The conflict between good and evil is one of the oldest and most popular themes in fiction. Heroes shine and grow by defeating monsters, and the forces of darkness endeavor to defeat their opponents with brutal ruthlessness. But things aren’t always black and white, and characters who seem solidly on the side of good could have easily become villains if they’d made a different choice.
My Hero Academia is an anime that displays that clearly. The main story may revolve around the forces of good – symbolized by Deku and All Might – fighting the forces of evil – led by Shigaraki and All for One – but some characters could have easily switched sides. Others have already done so, sometimes for reasons beyond their control.
10 VILLAIN: Gentle Criminal Turns To Villainy After Failing To Become A Hero
The villain of the U.A. School Festival Arc, Danjuro Tobita originally wants to be a hero. His school performance is very poor and he fails the Provisional Hero License Exam four times. To make matters worse, while trying to rescue a civilian falling from a window cleaning rig, Danjuro accidentally impedes his rescue, causing the victim to suffer serious injuries.
He is expelled and thrown out of the house by his parents, who are now heavily in debt. Realizing he can no longer become a hero, Danjuro turns to villainy, using the name Gentle Criminal. His biggest flaw is his inability to see the true consequences of his actions. He has good intentions but fails to see things in perspective. If he had been more sensible, he could have easily become an incredible hero.
9 HERO: Deku Could Have Easily Become A Villain If He Never Received One For All
The protagonist of MHA, Izuku Midoriya is in a way very similar to Gentle. His childhood dream is also to become a hero, but he is originally Quirkless. This makes everyone say he doesn’t have a chance and turns him into the target of bullying, abuse, and even suicide baiting.
In the end, Izuku’s heroic spirit earns him All Might’s attention. He becomes the successor of the Symbol of Peace and the ninth user of One for All. But if that hadn’t happened, he could have easily become a villain, and one far more dangerous than Gentle.
8 VILLAIN: Twice Is Pushed Into A Life Of Crime And Just Wants Acceptance
Jin Bubaigawara, known as Twice, may be incredibly dangerous because of his Quirk, but he actually just wants acceptance. After a motorcycle accident that isn’t actually his fault causes him to lose his job and his home, he resorts to a life of crime. At first, he creates clones just to have someone to talk to and trust, but then, he begins to use them in armed robberies.
The clones end up attacking each other in an incident that fractures Twice’s sanity. He finally finds a home with the League of Villains, who don’t reject him despite his madness. Things could have been very different for Twice if the world hadn’t rejected him, as he could have mimicked Pro Hero Ectoplasm and become a strong hero in his own right.
7 HERO: Hitoshi Shinsou Has Been Told All His Life That His Quirk Is Villainous
Izuku isn’t the only one who suffers from a traumatic childhood. Growing up, the young U.A. student Hitoshi Shinsou is often called a villain because of his Quirk Brainwashing. Despite that, he wants to prove everyone wrong and become a hero. He fails the U.A. Entrance Exam practical test, his mental Quirk unable to help him in the fight against the giant robots. But after the U.A. Sports Festival, he becomes Eraserhead’s pupil and finally joins the hero students.
As a young hero, Hitoshi has a lot of promise. If he’d been even slightly more bitter or less determined – if he’d channeled his anger in a different way – he could have embraced the hatred society threw at him and truly become a villain.
6 VILLAIN: Kurogiri Is A Nomu Created From The Body Of A Hero Student
Oboro Shirakumo is Shota Aizawa and Hizashi Yamada’s friend from their days as U.A. students. The three are so close they make plans to have a hero agency together, with Oboro’s optimistic demeanor always anchoring the far more stoic Shota.
Oboro never gets the chance to achieve any of his dreams. He is killed during his Hero Work-Studies. His body is stolen and used in creating the nomu Kurogiri. While Kurogiri is programmed to obey All for One and Shigaraki, a part of Oboro still remains alive, and Shota and Hizashi even manage to reach out to him. Oboro could have easily become a hero alongside his friends if fate hadn’t doomed him.
5 HERO: Nezu’s Sadistic Demeanor Remains Pronounced Even If He Is On The Side Of Good
The principal of U.A., Nezu has a grudge against humanity – and for good reason. As a rare case of an animal with a Quirk, he was experimented on by humans. The scar on his eye is a reminder of just how ugly humanity can be. It’s both remarkable and intimidating that, despite his experiences, Nezu chooses to lead the most preeminent school of heroes in Japan, becoming an important part of the system that harmed him.
Perhaps it is his own way of finding revenge, putting himself in a position of power over numerous hero hopefuls. Perhaps his Quirk, High Spec, made it clear that other courses of action wouldn’t have ended well. Either way, he could have easily made a different choice, which would have earned hero society an enemy as powerful as All for One.
4 VILLAIN: Dabi’s Sole Reason For Living Is Revenge On His Abusive Father
One of the most preeminent members of the League of Villains, Dabi is actually Touya Todoroki, the son of Pro Hero Endeavor. The product of a Quirk marriage, he grows up abused due to his father’s obsession with surpassing All Might. His Quirk Cremation is incompatible with his ice-resistant body. When put together, the two things create a disastrous recipe, and the young Touya gets in a disastrous Quirk accident that leads to his horrible burns.
Tragically, his hatred toward his father extends to the rest of his family, particularly his brother Shoto, who he perceives as Endeavor’s perfect heir. Touya’s villainy could have easily been avoided if someone had protected him and his family. With the right support equipment, he could have even become a great hero.
3 HERO: Endeavor’s Obsession With All Might Turns Him Into A Villain Pretending To Be A Hero
Since All Might’s retirement, Endeavor has had an epiphany about the consequences of his actions and understands the damage he did to his family. That doesn’t really change the truth, though. The marriage between him and Rei is abusive, to the point where Rei loses her mind and burns their son Shoto.
His obsession gives Touya a toxic mindset and turns him into a villain, and he physically abuses Shoto. As a Pro Hero, Endeavor is highly competent, but that just makes matters worse. Under his mask of heroism, he is more villainous than many characters imprisoned for their crimes.
2 VILLAIN: Lady Nagant Abandons Her Career Because Of The Commission’s Corruption
Endeavor isn’t the only example of the corruption of hero society. The Hero Public Safety Commission uses heroes for their own unscrupulous purposes. One example is Lady Nagant. Originally a highly popular Pro Hero, she works for the Commission as an assassin.
Tired of the blood on her hands, she finally snaps. She kills the then-president of the Commission and is then taken to Tartarus. If she hadn’t been used in such a brutal way, Lady Nagant could have continued her successful career and helped more people as a Pro Hero.
1 HERO: Hawks Could Easily Follow Lady Nagant’s Example
Lady Nagant isn’t an isolated example of the Commission’s actions. Purchased from his mother and forced to endure harsh training sessions, Pro Hero Hawks becomes their tool. The Commission gives him the mission to infiltrate the League of Villains, and he later provides valuable information on them and the Paranormal Liberation Front. If Hawks had been just slightly angrier, he could have truly joined the League’s side. Had that happened, hero society wouldn’t have stood a chance.