My Hero Academia is an action-packed shonen series whose superhero characters are defined by much more than their stylish hero costumes and their battle-ready Quirks, though a Quirk can still speak volumes about its wielder. This anime takes care to flesh out each of its characters as human beings, complete with their own relationships, worldview, flaws, aspirations and more.
This includes the top UA student, the famed Togata Mirio of the "big three", along with his friends Tamaki and Nejire. Mirio is like a protective big brother to Eri and, for that matter, Izuku himself, and Mirio has an astrological sign to match. He embodies his sign in many wholesome ways and has strived to overcome his sign's natural deficiencies and flaws, all in the name of becoming a better hero.
The Compassionate Sign Cancer, The Mystical Crab
Mirio was born on July 15th, which also happens to be Midoriya Izuku's birthday, meaning the two boys have a lot of common ground in astrological lore. Mirio, like Izuku, was born under the sign Cancer the crab, one of the three water signs of the zodiac.
Cancer is a highly mystical sign, deeply attuned to the mental energies of other people, though Cancer can also keep itself grounded in reality. This dual nature mimics a real crab spending its time both in the water and on the beach, a creature comfortable going back and forth between two realms. Water embodies the mystical, and the beach's dry sand stands for firm reality under one's feet.
Crabs are also noted for their hard, protective shells, which act as mobile homes for these creatures. Similarly, people born under the sign Cancer have a strong affinity for the comforts of an intimate family and a cozy home, which even includes home-cooked meals.
Cancers are cautious about letting strangers into their lives, and might even defensively "pinch" those who come too close. But once a Cancer allows someone into their cozy personal life, that person is a friend for life, and the two of them may form strong emotional bonds. In anime terms, a Cancer is like a kuudere, a quiet, reserved lover who only shows affection to the right person at the right time. But once they fall in love, they feel it with every fiber of their mystical soul.
Cancers are fairly introverted and non-confrontational, according to astrological lore, and they don't revel in challenges the way the Aries sign does, nor does it whimsically explore the world like the Gemini air sign. Instead, Cancers are patient and cautious, a bit like the earth sign Capricorn, and Cancers tend to be analytical, observant and thoughtful about themselves and the world around them.
Cancers don't like to rush things or take risks, nor do they thrive in huge social circles. But they are certainly creative and generous to the people whom they trust, making them sympathetic and reliable friends or lovers for a select few. Cancers, being so attuned to the mystical, might also have weaknesses such as moodiness, insecurities and even inconsistent because they won't always have the stability that they crave. Cancers don't react that well to sudden changes, after all.
Mirio As A Cancer In My Hero Academia
Just like Izuku, who shares his sign, Mirio embodies many of Cancer's best traits while largely avoiding the sign's worst aspects. In fact, Mirio borrows a few elements from other signs to fill in the gaps, such as Capricorn, and that makes him an even better-rounded hero. He is still largely Cancer, though, especially in everyday life.
Mirio's tough training regiment involved his Capricorn side, but on a personal level, he embodies Cancer's warm, caring side with his boundless charisma and his fierce passion to do good for others. Most astrological signs have an element of compassion to them, but Cancer, in particular, is all about the stable comforts of a family and home life. Mirio expresses this Cancer trait when he's around Izuku and the young Eri, acting like a doting big brother for them both and assuming a great deal of personal responsibility for Eri. Up until now, Eri had suffered greatly at Overhaul's hands, but now Mirio is eager to provide a stable, warm, nurturing environment for her, complete with family figures like himself, Nejire, Izuku and professor Aizawa. That's a total Cancer move, with Mirio sympathizing with Eri and sharing his sign's most comforting aspects with her. This is what Eri needed all along, and a Cancer like Mirio has the right instincts for it.
Socially, Mirio behaves more like a Gemini, but his Cancer side ensures that his many social bonds are deep, emotionally complex ones that help bring everyone together. Cancer is about quality over quantity with relationships, and sure enough, he and Amajiki Tamaki understand one another on a deep level to address each other's insecurities and empower one another. This is why Tamaki views Mirio as his role model, and Mirio can't wait to see Tamaki eclipse him one day as the hero Suneater. Only a compassionate, selfless Cancer like Mirio would think along those lines. It's all about family members, blood-related or not, looking out for one another.