Season 6 of My Hero Academia has begun, a two-cour season that will depict the long-anticipated war between the assembled legion of heroes and the massive Paranormal Liberation Front, now led by Tomura Shigaraki himself. This climactic showdown, while promising much bloodshed and tragedy, is also an opportunity for many heroes and villains alike to shine, often for the first time.
By now, most of the major My Hero Academia characters have had a glow-up, transforming themselves in terms of personality, their Quirks, or personal philosophy. Tomura and Himiko awakened their Quirks, for example, and Shoto Todoroki has gone Plus Ultra to reach his true potential at last. However, five particular UA students are still lagging behind, and if they don't get a glow-up in the crucible of war, they'll never catch up. Now is their chance to make something of themselves and do their teachers proud.
Yuga Aoyama Has Taken His First Steps Toward Self-Acceptance
The pretentious Yuga Aoyama acts like he's all that, but his pompous behavior is just a facade to hide his serious insecurities. Recent My Hero Academia seasons made it clear that Yuga identifies strongly with Izuku Midoriya, since they were both born weak and can't always handle the power of their own Quirks.
It was noble of Yuga to admit his weakness like that and build a rapport with Izuku, but now it's time to walk the walk. Yuga's combat performance has been poor so far, and he has not yet scored any major victories, not even in the joint training arc. In this upcoming war, the student hero must learn to shine like a true star and dazzle not just his classmates, but himself. Only with self-acceptance can Yuga unlock the potential of his Naval Laser.
Mashirao Ojiro Hasn't Had a Chance to Shine
The martial artist student hero, Mashirao Ojiro, tends to blend into the background for many reasons, from his underwhelming Tail Quirk to his somewhat plain hero costume to his forgettable appearance and personality. He did well with Tenya Iida against their teacher Power Loader, but aside from that, Mashirao Ojiro has accomplished little in My Hero Academia. He has also done very little to enhance his combat technique or explore new possibilities with his Tail, leading some fans to wonder if Mashirao has already peaked as one of class 1-A's worst students.
However, it's not too late for the young martial artist to prove his worth. If Mashirao can fight Tomura's thugs on his own terms and reinvent his close-quarters fighting style, Mashirao just might get a breakout episode to himself, like that time Eijiro shone while fighting the Eight Bullets alongside Fat Gum.
Rikido Sato's Character Arc Is Not So Sweet
The massive Rikido Sato is a gentle giant, a stocky fighter with a gentle heart and a fondness for baking, something all the girls in his class admire him for. Rikido can also push his body into overdrive with his Sugar Rush Quirk, but his performance is lackluster so far. He and Eijiro Kirishima lost badly to Cementoss in their mock battle, and he was nothing special in the joint training arc, either.
Like Mashirao, Rikido often fails to stand out, and it seems there's no real way to enhance his Quirk or fighting style. But Rikido just might prove everyone wrong in Season 6 and show them the true power of a heroic sugar rush, demolishing Tomura's legions with the power of baking. Rikido needs just one major victory in this upcoming war to become a fan-favorite character.
Hanta Sero Has Ample Room For Improvement
Hanta Sero is the tape hero of class 1-A, and his design actually makes him similar to the Marvel comic hero Spider-Man. Like Spidey, Hanta Sero can swing around on long strands of sticky tape, form nets or traps, and bind his foes for capture. Thus far in My Hero Academia, Hanta has done badly, from losing to Midnight in a training battle to his swift defeat at Shoto's hands in the UA sports festival, but he did a little better as Bakugo's teammate against Setsuna Tokage's own team.
Hanta clearly has potential as UA's own very own Spider-Man, so if he pushes himself and goes Plus Ultra in Season 6, Hanta could become his class's #1 support hero and show the Paranormal Liberation Front what this friendly neighborhood hero can do.
Neito Monoma Can Still Do More
Neito Monoma is the copycat hero of class 1-B, having the ability to replicate someone else's Quirk after touching them, though he cannot use Quirks that rely on their own power source, such as One For All, or even Eri's Rewind Quirk. Neito is clearly making a serious effort to rival class 1-A, but he has been underperforming, and his unhealthy competitive spirit weakens his charisma and makes him sloppy at times.
To get a much-needed glow-up in Season 6, Neito must find better, more creative uses of his Quirk and most importantly, reinvent his persona as a hero. He must not be a petty, competitive wannabe any longer; Neito must stand on his own as the phantom thief hero, and define himself with his cooperative, creative ways and not his bitter feelings of rivalry. If he can make himself more likable, Neito could find many useful allies in class 1-A.