My Hero Academia has exploded on the scene as an anime that has earned a gigantic audience in the west. This is similar to how both Dragon Ball Z and Attack on Titan quickly became worldwide phenomenons that captured the interest of millions.
It's unclear if it has the staying power of Pokemon, but the similarities between superhero powers and Pokemon moves are undeniable. It's time to look at 10 Pokemon, through Pokemon Sword & Shield, that resemble characters from the hit anime My Hero Academia.
10 Turtonator (Kirishima)
Kirishima is a beloved secondary character in the anime and made a mark on audiences during his escapades with Fat Gum when heroes were trying to take down the local yakuza. He can harden his body and as a result, his red hair becomes pointy and spiky. The 7th generation of games featuring the introduction of the Alolan Islands were home to a Dragon and Fire-type turtle named Turtonator, with an incredibly sharp shell of spikes resembling that of Kirishima. It's back is known to explode, so biological it may be more similar to Bakugo.
9 Murkrow (Tokoyami)
Out of all of the entries on the list, this one has to be the combination of the two characters that look most alike. The problem with Tokoyami is he's not as well known as other characters so it's hard to put him near the top of the list. He happens to be a human with a crow's head and Murkrow is a crow-inspired Pokemon and therefore they look almost identical. It'd be weird to see Tokoyami in the world of Pokemon as a trainer with a Pokemon that looks exactly like him existing in that same reality.
8 Machamp (Muscular)
Despite only being around on the show for a handful of episodes, the villain known as Muscular left his mark on the anime as a terrifying villain. He may only have two arms, but the structure of his body and the size of his arms make him bear a striking resemblance to Machamp.
Fans often discuss how offputting Machamp's human-like biology makes them feel, but there's no denying it's a powerhouse. Like Muscular, it's the last person anyone wants to fistfight in a dark alleyway.
7 Polioed (Tsuyu Asui)
Looking at Tsuyu Asui and Politoed you'll notice three distinctive similarities in terms of their appearance. The first is that each of them sports green as their primary color. Secondly, they both have strong connections to frogs, with Asui possessing powers similar to that of the amphibian and Politoed being the Pokemon embodiment of that same creature. Lastly, they're much more adorable than any frog has any right being and in that way, they endear themselves to those around them.
6 Clefairy (Uraraka)
Uraraka, better known as Uravity, is an adorable member of Class 1-A, a capable hero in her own right, and Midoriya's secret crush. She's a lovely girl whose bubbly personality is matched by her bright pink aesthetic that extends to her personalized superhero outfit. Clefairy is a feminine Pokemon who is also adorable, has a design centered on the color pink, and isn't the prototypical body type of what most media portrays as the "ideal" body size for women. They also have the color brown as the secondary color in their design.
5 Crawdaunt (All Might)
Looking at All Might's design it's hard to deny that he isn't a mixture of Wonder Woman, Captain America, and the American flag all rolled into one. Crawdaunt may not be as powerful or physically imposing as All Might, but it looks like someone grabbed a lobster and made it wear a cosplay of the iconic hero. The Water and Dark dual-type is known as the Rogue Pokemon which seems counter to what All Might stands for, but thankfully this list is just about looks and nothing else.
4 Lucario (Tenya Iida)
In My Hero Academia there aren't as many characters in Class 1-A that are as intelligent or rigid with rules as class president Tenya Iida is. His superhero suit is mostly blue with accents of white and is an appearance that has a history and legacy with his family.
Lucario is a Pokemon who isn't exactly known for its speed, but the way it stands and the colors of its design make it resemble Iida. The Fighting and Steel-type could likely help Iida get more comfortable with his emotional side considering the creature is an empath.
3 Emboar (Endeavor)
Endeavor is one of the more interesting characters in My Hero Academia as his troubled past and complex personality make him hard to read and trust. One thing's clear though, he's a powerful master of fire and in terms of size, he's a large bulky man who looks like he could run through a brick wall. Though Emboar is a bit more portly than Endeavor, the Fighting and Fire-type is just as hardheaded. It shares a lot of the jagged flame designs that are similar to the silhouette of the world's new #1 hero.
2 Toxel (Mineta)
Mineta is the purple pervert who's the size of a small child with weird balls on his head. His perversion can be quite offputting but he has shown his classmates to be capable when it mattered. The world of Pokemon also happens to have a purple creature with lumps on its head that is the size of a child. Toxel is an Electric and Poison-type who made its debut in Pokemon Sword & Shield via the Galar region. It may not be the deviant that Mineta is, but design-wise it strikes a shocking resemblance.
1 Greninja (Aizawa)
Aizawa, the main instructor for Class 1-A often draws a lot of comparisons to Batman. They both are mysterious men who have a stealthy way of fighting and always seem like they're one step ahead of their opponent. Greninja on the other hand often gets compared to Batman as well, so it makes perfect sense why the two would resemble one another. Aizawa rarely takes on action poses, but the scarf on both Greninja and his necktie the two even further together. It's unclear if Greninja sleeps as often as Aizawa does, though..