Eijiro Kirishima is one of the best aspiring heroes in My Hero Academia. His quirk, Hardening allows him to harden his body like a rock and protects him from almost all kinds of physical attacks. His hardening is strong enough to even let a bullet bounce off his skin.
Aside from his defense, he has strong offensive powers as well. He can easily crush down strong villains with just a punch.
In this article, we explore the reasons why Eijiro Kirishima, a secondary character in My Hero Academia, has captured the hearts of fans more than most other characters in the series. From his unwavering loyalty to his charming personality, we delve into the qualities that make Eijiro Kirishima a fan favorite.
Whether you are already a Eijiro fan or curious about what sets him apart, this article provides insight into why he is so beloved among My Hero Academia fans.
1. He Values His Friendship
Although most of class 1-A shows incredible friendship towards one another, Kirishima has been shown to care for his friends a lot more than others. He is especially close to Bakugo ever since the first season and always sticks close to him despite the latter’s rude personality.
During the time Bakugo was kidnapped by the League of Villains, Kirishima rounded up a few of his classmates to rescue him, despite the danger. This proves his selfless nature and ability to always put others ahead of his own safety, something all heroes strive to be.
2. He Sees the Good in Everyone
Even though Kirishima had low self-confidence at the start of the series, he eventually became stronger. Even though he still feels fear, that doesn’t stop him from rushing ahead to help others.
Due to his dark past, when he constantly lived facing his low self-esteem, he can empathize with others. Because of this, he believes even though someone feels fear, they can be better in the future.
He tried to comfort a villain in the fourth season who was crying for abandoning his friends. Even though Kirishima was his enemy, he showed compassion to the villain and tried to make the latter understand what he did wrong and how he can improve himself.
3. He Embodies the Values of His Idol
As mentioned earlier, Kirishima had low self-confidence in the past. The final days of his middle school were the darkest time of his life when he couldn’t find it in himself to help his schoolmates from a villain. He loathed himself for freezing due to fear in front of the villain.
It was around that time when he saw an interview of the Chivalrous Hero: Crimson Riot, who was known for being fearless and reckless. The pro hero talked about his fear in the interview and said that it was common to feel fear in the face of danger.
This was the turning point in his life because he believed there were many things common between him and Crimson Riot, even their quirk. After that, he truly embodied the values of Crimson Riot and lives up to them.
4. He Always Rushes Forward to Help Others
In the most dangerous situations, the first thing that comes to a person’s mind is to save themselves, but not heroes. They have to be able to help others, even if their lives are at risk. Over the course of five seasons of the anime, there have been countless times when MHA characters have faced dangers.
Unlike the rest of his class who plan to form a strategy, Kirishima rushes to the battle almost instantly. In the fourth season, when Kirishima, Fat Gum, and Amajiki were out patrolling on the streets, they ran into a group of villains. To save Amajiki, he didn’t hesitate to cover the latter from a bullet.
Also, during the raid on Shie Hassaikai, he went against Rappa, one of the eight bullets, to save Fat Gum. He rushed in to save his mentor even though didn’t have any chance of winning.
5. He Always Encourages His Friends
Unlike his past self, the present Kirishima is always optimistic and cheerful. He is highly motivated and works hard to achieve his dreams. He also encourages others to work better and talks about the good qualities he sees in them.
After his battle with Tetsutetsu, he made the initiative to shake hands with him and said that it was a good fight. It helped Tetsutetsu a lot, who had just lost the round.
Also, since Kirishima and Amajiki were doing their work-study in the same agency, they somewhat became close friends. Amajiki is popular for his negative and gloomy personality, despite being a member of Big Three, the three strongest students in U.A.
During their patrol, while Amajiki was feeling negative like usual, Kirishima tried to cheer him up, just like he always does. Unlike the rest of the MHA characters who are driven by their own interests and values, Kirishima displays his drive-by helping others.
He works hard just like the rest of them, but there is something about him that makes him the center of attraction. He has a charismatic personality and even though he is not a pro hero yet, he already has all the qualities to become one.
