Summary
- Gothic characters, like Tokoyami, Stain, and Deborah in My Hero Academia, have eerie designs.
- Horikoshi blends gothic inspiration into the appearance and quirks of these characters to create a striking and dark aesthetic.
- Each character's design, attire, and abilities reflect elements common in gothic imagery, contributing to their unique and memorable looks.
Coming up with a brand-new character from scratch can never be easy, but one way that a manga author can make this process easier is by basing them on a certain style or aesthetic. A prime example of this is gothic characters, who tend to be characterized as brooding, moody, and sinister in their design and actions. In terms of their dress sense specifically, these individuals tend to incorporate as much black into their outfits as possible, but this doesn't mean they can't wears any bright or vibrant colors. They just tend to be diluted to create a more eerie overall image.
My Hero Academia: Class 1-A's Hero Suits, Ranked
Class 1-A features many beloved characters from the world of MHA, but which student boasts the best hero attire?
Anyone who's read or watched My Hero Academia will know that author Kohei Horikoshi can get pretty wild and creative with his character designs, so it was inevitable that he would start introducing some gothic characters into his story. As a result, there are a handful of My Hero Academia characters who fit this description. It's time to take a closer look at why these My Hero Academia characters would be regarded as gothic in the first place, and most importantly, who fits the description the most.
Fumikage Tokoyami
A Mysterious Student Who Relies On Darkness To Deal Damage
- First Appearance: Episode 5
- Quirk: Dark Shadow
While most of the students in class 1-A are known for their upbeat and chipper personalities, Tokoyami is a little different. This mysterious aspiring hero can often be seen lingering in the shadows any time he's not in combat, allowing him to remain completely out of sight thanks to his pitch black clothing, which he is always wearing as a way to feed into his Quirk.
Tokoyami holds the power to control a giant, shadowy entity, which is honestly pretty terrifying up close, considering how gigantic it can become after the sun goes down. It seems clear that Horikoshi was going for a very dark, Goth-inspired design scheme when figuring out what this lovable student was going to look like, allowing him to really stand out in his class as a result.
Stain
Stain's Appearance And Quirk Both Evoke Feelings Of Dread
- First Appearance: Episode 29
- Quirk: Bloodcurdle
At first glance, Satin can seem a little more colorful than a lot of the other characters on this list, but his appearance is still clearly designed to strike terror into anyone who lays eyes on him. With that being said, parts of his outfit are still very reminiscent of what would usually be seen in gothic fashion, specifically his glossy black pants and stylish black boots, which he will always brings with him when going on a fresh hero hunt.
Most Iconic Anime Goths
While anime features a lot of cute characters in bright colors, it is also home to many iconic goths who dress in more alternative styles.
Not only that, Stain's Quirk, which allows him to consume the blood of others in order to paralyze them, is also closely related to Dracula, who is a very prominent figure in 19th-century Gothic literature. While Stain himself may not refer to his own style as gothic, it at least seems as though Horikoshi took a few notes from that particular aesthetic when deciding on how Stain was going to look and act in the main story.
Overhaul
Makes His Presence Known With An Incredibly Striking Design
- First Appearance: Episode 62
- Quirk: Overhaul
For most people, the whole point of having a fashion style is to provide a tangible representation of who they truly are beneath the surface, and this most definitely applies to the insidious villain known as Overhaul. What most fans remember about Overhaul's appearance is the giant beak that covers his mouth. As someone who believes that all heroes are plagued with what he calls 'Hero Syndrome,' he can almost always be seen with this mechanical construct attached to his face to protect himself from becoming infected.
Plague doctors are a very common sight in Gothic imagery and references. When paired with his devilish droopy eyes, the mask really does make Overhaul seem like an unnerving and spine-chilling villain when he first shows up in the story alongside Eri. On the other hand, he also has a bright, fluffy coat, which helps to give him a little touch of class, which again falls in line with the Gothic style.
Kurogiri
The League Of Villains' Loyal Butler Is Both Fashionable And Terrifying
- First Appearance: Episode 5
- Quirk: Warp Gate
When it comes to designs, Kurogiri is one of the most creative and bizarre-looking characters in all of My Hero Academia. The most notable aspect of this villain's appearance is the wave of creepy shadows that form his face, with two bright yellow eyes poking through at the very top. However, because he also often decides to dress in snazzy formal attire, it provides a nice contrast that makes Kurogiri look very different from the other villainous members of the League.
If Horikoshi was aiming to make this guy look as scary as possible, he definitely hit the mark. Kurogiri really does present himself like an oddball monster who could have been ripped straight out of a Gothic novel. While he remains absent for a good portion of the story, many fans will still fondly remember Kurogiri for his striking design, which borrows many elements from the Gothic aesthetic.
Dabi
The My Hero Equivalent Of Frankenstein
- First Appearance: Episode 5
- Quirk: Blueflame
My Hero Academia is often seen as an uplifting and inspirational series, but one character who doesn't represent either of these traits is Dabi. Because Dabi's immensely powerful Blueflame Quirk literally scorches his body any time he uses it, it means that he essentially looks like a modern-day Frankenstein, with much of his body being stitched together to give him a gruesome appearance. Despite that, it's also clear that Dabi still has a big interest in fashion, as he is almost always seen rocking a flashy black jacket along with multiple piercings on his face.
Most Iconic Anime Goths
While anime features a lot of cute characters in bright colors, it is also home to many iconic goths who dress in more alternative styles.
Considering Dabi has one of the most tragic backstories of any character in the series, Horikoshi probably wanted to ensure that this fell in line with his appearance, so going with a very sinister and Gothic-style design was definitely the right choice. There are many reasons to love Dabi, but a big one is his menacing appearance, which lingers in the mind long after he's left a scene.
Deborah Gollini
Deborah Would Fit Right In At A Gothic Party Or Fashion Event
- First Appearance: My Hero Academia: You're Next
- Quirk: Day Dream
Deborah Gollini is a character who only appears in the My Hero Academia: You're Next movie, where she plays a pretty significant role in the story as one of the major antagonists. While many characters in the series will incorporate a few gothic ideas here into their design, Deborah takes this to a whole new level, with her black dress and suave giant top hat making it look like she's always on her way to the nearest funeral.
While much of her clothing is therefore covered in black, she does also have a few extra decorations that add at least a little bit of color to the outfit, such as a red rose, which provides just enough of a contrast without looking out of place. Deborah's Quirk, Day Dream, makes her feed into that Gothic inspiration even more. It allows her to hypnotize her targets in much the same way that Dracula can. It's a shame that Deborah doesn't actually appear in the main story of My Hero Academia, as she's a character who directly appeals to anyone who's a fan of anything to do with the world of Gothic fashion.
- Release Date
- 2016 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- TBS, MBS, Nippon TV
- Directors
- Shouji Ikeno, Tsuyoshi Tobita, Ikuro Sato, Takudai Kakuchi, Masashi Abe, Tetsuya Miyanishi, Kazuma Komatsu, Yoshifumi Sasahara, Masayuki Otsuki, Daisuke Tsukushi, Takayuki Yamamoto, Yohei Fukui, Takuro Tsukada, Masatoyo Takada, Naomi Nakayama, Sayaka Morikawa, Takanori Yano
Cast
-
Daiki YamashitaIzuku Midoriya (voice) -
Kaito IshikawaManga Fukidashi (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
- Japanese Title
- Boku no Hero Academia
- Studio
- Bones
- Creator
- Kōhei Horikoshi
- Number of Episodes
- 159
- Streaming Service(s)
- Hulu, Crunchyroll
