Ever wondered why you feel a weird surge of pride when you find out you share a birthday with a fictional teenager who can shoot explosions from his hands? It’s not just you. In the world of My Hero Academia (MHA), creator Kohei Horikoshi didn't just throw darts at a calendar. These dates are actually deep-seated in the characters' identities, puns, and even the literal timeline of the series.
Honestly, it’s kinda wild how much fans obsess over these dates. But when you’ve spent years watching Izuku Midoriya break his fingers for the greater good, you start to care about the small stuff. Like the fact that he was born in the middle of summer. Or that his rival, Bakugo, shares a birthday with a certain infamous historical figure (though Horikoshi probably didn't do that on purpose, let’s be real).
My Hero Academia Character Birthdays: The Heavy Hitters
Let’s get the big ones out of the way. If you’re looking for the "main" crew, their birthdays are spread across the year, which makes for a lot of fan art cycles.
Izuku Midoriya (Deku): July 15
Deku is a summer baby. It fits his "sunny" disposition, even if that sun is often obscured by clouds of self-doubt and broken bones. Fun fact: July 15 is also the birthday of Mirio Togata (Lemillion). Sharing a birthday with the guy who was almost the protagonist of the entire world? That’s some heavy symbolic weight.
Katsuki Bakugo: April 20
Yeah, the 4/20 jokes write themselves, but in Japan, April is the start of the school year. Being born in April makes Bakugo one of the oldest students in Class 1-A. This seniority actually tracks with his "natural leader" (read: loudest person in the room) energy. He’s literally been "ahead" of Deku since they were toddlers.
Shoto Todoroki: January 11
Todoroki’s birthday is right at the start of the year. It’s cold. It’s icy. But it’s also the "1/11," which feels very... symmetrical? Precise? Just like his Quirk, provided he’s actually using both sides of his brain.
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Ochaco Uraraka: December 27
Right between Christmas and New Year’s. Poor Ochaco probably gets those "this is for your birthday and Christmas" combo gifts. Considering her family’s financial struggles, she probably doesn't mind, but still.
The Weird Calendar Math of UA High
Most Western fans don't realize that the Japanese school year starts in April. This changes the whole "who is the oldest" dynamic.
Since the cutoff for the school year is April 1st, the "oldest" person in Class 1-A isn't Todoroki (January), it's actually Bakugo (April 20). He’s been on this earth nearly a full year longer than some of his classmates.
The youngest in the class? That would be Mezo Shoji, born February 15. Because he was born in the following calendar year but before the April cutoff, he’s effectively the "baby" of the group, despite being a giant with multiple arms.
A Quick Look at the Rest of Class 1-A
If you want to check your own date against the roster, here's how the rest of the class stacks up. No fancy tables here, just the raw data:
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- Tsuyu Asui: February 12 (Aquarius energy is strong here).
- Momo Yaoyorozu: September 23. She’s a Virgo/Libra cusp, which makes sense for someone who literally has to know the molecular structure of everything.
- Tenya Iida: August 22. Right at the end of summer break. He probably spent his birthdays doing extra homework.
- Eijiro Kirishima: October 16. Funnily enough, he shares this birthday with Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu from Class 1-B. It’s a running gag that they are the same person in different fonts, and Horikoshi leaned into it by giving them the same birth date.
- Fumikage Tokoyami: October 30. One day before Halloween. If that isn't the most "on-brand" thing for a guy who lives in a dark room with a shadow demon, I don't know what is.
- Denki Kaminari: June 29.
- Mina Ashido: July 30.
- Kyoka Jiro: August 1.
- Minoru Mineta: October 8.
- Toru Hagakure: June 16.
- Hanta Sero: July 28.
- Yuga Aoyama: May 30.
- Mashirao Ojiro: May 28.
- Koji Koda: February 1.
- Rikido Sato: June 19.
Why Do We Even Care?
Honestly, it’s about the E-E-A-T—Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. No, wait, that’s SEO talk. For fans, it’s about immersion.
In Japan, there's a huge culture around Ketsueki-gata (blood type personality theory) and birthdays. Authors like Horikoshi use these profiles to ground their characters. It makes them feel like real people who exist in a timeline, not just drawings that appear when the plot needs them.
Plus, there’s the "Birthday Controversy." You’ve probably seen the Reddit threads. Some people got really upset because Bakugo shares a birthday with Hitler (April 20). Others pointed out that he also shares it with Robert Downey Jr. and Miranda Kerr.
The reality? Japan doesn't view April 20 the same way the West does. For them, it's just a day in the most prestigious month of the school year. Sometimes a birthday is just a birthday.
Pro Heroes and Villains: The Grown-Ups
The adults in MHA have birthdays too, though they rarely get to celebrate them between all the city-level destruction.
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- All Might (Toshinori Yagi): June 10.
- Eraser Head (Shota Aizawa): November 8. (He probably just wants a nap).
- Endeavor (Enji Todoroki): August 8. This is a pun. "8" in Japanese can be read as "Ha," and 8/8 is often associated with heat or fire in some contexts.
- Tomura Shigaraki: April 4. In Japanese culture, "4" is an unlucky number because it sounds like the word for "death" (shi). Giving the leader of the League of Villains a birthday on 4/4 is a very deliberate, dark nod from Horikoshi.
- Himiko Toga: August 7.
- Dabi (Touya Todoroki): January 18.
The Leap Year Mystery: Tiger
One of the coolest bits of "nerd detective work" in the MHA fandom involves Tiger from the Wild, Wild Pussycats. His birthday is February 29.
Because Leap Days only happen every four years, fans have used his age (31) to try and calculate the exact year the series takes place. If he's 31 on a year that isn't a leap year, but was born on one... well, the math gets complicated. Current theories suggest the story is set somewhere in the late 21st century, roughly 100-150 years from now.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you’re a superfan, knowing these dates isn't just trivia. It’s a way to engage with the community. Here is what you can actually do with this info:
- Check the "Ultra Analysis" Book: If you want the deepest lore, the official My Hero Academia: Ultra Analysis character guide is the Bible for this stuff. It lists blood types, likes, and birthdays for even the most obscure background characters.
- Participate in "Birthday Tags": On X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, Japanese fans use specific hashtags for character birthdays (e.g., #爆豪勝己生誕祭 for Bakugo). It’s a great way to find high-quality fan art that usually isn't posted on English-speaking sites.
- Timeline Tracking: Use birthdays to figure out how much time has actually passed in the manga. For example, knowing Bakugo turned 17 helps you realize the "internship" arcs aren't just weeks—they're months.
Whether you share a birthday with a hero or a villain, these dates add a layer of humanity to a world filled with superpowered chaos. It reminds us that even "Number One" heroes had to blow out candles on a cake once a year.
Next Step: Take a look at the October birthdays—specifically Kirishima and Tetsutetsu—and see if you can spot any other "hidden twins" in the series who share a date and a Quirk style.