My Hero Academia presented an intriguing world full of superheroes and villains. The distinction between them is the way they choose to use their quirks. Kohei Horikoshi has also created plenty of hero friends for Deku, and each 1A student has a personality that stands out from the rest.
So it’s not surprising when the author of one of the Big Three of Shonen anime appreciated Kohei Horikoshi’s characters and even chose an unlikely favorite among them.
Tite Kubo’s Favorite My Hero Academia Character
In an interview between Tite Kubo and Kohei Horikoshi, the author of Bleach commented that he liked Denki Kaminari because of his amusing role in the story. Denki is an extremely powerful character who loves to be goofy when he is off the battlefield. He is also a support pillar of Class 1A, as he helps keep the group together with his silliness.
Horikoshi also admitted that despite carrying a very powerful quirk, he looks pretty weak. Denki often suffers from anxiety and shows a lack of tact, which leads people to underestimate his capabilities as a hero. However, Tite Kubo has no issues with Kaminari’s faults:
That’s part of his charm. Each MHA character has their own distinct strengths, so it’s hard to pick favorites.
Other than Kaminari, Tite Kubo is also fond of Mirio. The mangaka commented that he loved the scene in which Mirio singlehandedly saved Eri.
However, Horikoshi revealed that he felt extremely guilty over the character because of how he had to portray Mirio’s emotional range. It was at this point that Horikoshi promised himself that he would let Mirio deliver a strong impact on readers, and it made him motivated to draw.
Kohei Horikoshi’s Favorite Bleach Character
Horikoshi seemed delighted to finally reveal who he likes best in Bleach, and the answer is Mayuri. Yes, the crazy captain of the 12th Division who perfectly embodies the spirit of a mad scientist.
As it happens, I asked Kubo-sensei to draw Mayuri for me when I got his autograph in the past. I like his first appearance the most, since he gave off a mysterious aura that made you question his humanity.
Horikoshi further explained that he loves the dread that comes from not knowing what he is plotting next. Kubo further verified the point by adding that the ironclad rule of Shonen is that the protagonist always wins. However, with Mayuri, the audience is always kept guessing about the crazy scientist’ next move.
Kubo knew exactly what made Mayuri so famous amongst readers, and he kept developing more and more unique strategies for Mayuri to use. He further explained that he never intended to portray the 12 captains as bad guys but rather showed a difference between their opinions. He tried his best to flesh them out without making them black or white.
You can read both Bleach and My Hero Academia on Viz Media and watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
