My Hero Academia's cast is jam-packed with colorful characters who also have a ton of growth potential. Izuku "Deku" Midoriya is perhaps the most primed for growth as he struggles on his journey to be able to become a hero despite having no Quirk. Even after meeting his lifelong idol All Might and having One For All passed down to him, his trials are far from over.
Even as Deku grows and becomes more powerful, he suffers negative repercussions along the way. His path to becoming a pro is far from linear, which is part of what makes his particular storyline so enthralling. There are many other characters with great storylines in MHA, but sadly, there will also always be those who end up feeling like they deserve better than what they got.
10 Rei Todoroki Feels Largely Forgotten About
Rei Todoroki ends up in a psychiatric ward after lashing out at her son Shoto Todoroki. Sadly, her mental instability was caused by the repeated abuse she faced at the hands of her husband, the Pro Hero Endeavor. After the events of the Sports Festival, Shoto goes to see her and repair their relationship, and he's ultimately successful.
It's noted that even Endeavor begins sending her small gifts, but the two haven't seen each other face-to-face since the incident. The problem here is that Rei doesn't quite have her own fleshed-out story and instead exists as a plot device to explore Shoto further.
9 Ochaco's Crush On Izuku Should Have Been Handled Differently
At the start of My Hero Academia, Izuku can barely keep his cool around Uraraka, who seems oblivious to how flustered he gets. As time goes on, Uraraka realizes that her feelings of admiration toward Izuku are more romantic than platonic. She chooses to shelve these feelings instead of acting on them so they can stay focused on their hero training, which is respectable.
However, it actually lessens the impact of many of their one-on-one scenes afterward for fans of the pairing, since they know Uraraka isn't going to make a move. It would have been much more satisfying for Ochaco's true feelings to be revealed during one of their more tense scenes, such as when she hugs him without a second thought to calm down Blackwhip despite the danger.
8 All Might Should Have Taken Down One For All For Good
Whenever All Might first passes One For All onto Izuku, he's still under the assumption that he's defeated All For One for good. This is proven to be far from the case, though, as All Might ends up having yet another showdown with him. After the conclusion of their battle, All Might symbolically steps down as the Symbol of Peace.
This would have felt like a proper send-off for All For One, and it'd be fitting that All Might use up the last of his power in order to stop him once and for all. This way, the focus would shift entirely onto Izuku's fight against Tomura, rather than having to continue a battle that's already been raging for such a long time.
7 It Feels Like Tsuyu's Storyline Is Complete Right From The Start
The main problem with Tsuyu Asui is that she feels like basically all of her development is finished with before the series even begins. Due to having grown up as the oldest of several siblings with parents who were always working, she grows into a sensible and mature girl who's able to juggle difficulties without being overwhelmed.
Tsuyu is incredibly resourceful and able to think quickly on her feet. She acts as an unshakable pillar of emotional support for the rest of her classmates. Given that most of her teammates have at least some emotional development to go through, it makes her character arc feel lacking compared to others.
6 All Young Tomura Wanted Was To Be Saved By Heroes
Tomura Shigaraki may end up evolving into an incredibly powerful and threatening villain, but all he ever really wanted was to be saved by heroes. As a child, he accidentally uses his Decay Quirk on his family and was left traumatized after the event.
Instead of being saved by the heroes, who Tomura believed were supposed to help people like him who desperately needed help, All For One eventually adopts him. His character deserved a second chance and opportunity to properly cope with and heal from his actions, but it's unlikely that he'll have any redemption arc.
5 Inko Deserves To Be More Than Just An Overly Worried Mother
When thinking about characters who deserve much better than what they've been given, Inko immediately comes to mind. She's essentially a single mother since her husband is abroad for work, and Izuku becomes a constant source of stress and worry after he acquires One For All.
While this makes sense, it's a shame that fans don't ever get to see anything involving Inko that doesn't also involve her son. She's never seen doing anything but worry about him. Her physical health even declines because of how much stress she's under.
4 Dabi Shows Shoto What Failing To Heal From Trauma Does
Dabi is an incredibly tragic villain, and the only member of the Todoroki family who doesn't seem like he'll get a redemption arc. Even Enji, the one who abused the rest of his family in the first place, is able to start making amends with both his son and his wife over time.
This is something that's impossible for Dabi, who was Endeavor's first "experiment." He's completely ignored after Shoto's birth and deemed as a failure. His incessant attempts to prove himself to his abusive father end up pushing him past the point of no return.
3 Both Twice & Himiko Simply Needed To Be Accepted & Understood
Twice and especially Himiko Toga are beloved members of the League of Villains despite having committed heinous acts throughout the series. My Hero Academia is brilliantly able to show its villains as what they are — real humans who weren't always considered evil.
Twice joins the League because it's the only place his Quirk and identity instabilities are accepted, and Himiko snaps after having to pretend to be normal her entire life despite her abnormal Quirk. Both of them simply needed professional counseling or at least a level-headed friend to lean on and encourage them. They could have made excellent heroes with the proper guidance.
2 Denki Is Mostly Delegated To Comic Relief When He Doesn't Need To Be
Denki Kaminari is a surprisingly powerful character, with the tradeoff for this power being that he can accidentally "fry" his brain and temporarily short-circuit. With his ability to produce such high-voltage attacks that don't physically damage him, he could make for an incredible powerhouse.
The issue is that Denki's most commonly delegated to the spot of comedic relief — even when it's unnecessary, as the show already has several characters that fill this role. Even after doing something impressive, his short-circuit side is always displayed. Those around him, especially Kyoka, make fun of him and call him an idiot.
1 Nejire Doesn't Get Nearly As Much Focus As The Other Big Three Members
The Big Three are all introduced at the start of the Shie Hassaikai Raid arc, and all of them quickly become fan-favorites. Sadly, Nejire doesn't get nearly as much development as Mirio and Tamaki, who both get dedicated fight scenes and their backstories delved into.
Nejire doesn't receive the same treatment until the Paranormal Liberation War arc, with a beauty pageant-related subplot thrown in between the two. While she does end up receiving development of her own, more could have been done to make her introduction feel equal to her male counterparts.