Ultimate Guide to MHA's Pro Hero Rankings (2024)

A mysterious phenomenon triggers the manifestation of supernatural abilities called Quirks in increasingly large numbers until society is flooded with superhumans in My Hero Academia. Quirks appear in people from all walks of life, but some are more powerful than others. The unusual abilities give rise to more crime than ever before, but it also creates an opportunity to employ Quirks against corrupt forces to maintain a safe world.

In Japan, an organization called the Hero Public Safety Commission creates a Professional Hero system with standards and regulations designed to safely coordinate strong heroes to help the Police Force resolve crimes. The creation of Hero Academies helps the commission recruit the next generation of hero talent to become licensed Pro Heroes by pairing with Hero Agencies to meet rigorous requirements. Pro Heroes have become a significant element of Japanese culture, and the most influential of them all are the top ten heroes on the nation's Hero Billboard Chart.

How Do Heroes Play a Role in Society?

Heroes Use Quirks to Defend the Public Against Villains

In the world of My Hero Academia, humans with supernatural abilities called Quirks begin to appear a few generations before protagonist Izuku Midoriya's story begins. People are born having special powers with increasing frequency until it becomes more common to be born with a Quirk than without one like Japan's Midoriya. However, the widespread manifestation of Quirks means that superhuman power falls into the hands of both good and evil people over time.

The mere manifestation of a Quirk is not enough to make someone a hero; the commodification of supernatural power leads to the development of organizations like the Hero Public Safety Commission to cultivate, license and regulate Professional Heroes. Quirks have become an inextricable element of culture, and Pro Heroes play an important role in the transformed society to help defend the public against the crimes of dangerous villains.

Only the Best Can Become Professional Heroes

As Quirks become more common, it also becomes more difficult to become a Professional Hero. The world is never in a surplus of heroes, but the heroes Japan does have must be stronger than ever to compete with the increasing strength and volume of criminals. The need to recruit and develop heroes leads to the creation of many different organizations, including academies and agencies, to support the newfound hero-based culture.

The Hero Public Safety Commission is the overarching organization that regulates the hero industry in Japan. The lowest level of hero work begins at Hero Academies, which are designed to train teenage students to become Professional Heroes after passing a rigorous Entrance Exam. Students who pass the Provisional Hero License Exam can pursue internships with Professional Heroes to help fully prepare them for careers as the next generation of the world's courageous heroes.

What is the Pro Hero Ranking System?

Talent, Popularity, and Success Influence the Pro Hero Ranks

In addition to managing the recruitment and development of Professional Heroes, the Hero Public Safety Commission also presides over their official public rankings. The Hero Public Safety Commission acts as a sort of publicity agency by announcing the rankings in a large public gathering known as the Hero Billboard Chart Event. Hundreds of Japan's Professional Heroes are ranked based on three main factors.

A Pro Hero's public approval rating, number of resolved cases, and overall contributions to the nation factor into the Hero Billboard Chart ratings. Heroes market themselves with unique Hero Names and costumes to influence their popularity, but the best way to improve the public approval rating is through successful hero work. The more crimes a hero brings to justice, the higher their success rate becomes, boosting their overall rank. Quantifying a hero's contributions to society reflects a combination of their strength, influence, and their intangible heroic qualities.

Although approval ratings and resolution rates are precise statistics, a hero can be the most popular or successful and still not be the top hero because of the other unique qualities that influence the rankings. For example, although Best Jeanist is the Pro Hero with the highest approval rating following All Might's retirement, Endeavor outranks him as the new top hero on the Japanese Hero Billboard Chart. Despite Endeavor's unpopularity due to his family history and arrogant demeanor, the Flame Hero's strength, success, and perhaps an inconspicuous likeness to All Might influence his placement at first rank.

How Does Power Vary Among Professional Heroes?

The Hero Billboard Chart's Top 10 Heroes Are Leagues Above the Others

Being a Pro Hero at any level is impressive, but there's a clear difference between the strength of the top-rated heroes and low-ranking heroes. One of the Pro Hero Teams with a low rank is the Wild, Wild Pussy Cats, whose rank falls from 32nd to 411th after the loss of a team member, Ragdoll. Manual, the Normal Hero, is another lesser-known Pro at the 222nd rank with a basic water Quirk that functions best as a supportive ability rather than a powerful skill of its own. The low rankings of the Pussycats and Manual emphasize the importance of consistent performance and significant public contributions.

The best Pro Heroes become household names, often because of their undeniable strength, widespread influence through Hero Agencies, or heroic accomplishments. Fat Gum, ranked the 58th Pro Hero, has leveraged his stature as a top-100 hero to open his own agency to cultivate the talent of the upcoming generations, like pupils Suneater and Red Riot. Offering Hero Agency internships through Hero Academies is one of the common ways that heroes with resources spread their influence to incoming heroes and the greater public, often to the ultimate benefit of their rank.

The 23rd Pro Hero, Mt. Lady, is one of the most highly recognizable characters other than Japan's highest ranked Pro Heroes. Gang Orca and Shishido sit just below the top ten mark, but their strength and notoriety are still far outmatched when compared to Number One Hero Endeavor. At the top of the Hero Billboard Chart, the difference from one rank to the next can be exponential compared to the variance between heroes in lower positions.

Who Are Japan's Top 10 Pro Heroes?

The Top 10 Pro Heroes Change After All Might's Retirement

The top ten heroes on the Japanese Hero Billboard Chart have significant influence as highly public-facing figures. They earn their ranks by being the most popular, successful, and heroic people to put their Quirks to use in fighting evil. Pro Heroes play an important role in society, which is why the Hero Public Safety Commission hosts the Hero Billboard Chart rank announcements in person with the influential figures to champion heroes after All Might's sudden retirement and departure from the top ten.

Japan's top ten Pro Hero roster inevitably changes after losing All Might, but Gang Orca's drop from tenth to twelfth also leaves a second spot vacant. The Laundry Hero: Wash and Mirko the Rabbit Hero join the top ten with all counterparts other than Kamui Woods and Shield Hero: Crust shifting ranks. The order of the new top four Pro Heroes remains the same as before, putting Endeavor in a unique position as the new number one hero after high expectations set by All Might.

As Izuku Midoriya and the next generation of heroes continue to mature into Professional Heroes, All Might's incredible strength and impact remains the ultimate example of heroism. The final war against All For One presents the last opportunity for many of the young heroes to awaken their true potential because the high-stakes battle is certain to claim many lives before its end. Any brave heroes to emerge victorious after fighting All For One are sure to be honored as Japan's greatest heroes, regardless of their official rank.

My Hero Academia (2016)

TV-14

Action

Adventure

Where to Watch

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Izuku has dreamt of being a hero all his life—a lofty goal for anyone, but especially challenging for a kid with no superpowers. That’s right, in a world where eighty percent of the population has some kind of super-powered “quirk,” Izuku was unlucky enough to be born completely normal. But that’s not enough to stop him from enrolling in one of the world’s most prestigious hero academies.

Release Date

May 5, 2018

Cast

Daiki Yamashita , Justin Briner , Nobuhiko Okamoto , Ayane Sakura

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

6

Production Company

Bones

Number of Episodes

145