My Hero Academia: Why is Hitoshi Shinso such a popular character? Explored

Among the wide and vibrant cast of the My Hero Academia series, Hitoshi Shinso from Class 1-C of U.A. High has surprisingly emerged as a fan-favorite character. During his fight against Izuku Midoriya, it was revealed that he had been ostracized throughout his life due to his Quirk, which was a powerful ability to brainwash anyone momentarily.

Although he was initially feared by his class due to the potential danger associated with his Quirk, they eventually came around and accepted him. That said, he has become one of the most popular characters of the series in the past few years, which begs the question: How did he get so popular among fans in the first place?

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Explaining the reason behind Hitoshi Shinso's popularity in My Hero Academia

In the world of My Hero Academia, where Quirks determine an individual's place in society, Hitoshi Shinso's Quirk was deemed by many to be a villainous Quirk. The ability to momentarily brainwash someone and have them obey any command certainly does not look good on paper. As such, Shinso was ostracized by everyone around him, as people mostly feared and avoided him.

His first appearance in season 2 of the My Hero Academia anime saw him face off against Izuku Midoriya, aka Deku. During their fight, Shinso used his brainwashing Quirk to make Deku lose to him.

However, the latter persevered and somehow managed to break free of his control and defeat him. Following this incident, Shinso's classmates gradually started to realize that he wasn't a bad person and accepted him as one of their own.

On the other hand, his popularity in the fanbase rose, mainly due to his mirroring Deku in many ways. For instance, Shinso was rejected by society since his Quirk made him seem like a villain, whereas Deku was rejected by society due to being Quirkless.

Living in a world predominated by superheroes, where people judge each other based on their Quirks rather than their character, Shinso went through a lot of struggles growing up.

After taking into consideration everything that Shinso had to go through in his life, it would only be natural if he decided to become a Villain and exact revenge on society.

However, he never once opted to go down the darker path and chose to rise above the temptation of becoming a Villain. To this day, he believes that he can become an outstanding Hero one day if he tries his level best to achieve his goals.

As the My Hero Academia series progressed, fans got to see Shinso evolve from a closed-off and cold character to someone who aspires to help others and become the world's greatest Hero someday. His journey has inspired a lot of viewers, who were captivated by his character growth.

Hitoshi Shinso as seen in the My Hero Academia anime (Image via Studio Bones)

Therefore, it's easy to see why Hitoshi Shinso is so popular among fans. He often places pretty high up in the top 10 popularity polls of the My Hero Academia series, which is certainly something that he deserves as a character.

Never once wavering from his morals and beliefs, Shinso is one of the best contenders for replacing All Might as the Symbol of Peace. While the majority might think that only Deku is worthy of being the successor of the former No. 1 Hero, it can be argued that Shinso is also one of the few people worthy of inheriting All Might's legacy.

Not only is he aware of the struggles of an ordinary person, but he is also aware of the consequences associated with his power and wants to use it for the betterment of society.

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Final thoughts

In conclusion, Hitoshi Shinso stands as a shining example of the ideals that one needs to possess in the world of My Hero Academia to be the No. 1 Hero. While his replacement for All Might may not be possible in the current storyline of the series, he certainly deserves to be a top Hero one day.