As much as My Hero Academia is about the next generation taking the reins and reshaping hero society, the series’ pro-heroes often end up stealing the show, even if unintentionally. While heroes-in-making like Bakugo, Deku, and Todoroki no doubt have their fans, My Hero Academia’s pro-heroes have also acquired sizable fanbases of their own over the last few years, and a huge reason for their popularity is their unique and creative designs.
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While Kohei Horikoshi’s art is never known to disappoint, the pro-heroes are where his creativity shines best. Even if it’s a superhero concept that’s already been invented and re-invented countless times over by other franchises, My Hero Academia’s character designs still manage to bring something fresh to the table, and these pro-heroes are an excellent example.
10) Snipe
While Aizawa usually gets all the attention when it comes to U.A.’s star pro-heroes, an underrated hero who rarely gets the attention he deserves is Snipe. In terms of design alone, Snipe arguably outclasses Aizawa with his mysterious face mask and cowboy-esque design, complete with a long flowing cape, cowboy hat, and even spurs on his ornate boots.
9) Gang Orca
While My Hero Academia has many heroes and villains with interesting mutant-type quirks and unique designs, few stand out as much as Gang Orca, otherwise known as Kugo Sakamata. Like his hero name implies, Gang Orca’s quirk Orcinus causes him to take on the appearance of a killer whale, though it’s clear from even a single glimpse that Gang Orca owns his quirk and his appearance. In fact, nobody quite pulls off a suit better than Gang Orca in My Hero Academia.
8) Kamui Woods
One of the most underrated pro-hero designs in My Hero Academia would have to be Kamui Woods, who, despite making his first appearance as early as Chapter 2, has flown under the radar for most of the series. To make matters worse, My Hero Academia’s anime hardly does Kamui Woods justice, with his appearance in the manga’s epilogue being an excellent example of just how cool his design truly is.
7) Edgeshot
As far as anime character designs go, its impossible to ever go wrong with characters modelled after ninja, and My Hero Academia’s Edgeshot is a testament to this statement. Despite only being introduced well into the series, Shinya Kamihara, also known as the Ninja Hero Edgeshot, has quickly gained fans of his own thanks to his eye-catching design, and this number has only grown with Edgeshot’s sacrifice for Bakugo in the Final War.
6) Hawks
As much as he is a ladies’ man in My Hero Academia, Hawks is also one of the most popular pro-heroes among fans of the series, and a huge reason for this is his exceptional design. From his gloriously spiky hair to his charming goatee and signature inner corner eyeliner, Hawks is arguably the most handsome pro-hero in My Hero Academia, and in terms of charisma and style, he could even give Jujutsu Kaisen’s Gojo Satoru a run for his money, which is a funny coincidence as the two anime hunks are both voiced by Yuichi Nakamura.
5) Mirko
There’s something to be said about how Kohei Horikoshi portrays female heroes in the series, because while most shonen manga are focused either on fan service or making sure their female leads conform to body and beauty norms, My Hero Academia isn’t afraid to give its women muscle. Now, while characters such as Mt. Lady and Midnight are the picture of seductiveness and fan service, one can’t help but appreciate the diversity that Mirko brings in, not just in terms of racial representation but also in terms of her design. Mirko blends the stereotypical cute bunny girl with what can only be described as big “muscle mommy” energy, and the fans honestly could not love it more.
4) Best Jeanist
Despite the series having about 278 named characters, no other character in My Hero Academia is capable of making a stronger fashion statement than Best Jeanist. Amidst the real-life Y2K craze, Best Jeanist has been going all in on denim since his very introduction, making him quite the fashion pioneer. Jokes aside, however, Best Jeanist’s design in the epilogue in particular might just be his best in the entire series, with Horikoshi almost portraying him as a supermodel.
3) Endeavor
Although fire-powered heroes such as the Fantastic Four’s Human Torch and the X-Men’s Sunfire have all been done before, My Hero Academia’s Flame Hero Endeavor does somehow manage to stand out. While fans are still divided on whether Endeavor’s character deserves to be redeemed and forgiven, his design has certainly made him quite a fan favorite. Though simple, his flaming eyes and hero suit are quite memorable, and perfectly lend to his intimidating, domineering image.
2) Monoma
While fans technically do not see Class 1-B’s Monoma become a pro-hero in My Hero Academia’s anime just yet, his design in the manga’s epilogue chapter is simply far too cool to leave out. As a pro hero, Monoma, also known as the Phantom Thief, sports long, slicked-down hair parted in the middle with earrings consisting of watch faces. Quirky as it may sound, Monoma pulls it off exceptionally well, and you could go far enough as to say he gets the best post-time-skip glow-up out of any of the U.A. students in the epilogue.
1) Armored All Might
Other than the physical aging, All Might’s design stays fairly consistent throughout My Hero Academia. While his usual pro-hero getup is iconic both within the fictional confines of the series as well as outside of it, design-wise, it arguably isn’t all that impressive. However, it is for that very reason that Armored All Might leaves such a strong impression. Effectively turning All Might from My Hero Academia’s own Superman to Batman, the mechanical suit not only makes All Might look cooler than ever but also helps bring him back into the action for one last, epic bout against All For One, despite being quirkless.
Season 8 of My Hero Academia releases on October 4th, 2025, and can be streamed on Crunchyroll!
Which pro-hero design from My Hero Academia is your favorite? Tell us down in the comments below!
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