Shoto Todoroki is one of the most popular characters in My Hero Academia, despite not being the series' main protagonist or antagonist.
He isn't popular just because of his unique quirk and tragic backstory, but he ranks among the top ten most popular anime characters due to his denseness. Although Shoto is one of the brightest students at UA High, he is still quite clueless at times. Owing to his stoic nature, his actions and remarks often come across as unintentionally blunt or dense, which fans find far too cute to bear.
However, Shoto Todoroki isn't the only anime character who exhibits extreme intelligence in one area while coming off as dense in another in My Hero Academia.
From Tobio Kageyama to Aki Hayakawa, anime characters who are smart but dense like My Hero Academia's Shoto Todoroki
1) Tobio Kageyama
Tobio Kageyama from Haikyuu is a very interesting character who was initially placed against the protagonist, Hinata. However, as the story went on, things improved between the two of them, and they ended up being the best duo. He may initially come off as a cruel, selfish individual due to the way his character is designed, yet he is anything but that.
Fans have seen him undergo significant character growth during the series, which has made everyone adore him. With his great talent for sports, he emerges as a very skilled and smart player with a very competitive personality.
There are many parallels between Tobio Kageyama from Haikyuu and Shoto Todoroki from My Hero Academia. To begin with, they are both introverted individuals who are deeply committed to their dreams and passions.
In their respective stories, both appear to be prodigies. Yet there is one more thing they have in common: they both appear dense in many situations that are beyond their expertise.
2) Megumi Fushiguro
Megumi Fushiguro from Jujutsu Kaisen has some insane similarities with Shoto Todoroki from My Hero Academia. Megumi is a first-year student of Tokyo Jujutsu High and a grade two jujutsu sorcerer.
He may initially appear to be a very stern, distant, and cold person since he usually maintains a blank facial expression and seems to take everything seriously. However, that isn't all of him.
Like Shoto, Megumi is pretty much the pinnacle of perfection, as if he had been handcrafted. Both of them are pros in their respective fields. They both respond to events in a very cool and collected manner. However, both have darker sides to them as well, in which they might lose their composure and turn into an unstoppable force, which fans have already gotten a glimpse of.
The similarities don't end there. Despite being powerful, flashy, and intelligent on the battlefield, they are also bland and simple-minded when it comes to resolving little problems in daily life. When someone compliments them, fans can't even envision them responding with much more than a tiny bow and a thank you.
3) Kyo Sohma
Due to his loud and violent nature, Kyo from Fruits Basket may appear to be extremely different from Shoto Todoroki at first glance. However, if viewers can look past his cover, they may find him to be a lovely and compassionate teenager.
Kyo is cursed by the spirit of the Cat, an animal that would have been included in the Chinese Zodiac if the Rat hadn't tricked him into missing the ceremony. Thus, he is an outlier among the signs of the zodiac. He may appear charming and hot-blooded, but he is also socially awkward and struggles to express his emotions.
Shoto Todoroki from My Hero Academia and Kyo from Fruits Basket may appear to have nothing in common, but they do. Both have faced mental abuse and grown up in toxic environments, leading them to become distant and socially awkward. They both have difficulty expressing themselves, which causes them to come across as dense when communicating with others.
4) Katsuki Bakugo
Bakugo from My Hero Academia, if looked past his overconfident outer layer, is one of the most talented students in Class 1-A with a very destructive quirk. He is also an extremely hardworking and competitive character who despises losing.
He has also been misinterpreted frequently throughout the series. This is primarily due to his aggressive and straightforward demeanor and the way the storyline first portrayed him as the bully who was positioned opposite the protagonist, Izuku. However, viewers must recognize the character growth he underwent. He exudes a particular charisma that is difficult to shake.
The two main characters of My Hero Academia, Bakugo, and Shoto, exhibit polar opposite personalities, but they share a lot of traits in common. The only difference is that their modes of expression are just different. Both are competitive, smart, and committed individuals who struggle with social situations outside of their areas of expertise.
5) Loid Forger
Loid from Spy x Family is an extremely composed individual, similar to Shoto Todoroki from My Hero Academia. The two value staying composed in stressful situations and always have a game plan in mind which is a sign of intelligence and mental strength.
However, there is still another connection between them. Both of them have a tendency to be a little dim at times. As seen in the anime, Shoto has difficulties understanding sarcasm or flirting, likewise, Loid is very dense to get a hint of Yor's hidden feelings for him.
6) Shouko Komi
Shouko Komi is the main character of Komi Can't Communicate. Thanks to her beautiful appearance, she is widely known as the school's Madonna. Every student in the school is drawn to her long black hair and graceful appearance. However, Komi suffers from severe social anxiety, which makes it difficult for her to make friends.
She is most definitely a smart character who packs a lot of knowledge, similar to Shoto Todoroki from My Hero Academia. Both seem very conserved due to the fact that they both face a major blockage in the way of expressing themselves, making it very difficult for them to be friends with someone. However, they both make an effort to prove their worth when they care about someone.
They both come across as dense in some situations since Komi has trouble expressing herself and has communication issues. Meanwhile, Shoto has a tendency to provide straightforward, blunt responses.
7) Gojo Satoru
Satoru Gojo is regarded as the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, with the ability to even defeat the King of Curses Sukuna himself. Gojo, like most other sorcerers, sought to protect the world from the Cursed Spirits that afflicted it.
Although Satoru Gojo is a teacher, most of the time he acts more like an immature student. He possesses some of the most powerful skills in the Jujutsu Kaisen Universe, despite this, he is an overly dramatic, extroverted individual who always steals the spotlight.
Gojo is undoubtedly the polar opposite of Shoto Todoroki from My Hero Academia. Aside from the fact that they are both incredibly intellectual and adept at utilizing their strengths, they literally have no obvious similarities. Another similarity is that they can both act extremely densely in two different manners in certain situations.
8) Genos
One of One-Punch Man's major characters is Genos. He is a 19-year-old cyborg who is Saitama's disciple. He always strives to increase his strength and fights for justice while harboring a deep seeded yearning for vengeance.
Genos is a very serious and intensely focused character. He continuously strives to get stronger, and Saitama, whom he addresses as his master, is someone he always looks up to. Genos also has a very protective side to him for his master whom he cherishes a lot.
Fans may notice multiple parallels between Shoto Todoroki from My Hero Academia and Genos from One Punch Man if they pay close attention. Both are highly intelligent and strong individuals who have their sights set on the goal. They are motivated by a sense of vengeance, but they can also act densely due to their inability to behave normally in day-to-day situations.
9) Hange Zoe
Hange Zoe from Attack on Titan is a member of the Survey Corps that protects society. She is an utterly interesting character who is very involved in Titan race research and innovative scientific experiments.
She is also well-known in the Attack on Titan universe for her Mad Scientist-like personality, as she is frequently portrayed as a Titan Freak due to her obsession with Titan exploration.
Hange is an utterly strange and unpredictably jolly character, yet she is also intensely emotional and energetic, carrying out her tasks with exquisite skill. She is extremely knowledgeable in her field of work, and her bravery is the cherry on top. However, the one thing about her that is immediately evident is that, like Shoto Todoroki from My Hero Academia, she can be incredibly dense.
10) Aki Hayakawa
Aki Hayakawa from Chainsaw Man was a Public Safety Devil Hunter who worked for Makima's special squad. He appears to be a stoic individual, similar to Shoto Todoroki from My Hero Academia. He presents a serious, often unpleasant, blunt persona, yet in reality, he's quite a sensitive individual.
Shoto Todoroki from My Hero Academia and Aki Hayakawa have several obvious parallels. From their poker face, calm demeanor, strategic mindset, and concealed soft heart to their dense attitude.
This is majorly due to their lack of expressing abilities and stoic nature. They frequently appear to have missed a joke or may seem too disconnected from romance to understand the obviousness or liking towards them from a female character.