Most of the cast in My Hero Academia The anime ranges from questionable to downright delightful, with Deku and Ochaco being two standouts. Fans also enjoy seeing supporting characters like Mirio Togata and Mei Hatsume, who all bring something positive to the anime. Even malicious villains like All For One and Overhaul have something worth contributing. That leaves the characters who destroyed My Hero Academia for some fans.
These characters sometimes have lovely moments and even genuinely positive traits as an attempt to balance them out, but in the eyes of some viewers, the damage is done. Depending on the personal preferences or experiences of a given anime fan, one or more of these seven anime characters filled the entire My Hero Academia anime. These characters are either too toxic, poorly designed, or didn't deliver what they promised, leaving fans feeling unsatisfied and leaving a sour taste in their mouths.
Minoru Mineta feels like a parody gone wrong
Quirk: Pop Off
If My Hero Academia fans would only pick one actor who definitely ruined the viewing experience, that is Class 1-A's Minoru Mineta. It's easy to see why too, with Minoru happily embracing the mega-pervert trope popularized by Master Roshi from Dragon Ball. A lot of shonen tropes are cool or at least stupidly funny, but not this one. Both then and now, the mega-pervert trope had no good reason to exist, and it's less welcome than ever.
Fans may get the impression that Minoru is a parody of such characters, taking things to extremes with this quirky little student to make a strange return to Dragon Ball days. Whatever writer Kohei Horikoshi was trying to do fell flat, and that's a real blow to Class 1-A. Minoru tried to fix his character with his increasingly clever use of Pop Off and his sincere words to Deku Deku, but it was too little, too late. It also doesn't help that the rest of Class 1-A also calls Minoru out on his behavior, because it would have been better if the anime lacked such things from the start.
Yuga Aoyama's reveal was emotionally turbulent but also overwhelming
Quirk: Navel laser
Early, My Hero Academia teased a traitor in the UA, a hidden agent who helped the League of Villains enter the USJ so easily. Just when fans almost forgot about this plot thread, the anime brought it back and revealed Yuga Aoyama as the unlikely traitor. For some viewers, this was a cool development for one of Class 1-A's worst students, while other fans found it underwhelming.
5 My Hero Academia Characters That Would Have Made A Better Final Villain Than Shigaraki
Shigaraki was a great villain, but these characters would have made a better final boss.
Yuga was simply pressured by the threat of his parents being killed, and he wasn't exactly glamorous or funny as a traitor. He was just a plot at the mercy of both his parents and All For One. Other traitors and double agents in anime are much more exciting, from Whiten's Sosuke Aizen to NarutoIt's Sasuke Uchiha, but Yuga is nothing like that. My Hero Academia fans felt bitterly underwhelmed that the big traitor reveal went to the sparkly weirdo with a navel laser.
Neito Monoma didn't apologize for all his teasing
Quirk: Copy
Given the competitive atmosphere at UA, it felt inevitable that classes 1-A and 1-B would be in constant competition. Some students had a healthy attitude towards this rivalry, while Neito Monoma ruined the fun for everyone, even his cheerful classmate Itsuka Kendo. Neito was unreasonably antagonistic towards Class 1-A throughout, and strangely enough, even the rivalry between the classes couldn't fully explain his attitude. It felt like there was a certain one something drove Neito as well, but it was never revealed.
Neito's antics were presented as comedy, especially when Itsuka kept him quiet like a big sister figure, but it was never actually funny. Neito was just making everyone uncomfortable, and there was no need for that. Worse, he couldn't even walk the walk, underachieved during the UA Sports Festival and ended up having to take remedial classes not long after that.
Re-Destro dropped the ball the moment he lost to Tomura
Property: Stress
Some actors in My Hero Academia disappointed viewers and partially ruined the experience because they didn't do what they promised to do. During the My Villain Academia story arc, Tomura's gang went up against the Meta Liberation Army, a large coalition of misfits who wanted to defy heroes and free Quirks. It was a cool idea that had Re-Destro at the helm, a powerful boss who took inspiration from the idealistic Destro of previous decades.
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Aside from a big fight against Tomura's awakened Decay Quirk, Re-Destro did very little. It felt almost pointless to introduce him if he was just going to be sidelined in favor of Tomura, and he didn't even get a rewarding end to his arc. Re-Destro felt like an underutilized token character who was written into the story out of obligation, and that's such a shame. Fans kept waiting for a big, meaningful moment from Re-Destro, but it never happened.
Endeavor's dark side felt too real for some anime fans
Quirk: Hellflame
In the eyes of some My Hero Academia fans, controversial characters like Endeavor were necessary to blur the line between hero and villain and add nuance to this superhero story. For these fans, Endeavor's arc was delightfully thought-provoking, challenging viewers to decide where he falls on the blurred spectrum of good and evil. For other viewers, Endeavor was simply traumatic to watch.
Some viewers might relate a little too much to what Todorokis endured at the hands of Endeavour, and for them the immersion or fun escapism of My Hero Academia. It's hard to say how many fans feel this way, but regardless of the numbers, those fans can agree that Endeavor brought painful real-life trauma to an anime meant to distance them from such things. Superhero stories and shonen anime can be empowering and make viewers believe in another world, while Endeavor tears it all down.
Star and Stripe interfered with Power Scaling and died too soon
Quirk: New Order
Star and Stripe, just like Re-Destro, partially destroyed My Hero Academias story by completely dropping the ball and failing to deliver on its promises. After succeeding Captain Celebrity as America's #1 pro hero and modeling himself after the symbol of peace All Might, Star and Stripe seemed poised to change the world. But even her best traits couldn't overcome Tomura Shigaraki's best quirk: his elf armor.
My Hero Academia: The strongest character in each arc, ranked
My Hero Academia may be Deku's story, but that doesn't mean he was always the strongest.
Star and Stripe would be super cool and powerful with the New Order and her Air Force buddies, but the story forced her into a fight that no one could win at all for plot reasons. It felt like a mean tease to viewers, hyping Star and Stripe as the next All Might and then killing her off just a few episodes later. Also, her New Order Quirk and power levels threw the power scaling off balance, with even All For One fearing the New Order, only for it soon to not even matter in light of Star and Stripe's demise.
Katsuki Bakugo's apology may still not be enough
Quirk: Explosion
Like his pro hero counterpart Endeavor, main character Katsuki Bakugo was a nuanced and engaging character for some viewers, and 100% toxic and problematic for others. Bakugo's followers, or at least those who admire his character arc, might note how he went on a long personal journey of humility and perspective without completely deconstructing his personality and fighting style.
Other fans have decided on Bakugo differently, refusing to forgive him as a petty bully who antagonized everyone around him, Deku most of all. Bakugo went beyond being a fierce rival or driven hothead, as he put others down every chance he got and made it all about himself. Such fans can say My Hero Academia was destroyed by partially validating Bakugo's aggressive ways by making him a successful and respected hero who got what he wanted: a high rank among the professional heroes. If that didn't ruin things for fans, viewers can pretty much complain about how Bakugo cheated death at the last minute, making the emotional stakes confusing and confusing.
My Hero Academia
- Release date
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2016 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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TBS, MBS, Nippon TV
- Directors
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Shouji Ikeno, Tsuyoshi Tobita, Ikuro Sato, Takudai Kakuchi, Masashi Abe, Tetsuya Miyanishi, Kazuma Komatsu, Yoshifumi Sasahara, Masayuki Otsuki, Daisuke Tsukushi, Takayuki Yamamoto, Yohei Fukui, Takuro Nayokada, Takuro Nayokada, Morikawa, Takanori Yano
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Daiki Yamashita
Izuku Midoriya (voice)
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Kaito Ishikawa
Manga Fukidashi (voice)
