My Hero Academia took a dark turn in season four, but it brought a turning point to the show and great characters that set the tone and standard.
The show ended season three leaving its viewers with a mixed bag of feelings. Between the introduction of U.A’s Big Three and the Shie Hassaikai, a darker side of the show was inevitable. But no one could have expected what was to follow. The Shie Hassaikai Arc focuses on the rescue of Eri, a little girl who is being tortured and utilized for the production of a “quirk erasing drug”. In this mission, many heroes and villains were introduced. These are its best characters:
#3 Deku: The Hero With the Potential.
After Deku’s struggles in previous seasons, fans finally get to see him at 100%. Izuku Midoriya isn’t just the protagonist of the show, he was one of the best and most exciting characters in the rescue arc. Although Deku is always eager to help others, his inability to fully control One For All has made him a liability. This time, however, he was a major player in assisting other heroes and taking Overhaul head-on.
#2 Overhaul: A Twisted Villain
The main antagonist played a dramatic role and created the turning point for the show. Kai Chisaki, also known by the name of his quirk, Overhaul, was a twisted villain with a brilliant plan to destroy hero society. Up to this point in My Hero Academia, the main strategy for villains to take over the world was to destroy All Might, the symbol of peace. But since he is retired, Overhaul came up with a much more elaborate plan: create a drug that eliminates quirks and build a monopoly of the drug and the cure. This plan revolved around weaponizing Eri’s quirk, while torturing her in the process.
Overhaul was known for his ruthlessness and capability of achieving his goals at any costs. In this case, that included secluding a young girl, conducting countless/tortures experiments on her, and physiologically traumatizing her. Needless to say, Chisaki had no issue killing his subordinates should they fail, or if he needed their life to aid in his plan. But it doesn’t stop there, as Overhaul’s philosophy also applied to himself. Throughout the fight, he disassembled and reassembled his own body several times by merging with subordinates which saw him turn into a giant, almost unstoppable monster.
Not only was he incredibly technical in his fighting, but he was also very capable. Chisaki’s control of his quirk took everyone by surpice. He was able to destroy the ground and reassemble it into a completely new shape, rather than just its original form. He could do that at a small or grand scale, depending on the circumstances. Overhaul was a quick thinker and dangerously efficient in close- and long-range combat, which made him as formidable as they come. His amoral philosophies and powerful quirk made him a villain worthy of the spotlight in My Hero Academia. This new shade of darkness that Overhaul brought to the arc will shape the show for seasons to come and it is why he is the second best character in the list.
#1 Lemillion: Power!
Out of all the characters in My Hero Academia’s season four, no one was better than Lemillion. Mirio Togata showcased why he was Nighteye’s choice to succeed One For All; and why Mr. Aizawa thought him to be the closest person to being the Number One Hero. Lemillion was a single minded character with the goal of saving Eri and being the best hero he could be. He rushed into battle knowing that time was of the essence and he would be at a disadvantage. But that was never a problem, nor was it his main concern.
At the end of season three, Mirio had explained what his power, Permeation, consisted of and its drawbacks; which make his accomplishment and efforts during this arc all the more impressive. Lemillion singlehandedly took down three of Chisaki’s inner circle in a matter of seconds. With a quirk that allowed him to pass through anything, Lemillion propelled himself through walls and floor at a high speeds. Then, with momentum on his side, it was all about strength and precision to make an attack effective. His power also allowed him to avoid any attacks as he could control specific parts of his body to permeate with acute precision. In other words, he was untouchable.
His mastery of the quirk was so impressive that he could keep Overhaul and his assistant at the edge of losing, all without assistance.
But his quirk isn’t what made him season four’s best character, it was his “power” and will to save Eri. Despite his best efforts, the odds were against Lemillion. Fighting Overhaul is one thing, but also fighting three of his closest aides is another. Which, unfortunately, saw him lose his quirk by the quirk-erasing drug. Considering he was up against Overhaul, one could have assumed that it was all over. But Lemillion surprised everyone by launching a counterattack in his quirkless state.
Mirio used his analytical skills to predict his opponent’s moves and managed to keep Overhaul on his heels for a third of the fight, despite the overwhelming gap in power. If that wasn’t outstanding enough, let’s not forget that he managed to protect Eri from getting hurt throughout the entire fight. Even when Overhaul was fixated on hurting her to get rid of Mirio, the permeable hero never allowed a single scratch on the defenseless girl.
There is no doubt that if he had not lost his power, Lemillion would have won the fight. But even without a quirk, or maybe because he fought without one, Mirio established himself as one of the greatest heroes; Meanwhile, Lemillion never lost sight of his main goal, to protect Eri. Mirio Togata made the audience forget who the main character of the show was. He epitomized what it means to be a hero, and what he means when he utters the word “power”. Mirio’s strength did not come from his quirk; rather, his quirk was an exemplification of his true power. In the end, Lemillion will always be a true hero. The one who saved Eri from the claws of darkness with sheer force and will.
So that was our thoughts on the best characters from My Hero Academia in season 4! Who do you think are the best characters? Let us know in the comments below! You can check out exclusive actor interviews and all our anime content here! As always, thanks for reading COG!
