My Hero Academia’sfriendships rival those in other series, portraying everything from childhood friendships, like Bakugo and Deku, to relationships that transcend titles like “hero” and “villain,” like Ochaco and Toga’s, revealing how thoughtfully the series explores the complex concept of friendship. Class 1-A’s friendships have often earned the spotlight, butthe bestMy Hero Academiaduo often goes underappreciated by fans, and includes individuals who are not in this main class.
Mirio and Tamaki areMy Hero Academia’sbest friendshipby far, working together within U.A. High’s iconic top-ranking group,The Big Three, alongside Nejire Hado. Their relationship is special not just because of how connected these heroes are and how wholeheartedly they support one another, but because they have genuinely changed each other’s lives on a profound level. Without the bond between them, they could never have become some of the highest-ranking heroes in the world, as they are today.

Mirio and Tamaki Are Childhood Best Friends, Offering Each Other Years of Support
Mirio and Tamaki go way back, with a friendship that began during childhood and continued well into their adult lives, which is no easy feat since many platonic relationships do not endure for many years. Their first introduction was in elementary school, with Tamaki entering Mirio’s school as a brand-new student. Tamaki was so shy that he became lonely and isolated in his new third grade class, yet Mirio made a point to speak to Tamaki and discuss heroes with him, an interest the two boys had in common.This simple, friendly gesture meant the world to Tamaki, and thus, their friendship began to develop.
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Although they are opposites, with Tamaki being reserved and Mirio being bubbly, they have always brought out the best in one another. When Mirio struggled to perfect his difficult to control Quirk, Permeation, in middle school, Tamaki cheered him on, inspiring his friend not to give up on mastering his ability even as others laughed at him. Similarly, anytime Tamaki wrestled with his confidence in himself or using his own Quirk, Manifest, Mirio offered him words of support and encouragement. Even during thevulnerable and weak moments that tested the depth of their friendship, this iconic duo were still always proud to stand by each other.

Tamaki Overcame His Self-Worth Issues With Mirio’s Encouragement
By Nicknaming Him ”Suneater,” Mirio Unwittingly Changed the Course of Tamaki’s Life for the Better
Tamaki’s most challenging battles inMy Hero Academiawere not with any villain, his hardest obstacle to overcome was his own lack of self-worth. With just a few simple, seemingly casual words though,Mirio managed to completely change Tamaki’s perception of himselfin one ofMy Hero Academia’smost touching interactions, which reveals why their friendship deserves to be called the best in the series. On a walk home from school one day, Tamaki sang Mirio’s praises, while confiding in his best friend that he was very worried he was not nearly as talented and would surely be left behind by the seemingly more accomplished Mirio when he became a hero.
In this pivotal moment, Mirio uplifted Tamaki, assuring him that their friendship was his inspiration for working so hard to become a hero, and gave him motivation when he felt discouraged. Mirio even gave Tamaki a heartwarming nickname,“Suneater,” that Tamaki later even used as his hero name.Tamaki saw Mirio as comparable to the sun because of his bright personality and warm, infectious energy, but with this term of endearment, Mirio one-upped Tamaki’s compliment. He stated that Tamaki surpassed the very sun itself with his own skill and kindhearted demeanor, which helped restore some of his shattered pride in himself.

Unlike OtherMy Hero AcademiaFriends, They Never Fight and Always Protect One Another
Other friendships inMy Hero Academiaare meaningful, like Bakugo and Deku’s enemies to playful rivals relationship that took time to grow. However, whereas a lot of these other bonds had to suffer through rough patches, difficult conflicts, and other roadblocks, Tamaki and Mirio have never faced such hurdles in their friendship. In fact, it is even canon thatduring their over ten years of being in each other’s lives, they have never had a serious fight.Although it may seem a bit unrealistic for best friends to never butt heads, it does show how in sync Tamaki and Mirio are.
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Although they are very dissimilar,Tamaki and Mirio both manage to offer inspiration without trying to change each other, and that is the core of why their partnership is so mutually beneficial and important. Within otherfriendships like Kirishima and Bakugo’s, major change was absolutely necessary. Bakugo had to become kinder and more empathetic for the duo’s relationship to become closer, for example. Although growth was needed in that situation, and portraying complicated friendships is necessary too, Mirio and Tamaki’s simple, loving relationship is a breath of fresh air amidst other, more emotionally fraught relationships in the series.

Both Heroes Now Rank in the Top 20 in the World, Thanks To Help From Each Other
Although some fans may criticize Mirio and Tamaki’s connection for being too idealistic or even unrealistic, many real-life friendships are similar to this Big Three duo’s, characterized by pure love, mutual understanding, and support. Even after theepilogue timeskip with new designs, Mirio and Tamaki are still closer than ever eight years later, andrank in the top #20 heroes in the world together, with Mirio as #1.Without constant morale-boosting and uplifting remarks from each other, neither of them could have reached this impressive level of heroism and achievement, and that is whyMirio and Tamaki’s bond isMy Hero Academia’sgreatest and most supportive.
My Hero Academia
Cast
Anime series My Hero Academia follows Izuku Midoriya, a boy born without superpowers in a world where most have them. Despite his lack of abilities, he enrolls in a prestigious hero academy, striving to learn the true essence of heroism and fulfill his dream of becoming a hero.

