# Ochaco Uraraka

Ochaco Uraraka (Japanese: 麗日お茶子, Hepburn: Uraraka Ochako), also known by her hero name Uravity (Japanese: ウラビティ, Hepburn: Urabiti), is a superhero and one of the main protagonists of the manga series My Hero Academia, created by Kōhei Horikoshi. Initially born in a poor household from a working-class family, Ochaco aspires to become a hero in order to provide support for her parents, while also being a great hero who protects and saves anyone's lives. She is one of Izuku Midoriya's closest friends, and the one who inspires him to embrace the nickname "Deku" as his hero name.
Ochaco's Quirk is Zero Gravity (無重力(ゼログラビティ), Zero Gurabiti), which allows her to nullify the effects of gravity and make any object weightless by touching them with the extended pads on her fingertips. Overuse of the Quirk can cause her to suffer from severe nausea.
Ochaco is voiced by Ayane Sakura in Japanese and Luci Christian in English. The character has received praise by critics for her development and personality. She has become popular within the My Hero Academia fandom, placing high in several popularity polls while appearing in internet memes and merchandises.

## Creation and conception

Originally, Kōhei Horikoshi was going to create the character who would become Ochaco Uraraka as Yu Takeyama, or Mt. Lady. However, because he believed having a supporting character become giant would become problematic and eventually dark, he had Mt. Lady, a Pro Hero, exhibit the size-changing Quirk, and Ochaco had the Zero Gravity Quirk. In addition, a writer for Screen Rant, Ben Sockol, stated that if Kōhei Horikoshi had followed his original plan for Ochaco, the changes would not have become "interesting and fun" for readers, as Ochaco is small, but Mt. Lady is large. Horikoshi also favoured the name he gave Ochaco.
Ochaco's character design in the anime differs from that of the manga. People generally believe that Horikoshi had intended to model the character after a real woman, but the anime's depiction differs from social norms and aimed for a figure typically seen among female characters in anime.

### Voice actresses

Ochaco Uraraka is voiced by Ayane Sakura in Japanese and Luci Christian in English. In an interview Ayane Sakura had, she said she was happy to have received the role for Ochaco and her desire to portray Ochaco was strong. In another interview, Sakura stated that in the first season of the series, she thought Ochaco is a character with a strong core, and when Ochaco entered UA Academy, she was not experienced in actual combat. Also, she said that as Ochaco faced her increasingly shining and growing path, people could appeal to her handling things piling up in her path. She thought part of Ochaco's core did not change, but she wondered if the experiences would show in her behaviour. Additionally, she said that from the first season, she said, "Ochaco is not a heroine, but a hero", and believes Ochaco is "certainly a hero". Sakura remarked that although she had been portraying Ochaco for more than six years and felt her character became increasingly wiser, during the production of the fifth season, there was tension that led up to the sixth season. At that point, she felt that Ochaco became a "hero who rescues other heroes". In an interview Luci Christian had with The Natural Aristocrat, she stated that she had not read the manga, she was surprised, and she learned that Ochaco was strong. She said that acting as characters similar to Ochaco was "a happy surprise".
In an interview Ayane Sakura and Misato Fukuen, Himiko Toga's actress, had regarding their roles, Sakura stated that it was difficult to ignore Himiko when she played as Ochaco in the seventh season, and as she reflected on Himiko's behaviour, she increasingly thought of questions and wondered about the possibility of deciding incorrectly. Fukuen stated that this was full of things they could not say and that were strange to actors, and that getting original plans in anime does not happen easily. Sakura cried when she was recording the 20th episode of seventh season with Fukuen, and she said that the image of Himiko became deeply ingrained in her mind and she could not remember much because she could not see the script well. After recording and walking on streets for a while, she cried alone.

## Appearances
### In My Hero Academia

Ochaco first appears when going to an entrance examination with Izuku Midoriya and other students within Class 1-A. She notices Izuku and acts in a friendly demeanour towards him. She takes the examination with the other students and shows that she can throw an object for an infinte length. During the examination, when Izuku was falling, Ochaco touched him to avoid his death. She also fought against Tenya Iida and won. Later on, she explains that she wants to earn money to support her poor parents. Her parents are shown to work in construction, but they have trouble making money, so they have Ochaco carry a flip phone. However, Ochaco says she plans to send her paycheques to her parents. Also, although Katsuki Bakugo called Izuku "Deku" when they were children, to indicate worthlessness, Ochaco calls Izuku "Deku" because she gave a good meaning to "Deku", instead indicating the feeling of perseverance. Specifically, Ochaco said that "Deku" sounded similarly to "dekiru (出来る)", meaning, "to be able". Then, she fights Katsuki in the UA Sports Festival. Later, she trains under Gunhead to strengthen herself, learn martial arts, and blend physical combat with her Quirk. Because UA Academy can become competitive, she must use offence more than defence. She would later use what she learned from Gunhead to fight against Thirteen, a Pro Hero, in a final examination. Although she would fight alongside Yuga Aoyama against Thirteen in the final examination, Yuga would reveal that Ochaco has a crush on Izuku. This would cause Ochaco to lose control and get dragged by Thirteen, but as Thirteen stopped her Quirk to spare Ochaco's life, Ochaco capitalised on this decision to apprehend her.
She moves into a new dormitory in the 13th episode of the third season. Because she has a plain dormitory compared to the rest of her class, she apologises. Later, Tsuyu Asui shows concern about her future because of what happened in Katsuki's rescue. Ochaco states to Tsuyu that things will happen favourably and demonstrates a caring demeanour.
In the 10th episode of the fifth season, during a match between Classes 1-A and 1-B, Izuku loses control of the Black Whip Quirk. The match is cancelled. Ochaco and Hitoshi Shinso intervene, and Ochaco gets hurt in the process, but she holds Izuku to have Hitsohi use his Brainwashing Quirk. In the next episode, she successfully defeats most of Class 1-B independently through her Zero Gravity Quirk and martial arts.
In chapter 323, because of All For One's actions in causing hero society to struggle and Tomura Shigaraki looking for Izuku, civilians try to stay away from Izuku and do not support him. To surpass All Might in power, he needs support from civilians. Civilians panic and become angry about lawlessness running rampant in Japan, but Ochaco convinces them that UA Academy needs Izuku, and if he does not return, he will die. Izuku had attempted to face villains independently, but Ochaco, with Principal Nezu's encouragement and Class 1-A taking Izuku back, applied her philosophy.
There are times when Ochaco and Himiko Toga fought, and Himiko often mirrors Ochaco, but in a villainous manner. Ochaco uses martial arts against her, but they both crave love, and sympathise with each other. They meet each other in the sixth episode of the third season. In the tenth episode of the sixth season, during the Paranormal Liberation War, Himiko sneaks up on Ochaco, but Ochaco says she will apprehend Himiko if Himiko decides to obstruct Ochaco. In chapter 395, Himiko had clones to try to stop the Heroes, but Ochaco stopped her, and her clones dissolved. Himiko reveals to Ochaco how her life progressed. To prevent Ochaco from dying, Himiko gives her own blood. Consequently, Himiko dies.
In chapter 429, Ochaco indirectly confesses her feelings for Izuku and reveals to him that Himiko's death troubled her. Izuku tells Ochaco that she is a hero to him. In chapter 430, eight years after the events of the series, Ochaco becomes a Pro Hero and intends to help offer Quirk counselling. Because of how she feels about Himiko's rejection from hero society and consequent death, she endeavours to ensure something similar to Himiko would not happen again.
Ochaco also appears in the films My Hero Academia: Two Heroes, My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising, My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission, and My Hero Academia: You're Next.

### In other media

Ochaco appears in My Hero Academia: School Briefs, My Hero Academia: Team-Up Missions, and My Hero Academia: Smash!!, which depicts My Hero Academia's events in a more comedic manner. She also appeared as a playable character in the video games My Hero Academia: Battle for All, My Hero One's Justice, My Hero One's Justice 2, and My Hero Ultra Rumble.
In a crossover promotion with Avengers: Infinity War, Ochaco shared a brief conversation with Black Widow. In addition to Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugo, and All Might, she appears in Fortnite as a crossover character. Ochaco was also a character skin option as Juno for crossover promotion in Overwatch 2, which became available from 17 to 30 October 2024.
Ochaco appears in the My Hero Academia Collectible Card Game, a part of the UniVersus Collectible Card Game. She is prominent in the Girl Power booster set and JetBurn expansion and has her own deck. Examples of cards from her themed deck include Zero Gravity, Floating Drop, and Uravity Stunner, among other cards.
In the stage play, Ochaco is portrayed by Yume Takeuchi [ja].

## Characterisation and themes

Ochaco is depicted as a warm and lively adolescent girl. Although she grew up poor, she is shown to be selfless, unpretentious, friendly, laid-back, optimistic, determined, naturally willing to help others and cause them to smile, frugal, compassionate, and kind. Louis Kemner, a writer for Comic Book Resources, states that Ochaco could represent Izuku in miniature form, and similar to Izuku, she is an underdog who values hard work and positivity. She also favours starry skies and food. Because of her poor upbringing, she generally eats any Japanese food. She particularly favours mochi because it is culturally significant in Japanese cuisine and typically appears at special events. In addition, a writer for Game Rant, Robbie Mitchell, stated her character design avoids the fan service many female anime characters exhibit. Rather, her costume prioritises functionality. According to Rei Penber, another contributor to Game Rant, she is an important character and underutilised. Her fight with Himiko Toga has emotional value. The fight with Himiko is a strong point in My Hero Academia, and it is emphasised in the anime. Although she is an important friend to Izuku, she and Tenya Iida were moved in favour of Katsuki Bakugo and Shoto Todoroki. Furthermore, Ochaco generally acts on emotion, as she often goes into situations without thinking critically about them and suffers injuries. When she feels embarrassed, she often behaves carelessly and unintentionally endangers her friends at times. Some characters take her careless actions as insults. She has difficulty directly fighting her opponents. This was especially true before training under Gunhead. As Ochaco grew up with parents working long hours but struggling to make money, she is aware of finances and endeavours to manage money well. She saves money, carries a flip phone instead of a smartphone, skips meals, and sleeps excessively in her free time to save oxygen. Because work was not always available for her parents, it was important for them to track every yen they had. Consequently, Ochaco avoids unnecessarily spending money. She wanted to help her parents with their construction business, but they told her to pursue her own path. Ochaco believes that by becoming a Pro Hero, she can facilitate her parents' lives. In theory, to save her parents' operating costs, she could use her Quirk to move raw materials. According to Louis Kemner, although Momo Yaoyorozu performs the highest within Class 1-A, because of Ochaco's upbringing, Ochaco is shrewd in combat and hands-on experiences.
Ochaco has a strong bond with Izuku Midoriya. Throughout My Hero Academia, she modelled herself after him and remained a close friend. Rae Grimes of Comic Book Resources notes that Ochaco and Izuku helped each other during the entrance examination, Ochaco gave Izuku some of her points at that examination, and Izuku trusts Ochaco deeply enough to inform her about his Quirk's nature. According to Lauren Kells, a writer for Screen Rant, they had an encouraging relationship with each other. For example, Ochaco would wear Izuku's mask and scarf. Some fans believed that their behaviour in their relationship would become romantic. Examples of behavioural evidence suggesting a romantic relationship include her discussion with the other female students of Class 1-A and subsequent reaction to Mina Ashido in the 15th episode of third season, Yuga Aoyama asking if Ochaco likes Izuku at the end of the 22nd episode of second season, becoming jealous towards Mei Hatsume in the 14th episode of third season, shopping with Izuku in a shopping centre but subsequently running away and trying to say she harbours no romantic feelings, and becoming defensive towards Mina's statement about Ochaco wanting to be with Izuku and unintentionally causing her to float in the seventh episode of fifth season. Kōhei Horikoshi revealed in chapter 394 that Ochaco loves Izuku, and in chapter 431 that Ochaco is the "most special person" to Izuku, and Ochaco and Izuku share the same thoughts. Conversely, according to Cody McIntosh, a writer for Comic Book Resources, she idolises Izuku, and their relationship likely would not live up to what she favours. According to Olivea Eaton, another contributor for Comic Book Resources, she excessively worries about and trusts Izuku, sometimes fails to defend Izuku from Katsuki, and becomes jealous of other girls socialising with Izuku. For example, when she voted for Izuku to become the president of Class 1-A, Katsuki asked who voted for Izuku, and she failed to answer Katsuki. Throughout My Hero Academia, Ochaco tries to repress her feelings and emotions for Izuku, as opposed to Himiko. Although she is said to be Izuku's "love interest", she started as somewhat dull and dependent, but became a strong, independent character who can easily challenge her opponents.
Her Quirk, Zero Gravity, allows her to remove gravity from objects by touching these objects. She starts off with being able to remove gravity from anything up to three tonnes in weight, but overusing this will cause her nausea. To place that in perspective, she could theoretically move a one-tonne car, but she could not easily move a construction vehicle. In addition, to use her Quirk, she must touch an object with all five fingers on a given hand, and to release an object, she must use both hands. She can also synchronise her Quirk with other heroes. Manoeuvres she can make with the Quirk include Meteor Storm, Zero Satellites, and Comet Home Run. For Meteor Storm, she can drop rubble on someone. For Zero Satellites, she can throw debris with her grappling hooks. For Comet Home Run, she can make debris float and hit the mass of debris with a large pillar, similar to how one would play baseball. During her fight with Himiko Toga, she awakened her Quirk, but after she talked to Himiko Toga in a heartfelt demeanour. Rei Penber states that Zero Gravity is dangerous. Although Ochaco endeavours to use her Quirk safely, when Himiko used this Quirk after sucking Ochaco's blood, she showed that Zero Gravity could be used to keep subjects in air and drop them to their deaths. After awakening Zero Gravity, Ochaco does not need to touch anyone or anything to cause them to float. She awakened her Quirk when she encountered clones of Twice, and the floating Twice clones touched other characters and had them float. This mechanism would work in a similar manner to Tomura Shigaraki's awakened Quirk. She has also used her Quirk in combination with other characters' Quirks. For example, when she fights alongside Tsuyu Asui, they combine their Quirks to perform a manouevre called Meteor Fafrotskies. Another character she combines her Quirk with is Izuku, where she uses her Quirk to reduce debris and injuries Izuku would incur because of One For All being too powerful for him.
Himiko Toga often acts as a counterpart to Ochaco, having similarities and differences. Both characters look up to a hero to them. In Ochaco's case, she looks up to Izuku, but in Himiko's case, she looks up to Stain. They want their role models close to them because they believe that without them, they would not be complete. As Ochaco is altruistic, Himiko is hedonistic, but they both desire love. Ochaco endeavours to fight on behalf of other people, but Himiko fights for herself. Louis Kemner states that Ochaco could have adopted Himiko's behaviours, but she instead followed her conscience and Izuku's demeanours.

## Reception
### Popularity

Ochaco was popular among the fans of the series. In a 2018 My Hero Academia character popularity poll by Crunchyroll, Ochaco tallied up in fourth place with 3,268 votes. She also ranked in fourth behind Izuku, Shoto, and Bakugo in the first My Hero Academia popularity poll with 652 votes. In 2024, in the "World Best Hero" global poll, she was found to be the franchise's eleventh most popular character overall, and the most popular female character. At the Crunchyroll's inaugural Anime Awards, Ochaco was nominated for Best Girl; she went on to win in the same category at the second edition in 2018. In the Funimation's Decade of Anime fan poll, she was voted as one of the five recipients for the "Best Girls of the Decade" category. She is also notable in that she breaks the trend commonly seen among shōnen heroines. However, in a poll Goo Ranking took, 6.7% of Japanese men and women in their 20s and 30s believed Ochaco was the worst heroine.
BoxLunch collaborated with Crunchyroll to offer in-store displays of My Hero Academia. In eleven locations in the United States, fans could photograph themselves with characters such as Ochaco Uraraka, Izuku Midoriya, and Katsuki Bakugo.
People started cosplaying her on websites such as Instagram, and one user on Reddit accurately recreated her costume. Another cosplayer on Instagram recreated her costume such that this would be how Ochaco would appear in a live action film. A different cosplayer on Instagram recreated Ochaco wearing a cheerleader's outfit and her school uniform, including her bob cut. A Spanish cosplayer posted a picture of herself wearing Ochaco's hero costume and giving the appearance of floating over Tokyo.
Ochaco has also been famous for fan art. One person drew fan art of an older Ochaco. Another fan artist conceptualised what Ochaco might look like if she had the One For All Quirk, showing her having exposed arms, tears in her boots, carrying a rock, and radiating vibrant colours. Other people have taken to making fan art of Izuku and Ochaco together because of their beliefs about a romantic relationship. An illustrator who goes by the alias PultraArte posted fan art of Ochaco wearing Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba character Nezuko Kamado's clothing. Ochaco, among other anime characters, also often appears in images generated by text-to-image models in response to prompts on the human form.
As a consequence of My Hero Academia's popularity, Ochaco also had internet memes made of her. Examples include a parody of Pennywise looking at Georgie Denbrough from a gutter, a Twitter post of a user posing as Ochaco saying, "money", Ochaco showing surprise in a similar manner Pikachu would, a muscular Ochaco in the style of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, and a comparison to Gloria from Pokémon Sword and Shield. In one meme, fans pointed out the visual similarities between Izuku and Ochaco's faces.
Ochaco has had various merchandise sold of her, including a Nendoroid, a Figma figure, a Hello! Good Smile figure, a Pop Up Parade figure, a Revoltech figure, a McFarlane Toys figure, a Funko Pop! figure, and 1/8 scale figures. Pop culture enamel pin manufacturer FiGPiN also manufactured pins of Ochaco. Kawada released Nanoblock sets of Ochaco in 2022 and 2024.

### Critical response

Sam Leach of Anime News Network praised Ochaco as "likable", while calling her fight against Bakugo as the "stepping stone of character development". Alex Osborn of IGN praised Ochaco as tough and courageous, highlighting her growth and progression that occurred during the battles. Daniel Kurland of Den of Geek also offered some praise, specifically for her character development and personality. He would later write for Comic Book Resources and state that her role in the anime, her relationship with Izuku, and her motivation would be "overrated". Conversely, he would say that the work Ochaco took to get to where she is, her prowess, and her costume would be "underrated". Comic Book Resources also compared her to characters such as Winry Rockbell in Fullmetal Alchemist, Ruby Hoshino in Oshi no Ko, Petra Ral in Attack on Titan, Usagi Tsukino in Sailor Moon, Misa Amane in Death Note, Yuki Cross in Vampire Knight, Tohru Honda in Fruits Basket, Asuna Yuki in Sword Art Online, Atsuko Kagari in Little Witch Academia, Sakura Haruno in Naruto, Yotsuba Nakano in The Quintessential Quintuplets, and Princess Shuna in That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. The Anime UK News reviewer also offered praise for the character.
Olivea Eaton of Comic Book Resources felt that Ochaco became less likeable as the series progressed. Cody McIntosh, also of Comic Book Resources, criticised Ochaco in that she has a "ditzy" demeanour, behaves similarly to Mt. Lady, and is "confusing". Ahmed Rehan Nasir of Game Rant criticised how My Hero Academia handled Ochaco and said the series started her as a strong character with promising goals, but as the series went on, other male characters would take her place, and she would be regarded as a side character. He felt that the series did not offer the development the character needed, therefore making the character appear insignificant. He said that similar to many other shōnen manga, My Hero Academia would eventually neglect developing female characters and treat Ochaco as a love interest.
Michelle Smith from Soliloquy in Blue called Ochaco "spunky", but felt her monetary side became less important. Lauren Kells of Screen Rant found that Ochaco's unique motivation to support her parents is what "sets her apart" from other heroes in the series.