The rival.

Especially the douchebag Machiavellian type rivals that the main character ends up friends or teaming up with after the main character 'proves their worth' to them by being stronger. No character growth outside of now they work with the protagonist.

I really want this trope to be subverted one day, like the douchey rival shows up and everyone is just like "Wow what a dickhead" and just relentlessly bullies him until he goes away.

  • Zodiark [he/him]
    ·
    1 year ago

    I didn't like my hero academia either. I didn't like that the bully was given character growth or that Midoriya was so reverent to them.

    Conversely, I think Naruto handled Sasuke well. Until Shippuden.

    • Gelamzer
      ·
      7 months ago

      deleted by creator

    • invo_rt [he/him]
      ·
      1 year ago

      Sasuke

      I liked his edginess in Shippuden, but I hated how unbelievably Gary Stu he was post-Itachi. I was begging for him to get knocked down a peg with actual consequences, but they kept bailing his ass out with other characters, but didn't give him an ounce of humility.

    • Thordros [he/him, comrade/them]
      ·
      1 year ago

      I didn’t like that the bully was given character growth or that Midoriya was so reverent to them.

      Bakugo still seems pretty heartless to me.