My Hero Academia Author Kohei Horikoshi Reveals Which Character He Enjoys Drawing Most, And It’s Not Deku

This article contains spoilers for MHA

The “My Hero Academia” collection boasts an extensive ensemble of endearing and distinct characters, each sporting unique design variations to set them apart. For viewers, appreciating the visual differences between the heroes and villains is a delightful experience. However, for manga author Kohei Horikoshi, consistently sketching each character multiple times across the series must be quite a challenging endeavor.

In a chat with the Japanese fashion magazine NON-NO, Horikoshi revealed that among the characters from My Hero Academia, there is one he particularly enjoys designing. He even shared details about a favorite scene in the series, which he thoroughly enjoyed illustrating for the manga.

Horikoshi Loves Drawing Mirko

The Quick And Deadly Pro-Hero Is A Lot More ‘Free’ Than The Other Professionals

The rabbit hero can move around more freely than other heroes
She loves jumping into an intense battle any time she can

In a different phrasing: Mirko, a Pro Hero who entered the story relatively late, has captured the hearts of many “My Hero Academia” fans almost instantly after her debut. Interestingly, even the creator, Horikoshi, confessed that he enjoys drawing Mirko the most out of all characters. There’s a specific reason behind his fondness for the rabbit hero.

Horikoshi suggests that several main characters in the narrative, such as Midoriya, amass a significant burden over time. This burden could refer to their physical appearance with intricate outfits featuring numerous weapons and gadgets by the later stages of the story, or it could be related to the emotional turmoil they experience due to the hardships they face throughout the narrative. Interestingly, Mirko seems to be an exception to this, carrying far less weight emotionally or in terms of her appearance.

“I purposefully never drew a deep story for Mirko, and she could fight freely” – Horikoshi

In contrast to characters like Hawks or All Might, who have complex and far-reaching character development throughout the story, Mirko stands out as a hero with an unusually direct and action-oriented role. Rather than undergoing significant personal growth, she is portrayed as a tremendously powerful heroine who relishes engaging in chaotic conflicts, often stepping into them to make a difference. Consequently, her scenes typically involve vanquishing villains and saving citizens, without the need for the intricate character development that other characters might have.

This simplicity in characterization allows Mirko to avoid the burden of emotional weight that author Horikoshi had previously discussed, making her easier to maneuver within different environments compared to characters like Endeavor, who is larger and more cumbersome.

Mirko’s Best Scene Was A Lot Of Fun For The Author

The Rampage Through Jaku Hospital Must Have Been An Absolute Blast To Draw

As a fellow admirer of “My Hero Academia,” if someone were to inquire about my favorite exhilarating scene from the series, I’d likely respond with the instance when Mirko unleashed her furious assault at Jaku Hospital. Unlike an ordinary rampage, this was no mindless violence; instead, she was relentlessly targeting multiple high-end Nomus, dispatching them with a flurry of lethal punches and kicks that were truly a sight to behold.

“It was really fun drawing her rampage fighting scene at Jaku Hospital” – Horikoshi

Due to Luna’s powerful attacks, Mirko managed to swiftly defeat an impressive number of dangerous creatures in a short amount of time, making for an exciting action sequence that Horikoshi no doubt enjoyed illustrating. Given Horikoshi’s comment about being able to portray Mirko with greater freedom than the other heroes, it’s not surprising that she moved so quickly during this thrilling battle.

At this stage in the “My Hero Academia” manga, Horikoshi’s art had soared to an unprecedented level of skill, and the Jaku Hospital attack serves as a testament to this fact. Despite Mirko suffering some severe injuries shortly following this iconic confrontation, it’s an incident that fans of the series will recall fondly for years to come, and one which the author acknowledges as among his favorites.

Who Does Horikoshi Struggle To Draw?

There Have Been A Few Characters Who Aren’t Quite As Straightforward As Mirko

Shigaraki can be a little complex to draw
Bakugo is surprisingly difficult to get right

Observing Mirko’s carefree and uncomplicated design suggests that she is one of Horikoshi’s preferred characters to illustrate. However, I’ve noticed that he has also spoken about a few characters who pose more challenges for him. In the second volume of the manga, Horikoshi himself mentioned that while he always puts great effort into depicting characters’ hands, there is one specific character who nearly pushed him to tears due to the intricacies involved in his design. Given this, it’s only natural to surmise that the individual in question must be Shigaraki, since at one point, his entire body was covered with multiple hands.

In this book, there’s a particular character who’s incredibly challenging and almost made me cry each week.

Gratefully in the narrative, Shigaraki eventually abandoned using hands towards the end of the story, likely making the artist’s job much less complicated when it came to illustration. It might come as a shock to fans that even the creator found Bakugo challenging. Initially, his explosive character may appear to have a simple design, but since Horikoshi must consistently portray him as angry, irritated, or aggressive in every scene he appears, it’s no small feat to maintain such intensity across all panels.

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but notice how Horikoshi seems to be highlighting Bakugo in the ultimate showdown he describes. This is where his exceptional illustrations truly shine! In the heart of the story’s climax, Horikoshi meticulously brought focus to numerous pivotal characters, resulting in artwork that leaves me absolutely speechless – and a significant chunk of it spotlights none other than our spiky-haired hero.

2025-08-16 17:36