With My Hero Academia ending soon, it’s high time for us to look at the main heroes and go through just how worthwhile they really are.
Like most shonen manga and anime shows, My Hero Academia has an ensemble cast. But our focus is on the center of it: Class 1-A. As the core characters of the story, they appear most often across the manga and superhero anime, giving us more opportunities to learn about and judge them.
The huge main cast gives us more options to choose characters to root for. But as a result, not everyone gets an equal amount of screen time or development. While students like Deku, Bakugo, Shoto, and Ochako get well-written arcs, we hardly see much of characters like Sato, Ojiro, Koda, and Sero.
Even then, creator Kohei Horikoshi makes sure to give everyone at least one chance to shine. While many live up to those moments, some are decidedly underwhelming. Now, I’m deciding who managed to impress and who didn’t.
20. Minoru Mineta (Grape Juice)
Mineta ending up in the last spot should surprise no one. The worst of the bunch in every conceivable way, he’s My Hero Academia’s answer to the exhaustively frequent pervert trope.
Every scene he appears in, Mineta is wildly inappropriate to not only his female classmates but also to teachers and heroes. If that wasn’t off-putting enough, he’s also a coward with few redeeming qualities.
Sure, My Hero Academia gives him brief moments to shine here and there, but the lack of change in his personality and his underwhelming Quirk hasn’t endeared him to fans.
19. Rikido Sato (Sugarman)
While My Hero Academia is known for having well-crafted characters, that’s not the case for everyone. And certainly not Rikido Sato, aka Sweets Hero: Sugarman.
We don’t know much about Sato except his Quirk Sugar Rush and that he likes to bake. He’s an average student with below-average fighting prowess and little to no contribution to the story. He, like a few other Class 1-A characters, is just there.
18. Mashirao Ojiro (Tailman)
Dubbed the ‘most normal person in Class 1-A’, Ojiro is just that. Despite having a Quirk that mildly alters his body (he’s got a tail), he’s your everyday Joe who fights mainly using martial arts.
While even a horrible character like Mineta catches viewers’ attention with his perverse antics, the ever-average Ojiro never does. He, like many other My Hero Academia characters, he just fades into the background for the most part.
17. Koji Koda (Anima)
When it comes to his role in the story, Koda is the same as Sato and Ojiro. However, he does have a mildly better-written character as we see him try to get past his shyness to work better with his classmates and steadfastly work towards his dream of becoming a hero.
Timid and introverted, he’s a heteromorph who loves animals. His Quirks, Anivoice, allows him to communicate with any animal, even bugs and ants. This becomes quite a big help during the Final War.
16. Mina Ashido (Pinky)
Extroverted, fun, and confident, Mina seems like a joy to be around. However, when it comes to her role in the story, she gets upstaged by most of her classmates.
That’s not unexpected, given the ensemble cast of My Hero Academia. Coupled with her relatively weak Quirk, this has kept her away from the spotlight for the most part.
Unfortunately, even when she does get her screen time, it’s always mediocre without any moving moments. There’s no intense one-on-one fight where we can cheer her on or even a scene where she’s seen reaching past her limits.
15. Hanta Sero (Cellophane)
It’s no secret that My Hero Academia is inspired by American superhero comics. Not only has Kohei Horikoshi admitted to this but he’s also created a character as a nod to Marvel.
From the very first time you meet Sero, you can’t help but compare his powers with Spider-Man. What’s more, the teenager is a fan of an American superhero who sounds pretty much like our very own Spidey.
However, Sero remains an admirer, never quite reaching the height of his inspiration. He appears mostly as comic relief alongside Kirishima and Kaminari. But his likable personality and his being one of the ‘BakuGang’ has given him a boost in popularity.
14. Kyoka Jiro (Earphone Jack)
Class 1-A’s resident rockstar, Jiro is one of the most relatable My Hero Academia heroes. She’s an introvert, loves music, and never shies away from teasing her friends.
Jiro is also a brave young woman who chooses to become a hero despite having an easier option of becoming a musician like her parents. Like most of her classmates, she doesn’t get a lot of screen time. But unlike many of them, when she does, she makes it count.
From rocking the U.A. cultural festival to fighting All For One and losing her ear, she catches the spotlight effortlessly. Besides, her singing causes Eri to smile for the first time in years, and that alone makes her a superhero in my eyes.
13. Mezo Shoji (Tentacole)
My Hero Academia has pointed out the difficulties heteromorphs face again and again. However, while Spinner acted out against the prejudice and chose the dark side, Shoji decided to become a hero to save people despite what he suffered.
That alone makes him one of the best heroes out there. Not just that, he’s tried to protect his classmates again and again with genuine care and kindness. Besides, he’s often seen protecting the girls from Mineta, and that always counts.
12. Tsuyu Asui (Froppy)
Who doesn’t love Tsuyu? Even the most stone-hearted fans are bound to like this kind-hearted and straightforward aspiring hero. Coupled with her unique frog-like features, she was bound to be a hit.
Tsuyu is a brave girl who wants to protect her friends. However, she is also realistic as shown when she disagrees with Kirishima’s plan to rescue Bakugo. Not all heroes need to be hot-headed and self-sacrificing; we need some who can think for the future, too.
11. Denki Kaminari (Charger Bolt)
While Kaminari isn’t the best fighter or even the smartest one, he makes up for it with his hilarious antics. One of the ‘BakuSquad’, he’s always hanging around with Kirishima and Sero and isn’t afraid to make fun of the Explosion user.
However, despite being a comic relief character, he wields a very powerful Quirk that, if used correctly, may even compete against Bakugo’s Explosion.
Sadly, we don’t get to see him using Electrification’s full potential. Still, his dynamic with his classmates and later Shinso is enough to earn him a high spot on this list.
10. Momo Yaoyorozu (Creati)
Besides Shoto, the only other student to get into U.A. a recommendation is Momo. She’s the smartest and richest of the class and has one of the most complicated Quirks out of her peers.
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Frankly, if Creation belonged to anyone other than Momo, they wouldn’t be able to use it very effectively, which speaks volumes about her intelligence.
Momo’s character development is focused on her confidence in herself and her leadership skills. Towards the beginning, she struggles to make decisions. But over time, she gets over it, not just pushing her Quirk to new heights but also inspiring her classmates to do their best.
9. Fumikage Tokoyami (Tsukuyomi)
Tokoyami undoubtedly has the most unique appearance out of the 20 My Hero Academia Class 1-A students. With a bird head and a human body, it’s impossible not to notice him.
His Quirk, Dark Shadow, is one of the most intriguing powers in the story. That’s because it’s not just a power; instead, it’s an entity with its own personality that lives inside him.
As a character, Tokoyami had a lot of potential. However, not all of it is explored in the story. But we still get a glimpse of his development after his internship under Hawks. The two have an adorable dynamic and it’s nice to see Tokoyami flourish under Hawks’ guidance.
8. Toru Hagakure (Invisible Girl)
For the longest time, nobody (myself included) paid attention to Class 1-A’s invisible girl. She only got a bit of curiosity from fans when many suspected her of being U.A.’s traitor.
It isn’t until the U.A. Traitor Arc that we learn what a gem Hagakure is. Though she’s visibly unseen, it’s impossible not to notice her role later in the series. Besides, she’s got one of the best character designs in My Hero Academia (if only you don’t think too much about it).
7. Yuga Aoyama (Can’t Stop Twinkling)
Unlike Hagakure, we’re forced to notice Aoyama from the beginning. But not in a good way. Overly flashy with a lame character design and even a lamer hero name, I don’t put too much thought into him.
But when we finally learn his truth, we can’t help but see him in a new light. He’s something Deku could’ve become if only the circumstances were different and Deku wasn’t who he is.
However, that’s what makes Aoyama so relatable and human. There are few people like Deku out there, but vulnerable people are taken advantage of all the time, like Aoyama. Besides, his redemption following the reveal is nothing short of inspiring.
6. Tenya Iida (Ingenium)
Towards the start of My Hero Academia, I was sure Iida would be one of the core characters in the series. And that was the case, at least until Vs. Hero Killer Arc. Then Iida was somehow lost in Class 1-A’s crowd.
But the class representative makes a remarkable comeback during the Final War. In fact, it’s thanks to him that Shoto reaches his family at the last moment and stops Dabi, saving their lives.
However, Iida had more potential than being an assisting character for Shoto. He’s Deku and Ochako’s close friend. But unlike them, he doesn’t get the spotlight for long. If he did, maybe he would’ve ranked higher as one of the best My Hero Academia characters.
5. Eiijiro Kirishima (Red Riot)
Guys who shout about manliness come off as anything but… unless the guy is Kirishima. Strong, friendly, and chivalrous, he’s a big-hearted teenager with a lot of patience. After all, how else would he befriend Bakugo without it?
While his friendship with Bakugo isn’t all there is to him, it certainly gets him brownie points from fans. Their dynamic is hilarious and adorable at the same time, and oh-so entertaining.
On a more important note, Kirishima is a very brave person who understands his limitations and works to improve them. He also has a very strong conscience, something that makes him an amazing hero.
4. Ochako Uraraka (Uravity)
Female main characters have come a long way from Naruto’s Sakura and Bleach’s Orihime, and Ochako is an amazing example of that. Though she’s as kind as the other two, she’s also very well-written with a personality and goal of her own.
That’s not to say Ochako doesn’t get roped in for the exhaustingly repetitive shonen romance trope. However, she doesn’t let that stop her aspirations at all. For her, liking Deku will always fall behind in saving people and fulfilling her dream (like it should).
Ochako’s Quirk may seem fun but she masterfully makes it combat-appropriate with her martial arts skills. It’s so refreshing to see a shonen heroine getting her own battles and winning them like a pro instead of crying for help from the protagonist.
3. Shoto Todoroki (Shoto)
Out of all the Class 1-A characters in My Hero Academia, Shoto has the most protagonist-like energy. He’s blessed with a unique look and very powerful Quirk, has a well-written background, and intense daddy issues.
However, he started off the series quite blandly. In fact, I didn’t pay much attention to him until the U.A. Sports Festival, where we learned a part of his backstory, leading to the explosive (literally) match between Deku and him.
Since then, Shoto has only gotten better. Not only has he become stronger, he’s also gone through incredible character development. From getting over his hatred for his father to accepting the entirety of the Quirk, the aspiring hero becomes the person Endeavor couldn’t be.
2. Katsuki Bakugo (Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight)
To be honest, I knew from the beginning that Bakugo would go through immense character development after starting off as a bully. But I never predicted how well-thought-out and heartfelt his redemption arc would be.
It’s difficult to gauge the real Bakugo as it’s hidden beneath his explosive personality. But as we come to see eventually, under his arrogance and hot-headedness, there lies an insecure person who isn’t comfortable sharing his real feelings.
Bakugo’s entire character arc revolves around his relationship with Deku. He bullied the other boy for most of their lives. We learn later how inferior he’s always felt to Deku and acted out because of it. Seeing him accept his own weaknesses and work to rectify them has been one of the most satisfying parts of My Hero Academia.
1. Izuku Midoriya (Deku)
To no one’s surprise, the first spot belongs to the protagonist himself. And it’s completely earned, given how much Deku has grown throughout the story. He learned to see the world from black-and-white to the gray it really is.
When My Hero Academia first began, many criticized it for being a Naruto knock-off with a very kind but underdog protagonist and his superior rival. However, Deku shuts everyone up with every arc, developing in both power and character.
Deku is no Naruto. His kindness and empathy are entirely his own just as his weaknesses are. He starts at the bottom and works until he’s worthy of wielding the supreme Quirk his idol gifted him. And after all’s done, I really hope he gets to keep One For All and become the greatest hero that he deserves to be.
Want to know more about these superheroes? Check out all the major character deaths in the series. You can also find out if All For One and Shigaraki are dead or how the Todoroki family’s conclusion turned out.
