Summary
There are numerous elements ofMy Hero Academiathat help it stand out as a great shonen anime that fans can get invested in. The characters are a huge part of what makes this series special, wowing fans with their Quirks as they fight on the side of justice or strike terror in the hearts of people.
However, as one would expect from any shonen series with a ballooning scope that introduces many characters early on,some ofMy Hero Academia’s heroes failed to live up to their potential. It’s a shame, since these characters could’ve become incredible Pro Heroes had it not been for certain circumstances.
8Yuga Aoyama
Shining Hero: Can’t Stop Twinkling
It’s hard not to feel for Aoyama. He was a sweetheart who was thrust into a bad spot after his parents were being threatened by All for One and had to become an informant to save his family.
Eventually, once his treachery is revealed, he can’t help but feel ashamed by his actions. His growth as a Pro Hero suffers as a result, which is a shame given how powerful his laser could beonce he got over the nausea that it caused.
7Tenya Ida
Turbo Hero: Ingenium
Fans expectedTenya to become one of the most relevant Pro Heroes in the series, especially given his emotional fight against Stain. So, it was a shame that he never got another chance like this in the spotlight as other heroes stole his thunder instead.
This is especially surprising given how he was close friends with Midoriya. Usually, the protagonist’s closest friends get their time to shine in their respective anime time and time again, but this wasn’t a luxury afforded to Ida.
6Ibara Shiozaki
Vine
Most of the characters in Class 1-Bare perfect examples of wasted potential, given how they had to take a backseat while their rival class took the spotlight numerous times. This led to many promising heroes being wasted, with Ibara Shiozaki being a great example of the same.
Her vines could paralyze and incapacitate multiple students, but she simply didn’t get enough screen time to show off her impressive Quirk. She was relegated to the sidelines and became the perfect example of a “what if” character who could’ve reached great heights ifMy Hero Academiahad given her the time to shine.
5Nejire Hado
Wonder Hero: Nejire Chan
The Big Three ofMy Hero Academiaboast the three brightest heroes in the school. Nejire Chan more than lived up to this moniker by showing off the shockwaves she could generate with her Quirk, which made her one of the most powerful heroes in the series.
So, it’s a shame that she barely got the chance to shine in the series following the Shie Hassakai arc. This is possibly because the Big Three was just a contrived way to introduce Lemillion into the fold, who would get numerous opportunities to show his worth as a Hero.
4Cathleen Bate
Star And Stripe
Star and Stripe may have just been present for a single arc, but that was enough to prove why she was America’s No. 1 Hero.Her New Order Quirk was so powerfulthat All for One hungered for her power, not realizing what he was getting into.
After an intense battle that showed just how powerful she was, Star and Stripe had to sacrifice herself to save her comrades. However, she didn’t go down prematurely without a fight, giving New Order a command to obliterate the Quirks inside Shigaraki and destroy him from the inside.
3Tamaki Amajiki
Bizarre Diet Hero: Suneater
Another member of U.A.’s Big Three that took a backseat to Lemillion, Suneater could’ve been one of the most powerful heroes in the series. Unfortunately, he failed to get enough screen time, barring one intense fight in the Shie Hassakai arc.
Replicating the powers of the creatures he ate was a unique Quirk that allowed Tamaki to boss his foes with unpredictable powers in combat. He could’ve participated in many interesting fights, but the scope ofMy Hero Academiawas ballooning to the point where he became an afterthought in later arcs.
2Mirai Sasaki
Sir Nighteye
As repulsive as Sasaki’s personality was, that should take nothing away fromhis power as a Pro Hero. His Foresight Quirk enhanced his predictive abilities and made him a force to be reckoned with in combat.
He could’ve participated in several intense moments in the series, but his reliance on his Quirk was a short-sighted move that spelled his doom against Overhaul. He gave up in this battle, which is the last thing that any Pro Hero should do against a powerful villain that can kill them in one fell swoop.
1Denki Kaminari
Stun Gun Hero: Chargebolt
This may be a bit of a contentious pick, given how Kaminari is one of the few side characters in Class 1-A who gets the chance to show his powers. However, for someone whose Quirk involves generating lightning, it’s odd just how underutilized he is throughout the series.
If his training was prioritized, then Denki could’ve used his Quirk to shock anyone standing in his way. However, it was clear that Todoroki’s elemental powers would be a major focus ofMy Hero Academia, which is perhaps why Kaminari only got to shine intermittently during the series.
