My Hero Academia has received mixed reactions from anime fans, but its strong points far outweigh the weak areas. Though there are several problems within the storytelling aspect of My Hero Academia, one place that gets its fair share of exposure is the development of characters. Some mangakas struggle in this department, as character growth can be a challenging task, but Kōhei Horikoshi does a phenomenal job at welcoming a cast of unique characters and giving them the necessary time to gain experience and showcase their strengths with the group of aspiring heroes.

Mina Ashido may be one of the most unique characters of the classmates in Class 1-A, from her pink skin and black eyes, to the horns coming out of her head. The easygoing young girl who goes by her hero's name, Pinky, is a cheerful character that wishes to fit in with the rest of the group despite her difference in appearance, and she loves to go shopping and improve her strong sense of fashion. Ashido was introduced in Episode 6, "What I Can Do for Now", quickly becoming a mainstay in My Hero Academia for her light-hearted approach and comical quips. Though she isn't the most adept at academic studies, Ashido makes up for it with athleticism and charm.

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Mina Ashido's Introduction In Season One

What Was Pinky Like In Season One?

Ashido earns notoriety at the start of My Hero Academia thanks to her humorous attitude and athleticism. It's clear she isn't at the Hero Academy because of her good grades, as Ashido ranks 19th during Class 1-A's midterm exams. Despite this, Ashido ranks quite high during the U.A. Sports Festival, and finishes in the top-8 in the quirk apprehension test, demonstrating her keen sense of battle and craftiness when using her quirk. Ashido's Acid quirk allows her to emit a corrosive liquid that can act as both an attack quirk and defense. The downside to this powerful quirk is that her body eventually loses its resistance to the acid, causing her body to slowly dehydrate from overuse.

At a young age, Ashido's heightened energy and cheerful attitude leads her to a life in dance, where she becomes tremendously skilled. Ashido tends to goof around with her classmates and tell jokes, mostly due to her underperforming in class and low grades. Ashido is also a believer in love, often romanticizing her own future and who may be in it. This also leads her to focus on the love lives of others, determined to know all the details and give her opinion on the matter. Though Ashido can be quite nosy and, at times, rub others the wrong way, her motivations are never meant to get in the way of anyone, or cause ill will.

Mina Ashido's Character Arc Analyzed

When Did Pinky Start Growing?

The development of Ashido comes with her ability to master quirks quicker than most in her class. While many heroes struggle to bring out the true potential of their powers, Ashido appears to have a firm grasp of her Acid quirk, showing off a higher skill level during the U.A. Sports Festival events. Ashido quickly develops a tenacity for using her quirk in every situation, from propelling herself at high speeds towards her opponent, to shielding off attacks with a wave of liquid. Her Achilles heel comes from her body's diminishing resistance to her own quirk, which eventually forces her to retire from the bout, but over time she is able to strengthen this resistance.

Ashido's confidence also grows with the admiration of those around her. Her performance at the Sports Festival and many hero exams raised her popularity in the Weekly Shonen Jump popularity polls, landing her in ninth place during the first English Popularity Poll. Ashido's combination of quick wits, easy-going personality, and mastery of her quirk has made her a character fans wish to see. Ashido also becomes a useful quirk user during many missions, ranging from long-range and using her Acid to create waves towards surrounding areas, to using her quirk to get in at close range and take out multiple enemies with a wave of her hand.

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Accessing Mina Ashido's Growth And Development

Pinky's Growth And Impact On My Hero Academia

Ashido's application of her acid quirk continues to develop and grow throughout My Hero Academia, which helps her classmates during many exams. In one group activity, Ashido takes advantage of one of her ultimate moves, Acid Veil, to block incoming attacks and defend her teammates. Normally, this type of emitting of her quirk would drop her resistance to the acid, but her continuous training allows her to withstand the pressure of using the quirk. A newly discovered outlook on her quirk makes Ashido a tremendous ally to have in battle, as she can quickly switch between rescue and escape to launching several attacks as part of the offensive side.

During the Joint Training Battle, Ashido showcases her efficiency in quirk usage by switching between styles midfight, allowing her to get the upper hand on her opponents. She teams up with Fumikage Tokoyami in a fight against Slice on Nabu Island, and her ability to work well as part of a team leads to their victory. Ashido's Acid quirk also becomes stronger than many expected since the start of My Hero Academia, as she is able to melt through the armored skin of Gigantomachia, which was once believed to be impenetrable. Her abilities were eventually noticed by the Equipped Hero: Yoroi Musha, a former pro hero, allowing her to intern under his watch and develop her quirk.

What Fans Can Expect From Mina Ashido's Ceiling

When Will Pinky Reach Her Peak?

Once believed to be a comedy act with her breakdancing and inability to maintain high grades, Ashido has quickly developed into one of the stronger members of Class 1-A in a short time. The strength of Ashido's acid continues to grow, melting away the toughest materials and shields, while she maintains her resistance at all times. Ashido also develops a quick sense of when to attack and when to defend, allowing her to switch up during a battle and bring a two-way mindset into battle. Though she may not be book smart, Ashido is more than capable of holding her own in a fight, using many techniques to withstand several attacks and launching her own in quick succession.

Ashido's ultimate move, Acidman, creates a large accumulation of her corrosive acid, which she then uses as a suit of armor for protection. This ability gives her the potential to remain in battle for long periods of time while shielding her from any attacks, as they dissolve upon contact with the acid. Her ability to emit the Acid quirk in higher volumes also gives her the potential to launch devastating attacks onto enemies, as evident by her combination of Acidman and Alma, which uses her suit of acid armor to collide with the target. Ashido's confidence and ability to mix offense and defense as a complete package make her a promising hero, and her internship with a former pro hero will only help expand on her future potential.

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My Hero Academia

In My Hero Academia, Young Deku is born into a world where people commonly have something called quirks, also known as superpowers. He himself is born without any, but circumstances lead to that changing. He enrolls at the UA High School, a prestigious academy where the worlds future heroes learn how to use their powers.