WARNING: The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia Season 5, Episodes 5 and 6, now streaming on Crunchyroll, Funimation and Hulu.
Season 5, Episode 5 of My Hero Academia shines a spotlight on Class 1-B's representative, Itsuka Kendo. Though she doesn't get to show off her Quirk in this episode, the episode takes time to set up who she is, why she's such a major character in Class 1-B and what she can bring to the table for her group's combat training exercise. One of her classmates, Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, even makes a point of saying that she is more than simply the class representative. What is it about Itsuka that brings her class together and commands the utmost respect?
From what we've seen of Itsuka Kendo so far, it's obvious that she's extremely cheerful and friendly. She also seems to be very thoughtful of others, which of course would make her well-liked in her class. She also has a solid sense of right and wrong, which will make her a great Pro Hero. Itsuka also extends her polite courtesy to people outside of Class 1-B, much to the dislike of some of her classmates. In particular, Itsuka has no issues with Class 1-A, which is surprising considering most of her class detests them.
Itsuka consistently puts others before herself, such as the time during the UA Sports Festival when she lets Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu and Ibara Shiozaki participate in the event instead of her own team. Actions like this speak louder than words ever could and it's earned her a stellar reputation amongst her classmates. Tetsutetsu, at the beginning of Episode 5, states that Itsuka is like the class's "big sister" and is the most respected member of the class and it's easy to see why.
In Episode 6, Itsuka uses her Quirk, Big Fist, against one of Class 1-A's groups during the combat training exercise. It's a great showcase of her hero abilities and how they pair with her caring and kind personality. The two combine to be remarkably effective against Class 1-A, especially Momo Yaoyorozu.
Momo is to Class 1-A what Itsuka is to Class 1-B. They are both highly respected and have powerful Quirks, to boot. To finally see them face off on relatively equal terms will be a sight to behold. Especially since they both interned with Uwabami together, in an environment that was well outside of both their comfort zones. Itsuka will be put to the test, with her whole class watching and supporting her.
There's a clear reason by Class 1-B loves their class representative so much. She's kind, cheerful and filled with empathy. She's respected for this along with her intellect and powerful Quirk. My Hero Academia spends so much time with class 1-A, it's easy to forget the other great characters in the anime, like Itsuka Kendo.
