My Hero Academia is no doubt one of the most popular anime right now, and that status comes in part due to the series' great characters, like its crybaby underdog protagonist, Izuku Midoriya. Each and every character adds something to the story, whether it be their personality, their appearance, or their contributions to the overall story. Every character is pretty great, except for Mineta.
Mineta is supposed to function as a comic relief. From the first moment he is shown on screen, he is played off as a fool compared to those around him. It is supposed to be a big hilarious surprise when Mineta appears sitting behind a desk in class 1-A at U.A. High School, but from that moment on, his presence is a painful one to endure watching.
Relief From Comic Relief
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Mineta has none of the positive attributes of other comic reliefs like Eijiro Kirishima, nor any positive attributes of other side characters like Iida Tenya. The most important thing for a comic relief to be is funny, and Mineta is not funny. The funniest thing about Mineta is his appearance. He looks like a purple baby with balls for a mohawk and an oversized metallic diaper wrapped around his waist, but once the initial shock of his ridiculous outfit wears off there is not much else funny about him.
Most of his jokes target women and his sexual fantasies, a subject that can be funny if done well, as was the case with Jiraya from Naruto, but unlike Jiraya, whose humor would explore more than just his perverted sensabilities, Mineta's jokes are never funny. Mineta's jokes never change, and Mineta's jokes are boring. Kirishima, the other comic relief in My Hero Academia, is funnier than Mineta, in addition to having a strong backstory and motivation.
Kirishima started out as someone too scared to stand up for other people, but with a strong desire to follow in the footsteps of his hero: Crimson Riot. It is easier to care about Kirishima because the audience gets to experience his hardship by watching him go through various trials and tribulations. Mineta has no backstory, and the only motivation that the audience is told is that he wants to become a hero to be popular with girls. While his motivation might be relatable for some viewers, it does not save an otherwise empty character. There is nothing about Mineta that is worth caring about.
Mineta is Trash
Removing Mineta from My Hero Academia would not change the show at all, and might even make the show more enjoyable. There are characters who outshine Mineta by every single metric of what makes a good character. Think about every moment that Mineta has ever appeared in the show, from his minor appearances to the times when he was the center of focus, are any of these moments memorable?
Would these be the moments to show new people unfamiliar with the show to get them interested? Mineta's often obnoxious personality might very well put newcomers off an otherwise great series. To many, Mineta is a groan inducing leech on an otherwise great piece of TV-superhero drama.
Get Rid of Mineta?
Mineta not only deserves the title of worst character in My Hero Academia, but also the title of worst anime character. Mineta is the type of character that people who hate anime point to explain their hatred, and who can blame them? Mineta is an ugly, unfunny, unlikable character that the whole My Hero fanbase is forced to either ignore or endure in order to get to the good stuff. Why do shows need a character like him? Is it just for the fanservice? Is there a requirement in the anime industry to have at least one perverted little boy for every TV show produced? These are the kinds of questions that are only thought up when confronting a horrible character of unprecedented magnitude. This kind of response to a show could only be brought on by one of the worst characters of all time: Mineta. Mineta is just the worst.
While all of what has been said so far is true beyond a shadow of a doubt, there are still those die-hard Mineta fans who would dispute it. Fans who would say that Mineta's jokes about boobs, and spying on girls changing in their locker room are comedic gems worth more than finely crafted jokes delivered by comedy kings. They would also point out that My Hero Academia is far from over, and Mineta still has an opportunity to grow and add to the series. They are correct. Mineta could turn around and become the greatest character in all fiction, there is always that possibility, just like pigs could always fly.