My Hero Academia's All Might was an amazing Symbol of Peace. He was there when the people needed him, and there's no doubt that he made a difference in the world. That being said, we can't avoid the fact that he's been forcibly retired at this point.
So that has left us wondering: who will step up to take his place? Are there any characters capable of doing so? How many will try, and how many will fail? We already have a fairly good idea of who will want to try – and those who have already failed to live up to this challenging and weighty task.
This list contains spoilers from the My Hero Academia manga.
10 Has the Potential: Izuku Midoriya
Let's start with the most obvious character, shall we? Izuku Midoriya, aka Deku, is a character with a vast amount of potential. Obviously All Might agrees with that fact since he's the reason that Midoriya has such a great chance here.
Midoriya is dedicated and loyal, determined and passionate. He's one of those heroes that does so much better when he's got someone or something to fight for, and thus we can easily see him becoming the Symbol of Peace someday.
9 Has Already Failed: Mirio Togata
Okay, so we absolutely hate putting Mirio Togata, aka Lemillion on this side of the list. But as it currently stands, his career path is significantly altered. We still think that he's a person that will make a huge impact on the world – quirk or no quirk.
We're also going to acknowledge that the odds are very good that he will, in fact, get his quirk back someday. Hopefully soon. And when that happens we strongly believe that he'll be on the other side of this argument. But until that day, Lemillion is essentially an inactive hero. Though we completely respect the way he went out (it was very much something that All Might would have done).
8 Has the Potential: Shoto Todoroki
Here's another obvious candidate for you: Shoto Todoroki, he currently just uses Shoto as his hero name. He's an extremely powerful and talent hero in training, especially after he's gotten control over his issues.
Since the day Shoto was born, he was groomed to overthrow and replace All Might. But it was only recently that we've started seeing the perfect temperament shine from him. One cannot be the Symbol of Peace without also having the right characteristics, no?
7 Has Already Failed: Best Jeanist
Ouch. This is another character that we hate to include in this list, but sadly, we must. Much like the way All Might went out, Best Jeanist made his choice. And his choice was to put the lives of others before his own.
Best Jeanist survived the attack again All For One, but it's safe to say that he hasn't been doing well ever since. Fans of the anime haven't seen him since, and fans of the manga have even more reasons to be concerned about what is happening with this character.
6 Has the Potential: Katsuki Bakugo
Katsuki Bakugo is yet another character with so much potential. That isn't to say that he doesn't have his problems: his attitude needs some serious work. Without a significant change in that department, he'll likely find himself in the same boat as Endeavor: a great hero, but not one that people want to put their faith in.
That being said, we can easily see Bakugo making that realization and moving forward with those changes. We also can't deny the serious amount of raw power and talent he has. That will take him far.
5 Has Already Failed: Sir Nighteye
Sir Nighteye is one of those characters who loved All Might as much as Midoriya does, and that says something. While it's unlikely that Sir Nighteye would have ever actually tried to surpass All Might (their ways of thinking and quirks are just too different for a direct comparison), we can safely say that there is no chance of it happening now.
Sir Nighteye was a hero who thought and acted very differently from the rest. It essentially took him out of the running for being a Symbol of Peace, for being flashy was never his thing.
4 Has the Potential: Hawks
Next up on our list is the current number two hero: Hawks. This is a character that we haven't seen too much of in the anime, but we're seriously looking forward to when he starts making more appearances.
Hawks, aka Keigo Takami, is a brilliant and cunning hero. His quirk allows him to have complete control over his feathers – even when they're no longer connected to him. In the manga, we've been given reason to believe that he's capable of just about anything to get the job done. And while we're also left with some doubt about him, we can't deny the potential his character possesses.
3 Has Already Failed: Ingenium
Tensei Iida, aka Ingenium, is another hero would have gone so far but was taken out of the playing field far too early Tensei is the elder brother to Iida, and he was the head of his own pro hero organization.
Early on in the series (relatively speaking) we saw Tensei get targeted by the hero killer Stain, and that basically ended his career. Most of what we know about Tensei comes from Iida, who absolutely worshiped his older brother. This was a character who seemed to care about the truth, respect, and doing what was right.
2 Has the Potential: Endeavor
Enji Todoroki, aka Endeavor, may not be a character you expected to find on this side of the list, but bear with us. We've been seeing his character go through so many changes in the manga. He's been forced to confront his legacy, with All Might's retirement always on his mind.
This has made Endeavor a much more interesting character, and theoretically a better hero as well. We can see the potential shining through the cracks, and we honestly can't wait to see where his character arc is going to go.
1 Has Already Failed: Endeavor
Yes, we know. We put Endeavor in both categories. But you've seen Endeavor. If there was ever a character who simultaneously has the potential to surpass All Might, while also having already failed, it's this guy.
Endeavor failed his family, simply put. His children despise him at best and want nothing to do with him. This side of his personality has kept his fans at a distance too, and as long as he continues without change, he'll stand no chance at becoming the next Symbol of Peace.