In the world of My Hero Academia, being a student at U.A. is a dream come true for those who want to work in heroics. But even at U.A., every class is different, particularly during Izuku Midoriya’s time there.
Class 1-A and 1-B both belong to U.A.’s Department of Heroics, but throughout the course of the anime, a significant gap forms between the students of the two classes. Both benefit from having Pro Heroes as teachers, but the students of 1-A go through unique experiences that allow them to shine brighter. While their notoriety comes with some perks, there are also a lot of disadvantages.
9 Harsh Reality: They Are The Target Of Constant Villain Attacks
Class 1-A’s occasionally troublesome fame starts with the League of Villains’ attack at the USJ. Having just started attending U.A., the students of 1-A are completely unprepared to face Tomura Shigaraki and his minions. They have to watch their teacher being hurt by the horrific Nomu, and they come very close to death themselves.
It’s only because of the efforts of Eraserhead that Tsuyu Asui survives instead of turning into dust at Shigaraki’s touch. And the USJ is just the beginning. The students of 1-A go on to engage many different villains, including the Hero Killer Stain, Nine, and Overhaul.
8 Perk: They Have Experience As Budding Heroes
Class 1-A’s tendency to constantly run into threats leads to them gaining more and more experience as budding heroes. At the USJ, they may have been afraid at first, but in the end, they overcome that and act. As a result, being thrown straight into the proverbial fire helps them grow more quickly. It’s not necessarily fair to them, but they come out stronger, learning valuable lessons from each painful fight.
7 Harsh Reality: Their Teachers Can’t Always Protect Them
Their experiences may be valuable lessons, but that doesn’t change the fact that they’re still students and should have still been under the protection of the school, at least for a little while. Unfortunately, U.A. proves itself incapable of protecting them. In fact, the decisions the school takes aren’t always ideal. Following Katsuki Bakugou’s win at the School Tournament, his teachers force the angry student to receive his medal bound and gagged on live TV.
It’s understandable that they would want to control his explosive temper, but this is most definitely not the way. Their approach leads to Katsuki being targeted by the League as he is seen as having villainous potential. He is kidnapped from the training camp, where the heroes present once again fail to protect him.
6 Perk: They Always Have Each Others’ Backs
Having to fight side by side has taught the students of 1-A to stand up for each other. Granted, they have their own groups and individual friendships, but in dire situations, they always have each others’ backs. Not even Minoru Mineta – so disliked by the female students – is excluded. This tendency first shows up when Shoto Todoroki, Izuku Midoriya, and Iida Tenya team up against Stain, but it gradually progresses to include all their classmates.
By the time they have to confront Nine, they form perfect teams to take out individual threats that are too powerful for a single student to handle. This proves to be very important in their later fights, particularly during the Paranormal Liberation War Arc.
5 Harsh Reality: They’ve Alienated Other Students
Many other students at U.A. don’t realize the high price the members of class 1-A have to pay for the extra experience. Certain students from 1-B, most preeminently Neito Monoma, are extremely jealous. But Neito is by no means unique. General Education Department students are particularly bitter.
Hitoshi Shinsou displays this during the U.A. Sports Tournament, though he seems to overcome it under Eraserhead’s tutelage. This is ultimately a symptom of a bigger problem. General Studies student Tsutsutaka Agoyamato makes a note of 1-A’s arrogance and wishes for them to fail during the School Festival.
The jealousy displayed by other students isn’t completely unwarranted. Because of their unique situation, students from Class 1-A are able to secure internships and hero-work studies with high-ranking Pro Heroes. For example, Fumikage Tokoyami has his hero-work studies with Number Two hero Hawks.
Shoto, Katsuki, and Izuku shadow Number One Hero Endeavor, and Ochako Uraraka and Tsuyu Asui work with Number Ten Hero Ryukyu. This means that once they graduate, they will have an easier time finding sidekick positions, and after that, working individually with other Pro Heroes.
4 Harsh Reality: They Haven’t Had The Time To Develop Their Potential
The experiences the students of 1-A have been through haven’t always worked in their favor. They’ve often spent so much time focused on fighting villains that they don’t really have time to focus on schoolwork. As a result, Class 1-B has a subtler, but more consistent development, even if they lack 1-A’s battle sense.
Only one 1-B student fails the first final exam, compared to five in Class 1-A. Similarly, all Class 1-B students pass their Provisional Hero License Exam, whereas two 1-A students fail it. The progress of the students of 1-B is pointed out in the Joint Training Exercise Arc. The students of 1-A still win, but not in every match, and in some cases, it’s a very close call.
3 Perk: They Grow A Lot As People
Even in the world of MHA, quirks aren’t everything. The students of 1-A have had to face harsh situations, and that has helped them mature. By the end of season five, this does begin to show in their quirks. Beyond that, they also grow a lot as people. Izuku Midoriya stops comparing himself so much to All Might and makes huge strides in becoming his own person. Shoto Todoroki is learning how to deal with his problematic family situation. Katsuki Bakugou has grown a lot since his days as Izuku’s bully, and he will only continue to improve.
2 Harsh Reality: They Are Recruited For The Fight Against The Paranormal Liberation Front
Season five of the anime ends with a giant teaser for the imminent conflict with the Paranormal Liberation Front. The students all receive messages, being summoned for a joined operation with the heroes. While Class 1-B will also participate, some 1-A students – like for example, Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugou, and Fumikage Tokoyami – will play a far bigger role in the battle. This is one conflict that will shape the future of hero society, and the actions each individual will take may very well determine their true potential as a hero.
1 Perk: They Will Likely Be The Top Ranking Heroes Of The Future
With Izuku being All Might’s successor and his classmates progressing more and more, it’s very likely they will be the top-ranking heroes of the future. But the students of 1-A have worked hard for everything they’ve accomplished. The students of 1-B are talented in their own right, so they’ll have to work even harder to catch up.
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