My Hero Academia is an anime that follows Izuku Midoriya as he and his friends learn to become heroes. It's currently one of the most popular anime, which makes a lot of sense considering how well done it is. The series has plenty of moments that leave viewers sitting at the edge of their seats as well as other moments that make them laugh.
Even with its lighter scenes, My Hero Academia is far from wholesome. From character deaths to child abuse, the series has plenty of dark moments. The anime shows kids becoming heroes but also shows the reality of what being a hero means.
10 U.A. Never Should Have Chained Up A Student
Before the Sports Festival started in Season 2, Bakugo announced to the stadium that he intended to win, and he did. However, Bakugo hadn't won the way he wanted to. Todoroki held back in the final match basically giving Bakugo the win. Bakugou didn't want to accept the medal because of this, but U.A. wouldn't allow that.
Chained up to the first place podium, Bakugo was forced to accept the medal. It's played for laughs; however, chaining up and muzzling a student on national TV is actually pretty dark. This moment was also why the villains chose to kidnap Bakugo, which shows how wrong it actually was if even the villains thought Bakugo was being repressed.
9 Kirishima Was Extremely Depressed
Kirishima is a fun and boisterous character that loves anything manly. He seems so sure of himself, it's hard to believe he ever felt otherwise. Except, that's exactly how he felt in middle school. Before he joined the hero course, he was a very different person. He looked down on himself and saw himself as worthless.
Seeing a beloved character tear himself down was hard to watch especially since the self-loathing was completely unwarranted. Luckily, Kirishima was able to find inspiration in his favorite hero, Crimson Riot. Without that, he probably wouldn't have applied for U.A.
8 Mirio Lost His Quirk Before He Could Become A Hero
Fans immediately fell in love with Mirio as soon as he was introduced in Season 4. The third-year is bubbly and strong, someone that fans can easily get behind. He also has good morals and the drive to save millions of people. In a dark twist of fate, Mirio is shot with a Quirk-canceling bullet that takes his Quirk away.
He still manages to hold his own against Chisaki and protects Eri until the other heroes arrive. However, the loss of his Quirk means the end of his career as a hero. He set out with the goal to save one million people but only managed to save one.
7 Midoriya & Bakugo Nearly Suffocated To Death
My Hero Academia's first few episodes showed just how dark it was willing to go with the Sludge Villain attack. Midoriya was attacked by the Sludge Villain first while he was returning home from school. In a graphic scene that would have anyone's stomach turn, the Villain tried to suffocate Midoriya by shoving slime down his throat.
Thanks to All Might, Midoriya was only in the villain's clutches for a few seconds, but Bakugo was not so lucky. Bakugo fought against the Sludge Villain for upwards of ten minutes. The fear in his eyes as he was being suffocated was visceral. It's a good thing All Might was able to save him too.
6 Tensei's Injury Led To Iida Seeking Revenge
While the rest of the student body was enjoying the Sports Festival, Iida was in the hospital with his brother Tensei, who had nearly been killed by the Hero Killer Stain. Iida spoke highly of his brother in the past and even talked about wanting to be like him.
The loss of Tensei's hero career was devastating for both of them. The attack also led Iida down an incredibly dark path of vengeance. If it wasn't for Midoriya and Todoroki's interference, Iida might have suffered an even worse fate than his brother's.
5 Class 1-A Got A Reality Check During The USJ Attack
When the students were brought to the USJ or Unforeseen Simulation Joint, they were supposed to practice using their Quirks to save lives. However, things changed when villains broke into the USJ and attacked them.
Most of the students handled themselves incredibly well considering they were only a week into high school, but things took a dark turn when their homeroom teacher, Aizawa, was taken out by an incredibly powerful Nomu. Midoriya and the other students were left to watch as their teacher's body was left bloody and broken. It's a miracle the students aren't more traumatized from the attack, but that just shows how resilient they are.
4 Todoroki Had The Worst Childhood Of Class 1-A
At the beginning of the series, Todoroki was quiet and stoic. While the other students were happy to spend time together, Todoroki acted incredibly cold towards them. During the Sports Festival, the roots of Todoroki's icy demeanor, and the source of his scar, came to light. In an incredibly dark twist, Todoroki was severely abused by his father, the number 2 hero Endeavor.
The abuse extended to his mother Rei who threw boiling water in Todoroki's face during a physiological break. The history of the Todoroki family is one of the show's darkest moments and many fans hate Endeavor even now.
3 Bakugo Was Traumatized By All Might's End
Bakugo has seen the most character development in the series. In Season 1, he was a bully, but by Season 3, he was Midoriya Izuku's friend and rival. The changes didn't come without hardship and Bakugo was definitely put through the wringer. His kidnapping by the League of Villains resulted in a fight between All Might and All for One as well as the loss of All Might's Quirk.
Bakugo seemed unaffected at first but when it became too much for him, he revealed just how traumatized he actually was. The subsequent fight cleared the air between Bakugo and Midoriya but the guilt and pain Bakugo expressed isn't something that can easily be forgotten.
2 Chisaki Tortured A Child
Kai Chisaki is probably the most hated villain in the entire series because of what he did to little Eri. In order to create Quirk-ending bullets, Chisaki repeatedly took Eri's body apart. The physical abuse was bad enough but it's also clear Chisaki manipulated her.
He made her believe the people around her died because of her and her Quirk. Chisaki may have had issues of his own but that doesn't justify teaching a little girl that she is unlovable.
1 Shigaraki Murdered His Family
The anime had dark moments before, but Shigaraki's backstory takes the cake as the darkest moment in the series. Shigaraki Tomura, formally Shimura Tenko, has a Quirk that disintegrates everything he touches. It's a dangerous Quirk, which he, unfortunately, learned when he accidentally killed his family when the Quirk manifested.
Seeing a young Shigaraki surrounded by his family's remains is not something that can easily be forgotten. It also shows just how dangerous Quirks can be in the hands of the inexperienced.