The mega-popular shonen series My Hero Academia is a superhero anime series, and it focuses on the "magic high school" trope in particular. The protagonist, Izuku Midoriya, is one of many first-year students at UA, along with his old friend Katsuki Bakugo. He also meets new faces like Momo, Kyoka Jiro, Denki, and even Neito Monoma.
Izuku makes friends with many of his peers, but, in the case of Neito Monoma, it's more like a one-sided rivalry. From the start, Neito Monoma of hero class 1-B had led a crusade against class 1-A, determined to prove that his own class is superior. He does this in practically all of his scenes, but there's more to know about him. What else makes Neito the student hero that he is?
10 His Fancy Speech Style
The subtle nuances of formal Japanese speech vs casual speech might be lost in subtitles, but this is still a reflection of Neito's personality. He has a complex mind, and he makes sure to use polite language when talking, even to his enemies.
That's similar to how Seiji Sishikura of Shiketsu high speaks, and it seems that both boys want to uphold the honor of their esteemed schools by sounding impressive when they talk. Of course, it's also important to walk the walk.
9 He's Like A Younger Brother
This isn't to say that Neito is totally immature for his age, but, then again, he makes a real ruckus anytime he speaks up about class 1-A vs class 1-B. Overall, Itsuka Kendo acts like a responsible big sister to him, so, naturally, Neito is the younger brother.
He's loud, boastful, and quick to compete with others and proclaim something along the lines of "We're the best! You'll see!" He gets carried away, though, and has to be reined in most of the time.
8 He's Secretly Intimidated
For all his passive-aggressive and loud remarks about hero class 1-A, Neito is actually rather intimidated by the lot of them, and he wouldn't want to face them in serious combat. He can handle himself, but, overall, he'd rather avoid them.
A good example of this is when he felt relief upon learning that he would not have to face hero class 1-A during the provisional license exam arc. Still, other powerful schools are out there too, such as Shiketsu, and Neito will have to watch his back.
7 His Unwanted Support Role
There is another reason for Neito's constant bragging and competitive nature: he's not entirely secure about his quirk. Like Eijiro Kirishima and Yuga Aoyama, Neito believes that his quirk is not well suited for a front-line hero.
His quirk, Copy, is better off with a support role, and Neito feels bad that he can't be the star of the show with a concrete quirk to call his own like Dark Shadow or Explosion. In his own hero story, he can't be the main character, and it grates on him.
6 He Supports His Classmates
Fortunately, Neito doesn't treat his classmates the way he does the students of class 1-A. He's competing only with class 1-A, and he tries to speak for the whole of class 1-B. For him, internal division would spell doom for class 1-B.
Neito doesn't want to compete with his classmates or put them down; in fact, he supports them dearly, and he will uplift them and encourage them whenever they need it. He cheered up Setsuna Tokage later in the manga, for example, when her practice team lost to class 1-A's own team.
5 Low Melee Skills
Some heroes make good use of melee skills with or without their quirks, and that includes Izuku, Ochaco, Mashirao Ojiro, and others. Other heroes or students, such as Shoto and Fumikage, rely almost entirely on their quirks during combat.
Neito is the latter case, using only his quirk to do battle rather than using any advanced martial arts of any kind. His Copy quirk is flexible and lets him control up to three borrowed quirks at a time, and, so far, that has served him well. His strength and speed stats are low, but he knows how to make up for that.
4 Polished Looks
Among all the hero students at UA, Neito is among the best-dressed, and he puts a serious effort into his appearance. His school uniform is always neatly pressed and crisp, and his hair is carefully groomed and styled to look its best.
Don't forget his hero costume, either, which is a black tuxedo with a light blue tie and white coattails. He looks ready for a cocktail party or a piano recital, but that's his combat outfit, and he wants to dazzle anyone who sees him. It must have taken some work to get that suit perfectly tailored.
3 He's Quite Smart
Neito has a flexible quirk since he can imitate up to three other quirks and use them himself. It helps that he has a keen intellect, allowing him to decide which quirks to borrow on a battlefield and when to use them.
He was a remarkable strategist during the UA sports festival, such as asking his 1-B classmates to hold back to hide their quirks and observe everyone else's. He also figured out Ochaco's crafty plan during her battle against Katsuki Bakugo, involving falling debris.
2 His Hero Name
All student heroes need to decide on their hero names, and, for his own, Neito decided to start calling himself "Phantom Thief." After all, he's crafty and can borrow quirks, kind of like a thief. He doesn't steal them to the same extent as All For One, though.
This name fits the literary archetype of a phantom thief, a character who isn't a total villain. Rather, this sort of character commits bad deeds for upstanding reasons and may have a classy calling card to call their own.
1 His Personal Name
Nearly all of the characters in My Hero Academia have names written with kanji that match their quirks and/or personalities, and, as for Neito Monoma, his name has all kinds of meaning. "Neito," for example, is written with "serenity" and "person."
His last name, Monoma, comes from the words for "mimicry" and "imitation." When written out, it forms "among things," which fits his fighting style. Curiously, "Monoma" sounds like shorthand for the English word "Monomania," referring to Neito's single-minded fixation on taking down class 1-A.