On the surface, My Hero Academia presents a hopeful world full of super-powered heroes who are fighting to uphold peace. After all, the beginning of the series puts a ton of focus on All Might, the #1 Hero and the world's Symbol of Peace, and the starry-eyed Izuku Midoriya who wants to be just like him.
The My Hero Academia universe isn't quite as idealistic as it seems, though, and this is revealed as early as the first episode when Izuku states that "not all men are created equal," a harsh truth that he learns at an incredibly young age. Many of the series' characters endure intense hardship or come from horribly tragic backgrounds that cause fans to feel sympathy for them — even if they end up as villains who cause mass destruction.
This article contains spoilers for the My Hero Academia manga.
10 Izuku Had His Dreams Crushed Multiple Times Before Finding Hope
Izuku ends up as someone with a ton of opportunities at his fingertips. He's granted power and mentored by All Might, the #1 Hero and his childhood idol. He ends up making a ton of friends who highly value him, and he blooms into an even more powerful hero than he could have ever imagined.
However, the beginning of My Hero Academia paints Izuku as an incredibly sympathetic character, and it's hard to forget those origins. After all, he starts out quirkless and is told by everyone around him — Bakugo and his other classmates, his own mother, and even All Might himself at first — that he isn't cut out to be a hero.
9 Bakugo Blames Himself For What Happened To All Might
Bakugo is far from sympathetic at the start, as he doesn't appear to be more than a bully with an inflated ego. As soon as he enters U.A., though, he begins to realize that he isn't nearly as gifted as he'd always believed, and consistently has the rug swept out from under him by prodigies like Shoto and Momo.
Bakugo's internal struggle involving coming to terms with this new reality begins to draw sympathy from fans. This feeling only grows whenever he admits that he feels entirely responsible for All Might retiring as a hero and losing the rest of his power, with Katsuki viewing his own weakness as the reason.
8 Shoto Was Only Born To Be Used As A Tool By His Father
Shoto initially comes off as perfect — he's got a cool demeanor that helps him stay calm and logical during battles, and his Half-Cold, Half-Hot quirk is incredibly hard to match. However, the Sports Festival Arc reveals his past, and he immediately shoots up the list as one of the most sympathetic characters in My Hero Academia.
Shoto is, essentially, only born because his father, Endeavor, wants a child with both his and his wife's quirks to raise as his successor. Shoto is pushed far past his limits at an incredibly young age, effectively denied a childhood, and is permanently scarred by his mother after the latter snaps under such horrid conditions herself.
7 Dabi Was Given Up On, But Never Gave Up On Himself
Ever since Dabi's first appearance, fans have speculated that he may have some connection to Shoto. When the My Hero Academia manga reveals his true origin as Toya Todoroki, though, many fans are left wishing that they could have stayed in the dark.
Toya was the first child of Endeavor and was born with a Fire quirk even more powerful than his father's. However, his body wasn't meant to withstand such high temperatures, meaning his quirk would heavily damage him. Endeavor gave up on training him as a result, but Toya was unable to move on, causing his eventual corruption and desire to take revenge on the family who abandoned him.
6 Inko Can't Do Much Except Cheer Her Son On & Pray For His Safety
Inko can come across as more of a comedic relief character at times, as she's portrayed as being even more over-emotional than Izuku. Her emotional outbursts are typically played for laughs, but she's actually rather sympathetic if fans take a moment to understand where she's coming from.
Inko has essentially had to raise Izuku as a single mother, as her husband has been deployed overseas for the entirety of My Hero Academia. She can't do anything but watch from afar and pray for Izuku's safety as he injures himself and goes against dastardly villains. It's also been implied that her weight gain is due to the guilt she feels over not properly supporting Izuku from the start.
5 Shigaraki Wants To Dismantle The Society He Feels Abandoned By
Tomura Shigaraki evolves into one of the most dangerous villains in My Hero Academia, but this has everything to do with his highly traumatic origins. Initially thought to be quirkless, his Decay Quirk accidentally activates while he's locked outside by his father, holding the family dog for comfort — before it crumbles to dust in his hands.
Tomura is stunned speechless and ends up causing the decay of the rest of his family as well, with only his abusive father's death being purposeful. He wanders the streets for a long time afterward, mentally begging for anyone to save him, and ends up feeling completely rejected by hero society with a compulsion to bring it all crumbling down.
4 Twice Only Joined The League To Feel Accepted, Imperfections & All
Twice, whose real name is Jin Bubaigawara, only joins the League of Villains so he can feel accepted despite his problems. After an extended confrontation with one of his clones, Twice was left unsure of whether he was the real Twice or not, leading to his instabilities regarding his identity.
Twice felt like there was no place for him in hero society, which caused him to turn to the League of Villains. He was seeking a place to be himself without judgment. At least he's shown to be content in his final moments, as he was able to give up his life in order to protect the few friends he had made.
3 Eri Is Treated As Nothing But A Test Subject From A Young Age
Eri may very well be the most sympathetic character in My Hero Academia due to the horrific treatment she's suffered from an incredibly young age. It's noted that until she feels Izuku Midoriya's touch for the very first time, Eri had never experienced kindness.
Due to the nature of Eri's quirk, she's essentially treated as an experimental test subject by Kai Chisaki, who shows no concern for her physical or mental well-being aside from needing to keep her alive. Thankfully, she's rescued by Izuku and the others, and brought to U.A. High in order to be protected and given a chance at happiness.
2 Iida Nearly Gives His Life Trying To Avenge His Elder Brother
Iida originally comes across as an excellent role model and someone who seems to have his life together despite being so young. He's driven, studious, and knows what he wants — to follow in the footsteps of his elder brother, Ingenium. But after the events of the Sports Festival, things take a dark turn as Ingenium is forever put out of hero work by Stain.
This naturally crushes Iida, who rushes to Hosu City as fast as he can without thinking in order to try to avenge his elder brother. If Izuku and Shoto hadn't shown up in time, Iida's rashness would have cost him his life.
1 Kirishima Started Out As Weak-Willed Without Faith In Himself
By the time My Hero Academia viewers meet Kirishima, he presents himself as a self-assured hero-in-training who's so confident in himself that his competitive nature can rival even Bakugo — without being as toxic. However, this is a far cry from Kirishima's origins.
Kirishima originally lacks both courage and spirit, staying on the sidelines in junior high whenever his friends are endangered instead of stepping in to help. This is an event that haunts him for a while, and it's not until he stumbles across an old recording of his Pro Hero idol that he's able to start trying to reinvent himself.