGHT piercing your heart. The fact that he kept fighting and smiling even after losing his quirk (something that would kill the spirit of an aspiring hero) justifies why Sir Nighteye thought of him as a suitable successor to All Might- he really could’ve filled the place of the Symbol of Peace.
Fat Gum
From what little we have seen of this pro-hero, he seems like he is a sweetie-pie and gives the best hugs. No, seriously though, that’s him in the picture, hugging the villains to defeat. His quirk – Fat Absorption – is pretty cool in itself, and paired with his intelligence and skills, works for defense and offense. What’s truly amazing is how well he mentors and protects his work-study interns, another two of the best boys- the socially anxious Tamaki and the sweet Eijiro- and nurtures them into becoming wonderful future heroes. His goofy and peace-loving personality is to die for, and I wouldn’t mind getting crushed to death if it meant I could get a hug from Fat Gum!
Twice
I just had to include someone from among the villains, because you know the bad guys in the MHA universe are just broken souls, a lot of whom don’t even want to hurt others; just change the order of the society. The Deadpool-like appearance of Twice already gets him a thumbs-up from us, but his personality is also hard not to like. Constantly living with two voices in one’s head seems like a true struggle, and he still manages to be a fun, interesting, somewhat nice person to be around. His crush on Toga is kinda cute too, despite their disturbing status as villains. Speaking of, he is very loyal to those he considers friends, who happen to be the League of Villains, but it’s still an important quality. Overall, having the strength of character (even as an anti-hero) despite the tragedies of his life makes him easy to like and relate with.
Hawks
I became heavily intrigued by this character as soon as he came on-screen, and I haven’t been able to take my eyes off him yet. I mean, aside from the fact that he is GORGEOUS, he also has a very interesting role to play in the story, especially in season 5 of the anime and beyond. Of course, the persona he presents to the public- funny, friendly, strong- makes him instantly popular, but even his internal struggles and conflicts contribute to our liking for him. His role as a double agent, risking his life to help the heroes go up against the villains, brings out his sacrificing, kind, serious, and dutiful side. So yeah- his quirk is amazing, his charisma is swoon-worthy, but most importantly, he has great responsibility that he wants to fulfill despite all that he is struggling with.
I guess that’s the end of my fangirling, folks; though to be honest, I could write epic poems about everything there is to admire about Horikoshi’s brilliance in My Hero Academia. Who are your favorite MHA characters and why? We’d love to know, so tell us below!
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