The shonen genre of anime has always featured some of the most popular series and it’s fascinating to see how shows of this nature have slowly changed over the years. One of the biggest series to come out over the last few years is My Hero Academia.
The anime is a brilliant celebration and deconstruction of superheroes and it features dozens of compelling and entertaining characters. Some of these individuals haven’t received the same level of development as other and as a result, they remain enigmatic. Hound Dog is a memorable pro hero from the anime, but there’s a lot about him that people don’t know.
10 His Real Name Is Ryo Inui
Sometimes superhero stories are incredibly consumed with the idea of alter egos and how heroes need to keep their true selves a secret to the world. This idea isn’t wholly absent in My Hero Academia, but the anime is set in a world where heroes and villains are the norm and many people brandish their hero identities.
Many of the staff at U.A. High prefer to lean into their hero names than their civilian identities. That being said, Hound Dog’s real name is Ryo Inui, which actually contains the kanji words for “Dog,” “Hunting,” and “Well,” which is pretty perfect.
9 He Can See The Bigger Picture
Many of the professional heroes in My Hero Academia have a lot to juggle, especially the ones that lend their time at U.A. High and the next generation of prospective crime-fighters. Hound Dog has many responsibilities to manage, but he never lets hubris get in the way or blind him to what’s important.
When Midoriya fights against Gentle Criminal and La Brava all by himself, it’s Hound Dog that chastises him. He reiterates that it doesn’t matter that Midoriya is safe and the School Festival isn’t cancelled because he still should have reached out to other heroes for help.
8 He Is 33 Years Old
In My Hero Academia, the new breed of heroes at U.A. High like Midoriya and Bakugo get a lot of attention spent on their histories. However, the more established heroes in the world are painted mostly as mysteries. As a result, very few details about Hound Dog’s personal life are revealed, but his age is divulged, which is significant.
Hound Dog is 33, but 32 when he’s first introduced. This shows that he’s been a pro hero for a long time and it’s possible that he’s even been teaching at U.A. High for the better part of a decade.
7 His Quirk Is Literally Known As "Dog"
My Hero Academia really gets creative with the many different Quirks that it’s featured. Superpowers can feel derivative at a certain point and there are a lot of the same elemental abilities that routinely show up in superhero stories. My Hero Academia features some truly unconventional abilities and Hound Dog is a prime example.
His Quirk is literally just referred to as “Dog” and he pretty much looks like a hybrid between man and canine. Hound Dog is covered in hair and his dog characteristics are front and center, rather than some characters who can mask their Quirks.
6 He Has A Close Bond With Sekijiro Kan
My Hero Academia frequently emphasizes the importance of community and there are some incredible teams of individuals, both for the heroes and the villains. Hound Dog doesn’t have an official partner, but he’s good friends with Sekijiro Kan, otherwise known as the Blood Hero: Prince Vlad.
Prince Vlad is Class 1-B’s homeroom teacher, but he’s also a helpful interpreter for Hound Dog when his animal instincts get the better of him and he becomes unintelligible. Prince Vlad seems to still be able to understand his friend.
5 He Has A Unique Loyalty Trait
Something that My Hero Academia does so well is how the many diverse heroes and villains in the series genuinely feel unique in terms of their Quirks and traits. My Hero Academia's supplemental guidebook, the Ultra Analysis Book, breaks down every character into different categories like power, speed, intelligence, and technique.
However, Hound Dog has an extra trait known as Canine Loyalty, which is specific to his Quirk. Strangely, Hound Dog only has a 5/6 in the area. This means that someone else could technically be the better dog superhero.
4 He Needs To Wear A Muzzle
My Hero Academia spends a lot of time with how heroes or villains can struggle with their Quirks and that even the most powerful characters still have difficulty keeping their powers in check. Hound Dog, presumably, has had his canine appearance for the majority of his life and even though he knows how to move his abilities to his advantage, he’s still not fully in control.
An obvious indicator of this is that Hound Dog wears a muzzle as part of his hero costume. This is something that he requires for himself because his aggressive instincts can sometimes take control.
3 His Animal Instincts Take Over When He's Agitated
Many of the heroes in My Hero Academia demonstrate a good deal of control over their Quirks or are at least able to do more good with them than harm. Hound Dog is a difficult case because his Quirk is always present and sometimes it gets the better of him when he’s particularly excited or upset.
During these moments, the canine side of him will dominate and his speech will devolve into incoherent barks. A particularly embarrassing case of this is when he unsuccessfully tries to give an inspiring speech to some of U.A. High’s best and brightest.
2 He Is A Youth Guidance Counselor
Many of the professional heroes that work at U.A. High have some sort of faculty position where they use their natural abilities to help the students with their growth and education. Hound Dog is a curious example because he’s not a teacher at the school in the same capacity as someone like Aizawa or All Might.
Hound Dog is actually U.A. High’s guidance counselor who focuses on helping the youth with their doubts and questions about their career paths and futures. It reflects a natural level of empathy in Hound Dog.
1 He Has An Extremely Heightened Sense Of Smell
Hound Dog is a character where many of the attributes of his Quirk seem more like a burden than abilities that have practical applications. However, a big trait that’s proven useful for Hound Dog is his extremely sensitive sense of smell.
This may also seem superfluous, but Hound Dog has used this ability to smell and weed out intruders before they get a chance to do some real damage. A crucial example of this is when he identifies invading enemies during U.A. High’s School Festival.