It's no secret that the hit series My Hero Academia borrows heavily from classic shonen manga series and American superhero comics, from X-Men to Superman and Captain America, and entire characters are based on these classic works. Author Kohei Horikoshi is also a big Star Wars fan, and he took his chance to make more than a few Star Wars references in his work.
Location names such as Jaku, Hosu (Hoth) and Kamino Ward are all obvious Star Wars tributes, and there are a few My Hero Academia characters who are clearly inspired by George Lucas' sci-fi movie saga. The parallels are startlingly clear, and other My Hero Academia characters echo legendary Star Wars characters more loosely. Who are they?
Midoriya Izuku Is The New Luke Skywalker
Protagonist Midoriya Izuku wasn't necessarily designed as a direct stand-in for Luke Skywalker, but given My Hero Academia's clear references to Star Wars, it's easy to see how much thematic overlap Izuku has with the original trilogy's hero. Both are brave and selfless young men who grew up without a father, and they yearn to explore the world and become great heroes, despite the protests of their caretakers.
Izuku, like Luke before him, is bound by fate to confront the ultimate villain and defeat him, becoming the "chosen one" who will restore balance to the world. These characters started their training late when they finally awakened their supernatural powers, but they learned quickly from a wizened old mentor, and now they're ready to save the world from a scary (and helmeted) villain.
Gran Torino Is The New Yoda
Luke Skywalker's story would never have been complete without wise Jedi Master Yoda to help him on Dagobah, and sure enough, Izuku had his own Yoda: the retired pro hero Gran Torino. In decades past, Gran Torino was Shimura Nana's friend and All Might's teacher, and even if he retired from active service, Gran Torino can still do some good.
Just like Yoda, he is a petite but wise old man who hid his true nature when the hero met him. Gran Torino and Yoda both pretended to be forgetful and foolish before getting down to business, which helped both characters make an odd but memorable first impression.
All For One Is Both Emperor Palpatine & Darth Vader
Curiously, the symbol of evil, All For One, is a blend of two different Star Wars characters. Aesthetically, he resembles the dreaded Darth Vader, being a powerful supervillain with a scary black helmet loaded with life support systems, and he stands as the plucky hero's destined nemesis. All For One is also Darth Sidious, being the ultimate antagonist who bows to no master.
Instead, he is the mastermind behind all the villainy in the world, and he seeks to reshape society and create his own empire in Japan -- and eventually, the world. He is also adept at corrupting and twisting people into becoming his pawns with the promise of power and a new purpose, which Sith Lords have been known to do.
Shigaraki Tomura Is Like Anakin Skywalker
All For One may have the aesthetics of Darth Vader, but it's Shigaraki Tomura, All For One's heir, who embodies Anakin Skywalker's character arc. Both Shigaraki and Anakin were innocent and heroic people in their childhood, but personal traumas, uncontrolled anger and more than a little manipulation by Sidious/All For One led them down a much darker path.
Shigaraki might have once become a pro hero like his grandmother Nana, but instead, he bent the knee to All For One, gaining a new villain name and aesthetic in the process. Just as Anakin became Darth Vader and gained his terrifying black suit, Shimura Tenko was knighted Shigaraki Tomura and started wearing severed hands as part of his villain costume.
Mora Nagamasa Is Like Chewbacca
Mora Nagamasa is a minor character, a student of the elite Shiketsu school. He has a hair extension Quirk that allows him to grab or smother his enemies with ultra-long hair all over his body, and unlike his classmate Seiji, he has a polite and cooperative personality, such as when he had a short conversation with Izuku about Camie's odd behavior.
Nagamasa's shaggy fur and hero costume are amusingly reminiscent of Chewbacca, although he lacks the Wookiee's bowcaster weapon and piloting skills.
