In a series such as My Hero Academia where there are heroes and villains, rivalries are bound to exist. The Heroes and the Villains are natural rivals, with the latter trying to disrupt peace, and the former trying to withhold it. Aside from the Hero-Villain rivalry, there are also multiple students who aim to become the next Symbol of Peace after All Might, thus, promoting healthy rivalries along the way.
These rivalries add another layer of depth to both the series and the characters, and they are also responsible for making the show as enjoyable as it is today. Here are the 10 best rivalries in My Hero Academia.
10 Itsuka Kendo and Yaoyorozu Momo
Class 1-B's Itsuka Kendo has a pretty good relationship with Yaoyorozu Momo, and although they're friends, their want to best the other person is what makes their friendship so special. Their rivalry began after the first internship wrapped up, and ever since then, they've been at odds with each other.
According to Kendo's thinking, Yaoyorozu is slightly better than her, but that doesn't discourage her in the slightest. The two have always wanted to improve themselves and more importantly, be better than the other person.
9 Shoto Todoroki and Yoarashi Inasa
A first-year student from Shiketsu High School, Yoarashi Inasa has been a rival to Todoroki in more than one way. Inasa despised Endeavor when he was younger, and Todoroki's cold demeanor rubbed him off on the wrong side. As such, during the initial phase of their interaction, Inasa didn't even want to recognize Shoto as a Hero.
During the second course of the Provisional License Exam, the two failed, largely because they couldn't cooperate with each other. Despite this, they set their differences aside and are now friends, although they still clash with each other often.
8 Shota Aizawa and Vlad King
Vlad King is the homeroom teacher of Class 1-B, while Aizawa teaches Class 1-A. As the two classes are at odds with one another most of the time, Aizawa and Vlad are as well. According to Vlad, Class 1-A is a rival class and since Aizawa is their teacher, he gets to become a rival too.
Despite that, they cooperate surprisingly well, implying they know the limits of their rivalry and the importance of their job as a pro-hero. Without a doubt, this rivalry is one of the most underrated ones in My Hero Academia.
7 Kirishima and Tetsutetsu
Eijiro Kirishima and Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu's rivalry was evident right from the beginning of the series. In the Sports Festival, it went a notch up, primarily because of how similar their personalities are. Another big reason for their rivalry is their Quirks.
Akin to their personalities, Eijiro Kirishima's Hardening and Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu's Real Steel are very similar to each other in application. Often, the two compete against each other to prove whose Quirk is better, and over time, this has evolved into something the fans have come to relish.
6 Shoto Todoroki and Bakugo
Shoto Todoroki and Bakugo are two of the most impressive students in U.A High School. With both aiming to become the Number 1 Hero, it isn't hard to see why they're at odds with each other.
In the Sports Festival, Bakugo and Todoroki competed against for the first time, however, Shoto didn't fight seriously. As the series proceeded, Shoto and Bakugo's relationship has gotten friendlier. However, their goals are still very much the same, and they both want to beat each other to the spot of Number 1, no matter the cost.
5 Deku and Shoto
Just like Bakugo and Shoto, Deku and Shoto share a relationship that's not too different. Staring from the Sports Festival arc, Deku and Shoto began seeing each other as a rival as they both looked up to All Might and wanted to be like him.
Despite that, Deku helped Shoto deal with his past and forced him to use his left side, even though it meant that he'd lose to Shoto. Since then, Deku and Shoto have enjoyed been on friendly terms with each other, and Shoto looks up to the former a lot, although their goal and motivation remains unchanged.
4 Deku and Shigaraki
Deku and Shigaraki are two of the most important characters in the entire series, and it isn't hard to see why. Just as Deku is All Might's apprentice, Shigaraki Tomura holds the same importance to All For One.
To Deku, All Might is the only person who truly believed in his cause of becoming a Hero when nobody else did. In the same manner, Shigaraki's tragedy was seen by All For One, and he decided to raise him, seeing the potential for destruction in the kid. Deku and Shigaraki are fated to fight against each other at some point in the series, and the fans can't wait to see it happen.
3 All Might and Endeavor
All Might and Endeavor are two of the most important people in the Hero Association, with one being the Number 1 Hero, and the other being the Number 2 respectively. Although Heroes, they share a rivalry that drives them to push beyond their limits every time. To Endeavor, All Might is a peak that he cannot ever scale.
Often, the considerable difference in their strength made Endeavor cold towards him and frustrated with himself. He also seemed to be obsessed with surpassing All Might at one point. After learning what it means to be the Number 1, Endeavor has changed his attitude and has even gone as far as asking All Might for advice on how to be better.
2 One For All and All For One
A rivalry that's been continuing since the origin of Quirks, One For All and All For One have always been at each other's throats. All For One led to the creation of One For All by gifting his brother a Quirk to stockpile power. Since then, the Quirk has been passed down from generation to generation to stop the threat of All For One.
Toshinori Yagi, the eighth user of the One For All Quirk, finally managed to defeat All For One, and with that, the powers in him faded away forever. For now, All For One remains imprisoned in Tartarus, but he might become a significant threat soon.
1 Deku and Bakugo
Deku and Bakugo are childhood friends, both of which have idolized All Might and aspired to be like him. Since Deku was Quirkless ever since he was a kid, Bakugo often bullied him because of how weak he was. However, after receiving the One For All from All Might, Bakugo's frustration culminated in him eventually acknowledging Deku as a rival when the two fought.
Both of them aim to be the best hero there ever was, although Bakugo is more focused on winning, while Deku on saving people. While not evident, they respect each other a lot, but at the same time, they maintain their rivalry and always try to better the other.