As peppy and upbeat as My Hero Academia is compared to other popular shonen series, it pulls no punches when it comes to character backstories. The world in the series is imperfect and heroes and villains alike have suffered. Many of the characters had horrifically difficult childhoods, suffering abuse, neglect, and judgment from society for their Quirks.

Learning about characters' backstories can give fans better insight into their motivations and what led them to choose to become a hero or a villain. Some My Hero Academia characters had happy and inspiring beginnings, but others were sadly not so fortunate. Whether good or bad, the series has some of the best written, most detailed, and emotionally moving backstories ever seen in anime.

10 Izuku Midoriya Was Born Quirkless With No Chance of Becoming a Pro Hero

Had It Not Been for All Might’s Gracious Gift, Deku May Never Have Achieved His Dream

Deku became a phenomenal hero, but his childhood was full of obstacles. He was born Quirkless, so his chances of ever attending his dream school, U.A. High School, and becoming like his idol, All Might, seemed slim to none. Izuku would watch videos of All Might for hours, tearfully asking his mother if he would ever be able to be like the man he looked up to, despite his lack of a Quirk.

Izuku faced relentless bullying from Bakugo, a fellow classmate, who insulted him endlessly. A miracle came when All Might ed down his One For All Quirk to Deku, but without this blessing, he may never have become a great hero. His sorrowful circumstances turned around, but his youth was definitely an emotional struggle.

9 Spinner Was a Societal Outcast for His Reptile-Like Looks

He ed the League of Villains in Hopes of Being Accepted and Improving the World for People Like Him

Shuichi Iguchi, nicknamed Spinner, is a member of the League of Villains with a devastating backstory. He was bullied persistently for his physical appearance, which resembles that of a lizard, and thus, never made many friends. When he stumbled upon the League of Villains, he felt he had finally found a group who could see past his reptilian looks.

Spinner is indeed evil, but in his own twisted way, he wanted to improve the world. Spinner idolized the Hero Killer Stain and fought tirelessly along with the League of Villains because he thought he could make the world better. Although his ways were misguided, and he was actually doing more harm than good, his life as an outcast played a part in driving him to the corrupt organization.

8 Kota Izumi Lost Both Parents in a Tragic Villain Incident

He Hated Heroes for Years, but Changed His Outlook After Deku Saved Him From the Same Villain

Kota Izumi made it clear to Deku that he despised heroes when he first met him, for an upsetting reason. His parents were very successful Pro Heroes, working as a duo called Water Hose, but they both died trying to take down Muscular, the same villain who later attacked Deku and Kota. As a coping mechanism, Kota began hating all heroes because he blamed the profession for taking his parents from him.

Kota came around once he was saved from Muscular by Deku, changing his opinion entirely. He realized the true importance of fearless heroes who are willing to risk their lives to save others. Although what happened to his parents was a tragedy, Kota shifted his perspective on heroes from hatred to appreciation and respect.

7 Toga Himiko Was Forced To Repress Her Quirk for Years, Causing Her to Snap

She ed the League Hoping To Build the World Stain Envisioned, Which Did Not Pan Out the Way She Had Planned

Toga Himiko used her powerful Transformation blood Quirk for evil alongside the League of Villains. The reason she ed the League was because she felt pushed away and judged by society for her love of blood that was related to her Quirk. Everyone around her, especially her parents, pressured her to "act normal", but Toga was unable to behave like others.

She eventually stopped trying to repress her thirst for blood and fully allowed her cravings to take control. At that point, the League of Villains was the only place in society that would welcome her, so she fell right into their manipulative hands. Tragically, Toga, like many other of the League, genuinely felt she was making the world more accepting and easier to survive in for those considered societal rejects, which led her to be taken advantage of by the villain organization.

6 Twice Suffers a Constant Identity Crisis, Unsure if He Is a Clone or Not

His Quirk, Double, Is Useful in Some Ways, but Also Ruined His Life by Leaving Him With Perpetual Doubt

Twice, also known as Jin Bubaigawara, struggles with Dissociative Identity Disorder that stems from his Quirk. His Quirk, Double, allows him to duplicate himself and create clones, which was useful and cool for a brief time. However, his clones turned against one another and began fighting to the death.

Even after only one Twice was left standing, the damage was already done. He was left perpetually unsure of himself and doubting whether he was the real version or simply a clone. This uncertainty and suspicion weighed heavily on Jin, causing him to live his entire life at odds with himself.

5 Hawks Had an Abusive Father and a Childhood of Isolation

The Pro Hero, Endeavor, Arrested His Father and Gave Hawks a Second Chance

Keigo Takami, more commonly known by his hero name, Hawks, had a troubled upbringing. Hawks' father, Takami, was a villain on the run from the authorities. His father never wanted a child, so he treated Hawks horribly throughout his childhood. Keigo was also never permitted to go outside, since his father was a wanted criminal.

Hawks lived a miserable, lonely existence for much of his life, until the Pro Hero, Endeavor, arrested his father. He had always ired heroes from afar, but as he grew up, Hawks became a talented Pro Hero himself. His story is devastating, but inspiring, as he worked hard to overcome his circumstances and prevent others from suffering the way he had.

4 Eri’s Parents Abandoned Her, Leading Her To Be Abused by the Shie Hassaikai Organization

Overhaul Exploited Her Quirk Ability, Rewind, for His Own Twisted Scheme

Eri's Quirk, Rewind, was highly sought after since it was capable of erasing people's Quirks. Unfortunately, the prized ability was exploited by the villain organization, Shie Hassaikai. Overhaul, the organization's leader, harnessed Eri's ability for his own use by creating bullets out of her body. To make matters worse, Eri's own parents abandoned her.

When Eri's Quirk malfunctioned and killed her own father, her mother disowned her. Left orphaned, Eri's grandmother, a Yakuza boss, adopted her and allowed the Shie Hassaikai and Overhaul to use her Quirk as they pleased. The heroes eventually saved Eri and introduced her to a normal life at U.A., but the after effects of the trauma she faced were not easily shaken.

3 Todoroki’s Father, Endeavor, Abused Him and the Rest of the Family Severely

Endeavor Caused Rei, His Mother, To Break Down, After Which She Scarred Todoroki’s Face Permanently

Shoto Todoroki was the victim of one of the cruelest fathers in anime. Endeavor abused not just Shoto, but his other siblings and his mother, Rei. The horrific mistreatment took such a toll on Rei that she snapped one day, flinging boiling hot water onto the left side of Todoroki's face and leaving him permanently scarred.

The reason Rei burned Todoroki's face was because his fire side reminded her of Endeavor, her abusive husband. Shoto grew to hate his left side and swore to never utilize it in battles. Eventually, he did embrace that powerful side of his Quirk and begin using it, but he never forgave Endeavor for his reprehensible acts.

2 Dabi Was Nearly Killed by His Own Quirk, Blueflame

His Father, Endeavor’s, Abuse Did Not Just Affect His Siblings and Mother, It Hurt Him Severely as Well

Toya Todoroki, also referred to as Dabi, was another unfortunate victim of the Pro Hero, Endeavor. While Endeavor treated everyone in the family horribly, he completely neglected Toya, spending all of his time on training Shoto. Dabi's Quirk, Blueflame, is incredible, but still was never enough to impress Endeavor.

Dabi's anguish at being ignored by Endeavor reached a breaking point one day, and he accidentally almost burnt himself to death with Blueflame. Though he survived, he was left permanently disfigured, explaining his stapled and scarred appearance. Filled with rage, he sympathized with the Hero Killer Stain's views on society, so he ed the League, cementing his status as a villain.

1 Tomura Shigaraki Accidentally Killed His Entire Family With His Quirk

After Tomura Lost His Family, All for One, the Wicked Villain, Took Him in and Manipulated Him

Among all the My Hero Academia backstories, Tomura Shigaraki's is the most devastating. His Quirk, Decay, activated uncontrollably and caused him to accidentally kill his entire family when he was only a child. The horrors did not end there; All For One, the terrifying villain, took in the orphaned child, then named Tenko Shimura.

All For One manipulated Shigaraki into doing his bidding and becoming his wicked successor. No one was there to save Shigaraki other than All For One, so he vehemently hated heroes his entire life for abandoning him when he needed them most. Although he is a villain who caused significant harm to others, Tomura's own story is filled with trauma and sorrow too.