The world of My Hero Academia can be roughly divided into heroes, supervillains, and civilians. However, not everything is as black and white as it seems. Some villains were almost forced into their predicament, while plenty of heroes are in the gray area. Kohei Horikoshi has created plenty of characters to go around.
In an interview with Tite Kubo, Horikoshi discussed his character-creation process, and you would be shocked to know how one pivotal character was created for My Hero Academia.
The My Hero Academia Character Who Kohei Horikoshi Created for a Specific Role
While discussing the character-creation process that each mangaka follows, Kohei Horikoshi revealed that he doesn’t, in fact, have a set process. He normally begins by visualizing their appearance or determining which quirk they carry. Gradually, the topic reached a very specific character.
But recently, I created Hawks because I needed someone to fulfill a specific role for the sake of advancing the plot.
Tite Kubo clarified that Horikoshi needed a character who could serve as a double agent, and the My Hero Academia mangaka agreed wholeheartedly. But then the author revealed another shocking fact:
By the way, Hawks’ look still hadn’t been finalized at the storyboarding phase.
Apparently, the design of Hawk was being tweaked while Horikoshi was drafting his debut chapter. This further shows how the introduction of Hawks was completely impromptu. Horikoshi might have realized he needed a double-agent character too late into the plot, thus leading to the swift creation of Hawks.
Kohei Horikoshi Claims to Add More Details into His Artwork to Cover His ‘Blemishes’
As the conversation with Tite Kubo continued, Kohei Horikoshi admitted that he had fallen into a certain bad habit. He always felt the compulsion to make the debut panels of new characters as cool as possible. He also stated that deep down, he is convinced that the trick to making his art cooler is to add more details.
Tite Kubo also admitted that Horikoshi must love cramming in details in his manga. Most of the My Hero Academia characters have a lot of specific characteristics, especially when you consider their suits. Yet, Horikoshi has continued drawing them without ever simplifying the details.
However, the next statement by the author is sure to make you raise an eyebrow:
They help cover up any blemishes so that nothing seems off.
According to the renowned mangaka, the sometimes excessive detailing in his characters helps cover up his blemishes or mistakes. If you are a My Hero Academia fan, you know just how beautiful Horikoshi’s art style is, so it’s disheartening to see the author pointing out his flaws, which are barely there in the first place.
You can read My Hero Academia on VIZ Media and watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
