Plenty of formative anime series come and go, but My Hero Academia has been able to become one of the biggest shonen anime series of the decade because of its careful approach to superhero tropes and serialized storytelling. My Hero Academia features a cast where there are dozens of characters who have gone on to become fan favorites, but the series benefits from how it doesn’t limit its perspective to purely heroes.
My Hero Academia often juxtaposes young Midoriya and company’s progress against what’s brewing at the Leave of Villains. The anime has worked hard to establish some very dangerous villains, and some of them have turned out to be more popular than others.
10 FAVORITE: Gigantomachia Is Proof That Good Things Can Come In Big Packages
With some of the villains in My Hero Academia there’s a little mystery to what their respective Quirks might be, yet others have no choice but to showcase their powers out to the world. Gigantomachia is one of the more extreme examples of this since his Quirk comes down to the character’s gigantic size that makes Marvel characters like the Hulk or the Thing look puny. Gigantomachia is easy to love because of his simple, yet positive disposition. He plays an important role in helping Shigaraki secure power, and he’s hard to resent when he puts himself in harm’s way.
9 CAN'T STAND: Nomu Becomes Cannon Fodder For The League Of Villains
My Hero Academia is already complex enough with the existence of Quirks, but the anime gets into genetic experimentation, and the series nod to Frankenstein’s Monster comes in the form of Nomu. Nomu is a powerful and alarming chimera-esque creature that initially poses a threat to All Might. Over time, more Nomus of various powers and severity have also appeared. The problem here is that Nomus can become the generic villains who pose threats. It’s easy for these disposable beasts to fill up scenes instead of actual characters who deserve opportunities to fight.
8 FAVORITE: Twice’s Eccentric Routine Is Frighteningly Entertaining
The right kind of twisted villain can resonate in such an effective manner, but it’s not easy to bring to life without it feeling hackneyed or that it’s trying too hard on the front. Twice is without a doubt one of the more unpredictable villains in My Hero Academia.
Despite how Twice often works in tandem with Himiko Toga, he still comes across as the more unhinged of the duo. However, there’s a surprising amount of pathos to be found in Twice and how his replication Quirk brings on an existential identity crisis.
7 CAN'T STAND: Himiko Toga’s Obsession With Deku Reduces Her Complexity
There’s a lot about Himiko Toga that works, and if Twice bears a lot in common with Deadpool, then Toga certainly feels reminiscent of Harley Quinn in certain areas. Toga is exactly why people shouldn’t judge books by their covers, and she’s extremely deadly and morally bankrupt with a disturbing blood-based Quirk. Toga is also highly fixated on Midoriya, which turns her into more of a stereotype than she needs to be and throws her into a similar camp with other characters. Even an obsession over Bakugo or Todoroki would work better. Deku gets enough love.
6 FAVORITE: All For One Is Endlessly Evil With A Large Presence
It’s important that series like My Hero Academia can introduce big villains who feel progressively dangerous. All For One makes his appearance early on in the anime but makes a significant return during the Paranormal Liberation War Arc. All For One’s history reveals a very compelling character who is obsessed with Midoriya and his Quirk in a highly unhealthy manner, but it only turns him into a more formidable antagonist for the budding hero. All For One proves himself to be the ultimate puppet master and is responsible for many major changes in the balance between heroes and villains.
5 CAN'T STAND: Dabi Wants To Dismantle The Growth & Work That Endeavor’s Accomplished
An extremely fulfilling area of character development in My Hero Academia involves the fractured Todoroki family, who still struggle to find stability and peace after the damage that the family’s patriarch, Endeavor, caused.
My Hero Academia effectively teases an absentee Todoroki sibling, Toya, who winds up as a villain with a justifiable grudge against Endeavor. Dabi is like the dark version of Shoto if he didn’t have a proper support system in his life. Endeavor was the worst, but he genuinely works hard to improve, and Dabi’s insistence to pull the Todoroki family back into misery is a bummer.
4 FAVORITE: The Hero Killer Stain Brings On A Revolution
Power is an important quality in My Hero Academia, but ideologies grow to become equally important as the war between heroes and villains continues. Stain is an enjoyable presence in the anime because he loves to stir the pot, but also legitimately has something to say. The vision for society that he preaches is powerful enough that it inspires countless villains to act in his name, and his ability to connect with the public is significant. On top of all of this, his outfit and blood-related Quirk feel like they’re straight out of a horror film.
3 CAN'T STAND: Overhaul Presents A New Level Of Evil That Hurts The Wrong People
It’s absolutely one of My Hero Academia’s strengths that it’s able to steadily mature its tone along with its characters so that the villains can feel disturbing. Kai Chisaki’s Overhaul is a major step forward in this department, largely because of the hostage situation and brainwashing that he’s applied to an innocent child, Eri. Overhaul abuses Eri’s Quirk to forge weaponry that only spreads more pain. Overhaul’s evil lingers long after his demise because of the trauma that remains in Eri and Mirio Togata. It really messes up some characters.
2 FAVORITE: Tomura Shigaraki Is My Hero Academia’s Persistent Cockroach Who Only Grows Stronger
My Hero Academia makes it clear that its protagonist is Izuku Midoriya, yet it’s carefully juxtaposed Tomura Shigaraki’s ascension in villainy as an important parallel storyline to this narrative. Shigaraki is immediately one of the most frightening and exciting enemies to come out of the League of Villains, but his character only grows more entertaining. Shigaraki’s Decay Quirk, the circumstances around his parents’ death, and his ability to let All For One fight through him are all some of the most powerful moments to come out of My Hero Academia. Shigaraki’s final fate should be fascinating.
1 CAN'T STAND: Gentle Criminal’s Charm Comes Off As Creepiness To Most
Season four of My Hero Academia largely stresses over Kai Chisaki, but Midoriya is temporarily plagued by the villainous efforts of Gentle Criminal and La Brava. As a duo, the social media-savvy villains pose a decent challenge for Midoriya, yet they push a problematic power dynamic. A strong bond exists between these two, but it can't be ignored that La Brava has a childish appearance despite being in her 20s, while Gentle Criminal, 32, looks much older. Gentle Criminal is supposed to come across as a sweet guardian and partner, but this leads to more issues than it’s worth.