The characters of My Hero Academia are preoccupied with becoming the best heroes they can be, so they have little time to dwell on romantic prospects (though Uraraka certainly finds moments to lament over her crush on Deku). The fans, on the other hand, seem to have plenty of time to start shipping various characters with one another. And if Archive of Our Own is anything to judge by, My Hero fans have a lot of ships.
As with any fandom, some My Hero pairings are more well-received than others. Comically enough, it’s the ones that have been hinted at in canon that appear to be the least popular of the group. Like their favorite characters, the fans seem to appreciate a challenge.
Updated by Daniel Kurland on September 28th, 2021: One of the reasons that anime like My Hero Academia have been able to capture the audience’s interest in such a massive way is because of the wide cast of versatile characters. The fight between good and evil is never over in MHA, but there’s enough down time between battles that fans have formed some serious opinions on who these characters should, or shouldn’t, be with when it comes to matters of the heart.
15 Behind: Twice & Himiko Toga Are Both The Same Kind Of Crazy
A number of the villains that turn up in My Hero Academia are exceptionally twisted, whether they start off that way or steadily have their values manipulated. There’s plenty of dissent within the League of Villains, but Himiko Toga and Twice enter the association together and continually demonstrate that they have each other’s backs.
Both characters are the result of similarly tragic backstories and they support one another when no one else will. Toga’s near-death experience during the League of Villains’ fight against the Paranormal Liberation Army proves just how far Twice is willing to go to keep Toga safe.
14 Rejected: Re-Destro & Tomura Shigaraki’s Evil Alliance Won’t Blossom Into Romance
Some of the most thrilling material in My Hero Academia revolves around the incendiary conflict between the League of Villains and the Paranormal Liberation Army. This battle of values ultimately boils down to an intense fight between Tomura Shigaraki and Re-Destro.
A tenuous understanding is reached and Re-Destro decides to pool their efforts together into a new evil supergroup, the Paranormal Liberation Front. Re-Destro and Shigaraki can put their greater differences aside, but this alliance is unlikely to mature into anything greater. There’s still just too much that’s at odds between these villains.
13 Behind: Katsuki Bakugo Shows Tender Understanding Towards Fuyumi Todoroki
The Todoroki family has been subject to an extraordinary amount of pain and grief. Midoriya and Bakugo’s indoctrination into the Endeavor Agency includes an invitation to dinner at the Todoroki abode. A lot of attention is placed on Fuyumi Todoroki, Shoto’s sister, and the lengths that she goes to maintain the peace and achieve any sense of normalcy with her fractured family.
Fuyumi and Izuku bond, but Katsuki also is touched by her behavior. This would become such a sweet, unexpected relationship. It’s really touching when Bakugo later chastises Shoto for his shoddy food prep and how it’d disappoint Fuyumi.
12 Rejected: Tsuyu Asui & Selkie Have A Respectful Bond, But Nothing More
My Hero Academia has been able to shine a light on the various hero agencies that keep society safe. The Oki Mariner Crew is an agency that’s run by the sea lion-like Pro Hero, Selkie. Both Ochaco Uraraka and Tsuyu Asui learn a lot under Selkie’s care. There’s immediate understanding between Asui and Selkie, both of who are heroes who thrive in aquatic settings.
Despite this bond, Selkie is a mentor and should remain in this light. A relationship between him and Asui would seem slightly predatory and there’s already a firm bond in place between Selkie and Sirius.
11 Behind: Kinoko Komori & Shihai Kuroiro Are Class 1-B’s Ride Or Die Partners
My Hero Academia has many characters to juggle and so it’s usually the individuals from U.A. High’s Class 1-A that receive the most attention. The anime’s Joint Training Competition is a fantastic opportunity for the heroes from 1-B to get their due. Lots of individuals make strong impressions during these battles, but Kinoko Komori and Shihai Kuroiro are two of the most unusual competitors.
Komori has a mushroom Quirk and Kuroiro uses darkness to his advantage. They’re very different, but they frequently return to one another and check in regarding their respective safety. There’s an undeniable, earnest connection there.
10 Rejected: Deku & Uraraka Are Better As Friends Than Lovers
Ironically enough, it's the ship that's most likely to pan out in canon that My Hero Academia fans seem least interested in when it comes to the anime's main character. Uraraka's crush on Deku is hardly a secret, and it seems certain the two will get together by the end of the series.
As with most anime relationships made obvious from day one, however, this one isn't a favorite amongst the fans. While it's a stretch to say the fans hate Deku and Uraraka together, they certainly seem to prefer alternative options for the two of them.
9 Behind: Deku & Bakugo Bring Out The Best In Each Other
It's a testament to how much people enjoy hate-to-love romances that so much of the My Hero Academia fandom ships Deku with Bakugo. Of course, Bakugo himself would be infuriated at the suggestion that the two have feelings for one another -- but then, he's always infuriated.
This pairing, often referred to as BakuDeku, is actually the number one My Hero ship on Archive of Our Own. Heroes Rising only further fuels the notion that these two belong together. Though it's unlikely to pan out in the anime itself, it certainly makes for an interesting pairing, if only because the two are polar opposites with an abundance of pent-up feelings toward one another.
8 Rejected: Eijiro Kirishima & Mina Ashido Have Messy History
Given that Kirishima and Mina Ashido have known one another since elementary school -- and considering he created his hero persona after being inspired by her -- some fans have suggested the two might wind up together by the anime's end. It's a fair assumption and wouldn't be totally out of left field, but it's not something that anyone is necessarily calling for.
In fact, the two rarely interact with one another outside of Kirishima's flashbacks in season three, but Ashido's evolved Super Move makes her think of Kirishima's own Red Riot Unbreakable attack. It's clear that Kirishima looks up to Mina, but most fans seem fine with their relationship not going further than that.
7 Behind: Bakugo & Kirishima Tap Into The Same Variety Of Aggression
Almost as popular as the Deku and Bakugo ship is the pairing that puts Bakugo and Kirishima together. It's hard to deny these two have chemistry, and the fact that Bakugo actually views Kirishima as his equal -- and remembers his name -- is enough to fuel this particular pairing.
KiriBaku, as many fans refer to this ship, is the second most popular My Hero ship on Archive of Our Own, falling just beneath BakuDeku. Additionally, these two routinely make it onto fan favorite shipping lists. That's almost as impressive as Kirishima getting Bakugo to take his hand back in Kamino.
6 Rejected: Momo & Todoroki Are Excellent Leaders Who Are Stronger Apart
Todoroki and Momo are a pair likely to be endgame in the anime, and fans don't necessarily hate the idea of these two together. In fact, there are plenty of fans who ship them -- just not enough to land amongst the top ships on Archive of Our Own. When it comes to popularity, it seems many would rather see these two wind up with other people before each other.
That said, there is some logic to the Todoroki and Momo pairing. For one, they're both at the top of their class -- and they both could use some more confidence in themselves and their abilities. They also get along perfectly fine, which is always a good sign when entering a romantic relationship— though BakuDeku shippers might disagree.
5 Behind: Deku & Todoroki Both Represent Ideal Number One Heroes
If fans don't want to see Deku with Bakugo, they likely want to see the main character end up with Todoroki. TodoDeku, the pairing that matches these two, is the third most popular ship on Archive of Our Own -- and it's gained so much traction that even My Hero's official social media accounts make jokes about how Todoroki looks at Midoriya.
This ship, of course, stems from their interaction during the Sports Festival. Since then, Deku seems capable of reading every emotion Todoroki feels, something the other boy points out as annoying during the training camp arc. Still, Todoroki is essentially the first person Deku ever saves, and it’s clear that the incident has led to the two of them becoming much closer.
4 Rejected: Himiko Toga's Obsession With Deku Is Creepier Than Cute
Toga's crush on Deku is a running gag throughout My Hero Academia, but it doesn't seem to be a relationship most viewers take very seriously. For one, no matter how into watching Deku get beat up Toga is, it's unlikely our main character would ever develop positive feelings toward a villain. Even he's not that empathetic.
And no matter how much fans love Toga, most of them aren't pushing for an actual relationship with her and Deku. In fact, many would rather see her end up with someone from the League of Villains down the line — even if they’re currently a little too old for her.
3 Behind: Bakugo & Uraraka Is Too Awkward To Ever Work
Another one of the top pairings on Archive of Our Own is the unexpected match between Bakugo and Uraraka. Although Uraraka clearly has feelings for Deku in the anime, many fans have gotten behind the concept of her winding up with Bakugo. They'll point out that he actually respects her as a worthy opponent, and that she seems to be pretty neutral toward him, despite his animosity toward one of her closest friends.
Unfortunately, Bakugo and Uraraka don't have all that many scenes together to back this ship up. But that hasn't stopped them from becoming the one of the top 10 ships on Archive of Our Own. And who knows? Perhaps the anime will surprise us.
2 Rejected: Minoru Mineta's Raging Id Makes Him Too Immature For Anyone
Most My Hero Academia fans can unite behind one opinion, and that's that Mineta is the worst student from Class 1-A -- and even possibly the worst character from the series overall.
Constantly infringing on his female classmates’ privacy, Mineta doesn’t deserve to be with any of them until he grows up — and perhaps becomes a bit less perverse in the process.
1 Behind: Eraserhead & Present Mic Have Emotional History Together
While most of the top My Hero ships match U.A. High’s students with one another, the fourth most popular actually pairs two of the teachers. Eraserhead and Present Mic have obviously been friends with one another since they were students themselves, but many fans view their relationship as more than that.
It’s true that Eraserhead seems to tolerate Mic far more than anyone else speaking at that volume (and with that much enthusiasm). Again, the opposites-attract trope seems to apply here, and perhaps that’s why fans are so behind this ship.