The spin-off manga for My Hero Academia, My Hero Academia: Team-Up Missions, just released its first volume in America this past week. The manga features a special study course where various students partake in small missions with major established heroes. Midoriya, Bakugo and Uraraka team up with Hawks and later Mirko. Iida and Yaororozu team up with Fat Gum and Sun-Eater. Even Mei, the support student from U.A., competes with Melissa Shield -- who first appeared in the series' first movie, My Hero Academia: Two Heroes.
This manga can put any fan-favorite characters together to see what will transpire, and the potential remains relatively limitless. For future volumes, which characters might be perfect for a team-up? Let's analyze and discuss the possibility, based on which characters' personalities would best match and whose Quirk combinations are the most interesting.
Ejiro Kirishima and Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu with Rock Lock
Teaming up Kirishima and Tetsutetsu is a no-brainer. These two knuckleheads have the same power set and have great chemistry together, not to mention they are remarkably similar personality-wise. The fact there aren't more chances to pair these characters up -- outside of their internships -- is a missed opportunity for My Hero Academia in general.
This begs the question: why pair them with Rock Lock? Rock Lock and Kirishima have a history from when Kirishima interned with Fat Gum. However, Rock Lock's personality is also the polar opposite of Kirishima and Tetsutetsu's. He's far sterner and more serious. This team-up would force Rock Lock to loosen up to work with these two over-the-top buddies. It also doesn't help that all of these characters essentially have defensive powers. Rock Lock can pin targets down, while Kirishima and Tetsutestu can take hits. It would be interesting to see these abilities applied creatively without a central offensive hero -- like Fat Gum.
Denki Kaminari and Toru Hagakure with Gang Orca
Denki Kaminari and Toru Hagakure are lovable, if not a little dopey at times too, which pairs interestingly with Gang Orca -- an intimidating titan of raw power with a secret soft spot. On the one hand, Kaminari and Hagakure would be at total odds with Orca's more critical and intense presence, while strangely also being perfect for it. Both of them are great at what they do, with Denki being loud and flashy and Toru being a superb stealth hero.
However, they're also loud and disruptive kids who will probably test Gang Orca's patience immediately. From a story perspective, this is an excitingly positive trait. At the very least, it will result in fun comedy, with Orca being the most frightening straight man possible. Ultimately, the story could culminate in Orca loosening up and the two kids proving their potential as heroes to him. And, of course, an excellent display of stealth, lightning and Gang Orca's sheer power that could explore these three characters more in-depth.
Mina Ashido and Itsuka Kendo with the Wild Wild Pussycats
Ashido and Kendo might not at first seem like a logical pair -- especially considering how Kendo is from Class 1-B, not 1-A. However, personality-wise, they seem like a good match. Ashido is fun and free-spirited, while Kendo is a little more of a leader who, while still fun, seems more driven to maintain order.
This dynamic would match well with the Wild Wild Pussycats' chaotic disaster energy, all of whom are disorganized in their organization. This sort of order within chaos dynamic would work wonders with the characters. On top of that, their various power sets are all so unusual and wild that it might result in some exciting fight scenes.
Tsuyu Asui and Kyoka Jiro with Kamui Woods
While seemingly an odd choice, Asui and Jiro are friends and have good chemistry with one another, but their power sets are very different. Still, there is creative potential to mixing Asui's Frog Quirk with Jiro's sound-based ones. The question is, where does Kamui Woods fit into this?
For one, it's a unique choice, which already invites some creative potential. For another, there are interesting ways Kamui's branches could be integrated with Asui's tongue, as well as potentially Jiro'sEarphone Jack Quirk. Perhaps Asui can swing by her tongue on an extension of branches, hanging over an enemy. Plus, Kamui is relatively new in his pro status, and a focused story would be great to learn more about the wooded hero -- including his hidden face.
Minoru Mineta and Neito Monoma with Endeavor
Mineta and Monoma are two of the most widely disliked characters in the series. So the idea of pairing them together in any narrative sounds like a recipe for disaster. Why would you want more of these characters? Well, pairing Mineta and Monoma up with Endeavor would result in these children being put in a walking nightmare.
The three of them would clash so horribly that someone would eventually snap. Despite this sounding like a negative, it opens the doors for each of these characters to be a bit more reflective, possibly growing off their wildly opposing personalities. Plus, it might force Mineta to relax on his extreme perversion and Monoma to put aside his weird insecurities about Class 1-A long enough to be a hero. And Endeavor's failings are well documented, with plenty to atone for, so working with some less serious students could do him some good.
Fumikage Tokoyami and Hitoshi Shinso with Gentle Criminal and La Brava
Okay, this one is the biggest longshot. Not so much for Tokoyami and Shinso, both of whom are members of U.A. with plenty of potential. Notably, they each have Quirks commonly associated with villains. Tokoyami has a literal dark entity that sprouts from his body, while Shinso's mind control is perceived to be pretty intimidating and scary. Yet, despite that, they are heroes.
No, the long-shot is with Gentle Criminal and La Brava, who appeared as villains before being apprehended by the police. Still, they seem set on the path for redemption by the end of their arc, but they have yet to return to the narrative. My Hero Academia: Team-Up Missions is a perfect opportunity for under-represented characters to reappear -- like Melissa Shields, who appears in two chapters in the first volume. This spinoff is tailor-suited for Gentle Criminal and La Brava, who probably won't have a significant role in the mainline manga's future.
So why pair these guys up? Tokoyami and Shinso are heroes with villainous powers, while Criminal and La Brava are essentially failed heroes turned criminals offered a chance at redemption. There's just a lot of resonant story potential inherent to that sort of story that would be fun to read. After all, Gentle and La Brava aren't exactly doing anything right now, are they?
