Horikoshi’s Decision to Sideline Iida in My Hero Academia Denies Fans an Iconic New-Generation Trio

Katsuki Bakugo, Izuku Midoriya, and Shoto Todoroki serve as the central protagonists in My Hero Academia, each benefiting from significant character development and screen time. However, the series overlooked another important trio focused on friendship due to Tenya Iida’s side-lining, which portrayed him as excessively fixated on revenge.

During the Versus Hero Killer arc, Iida learned that Stain had incapacitated his brother’s quirk. Frustrated with the slow official response, he sought vengeance and took matters into his own hands. This obsession with revenge caused him to drift away from the group, thereby depriving the fandom of one of the series’ most promising and dynamic friendships.

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My Hero Academia: Analyzing How Iida’s Revenge Quest Cost Fans a Friendship Trio

Tenya Iida as seen in the anime (Image via Bones)

Tenya Iida, the youngest child of the Iida family, serves as the class representative of Class 1-A at U.A. High School. He inherited the Engine quirk from his family, enabling him to achieve remarkable speed. His inherent talent quickly positioned him as one of U.A.’s top students, evident from his respected role as class representative.

Initially, Iida was outgoing and friendly, especially when he met Deku and Uravity (Uraraka).

Stain and Iida as seen in the anime (Image via Bones)

As their friendship blossomed, Uraraka joined their conversations, leading to discussions about why Izuku was called “Deku.”Over time, they began to share lunch together and solidified their bond as a trio. Their connection was not rooted in competition but grew from genuine friendship.

However, everything changed during the Versus Hero Killer arc. Iida’s brother, Ingenium, suffered critical injuries at the hands of the Hero Killer Stain, rendering him unable to use his quirk. As authorities ramped up their investigation, Iida felt he had to act, leading him to take matters into his own hands in search of Stain.

This determination pushed Iida to sacrifice his time in the spotlight and work as a sidekick for a local hero patrolling the area where Stain was last seen. Unfortunately, this decision strained his relationship with Deku and Uraraka, and they rarely had the chance to spend time together after the incident.

Conclusion

The Deku-Uraraka-Eid Trio (Image via Bones)

Although their friendship endured after the trio disbanded, the dynamic chemistry they once shared diminished as their interactions became less frequent. Iida’s character sidelining ultimately deprived the fandom of a golden trio, one that had the potential to achieve remarkable things in the world of My Hero Academia.

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