In an anime about young students learning how to improve their abilities, there are bound to be some parental figures involved. My Hero Academia is the perfect example. While the focus remains on the journey of the younger members of the cast, the adults are often just as important.
In some cases, it is the upbringing of each individual that makes a difference in whether a character is a villain or a hero. Tragically, there are many villains who choose a dark path because their familial background isn't the best. But not all hope is lost because the anime does display positive parental figures, too.
This article contains minor spoilers for the manga.
10 All For One Turns Tenko Shimura Into The Villainous Tomura Shigaraki
The vicious All For One is doubtlessly the most terrifying villain in the whole series. His malevolence runs deeper than viewers originally realize. He deliberately tracks down Nana Shimura's grandson and takes him in, planning to manipulate him with the sole purpose of hurting All Might. The idea is even more useful than expected. Tenko abandons his previous identity and becomes Tomura Shigaraki, a monster who hates heroes and is only dedicated to destroying the world. After All For One's injury, he is the perfect tool and vessel.
9 Eri Is Rejected By Her Mother And Used By Overhaul In His Horrible Experiments
Young Eri doesn't have the best luck when it comes to parental figures. After an accident with her powerful Quirk Rewind, she wipes her father out of existence. Her mother rejects her, and her grandfather takes her in. He's much kinder to her, but the respite doesn't last long. Overhaul places her grandfather into a coma and uses her in his experiments, creating his Quirk erasing bullets out of her blood. In front of the heroes, he claims Eri is his daughter, but in reality, she's really just his tool.
8 Hawks Is Abused By His Parents And Molded Into A Weapon By The Hero Commission
Pro Hero Hawks - Keigo Takami - puts up a carefree façade, but the history hiding behind his feathered blades is far darker. His father is a thief and criminal, and his mother his accomplice. After his father commits a murder, the three go into hiding, and throughout this time, the older Takami is physically abusive of Hawks. Hawks is very grateful when Endeavor arrests his father, and his hero-worship of the Flame Hero never truly vanishes. But Hawks' problems don't stop there. His mother ends up selling him to the Hero Commission, where he is molded into their weapon and their tool.
7 Himiko Toga's Parents Are Responsible For Her Villainy
Himiko is born with a Quirk that is considered villainous. Her power, Transform, gives her the ability to change into the shape of any person whose blood she drinks. Her parents reject her for her ability. As she becomes increasingly fascinated with blood, their inability to provide her with support shatters her mind. They often call her a monster, and that's exactly what she turns into. It's a case of a self-fulfilling prophecy, and of how badly Quirk discrimination affects children.
6 Endeavor Abuses His Wife And His Children
Despite having saved Hawks from his abusive parents, Pro Hero Endeavor isn't much better than the criminal he arrests. He marries his wife Rei because of her Quirk, in the hope that their children will fulfill his impossible dream of surpassing All Might. His obsession leads his oldest son Touya to hate his whole family.
Following a Quirk accident, Touya is permanently scarred and eventually becomes the villain Dabi. Meanwhile, Rei loses her mind and throws boiling water onto Shoto. The family is finally trying to reconcile, but Touya will never be a part of it again. Neither will Endeavor, and to give him some credit, he acknowledges that he doesn't deserve their forgiveness.
5 The Bakugous May Not Be The Best Parents For Their Explosive Son
Katsuki Bakugou first appears in the anime as Izuku's former childhood friend and his bully. Proud of his Quirk and favored for his potential as a hero, he looks down on everyone else and calls them 'extras.' Katsuki's parents may be one of the reasons why he grew up to be this way. His mother is a female version of Katsuki. While Mitsuki obviously loves him and is concerned about him, she does abuse him, at least verbally. She victim-blames him for being kidnapped, calling him 'weak.' His father can do very little to control his explosive wife.
It's likely she must have done this before, and if she did, it's very possible that it led to Katsuki's obsessive perfectionism. Mitsuki may not have intended for this to happen, and it's obvious that the preferential treatment Katsuki received from everyone else played a part as well. She and Katsuki have a rapport in their own way and she does her best considering their unique situation. Still, the Bakugous are probably not the best parents for Katsuki.
4 All Might May Not Be The Best Role Model But Serves As Great Emotional Support
As a hero, All Might is the figure society relies on for peace and stability. As a man, he's far from perfect. He's not a great teacher, and he isn't really prepared for helping Izuku master One For All. He's also much too supportive of Izuku's reckless decisions, encouraging his self-destructive tendencies when he should at least chastise them. In that sense, he's not the best role model.
As the relationship between the two grows closer, though, he becomes almost a parent for Izuku. He provides Izuku with emotional support. Even during his fight with All For One, he knows he needs to survive because he wants to be there for his student. He may have his flaws, but he helps Izuku on the path to accomplishing his dream.
3 Inko Midoriya Loves Her Son Immensely Even If She's Not Always Supportive
All Might and Inko are as similar as they are different. Inko also loves Izuku immensely. She raises Izuku alone which can't have been easy. She isn't always supportive, and her words "I'm sorry" haunt Izuku all throughout his childhood. She's proud of him for accomplishing his dream but also worries about how much he's hurting himself.
Many fans wonder how Inko missed all the damage Izuku received from his childhood bullies. Considering her genuine concern for him, it's unlikely that she was neglectful, so Izuku must have deliberately hidden it. Even so, despite all the hiccups in their relationship, she ultimately stands by his side.
2 Nana Shimura Sacrifices Her Life To Save All Might And Gives Up Her Family To Keep Them Safe
All Might's mentor and the previous user of One For All, Nana places her confidence in young Toshinori Yagi's dream even if he is Quirkless. Her teachings inspire Toshinori every day of his life. During a terrible confrontation with All For One, she sacrifices herself to give Toshinori a chance to escape.
After her husband's death, she also gives up her own son Kotaro to protect him from the hero world. Unfortunately, her decision turns out to be misguided and things don't go the way Nana hopes. Kotaro misunderstands her desire to protect him and grows up hating heroes. He is abusive of his son Tenko when Tenko wants to be a hero, and that ultimately leads to Tenko killing his own family. It's a disaster that leaves Tenko vulnerable to All For One's manipulations.
1 Shota Aizawa Protects His Students At All Costs
Pro Hero Eraserhead is an almost terrifying figure for the students at the beginning of the anime. He threatens them with expulsion on their first day and seems unfairly harsh with Izuku. But the battle at the USJ reveals his focus is on protecting his students at all costs. He saves Tsuyu Asui's life even when he's being crushed by a nomu. While he's not always emotionally demonstrative, he obviously cares about the students of 1-A, and the close relationship between the class and their homeroom teacher has earned him the nickname Dadzawa.
0 Comments