The Most Iconic My Hero Academia Characters

Summary

• My Hero Academia features iconic characters with unique traits, rich personalities, and deep backstories, making them some of the most well-written in anime.
• Deku goes from ‘quirkless failure’ to Ninth Wielder of One For All, embodying selflessness and a strong sense of heroism.
• All Might, the iconic Pro Hero, is known for his popularity, secret past, and mentorship to Deku, showcasing true hero qualities.

My Hero Academia is a vastly popular shōnen series that paints both a rich and complex image of a superhuman society where most people have some special ability known as Quirks. The series predominantly focuses on the freshman class of its most famous hero school, U.A. High, and thus this group of students in Class 1-A experience intense action and face many villains on their journeys to becoming Pro Heroes.

There’s no shortage of colorful and unique characters in My Hero Academia, from strong and capable Pro Heroes to characters with really strange Quirks and even those who begin and end the series as someone completely different. Obviously, it’s fair to say that some stand out as more iconic than others for being part of the main cast, but not just that alone. These iconic MHA characters have many unique traits, rich personalities, and deep backstories, which both define their journeys and make them some of the most well-written characters in anime.

1

Izuku ‘Deku’ Midoriya

The Main Star Of The Series

• First Appearance: Chapter 1 (Manga) Episode 1 (Anime)

The popular and beloved figurehead of the series, Deku goes from being deemed a quirkless ‘failure’ to the Ninth Wielder of One For All. Even though he was bullied, Deku was always selfless and was driven by his childhood hero All Might. Deku believed saving people was the coolest and most admirable thing anyone could do, hence why even before inheriting All Might’s power, he moved to rescue Katsuki from a villain before even thinking about it, putting himself in harm’s way.

Though Deku eventually becomes a very powerful hero, he never lost sight of his ideals to save those in need, something he believed Shigaraki was crying out for. With his iconic mannerisms, green hair, and innocent smile, Deku is both a good role model and one of the most popular characters in shonen anime.

2

All Might

The Iconic Pro Hero And Mentor

• First Appearance: Chapter 1 (Manga) Episode 1 (Anime)

All Might, real name Toshinori Yagi, is the world’s most famous hero and has the status of being iconic in both the world of MHA and in the realm of anime, too. With his eye-catching design, iconic victory pose, catchphrase, and large grin, All Might vowed to save people with a smile and strove to become a symbol, feeling the people of his country were void of a symbol to look up to and give them protection. As well as being an extremely popular hero, All Might holds a secret side of himself which initially only a few know of, that being his past history with All For One, and where he got his power from, which makes him a popular character.

All Might was the Eighth Wielder of One For All and had a tragic past involving him losing his master to All For One and getting a life-changing injury from him. All Might is a true hero who cares deeply about helping others and protecting them, yet also has immense power that could stop many villains. He’s also a kind and instructive mentor to his successor Deku, thus he embodies many traits of a true hero, which makes him very popular.

3

Tomura Shigaraki

The Truly Terrifying Villain Of The Series

• First Appearance: Chapter 11 (Manga) Episode 8 (Anime)

Tomura Shigaraki is the main villain in the series, known for his hatred of All Might and desire to see the end of hero society. He’s the grandson of All Might’s master but was born into a hero-hating family, and tragically, All For One was working behind the scenes in his life. After a tragic accident when his Quirk activated and he killed his whole family, Shigaraki was manipulated by All For One to hate the hero-saturated society with all its flaws and the so-called heroes in charge who, as his late father once said, hurt their own families just to help complete strangers.

Shigaraki is known for his iconic appearance as well as his terrifying presence and power, which can decay everything it touches, like what happened with his family. He’s a villain through and through with a twisted mindset, yet despite this, Deku still believes he can save him.

4

Katsuki ‘Kacchan’ Bakugo

The Explosive Rival And Eventual Friend

• First Appearance: Chapter 1 (Manga) Episode 1 (Anime)

Katsuki Bakugo is the series’ deuteragonist and one of the most popular characters. He’s mostly known for his infamous temper, crude personality, and extremely powerful Explosion Quirk (as well as his comically wide variety of facial expressions). Like Deku, he also looked up to All Might, though he kept this more of a secret as he got older. Katsuki acts particularly violently, especially to begin with, due to his raging inferiority complex, not wanting to be seen as ‘weak’ by anyone, and yearning to be acknowledged by All Might. Yet his character development is some of the most drastic and wholesome in the series, gradually revealing his mental instability and why he initially sees Deku the way he does.

Katsuki is an inspirational character for learning to recognize his own weaknesses and choosing to learn from them, which helped him form a better relationship with Deku, becoming his closest friend. After experiencing his own series of crises, he became one of the few people to learn of One For All before it was made public knowledge. Katsuki even sacrificed himself for Deku during the Paranormal Liberation War, when his body moved before he had a chance to think, just like Deku did for him at the very start of the series.

5

Shoto Todoroki

Two-Toned Hair And Two-Toned Quirk

• First Appearance: Chapter 6 (Manga) Episode 5 (Anime)

Shoto Todoroki is a beloved character with his iconic two-toned hair, and plays a large role as the series’ tritagonist. He has an incredible amount of power stemming from his heritage as the son of Endeavor, yet Todoroki has a dark and tragic past, as he was known as his father’s ‘masterpiece’, whom he trained to surpass All Might. Todoroki was forced into being a hero and was trained as soon as he was able to by his father, yet because of the suffering he endured, he grew to resent him. This plays a massive part in his character development across the series as he learns to come to terms with his past and that his Quirk is his own.

Todoroki is one of the most powerful students at U.A. with his fire and ice abilities, and is known for his levelheadedness and, alongside Deku and Bakugo, makes up the “Big Three” of Class 1-A. He remains a beloved character for the way he grows, faces his past, and starts to make friends with those around him.

6

Ochaco Uraraka

The Kind, Peppy Yet Powerful Female Lead

• First Appearance: Chapter 3 (Manga) Episode 3 (Anime)

Ochaco Uraraka is one of the kindest and pure-hearted anime characters, known for her innocence, boundless optimism, and desire to see others happy. Unlike many other characters, Uraraka’s ambition to become a Pro Hero is driven by very realistic and selfless means, the fact that she wants to support her parents. Uraraka comes from a poor family and is determined to make her parents’ lives easier, even though she is embarrassed to admit this to her peers.

Uraraka’s kind heart and desire to help people make her a character to root for, and this extends to the long battle she has with Himiko Toga in an effort to understand her, just as she’s been able to read those around her. Uraraka’s unyielding kindness, character growth, and boldness as she begins to play a vital role in the wars make her a strong female character to admire. Her anti-gravity powers are also extremely interesting.

7

Shota Aizawa

Class 1-A’s Fan Favorite Homeroom Teacher

• First Appearance: Chapter 5 (Manga) Episode 5 (Anime)

Shota Aizawa is both Class 1-A’s beloved homeroom teacher and an incredibly capable Pro Hero. He may be known for his sullen and seemingly lazy appearance, and unlike most Pros, he doesn’t want to stand out, but the way he goes against the grain makes him even more of a beloved character. He’s both strict and compassionate to his students, and doesn’t hesitate to put them in their places if they get out of hand. However, he deeply cares for their well-being and is their fierce protector.

Aizawa suffers some truly devastating injuries over the course of the series, from early on in the USJ ambush, to the Paranormal Liberation war, wherein he loses both his leg and his eye. He truly gives his all to cultivating the next generation of heroes, putting them first in everything and seeking for them all to realize their potential and become capable and powerful Pros. There’s no teacher with a personality quite like Aizawa in the series, making him stand out as truly iconic.

8

Himiko Toga

Scarily Powerful Yet Deeply Tragic

• First Appearance: Chapter 57 (Manga) Episode 31 (Anime)

Himiko Toga is one of the most iconic yandere characters in anime, but also a deeply tragic character. She may look like an innocent high school girl, but this is all part of why she’s one of the most well-designed villains in the series. Her Quirk lets her take the likeness of someone else, but to do this, she has to ingest their blood. This desire was what made Himiko an outcast to begin with, and eventually, this caused her to ally with the League of Villains.

Due to her twisted perception of what it means to love, Toga is a highly dangerous character. For her, loving someone means literally wanting to become that person, by hurting them and thus taking their blood so she can transform into them. Even though it seems no one can possibly get through to Toga and understand how she truly feels, the unyielding efforts of Ochaco Uraraka eventually serve to change Toga, and thus she is redeemed by her.

9

Endeavor

The Powerful Pro With A Dark History

• First Appearance: Chapter 28 (Manga) Episode 17 (Anime)

Endeavor, real name Enji Todoroki, is Shoto Todoroki’s infamous father and the No.2 Pro Hero for the majority of the series. He’s one of the most divisive characters, known for the terrible way he treated his family. He was completely obsessed with the idea of surpassing All Might and claiming the No.1 spot for himself, yet his blinding attempt to achieve this led to him becoming the abusive father he’s known as.

However, even if he was this terrible person for the majority of his life, Endeavor doesn’t stay this way but, much like Bakugo, undergoes drastic character development and completely changes his outlook. Once All Might retires after his narrow victory against All For One, Endeavor finally gets the No.1 spot he’s always dreamed of, but instead, he seeks to build a better relationship with his family going forward. This is especially the case after he finds out what happened to his eldest son, Toya.

10

Dabi

The Long-Lost Villain Who Haunts Endeavor

• First Appearance: Chapter 57 (Manga) Episode 31 (Anime)

Dabi is one of the most popular villains in the series, with his formidable appearance and a mysterious identity, the truth of which he’s managed to conceal for years. Known for his iconic and highly dangerous Blueflame Quirk, Dabi holds a very personal vendetta against Endeavor and is thus determined to bring Endeavor down and ruin him. Dabi joined Shigaraki’s League at the same time as Himiko Toga and quickly became one of its most prominent members, having committed many heinous crimes himself. However, seeing as “Dabi” is only an alias, fans began to wonder who this young man really was behind his scarred appearance.

It’s revealed that Dabi has been biding his time and waiting for the right moment to reveal himself to the world, as the long-lost son of Endeavor himself, Toya Todoroki. The way he was treated, combined with the obsession he had over his father, had drastic repercussions, and thus Dabi wanted nothing more than to completely ruin his father and his attempt at atoning for his past actions.