My Hero Academia has long since made a name for itself in the anime world with its usage of versatile quirks and famously memorable characters, but one can't help but notice the lack of canon couples in the show. While romance is not exactly a staple of shonen anime, it is a great way for fans to make sense of our hero's motives and vulnerabilities in relation to one another.
There's the ever-present, slow-build romance of protagonist Izuku Midoriya and his longtime crush and friend, Ochaco Uraraka, but seeing as the two have no intentions of confessing their feelings anytime soon, the fans are left to make up their own ideas of couples in the meantime. Here are 10 couples that would make a lot of sense but probably won't ever see the light of day!
Updated by Daniel Kurland on August 10th, 2021: Romance often isn’t the priority in MHA and it’s fair to say that the true love of many heroes in the series is the act of heroics itself and maintaining the peace. However, it’s still hard to deny the inherent chemistry between some of the anime’s characters.
15 Kinoko Komori & Shihai Kuroiro Could Become Class 1B’s Power Couple
The first half of My Hero Academia’s fifth season is consumed with the Joint Training Competition between Classes 1A and 1B. This turns into a fantastic opportunity for Class 1B to enter the spotlight and prove that they’re just as resilient as Midoriya and company.
Kinoko Komori and her Mushroom Quirk transform the battlefield in a substantial way and her teammate, Shihai Kuroiro, is similarly able to gain dominion over his environment. There’s mild flirting between the two and they’re genuinely worried when the other gets into harm’s way during their battle.
14 Mt Lady & Kamui Woods Are Pro Heroes With Lots Of History Together
My Hero Academia makes the next generation of heroes at U.A. High the anime’s priority, but there’s a real sense of history that’s conveyed through the established Pro Heroes.
Yu Takeyama, better known by her alias Mt. Lady, is one of the flashier Pro Heroes who gets prominent attention in the anime’s first episode. Kamui Woods is a more mysterious Pro Hero, but he has a real shorthand with Mt. Lady. They have history together as a team and they’re at ease with one another, which isn’t something to take for granted.
13 Mirio Togata & Nejire Hado Represent Most Of U.A. High’s Big 3
There is tons of exceptional promise in the students at U.A. High, but My Hero Academia establishes a trio of pupils that are above and beyond everyone else. The Big 3 are made up of Nejire Hado, Mirio Togata, and Tamaki Amajiki.
These three are all very close and have implicit trust with each other, but there seems to be an even greater level of connection between Mirio and Nejire. Mirio’s natural empathy when it comes to Eri would likely make a big impression with Nejire. They’d easily bring out the best in each other.
12 Katsuki Bakugo & Moe Kamiji Are Two Sides Of The Same Explosive Coin
One of the more exciting developments in season five of My Hero Academia is that Bakugo and Midoriya join Shoto Todoroki at Endeavor’s Hero Agency. The three 1A students are absolute naturals, but there are still other important members of Endeavor’s squad.
Moe Kamiji, also known by the hero name, Burnin, is a fiery personality that’s not afraid to speak her mind. Burnin’s outbursts are incredibly similar to Bakugo’s and they both have fire-based Quirks on top of everything else. They’d be a perfect match, but both are too stubborn to acknowledge such a thing.
11 Mei Hatsume & Izuku Midoriya Could Become An Unstoppable Team
Izuku Midoriya encounters a lot of fellow hero students at U.A. High that seem like they could be healthy romantic prospects for the teenager. Midoriya concentrates more on training and his Quirk than he does on matters of the heart, but there are still a few people that seem to be on his radar.
There’s palpable romantic tension between Midoriyas and Mei Hatsume. The two are also in different streams of heroics so their contrasting skills could complement each other’s abilities. They’re both just too committed to their passions at the moment.
10 Todoroki Shoto & Izuku Midoriya Are Equally Determined To Be The Best
Todoroki and Izuku are arguably the couple that makes the most sense in all of My Hero Academia, although it's highly unlikely that this couple will ever become canon. However, there's a certain degree of respect and admiration between these junior heroes that the other couples can only dream of.
From Izuku being the reason that Todoroki finally stopped shunning his fire quirk to Todoroki dropping everything and immediately running to Izuku's location solely because of a dropped pin, this pair not only understands one another but seem to genuinely care for each other, as well. Had All Might not begged Izuku to keep quiet, Todoroki would probably know the secret to One For All by now, too.
9 Ochaco Uraraka & Tsuyu Asui Are The Best Of Friends With An Implicit Bond
Ochaco and Tsuyu have a compatibility and understanding amongst one another that could only come from being best friends. Ochaco's easily flustered demeanor is put at ease by Tsu's more laid back, to-the-point nature. In like manner, Ochaco's easy acceptance helps Tsu assimilate further with their classmates.
Even when being relentlessly teased about Midoriya by the girls, the only one that seems to warrant an answer from Ochaco instead of outright panic is Tsu. Midoriya may be the one that Ochaco thinks about, but she doesn't open up to him the way she does with her froggy gal pal.
8 Katsuki Bakugo & Izuku Midoriya Are The Perfect Frenemies With Potential For More
There is no doubt that Bakugo and Midoriya would be the most toxic couple in the world of anime. Nonetheless, this pair has enough history and baggage to make fans wonder how they're not constantly thinking about one another. Oh wait, they are!
Despite the fact that there are tougher, more capable students than Midoriya in Class 1-A, Bakugo ignores them all and focuses solely on beating Midoriya. A cruel fixation, yes, but it's sort of maniacally sweet that the only one Bakugo deems worthy of facing him is Midoriya. In like manner, Bakugo and his strength are quite actually Midoriya's life goals as a hero, which he says on multiple occasions.
7 Eijiro Kirishima & Mina Ashido Have Each Other's Backs
Kirishima and Ashido might be the only couple on this list with the potential to actually become canon, but it looks like Horikoshi Kohei is taking his time in making it so. Still, the chemistry between these classmates is undeniable, especially being that Ashido is right behind Kirishima's idol Edgeshot as his reason for getting stronger.
There are a number of charming moments between Kirishima and Ashido, but none are sweeter than Kirishima's flashback of her while he's fighting alongside Fat Gum. Kirishima remembers the day Ashido had to save him and vows to never let it happen again, and, in return, she vows to wait for him to forgive himself for it. If that's not on the road to being canon, we don't know what is.
6 Denki Kaminari & Kyoka Jiro Would Make Sweet Music Together
Kaminari and Jiro even look like a couple, what with their nearly identical outfits and not completely dissimilar quirks. Sound and electricity go hand and hand, and it looks like their personalities are no different.
The two are the only male and female in Class 1A that seem to hang out regularly without it being awkward, and Jiro's occasional teasing about Kaminari's powers only serves to draw them closer. One could almost say they're lightning-struck.
5 Tenya Iida & Mei Hatsume Are Both A-Type Geniuses & Natural Leaders
There's not a person alive that Hatsume cares for more than her inventions. That being said, someone who could put Hatsume's inventions to good use would probably come close, and Iida's so-called "fight" with Hatsume during the UA Sports Festival proves that Iida is capable of doing just that.
The speedster hero uses all sorts of equipment in his hero costume, from leg jets to arm propellers, all of which Hatsume has already made, and Hatsume's sheer delight at Iida's usefulness at showing off her "babies" is hard to ignore. The playful banter between these two,—as Iida is usually Hatsume's test doll for her inventions—gives old married couples a run for their money.
4 Shota Aizawa & Hizashi Yamada Have Deep History And Have Rubbed Off On Each Other
It's hard to imagine that these two are practically best friends considering they're polar opposites, but Aizawa and Yamada give new meaning to the phrase "opposites attract." Aizawa is a tired, uncomplicated man who is often just looking for a nap and some peace and quiet when he's not teaching, so it's quite the surprise that his closest friend is an eccentric radio host that can amplify his voice.
For some reason, Yamada's over-the-top nature is acceptable for Aizawa, while similar extroverts like the joke hero Ms. Joke seem to just annoy him. These two aren't new friends either, with recent arcs having shown that Aizawa and Yamada have been close since childhood. Looks like there's only room for one socialite in this sleeping-bag-wearing sensei's life.
3 Katsuki Bakugo & Eijiro Kirishima Are Vulnerable In Similar Ways
In addition to Kirishima being quite literally the only person that Bakugo can stomach to listen to, Bakugo and Kirishima's relationship is probably the only healthy one the combustion user has. This is in part due to Bakugo's standoffish "better than you" nature, but, for whatever reason, that behavior doesn't extend to Kirishima. Since the moment where Bakugo took Kirishima's hand in the season three rescue, the pair have endeavored to make each other the best heroes they can be.
This holds especially true—surprisingly—for Bakugo, who sees Kirishima's insecurities over not being a "man's man" and tries to encourage him to define what that means for himself. In like manner, Kirishima encourages Bakugo to trust his classmates and be kinder, and it's undeniable that for some reason Kirishima's tactics are actually working to make Bakugo more relatable.
2 Todoroki Shoto & Yaoyorozu Momo Recognize The Value In One Another
If this were Harry Potter, Todoroki and Yaoyorozu would be reputable head boy and head girl due to their popularity and good looks alone. Both young heroes stem from wealthy families, what with Todoroki being the son of Endeavor and Yaoyorozu being practically an heiress. Let's also not forget that moment in season two where the duo teamed up to take on Aizawa-Sensei and won, further demonstrating their compatibility as a unit.
On top of their tactical similarities, Yaoyorozu's patience and understanding as a character would do wonders for Todoroki's emotionally repressed self. Her kindness seems to melt even the coldest of hearts, and it's hard to imagine Todoroki would be any different.
1 Toshinori Yagi & Inko Midoriya Would Be The Perfect Parents For Deku
My Hero Academia fans still remember the blanket statement made by Inko, Izuku's mother, about Izuku's father being away working overseas. This is the only time Izuku's father is ever mentioned, so it's no surprise that All Might has more or less taken the position and been dubbed "DadMight." With such a shared loved and dedication to Izuku, it would only make sense for Toshinori and Inko to develop a fondness for one another, as well.
Toshinori, being a retired hero and physically ill man who doesn't know how to relax, could use someone nurturing. Inko, on the other hand, is a frazzled mother that often doesn't know what to do with herself when she's not worrying or taking care of Izuku. The two are practically kismet—each other's yin and yang—but, unfortunately, we'll probably have to settle for watching them awkwardly co-parent Izuku.