My Hero Academia's star is Izuku Midoriya, AKA Deku, but he's not alone out there. The series has an ensemble cast, including Izuku's classmates at the U.A. school, and one of his best rivals is Ochaco Uraraka, the zero-gravity girl. She is Izuku's good friend and sees him as a role model, too.
Ochaco is roughly similar to supporting shonen characters who came before her, and Sakura Haruno of Naruto fame is a good example. Sakura was a loyal member of Team 7 through thick and thin, and Naruto could always count on her to get the job done. In some ways, Ochaco and Sakura are very similar, but these two characters also have their differences. How do they stack up?
10 OCHACO & SAKURA ARE SIMILAR: They Support The Shonen Lead
Few shonen heroes save the day alone, nor do they want to. Protagonists such as Izuku Midoriya and Naruto Uzumaki need friends and teammates to back them up, and they can always count on Ochaco and Sakura, respectively, to fill out their team.
Ochaco isn't officially Izuku's teammate, but she will never pass up a chance to help him, such as in the Provisional Hero License Exam, and she aided him greatly during the cavalry race of the U.A. sports festival. Sakura, similarly, backs up Naruto whenever and however she can.
9 OCHACO & SAKURA ARE DIFFERENT: Sakura Can Use Medical Techniques
Sakura and Ochaco have skills and talents unique to each of them, and one of Sakura's trademark abilities is medical ninjutsu. By the time Naruto: Shippuden started, Sakura had learned much from the medical master Tsunade.
Sakura saved Kankuro's life early in Shippuden, and she also helped heal Naruto and other allies in later story arcs, too. Medical ninjas are incredibly valuable, of course, but also relatively few in number. Ochaco Uraraka, meanwhile, has no such abilities. She must rely on Recovery Girl for medical aid.
8 OCHACO & SAKURA ARE SIMILAR: They Focus On Melee Combat
Neither Ochaco nor Sakura can do a whole lot at a distance. They are both short-range specialists, and Ochaco enhanced her melee capabilities when she interned with the Pro Hero Gun Head. She put these skills to use against Himiko Toga during their first encounter.
Sakura is also best at close range, and she can focus chakra on her fists to deliver devastating punches, to the point that she can shatter the very ground and throw her foes off their feet. Naruto was astonished when he first saw Sakura do this.
7 OCHACO & SAKURA ARE DIFFERENT: Sakura Uses More Weapons
Ninjas in the Naruto world can use all kinds of unique jutsu, including bloodline exclusive ones. But all ninjas can get their hands on basic, standard-issue weapons such as kunai knives, shuriken and explosive tags, and Sakura Haruno has been seen using them, too.
Sakura isn't a weapons specialist like Tenten, but she can use knives and throwing stars with great skill, and in early Naruto, most of Sakura's offensive firepower came from these weapons. Ochaco Uraraka rarely, if ever, uses weapons of any kind.
6 OCHACO & SAKURA ARE SIMILAR: They Have A Love Interest
Romance may not be the main focus of a typical shonen story, but it can be sprinkled in here and there to add some depth to the characters' relationships. Ochaco and Sakura both have a special someone in mind, though the results are mixed.
Sakura nursed a long-standing crush on Sasuke Uchiha, which led to some personal torment and drama until things settled down, and they later married. Ochaco, meanwhile, has a distinct crush on Izuku, one that Izuku returns. They haven't done much about these feelings yet, though.
5 OCHACO & SAKURA ARE DIFFERENT: Sakura Is A Ninja, Ochaco Is A Superhero
Fighters in shonen series have many professions: ninja, Pro Hero, Soul Reaper, curse sorcerer, state alchemist, and more. In practice, these are all rather similar, since they all involve shonen-style action, but there are still some differences, such as between ninjas and Pro Heroes.
Sakura Haruno can undertake any mission as a ninja for the sake of the Leaf village, not for the sake of justice, and in theory, she could be almost like a villain if the mission calls for it. Ochaco, meanwhile, is a Pro Hero and is always on the side of justice and the law, not a particular city or village.
4 OCHACO & SAKURA ARE SIMILAR: They Underwent Years Of Training At School
Shonen heroes and supporting characters might be self-taught or learn everything from a single teacher, but others actually attend formal academies to become fighters. Sakura and Ochaco both attended official schools to learn how to fight, giving them an edge.
Sakura attended the Leaf Village ninja academy as a kid, and Ochaco is currently enrolled at U.A., the most elite heroics school in all of Japan. Both girls know how to study for and pass written and practical exams alike, and impress their teachers.
3 OCHACO & SAKURA ARE DIFFERENT: Ochaco Is Driven By Money
Ochaco Uraraka's unnamed parents are keeping a roof over their heads, but not much more than that. Early in My Hero Academia, viewers learned that the Urarakas are struggling to find work in the construction business, and money is always tight for them. But they're trying their best.
Ochaco has sworn to become a Pro Hero so she can send money to her parents, and repay them for raising her so well. It's a noble and practical goal to have, and it's one that Sakura Haruno lacks. She has never been hurting for money, and nor have her parents, as far as Naruto fans can tell.
2 OCHACO & SAKURA ARE SIMILAR: They Have Come A Long Way
Just like their male companions, Sakura and Ochaco have come a long way since they were first introduced, and their growth as people and as fighters rivals that of Izuku and Naruto. This makes them highly compelling support characters, since they have more to do than just cheer the protagonist on.
Sakura criticized herself for being useless at first, but that has changed. She can wield all kinds of jutsu now, and is a medical specialist. Her self-esteem has thus gone way up, and Ochaco knows that feeling. Ochaco struggled at first, but she learned much from Gun Head and Ryukyu, and is on the fast track to becoming a real pro. She's earned it.
1 OCHACO & SAKURA ARE DIFFERENT: Ochaco Has A Hero Name
At first, this seems like a trivial and superficial difference between Ochaco and Sakura, but it's actually quite meaningful. Unlike ninjas, Pro Heroes are always in the spotlight and are treated like celebrities, so they must keep their personal lives and hero lives separate. Ninjas don't have this issue.
Although Naruto ninjas can get nicknames, Pro Hero names are more official and more practical. Ochaco chose the hero name Uravity for herself, and she only goes by that name while serving or training as a hero. The public does not need to know the name "Ochaco Uraraka," after all. Oddly, though Shoto Todoroki actually chose his real first name for his hero name, but that's a rare exception.