'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
In My Hero Academia, Pro Heroes could range from well-developed characters to background set pieces. Understandably, not every character would have their own dedicated arcs. It's an impossible feat for any mangaka to divide their attention to all the characters equally.
Kohei Horikoshi, the author of My Hero Academia, already has so many heroes that he needs to juggle. Whenever he put effort into someone's backstory, he regularly delivered it in that regard. Enji Todoroki has been a classic example from the series. Of course, some fans just wished that other characters would also get the same spotlight. However, a few of the Pro Heroes continued to lack characterization despite the series' progress, whereas others became more refined with each arc.
Trending
As such, today's list will talk about four Pro Heroes who have had incredible characterizations in the series and four more who have failed to receive one.
Disclaimer: This article will contain manga spoilers from the final arc. All external media in this article are the property of their respective owners and Sportskeeda claims no ownership of the same.
These Pro Heroes were given good character development in My Hero Academia
4) Shota Aizawa - Eraserhead
At the beginning of My Hero Academia, Aizawa was cold and distant. He was very strict with his Class 1-A students and regularly threatened them with expulsion. However, a warm and caring interior lay beneath his nonchalant and cool exterior.
Later on in the series, it was revealed that Aizawa re-enrolled expelled students back into the U.A. High School. He believed that heroes need to experience the concept of death to understand the gravity of their jobs. Aizawa had earlier lost a close friend back in high school, which explained the motivations behind his moral approach to life and teaching.
Throughout My Hero Academia, he also changed his views on multiple students. He initially believed that Izuku Midoriya would never amount to anything but was happily proven wrong after the main protagonist finally mastered his OFA Quirk.
3) Toshinori Yagi - All Might
All Might used to be the Symbol of Peace in My Hero Academia. The eighth wielder of the OFA Quirk, he would regularly take down villains with great ease. However, while he may seem like a typical comic book superhero, his goals are grounded in reality.
Although he had an idealistic mindset, he knew that he couldn't always save everyone around him. After being forced into retirement, he carried a heavy burden upon himself. He felt that he couldn't be there for his successor Midoriya.
In the later arcs of My Hero Academia, he eventually learned to live with his current state and started to believe that he could still provide hope on the sidelines. He didn't have to do everything himself, as the next generation would go on to carry on his legacy instead.
2) Keigo Takami - Hawks
At first glance, Hawks looked like a cool superhero who made everything seem effortless. Of course, he took himself very seriously in My Hero Academia, but he also believed that popularity is important for Pro Heroes. The general public needed to believe in them so they could feel safer.
Hawks never forgave his family for their lack of love towards him. After developing a pang of intense guilt, he wanted to look for the good in people. When he infiltrated the Paranormal Liberation Front, he genuinely wanted to reform the criminal Twice, even though he was later forced to kill him.
He also displayed a similar mindset towards Lady Nagant during the Tartarus Escapees arc. Even if something didn't go his way, Hawks never lost the motivation to give up on being a Pro Hero.
1) Enji Todoroki - Endeavor
Without a doubt, Endeavor's character arc was the most controversial aspect of My Hero Academia. This abusive father nearly destroyed his entire family just for the sake of his ambition and selfish desires. His son, Toya, would eventually become a villain, while his wife, Rei, would be sent to a mental hospital.
While not the perfect author by any means, Horikoshi did handle Endeavor's road to redemption with some tact. His family gave him a second chance, but they hadn't entirely forgiven him. Natsuo resented his father for what he did, yet he isn't portrayed in the wrong here.
It remains to be seen if Endeavor would eventually be forgiven by his family at the end of My Hero Academia. Nonetheless, he had been making serious gestures to bring them back together, as he had already done much more for Shoto than Kotaro ever did for Tenko Shimura.
By comparison, these Pro Heroes deserved better material in My Hero Academia
4) Susugu Mitarai - Wash
Wash had been serving as a gag character in My Hero Academia for several arcs, so fans shouldn't be surprised to see a lack of screen time for him. Regardless, he did represent a very underrated part of the Hero's work. He specialized in rescuing people without the need for combat. Wash used clean bubbles to float everybody to safety.
He had been a good example of why not every Hero needs to be a fighter. Sometimes, they could find their use just by having a support Quirk. Wash also put on a child-friendly persona in My Hero Academia and had been a reminder to students on why Heroes need to have people look up to them.
3) Ryuko Tatsuma - Ryukyu
Not much had been known about Ryukyu or her personal backstory. She did help mentor younger female heroes like Nejire Hado, but that's all she only did in this series. Ryukyu didn't get any further development beyond that.
When she dropped a rank in the Hero billboard charts, she blamed herself for what had happened. However, this topic was not broached any further. Horikoshi could've written more about her struggles and how she could overcome them in the near future, but none of that had happened.
According to databooks, Ryukyu had maxed out her intelligent stats in My Hero Academia, but this side of her had never really been seen. The series could use more top Heroes that use brains alongside their brawns.
2) Yu Takeyama - Mt Lady
Mt Lady was among the first heroes ever to be shown in this series. Her Gigantification Quirk allowed her to fight much larger enemies on equal footing.
With that being said, Mt. Lady had been mainly used as a comic relief character who had played up her fanservice part. This hadn't been a terrible role by any means, but she could still do a lot more. Perhaps she could've had more interactions with Class 1-A students or gotten involved in more fight scenes.
1) Shinya Kamihara - Edgeshot
Edgeshot had been among the coolest-looking characters in My Hero Academia. He was a ninja who could fold his body in various ways. Despite being ranked fourth in the hero rankings, he rarely got to showcase his skills. It would've been interesting to see why he became a ninja in the first place, but that aspect was barely explored.
Near the end of the final arc, Edgeshot sacrificed himself to save Katsuki Bakugo. Sad as it may sound, he never really had any character development until this moment. It made him look like a convenient plot device in My Hero Academia that had been disposed of after his purpose in the story was served.
