Summary
In the world ofMy Hero Academia, becoming a Pro Hero is something many people aim to achieve, and as such,those with strong Quirksare praised and encouraged that they’ll one day become some of the world’s greatest heroes. However, the series also shows how those with typically weaker abilities, or even those born Quirkless, can still become heroes in their own right. As proven by the likes of Deku and others, these characters have critical roles to play in the series' events.
MHAis packed full of unique and different skilled heroes, but there are some who stand out as having inherent character flaws that need addressing. Some, on the other hand, can’t fully be blamed for their weaknesses, whether due to personal issues, injuries, or even their dispositions, but some of these heroes are in need of changing themselves more drastically and remembering what being a true hero is all about.
1Toshinori Yagi (All Might)
Left With A Devastating Injury
The Symbol of Peace has more weaknesses than first thoughtat the beginning ofMy Hero Academia. All Might was left with life-changing injuries after fighting All For One years ago, and as such, he’s left with little time each day to do hero work. At the beginning of the series, this is three hours maximum, but after the USJ incident, it gets shortened to under one hour. After rescuing Katsuki Bakugō from All For One and fighting him again, his power’s gone for good, but most notably, the world feels the void left by the Symbol of Peace.
Arguably, aside from his physical weakness, All Might became something too big for real life and overshadowed many other fledgling heroes who were trying to carve a name for themselves in the era of his prime. This gave Endeavor the frenzy he had, and thus resulted in his terrible actions. Though All Might was a true hero loved by many, perhaps he was too large a presence in the hero world, so when he retired, the void he left behind was an easy way for the villains to gain more power.
2Enji Todoroki (Endeavor)
The Past Never Dies
Endeavor is the infamous hero known for his fire powers — and the fact that, through his own hard work, he rose to become the Number two hero. As a hero, though, Endeavor was always in All Might’s shadow, and he vowed to himself that he’d surpass him and become Number one. However, no matter how hard he tried, he could never take his place, which drove him into a frenzy and resulted in his infamous plan: to raise a child who would surpass All Might. This led him to become the abusive father he’s mostly known as, forcing Shoto into becoming a hero, and neglecting his other children, which, for his eldest son Toya, would have drastic repercussions.
Endeavor was always an intimidating presence, but after he becomes the number one Hero in place of All Might, he is constantly compared to his predecessor, and public opinion on him is divided.After the evil villain Dabi is revealed as Toya Todoroki, Endeavor’s image is weakened even more now that everyone knows what happened to his oldest son. Though Endeavor undergoes a drastic change of heart, his past actions will always follow him and be his major character flaw.
3Minoru Mineta (Grape Juice)
A Certain Major Character Flaw Needs Addressing
Mineta is quite an infamous character inMHAand isn’t the most well-loved. He’s mostly portrayed as either scared stiff and prone to panicking easily, like in the USJ incident. His actions even prompt Tsu to ask him if becoming a hero is even the right thing for him. Thankfully, with the help and teamwork of Tsu and Deku the three managed to evade the villains, but it took Mineta a long time to somewhat overcome his cowardice. Later in the series, though, he’s still got this weakness to work on.
His other noticeable flaw is the fact he’s a pervert, though this is mostly used for comic relief, but it isn’t always that funny.Even his hero suit prevents him from looking more heroic than he actually is, thus all these factors mean he’s never been acknowledged by any girls, but still he is unrelenting. Grape Juice clearly has some things to work on once he goes Pro, since these flaws would prevent people in need from trusting him and feeling safe from danger.
4Katsuki Bakugo (Dynamight)
His Heart Has Changed, But He Needs To Show It
Katsuki started out as quite a mentally unstable character with a large inferiority complex, having grown up believing his worth was tied to how strong he was. After he first loses to Deku, then feels he can’t measure up to Todoroki,andgets kidnapped and fails his Licensing Exam, he suffers a big identity crisis, which knocks down his fragile confidence. Thankfully, these events served to change him,and he comes a long way from who he was at the start of the series. He learns what true strength is, what being a true hero is, and that empathy and giving and receiving help is not a weakness.
Even though Katsuki’s made progress, he still suffers from falling into old habits, which especially shows in his bad temper. To be fair, he somewhat cannot help this since he inherited his mother’s infamous disposition, so it’s an innate part of who he is. However, as a hero, Katsuki needs to learn to control and tame it so it doesn’t affect his image and the civilians' sense of safety. Even though underneath his rough exterior he’s a fearless hero who would risk himself to protect those in need, Katsuki’s outward aggression, anger issues, habit of shouting, and aggressive language, unfortunately, can be perceived as major flaw in the supposed Pro Hero Dynamight.
5Yuga Aoyama (Can’t Stop Twinkling)
His Past Trauma Would Massively Impact His Identity
Yuga Aoyama had a weakness from the startwith his navel laser being unsuited to his body, meaning he couldn’t use it for long without suffering unpleasant side effects. However, it’s revealed he was actually born Quirkless, and his parents were so distraught for him and didn’t want him to be an outcast his whole life — in the hero-based society, whether one has a Quirk or not is tied up greatly with how one is perceived by others and their sense of worth, as was clearly the case with Bakugo. Fearing for their son, they approached All For One, who gave their son a Quirk but placed them under his control and manipulated them.
This experience haunted Aoyama, and though he tries to put on a show with his flashy facade, deep down, he is wracked with guilt and is very insecure about deceiving his classmates. When Aoyama was revealed as the U.A. traitor, he clearly had a lot of trauma that would remain a big part of his identity, even after the war, since he withdraws from U.A. Thankfully, Aoyama redeems himself and becomes a sidekick for the Invisible Girl.
6Denki Kaminari (Chargebolt)
Relies On Others To See Him Through
Denki Kaminari is one of Class 1-A’s most lively and friendly members, yet he does have some obvious flaws in his character. Initially, Denki treats hero work in a lax and easygoing way and relies on others too much instead of thinking about how he can use his own abilities. Multiple times, he pretty much wholly relies on Bakugo and Kirishima’s abilities, and the former’s innate leadership abilities, to get them out of their current predicament, even admitting as such. This was seen in the “Do or Die Survival Training” OVA and the Provisional License exam. Both times, Bakugo basically told him what to do since he didn’t think for himself or analyze the situation as a hero should be learning to do.
Denki has long been an easy target for teasing, due to his low grades and the side effect of overusing his Quirk, which happens on many an occasion. He comes bottom of the class and even fails his Final Exams. However, he does mature and gradually begins to cooperate as a team, like in the Joint Training arc, instead of wholly relying on his classmates to see him through. Denki’s role in the Final War was critical, and if he can continue to think for himself, he’ll become a Pro who can stand on his own two feet.
7Tamaki Amajiki (Suneater)
Incredibly Powerful, Yet Shy
Tamaki Amajiki is a fan-favorite character with one ofthe strangest Quirks in the series. He’s also part of U.A.’s so-called ‘Big Three’ alongside Lemillion and Nejire Hado. Yet, despite this status, Amajiki is mostly known for how shy he is. Amajiki suffers from a lack of confidence, though this has improved over the years thanks to his friends.
While he can’t really be blamed for his inherent disposition, it’s clear Amajiki would benefit greatly from learning to overcome his shyness and become more confident. His future job as a Pro Hero would be affected by just how shy and nervous he gets, particularly when in front of others. As a Pro, the public would need to feel a sense of security, so Amajiki’s lack of confidence would affect how the public perceive him as well as their own sense of security.
8Uwabami
Too Selfish And Needs To Change Her Priorities
The Snake Hero Uwabami mainly focuses on rescuing people affected by the aftermath of disasters, as seen after All Might’s final battle against All For One. Though she appears as a background Pro in the Paranormal Liberation War, she’s mainly remembered in the internship arc in season two. She recruits Momo Yaoyorozu and Itsuka Kendo to do their internships with her, but the girls' expectations are quickly dashed due to Uwabami’s selfish priorities. Though they patrol together, and she sees hero potential in them, Uwabami admits she chose the two of them since she wanted them in a commercial with her.
This obviously shows that Uwabami is more focused on the fame, popularity, and lavish lifestyle that can come with being a Pro Hero, rather than her actual job of saving people. She is more focused on growing her fan base than teaching her interns what it truly means to be a hero, which is a major flaw in her character and also a clear example of the flaws of hero society that people like Stain and the League of Villains despise so much. In order to be a true hero, Uwabami needs to be more selfless and not just be in it for the glory it brings her.
