The main characters aren’t the only ones getting the love and spotlight. Why do you think fans love all the different students in Class 1A besides just the main four: Midoriya, Bakugou, Todoroki, and Iida? Because despite having SIXTEEN other students, Horikoshi is able to talently and skillfully make time to weave in their multiple individual powers, personalities, and accomplishments with the situations and challenges he places them in or pins them against. As a result, you get adoring fans who respect Horikoshi’s gift and who show his other characters the same amount of love, attention, and fervor, too.
Image from Variety
I love all 5 characters so much <3
Disclaimer: All pictures and videos used on this blog post do NOT belong to me unless specifically identified as so. There is a link to the original source where each image or video is taken from under each image/video. The featured image for this post is from Funimation. Please visit their website for the original source of this image.
Note: This list is apparently extensive, thus it will be broken down into multiple parts to maintain interest and to not be overwhelming for readers (and the author who has to write, edit, and publish this article with lots of effort and love…and fan-girl sweat). Hey, realistically speaking, you probably don’t want to read about 10,000 words in one sitting and I don’t want to sit here forever typing it 😉 fair?
WARNING: there are SPOILERS for all 3 seasons below. Do NOT read any further if you have not seen all 3 seasons of the anime!!
My Hero Academia (MHA) / Boku No Hero Academia (BNHA) is a Shounen manga created by Kohei Horikoshi in 2014 and has become an anime ever since 2016. From then, it has gained massive popularity for multiple reasons.
Today, I will tell you 1 of the 12 Reasons why people love MHA / BNHA; why I have become a die-hard fan; and why it’s one of my top 5 favorite animes of all time.
1. Shounen Trope Killer
Shounen mangas have lots of cliche tropes, but MHA / BNHA seems to subvert many of them in different ways. Here are some notable mentions of how Horikoshi does that with his popular story:
Multiple Important Characters:
Naruto is the main character of his story, Ichigo is the main character of his. Sure, they have their rivals who also get some character development, but in MHA / BNHA, while you have Izuku Midoriya (quirk: One For All) as the protagonist/main character, you get Katsuki Bakugou (quirk: explosion) who is the rival and deuteragonist, AND you also get Shoto Todoroki (quirk: half-hot, half-cold / half-fire, half-ice) and Tenya Iida (quirk: engine) who are (surprisingly (at least to me)) both the tritagonists. Fans, thus, have four characters to follow in the overall story line, diversifying their view of this fictional world and allowing them to see different character developments and growth. All four boys have their own unique powers, talents, and personalities which make for a more engaging and interesting series.
Image from Pinterest
In addition, with the vast majority of Shounen series always having a main character and a rival, this duo-focused main cast can get boring if done for every single Shounen-typed manga. Having more main characters, MHA / BNHA offers something new. I like how the real main characters of the series are Midoriya, Bakugou, and Todoroki (sorry, Iida), hinted as the next Big Three of UA and paralleling the storytelling of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Bakugou as Ironman, Midoriya as Captain America, and Todoroki as Thor.
The reason I bring this up is if fans have been paying attention, they would notice that there are dozens of references to Western superheroes in Horikoshi’s work, ranging from Spiderman to the famous Star Wars franchise. This definitely livens things up and makes the plot of this series more unpredictable and more exciting. As they follow this series, they’ll be constantly wondering about important questions such as: What will our characters face in the future? What influence from Western heroes stories will be drawn from and used? What does the ingenious Horikoshi have in store for us and have planned up in his sleeves?
The Main Character Doesn’t Always Win and Not All Wins and Defeats are Total Victories or Losses:
I don’t know about you, but I dislike a story where the main character ALWAYS wins or comes in to save the day. Because what’s the point of the other characters being in the story if they’re always waiting for a Goku to swoop in and defeat the bad guy for them (after having their a**es handed to them by the villain (Hi Frieza, Cell))? Fortunately, for the most part, MHA / BNHA strays from that trope.
The Battle Trials Arc:
Image from the Boku No Hero Academia Wiki page
After Midoriya and Ochaco Uraraka (quirk: zero gravity) vs. Bakugou and Iida’s round is over, Class 1A analyzes what went well and what went poorly in that matchup. Iida was declared “the MVP of [the] exercise” despite the heroes team (Midoriya and Uraraka) being successful in obtaining the fake weapon in the challenge.
Midoriya lost because he again got hurt from his final move, so he became a liability instead of a hero in that situation. Uraraka also lost because she took out a beam from the building’s structure for her winning move. Both Uraraka and Midoriya, according to Momo Yaoyorozu (quirk: creation), “took advantage of the fact that [the exercise] was training” and “didn’t respect the spirit of the trial.” Bakugou lost because he lost sight of his mission, didn’t work with his partner, and blew up part of the building causing a scene that would have drawn in more heroes to the site, something a real villain (which he and Iida were playing the part for in this set-up) would not have wanted. On the other hand, although he lost in the situation, having had not successfully defended the weapon he was tasked to protect, Iida won by keeping focused on his mission and staying in character.
Despite his mishaps, Midoriya still won the challenge by proving his worth and place at UA (again) and standing up to his bully, Bakugou, in a heart-warming moment that also revealed his hero name: Deku, with a new meaning and changed heart and passion.
The Sports Festival Arc:
Image from Amino App
which by the way is a good blog to check out!
We see this trope subversion again when Midoriya wins the Obstacle Race in the first event of the Sports Festival; Todoroki winning the Cavalry Battle; and Bakugou winning the overall festival with his (un-cathartic) triumph in the Battle Tournament.
Image from Trakt.tv
Again, the victories in the story aren’t total wins and neither are they total defeats either, which to me personally, makes the story more unique and respectable. It also gives the characters more room to grow, instead of always winning which would stunt their development and ability to learn. As they say: in failure do we actually learn more than when we succeed. They’re still heroes-in-training and students at UA, the most prestigious high school for heroes afterall; so. it’s in their best interest not to completely win in everything they face. Horikoshi has good intentions and foresight by doing this to his characters.
Image from YouTube
That aside, Midoriya is knocked out early in the competition, but “wins” in his own way: changing Todoroki’s outlook on life. Todoroki places second in the festival, “losing” to Bakugou (by forfeiting), but wins because he comes to accept both sides of himself; this allows him to face his mom after several years of distance and separation. It also opens the doors for him to show off his newfound powers in the next arc for his loyal fanbase. Bakugou “wins,” but not the way he intended and dreamed of. Uraraka also loses, but “wins” by earning respect from Bakugou when she was displaying her determination and inner fighting spirit, pushing her boundaries and testing her maximum capabilities.
The Provisional Hero License Exam:
Image taken from the Boku No Hero Academia Wiki
Again, as with the main character always winning in Shounens, MHA / BNHA breaks that expectation by having Bakugou and Todoroki, the two strongest students in Class 1A, fail this challenging exam that the rest of their classmates all passed. While there are multiple advantages for this decision, say, for instance, having them develop in the background while Midoriya and company battle Overhaul and the League of Villains in the following arc and have their moment to shine, it also humbles the two future heroes and reasonably highlights both characters’ flaws and their need for time to grow.
When fans discovered that these two powerful characters both did not get their provisional licenses while the rest of their class did, it’s surprising and a good, logical change to the old trope.
No Useless Characters:
What MHA / BNHA does very well is that it does not ever write a situation where there are useless characters standing there wasting space and time. There are many cases where the manga/anime displays this strength.
The Attack on the USJ:
Image taken from the Boku No Hero Academia Wiki
All of the Class 1A students have some basic grip and knowledge of their power and are able to hold their own and/or work with each other against the low-level thugs who managed to unexpectedly invade their school. They all had some degree of capability to help them fare against these villains without getting hurt or killed. For instance, when some of the students (Uraraka, Rikido Sato (quirk: sugar rush), and Hanta Sero (quirk: tape)) teamed up against the Warp Gate villain, Kurogiri, to help Iida escape the USJ to bring the other teachers and faculty members back for help.
Image from Boku No Hero Academia Fandom
The one exception was when Denki Kaminari (quirk: electrification) was captured, but that was to build the tension at the end of an episode and was understandable because the poor dude had already fried his brain cells with his previous super powerful attack. The girls who were with him, Kyoka Jirou (quirk: earphone jack) and Yaoyorozu, did try their best to help him and already proved their skills prior to that unfortunate turn of events. Luckily, the teachers managed to arrive in the nick of time, shooting the thug who was holding Kaminari hostage.
Bakugou Kidnapping Arc (aka Forest Training Camp Arc):
Image from YouTube
Another case where characters were also useful was when UA Class 1B helped Class 1A in the forest of their shared Training Camp site when the League of VIllain’s Vanguard Action Squad came to kidnap Bakugou. Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu (LOL) (quirk: steel) and Itsuka Kendo (quirk: big fist) both are responsible for taking out the villain, Mustard (quirk: gas), who was in charge of expelling the toxic, sleep-inducing gas covering the campgrounds and minimizing his victims’ visibility.
Image from Weeb-Eden
In addition, Midoriya, Todoroki, and Mezo Shoji (quirk: dupli-arms) would not have made it to the League of Villains Vanguard or caught up to the villain, Atsuhiro Sako aka Mr. Compress (quirk: compress), had Uraraka not made all three boys light enough with her zero gravity for Tsuyu Asui (quirk: frog) to toss them all with her tongue after Mr. Compress.
Image from YouTube
Furthermore, Yaoyorozu created the tracking device which, with the help from Yosetsu Awase (quirk: weld), another Class 1B student, was placed on the Villains’ Nomu beast. This became extremely valuable as it later ultimately led the heroes-in-training to the very site where Bakugou was taken in order for them to successfully save him.
Image from Tumblr
Mount Lady, aka Yu Takeyama (quirk: gigantification), was also exceptionally helpful with Bakugou’s rescue mission. She turned into her giant form at the right moment, effectively blocking Mr. Compress from reaching Bakugou and recapturing him. Lastly, Gran Torino, aka Sorahiki Torino (quirk: jet), came in time too to assist the student heroes saving Bakugou, quickly knocking out the remaining conscious villains. This ensured the students’, especially Bakugou’s, safe escape.
Image from YouTube
A Moment to Shine for ALL Characters:
The main characters aren’t the only ones getting the love and spotlight. Why do you think fans love all the different students in Class 1A besides just the main four: Midoriya, Bakugou, Todoroki, and Iida? Because despite having SIXTEEN other students, Horikoshi is able to talently and skillfully make time to weave in their multiple individual powers, personalities, and accomplishments with the situations and challenges he places them in or pins them against. As a result, you get adoring fans who respect Horikoshi’s gift and who show his other characters the same amount of love, attention, and fervor, too.
Uraraka vs. Bakugou:
Image from SurrealResolution
Bakugou called her three different names in the manga, English subbed, and English dubbed anime versions of the story: “angel face,” “round face,” and “pink cheeks,” respectively. However, one of her names should have been “brave face” (or something like that) because this girl definitely shined in this battle with her courageous spirit and grit, evidently displayed on her face up above.
Her plan to touch all of the debris created from Bakugou’s explosions on the arena and drop them onto the battlefield with her zero-gravity quirk in order to distract her opponent and attempt to touch him (and ultimately push him out of bounds) was clever. The way she thanked Bakugou for a good fight where he treated her like an equal was in good gesture. Her backstory interwoven into the matchup was also moving. I found myself rooting for her too, although deep down (yes, as a Bakugou-fan), I was crossing my fingers hoping Bakugou would be the one who would emerged victorious.
GIF from YouTube
GIF from YouTube
It was heart-wrenching watching her call out to her dad as she tried to crawl back to her feet. We get flashes of why she is so determined. She is striving to prove herself to the Pro-Heroes in the audience, so she could be recruited to work in one of their agencies and hopefully make enough money to take care of her not-so-well-off parents. Combined with the soundtrack that played at that moment, it was hard not to be in tears. Uraraka became less of a cheerleader for Midoriya in the story and more of a lone-wolf warrior with her own agenda. She has a promising future, especially with her cool quirk.
Koda and Jiro vs. Present Mic:
Video from YouTube
Koji Koda (quirk: anivoice), the student who Fumikage Tokoyami (quirk: dark shadow) said was a student of little words, was able to finally speak during this battle in the Final Exam Arc. He was the one who pulled Jirou and himself to victory, passing the exam, and probably giving Present Mic, aka Hizashi Yamada (quirk: voice), nightmares for the rest of his life or at least a few sleepless nights because of the trauma he had experienced.
Hey, I’d have nightmares for days if I saw a bunch of centipedes and other gross bugs crawling up my leg like that!
Mineta and Sero vs. Midnight:
Video from YouTube
Yes, even the notorious and least popular / most hated character in the MHA / BNHA series got his moment to shine as well, especially when he was able to claim victory over a woman. What was notable was that Minoru Mineta (quirk: pop off) was able to pull it off (see what I did there?) himself, since Sero was unconscious due to Midnight’s (aka Nemuri Kayama) quirk (somnambulist).
What’s a somnambulist, you ask? Google tells me it’s someone who walks in their sleep. For Midnight’s quirk, the intention is that her aroma causes anyone who is nearby to fall asleep.
Yaoyorozu and Todoroki vs. Aizawa:
Yaoyorozu had two moments to shine in the animated series so far and I loved both moments of her character growth.
Wait, actually, maybe three if you count her helping the boys rescue Bakugou since she was the one who thought it would be wise to put a tracking device on the Nomu which took them straight to the villain’s second hideout and fundamentally led them to Bakugou.
Anyway, her two big moments were in the Final Exam Arc and the Provisional Hero License Exam Arc. During the Battle Tournament of the Sports Festival Arc, Yaoyorozu was taken down by Tokoyami really quickly in the one-on-one matches which took a toll on her self-esteem (and broke my heart ‘cause she’s my best girl). Thus, it was finally her time to redeem herself by becoming the mastermind behind the plan that eventually helped her and Todoroki pass their Final Exam against their homeroom teacher, Shouta Aizawa (quirk: erasure).
She had me almost crying with the way she reacted to her victory. Her voice actor for the dubbed version of the anime did an amazing job, too, showing how emotional Yaoyorozu was having had just reclaimed her self-confidence. Todoroki made me laugh since he didn’t seem to understand why or that she was emotional, and not that she was nauseas.
Video from YouTube
Note: For the sake of keeping everything organized in order of events (I’m trying to go in episodic order), Yaoyorozu’s next spotlight moment is below the following section.
Yuga Aoyama (quirk: navel laser) vs. Mr. Compress:
Video from CrunchyRoll Collection’s YouTube
BEWARE: screaming at the end for all you people with headphones on!!!
A fan in a YouTube comment for the video showing Aoyama in the Provisional Hero License Exam self-sacrificing himself said that “Aoyama was the man of Season Three.”
He definitely was!
Despite being rightly terrified by the presence and destruction that the Villain’s Vanguard Action Squad had inflicted on the Training Camp site, the normally flamboyant character was seen huddling in the bushes trying to stay out of sight until he stepped up to the plate. He was the one who helped Midoriya and company try to release their friends from Mr. Compress’s captivity. He didn’t have to help Midoriya and risk complicating things; he could have safely stayed where he was and sought shelter back where the teachers were with the other students in the Remedial Lessons classrooms. However, being the fledgling hero that he is, he showed the audience exactly WHY he was admitted to UA. Putting his fears aside, he helped saved Tokoyami and gave a chance for poor Todoroki to try to grab back Bakugou in his marble prison. Again, Horikoshi did not fail at having us at the edge of our seats while also incorporating character development into the story.
Yaoyorozu, Jirou, Asui, and Shoji vs. Saiko Intelli:
We’re back to Yaoyorozu again with her second moment in the spotlight during the Provisional Hero License Exam Arc.
Fun fact: This incident was actually only in the anime and is not canon to the manga. Still, it delivered some feel good moments.
This time, Yaoyorozu’s intelligence was pitted against a girl (Saiko Intelli) whose quirk was IQ, the ability to be a supergenius for a short period of time after consuming teas. Yaoyorozu successfully defeats her opponent by being able to outsmart her back and not fall into Intelli’s predictions and traps. She also chose to sacrifice herself in order to help her friends escape their confinement to complete the first half of their Provisional Hero License Exam. However, her friends return for her and that instance when they burst through the double doors undid me.
Video from CrunchyRoll Collection’s YouTube
It made me love Class 1A more, for their loyalty to each other in the worst of times. This is what inspires me, moves me, and makes MHA / BNHA an even better story: the students had every reason to look out for only themselves, but they always choose to lift each other out/up, showing human kindness and what heroes are supposed to be about: helping others, especially in their time of need.
This repeated lesson throughout Horikoshi’s story also makes me realize something incredibly insightful: sometimes the hero can be rescued too. When Yaoyorozu rescues her friends, they turned around to help her too, ensuring that she isn’t left behind and that they don’t pass the Exam at the cost of another.
Aoyama saving Iida in the Provisional Hero License Exam:
Video from CrunchyRoll Collection’s YouTube
Aoyama is back to say hi again.
And this time, he makes you cry.
Well I did.
In the Provisional Hero License Exam Arc, for the first half of the test, the students had to throw balls at two different individuals and hit one of the three targets on each of their bodies in order to pass. Sounds easy until you remember that yes, these are all heroes who have unique powers taking the exam. Their quirks will help them battle their competition and could also aid in defending themselves from being targets.
At one point, it became so frustratingly hopeless, especially nearing the end of that round because out of the thousand-plus applicants, only one hundred could pass that initial phase in order to take the second half of the License Exam. As that time drew closer, Aoyama did and said something that forever made me respect and love the character. He bent backwards on all fours and shot his navel laser into the sky, drawing the attention of all their surrounding and preying competition toward him and Iida.
At first, I was as shocked as Iida at Aoyama’s seemingly initial stupidity: WHY would you show the opponent your location unless you wanted to be beaten with a bunch of balls in hopes that one of them would land on your target and help someone else pass the first half of the Exam?
Then Aoyama said (English subbed): “I always wanted to be an equal…They’ll be here soon. Get ready! Hurry up! Hurry!” This showed that he intended for Iida to pass through his sacrifice. His statement and action gave his character some much delayed and needed backstory. This boy has always felt different from his classmates growing up, feeling useless and here, he wanted to be of use to his peer with his differences, wanting Iida to pass the exam at his (Aoyama’s) own expense.
However, something amazing happened! AGAIN, the other students in Class 1A appeared from hiding to save Aoyama and Iida. They came out with their own quirks to prevent Aoyama and Iida from being ambushed. They surprised the applicants from the other schools by attacking them back all together. Because of Aoyama, the rest of Class 1A, the stragglers, barely squeezed through the first portion of the Exam and passed. Like I said previously, the hero was saved allowing others to be the heroes, too.
Kaminari saves Kirishima and Bakugou vs. Shiketsu High Student Seiji Shishikura:
Image from Tenor
Kaminari is always depicted as the dumb character. He didn’t pass his Final Exam and had to take extra lessons in the Remedial Course during the Summer Training Camp. Plus, his quirk literally frying his brain doesn’t really help his case or image. And hanging out with someone like Mineta also probably doesn’t do him any good.
Video from CrunchyRoll Collection’s YouTube
However, he also gets his time to be a bada** when he is the one to save Eijirou Kirishima (quirk: hardening) and Bakugou after they were turned into meatballs by the Shiketsu High School student: Seiji Shishikura (quirk: meatball). Additionally, this provides him with the opportunity to show off his new power upgrade and gear: the ability to now focus his attacks on targets rather than being indiscriminate. This concentration of the direction of his lightning allows him to still be conscious after such a powerful move and to not become a liability after delivering those one-shot assaults.
What makes his win even better is that he also defends his classmates’ reputations against the condescending and self-righteous Shiketsu student. Bravo, Kaminari!
None of the Main Characters are Idiots:
Yes, you heard me right. With a wide variety of Shounen stories to select from, they all have the same trait for their main characters: lack of intelligence.
Naruto is clever, but at the beginning wasn’t too bright. One Piece’s Luffy is a goofball despite his skills and strength. Natsu from Fairy Tail has awesome moments, but sometimes isn’t that smart. Bleach’s Ichigo is the same. Even my top favorite anime, Yu Yu Hakusho’s Yusuke Uremeshi lacks basic common sense sometimes.
However, if you’re expecting the same thing from Midoriya in MHA / BNHA, you’re going to be surprised. This boy writes notes about all the incredible heroes who have interested him or who he encounters/has encountered (including his bully Bakugou, because as he said in his Deku vs Kacchan Part 2 fight, although All Might was his hero, Bakugou was the one actually in his life T.T *cries*).
He fanboys and studies All Might, the Number One Pro-Hero. And he comes up with the best strategies in the anime (how to save Bakugou in the Kamino Raid Arc, how to defeat Gran Torino, how to shock Aizawa in the Quirk Assessment Tests) and he mulls over different ways to win in the battles he witnesses, too.
Image from KnowYourMeme
His supporting cast aren’t dumb either. Bakugou is a genius in his studies and especially on the battlefield as a tactician, his fighting sense, and his lightning-fast reflexes. Todoroki is no joke either, being one of the four First Year students who was able to enter UA based on recommendations. And Iida is class representative which requires a lot of careful thinking, discipline, attention, and perception. He has to be wise, trustworthy, mature, and respected to be voted for that role as well.
Image from Reddit
The scores from the Quirk Assessment Test: Momo Yaoyorozu (1st), Shoto Todoroki (2nd), Katsuki Bakugou (3rd)
By making his characters not stupid, Horikoshi subverts the Shounen genre’s need to always have less-than-bright leads, which in my opinion is very refreshing. I am grateful to him for it!
This is it for Part 1 of my list for top 14 Reasons Why Fans Love My Hero Academia / Boku No Hero Academia. Part 2 is now up! Just click on the link!
Want more MHA/BNHA content? Check out my Katsuki Bakugou post right here. And as always, talk to you more next week! Please follow me on my social media handles for updates on posts (: