Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has taken an unusual approach, adapting to recent times through the release of numerous Disney+ series. The latest offering in its lineup of shows, Hawkeye, centers on Clint Barton and his successor for the title of MCU’s archer, Kate Bishop. But if Hawkeye shines in any way, it’s because of the secondary characters introduced in the series.
Maya Lopez, also known as Echo, primarily acts as an antagonist, although her motivations are more than understandable. During the time Clint spent as the vigilante Ronin, he killed Maya’s father, the leader of the Tracksuit Mafia. Maya is out for revenge, and she doesn’t let her disability stop her. Even so, she would probably benefit from some friends—perhaps some she could find in anime series.
9 Kallen Loses Her Brother And Is Forced To Confront The Man She Loves (Code Geass)
One of the most important characters in the mecha classic Code Geass, Kallen Kozuki is dedicated to freeing Japan from Britannia’s oppression. She loses her brother Naoto to their shared dream but she doesn’t let that stop her. Throughout her battle, she meets Zero and becomes dedicated to the charismatic new leader of the Black Knights.
But much like Echo, Kallen is lied to, as Zero is actually Lelouch vi Britannia, a prince with his own agenda. When pushed into a corner, Lelouch becomes the Demon Emperor, and Kallen is even forced to fight him, despite having romantic feelings for him. Echo goes through a similar experience, after learning her longtime friend and sign interpreter Kazi Kazimierczak is in league with the Kingpin. In the end, she is forced to kill Kazi, and the pain she experiences is probably even more intense than Kallen’s grief at watching Lelouch die.
8 Ayase Shinomiya Overcomes Her Insecurity Over Her Disability (Guilty Crown)
Kallen isn’t the only mecha anime pilot with a painful history. Guilty Crown’s Ayase Shinomiya is part of the Funeral Parlor group and pilots the humanoid robot Endlave. Despite the fact that she is in a wheelchair, she hates being pitied, insisting that her disability doesn’t hinder her from doing her job. However, without the Endlave, she still feels insecure. Her Void manifests as a pair of legs reminiscent of her favorite machine.
By the end of the anime, she accepts her disability and no longer lets those feelings get in the way of what needs to be done. Her growth as a character and determination make her a mirror of Echo, who must have struggled with the same feelings in her youth.
7 Edward Elric Loses His Leg And Arm For His Family (Fullmetal Alchemist)
If there’s one character who embodies devotion toward one’s family, it is Fullmetal Alchemist's, Edward Elric. After the death of his mother, Edward and his brother Alphonse attempt to resurrect her through Human Transmutation. Their plan goes badly awry, and Edward loses his leg. Alphonse loses his whole body and only survives due to Edward sacrificing his arm to preserve his soul.
In the aftermath of the incident, Edward becomes a talented alchemist, completely determined to give Al his body back. His unfaltering loyalty to Al is very much like Echo’s bond with her father, and the characters would doubtlessly connect through the sacrifices and pain they have experienced.
6 All Might Loses His Mentor And His Career To All For One (My Hero Academia)
The most iconic figure in the popular anime My Hero Academia, All Might is as tragic as he is heroic. Born Quirkless, he becomes the eighth wielder of One for All under the mentorship of Nana Shimura. The bond between the two is very deep, and All Might is grief-stricken when she is killed by All for One.
Years later, All for One heavily injures All Might in battle. The Symbol of Peace continues his career despite the constant deterioration of his body. However, he's ultimately forced to retire after a second confrontation with his nemesis. Still, if there is anyone who could understand Echo’s conflicting feelings and character, it's probably All Might.
5 Shouko Nishimiya Could Learn True Worth From Echo (A Silent Voice)
The deaf female protagonist of A Silent Voice, Shoko is perhaps Echo’s complete opposite. Incredibly forgiving toward those who have wronged her, she even grows to have feelings for her childhood bully Shoya Ishida. Unlike Echo, who is very close to her father, Shouko’s relationship with her mother is distant.
But in her own way, Shouko strives to move forward. Her feelings of self-hatred are a problem but that’s exactly why a friendship between her and Echo would work well. Echo could actually help Shouko find her true worth, and in the process, she herself may find a new purpose.
4 Mikasa Is Forced To End Eren’s Life For The Greater Good (Attack on Titan)
The main female character in Attack on Titan, Mikasa embodies protectiveness. From the very beginning of the show, she is incredibly dedicated to her friend—and love interest—Eren Yeager. This presumably stems from Eren’s rescue of her during their childhood. Eren will later claim that she's conditioned to act this way by her Ackerman blood, although it's unclear how much of Mikasa’s behavior was truly influenced by her heritage.
Regardless, Mikasa’s feelings for Eren are genuine. Left orphaned, she becomes a soldier precisely out of the desire to protect Eren. But toward the end of the series, when Eren’s dream of freedom turns into a genocidal plan, Mikasa makes the most difficult choice of all and kills him. Mikasa’s strength is just like Echo’s, and the two young women share the same warrior heart.
3 Rin Okumura Honors His Lost Foster Father (Blue Exorcist)
The son of Satan and the protagonist of Blue Exorcist, Rin Okimura is raised by his foster father Shiro Fujimoto, alongside his brother Yukio. Following an argument with Rin, Shiro is possessed by Satan and eventually killed. Rin dedicates himself to becoming an exorcist like Shiro, in the hope of one day defeating his biological father.
Echo would certainly empathize with the grief Rin experiences over Shiro’s loss, but also with his quest. She learns that her last remaining father figure—the Kingpin—is behind her father’s death and ultimately hunts him down. She appears to shoot him, although the actual outcome of events remains unclear. While Satan can’t exactly be harmed with a gunshot, Echo and Rin's feelings of helpless anger and desire for revenge are certainly the same. They're both unlikely heroes, although Echo has yet to display her full potential in the MCU.
2 Alice Is An Artificial Being Left Without Her Memories (Sword Art Online)
In Sword Art Online: Alicization, the protagonist of SAO, Kirito, ventures into the Underworld, which is a virtual world inhabited solely by artificial fluctlights. Alice Zuberg is his childhood friend during his Underworld childhood. After she accidentally breaks a taboo by trespassing on the Dark Territory, she is arrested and forced to become an Integrity Knight. The memories of her true self are wiped by Administrator Quinella.
Many years later, Alice will find the strength to surpass her conditioning. The original Alice fades away after her friend Eugeo dies in the battle with Quinella, but Alice Synthesis Thirty lingers on and becomes an android in the real world. Even if her whole body is artificial, she bravely faces the new reality she has to confront. It’s the same courage that allows Echo to take the lead of the Tracksuit Mafia and defeat numerous opponents despite her disability. They are both different but that just makes them special.
1 Koutarou Amon Abandons His Quest For Revenge After He Becomes A Ghoul (Tokyo Ghoul)
Having been raised by the ghoul Donato Porpora, Tokyo Ghoul’s Kotarou Amon becomes a First Class Investigator for the CCG to cleanse the world of their perceived corruption. When he loses his mentor Kureo Mado to Touka Kirishima, he becomes practically obsessed with finding the culprit. His confrontation with Ken Kaneki leads to him receiving serious injuries, but he returns as an artificial one-eyed ghoul in Tokyo Ghoul: re.
Throughout this time, he makes his peace with his feelings, with Touka, and his overall perspective on the world. Kotarou’s arc is not unlike Echo’s, who abandons her revenge on Clint after she learns the truth about her father’s murder. Their losses, inner strength, and unique bonds with their respective father figures guarantee that these two characters would get along very well.