My Hero Academia‘s new Symbol of Peace, Izuku Midoriya, boasts one of shonen anime’s most inspiring tales of heroism. Once a Quirkless civilian, Izuku inherits the One For All quirk and becomes one of the world’s legendary saviors. Although he’s not the top hero in the present era, he remains a highly capable professional hero and U.A. teacher.
Izuku’s success story is far from simple, as powerful rivals constantly challenge his growth wherever he goes. Regardless of their intentions, these formidable rivals in My Hero Academia force Izuku to surpass his limits and prove that he has what it takes to become the greatest hero.
8
Izuku and Ochaco Bring Out the Best in Each Other
Although Ochaco Uraraka is Izuku’s close friend and potential love interest throughout My Hero Academia, she’s also someone he respects as a fellow hero-in-training. Her ability to constantly defy his expectations on the battlefield makes her a worthy rival. Ochaco is smart, witty, and strategic, with impressive combat awareness and instincts that Izuku initially lacks.
Early on, Izuku often compares himself to Ochaco, but rather than feeling jealous or insecure, he sees her accomplishments as motivation to improve. To him, Ochaco is an admirable hero who can stand on her own, make independent decisions, and handle dangerous situations. He deeply respects her ability to develop her Quirk, find creative ways to use it in combat, and ultimately put herself at risk to save others.
7
Fumikage Tokoyami Has the Power to Keep Up With Izuku
There’s something undeniably mysterious and powerful about Fumikage Tokoyami, and Izuku recognizes his incredible potential as a hero. Among the students in U.A. High School’s Class 1-A, Tokoyami is one of the most unpredictable fighters, thanks to his Dark Shadow Quirk. Its immense strength can grow even further under the right conditions, making it a formidable ability with seemingly limitless potential.
Although Izuku and Fumikage get along well, an understated rivalry gradually develops between the two students. As Izuku continues to grow stronger and refine One For All, Fumikage also makes significant strides in developing Dark Shadow and improving his combat abilities. He may not always receive the same attention as Izuku, but he remains a formidable classmate who steadily closes the gap between them.
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6
Mirio Togata Could Have Taken Izuku’s Place in My Hero Academia
Had All Might never met Izuku Midoriya, the ninth user of One For All would likely have been the Permeation Hero, Lemillion. Mirio Togata is an exceptionally powerful hero-in-training, capable of outperforming many Pro Heroes despite his young age. His unwavering dedication to training, commitment to the hero profession, and determination to save others make him an ideal candidate to inherit One For All.
It comes as no surprise that Lemillion eventually rises to the top of the Hero Billboard Chart years after the Final War. As the Permeation Hero, Mirio possesses the charisma, strength, and mindset expected of a top-ranking hero. He embodies the ideals of a true hero, much like Izuku, and could have easily served as an alternative protagonist for My Hero Academia had their paths unfolded differently.
5
Izuku’s Influence Makes Shoto Todoroki a Better Hero and Rival
Izuku has a profound influence on Shoto Todoroki, who transforms from a stoic hero-in-training with little regard for his comrades into a compassionate young hero who learns to forgive, accept his past, and build meaningful relationships with others. Through Izuku’s relentless encouragement, Shoto gradually overcomes his resentment toward his father and begins embracing both sides of his Quirk without letting Endeavor’s expectations define him.
It comes as no surprise that Shoto becomes one of Izuku’s fiercest rivals, not because he hates him, but because Izuku inspires him to become a better hero. Rather than letting their differences get in the way, Shoto sees Izuku as someone worth surpassing, motivating him to develop both halves of his quirk and prove his strength.
4
Bakugo Refuses to Let Izuku Stay Ahead of Him
Izuku and Bakugo share the same dream of becoming the world’s top hero, following in the footsteps of their idol, All Might. For most of the story, Bakugo often looks down on Izuku for being Quirkless, unable to understand why his childhood friend continues to pursue the same dream without the means to achieve it. At the same time, Bakugo grows increasingly frustrated by Izuku’s ability to stay one step ahead of him.
As such, there’s no doubt that Bakugo is Izuku’s fiercest rival, someone he constantly strives to surpass while proving his own worth. Although Izuku often maintains the upper hand, Bakugo is never far behind, pushing himself beyond his limits to keep pace with his rival. No matter how many obstacles stand in his way, he refuses to let the gap between their abilities grow.
3
All For One Is the One Villain Izuku Could Never Forgive
All For One is arguably the worst villain in Izuku’s eyes. After all, he is the root of much of the evil in the series, having manipulated Shigaraki and robbed him of his innocence from childhood. He is also responsible for fueling the hatred of numerous heroes who lost their Quirks because of his actions. On top of that, All For One is the villain who brought All Might to the brink of death, stripping the Symbol of Peace of his former strength and glory.
He stands as the greatest threat to hero society, and without Izuku and his allies, including the vestiges of One For All, All For One could have succeeded in conquering the world and imposing his rule over humanity. Their combined efforts ultimately prove crucial in stopping his ambitions and protecting the future of hero society.
2
Izuku and Shigaraki Represent the Two Sides of Hero Society
Izuku and Tomura Shigaraki represent the opposing forces of good and evil in My Hero Academia. While Izuku rises as the new Symbol of Peace, Shigaraki becomes the embodiment of villainy, with both following different paths shaped by their respective mentors, All Might and All For One.
Despite their contrasting upbringings and ideals, Izuku and Shigaraki’s destinies eventually collide in a devastating battle that determines the future of hero society, with only one of them destined to emerge victorious. In the end, Izuku defeats Shigaraki, but his victory comes at a tremendous emotional cost. Although defeating Shigaraki is necessary to protect society, Izuku’s greatest regret is failing to save the person buried beneath the villain’s grief, hatred, and pain.
1
All Might and Izuku Set Different Standards for One For All
All Might and Izuku share a deep bond, with the former serving as Izuku’s role model and eventually becoming a father figure to him. In return, Izuku looks up to All Might with immense respect and admiration. Without All Might’s influence, Izuku would never have become the ninth user of One For All in My Hero Academia.
As two successive wielders of One For All, the pair have also sparked a subtle rivalry, with many debating who was the better user of the powerful Quirk. After all, All Might maintained his position as the world’s greatest hero for years while wielding One For All, whereas Izuku came remarkably close to mastering the Quirk and its accumulated abilities by the end of the series.
- Release Date
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2016 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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TBS, MBS, Nippon TV
- Directors
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Shouji Ikeno, Tsuyoshi Tobita, Ikuro Sato, Takudai Kakuchi, Masashi Abe, Tetsuya Miyanishi, Kazuma Komatsu, Yoshifumi Sasahara, Masayuki Otsuki, Daisuke Tsukushi, Takayuki Yamamoto, Yohei Fukui, Takuro Tsukada, Masatoyo Takada, Naomi Nakayama, Sayaka Morikawa, Takanori Yano
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Daiki Yamashita
Izuku Midoriya (voice)
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Kaito Ishikawa
Manga Fukidashi (voice)
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
