Like every great shonen anime, My Hero Academia rotates around the growth of its central main character. But Izuku Midoriya has a lot of growing to do, and throughout his education at U.A., he makes many friends and allies who help him on his quest. Beyond his classmates from 1-A, Izuku has his mentor All Might and his other U.A. teachers who are there for him. Many of them have their own character arcs, and their intricate personalities and interesting motivations have made some fans prefer them over Izuku.
One of the most remarkable authority figures in Izuku's life is his homeroom teacher, Shota Aizawa. When he isn't the underground Pro Hero Eraserhead, he teaches hero students how to survive their chosen profession. He's harsh but secretly has a good heart, and his affection for his students has earned him the love of the fans--and the nickname Dadzawa. On many occasions, he is the hero everyone needs.
10 When He Threatens To Expel The Students On Their First Day
No student expects to be expelled during orientation, but that's exactly what happens to Class 1-A. It may seem harsh, but later episodes reveal Aizawa's reasons. He means to make sure they take things seriously, and even if he does expel them, he has the authority to reenlist them. He compares it with giving them a 'first death' that will save them later, in a way his friend Oboro Shirakumo wasn't saved. Hero students need a little tough love to survive, and Aizawa knows that.
9 When He Faces All The Villain Invaders At The USJ
Eraserhead is an excellent underground hero, highly skilled in using both his Quirk and his signature capture weapon. But group fights are tougher for him to handle. Erasing the Quirks of a large number of people is very difficult, even for the experienced Eraserhead.
Even so, when the League of Villains appears at the USJ, he leaps into the fray to protect his students from his opponents. He defeats many of them and is only brought down by Tomura Shigaraki, and later, the Nomu.
8 When He Saves Asui Tsuyu From Shigaraki's Attack
Even while being trapped under a monstrous bioengineered creature, Aizawa doesn't stop worrying about his students. Izuku Midoriya and Mineta Minoru watch in terror as Shigaraki manages to catch their friendly classmate Tsuyu Asui, expecting her to turn to dust before their very eyes. But they needn't have worried, because Aizawa intervenes, erasing Shigaraki's Quirk at the last moment. It comes at a dire cost for him, but it saves Asui's life.
7 When He Defends Uraraka and Bakugou's Fight At The Tournament
The U.A. Sports Tournament brings students from the same class face to face in combat as they fight to prove their abilities. One of the most controversial matches is the one between Ochaco Uraraka and Katsuki Bakugou. Spectators misinterpret their confrontation entirely, considering Bakugou's approach unnecessarily violent.
In reality, it is his way of showing he respects her. The fact that he takes her seriously means he acknowledges her as a hero, whereas the spectators do not, looking down on her because she is supposedly a weak little girl. Aizawa calls them out on their blindness and sexism. It is not the last time he is forced to defend his students in this way.
6 When He Confronts The Dabi Double At The Forest Camp
Dabi is one of the most powerful and vicious villains the heroes have had to face. With a heavy grudge against hero society and an incredibly dangerous emitter Quirk, he's a challenge for any Pro Hero. During the Forest Training Camp Arc, Aizawa and Vlad King both face Dabi's doubles, created by Twice.
Despite Dabi's powerful Quirk, Aizawa makes quick work of the double, in the hope of reaching and saving his endangered students. To help them, he even gives them permission to fight back through Mandalay's quirk. Unfortunately, he fails to save Katsuki Bakugou, whom the League of Villains had been aiming for.
5 When He Stands Up To The Press For Bakugou's Sake
Bakugou's kidnapping rapidly turns into a media circus. While the other Pro Heroes track down the nomu and All for One, Aizawa, Nezu, and Vlad King participate in a press conference which they hope will distract the villains. When a journalist suggests the possibility of the League of Villains turning Bakugou into one of their own, Aizawa says that will never happen, as Bakugou is much too determined to be a hero. He also takes responsibility for Bakugou's behavior, shielding him from possible backlash from the press.
4 When He Confronts Toga During The Shie Hassaikai's Raid
During the Shie Hassaikai Raid, Himiko Toga impersonates Pro Hero Rock Lock and manages to get very close to Izuku, nearly stabbing him in the process. Eraserhead realizes her presence just in time, pulls her away from Deku with his capture weapon, and dissolves her disguise using her Quirk. Toga manages to stab him and escapes with Mimic's help, but without Eraserhead there, the other heroes would have been in trouble.
3 When He Erases Eri's Quirk After The Battle With Overhaul
The heroes prevail over Overhaul only because of a combination of two of the most powerful Quirks in the world of My Hero Academia - Deku's One For All and Eri's Rewind. Unfortunately, both Quirk users are very young, and Eri's experience with her Quirk has only ever been negative.
After Overhaul is defeated, Rewind goes completely out of control, to the point that Eri fears she will cause Deku's death. Aizawa is able to stop that from happening by erasing her rampaging Quirk. After the battle, he is also the one who takes Eri in and helps her heal from her trauma.
2 When He Supports Hitoshi Shinsou's Transfer To The Hero Course
There's more than one way to be a hero, and for a young student, having a mentor makes all the difference in the world. Aizawa notices General Department student Hitoshi Shinsou and realizes his potential. He takes Shinsou under his wing, showing him how to use his own version of Aizawa's capture weapon and helping him to fulfill his dream of being a hero.
1 When He Confronts Kurogiri About His Tragic Fate
Even heroes need to be saved from time to time. Oboro Shirakumo's fate remains one of the most tragic ones in My Hero Academia. He is killed as a young student and his body is turned into the nomu Kurogiri. Despite being horrified at what his friend has become, Aizawa reaches out to Shirakumo.
His earnestness and genuine emotions manage to temporarily break the nomu conditioning, to the point that Shirakumo's face even appears from the cloud of Kurogiri's Quirk. Aizawa is unable to do more for Shirakumo, but the heroes do get an important lead from the conversation. Eraserhead and Present Mic know that their friend is still inside the body of the nomu and may still have hope to save him one day.