U.A. High School Class 1-B student Itsuka Kendo doesn't get nearly as much screen time as some of the more well-known students in the My Hero Academia series (say, Deku), but she's genuinely one of the strongest - able to take on powerful villains by herself - as well as one of the most interesting. But, as is the case with many of the show's casual watchers as well as even some of its biggest fans, all most people know about her is her name and design.
Here are 10 interesting facts about Kendo most people won't know, from the martial arts reference hidden in her name to background details about her character.
10 Her Last Name Is A Martial Arts Reference
"Kendo" has another meaning outside of just being Itsuka's last name; it's also a traditional Japanese martial art.
In a Kendo match, two competitors square off with poles resembling katanas, and each can score points by hitting the other in one of four target areas - the head, the body, the wrists, and the throat.
9 She Was Born On September 9
A Virgo, Itsuka Kendo was born on September 9th.
While no other character from the My Hero Academia franchise is confirmed to share birthdays with her, her classmate Ibara Shiozaki was born one day before (on the 8th) and third-year student Yuyu Haya was born one day after (on the 10th).
8 She Was Born In The Chiba Prefecture
Kendo was born in the Chiba Prefecture, one of 47 prefectures throughout Japan and one of 7 in the Kanto region.
Many other characters are confirmed to have been born in the Chiba Prefecture, including third-year students Mirio Togata and Tamaki Amajiki, as well as Class 1-A students Eijiro Kirishima and Mina Ashido.
7 She's 16 Years Old
Like most of the other first-year students, Kendo is currently 16 years old.
She's pretty much in the middle of Class 1-B in terms of age, as the oldest student (Pony Tsunotori) is five months older, having been born in April, and the youngest student (Jurota Shishida) is six months younger, born in March.
6 She's One Of The Most Popular Characters With Horikoshi's Staff
One of the details Horikoshi reveals in Kendo's character sheet is that, despite being just a recurring character in the series and not one of the greats like All Might, Bakugo, or Uraraka (to name a few), Kendo is actually super popular with his staff.
This does kind of make sense, as she has a large fan base overall, not to mention the fact that she's a strong leader who it's easy to root for.
5 She Has An O Blood Type
Kendo has an O blood type. This may seem like a trivial fact at first, but there's a widely held belief (called the "blood type personality theory") in Japan, as well as South Korea, that speculates one's blood type in indicative of their personality.
"O" blood types are commonly referred to as being strong-willed, athletic, and friendly - and unsurprisingly, these are all qualities which Kendo exemplifies throughout the series.
4 She Placed Fifth In The Entrance Exams
The U.A. Entrance Exam is notoriously difficult and even somewhat dangerous, and it almost kept Deku's dream from becoming a reality. With her amazing Quirk, however, Kendo was most likely able to breeze through it like it was nothing.
Indeed, in the final rankings, Kendo placed fifth, with 25 villain points and 40 rescue points for a combined total of 65. She only ranked below Bakugo, at 77; Kirishima, at 74; Uraraka, at 73; and Shiozaki, at 68.
3 Her Two Favorite Things Are Black Coffee And Motorcycles
There's no denying that Kendo is a bit of a tomboy, although her character definitely has both masculine and feminine qualities. For instance, according to Horikoshi, her two favorite things are black coffee and motorcycles.
The black-coffee-and-motorcycle-loving Kendo isn't the version of her that the anime usually shows, but the idea fits well with her overall character, and it makes her a little bit more unique and recognizable against the rest of the show's large cast.
2 Possible Inspirations For Her Quirk
All the good superpowers have been taken at this point, so it's really hard for comics creators to come up with something that's both original and practical. For instance, Kendo's Quirk, Big Fist, gives her the ability to stretch and enlarge her hands, giving her unbelievable strength. Granted, this is a fairly new idea in and of itself, but Marvel character Mister Fantastic has had something similar for almost 60 years - the ability to stretch his entire body into whatever shape he wants. Another Marvel character, Kamala Khan, has a similar power, and is known for using it to enlarge her fists in particular.
This doesn't mean that Horikoshi "stole" these characters' powers, of course, but they definitely could have been possible inspirations considering the mangake's love for Marvel.
1 She's Considered The "Big Sister" To Class 1-B
When you think about it, Kendo is quite a bit like the "big sister" to Class 1-B. She keeps them from fighting among themselves, encourages them to improve, and guides them when they don't know what to do.
She's the one keeping everybody in check, and Class 1-B has greatly benefited from her leadership.