My Hero Academia: Top 5 canon villains we've seen so far (Spoilers)

Centered around a superpowered society, My Hero Academia has its fair share of villains but not all are equal.

Certainly, there are those who just wear the title better than others. While Gentle Criminal was a great antagonist, he wasn’t necessarily a malicious villain. Here are the top five canon villains in My Hero Academia (so far).

Note: This post will cover manga arcs and have anime spoilers for My Hero Academia Season 6.

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My Hero Academia: Top 5 canon villains (so far)

5) Dabi (Toya Todoroki)

Dabi as seen in the manga, teasing Endeavor and Shoto after revealing himself to them as Toya Todoroki. (Image via Shueisha Shonen Jump and ifunny.co)

Real name Toya Todoroki, Dabi is the former son of hero Endeavor. He morphed into a villain as a result of his father's abusive ways. While fans have seen Endeavor change his ways, Dabi being Toya is so important to the story.

Dabi is a true villain in so many ways. The Paranormal Liberation War arc saw him reveal himself in a way so damaging to both the Todorokis and hero society at large. All the while, Dabi is smiling and exclaiming how much fun this is to him. In a literal and interpretive sense, he is definitely deserving of a top five villains spot.

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4) Tomura Shigaraki (Tenko Shimura)

Tomura Shigaraki as seen in My Hero Academia Season 5. (Image via Bones Studio)

Real name Tenko Shimura, Tomura is the first major villain we’re introduced to in My Hero Academia. However, he doesn’t feel like a top 5 villain initially. That’s not to say he wasn’t engaging, but fans at large seemed more interested in Dabi than Tomura.

In fact, he really isn’t top five villain material until the events of the Meta Liberation Army and Paranormal Liberation War arcs.

However, after the two aforementioned arcs, Tomura is easily a top villain in the series. His backstory, combined with his penchant for destruction and awakening of his quirk, makes for one of the best arcs in recent animanga history.

Once the anime fully finishes his story as seen in these arcs, Tomura will easily and universally be agreed upon as a top tier villain.

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3) Overhaul (Kai Chisaki)

Overhaul as seen in the My Hero Academia anime. (Image via Bones Studio)

Real name Kai Chisaki, Overhaul proved to be one of the most complex and interesting villains in the series yet. Chisaki wished to bring a resurgence to organized crime everywhere in Japan, part of which involved the manufacture of quirk-stealing bullets.

What makes Chisaki truly villainous in the eyes of the audience is his treatment of Eri, a young girl. The criminal exploited her quirk to fuel his visions of a heroless society regardless of how much it hurt her.

A truly inexcusable act which condemns Chisaki in the eyes of fans everywhere.

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2) Stain (Chizome Akaguro)

Hero Killer Stain as seen in Season 2 of the My Hero Academia anime. (Image via Bones Studio)

Speaking of embracing the dark side, Hero Killer Stain is another great example of what comes as a result of embracing nefarious ideologies. Real name Chizome Akaguro, Stain also redefined what it meant to be a hero in the eyes of fans.

He may not be incredibly villainous or cruel, but he's still praised by fans. His regard for Midoriya and subsequent claim that All Might is the only real hero reaffirms viewers' belief in the narrative.

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1) All for One (Shigaraki)

All for One seen here taunting All Might during their final fight, as seen in Season 3 of the My Hero Academia anime. (Image via Bones Studio)

The number one villain in all of My Hero Academia, however, must be All for One. This nefarious villain created and has battled the One for All quirk and its inheritors during and preceding My Hero Academia’s events.

His ruthlessness in battling his brother's will and its inheritors is what truly sets him apart from every other villain on this list. Authorizing the creation of the Nomu, All for One has ruined dozens of people by turning them into houses for multiple quirks.

After this, Nomu are canonically said to have lost all sense of the self.

We even see All for One sadistically taking over Tomura’s body during My Hero Academia’s Tartarus Escapees arc. Truly, All for One has been and will continue to be shown as the top villain in My Hero Academia.

Fitting the bill in any and all senses, no one is better suited for the top spot than the final boss himself.

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Final thoughts

My Hero Academia has a host of villainous counterparts to its heroes, and while all are great in their own way, some are clearly better than others.

Being a top villain in My Hero Academia is about more than being a no-good criminal or crook. The evil actions one undertakes must also be significant in the grand scheme of things.