Most Underutilized Characters In MHA

Summary

• Many characters in My Hero Academia are underutilized, missing out on more significant roles and development.
• Characters like Manga, Curious, Pony, Ms. Joke, Ending, Momo, Inasa, and Star and Stripe deserve more spotlight.
• These characters have interesting quirks and backgrounds that could have added depth and excitement to the story.

The My Hero Academia story is packed full of fun and quirky characters, but while the likes of Midoriya, Todoroki, and Bakugo are given more than enough time to grow and develop, not everyone had a chance to show what they were truly made of. When a character is underutilized, it means they simply weren’t made to be as crucial or important to the story and fights as they probably could have been, especially when they seem pretty intriguing upon being introduced.

Sometimes, this can seem a little questionable considering the character may have a powerful Quirk which should have seen them become a much more active player in the story. On the other hand, they can seem underused because they are overshadowed by the other heroes and villains, causing them to receive barely any screen time as a result. Either way, these are the My Hero Academia characters who feel a little underutilized within author Kohei Horiksohi’s immensely popular anime series.

8

Manga Fukidashi

The Creative Potential Of Manga Makes It A Crime That He Wasn’t Used More Often

• First Appearance: Episode 16

Just as his name implies, Manga’s ability allows him to speak words into a speech bubble which will then physically manifest based on the phrase. Though Manga is primarily used as a comedic character, his unique Quirk could have allowed Horiksohi to get pretty experimental with the fourth-wall breaking if he wanted to. Additionally, there are many characters in the series, such as Mineta, for example, who have been able to use their seemingly useless Quirks to good effect by training them, and it would have been great to see how someone with such an odd ability would go about achieving this.

In the same vein, it would have been a ton of fun watching Manga utilize his words in all sorts of wacky and creative ways to fend off the enemy. Though Manga wasn’t a major focus for Horikoshi, and understandably so, it does feel as though this student is simply too creative to have been so underutilized within the story.

7

Curious

Seeing Curious Get To Interview Several Other Prominent Heroes And Villains Would Have Made For Some Great Scenes

• First Appearance: Episode 108

Curious is one of the first prominent members of the Meta Liberation Army to show their face in the story, though she doesn’t end up sticking around for all that long after her introduction. In fact, it’s not long after confronting Toga that Curious ends up meeting her untimely demise at the hands of the villain, which is a real shame considering she could have been a pretty entertaining character to keep around.

On the one hand, her obsession with journalism and getting to the heart of a story could have seen her assume a humorous role where she desperately tries to get the latest scoop from the heroes and villains while they are in the middle of a confrontation. At the same time, her deadly Landmine Quirk could have genuinely been pretty dangerous if she had been allowed to play a part in the final war.

6

Pony Tsunotori

Despite Having An Interesting Background, Pony Is Largely Kept On The Sidelines

• First Appearance: Episode 15

Pony is a student who immigrated to Japan from America, something that quickly becomes clear from the way she speaks, often saying rude words in Japanese without even realizing it due to her still getting to grips with the language. Considering the majority of the My Hero story only focuses on Japan without any mention of the outside world coming until much later, Pony could have been used as a character who could shed light on foreign heroes and the international stage, potentially as a way to foreshadow Star and Stripe’s introduction.

At the same time, she also only gets to use her Horn Cannon Quirk once or twice in the entire series, which is a real shame considering it looks like it’s capable of dealing some hefty damage when fired at full speed. Overall, she’s an intriguing character who simply never got the attention many fans believe she deserved.

5

Emi Fukukado

Ms. Joke Doesn’t Receive Anywhere Near As Much Attention As The Other Pro-Heroes

• First Appearance: Episode 53

Emi, or Ms. Joke, as she’s known among civilians, provides a fun and bubbly contrast to Aizawa’s moody and lazy personality when she sits next to him during the Provisional License Exam. This feeds into her Quirk, Outburst, which forces her target to lose control of their emotions as they begin laughing uncontrollably. Needless to say, this can come in very handy for incapacitating a dangerous villain who’s on the loose.

Though she may be a Pro-Hero, Emi barely receives any screen time, despite how much fun she is to follow as a character. In the final war, for example, all she gets to do is arrest Skeptic, which keeps her away from the battlefield for pretty much the entire final fight. Not only could the heroes have probably used her help when things started getting out of control, but fans would also have appreciated her receiving just a few extra scenes to express her bright and vibrant personality a little more.

4

Ending

A Fascinating Endeavor Fanatic Who Only Appears For A Single Episode

• First Appearance: Episode 105

Ending is a pretty random villain who appears during the Endeavor Agency arc as little more than a bump in the road, and after he’s defeated, he’s never seen again in the entire series. This guy feels like a huge missed opportunity, as while his Whiteline Quirk isn’t all that interesting, his obsession with Endeavor, and more specifically, his belief that Endeavor should always be showcasing his anger and brutality through his actions, could have made him a pretty intriguing foil for the hero.

Ending is pretty much emblematic of Endeavor’s older self, while also emphasizing the underlying rage that he expressed toward his own family when his kids were still young. All in all, he’s a fascinating villain who could have been used to explore some pretty interesting ideas, so it’s a shame he was taken out so suddenly.

3

Momo Yaoyorozu

Momo Should Have Had More Opportunities To Show Off Her Creative Quirk Ability

• First Appearance: Episode 5

Admittedly, Momo does receive quite a bit of focus early on in the series, especially when she’s forced to team up with Todoroki during the First Term Final Exam, but as the plot goes on, she begins to fade into the background. The reason Momo specifically feels underutilized compared to her classmates is because her Quirk, Creation, is absolutely powerful, and would literally be usable for any situation, whether it be a rescue mission, or simply fighting back against a dangerous villain.

While Momo has been able to conjure up some pretty creative items and weapons, including rail guns and missile launchers, it would have been nice to see her get even more creative, especially during the final war, where she only gets a few brief scenes. Momo possesses a fascinating Quirk, which is why so many fans were eager to see her be more involved in fighting against Shigaraki and the other villains.

2

Inasa Yoarashi

Yoarashi Receives An Epic Introduction But Disappears For Much Of The Story Not Long After

• First Appearance: Episode 52

Inasa Yoarashi, the top student of Shiketsu High, certainly made an impression when he debuted in the Provisional License Exam. After unleashing his devastating Whirlwind Quirk and sweeping the competition, it became clear that this was a hero who possessed immense power and potential, which is why it seemed so baffling that he was kept absent for large chunks of the story.

Though Inasa does show up briefly for the final war, it feels like he deserves a lot more considering his grand introduction. It also could have been good to dig a little deeper into Inasa’s complex relationship with Todoroki as a flashback to learn more about the man himself and his beliefs, since his backstory in the original story is quite brief and abrupt.

1

Star And Stripe

America’s Number One Hero Was A Character Begging To Be Explored In More Depth

• First Appearance: Episode 138

While Star and Stripe is an incredibly interesting character with an eye-catching design and an absurdly strong Quirk ability, many My Hero Academia fans agree that she felt a little wasted in the story. Star and Stripe is introduced and removed from the plot in just a handful of chapters and episodes, despite having an immense amount of potential due to being America’s number 1 hero, so adding her to the cast a little earlier probably would have been the better call.

By briefly touching on Star’s relationship with her “bros,” and how inspired she was by All Might, it feels as though Horikoshi wanted to expand on Star’s character, but simply didn’t have the time. As a result, many feel she could have easily become one of the most popular characters in the series if she had been introduced a bit before Shigaraki grew so powerful, which also would have added to the world-building by seeing heroes hailing from other countries.