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3 Ways My Hero Academia’s Koichi Is a Better Main Character Than Deku (& The 1 Way He’s Not)
Izuku Midoriya is the face of My Hero Academia, but with the Shonen anime coming to a close in 2025, that could change. While Deku will always be at the helm of the franchise, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes‘ Koichi will take up the mantle going forward. After all, the spinoff series will be keep Kohei Horikoshi’s world on-screen after My Hero Academia‘s special episode airs in May. And despite the new show’s smaller scope and stakes, it’s a worthy follow-up to the original.
Koichi is a great character to inherit the franchise, too; in some ways, he’s an even better lead than Deku. That’s likely to be a controversial statement, especially after eight seasons of My Hero Academia spent following Deku on his journey to become number one. Yet Koichi has things going for him that Deku doesn’t. His dreams of becoming a hero unfold differently, and that sets him apart in fresh and interesting ways. Although Koichi is unlikely to surpass Deku in one area, he’s a better main character in several others.
4) Koichi Is Better: He’s More Relatable Than Deku
Deku’s desire to chase big dreams will resonate with most people, but that’s where his relatability ends. From the beginning, My Hero Academia‘s lead is almost too perfect. He’s willing to overlook bad behavior in favor of empathy, he’s incredibly clever, and he always strives to do the right thing. These are all great qualities, and they make Deku more likable — but they also feel less believable, as most of us are far more flawed. And as Deku levels up and becomes a proper hero, he becomes increasingly harder to connect with. Watching him grow is satisfying, but most of us will never go on a journey quite as monumental.
By contrast, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes‘ lead feels all too realistic. Anyone who has been a young adult will relate to some part of Koichi’s story — whether it’s finding new ways to go after unlikely dreams or navigating normal challenges like romance, roommates, and college. Koichi is average, he knows it, and he works around it, which gives him more in common with the vast majority of people watching. It’s part of his charm, and it makes his spinoff feel down to Earth in a way that My Hero Academia simply doesn’t.
3) Koichi Is Better: He Fits the Superhero Genre’s Underdog Stereotype More
Because Koichi remains an underdog throughout Vigilantes — whereas Deku sheds that persona over time — he actually feels more suited to helm a superhero story. (Well, at least the kind that both anime are so clearly going for.) Both Koichi and Deku are compared to Spider-Man often, and it’s obvious that My Hero Academia and its spinoff draw inspiration from franchises like Marvel and DC. Those looking for tales of underdogs and unlikely heroes will find one in Deku’s story, at least to some extent. But Koichi being a neighborhood hero who helps people on a smaller scale allows him to fit the Spider-Man or Nightwing archetype even better.
2) Koichi Is Better: He’s More Resourceful
Since Koichi operates outside of the law, he’s forced to be more resourceful than Deku — and that makes his missions and fights more interesting. At the beginning of My Hero Academia, Deku must work around the limitations of his Quirk and use analysis to defeat his opponents. Unfortunately, over time, he begins to solve problems with kicks and punches rather than by being resourceful. Koichi’s Quirk may evolve during Vigilantes, but it doesn’t do what All for One can. And even if it did, he’d still have to avoid being caught playing the hero without a license or education. Koichi must work harder and think outside the box, and this makes it more satisfying to see what he accomplishes.
1) Deku Is Better: He’s an Inspiration, On-Screen and Off
Although Koichi is a better main character than Deku in several areas, there’s one thing he can’t compete with: Deku’s ability to inspire others. My Hero Academia‘s lead achieves a seemingly impossible dream — and saves the world doing it — which may not be relatable. However, it’s inspirational, both to the characters around Deku and to witness as a viewer. There’s a reason everyone in Class 1-A looks to Deku as a model. He pushes them to be better with his own behavior, which feels like the very essence of being a hero. This also makes him a magnetic main character we want to root for. It makes up for the fact that it’s harder to relate to him or that he stops being so resourceful in the later outings.
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