10 My Hero Academia female characters who need better character arcs

Kohei Horikoshi's My Hero Academia follows the adventures of Izuku Midoriya and his classmates at U.A. High School, a prestigious institution for aspiring heroes. The characters in the series are diverse, each having their own distinctive quirks and characteristics. However, not all of them receive the same consideration and growth as the primary protagonists in My Hero Academia.

Several characters exist within My Hero Academia who have the potential to greatly improve the storyline by focusing on their character development. As such, this article will examine 10 female characters from My Hero Academia who ought to get greater character arcs and more screen time in the future.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's opinion.

Eri, Nejire Hado, and 8 other My Hero Academia female characters who deserve better character arcs

1. Momo Yaoyorozu

Momo is one of the brightest and most gifted students in My Hero Academia, who also happens to be the vice president of Class 1-A. She can produce any non-living thing from her body with her quirk, Creation. She is also a natural leader and strategist, as shown in the Final Exams arc and the Provisional Hero License Exam arc.

However, Momo suffers from low self-esteem and confidence issues, especially after losing to Fumikage Tokoyami in the Sports Festival arc. She also frequently gets lost in the shadows of other characters during battles, such as when she was captured by Himiko Toga in the Forest Training Camp arc. As such, Momo needs more opportunities to showcase her abilities and overcome her insecurities, as well as more interactions with her classmates and mentors.

2. Ochaco Uraraka

Ochaco is Izuku's main love interest and one of his closest friends. She has a quirk called Zero Gravity that enables her to touch things or people and make them float. She is cheerful, optimistic, and hardworking, but she also has a serious side when it comes to her goals and motivations. Moreover, she wants to become a hero to earn money for her parents, who run a construction company.

However, Ochaco's character journey has primarily been centered on her affection for Izuku, which has led to her losing concentration and performing poorly in several situations. Despite training with Gunhead and Ryukyu, she has not made much progress in mastering her quirks or combat techniques. Therefore, Ochaco requires more opportunities to excel as a person and a hero, as well as more exploration of her backstory and family in My Hero Academia

3. Nejire Hado

Nejire is part of U.A.'s Big Three, who are the top students of My Hero Academia. Her quirk, Wave Motion, allows her to release powerful blasts of energy from her hands. She is lively, inquisitive, and vivacious but also smart and perceptive. She has a keen interest in other people's quirks and personalities, often asking them random questions or giving them nicknames.

However, Nejire has been mainly absent from the larger arcs of the series. Despite being part of the Big Three, she has been sidelined by her immediate male peers. As a result, her character demands more attention, depth, involvement in the main plot, as well as complexity in her character.

4. Himiko Toga

As a member of the League of Villains, Himiko is one of the most well-known antagonists in My Hero Academia. She can adopt the look and voice of anybody whose blood she takes, thanks to her quirk, Transform. She is a sadistic and bloodthirsty serial killer who has a twisted obsession with Izuku and Ochaco. She also had a tragic past in which she was shunned and victimized by society due to her quirk and personality.

However, Himiko's character arc has been somewhat inconsistent and unclear throughout the series. She has also had little interaction or conflict with the main heroes or other villains besides Dabi and Hawks. As such, Himiko's character journey requires greater definition, focus, challenges, and consequences for her choices.

5. Kyoka Jiro

Kyoka is one of the students of Class 1-A and a music lover. She can use her earlobes as long-range whips or speakers that can produce forceful sound waves with her quirk, Earphone Jack. She is cool-headed, sarcastic, blunt, kind-hearted, and loyal to her friends. Moreover, she is passionate about music and plays guitar in a band with some of her classmates.

However, Kyoka's character arc has been mostly limited to the Cultural Festival arc, where she overcame her stage fright and performed in front of the school. Despite being one of the more diverse and inventive users of sound-based powers, she has not made much progress in her quirk or fighting talents. Kyoka needs more opportunities to showcase her potential and personality, as well as more involvement in My Hero Academia's battles.

6. Mina Ashido

Mina is a Class 1-A student and a happy, extroverted young character from My Hero Academia. Her quirk, Acid, allows her to secrete a corrosive liquid from her skin that can melt or burn anything it touches. She can also use it to make barriers for protection or to slide across surfaces. Additionally, she has shown courage and a sense of justice when she stood up to a bully who was harassing her friends in middle school.

Mina's character arc has been mostly focused on her relationship with Eijiro Kirishima, who was inspired by her bravery and developed a crush on her. Despite being one of the more capable and strong users of acid-based powers, she has not made much progress in either her quirk or combat talents. Mina needs more opportunities to prove herself as a leader and a hero so that the narrative can explore her motivations and history.

7. Fuyumi Todoroki

Fuyumi Todoroki (Image via Studio Bones)

Fuyumi is the eldest daughter of Todoroki family and the older sister of Shoto, and Natsuo. She has the limited ability to manipulate ice due to her quirk, Ice Quirk. She is a loving and compassionate lady who works as a teacher and genuinely cares about her family. Fuyumi has endured her father's mistreatment and disregard since he was only interested in producing a strong successor with both fire and ice quirks.

However, the Todoroki family drama has mostly pushed Fuyumi's character journey to the background. Despite being one of the few individuals who can comprehend and empathise with Shoto's problems, she has not had much connection with or influence on the main characters or events of the series. She also has not had much development or resolution in terms of her quirk. Fuyumi deserves more attention and recognition as a character and a hero, along with more closure and healing for her family trauma.

8. Ryuko Tatsuma

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Ryuko is one of the top 10 Pro Heroes in Japan and the former mentor of Nejire Hado. She can change into a gigantic dragon that can fly and breathe fire because of her quirk, Dragon Form. She is a cool-headed individual who encourages collaboration and teamwork among heroes. Additionally, she has a light side and a sense of humour.

Ryuko's character arc has been largely overshadowed by other Pro Heroes in the series, such as Endeavor, Hawks, Mirko, and Best Jeanist. In contrast to other top 10 professional Heroes, she has not had much growth. Likewise, Ryuko needs more spotlight and relevance in My Hero Academia's plot and battles, given that she has one of the most strongest quirk in the series.

9. Eri

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Eri is a young girl who was experimented on and abused by the villain Overhaul, who wanted to use her quirk, Rewind, to erase the quirks of other people. Her peculiar quirk enables her to turn back time and change the evolution of everything or anybody she touches. She is a shy, traumatized child who holds herself responsible for the misery and pain she inflicted on others.

However, following the conclusion of the Overhaul storyline, Eri's character development has mostly remained unchanged. She also has not had much interaction or impact on the other characters and events of the series, despite being one of the most powerful and dangerous users of time-based abilities in My Hero Academia. Eri needs more growth and development as a character and a quirk user, so her significant presence in future narrative will be a welcoming sight.

10. Inko Midoriya

Inko is Izuku's mother and a single parent who works as an office lady. She is a devoted mother who genuinely cares about her son and his aspirations. When Izuku decided to join at U.A. High School and become a Hero, she was concerned initially, especially because he had inherited One For All from All Might. However, Inko's character arc in My Hero Academia has been mostly limited to the background of Izuku's journey.

Despite being one of the few individuals who has been aware of Izuku's secret and his connection to all might, she has not had much impact over the other characters of My Hero academia. Inko deserves more attention and recognition as a character and a mother, as well as a closure and happiness for her family situation.

Edited by Priya Majumdar