Highlights
- Aoyama's emotional depth shines in the manga, adding complexity beyond his dramatic self in the anime.
- Uraraka's maturation is better portrayed in the manga, especially in her understanding of heroism.
- Shoto's character journey regarding Dabi and his family is more detailed and touching in the manga.
My Hero Academia has been confirmed to return for a seventh season in 2024, and so does its stellar cast of characters. With the series nearing its completion in both animation and manga forms, it'll only be suitable to take a cursory look at the characters and their evolution since the series' inception and how they compare in both forms of the series.
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With My Hero Academia,some characters can be perceived to have been portrayed better in the manga than in the anime in some aspects, albeit hardly noticeable but still detectable. Regarding these characters, here are some who fit into the earlier perception.
10 Yuga Aoyama
A Much-neeeded Layer of Emotional Depth
- Quirk: Navel Laser
The twinkly student hero weirdly drawn to the main protagonist, Midoriaya, Aoyama, in the anime at first seems like a casual character who'll always be in the background with little depth to his characterisation, or so it seems.
The manga, however, portrays his emotionality slightly differently, following his surprise involvement with the League of Villains, specifically All For One. His attempt at redemption is vividly portrayed somberly, giving his character much-needed depth aside from his typical dramatic self.
9 Ochaco Uraraka
A Deliberate Showcase of Maturation
- Quirk: Zero Gravity
Uraraka starts as wholly positive and kind to the point where it overrides other aspects of her personality, especially in the anime. Despite showing single-minded determination and robust nature, she grows even more in the manga by wanting to take on more responsibility.
This trait was evident during her speech for Midoriya and, ultimately, her showdown against Himiko Toga, where she came to a point of understanding between herself and the rampaging Toga. The manga does a better job of portraying the evolution of her personality to a level where it is evident that she has come to understand the essence of heroism.
8 Shota Aizawa
A Better Glimpse of His Humanity
- Quirk: Erasure
Famous for his expulsion rate at UA High School, Aizawa is not devoid of all emotions, which the manga expresses better than its anime variant. However, the just-completed season does a bit of justice to Aizawa in terms of emotionality, particularly regarding the discovery made regarding Kurogiri, a long-time friend of Aizawa who became a Nomu.
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The manga vividly depicts how Aizawa can see the extreme sides of his emotions, particularly his anger and rage. Most importantly, however, he accepts the reality of what has become of the Hero society.
7 Shoto Todoroki
The Ideal Encapsulation of His Coming of Age
- Quirk: Half-Cold-Half-Hot
Depicted as emotionally troubled due to his family issues, Shoto is quite a complex character as he deals with all sides of his personality and emotions throughout the series. He went from hatred of his father and crushing hopes of surpassing him to discovering Dabi's true identity. Shoto's characterisation has received detailed attention in both the anime and manga.
The manga, however, does a better job conveying his character, specifically, the familial reunion and redemption journey he and his family embark on following Dabi's shocking story and expose on Endeavor. More than anything, the manga thoroughly evaluates his character concerning his family, thus giving a befitting end to a struggle that has lasted all his life.
6 Dabi
The Perfect Portrayal of His Origin
- Quirk: Blue Flame
The seemingly deranged and sadistic villain, Dabi, has been carrying one of the series' most shocking truths. As expected, the manga does an immaculate job of revealing his truth in shell-shocking moments even more than its anime variant.
Representative of all of Endeavor's evil deeds and failures, Dabi's revelation to the world marks a crucial point in the series' story, and the manga effortlessly delivers it like no other. Perfectly conveying the necessary emotions required, the manga critically highlights Dabi's true story in the sense of his villainy.
5 Katsuki Bakugou
A Perfect Display of Growth and Personal Evolution
- Quirk: Explosion
One of the series' most beloved but problematic characters, Bakugo, has gone through the gears all through the series. Constantly evolving and growing as a hero, student, and person. Despite having numerous undesirable traits, his strengths are very much undeniable. It is this evolution that the manga can properly depict and portray better than its anime counterpart that lands Bakugo in this piece.
Although his growth is evident at all times in the series, the Paranormal Liberation Arc, Dark Hero Arc, and the Final War Arc are highlight points of it, and also where his manga self edges out his anime self by somehow seeming an even more intense presence and character due to his contributions.
4 Endeavor
The Wholesome Manner of His Redemption
- Quirk: Hell Flame
Much like other members of his family, specifically Shoto, Endeavor is a complex character that carries mixed reactions from all around. Highly ranked as a Pro-Hero, Endeavor is consumed by his goal of overtaking All Might. A dream that would become the catalyst is separating his family, and the aftermath of which would reunite them. The manga edges out the anime in the portrayal of this reunion and redemption of Endeavor.
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Perfectly articulating the depths of Endeavor's realisations following Dabi's confession to the world, the manga manages to make the acceptance of his family and his decision to redeem himself an even much bigger spectacle than the anime managed to do. The manga better portrays, both literally and metaphorically, the essence of his failures, family, and redemption.
3 Izuku Midoriya
A Complete Capture of The Story’s Essence
- Quirk: One For All
The series' protagonist, Midoriya, also known as Deku, is the culmination of the story's essence. At the centre of everything the series has showcased so far, Deku has displayed levels of evolution and growth that can only be rivalled by a few characters in the series. While part of this growth has been encouraging, another part has been worrying and slightly darker.
It is these dark aspects of his evolution that are particularly showcased better by the manga. Beginning from Paranormal Liberation War Arc and flowing into the Dark Hero Arc, the story sees Deku adopt a more solo and cold approach towards the battle against the villains, particularly All For One and Tomura Shigaraki, a trait masterfully depicted in the manga in comparison to its anime variant.
2 Shigaraki Tomura
The Final Villainification of Shigaraki’s Gift
- Quirk: Decay
A very twisted and dark character, Tomura is the series' central antagonist and polar opposite of everything Izuku Midoriya is. Being the successor of the terrifying Demon Lord, All For One, Tomura's potential for evil rivals that of his master and even potentially surpasses it. The essence of his character is what the manga can convey better than its anime counterpart.
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Striking a more intense and intimidating demeanour and presence, Tomura accurately represents evil, like his master. With the manga capturing the rawness of his character immaculately, Tomura appears even more menacing than the anime.
1 Shigaraki/All For One
The Perfect Display of Evil
- Quirk: All For One
Shigaraki, or All For One, is the series' overarching villain and main rival to All Might. Unlike the anime, the manga showcases All For One adequately in his element as the incarnate of evil. The anime does a good job of it, but not as well as the manga. The manga gives All For One the much-expected demeanour and aura of a villain. Further, it takes it up a notch, elevating him to the equivalent of evil itself and showcasing him as the embodiment of it in a thrilling and vicious fashion.
A highlight of how well the manga does this is All For One's portrayal in the Final War Arc, even up to his final defeat, which made for a spectacular end to the most feared villain in Japan's history.
My Hero Academia (2016)
- Main Genre
- Anime
- Seasons
- 7
- Studio
- Bones
- Japanese Title
- Boku no Hero Academia
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Kōhei Horikoshi
- Number of Episodes
- 141+
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll , Hulu
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