Arguably the best part of the hit anime, My Hero Academia, is the wonderful characters that make up not only Class 1-A but the Pro Heroes and League of Villains. What fans love about My Hero Academia creator Kohei Horikoshi's excellent writing is how well he manages to balance the large cast and ensure that everyone gets a character arc of some sort.

What makes the best My Hero Academia character arcs as good as they are is how natural they feel, the emotions they convey, the messages they send and how they go on to affect the overall plot and episodes. These factors do wonders in keeping fans and critics alike engaged in the series and are a huge part of what keeps it as critically acclaimed as it has been in the past 5 years of its runtime.

My Hero Academia (2016)

A superhero-admiring boy without any powers enrolls in a prestigious hero academy and learns what it really means to be a hero.

10 Mirio Togata

Hero Name: Lemillion

If someone is in search for the definition of the indomitable human spirit, look no further than Mirio Togata. Mirio's character arc is one featuring a roller coaster of emotions that kept fans invested in him and eventually pushed him to be a fan favorite. His signature passion for being a hero and never-ending optimism is faltered when he lets young Eri walk away with Yakuza leader Overhaul.

His optimism is tested but somehow still unwavering, even when he takes a quirk-erasing bullet for Eri, loses his powers and his mentor Sir Nighteye is killed. Mirio serves as a great parallel to Deku, aiding the Yakuza plot by providing Deku with a strong source of motivation and inspiration that pushes him through the final battle with Overhaul and helps him come out on top.

9 Kyoka Jiro

Hero Name: Earphone Jack

A character who started the series off seemingly as a basic side character with an irritable attitude and aloof to the rest of the class, eventually begins to show her true colors during Season 4's U.A. Sports Festival Arc as she opens up to Class 1-A about her love for music. Viewers eventually discover that Jiro really struggled to choose between her love for music and her dreams of being a hero, which brings her arc to its climax at the Sports Festival.

Jiro's character arc is a love letter to people everywhere who struggle to know what they truly want to do in life. Her father's words shown in the flashback during her Sports Festival performance round out her arc in a perfect heartwarming message about just doing what makes you happy: "You can do whatever you want... this stuff can take a while. You have to pay attention to how things make you feel."

8 Ochaco Uraraka

Hero Name: Uravity

Unlike others, Ochaco's goal of becoming a hero was financially inspired, wanting to use the job to provide for her parents and see them happy, something she always looked up to in heroes. As she makes her way into U.A. and joins Class 1-A, she begins to repress her feelings to keep those around her more happy and comfortable.

But in Season 6, as she sees the suffering caused by the war and with her good friend Deku leaving U.A., she begins to wonder who protects the heroes when they need saving. It's in these moments that being a hero becomes more of a passion which forces her to open up more. She would eventually tell off the civilians being held at U.A. who refused to let Deku enter in his time of need, abandoning her tendency to repress herself for the comfort of others. It's a heartwarming message about not squashing your own feelings for others.

7 Eijiro Kirishima

Hero Name: Red Riot

The Red-headed unbreakable hero known as Kirishima is a shining example of not letting your past define you and learning to not live with regret. As a young man, Kirishima felt helpless and inferior, instilling self-doubt into his psyche. These factors caused him to stand by, frozen in fear, while kids his age were tormented by a villain, a moment that would haunt him forever.

Kirishima serves as a blueprint for those who struggle with insecurity. Rather than letting his past define him, Kirishima took to being better than he used to be, always trying to be stronger, braver and more confident. All of this comes to a peak in Season 4's Yakuza Arc, when Kirishima is faced with an eerily similar situation and must act. He pushes beyond his limit and becomes his strongest form yet, Red Riot: Unbreakable, vowing to not regret anything now or ever again.

6 Toshinori Yagi

Hero Name: All Might

All Might is My Hero Academia's symbol of peace. But from the very first episode, it's made known that All Might is not all well. After suffering a deadly wound at the hands of All For One, All Might's powers start the series on a decline and eventually, in one last fight with All For One, flicker out of existence.

Upon losing his powers, All Might focuses on mentoring Deku as his powers begin to evolve. But when Deku is thrown into a dark place and All Might is unable to help drag him out, All Might winds up feeling useless and aimless. It's not until he's approached by the hero killer, Stain, that he's able to come out of his emotional rut. Stain reminds him what he once stood for and shows the audience that even when you think you've done all you can or reached your peak, you can and should always keep pushing forward.

5 Tenko Shimura

Villain Name: Tomura Shigaraki

Leader of the deadly League of Villains, Shigaraki is a tale of caution that demonstrates how important a good support system is to growth and development. Shigaraki's current state is a product of the people and system that surrounded him as a young boy. With his inherently destructive ability, Shigaraki was dealt a terrible hand in life and due to his grandmother, previous One For All user Nana Shimura and an abusive father.

It was these factors in mind that destroyed Shigaraki's mental state and caused him to loath the idea of heroes. His negative change arc means he only spiraled downwards from here, serving as a scary tale of what can happen to those who are treated poorly and left behind by the society that created them in the first place. A cautionary tale about how to treat others that also grants a great dynamic with Deku.

4 Shoto Todoroki

Real Name: Shoto

Since his introduction, it has been clear that Shoto came from a troubled past. It wouldn't be revealed until later that Shoto suffered from a very traumatic home life perpetrated by his father, which would lead to his mother becoming mentally unstable and burning his eye with boiling water. Shoto would grow up to reject his father and the fire half of his powers he received from him.

Shoto's character arc is an emotional one, to say the least, being all about finding forgiveness for those who've scarred us. As his father begins making steps towards being a better person, Shoto struggles with opening his heart to finding forgiveness for his dad. Many note Shoto's arc as one that affected them on a deep level, teaching them about how to forgive those in their own lives. Shoto shows the world that forgiveness is a process and isn't easy.

3 Enji Todoroki

Hero Name: Endeavor

Few characters have had a redemption arc in My Hero Academia, like Endeavor. Starting off as an egotistical hero and a despicable father, Endeavor has come a long way. Upon being thrust into the Number 1 hero spot after All Might's final battle, Endeavor took time to re-evaluate himself and realized the man he had become, vowing to try and be a better father for his children.

After a nasty battle with a High End Nomu that almost took out his eye, it's in the war of Season 6 that the villain, Dabi, reveals he's actually his "dead" son, Toya. This Earth-shattering information altered Endeavor forever and destroyed his career. Hitting rock bottom gave Endeavor time to invest even more in vowing to fix what he broke once and for all and bringing in Toya. Endeavor shows audiences that even the most broken and flawed people can make big steps towards change and redemption.

2 Katsuki Bakugo

Hero Name: Great Explosion Murder God: Dynamight

The greatest redemption arc in My Hero Academia belongs to none other than Bakugo. Starting off as Deku's greatest rival and bully, Bakugo would go through the ringer before he would eventually come around. After being kidnapped by the League of Villains, leading All Might into the battle he'd lose his powers in. Blaming himself for the loss of All Might's powers, Bakugo would go on to learn Deku and All Might's secret and become a trusted confidant. It would be in Season 6 that Bakugo would finally open his heart and apologize to Deku for all he put him through.

Bakugo's redemption circumstances may not have been as extreme as someone like Endeavor's, but his arc was a huge part of where Season 6's story ended up going. If it had not been for his full vulnerability with Deku in his apology, there's a good chance Deku may never have returned to U.A.

1 Izuku Midoriya

Hero Name: Deku

Starting off as a young teenage cry baby with impostor syndrome, to a capable, heroic and strong hero not to be trifled with. Throughout his arc, Deku would learn to not only hone his power and improve himself, but he'd open his heart to look at the current hero's system critically, in order to find empathy for his nemesis, Shigaraki. He'd see the most change after the war arc when he'd lose all consideration for himself and put his all into his work, ignoring his health and degrading his psyche.

Deku's coming of age from a young boy to a hero is the backbone of the entire series in both plot and emotion. Deku is a constant reminder that no matter what comes your way in life, you have the strength to push through if you keep your head up and smile.

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