8 Best-Written My Hero Academia Characters Horikoshi Completely Forgot About

Kohei Horikoshi creates incredibly memorable characters – both heroes and villains – who could easily carry their own stories. However, because the world of My Hero Academia is so full of ideas, some promising plotlines were cut as the series quickly moved towards its final battle between Deku and Shigaraki.

The series introduced fascinating characters with unique abilities and compelling, troubled pasts. These weren’t minor figures – they had the potential to be central to the story, but their development was sidelined as the narrative rushed towards its climax. The author seemed more interested in the final battle than in exploring the full potential of these characters.

Ryuko Tatsuma

Ryuko, ranked as the No. 10 Pro Hero, has the ability to transform into a massive and incredibly strong dragon called a Dragoon. She was a crucial guide during the raid on the Shie Hassaikai and helped train heroes like Nejire Hado, Ochaco Uraraka, and Tsuyu Asui. Despite her high rank, she secretly doubted if she deserved it, hinting at a compelling story about self-worth and the challenges faced by women striving for leadership in a tradition-bound society.

Despite her impressive dragon form and striking design, Ryukyu hasn’t been developed much since the Overhaul arc. She was largely relegated to a tank during recent conflicts – absorbing damage and providing transport – without ever having a pivotal moment or securing a victory. Although she’s a Top 10 hero with a design the author clearly liked, she lacks significant dialogue or a defining character arc, making her one of the least utilized pro heroes in the series.

Inasa Yoarashi

Inasa Yoarashi was a remarkably talented student at Shiketsu High, so skilled that he initially placed first in the UA entrance exam before choosing to leave. His quirk, Whirlwind, is incredibly versatile and powerful, allowing him to manipulate hundreds of wind currents with extreme accuracy. His past – a childhood admiration for heroes that was discouraged by a negative encounter with Endeavor – mirrors the emotional struggles of Shoto Todoroki, creating a compelling connection between the two characters.

Honestly, it really bummed me out that Inasa kind of faded into the background after his awesome debut during the Provisional License Exam. He had such a vibrant energy! While he did get a cool, quick moment in the final war providing aerial support, we never really got to see him truly compete with the UA students like I was hoping. He represented this incredible potential for heroism outside of UA, but the story just ended up focusing so tightly on the students that aspect got lost. I genuinely believe Inasa had the personality and power to be a core character, but he ended up being someone they brought out for special occasions instead. It felt like a missed opportunity, you know?

Momo Yaoyorozu

Momo Yaoyorozu, a student in Class 1-A, possesses an incredibly powerful quirk called Creation. In theory, it’s arguably the most broken ability in the series. She can create any non-living object, but only if she understands its chemical composition and has enough energy stored in her body. This requires a genius-level intellect and deep scientific knowledge, making her ahead of her time. Initially, the author explored her lack of confidence and difficulty making quick decisions, hinting at a future strategic impact that unfortunately never fully materialized.

She struggled with tasks requiring significant effort and physical strain, and could have benefited from better tools or a strategy of using smaller, more effective ones. Instead of leading strategically, she often ended up handling equipment – like shields or cannons – that others could have expertly managed, preventing her from fully utilizing her skills when they were most needed.

Gentle Criminal

Danjuro Tobita, also known as Gentle Criminal, is considered one of the most sympathetic villains in Shōnen manga and anime. He wasn’t driven by a desire for destruction, but by a desperate need to regain his memories after a failed attempt at being a hero left him ostracized from society. His relationship with La Brava during the School Festival arc provided a thoughtful look at how society often rejects those who don’t fit the traditional hero mold.

Fans were thrilled to see Gentle return after the previous conflict, and were amazed when he used his Elasticity ability to physically hold up the collapsing UA fortress. The story hinted at a complex, redemptive arc for Gentle, exploring the moral ambiguities of his world. However, he ultimately ended up simply being a powerful support, lacking the deeper character development that was expected. It was disappointing that his story, and his relationship with La Brava, didn’t receive a more meaningful resolution beyond him becoming a one-dimensional, strongman character.

Hitoshi Shinso

Hitoshi Shinso, often seen as a villain due to his quirk, was a character many fans wanted to see more of. His ability to control people by making them listen to him is incredibly powerful. After training with Aizawa and mastering techniques like the binding cloth and voice imitation, he proved to be a key asset during the battle against the Paranormal Liberation Front.

The reality was actually quite disheartening. Despite being perfectly suited to silence the villains’ endless chatter, Shinso wasn’t really utilized during the final battle. When lives were on the line, the Pro Heroes should have prioritized someone like him, who could quickly change the course of events with just a few words. Instead, Shinso’s potential, and the hope for his placement in the Hero Course, was overlooked in the chaos of the fight, and ultimately, his unique skills weren’t used effectively when it mattered most.

Tamaki Amajiki (Suneater)

Tamaki Amajiki is considered one of UA High’s most powerful students, ranking among the school’s top three strongest. His unique quirk, “Manifest,” allows him to take on the properties of anything he consumes. During his battle against the Hassaikai’s eight Precepts of Annihilation, he proved he had both impressive fighting skills and raw power, capable of handling multiple strong opponents simultaneously. Despite crippling social anxiety, Tamaki quickly became a beloved character due to his interesting design and quirk, though many fans feel he wasn’t given enough focus in the story.

Honestly, it was a little heartbreaking to see Suneater fade into the background as the story went on. He was part of that big “Vast Hybrid” attack on Shigaraki, which was supposed to be this huge team-up, but it just didn’t really do much. It felt wrong seeing someone who was once considered the second strongest student at U.A. reduced to a supporting role that didn’t even leave a mark! As a fan, I really wanted Tamaki to have one last shining moment – to be remembered as a true hero of the Big 3, not just someone in the background.

Kai Chisaki (Overhaul)

Kai Chisaki, also known as Overhaul, possessed a terrifyingly effective ability: he could disassemble and reconstruct anything he touched. He served as a dark mirror to Shigaraki, and his ironic loss of hands felt perfectly fitting. When he returned after escaping Tartarus, fans hoped to see a complex redemption arc, or at least a deeper look into his obsession with quirk-destroying science.

A Goal With No Plan Is Called A Delusion. You Need A Plan In Order To Achieve Your Goal — Overhaul

Chisaki was shown as a broken and lost man, desperately trying to apologize to his former boss. While this highlighted how completely he’d failed, it felt like a missed chance to explore a truly complex villain. The fact that Shigaraki’s immense power stemmed from the same decay Chisaki could have potentially countered with his quirk made their final confrontation feel unfinished. Chisaki destroyed his own reputation, but the story didn’t give him a chance to reflect on what he’d done.

Eri

Eri’s Rewind quirk is incredibly powerful – essentially a god-like ability. She can undo damage to living beings, healing injuries, restoring lost abilities, or even completely erasing someone. While the show presented her as a dangerous, unpredictable force, and she successfully healed Mirio Togata, she wasn’t used enough during the final war. Given the constant threat of death for the heroes, her ability to restore them to full health could have been a huge advantage – something even All For One recognized.

Horikoshi tried to balance this by tying Eri’s power to the growth of her horn, but compared to Aizawa’s ability, which he used so often it caused him eye damage, Eri felt like a simple plot convenience. As a child, she could completely erase someone without training, meaning she had the potential to become a powerful hero on her own. Instead, she was reduced to a passive role, simply acting as a conduit for others to be healed, which wasted the potential of a character who could have prevented many of the series’ biggest problems with just a touch.

2026-01-22 19:39