Summary
Considering how much Deku and the other heroes go through throughoutMy Hero Academia’s story, it makes sense that many will grow and mature over time. Character development is a crucial part of any good anime series, and it’s fair to say that author Kohei Horikoshi has done an excellent job at gradually building up a lot of his characters, to the point where some of them feel like entirely different people by the end of the story.
Of course, considering the staggering number of characters that are packed into this immensely popular series, not everyone is gifted with enough screen time to properly develop. At the same time, it’s not only the heroes who change throughout the story, as a lot of the villains also get some pretty significant development too. With all that being said, it’s time to take a closer look at the characters whose personalities and abilities have changed the most throughoutMy Hero Academia.
This list will contain spoilers up to the end of the manga!
1Kota Izumi
Kota’s Initial Hatred For Heroes Slowly Changes Into More Positive Feelings
At a young age, Kota’s parents, the heroic tag-team duo Water Hose, were brutally killed by avillain known as Muscular. As a result, Kota would come to disdain heroes in general, seeing them as people who simply throw their lives away seemingly for nothing. This is why Kota acts so hostile toward Deku and the others after they arrive at the training camp, though his stubborn attitude does slowly begin to change over time.
After Muscular returns to finish off Kota for good, Deku stands in his way and puts 100% of his power into defeating him. This incredible display of bravery showed Kota that heroes are supposed to be selfless, and that they are constantly putting their lives on the line not for the sake of their reputation and ego but to help others. Much later down the line, after Deku is being ridiculed by civilians, it’s Kota who runs to his aid and comforts him, highlighting just how differently the young boy views the world as a result of his new role model.
2Hawks
Hawks' Actions Behind The Scenes Eventually Take A Heavy Toll On Him
When Hawks was introduced to the series in thePro Hero arc, it’s explained that he was able to obtain the number two Pro Hero position at such a young age, not only because of his strength and speed, but also his popularity. Simply put, the general public could not get enough of Hawks' cool, calm, and collected demeanor, but he wouldn’t get to enjoy this reputation for very long. After Dabi exposed Hawks' actions to the public, specifically the fact that he had killed twice in cold blood, a lot of people started to turn on him.
This clearly had a big impact on Hawks as a person, considering he was a lot less jovial and upbeat after this incident took place. Not only that, Hawks would also sadly lose his Fierce Wings Quirk after it was stolen by All For One, so needless to say, the hero has changed in more ways than one.
3Gentle Criminal
A Rare Example Of A Villain Becoming A Hero
One thing fans will quickly come to realize when watchingMy Hero Academiais that the hero society isn’t exactly all that fair. A prime example of this comes in the form of Gentle, a man who once tried to rescue someone falling from a building with his Elasticity Quirk, but was severely punished for his actions due to getting in the way of anotherPro Hero. As an outcast of society, Gentle decided to become a villain, teaming up with the mischievous La Brava to broadcast all of his criminal activities online for the world to see.
After he’s bested by Midoriya, though, who convinces Gentle that he doesn’t need to go down such a dark path, he eventually makes a grand return during the final war, where he gets the chance to act as a true hero. Gentle manages to hold up the floating UA base, which prevented countless heroes from losing their lives, marking a full-circle moment for the fan-favorite former antagonist.
4Tomura Shigaraki
Shigaraki Starts As All For One’s Lackey And Eventually Becomes An Unstoppable Monster
While Shigaraki’s goal of destroying everything and everyone in sight has always remained the same throughout the series, his abilities have changed drastically. At first, Shigaraki was little more than All For One’s protege, who could only use hisDecay Quirkto fend off his enemies. As a person, though, he was rather naive and a little too emotional for his own good, struggling to step up as the leader of the League of Villains after All For One was taken down early on.
During the My Villain Academia story arc, though, Shigaraki becomes much more confident in his position and also a lot stronger after facing off against Gigantomachia. After being experimented on by Dr. Garaki, allowing him to obtain the All For One Quirk, Shigaraki would become an absolute monster, capable of destroying entire cities with a single touch. While Deku has come a very long way since those early episodes, Shigaraki has also embarked on his own long and grueling journey.
5All Might
All Might Loses His Spot As Japan’s Top Hero Pretty Early On
While it was easy to initially believe that All Might would remain as the super-powerful top hero for much of the series when he first shows up, this wouldn’t end up being the case. After handing the baton of One For All down to Midoriya, All Might would essentially be running on fumes until, eventually, he would lose all of his power in one final epic clash against his arch-rival, All For One.
Throughout the next few arcs, All Might is forced to consider how he can contribute to society while no longer even being a hero himself, let alone the strongest in all of Japan. Eventually, he is able to partake in the heroes' plight against the villains by using some support gear, proving that a person doesn’t need a Quirk to contribute to society. The ultra-powerful hero may not have stayed in his peak form for very long, though this only adds to his development as a character.
6Endeavor
Endeavor’s Hard Edge And Outlook On Life Drastically Change Once He Reaches The Top Spot
Endeavor, the father of Todoroki,isn’t exactly the most likable herowhen he first shows up in the series. Rude, merciless, and full of bubbling anger, Endeavor starts as a reckless Pro Hero who has been acting pretty harshly toward his own family behind the scenes due to his selfishness. Upon reaching the number one spot after All Might retires, Endeavor’s outlook begins to change. He starts to regret how he treated Todoroki and the rest of his family, desperately trying to find ways to repent for what he has done.
Endeavor may have once been a man who only cared about his pride and ego, but he couldn’t care less about this by the end. Instead, the only thing on Endeavor’s mind is ensuring his family can continue and live a happy life, but reaching this point was far from easy for the fiery Pro Hero.
7Shota Todoroki
Endeavor’s Son Comes To Accept His Powers As His Own
Despite possessing a Quirk that allows him to use both fire and ice at the same time, Todoroki doesn’t seem all that keen about using this ability to its fullestwhen he first meets Deku. Because of how much he disdains his father, Endeavor, Todoroki refuses to use anything that involves fire. This is emblematic of how much he hated his father for what he did to their family, but with a little help from Deku and the other students, Todoroki eventually learns to accept his powers as his own, rather than a lingering remnant of his father.
Speaking of Endeavor, Todoroki’s view of him would also gradually change at a slow pace throughout the story, though it certainly took quite a while before he came to acknowledge and respect him. In the end, though, Todoroki would recognize that his father was trying to change, and in turn, his son would come to view him in a very different light.
8Katsuki Bakugo
Bakugo Learns What It Means To Be A True Hero And How To Put His Ego To One Side
Bakugo doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would make a good fit for a Hero, at least at first, that is. All Bakugo seems to care about in the first few arcs is blowing up everything in his way, including Deku, whom he can always be seen bullying and picking on any time he gets the chance. After Bakugo is kidnapped by theLeague of Villains, though, this is really where he starts to change, as he openly admits his intentions to become a hero, and someone who can one day reach the level of All Might.
In the joint training arc, Bakugo would even go out of his way to help out his teammates, which is something he was never willing to do during the first few exams. Of course, his feelings toward Deku also change a lot as he eventually musters up the courage to admit his respect for his rival and how much he truly cares about him. This isn’t even mentioning Bakugo’s explosion Quirk, which has gone through plenty of changes and tweaks, eventually becoming fully Awakened.
9Izuku Midoriya
From Whimpering Kid To The Hero Of Japan, Midoriya Has Come A Very Long Way
Considering how immensely strong and confident Deku eventually becomes by the end of the series, it can be easy to forget just how weak and timid he was at the beginning. When Deku first meets All Might in the very first episode, he comes across as a bit of a crybaby who simply wants to become a hero, despite not possessing a Quirk. After being handed One For All by All Might, Deku would need to learn not only how to utilize this immensely powerful ability, but also what it means to be a hero in a world crawling full of dangerous villains.
By the time the story reachesthe Dark Hero arc, Deku has become an absolute powerhouse with little to no fear of the villains who stand in his way. He is also capable of using not one, but several quirks thanks to the previous users of One For All handing down their abilities to him. Needless to say, Deku has come a very long way since those early arcs, being a protagonist who goes through one heck of a journey and is always growing and maturing, which is a ton of fun for fans to watch.
