One of the best parts of watching the My Hero Academia anime is being introduced to the large variety of unique and exciting villains. The series' heroes are faced with antagonists of many different types, with all kinds of disturbing motives and powerful quirks. Some My Hero Academia villains are only in the show for an episode or two, while others cause chaos throughout the entire series.
The franchise is fantastic at setting the tone for how each antagonist will affect the hero society through their initial debuts. The best My Hero Academia villain introductions vary in their jaw-dropping chill factor, with some bad guys easily triumphing over others.
Updated on February 26, 2023, by Levana Chester-Londt: Some faces may have popped up briefly in the past; however, these MHA villains' true identities and powers don't get revealed until later on with an official, dramatic debut. From new villain names to unforeseen powers and upgrades, the Boku No Hero Villains certainly know how to keep viewers coming back for more in anticipation of what could change next. My Hero Academia has become renowned for portraying sympathetic criminals whose origin stories tug at the heartstrings, making the BNHA Villains some of the most beloved baddies around.
15 The Greatest Showmen: Gentle Criminal and La Brava
For a rather random sub-plot, Gentle Criminal and La Brava certainly turn heads with their splashy antics and sensational content creation (which was more focused on gaining attention than participating in authentic, villainous activities). However, their attempt to attend the U.A. School Festival had more disastrous consequences than the pair anticipated, and poor Eri's hopes and dreams are at stake.
With La Brava behind the scenes and Gentle Criminal as the face of the operations, the pair are first seen conducting petty robberies before enjoying a refreshing cup of tea with the utmost class. The comical absurdity of these two is a well-deserved break after the intensity of Overhaul's assault, even if their moment in the spotlight ends in tears.
14 The Deadly Duo: Himiko Toga and Dabi
These two troublemakers were recruited to the League of Villains at the same time, making their character introductions at the same time in the manga and anime. Shigaraki is immediately turned off by the pair, referring to them as a mean guy and a crazy schoolgirl. Their intros show off how strange and dangerous they can be, with Dabi being calculated and unafraid of the villain group and Toga being unnaturally blood-thirsty and desperate to kill. Their introductions are much tamer than some of the other villains in the group.
Dabi certainly raised the stakes significantly when he shared his story with the world during the Paranormal Liberation War, shocking villains, Hereos, civilians, and viewers alike with his origin story. It turns out that this blue-flamed tyrant is in fact Toya Todoroki, Endeavor's long-lost, believed to be his deceased, firstborn son. Toya's grand debut ultimately becomes the catalyst for the fall of Hero Society, breaking the civilians' faith in their once-beloved Hereos.
13 Twice As Nice
Twice makes his first appearance alongside several other miscreants during U.A's Training Camp out in the woods. As the League of Villains are ambushing the students, Dabi is encountered by Eraser Head. The two battle for a quick moment before Eraserhead is able to tackle Dabi to the ground, resulting in Dabi dissolving into nothing. He was a clone all along!
The creator of the clone is revealed to be Twice, a new addition to the League. He is instantly identified as a quirky and comical character with a lot of charm and a very handy quirk. The Dabi clone plot twist was a great way to introduce Twice and his Quirk.
12 The "Good" Doctor: Kyudai Garaki
Garaki is the evil doctor and right-hand man to All for One. Though he speaks with Tomura Shigaraki through a radio transmission during the League's multiple schemes, he is formally introduced much later in the series. This creepy scientist experiments on human beings and creates Nomu for violent purposes. The scariest part of his introduction is that viewers have seen Garaki from the very first episode of the entire series, for he is the doctor that diagnosed Deku as being quirkless. Fans theorize that Deku actually had a quirk and Garaki helped All for One steal it when he was only 4. Whether this is true or not, it's still horrifying to think such an evil man was working as a doctor for children!
Garaki's final mask falls off when Team Endeavor discovers that the "respectable" doctor is actually Daruma Ujiko in disguise, the mastermind behind the Quirk Singularity Doomsday theory, who was presumed to have died more than a century ago. Garaki's Quirklessness was also a facade, as All For One has gifted him with an extended lifespan thanks to the Life Force Quirk.
11 Muscular (Jailbreaker)
Out of all the carnage during Season 3's Forest Training Camp Arc, Muscular manages to stand out from the crowd by targeting the littlest "Hero," the orphaned Kota Izumi. Their difference in size is only amplified once the bully's Muscle Augmentation Quirk is activated, bulking him up to unbelievable size by essentially stacking up layers of muscle fibers.
Just moments before the League of Villains descended on the students, Dabi (of all deplorable, bloodthirsty people) had to tell the masked Muscular to calm down as his excitement for battle was starting to get out of hand. Muscular's desire to fight is his top priority, which he ensures to remind everyone after re-emerging from the woodworks under the new villain name, Jailbreaker.
10 The Ice King: Geten
This Meta Liberation Army member makes his presence known by fighting fire with ice after being tasked to take Dabi out of commission. While the League of Villains wreaks havoc on Deika City, Geten blocks Dabi's path of destruction with two colossal icy fists of fury just as the scarred scoundrel is about to get in on the action alongside the League.
Not many people can face Dabi's intense blue flames and live to tell the tale; however, Geten seems quite unfazed, even though he appears to be at a great elemental disadvantage. Without breaking stride, Geten proceeds to bombard Dabi with icicles of all shapes and sizes, including an iconic frosty dragon, and even spares a moment to blast a whole hoard of Twice clones to smithereens.
9 The Great Gigantomachia
Technically speaking, Gigantomachia's initial debut occurs during a flashback focusing on Mina Ashido and Eijiro Kirishima's backstories as a cloaked figure who scares the daylights out of civilians with his mere presence. He later shows his face to Kurogiri, who was being followed by Gran Torino and Detective Naomasa, prompting Gigantomachia to take out the Pro-Hero and a whole task force with one fell swoop and seemingly no effort.
Shigaraki eventually tracks the secret weapon down; however, the League of Villains only scratch the surface regarding Gingantomachia's awesomeness when they are pitted against him in a brutal training exercise following All For One's defeat. Gigantomachia only shows his true strength once the Paranormal Liberation War begins and he singlehandedly destroys multiple cities and causes countless casualties, making light work of an entire team of Pro-Heroes and students without breaking a sweat.
8 The Hero Killer: Stain
The terrifying Hero Killer, Stain, is first introduced after defeating Iida's brother, Ingenium. The murderer stands atop a tall building, looking over Hosu City with a disgust for heroes. Seeing Iida's pain and grief after seeing his brother near dead following his encounter with Stain makes this villain's introduction truly bone-chilling.
Hero Killer Stain is simply an evil man who wants to kill as many heroes as he can, based on his own sense of "worthiness," making him a villain that stands out from the rest of the ones in My Hero Academia while amassing a substantial following in the process.
7 The Yakuza Boss: Overhaul
The main villain of Season 4 is Kai Chisaki (Overhaul). He is the leader of the Shie Hassaikai and wants the League of Villains to join him in his plan to bring chaos and take over the prevailing hero society.
His very first encounter with the League quickly leads to the death of one of the members, Magne, who lashes out and attacks him. Overhaul simply touched her, and she evaporated into air. His power debuted in such a horrifying and violent way, fully conveying that Overhaul was about to be the next big bad villain in the series.
6 The Prodigy: Tomura Shigaraki
Being the main antagonist of the entire series, Tomua Shigaraki's introduction was unsuspecting, thrilling, and a huge surprise for the UA students and viewers alike. When Class 1-A and pro-heroes Thirteen and Eraserhead enter the USJ, they are ambushed by the League of Villains, Shigaraki being their leader.
As he is being fought off by the teachers, he reveals his disturbing quirk, Decay. With only the touch of a hand, Shigaraki can decay a person or thing into dust. He shows off his unbridled rage, blood lust, and childlike anger towards All Might and the hero society during his MHA debut.