This list contains spoilers for the My Hero Academia anime

Almost every kid in the world of My Hero Academia hopes to one day become a professional hero. However, as Deku comes to realize along his long and arduous journey, it takes more than a powerful Quirk and physical strength to truly be called a guardian of society, as it also requires a person to assume the hefty responsibilities that come with the position. As a result, many people will grow and mature as they rise through the hero ranks, and the same can be said for most villains, who will start to see the world in a much different way once they begin committing their heinous crimes.

With that being said though, there are some individuals who have been seen throughout My Hero Academia who, for one reason or another, are still kids at heart. Whether this is because they simply refuse to let go of their immaturity, or due to a tragic event that prevented them from growing older, there are many characters that never got the opportunity to mature, even though they may look much older when they appear in the main story, and it’s these heroes and villains that this list will be taking a closer look at today.

6

Dabi

Dabi’s Troubled Childhood Has Haunted Him All His Life

• First Appearance: Episode 31
• Quirk: Blueflame

The reason why Dabi would end up traveling down the dark path of villainy is because he was neglected by his father, Endeavor, when he was still a child. Endeavor had hoped to create a child who would be able to utilize the Fire and Ice Quirks inherited from him and his wife, but it soon became clear to him that Toya was having trouble balancing the two, with his unique Blueflames causing harm to his body anytime he used them.

As a result, Endeavor would start to neglect his own son while paying a lot more attention to his other kids to try and mold them into his perfect proteges. After a horrific incident where Toya nearly burned off all his skin in a desperate attempt to get his father’s attention, he decided to become a villain whose only goal in life was to get revenge on the man who caused him so much harm as a child. Clearly, there’s been no time for Dabi to enjoy his life as an adult, as the trauma experienced in his childhood has been guiding his path ever since he became a villain.

5

Mineta

If Any Class 1-A Student Has Some Growing Up To Do, It’s Mineta

• First Appearance: Episode 5
• Quirk: Pop Off

It’s honestly pretty baffling that Mineta even managed to enroll at UA Academy at all, considering he doesn’t exactly possess the characteristics that most heroes would need to be seen as inspirational and heroic figures of society. Rather than being a brave and courageous student, Mineta is a giant coward who would prefer to run away from a villain rather than take them on in a fight. While his Pop Off Quirk has proven useful on a few occasions, Mineta’s timid nature simply makes him more of a liability in combat than a reliable asset.

He’s also known for being a huge pervert, which irritates not only the female students of Class 1-A, but also the men too, who are always forced to put him in his place. Clearly, Mineta has a ton of growing up to do, though whether fans will ever be able to see a mature version of this character in the future, only time will tell.

4

Overhaul

The Sadistic Mafia Member Never Grew Out Of His Immature Ideology

• First Appearance: Episode 62
• Quirk: Overhaul

Overhaul may try to present himself as a wicked smart villain who understands the world on a deeper level than everyone around him, but the truth is, he is simply clinging to an immature ideology which he first learned about his child. While he was at the orphanage, Overhaul decided to pick up a book that discussed an old theory of how Quirks are actually a virus, and though there was no evidence to prove this, the young boy decided to run with the idea anyway. This is why the maniacal villain walks around with a giant plague doctor mask stretching out from his face, as he simply refuses to breathe the same air as those who are affected by what he calls ‘hero syndrome’.

Unfortunately, though, Overhaul was able to amass a powerful army behind him due to the overwhelming strength that would be granted to him by his devastating Quirk ability. Therefore, even though his worldview is something that a child could easily come up with, it encouraged him to deal a staggering amount of pain and suffering to others just for his own selfish gain.

3

Mirko

The Spunky Mirko Refuses To Be A Grumpy Old Pro-Hero

• First Appearance: Episode 82
• Quirk: Rabbit

By the time that most heroes reach the status of professional, they will begin to settle down and become a lot more mature and responsible in order to make a good impression on onlookers, but Mirko is the exception. Anytime she appears on-screen, Mirko can always be seen charging into battle, no matter how dangerous her opponents might be. As was made evident in the Vigilantes spin-off series, which shows her at a younger age, Mirko has always had this childlike enthusiasm for fighting that helped her become such a notorious hero.

Sometimes, though, this enthusiasm can end up getting Mirko into trouble, such as when she ended up losing some of her limbs in the final war due to getting carried away by her emotions. With that being said, it still must be a lot of fun for the other Pro Heroes to have someone who is a lot more immature and energetic to keep spirits high anytime a situation looks a little dire.

2

Kurogiri

Kurogiri, Or Oboro, Never Had The Chance To Grow Up With His Friends

• First Appearance: Episode 107
• Quirk: Warp Gate (Previously Cloud)

While most of the characters on this list have struggled to mature in a psychological sense, Kurogiri is slightly different. This villain was actually once Oboro, a young boy who was close friends with Aizawa and Present Mic, when the three were still in school learning to be heroes. Though Oboro had a very bright future ahead of him, he unfortunately lost his life after being buried under a mountain of rubble during a mission, or at least, that’s what Aizawa was led to believe.

After the incident, Oboro was taken by All For One and forcibly turned into a Nomu known as Kurogiri, who would act as a personal butler to Shigaraki. As a result, Oboro never had the chance to grow up and enjoy life with his best friends, and instead, was turned into a war machine whose sole purpose was to serve the League of Villains. While the young man might still exist somewhere beneath the shadowy surface, it’s a shame that he was never able to become a fully-fledged hero alongside his brotherly friends.

1

Shigaraki

The Events On That Tragic Day Are At The Core Of Shigaraki’s Character

• First Appearance: Episode 5
• Quirk: Decay / All For One

Almost every villain in My Hero Academia has a specific reason why they end up turning into a villain, but Shigaraki’s might just be the most dark and twisted of them all. Because Shigaraki’s father was abandoned by his mother at a young age due to her not wanting him to become a target of All For One, the violent man would abuse his own son anytime he expressed an interest in becoming a hero. This tormented a young Shigaraki for many years until suddenly, out of nowhere, he awakened his Decay Quirk, leading him to accidentally kill his entire family without even realizing what was happening.

During the Final War, Shigaraki admits that his ultimate goal is to destroy everything and everyone in sight due to the horrific events he faced as a child. While he may therefore be much more powerful than he was when he was still a kid, Shigaraki’s mindset has remained pretty much the same ever since that fateful day, and once Deku realizes this, he understands that the only way to save Shigaraki, if that’s even possible, is to help him overcome the pain that has haunted him for so many years.