My Hero Academia Characters Top 10 List

My Hero Academia characters top 10 list in celebration of the newest film, My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission.

With the cultural phenomenon that is “My Hero Academia” showing no signs of slowing down, its 3rd theatrical feature film about to be released in most Western territories with My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission, I thought it would be a great time to sit down list the Top 10 characters of the show.

Kōhei Horikoshi vision of Tokyo is filled with colorful characters, both good and bad, that have helped him create such a spectacular and dazzling world, for which the series has been universally acclaimed for its world building. From the most scumy villain, to top ranked heroes, to up-and-coming hopefuls attending UA High. This list will include any and everyone who has made the biggest mark on the show thus far. This will take into account the anime and not the manga (as not to spoil our anime-only friends).

Top 10 My Hero Academia Characters

10. Eijiro Kirishima/Red Riot

Eijiro was at first easy to disregard, on the surface he is boisterous and outgoing, a real man’s man, but it’s his values that make him standout and push him to become a better hero. He emotionally gravitates towards those who are noble, brave, and/or determined. His continuous progression, respect for his peers & superiors as well as his fight alongside Fat Gum at the Yakuza hideout earned him not only the respect of the pro heroes but also the fans’ complete admiration and respect as well as the unbreakable friendship of his classmates. Eijiro is determined and selfless, bravely putting the safety of others before himself. That if you ask me, if indeed very manly.

9. Mirio Togata/Lemillion

Judging off of his extremely goofy, energetic and optimistic personality, one at first questions how Mirio’s one of UA’s top students, but Mirio does not allow his laid-back nature to impede his dreams of becoming a hero. He’s an extremely hard worker, turning a near-tamable ability into one of the world’s most powerful Quirks.

Quickly becoming an inspiration to Izuku Mydoria and the rest of Class 1-A, Lemillion played a key role in rescuing against the Yakuza in Season 4, and it was his bravery that allowed Eri to awaken her powers and set the path for her to help Deku defeat Overhaul. Mirio’s abilities and prowess were so promising he has always been in many ways compared to All Might, not only by fans but also by characters in the series itself, having at one point been seen at the perfect successor to the Symbol of Peace and the one worthy inheritor of One for All.

Lemillion’s a true source of inspiration because of his actions outside of his hero duties, he keeps a cheerful attitude despite his sacrifice to save Eri leaving him quirkless, he continues to help the next generation of heroes such as Class 1-A and takes care of Eri, encouraging her at embracing her powers. Mirio’s the big brother we all wish we had.

8. Enji Todoroki/Endeavor

The sucessor to All Might and current #1 Hero. Endeavor. Easily one of the most emotionally complex characters in the series. Prideful and ambitious, Endeavor’s obsessive drive has guided him throughout his entire life, with repeated failure having plagued him since his youth.

As a heroes there’s no denying Endeavor’s incredible power, but as a person fans have come to know him as a cold, callous, stubborn person who didn’t care for anything but his impossible dream, wanting to accomplish it at any cost, even at the cost of his family.

Endeavour allowed his aspirations to come at the cost of his family, as in pursuit of his dream he mentally and physically abusive his wife and children, creating a rift in the family. What causes him to make the list his most recent efforts to make amends while acknowledging what he did was wrong and the understanding that redemption is not easy, it takes time and effort.

Whether his family forgives him or not we’ll have to wait and see, but it is commendable to see Endeavor is willing to put in the work to achieve his new dream of being at peace with his family.

7. Ochaco Uraraka/Uravity

Beautifully contrasting her zero gravity powers, Uraraka is the character that grounds the show and her fellow classmates. She is the ultimate “girl next dorm room”: laid back, bubbly and constantly a positive influence on the other students of Class 1-A, her empathy and kindness constantly rub off on those closest to her, while also blunt without being aware of it. Like Izuku she is also a big fan of quirks others exhibit, unable to hide her enthusiasm.

Ochaco seems to be very good at reading people, understanding the reasons for Izuku and Katsuki Bakugo’s rivalry, Ochaco can also be extremely determined, focused, and have a somewhat intimidating attitude. Her qualities in battle have shown her to be surprisingly strategic, but she isn’t above making some impulsive or reckless decisions.

What truly cements Uraraka’s place on this list is what drives her: she wants to be there not only for the people she means to save, but she cares to be there for the heroes themselves. Uraraka constantly asks “Who is there for the heroes?”. Uraraka is precious, and we must protect her at all costs.

Related: 70+ My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission Quotes

6. All for One

The antithesis to All Might, the original big bad: The Symbol of Fear himself. A sadistic and malevolent man who likes to rule from the shadows and enjoys seeing others suffer. He once upon a time used his powers to help others, only in exchange for their servitude. Once they were no longer able to follow his orders, All For One would callously abandon them. He’s the ultimate cult leader, worshiping at his own image and showing signs of megalomania, comparing himself to the Demon Lord he read in comics.

All For One has a firm contempt for ideals of justice and morality, seeing them as beliefs of other people that shackle one’s personal freedom and he also has a firm hatred of the heart, believing it to be a very strong source of power for those who would oppose him. All for One is a scary being for different reasons than his successor, Tomura Shagaraki. While the latter is careless about who lives or dies, including himself, All for One is willing to die for his beliefs if need be, sparing no efforts to ensure that his image as the Symbol of Fear persists even after he’s gone.

What makes the relationship so interesting is All for One’s lack of trust in Tomura as his successor, and the power play between the two. He loathes All Might with a burning passion as his archenemy for ruining his syndicate and crippling him, but he’s also extremely proud of his accomplishment having taken All Might’s last respite of power in their final battle. All for One might not have killed All Might, but he did the impossible… he took away his smile.

5. Tomura Shigaraki

The frightening leader of the League of Villain, now the Paranormal Liberation Army: Tomura has a malevolent and twisted personality, he is in many ways dark reflection of Izuku Midoriya. What makes him scary is his absolute disregard about his evil deeds like murdering innocent people, he cares little for life itself, be it his or anybody else’s. Tomura arrogant, selfish, dependent, and demanding, much like a child. Tomura’s surprising complexity comes from his abusive past and the traumatic awakening of his powers that lead him to uncontrollably murder his family.

This traumatic experience has haunted Tomura to the present, making him unable to cope with his own feelings, lashing out and abusing others and himself, tearing at his own neck when he becomes frustrated. All For One found him as a child and too kit upon himself to raise Tomura as his heir, claiming that this awakening represented his suppressed urge to kill and destroy, and nurtured the darkest aspects of Tomura’s personality.

As the heir apparent to All For One, Tomura has become even scarier has the series has gone on, becoming the de-facto leader of a 10,000 strong army willing to answer his beck and call, and knowing there’s little to nothing he’s not capable of, Tomura is as big as big bads get.

4. Shoto Todoroki/Shoto

Shoto originally had a cold, aloof personality, which stemmed from his abusive upbringing and complicated family life. He is focused and unemotional, and preferred to keep to himself instead of hanging out with other people. Through the course of the series, and with the encouragement of his classmates, mainly Izuku Midoriya, Shoto notably becomes more sociable and kind, even gaining a sense of humor and occasionally smiling.

It’s true the growth he’s able to accomplish in school that he matures enough to contemplate fixing his relationship with Endeavour, but knowing he’s not the one who needs to put effort in, remaining relatively cold towards his father. While demonstrating that he struggles with forgiving his father, Shoto has shown concern for the #1 hero, taking a careful and considerate, yet hopeful, approach to the relationship.

Calm and composed, yet brutal in combat, Shoto is well-grounded on the ethics of heroism, only wishing to subdue his frozen opponents as opposed to killing them by prolonging the freezing. Shoto’s growth and acceptance of his true self has allowed him to become a better hero and more importantly, a better man. Opening himself to both his quirks, as well as to his friends and colleagues, has made him stronger, but more importantly made him stop blaming himself for his father’s actions and embrace the future, instead of being tormented by the past.

3. Katsuki Bakugo/Kacchan

Kacchan is a crude, arrogant, short-tempered, and aggressive person, tending to come off as unheroic. This problematic behavior informed his relationship with Izuku Midoriya from their early childhood days as he constantly showed hostility towards Izuku, mainly because of his former Quirkless status.

However, through the course of the show, fighting several battles together and against one another, Katsuki has gradually matured through his time at U.A., coming to befriend some of his classmates and willingly engaging in social interaction with them, turning him into a less antagonistic person, while still retaining some unpleasant traits. He has a fierce character and competitive drive that actually have come to inspire some of his peers, particularly Kirishima and Kaminari.

While being inspired to become a hero by All Might, the same as Izuku, their beliefs differ: Katsuki feels a hero should never stop fighting or give up, regardless of the threat they face, and that always winning is the mark of a true hero. Katsuki is unwavering in his aspirations of heroism, having outright refused Tomura Shigaraki’s proposal for him to join the League of Villains because he views the villains as people who lose and not win like heroes. Katsuki is the classic hard shelled, soft on the inside bad boy of any story, and I just can’t wait to see his shell crack.

2. Izuku Midoriya/Deku

Our protagonist, POV character and hero to-be. Izuku guides the story and narrates the events of the show, highlighting not only his journey and efforts, but also those who went along the journey with him and those who guided him on that journey. Izuku is a very timid, reserved, and polite boy, frequently overreacting to abnormal situations with exaggerated expressions.

Through his first year at U.A. he develops strong leadership skills, which combined with his passion and strategic abilities, have turned him into a central figure within Class 1-A. Izuku is the biggest fan of any pro hero, but more important he’s the biggest supporter of his own classmates, enthusiastically cheering for them, supporting them and even actively helping them overcome struggles they might be having with their quirks.

What makes Izuku stand out amongst other heroes and heroes to-be is his enormous empathety which gives him a desire to want to understand the villains he has faced, and potentially save them from themselves. While he first believed Tomura to be a madman who just wants to meaninglessly hurt others, Izuku learns about his tragic history and sensing the pain in his heart through their connection between One For All and All For One, this reinvigorates his belief that a great Hero is someone who saves others.

Izuku constantly puts others before himself, even villains, and so he can be selfless to a fault, making rash decisions that have come to cause him harm, emotionally and physically. One thing is for sure, all the logistics, bureaucracy and legalities aside, Deku has always been a hero where it counts.

Related: My Hero Academia Interview | Justin Briner & Clifford Chapin

1. Toshinori Yagi/All Might

There really is no other answer, is there? All Might is the standard by which heroes are measure. Every character compares themselves to him, he is the biggest inspiration of our protagonists. All Might to this day, is the charismatic pillar of hero society and the series itself. Exuberant and filled with dramatic flair, All Might always protects and saves innocents, with a huge smile, this habit was ingrained to him by his mentor, Nana Shimura, who believed that the ones who smile are the ones who are the strongest, no doubt due to All for One’s own beliefs.

While he’s an optimist, he still ensures his goals are grounded in reality. Since his young days, All Might had always carried a single, yet burdensome goal in his mind: to become a pillar of hope that people could always rely upon during harsh times. His presence alone decreased Japan’s crime rate by 3%. Only the manipulative villains All For One, can bring out a rare instance of anger in All Might, showing us his human side and how despite his constant smiling, laughing, and cheerfulness, he is willing to go above & beyond his limits for others’ safety.

All Might always prioritizes the lives of others over his own, considering them his responsibility but he’s also aware that saving everybody in the world is a impossible, choosing to become more than just a hero, but a symbol who could inspire others to take action as well. He inspired a whole generation, a whole society, and a whole fandom.

For All Might, we should all Go Beyond… PLUS ULTRA.

 

About My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission

In My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission, U.A. High School students Izuku Midoriya, Shoto Todoroki, and Katsuki Bakugo face the greatest crisis in My Hero Academia history, with only two hours to save the world! During their internship with the number one Pro Hero Endeavor Agency, Deku and his new friend Rody find themselves wanted nationwide for a crime they didn’t commit. Can Deku and his friends stop Humarise’s global plans of eliminating all Quirks?

My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission is the third My Hero Academia film and comes on the heels of the launch of the fifth season of the My Hero Academia series currently streaming on Funimation. The previous two My Hero Academia films are My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising (2020) and My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (2018).

Voice Cast:

• Izuku Midoriya – Justin Briner (English), Daiki Yamashita (Japanese)
• Katsuki Bakugo – Clifford Chapin (English), Nobuhiko Okamoto (Japanese)
• Shoto Todoroki – David Matranga (English), Yuki Kaji (Japanese)
• Endeavor – Patrick Seitz (English), Tetsu Inada (Japanese)
• Flect Turn – Robbie Daymond (English), Kazuya Nakai (Japanese)
• Pino – Cristina Vee (English), Megumi Hayashibara (Japanese)
• Rody Soul – Ryan Colt Levy (English), Ryo Yoshizawa (Japanese)

My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission hits theaters October 29th.