Characters evolve from enemies to allies in My Hero Academia, showing growth and camaraderie among heroes.
Endeavor atones for past mistakes, strives to reconnect with family, and takes a heroic stand in the final battle.
The story highlights acharacters like La Brava, Shoto Todoroki, Stain, Lady Nagant, Gentle Criminal, and Bakugo.
My Hero Academia, the superhero anime and manga franchise that has become a global phenomenon, has begun to reach its endpoint. The manga recently ended, with the final and highly sought-after season of the anime set to arrive later in 2025. The inspiring story of Izuku Midoriya and his path to taking on the mantle of his hero, All Might, as the symbol of peace, is nearing an enticing conclusion, with the One For All quirk emerging as central to the heightened proceedings.
In a world measured by good and evil, there have been many characters who have started as enemies, harboring malice towards some of the protagonists. However, their views and goals have evolved throughout the anime, transforming them into comrades and friends of Deku and All Might. In fact, many of their former enemies have become allies over the course of MHA.
La Brava
The Computer Whiz That Aided Gentle Criminal Soon Helps The Heroes’ Fight
Gentle Criminal’s extravagant assistant, La Brava, certainly plays the role of villain alongside her partner. She works in the shadows as an expert hacker, attempting to propel her beloved Gentle Criminal to greatness as a viral sensation while committing crimes. Utilizing her hacker abilities to try to allow the Gentle Criminal to infiltrate U.A. High, La Brava’s support of a criminal and her nefarious actions in their publicized illegal doings come to a halt thanks to Midoriya.
After her arrest, La Brava makes amends for her misdeeds by supporting Naomasa Tsukauchi and the police force through the hacking of the League of Villains’ system, thwarting their heinous plans. She lends crucial support to Midoriya and the heroes, thereby becoming an essential ally in a moment of desperation.
Shoto Todoroki
U.A. Sports Festival Rival Becomes A Reliable Friend To Midoriya
While Deku and Shoto Todoroki would go on to be great friends, things were not always rosy between the pair. Todoroki acted cold towards Midoriya at the U.A. Sports Festival, where they faced off in a battle of epic proportions. From a young age, Shoto was always primed to be a top-class hero. His father, Endeavor, placed high expectations on his son, initially leading to Shoto’s hardened personality.
At the Sports Festival, Shoto took out his pent-up rage and emotions stemming from his father on Midoriya, determined to beat Midoriya while only utilizing his ice quirk. After Midoriya makes a breakthrough in helping Shoto overcome his father’s ideals and resentment, the pair develop a strong friendship built on trust and camaraderie. The two fight side by side on numerous occasions, including their perilous battle with Stain, where their exceptional chemistry came into play.
Endeavor
Terrible Father And Hated Hero Atones For His Mistakes
Endeavor, the number one hero after All Might stepped down, has been vilified and branded as an enemy by his family and the public, largely due to his horrific parenting and brutish persona. Endeavor’s role in creating Dabi, one of the League of Villains’ head honchos, his own son, and his decision to push Shota to be greater than All Might, eventually come crashing down on him.
Eventually, he realizes his grave mistakes. For his atonement, Endeavor strives to reconnect with his family while dealing with the son he thought he had lost years ago, Dabi, a painful reminder of his past grievances. During the final war, Endeavor takes up the mantle of leading the charge in the heroes’ fight against All For One and Shigaraki, acting heroically in the face of unrivaled power.
Stain
Notorious Murderer Who Believes In Heroes Like All Might
One of the most notorious villains to emerge in MHA, Stain rose to become an impactful figure in Japanese society. His violent escapades saw him kill 17 pro-heroes, propelling Stain to infamy. While he detests the majority of heroes and what they stand for, Stain does acknowledge All Might and Midoriya, approving of their heroism and commitment to the greater good, unlike many of their contemporaries.
After breaking out of prison, thanks to All For One’s actions, Stain, instead of continuing his villainous intent, opts to empower and aid All Might. He gives him a disk filled with valuable data that will help the heroes in their fight against All For One, showing that his respect for All Might remained.
Lady Nagant
Elite Sniper Who Joins The Heroes After A Stint In Prison
Lady Nagant, a sniper with precise aim, initially started as a revered hero. However, she became disillusioned by the demands of her role within the Hero Public Safety Commission, where she carried out assassinations to ensure that the pro-heroes’ image and industry remained untarnished. The killing spree that buried Nagant deep in guilt ended with her rebellion. Nagant murdered the president of the Safety Commission, leading to a spell of incarceration at Tartarus.
After All For One breaks out inmates held in prisons across Japan, the mastermind antagonist sets Nagant on a deadly mission to eliminate Midoriya, utilizing her highly effective sniping quirk. Despite her mission and her fight with Midoriya, Nagant becomes inspired and empathetic to Midoriya’s cause, nearly costing her life as All For One’s secret placement of explosives on Nagant blows up. During the final battle, an injured Nagant’s allegiance shows as she fires a shot from her rifle at Shigaraki, in an attempt to stop the monster from using Decay, returning to her position as a hero when it mattered the most.
Gentle Criminal
Aids Midoriya In His Ultimate Fight With Shigaraki
One of the more aloof villains throughout MHA has been Gentle Criminal, a fame-hungry gentleman who sought the acclaim of society. Introduced in season 4, Gentle Criminal (aka Danjuro Tobita), with the help of his adoring assistant La Brava, engaged in many criminal stunts livestreamed to the world. Midoriya soon got mixed up in their endeavors.
After their plans for viral success crash and burn, the Gentle Criminal, after a stint in a high-security prison, opts to fight the good fight. He takes down all fellow prisoners at Mizuku Prison, who planned to escape after the attacks by Nomu and All For One enabled them to flee. In the final battle between Deku and Shigaraki, out of nowhere, Gentle Criminal came to the aid of the floating battlefield where Midoriya faces his toughest fight. Gentle Criminal keeps the island from falling, allowing time for the engineers and crafting team to fix the issues. In this way, he assists Midoriya, the boy he tried to punk in his villianous phase.
Katsuki Bakugo
Deku’s Greatest Rival Becomes His Closest Friend
Katsuki Bakugo had long been Midoriya’s number one rival, dating back to their early childhood together. Bakugo would often look down on Deku for his lack of a quirk and his powerless demeanor. At U.A. High, Bakugo grows even more annoyed at Deku’s development, as the sudden emergence of his powerful quirk sets Bakugo down a furious path full of jealousy and envy. The tension between the pair culminates in an all-out brawl where the pair air out their grievances, while All Might confesses to passing One For All onto Midoriya.
After their exhausting battle, the pair become much closer, with Bakugo being one of the few to know of One For All and Midoriya’s unrivaled quirk. In the Paranormal Liberation War, Deku and Bakugo fight as a tandem against Shigaraki. Bakugo even goes as far as to save Deku from a vicious attack by the villain, turning into a true friend and ally who would risk his life for his former rival. It’s a moment that would have once been unthinkable, considering the pair’s unstable relationship early on.
