my hero academia

SUMMARY

  • Kohei Horikoshi admitted that while creating new characters for My Hero Academia, he focuses on whether they are cool or not.
  • Next, he puts the personalities of the characters first, and normally enjoys illustrating female characters more.
  • The author was also pleasantly surprised at the unexpected popularity of Bakugo.

My Hero Academia is one of the current reigning series in the Shonen world, despite its manga having ended. And, of course, the credit goes to Kohei Horikoshi, the mangaka behind the work. From action, tragedy, and a tug-of-war between good and evil to awesome characters, the series has it all.

Studio BonesDabi is one of the most intriguing characters in My Hero Academia | Credits: Studio Bones

One of the reasons behind the anime’s popularity is its characters. The designs are stellar, and each of them has a different purpose to serve in the anime. So, how exactly does Kohei Horikoshi come up with them?

Kohei Horikoshi’s simple formula to create My Hero Academia characters

Studio BonesDeku in My Hero Academia | Credits: Studio Bones

Kohei Horikoshi was interviewed by Anime News Network during the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con. From his humble beginnings to his primary inspirations, the mangaka laid bare. But the most pressing question of them all was about his character creation process for My Hero Academia. Horikoshi’s simple answer was:

At the end of the day, the characters are the most important. Are they cool? Do they do cool things? I think that’s the core of these characters.

-Kohei Horikoshi

My Hero Academia undoubtedly has some of the coolest characters. There are characters who have grown out of their bullying behaviors, some who struggle with loneliness and other psychological fears, and others who can do anything to prove themselves. The anime has villains with whom you will empathize and heroes who you can freely despise.

But at the end of the day, what matters is whether readers can find the characters ‘cool.‘ A large part of viewer retention lies in character development and creation, and Kohei Horikoshi has clearly excelled in it. At the end of the day, his simple yet effective method works.

How does Kohei Horikoshi create a rich world with interesting characters?

Studio BonesBakugo is unexpectedly popular despite his past in My Hero Academia | Credits: Studio Bones

In the interview, Kohei Horikoshi admitted that, at times he has already thought of how characters would be. But sometimes, things just come to him while he is drawing. The key lies in imagining how a character might react to a given situation. (Of course, without changing their characteristics.)

I have these light bulb moments – I don’t spend hours and hours thinking about it. I just get inspired. So for example I’ll be at the convenience store, and I’ll see a roll of clear tape and I’ll think “hmm, maybe there’s a face in here somewhere”.

-Kohei Horikoshi

The author also admitted that while creating characters, he thinks about their personalities first. While he does enjoy illustrating female characters more, he tries to put the personalities in the foreground. The author also expressed that he was surprised at how readers reacted to Bakugo.

He had assumed everyone would hate Bakugo, but it has been the complete opposite. In the character polls and questionnaires, Bakugo frequently comes in the top position. Bakugo had been a bully to Dekugo at first, and Horikoshi ended up giving them a big fight early on. But it was through and after that fight that Bakugo’s humanity became visible.

My Hero Academia manga is available to read on Viz Media, and the anime is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Kohei HorikoshiMy Hero Academia

Written by Aaheli Pradhan

Articles Published: 770

Aaheli is an anime content writer at FandomeWire. With four years of experience under her belt, she is a living, breathing encyclopedia for anime and manga. She believes in living a slow life, surrounded by incomplete art projects and her beloved cat.